December 3, 2008 - 12:55am
The Department of Physics and Engineering at Vancouver Island University is pleased to congratulate the winners of the first year engineering project awards.
Seth Ellerbeck and Perry Taylor received a $300 prize for their project that controlled the temperature of water held within a tin can by lifting and lowering it onto a heating place. Although they would have been able to design a solution to this problem more simply, both Seth and Perry have a strong interest in mechanical engineering and added the crane to their project to allow them to explore its design.
Dana Leslie and Andrew Sturrock received a $200 prize for their design of an autonomous vehicle equipped with a dynamically leveling platform. The robot relies on sensors to navigate in an unknown environment while the platform is kept level by monitoring its movement and using motors to compensate. They felt this design would make the sensor navigation more efficient as well as more practical (maybe to transport delicate cargo that can be damaged by sudden movements).
Pieter Jonker and Erik Kyfiuk received a $100 prize for a prototype design automating the process of producing biodiesel, specifically making the process more user friendly for home producers of biodiesel.
Each project was created through the first year engineering project course (ENGE 199) required for students transferring to UVic or VIU in their second year of engineering studies. Each project will be on display within the department and be used in demonstrations to Grade 11 and 12 students during school visits and Engineering Fair events.
The Department of Physics and Engineering would like to thank the NSERC Pacific Regional Opportunities fund for their generous financial support of this award.
The Department of Physics and Engineering at Vancouver Island University was also pleased to host its first Engineering Fair event of the 2008/09 academic year. Grade 11 Physics students from Cowichan Bay Secondary (15 students total plus their teacher) and Kwalikum Secondary (22 students plus their teacher) competed against themselves and each other in a trebuchet design competition. The Department would like to congratulate the following winners of the competition:
1st Place: Mike Hamlyn, Terry Prokopovich, and Joel Adamson (Kwalikum Secondary)
2nd Place: Daniel Hobden and Jonathan Chow (Cowichan Bay Secondary)
The first and second place winners each received a VIU branded polo shirt and t-shirt respectively and a coveted NSERC pen. In addition, each winner will receive a plaque to keep and the top placing team will have their name engraved on the Engineering Fair plaque on display in the department. All participants to the event received a participation medallion.
The Engineering Fair originated as an annual event held in May but has since grown to six events held each year. In 2007/08, over 250 students from eight local high schools participated in these events, which are offered to the community through the newly expanded Engineering program offered at VIU. In addition to the successful 1st year engineering transfer program to both UBC (University of British Columbia) and UVic (University of Victoria), students now have the option of taking a two year transfer program to the Electrical and Computer Engineering program at UVic. Acceptance into third year at UVic is guaranteed upon acceptance into the VIU 2nd year program.
The Department of Physics and Engineering would like to thank the NSERC Promoscience program and the NSERC Pacific Regional Opportunities fund for their financial support of this event.
The next event will be held for Woodlands and John Barsby Secondaries on 17-Dec and 18-Dec respectively.
If you are interested in finding out more information on the first or second year Engineering transfer program at VIU, please contact Brian Dick (753-3245, local 2435) or visit our website at www.viu.ca/engineering
Tags: In the Community
