Find us On Facebook Twitter
News
news and events Events Energy Lectures Sustainability 2011 Sustainability 2010 Sustainability 2009 White Symposium Whiting Turner Lectures Current News News Archives Search News Press Coverage Press Releases Research Newsroom RSS feed Events Calendar events events

News Story

Current Headlines

Alumna Florence Tan of NASA to Deliver Commencement Speech May 20

36 Clark School Students Accepted into NIST Summer Research Program

Eta Kappa Nu Wins 2011-2012 Outstanding Chapter Award

UMD's Gamera Team Receives Support from Maryland Space Business Roundtable

Clark School Student Wins "Code for Community Challenge"

Goldsman and Peckerar Win Inaugural University System of Maryland Entrepreneurship Award

Clark School Freshmen Compete in Hovercraft Competition

Marcus Selected as Poole and Kent Senior Faculty Teaching Award Recipient

X-51A Waverider Achieves Hypersonic Breakthrough

Pack Receives "Champion of Change" Award from White House

News Resources

Return to Newsroom

Search Clark School News

Research Newsroom

Press Releases

Archived News

Magazines and Publications

Press Coverage

Clark School RSS Feed

Events Resources

Clark School Events

Events Calendar

Bookmark and Share

Hovercraft Invade Kim Building Again

Left to right: Keystone Professor David Lovell, Team 2Fly (Walter Johnson High School) and Keystone Instructor Stephen Kamakaris. (Photo by Nicole Roop)

On December 10, 2012, autonomous hovercraft took over the Kim Building rotunda once again during the final of ENES100, "Introduction to Engineering Design." In what is now a semester-end tradition, teams of freshmen launched their colorful, hand-built vehicles, each floating on a cushion of air, to find their way around, and out of, a walled track, while capturing a payload placed on a pedestal on the track.

The competition is sponsored by the Keystone Program, which selects and supports the great teachers who present the course, develops the hands-on, team-centered project, and delivers a unifying experience all Clark School students share. During the competition, faculty members, undergraduate teaching fellows, staff members, interested students, and the occasional parent come to watch and give advice. The competition is also streamed live throughout the day on the Keystone Program’s website.

Eighteen teams qualified for the final round of competition. Out of those, four teams completed the course successfully, led by Team Keystone Flight. The award for most innovative design went to Team Leviosa, while the award for best craftsmanship went to Team 2Fly, which consisted of students from Walter Johnson High School in Montgomery County, Md.

Hands-on projects interest and motivate students to study engineering and the other STEM (science, technology, engineering and mathematics) disciplines. Through this class, students learn interpersonal skills, problem-solving strategies, confidence and other qualities that will help them throughout the rest of their time as students and as practicing engineers. Many students consider this course to be one of their best educational experiences at the Clark School.

Related Articles:
"Nebuchadnezzar" Takes Autonomous Hovercraft Honors
TerpsRacing Team in Top 5
Clark School Takes 3rd at NASA Competition
Live News Broadcast at Clark School
Benedict Wins Lockheed Martin Innovate the Future Challenge
Clark School Undergrads Sweep Aero Conference
NPR Features Gamera Team
Robinson Wins Student Hardware Competition
Clark School Team Unofficially Satisfies Two Sikorsky Prize Requirements
Clark School Students Win National Energy Competition

December 12, 2012


Prev   Next