Engineering

EngineeringWhat is it and why it’s cool

Emily Dunne & Meghan Wright

What does an engineer look like?

What does an engineer look like?

What is Engineering?

“Engineers apply the principles of science and mathematics to develop economical solutions to technical problems. Their work is the link between scientific discoveries and the commercial applications that meet societal and consumer needs.”

- US Department of Labor

Types of EngineeringMechanical

Manufacturing Product design Cars, boats, robots,

furniture,iPads and many other consumer products

Materials Beauty products Bullet proof vests and

armor Clothing fabrics –

GorTex, Dryfit New age materials

Types of EngineeringComputer Science Video games Apps Computer systems Computer modeling Programming robots

Electrical Anything that uses

electricity! Electrical circuits Robots Electronics – phones,

computers, TVs

Types of EngineeringBiological

Prosthetics Vaccines Biodegradable

materials Treatments for

diseases Artificial organs

Nuclear Nuclear power plants Clean energy Propulsion

systems/space applications

Medical radiation

Types of EngineeringAerospace

Airplanes Space ships Helicopters Weapon systems Satellites

Civil/Industrial/Environmental

Bridges Buildings Roads City design Sustainable design

Engineering Process

Brainstorming Activity

You have 3 minutes to come up with as many new inventions as you can

Then you have 2 minutes to make groups of 3 and pick your 3 best ideas

Be prepared to share your ideas!

Problem

Come up with ideas for a new phone app

Why is brainstorming important?

There are many possible solutions to a single problem

Brainstorming makes you keep an open, creative mind

Sharing your ideas with others can help inspire new ideas

Brainstorming occurs throughout the design process, not just at the beginning

Why be an engineer?

You get to be creative and innovative Make a difference in the world Many career options and high demand for

engineers Work with new, up and coming technologies

What do engineers study?

Math – Calculus, Probability, Differential equations Sciences – Physics, Chemistry, Biology English/Writing Discipline specific classes

Structures, aerodynamics, thermodynamics, controls, design and manufacturing, programming

Genetics, thermodynamics, organic chemistry, mechanical properties, biomechanics, computational biology

What should you study?

Calculus and AP Calculus recommended Biology, Physics, Chemistry Four years of English (engineers need to be able to

communicate their ideas!) Nurture other interests (Languages, arts, music etc.) Extra-curriculars

Long-term commitments Contributions to school, local community, global

community

Women in Engineering

Some people think that engineering is for men – WRONG!

Engineering is becoming more and more popular among women every year!

There’s no reason that women can’t be engineers too

Design Challenge Design goal: Build a bridge that spans 8.5 inches (the length of

a piece of paper) and supports up to 4 quarters with the smallest budget possible

Materials: straws, Scotch tape Rules: 1 straw = $1, 1cm of tape = 10 cents

Bridge must be 1 inches off the ground Bridge can’t touch the piece of paper Each team gets two tests during design challenge. Raise

your hand if you want to test your bridge *Record all materials used and calculate cost at end

Teams: groups of 4-6 Time: 15 minutes

Any questions?

Debrief

Do any of the bridges look alike? What are the differences in designs?

What was hard? What did your team do well? What worked

and what didn’t? How do you think working with others helped

or didn’t help? If you were to do this activity again, what

would you change?

Big picture

What you just did is what engineers do every day

Teamwork is a vital part of being an engineer

Sometimes plans don’t work out but mistakes can be helpful in the learning and design process

Problem solving is a major aspect of engineering

My ResearchThe Sports Innovation Lab @ MIT

Cycling •conducted wind tunnel testing to detail aerodynamic characteristics of racing bikes• designed and conducted tests exploring the effects of rear wheel spacing on aerodynamic performance• athlete testing

Cambridge Science Festival• built and design interactive exhibits displaying current sports technologies in tennis, swimming, baseball, soccer, and cycling• concussions in baseball: how speed affects the impact of the ball on the helmet and dispersal of force

Ultra Electronics – Ocean Systems

Software engineer/mission designer

Utilized AGI software platform to integrate undersea, surface, and air vehicles communication networks

AGI STK is like syms for aerospace/military applications

Boeing – Defense, Space and Security

Product design – involved in redesigning parts that were old or causing problems on the craft

Manufacturing Optimization – identified problem areas in build process and identified possible solutions

Programming – built programs to filter manufacturing issues to identify problem areas.

My Work Machines and Robots!

Designed and built a machine to navigate a mini carnival course

Programmed a robot to follow a line on the ground without a remote

Electronic tools Analyzed what makes people creative Designed my own electric tool – an

electric pepper grinder

My Work Electric Power Plant Design water piping Calculate what new engines to buy Determine which engines to run to

be most efficient Research alternative energy options

like water power and solar power Test water and oil samples to make

sure the engines work properly Make sure the plant is reducing it’s

pollution Wear a hard hat and overalls!

Programs MIT Women’s Technology Program (WTP): http://wtp.mit.edu/index.html Boston University's Program in Mathematics for Young Scientists

(PROMYS): http://math.bu.edu/people/promys/ Cornell University's Summer College for High School Students:

http://www.summercollege.cornell.edu/ MIT Minority Introduction to Engineering, Entrepreneurship, and Science:

http://web.mit.edu/mites/www/ MIT Educational Outreach Programs:

http://web.mit.edu/cpse/www/outreachprograms.html Research Science Institute at MIT (RSI): http://www.cee.org/ Phillips Academy Summer Session:

http://www.andover.edu/summersession/home.htm Smith College Summer Science Program

http://www.smith.edu/summerprograms/ssep/ Syracuse University Summer College for High School Students:

http://www.syracuse.edu/summer/

Contact Us!

Meghan Wright: [email protected] Emily Dunne: [email protected]

Feel free to email us! We’d love to hear from you!