WHO: Thirty-eight teams, made up of 124 Mercer University first-year engineering students, along with a number of spectators, including parents, professors and students will be on hand for the Mercer School of Engineering’s annual Introduction to Engineering Design Competition.
WHAT: Students have spent the year working in teams with “clients” to simulate real-world engineering experience. The result of this yearlong preparation is a colorful competition featuring vehicles constructed from various materials. This year’s competition includes the following categories: cable car, chicken, land-water-land amphibian, rampster, tug-of-war, and water-land-water amphibian. All of these competitions with the exception of the tug-of-war involve a head on collision between two vehicles with the winner being the vehicle closest to the opposite end of the course after 120 seconds.
WHEN: 3 to 5 p.m., Friday, April 20.
WHERE: University Center on Mercer’s Macon Campus
WHY: The students enrolled in EGR 107, Introduction to Engineering Design – the first-year engineering course – have been designing and building vehicles using K’Nex building kits throughout the academic year. This fun-filled event is the culmination of this design sequence and allows students to put their designs to the test and showcase the skills the have learned that will eventually help them succeed in the engineering field.
There will be many opportunities for video and photos. Media interested in doing interviews with students or professors or getting still photographs or video should contact Mark Vanderhoek at (478) 301-4037.
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