Conference Session

Multidisciplinary Capstone Design Projects

Collection

2009 Annual Conference & Exposition

Authors

Mark Redekopp, University of Southern California; Cauligi Raghavendra, University of Southern California; Allan Weber, University of Southern California; Gisele Ragusa, University of Southern California; Therese Wilbur, University of Southern California

Tagged Divisions

Multidisciplinary Engineering

." Integrating the methodologies and analytical approaches of different disciplineschanges problem definitions and defines novel solutions. As a result, new interdisciplinary fieldsemerge. Once these boundaries are crossed, transdisciplinary teams are possible. Atransdisciplinary team is an interdisciplinary teamwhose members have developed sufficient trust and Figure 1:mutual confidence to transcend disciplinary Engineeringboundaries and adopt a holistic approach across all Design 5 Contexts &represented disciplines . Accordingly,transdisciplinary approaches lead to novel solutions Intersectsand enable innovation. This problem solving andinnovation is often

Conference Session

Multidisciplinary Course Innovation

Collection

2009 Annual Conference & Exposition

Authors

Geoff Wright; Paul Skaggs; Richard Fry, Brigham Young University; C. Richard Helps, Brigham Young University

Tagged Divisions

Multidisciplinary Engineering

college (i.e., Industrial Design,Mechanical Engineering, Manufacturing, Technology Engineering Education, InformationTechnology, and Construction and Facilities Management), to identify and solve problems usingprocesses of innovation.Innovation Boot Camp: How We Did ItBoot Camp ArchitectureInitially the Boot Camp’s primary curriculum and instructional techniques were based on“Design Thinking.” Design Thinking is a method that is user centered, has a tradition ofprototyping (which includes visualization), and a trust in the process of: 1) Seeking inspirationfor problem finding through the activities of Look, Do, and Ask; 2) Broad divergent ideation; 3)Implementation in the form of prototyping; and 4) Public Presentation using the activities ofShow

Conference Session

Multidisciplinary Capstone Design Projects

Collection

2009 Annual Conference & Exposition

Authors

Yanfei Liu, Indiana University-Purdue University, Fort Wayne; Jiaxin Zhao, Indiana University-Purdue University, Fort Wayne

Tagged Divisions

Multidisciplinary Engineering

, sizeconstraint, cost, and etc. Then the top rated design was chosen as the final design. The CADdrawing and a picture of the final built system are shown in Figure 1. The kicking system iscomposed of a pneumatically driven kicker, a PIC microcontroller based control and drivingunit, and software design3. The Pioneer 3-DX robot and its attached kicking system had to beable to locate a soccer ball, approach the ball, and control it. It also had to be able to kick the ballin a particular direction for a minimum of 5 meters. RoboCup provides rules regarding the sizeand weight limitations of the robot for specific leagues. These restrictions together with thegiven dimensions and weight of the Pioneer robot determined the allowable size and weight of

Conference Session

Multidisciplinary Curriculum Innovation

Collection

2009 Annual Conference & Exposition

Authors

Richard Ruhala, University of Southern Indiana; Paul Kuban, University of Southern Indiana

Tagged Divisions

Multidisciplinary Engineering

earliest peer-reviewed journal, IEEE/ASMETransactions on Mechatronics, appearing in March 1996 1. This journal defines mechatronics as"The synergistic integration of mechanical engineering with electronics and intelligent computercontrol in the design and manufacturing of industrial products and processes." Many universitiesare beginning to embrace the idea of mechatronics programs, due to the ever-increasingintegration of electrical and mechanical systems, especially in the areas of industrial control andautomation. Several noteworthy programs are discussed here.The University of California, Berkeley, houses the Robotics and Motion Control Laboratory, amechatronics research center within the Department of Mechanical Engineering2. Thelaboratory's

Conference Session

Multidisciplinary Capstone Design Projects

Collection

2009 Annual Conference & Exposition

Authors

Sarel Lavy, Texas A&M University

Tagged Divisions

Multidisciplinary Engineering

: 1. Strategic and tactical planning – long-term, mid-term, and short-term planning; 2. Benchmarking, Key Performance Indicators, and implementation of physical condition assessment – development, assessment, and use; 3. Maintenance and repair – policy setting and how it is implemented in the different building systems (structure, exterior and interior components, electro-mechanical systems, other); 4. Operations and energy management; 5. Workplace design, interior space planning – allocation, management, and forecasting; 6. Use of databases for the various aspects of facility management; 7. Life-Cycle Cost analysis of the building and its systems; 8. Architecture/Engineering services – assessment, programming

Conference Session

Multidisciplinary Course Innovation

Collection

2009 Annual Conference & Exposition

Authors

William Michalson, Worcester Polytechnic Institute; Gregory Fischer, Worcester Polytechnic Institute; Taskin Padir, Worcester Polytechnic Institute; Gary Pollice, Worcester Polytechnic Institute

Tagged Divisions

Multidisciplinary Engineering

shown in Figure 1, which include: ≠ A custom-designed 2-axis robotic arm (the “EduArm”) which is composed of modular joints powered by DC motors with incorporated optical joint encoders and potentiometers for feedback, ≠ The “EduBot” compact, modular mobile robot platform with rear differential drive by dual encoded DC motors, omnidirectional front wheels, battery power, and a modular frame allowing attachment of standard components including the EduArm. ≠ Embedded controller hardware including an AVR microcontroller, analog and digital inputs and outputs, linear and switching motor amplifiers, power distribution and communications ≠ Software libraries with varying levels of abstraction for

Conference Session

Multidisciplinary Capstone Design Projects

Collection

2009 Annual Conference & Exposition

Authors

Josef Rojter, Victoria University of Technology

Tagged Divisions

Multidisciplinary Engineering

engineeringcourses are not based on one curriculum but are composed of many disciplinary subjectswhich form, hopefully, a network of epistemic elements constructed to unify professionalknowledge. In reality, professional engineering courses can be often seen as a collection ofsubjects in search of a unifying objective.Grunert19 distinguishes curricula in terms of style of delivery rather than knowledge contexts.He identifies 5 principle curriculum planning models outlined in table 1. Content-led,Rational and Assessment-led models largely represent a linear view of knowledge. Though,in style, the PBL curriculum model, like the Rational and Assessment-led models, isoutwardly outcome driven, nevertheless like the Fuzzy model it can also construct the non

Conference Session

Multidisciplinary Capstone Design Projects

Collection

2009 Annual Conference & Exposition

Authors

Josef Rojter, Victoria University of Technology

Tagged Divisions

Multidisciplinary Engineering

rates.IndexTerms – Innovative curricula, education research ,teaching and learning INTRODUCTIONThis paper focuses on the introductory materials subject - a two semester subject split intotwo one semester components, which were:• Introductory chemical science; and• Fundamental material science.The inclusion of chemical science into the engineering curriculum was the result of Page 14.466.2recommendations of course accrediting processes. The inclusion of chemical sciences in thecurriculum was far-sighted because it seemed to anticipate recommendationsof the AustralianScience and Technology Council (ASTEC) 1 and the Report into Engineering

Conference Session

Engineering and Other Disciplines

Collection

2009 Annual Conference & Exposition

Authors

John Weese, Texas A&M University

Tagged Divisions

Multidisciplinary Engineering

suchcourses. Promising topics for EI courses are likely to span several E/ET departments and maywell draw upon information outside E/ET colleges.Prospects that the Concept of EI Courses Catch HoldFortunately, there are positive indications. Princeton University’s Dr. David Billington’s widelyread book, The Innovators 1, evolved from well-received courses he developed for engineeringmajors and non-majors. The preface of this book is, in itself, a lesson on how such material isassembled and the amount of effort involved. A few years ago Dr. Billington presented aplenary session at an ASEE annual conference to a standing-room-only audience. With his son,David P. Billington, Jr., they have published a second excellent book, Power, Speed, and Form2.Duke

Conference Session

Multidisciplinary Curriculum Innovation

Collection

2009 Annual Conference & Exposition

Authors

Moderick Greenfield, Eastern Michigan University

Tagged Divisions

Multidisciplinary Engineering

interdepartmental BS in Biomedical engineering bythe joint effort of the Chemical Engineering, Computer Science, Electrical andMechanical Engineering Departments [1]. South Dakota State University offers a BS inEngineering Physics-Electrical Engineering Emphasis. In the freshman and sophomoreyears, the students are required to take the usual Engineering Mathematics, Sciences, andfundamental engineering courses such as Engineering Graphics, Circuit Analysis, andComputer Programming. During the junior and senior year, the student focuses onElectrical Engineering and Engineering Physics courses. During the senior year thestudent is allowed to senior design as Phys 464-465 or EE 464-465 [2]. Therefore, theproposed Engineering Electronics and Physics will be

Conference Session

Multidisciplinary Course Innovation

Collection

2009 Annual Conference & Exposition

Authors

Robert Rabb, United States Military Academy; Andrew Biaglow, United States Military Academy; David Chang, United States Military Academy

Tagged Divisions

Multidisciplinary Engineering

information flow between instructors from different departments encouragesfaculty learning by pushing the instructors beyond their own discipline. This paper illustratessome of the course details employed between three engineering departments to advance andenrich a multidisciplinary controls engineering course. Advantages to empowering amultidisciplinary faculty are also described. The techniques described allow the students tobenefit from the work of a multidisciplinary faculty team and enrich the students’ understandingby bringing in real world projects and examples.IntroductionIn 2005 the National Academy of Engineering in “Educating the Engineer of 2020,” stated manyideas of co-teaching, just in time teaching, and multi-disciplinary teaching.1

Conference Session

Multidisciplinary Design Constituents

Collection

2009 Annual Conference & Exposition

Authors

Elif Kongar; Jani Pallis; Tarek Sobh

Tagged Divisions

Multidisciplinary Engineering

institutions also have internal assessment processes conducted to (1) ensure the ability tomeet and/or exceed the national educational standards, (2) to be compatible with the mission andvision statements of the organization, and (3) to guarantee the continuous improvement of students,academic and administrative personnel. This internal assessment process embodies a broad spectrumof performance criteria such as curriculum development and revision, contributions to the literature,ethnicity/gender profiles, budget allocation, and student and personnel development. Therefore,several factors that are tangible and intangible in nature have to be considered during internalreviews, thus creating a complex problem environment for the evaluators/decision

Conference Session

Sustainability and Environmental Issues

Collection

2009 Annual Conference & Exposition

Authors

Belle Wei, San Jose State University; Patricia Backer, San Jose State University

Tagged Divisions

Multidisciplinary Engineering

green technologies. At theuniversity level, the college has spearheaded a university-wide curriculum that brings togetherstudents from all seven colleges of the university to develop a deep understanding of thedifferent aspects of climate change solutions: economic, political, moral, aesthetic, andtechnological. Furthermore, to augment student learning with a global perspective, the collegesponsored the production of a “global green” documentary that showcases the collaborativeefforts of people in both the U.S. and China. These efforts, among other initiatives, highlight asystematic theme of sustainable and green engineering at SJSU.1. IntroductionClimate change has emerged as the biggest problem facing humanity in the 21st century

Conference Session

Sustainability and Environmental Issues

Collection

2009 Annual Conference & Exposition

Authors

Bradley Striebig, James Madison University; Susan Norwood, Gonzaga University

Tagged Divisions

Multidisciplinary Engineering

study abroad experience duringtheir undergraduate education – and their parents are encouraging this. Additionally, accreditingbodies and employers are recognizing the value of such an experience. For example, theAccrediting Board for Engineering and Technology (ABET) has stated that engineers shouldexhibit an awareness of global conditions and circumstances that may influence the designprocess. Similarly, the American Association of Colleges of Nursing (AACN) identifies globalawareness and intercultural competency as essential outcomes for graduates of baccalaureatenursing programs.1 Professional accrediting organizations also are placing increasing emphasison interdisciplinary education and collaboration. Study abroad experiences also take

Conference Session

Multidisciplinary Design Constituents

Collection

2009 Annual Conference & Exposition

Authors

Phillip Wankat, Purdue University; Kamyar Haghighi, Purdue University

Tagged Divisions

Multidisciplinary Engineering

satisfying the program outcomes. A multi-facetedassessment program was developed based on extensive assessments in two courses, encouragingstudents to take the Fundamentals of Engineering exam, an oral examination conducted by theIndustrial Advisory Council, and an extensive exit interview.Multidisciplinary Engineering ProgramMultidisciplinary Engineering develops concentrations that cannot be easily followed in one ofthe other ABET accredited engineering programs at the university. The current ten approvedconcentrations are shown in Table 1. Nine of the concentrations are structured while the tenthconcentration, Student Developed, is extremely flexible and allows students to design their ownconcentration within specified constraints. The major

Conference Session

Multidisciplinary Course Innovation

Collection

2009 Annual Conference & Exposition

Authors

Claudio Talarico, Eastern Washington University; Esteban Rodriguez-Marek, Eastern Washington University; Min-Sung Koh, Eastern Washington University

Tagged Divisions

Multidisciplinary Engineering

, system implementation and finally the documentation of the end product.The paper is organized as follows. Section I provides a brief introduction, followed by thehistory of the project in Section II. Section III describes the various steps in the development ofthe project. Section IV outlines the technical and pedagogical contribution of the project. Finally,Section V concludes with a summary of the achievements and lessons learned during thisprocess.1. IntroductionThe objective of the project presented in this paper was to engage undergraduate students into alearning activity spanning over several quarters and courses’ knowledge. The underlying aimwas to expose students to an experience that would resemble as closely as possible what theywill

Conference Session

Multidisciplinary Design Constituents

Collection

2009 Annual Conference & Exposition

Authors

James Farison, Baylor University; Zhuocheng Yang, Baylor University

Tagged Divisions

Multidisciplinary Engineering

programs. This new role is administered by the ASEEAccreditation Activities Committee under the authority of the ASEE Board of Directors. Theaccreditation assignment has been defined by ABET to mean those programs with names ofEngineering, Engineering Physics, Engineering Science and General Engineering (plus a fewminor variations).Following a brief overview of the background history, this paper presents a current report of thatdevelopment and features information about the numbers and trends of the accreditedmultidisciplinary engineering programs and the variety of institutions that host them. The paperincludes extensive information in text and tables, as of the current 2008-09 cycle, about: 1) the ASEE organizational structure that has been

Conference Session

Multidisciplinary Design Constituents

Collection

2009 Annual Conference & Exposition

Authors

Maher Rizkalla, Indiana University-Purdue University, Indianapolis

Tagged Divisions

Multidisciplinary Engineering

AC 2009-358: A MULTIDISCIPLINARY COLLABORATIVE MODEL PROJECTEMPHASIZING ELEMENTS FROM ELECTRICAL ENGINEERING,MECHANICAL ENGINEERING, AND SCIENCE MAJORSMaher Rizkalla, Indiana University-Purdue University, Indianapolis Page 14.66.1© American Society for Engineering Education, 2009A Multidisciplinary Collaborative Model Project Emphasizing Elements from Electrical Engineering, Mechanical Engineering, and Science Majors Matt Rubin1, Tyson Fish, Luke Thomas, Maher Rizkalla, and Hasan Akay2 Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering at IUPUI 1. Business Development Manager Indiana University

Conference Session

Engineering and Other Disciplines

Collection

2009 Annual Conference & Exposition

Authors

Mahmoud Quweider, University of Texas, Brownsville; Adriana Perez, University of Texas, Brownsville; Gabriala Oropeza, University of Texas, Brownsville; Juan Iglesias, University of Texas, Brownsville

Tagged Divisions

Multidisciplinary Engineering

, electronics, and medical devices just to name few. This wide-spread range of Page 14.351.2applications brings a major challenge to computer science: the need to collaborate with otherdisciplines to bring about software that is of benefit to all stakeholders and users. This sentimenthas been echoed by the leaders of the industry including Microsoft, the NSF, and the ACMsociety [1-5].One of the areas that find computer science necessary for its advancement is health care services.Computer systems in this area have been successfully used to help clinicians gather and processdata and then provide better patient care management. The University of Texas

Conference Session

Multidisciplinary Course Innovation

Collection

2006 Annual Conference & Exposition

Authors

Frank Liou, University of Missouri-Rolla

Tagged Divisions

Multidisciplinary Engineering

curriculum development projects, at a total of $200,000, have beenselected to enhance and develop our manufacturing education. The developmentactivities can be summarized below:1) Manufacturing process and manufacturing materials courses and laboratories:Composite Manufacturing; Transport Phenomena in Manufacturing Processes; Materialsfor Manufacturing; and Computer Numerical Control of Manufacturing.2) Product and Assembly Engineering: Sustained Product Design and ReverseEngineering; Assembly Engineering; Mechatronics & Assembly; Rapidprototyping/tooling; and Human Factors and Ergonomics; Concurrent Engineering.3) Manufacturing Systems: Automation in Manufacturing4) Other Special Laboratory Development: Distance Laboratory

Conference Session

Multidisciplinary Curriculum Innovation

Collection

2006 Annual Conference & Exposition

Authors

James Farison, Baylor University; Carmen Li Shen, Baylor University

Tagged Divisions

Multidisciplinary Engineering

. Page 11.901.1© American Society for Engineering Education, 2006 Longitudinal Study of U.S. News Rankings of Engineering Programs in Institutions without Doctoral Programs in EngineeringAbstractOne of the questions engineering educators are often asked by their various constituencies is“How does your program rank nationally?” For the subject group of engineering programs(those without doctoral programs in engineering at their institution), the highly publicized annualU.S. News rankings are often cited—or rationalized—depending on the most recent rankings. Inthe U.S. News survey, each respondent is asked to rate the listed programs from 5 (highest) to 1(lowest). In this paper, the

Conference Session

ABET Accreditation of Multidisciplinary Programs

Collection

2006 Annual Conference & Exposition

Authors

James Farison, Baylor University; Carmen Li Shen, Baylor University

Tagged Divisions

Multidisciplinary Engineering

programsare identified. Engineering (31) and Engineering (General) (1) are listed together as 32Engineering programs. Programs with the title General Engineering (2) are listed with that title.There are 17 institutions with programs in Engineering Physics (or Physics – EngineeringPhysics option). There are 11 programs with the title Engineering Science or EngineeringSciences, plus 1 with a program titled Engineering and Applied Science, for a total of 12 in thisgroup. In summary, the subsequent information in this paper relates to the following programs: 32 Engineering programs 2 General Engineering programs 12 Engineering Science(s) 17

Conference Session

Multidisciplinary and Liberal Education

Collection

2006 Annual Conference & Exposition

Authors

David Ollis, North Carolina State University

Tagged Divisions

Multidisciplinary Engineering

2006-930: MAKING MULTIDISCIPLINARY TEACHING COMMONPLACEDavid Ollis, North Carolina State University Page 11.907.1© American Society for Engineering Education, 2006 Making Multidisciplinary Teaching CommonplaceAbstractThe repeating cry for more campus courses containing multidisciplinary aspects begs thequestion "How is Multidisciplinarity to be identified and assessed?" We discuss threeengineering approaches to this question: 1. "Doing it all yourself" which requires dual initial degrees or extensivemid-career retraining of self. Examples: John Lienhard , University of Houston, author"Inventing Modern: Growing up with X-rays, skyscrapers, and tailfins" and

Conference Session

Multidisciplinary Design

Collection

2006 Annual Conference & Exposition

Authors

Nikki Larson, Edmonds Community College; Eric Davishahl, Everett Community College; Jill Davishahl, Edmonds Community College

Tagged Divisions

Multidisciplinary Engineering

to be coordinated and scheduled as a mandatory part of creating the project,not as an afterthought. Advisors need to keep the project in perspective, remembering that allthings that happen, both good and bad, can be learned from. They need to remember to have theteam celebrate the good things and not just dwell on the negative. This will help the team growtogether. Page 11.1275.6Bibliography1. ISR Organization, Foundation for Underwater Research and Education, http://isrsubrace.org, accessed 1/5/062. Everett Community College, http://evcc.ctc.edu, accessed 1/5/063. Edmonds Community College, http://www.edcc.edu, accessed 1/5/064

Conference Session

ABET Accreditation of Multidisciplinary Programs

Collection

2006 Annual Conference & Exposition

Authors

Richard Helgeson, University of Tennessee-Martin; Edward Wheeler, University of Tennessee-Martin

Tagged Divisions

Multidisciplinary Engineering

problem (project) requiring integration of previousknowledge and possibly the acquisition of new knowledge relevant to the concentration area.The remaining 97 semester hours are comprised of 45 semester hours of engineering corecourses and 51 semester hours of general education requirements.3 Table 1 lists the topicscovered on the general FE examination prior to the recent test modification that became effectivein the fall of 2005, and the corresponding courses and number of credit hours in the program. Table 1. General FE Exam Topics and Corresponding Program Required Courses Total Credit FE Topic Program

Conference Session

Multidisciplinary Curriculum Innovation

Collection

2006 Annual Conference & Exposition

Authors

Keith Bowman, Purdue University

Tagged Divisions

Multidisciplinary Engineering

new course at Purdue is based on fulfilling the needs for students inthe new Multidisciplinary Engineering (MDE) located in the new Purdue School of EngineeringEducation (ENE), which was founded in 2004. The ENE program is Purdue's answer to a needto better understand the learning and teaching of engineering.1 The MDE program is intended tobuild upon the success of the Purdue Interdisciplinary Engineering (IDE) program that hasenabled students to earn a degree at the interface between different engineering disciplines orengineering and other disciplines by providing a common multidisciplinary foundation for Page 11.993.3students who will then

Conference Session

Multidisciplinary Engineering and Business

Collection

2006 Annual Conference & Exposition

Authors

Howard Clayton, Auburn University; Chetan Sankar, Auburn University; Evelyn Thrasher, Auburn University

Tagged Divisions

Multidisciplinary Engineering

strive to “own” or personalizethe material and learning of it will be enhanced. Moreover the students will be less likely toforget key concepts that have been learned to the point of being “owned” by the individual 1, 6.Unfortunately, the challenge of getting students to enjoy learning statistics has been made moredifficult with the need to teach the subject in large, multiple sections. This need has been drivenby budgetary and staffing constraints. The consequences of teaching statistics in large multiplesections have been a lack of enthusiasm among the students, poor class attendance, and theinability of students to transfer key concepts to other courses in the curriculum. In recognition of the challenges facing teachers of statistics

Conference Session

Multidisciplinary Course Innovation

Collection

2006 Annual Conference & Exposition

Authors

David Baca, University of Missouri-Rolla; Steve Watkins, University of Missouri-Rolla; Ray Luechtefeld, University of Missouri-Rolla

Tagged Divisions

Multidisciplinary Engineering

feedback.” However, using his observableactions, we can reasonably say his theory-in-use was actually “Don’t give feedback if doing socould cause an undesirable reaction.” Likewise, Sue may think she is helping her teammatesloosen up and relax, but her “Don’t worry…” statement may in fact cause them to become evenmore concerned because she didn’t give them a good reason not to worry! Argyris and Schön defined two models of theories-in-use, each with their own governingvalues that determine behavior. The Unilateral Action Model (also called Model I by Argyrisand Schön) has the governing values shown in Table 1. Across gender, educational and racialboundaries, most people interact using the Unilateral Action Model as their theory-in-use8

Conference Session

Multidisciplinary Engineering and Business

Collection

2006 Annual Conference & Exposition

Authors

Linda Chen, Keck Graduate Institute; Jeremy Bolton, Keck Graduate Institute; Erika Palmer, Harvey Mudd College; Stephanie Bohnert, Harvey Mudd College; Laura Moyer, Harvey Mudd College; Ekaterina Kniazeva, Harvey Mudd College; Alyssa Caridis, Harvey Mudd College; Colin Jemmott, UVP, Inc.; Darius Kelly, UVP, Inc.; Deb Chakravarti, Keck Graduate Institute; Qimin Yang, Harvey Mudd College; Patrick Little, Harvey Mudd College; Sean Gallagher, UVP, Inc.

Tagged Divisions

Multidisciplinary Engineering

convertedinto a 2-dimensional matrix of data points by importing it into Matlab, where uniformity wascalculated. Angular uniformity was measured with a custom hemispherical device in which aseries of photodiodes are arrayed and shielded so as to only be sensitive to light incident fromcertain directions (1). Each of the photodiodes emits a distinct voltage, which was acquired via alaptop computer and processed by a project-specific LabView program.Computer SimulationIn order to minimize the amount of physical testing needed during the design process, as well asminimize the total number of manufacturing iterations needed for a complete design, the teamdecided to purchase a computer simulation package to aid in their efforts.Validation of Ray Tracing

Conference Session

Multidisciplinary Design

Collection

2006 Annual Conference & Exposition

Authors

Steven Northrup, Western New England College

Tagged Divisions

Multidisciplinary Engineering

changes to the requirements were made inthe past two years. This author believes, as mentioned in the introduction, that higher levels ofintegration require higher levels of interdisciplinary interaction. Page 11.766.4The main requirement change was the addition of an automatic trailer release mechanism. Thesolar powered vehicle was required to tow a 6-lb. trailer for 1/3 of the race and automaticallyjettison the trailer. The idea was that the computer engineering student would write a programto keep track of the distance traveled and send a signal to the electrical engineering student’scircuit board to control a relay that, in turn, would power