Conference Session

Integrating Computer-based Technology in the Civil Engineering Classroom

Collection

2009 Annual Conference & Exposition

Authors

Ayhan Irfanoglu, Purdue University; Yating Chang, Purdue University

Tagged Divisions

Civil Engineering

. Page 14.803.1© American Society for Engineering Education, 2009 Introducing Earthquake Engineering through Simultaneous In- Class and Webcast Lectures, and International Expedition to a Megapolis at Seismic RiskAbstractAs part of an effort to integrate international experience in the Civil Engineering curriculum atPurdue University, in Spring 2008 semester, an earthquake engineering course that incorporateda 10-day study-abroad experience to Istanbul, Turkey was offered. The program scope, whilehaving structural engineering perspective at its core, included a range of earthquake relatedtopics such as geology, seismology, and architecture. This approach not only fulfilled the overallobjective of the

Conference Session

SE Curriculum and Course Management

Collection

2009 Annual Conference & Exposition

Authors

Richard Stansbury, Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University; Massood Towhidnejad, Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University

Tagged Divisions

Software Engineering Constituent Committee

AC 2009-1603: AN ASSESSMENT STRATEGY FOR A CAPSTONE COURSE INSOFTWARE AND COMPUTER ENGINEERINGRichard Stansbury, Embry-Riddle Aeronautical UniversityMassood Towhidnejad, Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University Page 14.181.1© American Society for Engineering Education, 2009 AN ASSESSMENT STRATEGY FOR A CAPSTONE COURSE IN SOFTWARE AND COMPUTER ENGINEERING Richard Stansbury and Massood Towhidnejad Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University Daytona Beach, FL 32114 {stansbur, towhid}@erau.eduAbstract:The assessment of individual student work on team

Conference Session

Integrating Technical Research into Professional Development and K-12 Classrooms

Collection

2011 ASEE Annual Conference & Exposition

Authors

John D. Carpinelli, New Jersey Institute of Technology; Howard S. Kimmel, New Jersey Institute of Technology; Linda S. Hirsch, New Jersey Institute of Technology; Levelle Burr-Alexander, New Jersey Institute of Technology; Kwabena A. Narh, New Jersey Institute of Technology; Rajesh N. Davé, New Jersey Institute of Technology

Tagged Divisions

K-12 & Pre-College Engineering

-world applications (e.g., pharmaceutical engineering) into their high schoolscience curricula 18. As part of the program teachers developed instructional modules they coulduse to integrate engineering principles into their classroom teaching. The current paper describesan expansion of the project which focuses on helping the teachers refine their instructionalplanning skills while providing them with an effective protocol for developing standards-basedlesson plans.A process was introduced that allowed the development of curriculum modules based on eachteacher’s research. They start with a statement of their research practice and identify areas in thehigh school curricula into which the research best fits, then select specific activities to

Conference Session

ECET Curriculum

Collection

2006 Annual Conference & Exposition

Authors

Elaine Cooney, Indiana University-Purdue University Indianapolis

Tagged Divisions

Engineering Technology

integration course, or in BS technical electives on RF, computernetworking, or industrial controls. If a student took all such courses, s/he would be ready foremployment designing RFID installations.ConclusionsRFID is a quickly emerging technology that will require a huge amount of skilled technicians inthe next few years. These technicians will need to have expertise in areas taught in electrical andcomputer engineering technology programs: computer interfacing, analog and digital systems,and RF communication. The demand for people trained in RFID offers an exciting opportunityfor the technology education community to meet a need for society and to increase enrolments.By integrating RFID applications into existing ECET curriculum, educators can

Conference Session

Computer Education Management Tools II

Collection

2008 Annual Conference & Exposition

Authors

Dianne Raubenheimer, North Carolina State University; Rebecca Brent, Education Designs Inc.; Jeff Joines, North Carolina State University; Amy Craig, North Carolina State University

Tagged Divisions

Computers in Education

AC 2008-1062: INTEGRATION OF COMPUTER BASED PROBLEM SOLVINGINTO ENGINEERING CURRICULADianne Raubenheimer, North Carolina State University Dianne Raubenheimer is Director of Assessment in the College of Engineering and Adjunct Assistant Professor in the Department of Adult and Higher Education in the College of Education at NCSU. She has worked with faculty and administrators in Engineering for two years, and previously in the Science and Education disciplines. She has a background in teacher education, curriculum development and evaluation and has worked as an education consultant for a number of organizations in the USA and South Africa conducting program evaluations. She received a Ph.D

Conference Session

Integrating Teaching Assistants, Tenure-track, and Non-tenure-track Faculty into a Cohesive Department

Collection

2017 ASEE Annual Conference & Exposition

Authors

Tanya Kunberger P.E., Florida Gulf Coast University; Chris Geiger, Florida Gulf Coast University; Jackie Greene, Florida Gulf Coast University

Tagged Divisions

Civil Engineering

, 2008]. At FGCU, a majority of our courses are taught in an integrated lecture-labenvironment, such that a three credit-hour course meets for five hours per week. This extendedcontact time, in addition to studio classrooms based on the SCALE-UP (Student Centered ActiveLearning Environment with Upside-down Pedagogies) 1 model [Beichner, 2000] allows forunique opportunities in curricula development. The goals of the course revision were to continueto find ways to integrate high impact practices into the curriculum, providing the students a firstyear experience within a learning community. While the size of the course and the number offaculty assigned to teach the course prohibits these experiences to be facilitated directly byfaculty, the spirit

Conference Session

Integrating Math, Science, & Engineering

Collection

2006 Annual Conference & Exposition

Authors

Leslie Keiser, University of Tulsa; William Hamill, University of Tulsa; Bryan Tapp, University of Tulsa; William Potter, University of Tulsa; Jerry McCoy, University of Tulsa; Peter LoPresti, University of Tulsa; Donna Farrior, University of Tulsa; Shirley Pomeranz, University of Tulsa

Tagged Divisions

Mathematics

Enhancing Interdisciplinary Interactions in the College of Engineering and Natural SciencesIntroduction and Project GoalsA team of faculty members in the College of Engineering and Natural Sciences at The Universityof Tulsa (TU) began work in July 2004 on a National Science Foundation (NSF)-funded Course,Curriculum, and Laboratory Improvement (CCLI) Project (Proposal # 0410653). This two-yearproject was based on the use of Interdisciplinary Lively Application Projects (ILAPs)1 as avehicle for strengthening connections among science, engineering, and mathematicsdepartments2. The concept of ILAPs originated from a consortium of 12 schools led by theUnited States Military Academy (USMA) with an NSF funded project, Project

Conference Session

Integrating Math, Science, & Engineering

Collection

2006 Annual Conference & Exposition

Authors

Bruno Osorno, California State University-Northridge

Tagged Divisions

Mathematics

2006-783: STUDENT ENGAGEMENT THROUGH MATHEMATICALAPPLICATIONS IN ELECTRICAL POWER SYSTEMSBruno Osorno, California State University-Northridge Bruno Osorno has been teaching for over 20 years. He has written over 20 technical papers all related to electrical engineering. His interests are reasearch in engineering education, application of new technologies into the curriculum and computer applications in electric power systems. He received an MSEE from the University of Colorado, Boulder and continued studies towards a PHD degree resulting in ABD. He has a great deal of industrial and consulting experience, more recently he was involved in consulting for NASA-JPL in the analysis of an electrical

Conference Session

Interdisciplinary Integration and Sociotechnical Thinking: The Big Picture

Collection

2023 ASEE Annual Conference & Exposition

Authors

Kathryn A. Neeley, University of Virginia

Tagged Divisions

Liberal Education/Engineering & Society Division (LEES)

preceding the study had evolved from “a definite teaching plan” and “pedagogic consistency” [p. v] to a “chaotic condition” [p. 6]; and • an integrated approach to humanistic studies that recognizes “human values and costs” as important considerations in engineering [p. 92] and has the potential to develop “a unity of purpose and outlook which will be a great asset in developing a professional consciousness among engineers” [p. 97].Mann takes an outcomes-based approach to curriculum design that is recognizably the same asthat used in Engineering Criteria 2000 (EC2000). Like the framers of EC2000, Mann recognizesthat STEM competencies are necessary but not sufficient for successful engineering practice. Acrucial

Conference Session

Construction 1: Special Topics in Construction Education: BIM, Simulation, Sustainability, and Safety

Collection

2017 ASEE Annual Conference & Exposition

Authors

Jamie R. Metzinger, Purdue University; Jessica Anderson Cabral, Purdue University; Bradley Louis Benhart, Purdue University; Patti Morgan, Purdue University; Scott Douglas Santon, Purdue University

Tagged Divisions

Construction

all partiesinvolved. Many construction education programs have an extensive, successful history, but havenot yet fully integrated SDE. In order to achieve the most effective integration, a well-plannedpreparatory phase should first be completed (Verhulst & Lambrechts, 2015). Our department’sSDE includes an elective upper level course dedicated solely to sustainable projects (rangingfrom piezoelectric-power to clean air filters to tiny homes) and general inclusion throughout thecurriculum. At this time there are no specific requirements per each course for SDE. However,our department is redesigning the entire curriculum towards a project-based curriculum, whichopens the door to make a more concrete plan for SDE. In order to create

Conference Session

Computers in Education Division Technical Session 3: Digital Learning Part I

Collection

2020 ASEE Virtual Annual Conference Content Access

Authors

Zhiyi Li; Stephen H. Edwards, Virginia Tech

Tagged Divisions

Computers in Education

growth mindset beliefs while encouraging deliberate practice, self-checking, and skill improvement as students work. c American Society for Engineering Education, 2020 Integrating Role-Playing Gamification into Programming Activities to Increase Student EngagementAbstractA number of gamification approaches have been used to encourage greater student motivation andengagement in the classroom. This paper examines a gamification strategy that is less common inthe classroom, despite its prevalence in successful games: role playing. Role playing games(RPGs) use a combination of character traits, experience points, and character leveling to illustratehow a character evolves and grows

Conference Session

Integrating Engineering & Liberal Education

Collection

2014 ASEE Annual Conference & Exposition

Authors

Dara R. Fisher, Harvard University; Aikaterini Bagiati, Massachusetts Institute of Technology; Sanjay E. Sarma, Massachusetts Institute of Technology

Tagged Divisions

Liberal Education/Engineering & Society

- neering and a Masters degree in Advanced Digital Communication Systems from Aristotle University in Thessaloniki, Greece, Katerina Bagiati was in 2008 one of the first graduate students to join the pioneer School of Engineering Education at Purdue University. In 2011 she acquired her Doctorate in Engineer- ing Education, and is currently working as a post-doctoral associate at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT). Dr. Bagiati’s research interests are in the areas of developmental engineering, early engineering, STEM curriculum development, and teacher trainingProf. Sanjay E. Sarma, Massachusetts Institute of Technology

Conference Session

Lean Manufacturing and Integration

Collection

2005 Annual Conference

Authors

Patricio Torres; Matthew Stephens

time techniques. Page 10.730.3Proceedings of the 2005 American Society for Engineering Education Annual Conference & ExpositionCopyright ⓒ 2005, American Society for Engineering EducationThe Just in Time Techniques “Just in Time (J.I.T.) is an integrated set of activities designed to achieve high volumeproduction using minimal inventories of raw materials, work in process and finished goods.There are seven elements that address elimination of waste: 1. Focused factory networks 2. Group technology 3. Quality at the source 4. JIT production 5. Uniform plant loading 6. Kanban production

Conference Session

Curricular Developments in Energy Education

Collection

2008 Annual Conference & Exposition

Authors

Sarma Pisupati, Pennsylvania State University; Yaw Yeboah, Pennsylvania State University, University Park

Tagged Divisions

Energy Conversion and Conservation

inrenewable or non-renewable energy and/or mechanical or chemical aspects of energy. All students in the program take an energy engineering lab course, engage in a supervisedindependent research project, and participate in an integrative interdisciplinary designproject/course. The design project is carried out as part of The Pennsylvania State University’sLearning factory that engages students from different engineering disciplines on teams to addressindustrially challenging problems. This paper will discuss the new energy engineering initiative,the novel curriculum, and the seamless integration of research into the training and education ofstudents to help to produce the next generation of skilled workforce for the energy industry.Research

Conference Session

Innovation in Curriculum Development

Collection

2005 Annual Conference

Authors

Robert Knox; Randall Kolar; Teri Rhoads; Kurt Gramoll

Paper 2005-2156 A Pilot Study for a “Course-less” Curriculum R. L. Kolar, R. C. Knox, K. Gramoll, T. R. Rhoads University of Oklahoma, Norman, OK 73019AbstractIn 2002, we received an NSF planning grant (NSF EEC 0230681) that builds upon our SoonerCity project, which was funded through the Action Agenda program (NSF EEC 9872505).Briefly, Sooner City is a comprehensive, integrated, infrastructure design project that is threadedthroughout the OU civil engineering curriculum, beginning in the freshman year. For practicalpurposes, the original Sooner City project was implemented in the

Conference Session

Innovative Curriculum in ET

Collection

2004 Annual Conference

Authors

David Murphy

Session 1648 Building Safety Education into Engineering Curriculum David L. Murphy The University of North Carolina at Charlotte “The chapter of accidents is the longest chapter in the book” – John Wilkes Workplace injury and the associated costs significantly erode employer profit margins. Anestimated seven percent of profits are spent, directly or indirectly, as a result of a workplaceinjury. An effective illustration is that of an iceberg. The tip of the iceberg (the smallest yetmost visible part) represents the actual cost of the injury, such as medical

Conference Session

Going Viral: Effective Instructional Techniques in an Online Environment

Collection

2012 ASEE Annual Conference & Exposition

Authors

Blair J. McDonald, University of Texas, Pan American

Tagged Divisions

Civil Engineering

Page 25.312.4the desired curriculum is not completed. Therefore, it is critical to identify those out of step andget them back in step before the rank and file is lost.Continuous assessment, although required, cannot be allowed to become a burden that interfereswith completing the curriculum! Short quizzes, one liners or verbal questions and in classchallenges may be all that is required to assess a concept and confirm that it has beenaccomplished; confirmed to the instructor and more importantly to the student. Of greaterimportance to the student, is the confirmation that a concept has NOT been accomplished. It isat this point that the student needs to seek out an extra to catch up. If a significant portion of theclass has not yet mastered

Conference Session

Technology Integration in the Classroom

Collection

2009 Annual Conference & Exposition

Authors

Hung-da Wan, University of Texas, San Antonio; Venkata Tarun Cherukuri, University of Texas, San Antonio; Saumya Tamma, University of Texas, San Antonio; Kranthi Kumar Tiyyagura, University of Texas, San Antonio

Tagged Divisions

Manufacturing

shows variousavailable routes for the users to explore the whole curriculum. As a result, learners using thisprogram will learn the subject in a structured way while having the flexibility to create his/herown path of exploration within the constraints.The goal of this research is to develop an attractive online learning package for high school andmiddle school students who are interested in the area of manufacturing engineering. CAD andRP are selected to be programmed in the experimental prototype package in order to present acomputer integrated manufacturing system as a mini-factory. One of the research objectives is tomake the program joyful and attractive to young students. Therefore, a “treasure hunt”component is included in the

Conference Session

The "Education" in Experiential Education

Collection

2012 ASEE Annual Conference & Exposition

Authors

Nashwan Younis, Indiana University-Purdue University, Fort Wayne

Tagged Divisions

Cooperative & Experiential Education

andprotective of curriculum matters. Regarding co-op learning, a qualitative research study byJones in 2007 explored the importance of connected learning in co-op education in Canada5.There are many important studies about work-integrated learning6, 7 as well as research on theimpact of cooperative education experience on students‟ academic performance3, 8. There is asound body of knowledge in co-op education curricula such as Johnston9 who introduced thenotion of critical pedagogy to the cooperative education curriculum. Fleming and Ferkins10focused on the structure and delivery of the co-op courses within sport degree programs in eightHEI. However, the impact of co-op work on the whole curriculum is an under-researched area.According to Breen and

Conference Session

Research to Practice: STRAND 4 K-12 Engineering Resources: Best Practices in Curriculum Design (Part 2)

Collection

2015 ASEE Annual Conference & Exposition

Authors

Siddika Selcen Guzey, Purdue University, West Lafayette; Tamara J Moore, Purdue University, West Lafayette

Tagged Divisions

K-12 & Pre-College Engineering

. Educators increasingly recognize the challenge of finding quality curricularmaterials for integrated STEM education. In this study, forty-eight teachers participated in ayear-long professional development program on STEM integration funded by National ScienceFoundation (NSF). Teachers designed twenty STEM curriculum units as a part of the project.Each STEM curriculum unit includes an engineering challenge in which students use or developtechnologies to solve the challenge and integrates grade level appropriate mathematics (dataanalysis and measurement) and one of the three science content areas: life science, physicalscience, or earth science. The study aims to evaluate the STEM curriculum units developed bythe project teachers. We also

Conference Session

Going Viral: Effective Instructional Techniques in an Online Environment

Collection

2012 ASEE Annual Conference & Exposition

Authors

Norb Delatte, Cleveland State University

Tagged Divisions

Civil Engineering

historical case study inclusion, it is anticipated that students will demonstrate anability to understand the processes of invention and design, apply ethics in engineering, anddemonstrate an understanding of the engineer’s role in and their value to society. Students willalso demonstrate a greater depth of knowledge by developing intuition about expected behaviorof engineered systems and better visualizing the interaction of components of engineeredsystems. Finally, students should experience a change in attitudes about quality engineering as aresult of studying the historical development of engineered systems.It is possible an engineering history course of this nature, offered early in the curriculum, canhelp with retention and success of women

Conference Session

NEW SESSION Track : Learning Spaces, Pedagogy, & Curriculum Design Technical Session 8

Collection

2019 CoNECD - The Collaborative Network for Engineering and Computing Diversity

Authors

Gretchen Achenbach, University of Virginia

Tagged Topics

Diversity, Learning Spaces, Pedagogy & Curriculum Design

help us make sense of information. Schemas areuseful because they enable us to make quick, automatic judgements about things.Unfortunately, we often overlook things that don’t fit our schemas. That’sunconscious bias. 10You’re probably already aware that society is biased about gender and technology.The picture is from the Barbie book “I can be a Computer Engineer,” which was partof a series intended to expose girls a variety of careers.In this book, Barbie first downplays her role in her school computer project, thenmesses up her sister’s computer, then has to take the computer to the boys to get itfixed.S. Marenco, I can be an Actress/ I can be a Computer

Conference Session

Capstone and Design Projects

Collection

2015 ASEE Annual Conference & Exposition

Authors

Vukica M. Jovanovic, Old Dominion University; Tatiana V. Goris, Purdue University, Columbus, IN; Ana M. Djuric, Wayne State University; Petros J Katsioloudis, Old Dominion University; Nathan John Luetke, Old Dominion University; Moustafa R. Moustafa, Old Dominion University; Basim Matrood, Old Dominion University

Tagged Divisions

Engineering Technology

learning objective is teachingstudents how to design parts, assemblies, and drawings in 3D in one commercially availablesoftware package. Other important objectives that were integrated in this class include:understanding mechatronic and electro-mechanical systems by example of one autonomous robotkit, the mechanical tiger. Students were able to make an animation of the tiger robot byintegrating a motion from the electrical motor to the motion of gear redactor in a tiger box. Thiswas done by using the polar coordinate system, an axis which both electrical motor and a gearshare, as well as by defining an assembly parameter between two planes – one plane at the

Conference Session

Education Programs in BME

Collection

2016 ASEE Annual Conference & Exposition

Authors

Samantha L McCarthy, University of Wisconsin - Madison; Reed T. Bjork, University of Wisconsin - Madison; Tasnia Tabassum, University of Wisconsin - Madison; John P Puccinelli, University of Wisconsin - Madison

Tagged Topics

Diversity

Tagged Divisions

Biomedical

expected to be well above averageat 27% from 2012-2022 as projected by the Bureau of Labor Statistics.11 As a result, BMEprograms are also growing with the demand. Our BME undergraduate program at the Universityof Wisconsin-Madison, which has historically encompassed sophomores and above, has morethan doubled in the last five years. This year, our college has moved to a direct departmentadmission model adding an additional surge of freshman directly to the program (78% morestudents) with progression requirements versus a secondary application.In an effort to create an inclusive and welcoming environment for these 240 freshman, we havedeveloped a mentorship program integrated with our design curriculum. The undergraduateprogram here was founded

Conference Session

Capstone Design Pedagogy II

Collection

2010 Annual Conference & Exposition

Authors

M. Reza Emami, University of Toronto; Michael G. Helander, University of Toronto

Tagged Divisions

Design in Engineering Education

multiple disciplines and hence a diverse assembly ofengineers and facilities that are not necessarily placed at the same geographical location.Consequently, the notion of global virtual design teams1, as a distributed collection of peopleand resources, integrated across geographical, cultural and functional borders, is becomingincreasingly appealing. In response, the newly-revised engineering curricula have begun torecognize the need for the diversity of scope, expertise, and even resources in the engineeringeducation. A multifaceted curriculum aims at training engineers who can work at multinationalcorporations in teams composed of a wide range of expertise and technical and culturalbackground. Therefore, the formation of inter-discipline, inter

Conference Session

Building a Community in Materials

Collection

2006 Annual Conference & Exposition

Authors

George Gray

Tagged Divisions

Materials

Techniques ‚ Design Project I/IIThe laboratory component is an integral part of the CME program. Hands-on experiences areemphasized throughout the curriculum in various laboratory and lecture-lab courses. Studentsgain experiences in experimental methods in a number of laboratory courses as well. Because ofthe hands on experiences and involvement with industry, the CME program has been involvedwith a number of regional and national engineering competitions. These include compositebridge building and solar car race competitions.The major contribution that this undergraduate CME program has had is to the compositesindustry by providing them human resources to expand and develop their marketplace objectives.This is evidenced by a high percentage of

Conference Session

Technology Integration in the Classroom

Collection

2009 Annual Conference & Exposition

Authors

Ann Goebel, Minnesota State University, Mankato; Harry Petersen, Minnesota State University, Mankato; William Peterson, Minnesota State University, Mankato

Tagged Divisions

Manufacturing

credit based hour was consumed for faculty release time, curriculardevelopment and review, graduate assistants, and integrated multi-media. The award success waslargely based on: ≠ lack of any other system delivery available for upper division coursework in a high demand engineering related program ≠ focus on Lean curriculum integration to ground students with base Lean knowledge thereby avoiding the need to retrain new graduates in the field ≠ strategic placement of senior year coursework more appropriate for online delivery due to an engineering management content base versus more lab intensive coursework ≠ increased industry ability to access internship students for longer terms and broader geographic

Conference Session

Graphics Applications in ME

Collection

2002 Annual Conference

Authors

Richard Wilk

Session 2238 Development of Communication Skills Across the Engineering Curriculum Richard D. Wilk and Ann M. Anderson Mechanical Engineering Department Union College Schenectady, NYAbstractThe ability to communicate effectively has been identified as an important attribute of a well-rounded engineering graduate. We have identified four major areas of emphasis in the MEcurriculum: written, oral, graphical and electronic communication. An across-the

Conference Session

Engineering in High Schools

Collection

2007 Annual Conference & Exposition

Authors

Greg Russ, University of Maryland-Baltimore County; Jonathan Rice, University of Maryland-Baltimore County; Carolyn Parker, George Washington University; John Raczek, University of Maryland; Bruce Jarrell, University of Maryland-School of Medicine; Taryn Bayles, University of Maryland-Baltimore County; Julia Ross, University of Maryland-Baltimore County

Tagged Divisions

K-12 & Pre-College Engineering

.Carolyn Parker, George Washington University Carolyn Parker is an Assistant Professor and lead faculty member to the Secondary Education Program in the Graduate School of Education and Human Development at the George Washington University. She holds a BS in Biology, MA in Teaching and PhD in Curriculum Instruction and Science Education. Dr. Parker’s research interests are in the achievement of women and underrepresented groups in science/technology.John Raczek, University of Maryland John W. Raczek is a Web Developer in the Office of Medical Education at the University of Maryland School of Medicine. His work focuses on developing software systems for education with an emphasis on

Conference Session

Robotics Curriculum

Collection

2010 Annual Conference & Exposition

Authors

Brian Peterson, United States Air Force Academy; Patrick Sweeney, United States Air Force Academy; Delbert Christman, United States Air Force Academy

Tagged Divisions

Multidisciplinary Engineering

, capstone designprojects usually either require a massive learning curve to build on previous systems or arerelegated to relatively simple designs, many of which are repeated year after year. This paperdescribes the educational experience gained through design and construction of an R2D2 replicafrom the Star Wars™ movies. The initial project incorporates basic radio control as well assimple autonomous navigation and limited user interface with the capability for futureexpansion. The modular design is intended to allow future capstone groups to add innovativenew features as well as novel applications of well established technologies. In addition to beinga motivational project for senior-level engineering students, it is also a marketing tool for