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Session 1640

A VERSATILE WEATHER STATION ENGINEERING DESIGN FROM THE VIEWPOINT OF A FIRST-YEAR TEAM

Abel Feltes (Team Weather Works) Ryan Owen (Team Pyramid) and Robert Knecht

Colorado School of Mines

Abstract –The theme of the Spring 2004 EPICS Challenge was “A Versatile Weather Station.” Over 60 first-year teams exhibited designs of weather stations required operating a climate network to be placed in local high schools along the front range of the Rocky Mountains. A short-term goal of this project was to have students develop and demonstrate innovative concepts for weather stations. A longer-term goal was to identify and to select the most promising stations for development both on Earth and for planetary exploration. These students will describe their processes for constructing a weather station based on a project-based curriculum in engineering design. They will discuss the design of their station to gather climate data for land use decisions as well as the potential for a weather network for planetary exploration.

Engineering design, a complex, interactive, Design and creative decision-making process, evolves as IV the design team synthesizes information, skills, Design Synthesis & Optimization and values to solve open-ended problems. The III design stem encompasses a four-year program in Technical & Economic Design engineering design, summarized in Figure 1. The (EPICS) II Assessment

Design Engineering Practices Introductory Course Resource Sequence (EPICS) Program at the Colorado Design Assessment (EPICS) I School of Mines (CSM) guides teams of first and Visualization second-year engineering students through an Figure 1: Overview of Design Stem Sequence authentic design experience that requires decision-making to address technical, client-based projects. The disciplines are responsible for years three and four. The centerpiece of each design sequence is an open-ended problem that students work in teams to solve. To help students become skilled at this process, mentors guide students through these creative, interactive, and complex processes. Project solutions are showcased in written reports, oral presentations and graphics demonstration. Past projects include designing interactive playground equipment for children with disabilities, lunar mining equipment that received NASA’s attention and water treatment systems for rural communities.

“Proceedings of the 2005 American Society for Engineering Education Annual Conference & Exposition Copyright  2005, American Society for Engineering Education”

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Owen, R., & Knecht, R., & Feltes, A. (2005, June), A Versatile Weather Station: Engineering Design From The Viewpoint Of A First Year Team Paper presented at 2005 Annual Conference, Portland, Oregon. 10.18260/1-2--14562