|
This year we plan to use the Seaperch units for testing various design concepts for our next submarine. Here's a nice photo of how we used a Seaperch frame to demonstrate that the fibonacci propulsion screw Abby designed might work. The 3D model was printed at St. Stephen's and St. Agnes School through the efforts of the Corica family. 
3 Comments
Here are just a few of the quotes from the kids when asked what they've learned or problems they've solved through SeaPerch:
"It's fun. It was disgusting to use the toilet wax, but I learned how to waterproof the motor." "I learned how to solder!" "Coming back is the hardest for us. See, the wire keeps getting caught. It's tricky operating the joystick, but we're getting it."
In addition to getting at least one SeaPerch vehicle through this obstacle course, we continued to get others up and running. We also set up a small hands-on science station to learn about capillary action (useful for the kids to understand how soldering worked). And we shared the pool will local Navy divers who were completing their quarterly scuba certifications...the same divers who have worked at several International Submarine Races! We hope to see them again in June at the David Taylor Model Basin. Here we are back at Lackey High School pool. Again, thank you, Charles County Parks & Recreation for making this possible. Today SeaPerch teams from KIDS, a local elementary school and a local Girl Scout troop got together to work on their vehicles. Today during our meeting we fixed a lot of our motors that were wired incorrectly and also worked on a few control boxes. KIDS says "Thank you!" to the Knights of Columbus for letting us use their hall Working with Charles County Parks and Recreation, we were able to schedule testing time at Lackey High School pool. First objective: establish proper buoyancy for the Sea Perch vehicles. Some teams added weight. Some cut off foam. Next objective: get the Sea Perches to steer in a straight line and up and down. Motors were repositioned. Some teams discovered wiring problems. Third objective: travel through a simple obstacle course made from hula hoops fastened to the lane lines. Abby's team was the first (and only?) to successfully make it through the course. A subsequent "Sea Perch Tweaking Day" is planned for Nov 8. Next pool testing day is Nov 22. |
Archives
September 2015
Categories |
RSS Feed