Start your engines

High school students' interest in engineering was stimulated through a Michigan State University Dubai (MSUD) initiative recently. The institute hosted its inaugural Dubai-Spartans Engineering competition where teams of three students from four schools built and tested their hand-made robots against each other. Mathematics and circuit competitions were also held.

Students from the Dubai American Academy (DAA), Dubai Modern High School (DMHS), Our Own High School (OOHS) and the Institute of Advanced Technology (IAT) set out to build robots based on a theme of aiding the physically challenged. However, the latter two schools dropped out of the competition leaving the DAA and DMHS to battle it out.

The teams were provided beforehand with a document outlining the dimensions of the robot and the stairs it would have to manoeuvre. The two teams of grade nine students, climbed a set of stairs with their constructed robot, picked up a soda can and brought it back down the stairs to the finish line. Or at least that was the aim.

Raising awareness through fun

Notes asked Dr Boutheina Tlili, programme director of computer engineering at MSUD, why the event was aimed at high school students and not those already in university. She said: "This kind of competition will get students excited about engineering and science in general." As the director of the engineering programme she wants to raise awareness about engineering and stimulate a basic interest in the subject.

She said that most of the time students in high school don't know much about engineering. "They know only civil engineering, but don't really understand much about electrical and computer engineering."

Tlili said a common misconception is that computer engineering consists of only programming. She believes that by "being exposed to a robotics competition they will be exposed to electronics, electrical power and programming".

"Through this robotics competition they will understand the different components [and avenues] of computer and electrical engineering," Tlili added.

The robotics competition was all about fun, although it did pose some challenges for the youngsters. It also demonstrated their ability to implement and execute a basic idea.

The building of a robot to serve a specific purpose, in this case to service people with special needs, is "basically the essence of engineering" by building a new product and system and giving a service said Tlili.

The winners

Going head to head with DMHS, 'Team Awesome' from DAA stole the show, winning Dh3,000 worth of vouchers from Virgin stores. The three members of the winning team - Jason Deitz, Robin Kempes and Dennis Heumann - are enrolled for an elective robotics course at their school and were selected by their teacher to participate in the contest. "I'm guessing we stood out as pretty good robotics students and so the teacher chose me and my friends to participate in this challenge. It sounded like a lot of fun and a lot of experience to be gained, so we said yes," Dietz, 14, told Notes.

In three weeks and with three failed design attempts, Team Awesome built their winning device with a Lego robotics kit and other spare materials during school break times and after school. "To build our last design it took us three days," said Dietz. Faced with weight distribution and gearing problems on the day, due to an unanticipated "protruding lip on the stairs", the team had to think fast. They also learned the disadvantages of procrastination as well as successful team work, Robin Kempes told Notes. Comparing their simple looking robot to the "fancy design of the other school, that looked cool, but couldn't climb a single stair," Kempes, 15, learned that less is more. Speaking of his interest in engineering Kempes said: "I felt pretty proud that my teacher thought I was good enough to enter this competition. It was a good opportunity to learn about engineering."