“Create a mechanism that’s five meters long and can transport a billiard ball from one end to the other in exactly 20 seconds using only three power sources.”
The Jet Propulsion Laboratory gave students this problem as part of their annual invention challenge. With a different objective each year, students must put their engineering skills to the test to solve the assigned challenges.
At the beginning of the semester, JPL gave Advanced Computer Aided Design students across California a question to solve that required them to come up with an efficient and effective way to address the prompt while staying within the given parameters. The students then formed teams and were encouraged to join the official competition.
Here, the Advanced CAD students participated along with 65 other teams from schools across Southern California.
On Nov. 29, Seniors Kyle Huang, Anna Wu and Alec Ye earned first place at the regional competition.
Another team from Temple City, made up of Seniors Derek Lin, Andy Shi and Calvin Sy, took second place. Both teams advanced to the finals on Friday, Dec. 5.
Though students are using their knowledge of engineering and physics to complete these projects, the prospect of whether the teams’ machines will work or not on the day of the competition sometimes has a lot to do with luck.
“We were more nervous during the preparation.” Ye said. “But once we got up to the stage and set up the machine, we felt really comfortable. Our machine was designed to work and we were confident that it would.”
Ye’s team had a scare when the machine had a small malfunction, but didn’t let that faze them.
Despite having confidence in their machine and abilities as a team, Ye, Huang and Wu cleared their minds of expectations going into the finals. Knowing that they had done what they could, the team simply hoped for the best.
The JPL competition was split into two categories: one for professional engineers and another for schools, where 20 teams tried to grab the trophies.
“Of the five years that we have been doing this competition, this one has definitely been the most difficult,” Advanced CAD Teacher Mr. Dave Dickie said. “But the students have always risen to the occasion and done an amazing job.”
In the end, the teams did not take home a trophy, but the students competing showcased their talents in engineering.
TCHS School Newspaper