High school students interested in a career in robotics, renewable energy, nanotechnology and the next generation of smart devices will be fascinated by the University of Canterburys E-Week camp from January 20 to 24. <\/p>\n
The one-week camp provides a special opportunity for Year 12 and 13 students to get hands-on laboratory experience, visit local companies, drive an electric go-cart, build and programme their own robot and build a solar cell. <\/p>\n
The activities, provided by the Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering, are designed to open students' eyes to the teaching and research that occurs at the University of Canterbury (UC). <\/p>\n
Professor Phil Bones says students can experiment on solar cell construction in the nanotechnology laboratory, which is part of the McDiarmid Institute for Advanced Materials and Nanotechnology. <\/p>\n
We will show students the rudiments of programming a microcomputer to control a robot. This relates well to research by Dr Chris Hann who is helping with the Canterbury rebuild. <\/p>\n
His team's Rover robot, designed to inspect for damage to piles under buildings, is being used by a government-owned company responsible for settling claims from the earthquakes. Southern Response\/Arrow International has been using the UC Rover robot since September. <\/p>\n
The students will spend a day during the week looking at aspects of electric power engineering. <\/p>\n
The department has a strong link to New Zealand's electric power industry in the form of the Electric Power Engineering Centre (EPECentre), which is a sponsor of E-Week, and has won a large research funding grant to improve and provide a stronger national green grid. <\/p>\n
The result of the research will be an efficient, cost-effective and robust electricity network meeting the ongoing and changing power supply needs of New Zealanders. The research is led by Dr Allan Miller of the UC EPECentre. <\/p>\n
Students will also get to see the activities of local companies that employ electrical and computer engineering graduates to perform a wide range of engineering tasks. The companies this year are Tait Communications, Enatel, Transpower and Bluewater Systems, Professor Bones says. <\/p>\n
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Students to learn about robotics, renewable energy and smart devices<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" High school students interested in a career in robotics, renewable energy, nanotechnology and the next generation of smart devices will be fascinated by the University of Canterburys E-Week camp from January 20 to 24. The one-week camp provides a special opportunity for Year 12 and 13 students to get hands-on laboratory experience, visit local companies, drive an electric go-cart, build and programme their own robot and build a solar cell. Continue reading