Science is about knowing; engineering is about doing! Explore the science then engineer a design solution to survive the quake.
This program centres on hands-on learning activities that allow students to engage with the engineering design process through two main challenges: building retrofit and rescue robots.
Buildings in earthquake prone areas need to be designed so that their structures can withstand intense ground vibrations, older buildings need to be retrofitted to better withstand these forces. Students will be challenged to retrofit an existing building to improve its durability in an earthquake.
When earthquakes cause significant damage, it is sometimes too dangerous to send in human responders to a disaster site. This is where rescue bots can be deployed to aid in a disaster situation in both rescue and reconnaissance missions. Here students will design and build an emergency rescue vehicle to transport lifesaving equipment and potentially extract survivors of an earthquake effected town.