Science Olympiad

The Makerspace has been a major resource for the Science Olympiad team and global event preparation. While the lab has been heavily utilized for collaborative and after-hours study for the more academic events, the following engineering events have benefited greatly:
Mousetrap Vehicle and Electric Vehicle: The machine shop provided opportunities to modify the moment arm of the mousetrap vehicle to adjust output torque and speed. The drill press, mill, and associated hardware promoted rapid and precise
prototyping. Soldering equipment from the electronics section of the lab was utilized for the electric vehicle to develop the appropriate circuitry for multiple designs. Measured racing arenas were constructed for both events to facilitate testing.
Helicopters and Towers/Boomilever: Various jigs were constructed to accurately join mechanical and structural members of these building projects. A variety of adhesives and related materials provided the most efficient joinery options for maximum performance. Multiple testing stations were fabricated to spec for tower and boomilever weighted trials.
Mission Possible: Every aspect of the Makerspace was used for developing this "Rube Goldberg" device, specifically the formal training and use of the machine shop, electronics lab, CAD lab, 3D printing stations, the extensive the supply room, and of course the guild.