Tech Talk
Are you a fan of gadgets and gizmos? Couldn’t imagine life without your iPod? Then check out these DFTV Investigations where tech savvy kids explore the world of technology:
- Sasha, Makeisha, Claire, Hannah, Annice and Emily are members of their school’s GEMS team which stands for Girls in Engineering, Math, and Science. Their team participated in a robotics competition where they were to build a robot that could complete two tasks. They want to know how to design a robot that moves quickly and turns in a tight circle.
- Ravi is an avid hiker in the Santa Monica Mountains who always like to prepare before he goes on a hike. To prevent from getting lost, he uses a navigation tool. But what is the better tool? A Global Positioning System (GPS) or a map and compass?
- Rachel and Sara are both interested in engineering and decided to build their own hovercraft. It didn’t work so well on grass, so they were curious as to how they can optimize their design to create the best air film.
- Aren, Jessica and Mary Lynn love to design, build, and fly their own model rockets. They are working on a new rocket model that they are going to compete in a rocket festival in Amarillo, Texas. How can they design a rocket that reaches 1,600 feet?
- Chris, Cory, Nikki and Bruce are passionate about the ocean. They decide to build a ROV (Remotely Operated Vehicle) that they can operate to go into the Florida Keys and check out the coral that is rumored to be diseased, damaged, and beginning to die. They want to find out: what can their ROV tell them about the health of the coral reef?
- Isaac and Anjali live in sunny California. They are interested in how people use the sun’s energy to provide power to businesses and homes. They want to know: how does the sun’s position in the sky affect a solar car’s performance?
- Nathaniel is very interested in auto racing and decided to make his own science fair project relating to race cars. He created his own wind tunnel and used a number of his car models to test how aerodynamic they were. He wants to know: which vehicle shape is the most aerodynamic?
Wanna learn more about robots? Then you should check out Real Scientist AI (artificial intelligence) researcher, Manuela Veloso, from Carnegie Mellon University who programs small robot dogs to play soccer in international World Cup competitions. She is trying to increase the learning abilities of her robots.
