Team-Based Building of a Remotely Operated Underwater Robot, an Innovative Method of Teaching Engineering

Abstract

This article reports the experience gathered along 6 years in developing a team-based project activity to promote engineering programs among secondary school students. The aim of the activity is to increase the interest of students for science and technology in general, but also to promote engineering skills, capabilities and values, leading to attract more secondary school students to enrolment for engineering programs. Simple theoretical concepts related to physics and engineering are illustrated through hands-on experimentation. To achieve this goal, the students build a remotely operated underwater robot in a workshop. The robot is built using low-cost materials and the students customize their own design over the different phases of the workshop. Once the activity is completed, every team understands that with teamwork, effort and a good working strategy, every problem can be overcome

This work has been partially funded by the Catalan Government (Generalitat de Catalunya) through ACDC grants 2009, 2010, 2011, 2012 and 2013, the EnginyCAT program, MICINN project CTM2010-15216, EU project FP7- ICT-2009-248497 and the UdG (Social Council, VICOROB Research Group, Patronatge of Technical School and Vicerectorate of Research).