Daily Pioneer News

PLATTEVILLE - Middle and high school students will have the opportunity to compete against each other in the 2009 University of Wisconsin-Platteville Technology Challenge. The event will be held on Thursday, April 2. It will begin at 9 a.m. and conclude at approximately 2 p.m. The competitions will take place in and around Russell Hall on the UWP campus. Competitions consist of trebuchet, human-powered tractor pull, autonomous robot, airboat, crumple zone and freeway barrier, team problem solving, and drill dragster. Many of the competitions are designed for groups.

In team problem solving, students are given a kit with household items and 30 minutes to analyze a problem, design a solution, and construct and test their artifact. Past problems have included a ping-pong ball shooter, where students had to design a device that would shoot a ping-pong ball 15 feet and a cargo floatation device made out of tinfoil that would support golf balls.

Another team competition is the crumple zone and freeway barrier problem solving event. Teams are required to construct a freeway barrier capable of stopping a truck to prevent the breakage of an egg.

The airboat competition is an individual competition in which students construct a self-propelled airboat using a small motor.

The autonomous robot competition, in which students can enter either individually or in teams, requires students to engineer self-powered robots that can complete a maze and perform a list of movements given to the competitors.

The Technology Challenge will be held the same day as the 2009 Engineering, Mathematics and Science Expo, an annual event sponsored by the UWP College of Engineering, Mathematics, and Science.

"They are both held on the same day so that students and teachers have two activities to participate in during the day," said Frank Steck, UWP professor of technology education.

Students who participate in the Technology Challenge learn a lot about the UWP industrial studies program, and also find quite a bit of friendly competition amongst other high schools according to Steck.

"Last year's winner, Geneseo High School, Geneseo, Ill., challenges others high schools to bring working trebuchets," said Steck.

UWP students enrolled in the Curriculum and Facilities Planning class are organizing, setting up and judging the competitions.

For more information about the Technology Challenge, visit the website at www.uwplatt.edu/ind_studies/TechChallenge.html or contact Steck at (608) 342-1532 or at steck@uwplatt.edu.

Contact: Frank Steck, UWP professor, technology education, (608) 342-1532, steck@uwplatt.edu Written by: Morgan Spitzer, UWP Public Relations, (608) 342-1194, spitzerm@uwplatt.edu