The 2017 STEM Challenge will feature 4 engineering design challenges using everyday materials. The UTRGV Society of Hispanic Professional Engineering (SHPE) students will serve as facilitators and judges offering guidance to student groups to foster mentorship as students explore the engineering design process for potential pathways in the STEM fields.

In teams of four, students will design and build the following engineering designs. Teams will self select and complete as many design challenges to accumulate a minimum of 40 points to submit an entry for a Grand Prize (1 scorecard per team). Team members must agree on/and select a design approach by sharing ideas with each other. Design sketches of selected designs must gain facilitator approval/signature prior to construction for each challenge.

CHALLENGE GUIDELINES

1. Remember, Trial and Error are part of the process.

2. There is no "right" answer to the problem and your team's creativity will generate solutions that are unique and valuable.

3. Design the items using ONLY the materials provided according to the requirements listed for each challenge.

4. Your team must agree on a design and identify what materials will be used.

5. You may complete the challenges in any order or combination.

6. Each team will receive only 1 bag of materials per team of 4.

7. Each table will contain additional materials (please return after use for other sessions)

8. A separate glue-gun station will be available at designated tables (first come first serve). Do not remove the glue guns from the stations.

9. Use the score cards to gain facilitator signatures/approval on all design sketches/scores. Submit completed score cards with contact info for Grand Prize entry (1 per team).

10. To gain points a facilitator must witness the design performance, all decisions are FINAL. Any attempt to challenge will be kindly ignored.

Good Luck!

CATAPULT (10 points)

REQUIREMENT: The catapult must launch a regular cotton ball AT LEAST 5 FT without any leverage or help from the operator. The operator may only hold the catapult in place and release a trigger manually. The catapult must be AT LEAST 8 in L x 8 in H.

SUSPENSION BRIDGE (10 points)

REQUIREMENT: The bridge must be a suspension bridge between 2 chairs. The bridge must hold a maximum load of 1 shoe placed in the center. The operator may only hold the bridge anchors to the chairs manually. The bridge must be suspended a distance of AT LEAST 24 in.

RUBE GOLDBERG MACHINE (10 points)

REQUIREMENT: The Rube Goldberg machine must incorporate as many forms of energy transfer stages as possible. Forms of energy may include Wind, Gravitational, Chemical, Elastic, Motion (kinetic-mechanical), Electric, or Magnetic. AT LEAST 6 stages needed.

ROBOT ARM (20 points)

REQUIREMENT: The robot arm must be at least 18 inches in length and be able to pick up an empty Styrofoam or Dixie cup at least 3 in from the ground.