For Engineering majors here at Stevens, Design I is the start of a journey that lasts a lifetime β all in 14 weeks. To expand access to engineering experience to younger students, the Schaefer School of Engineering and Science (SES) is launching a new program where students can use their Design I projects in a competition that furthers their background in engineering beyond Design I. Promising opportunities to learn, find new interests, and potentially win cash prizes, Edge Computing Challenge will be a great opportunity as Stevens remains a beacon of engineering innovation.
The current curriculum for SES students pursuing a Bachelor of Engineering degree, whether it be for biomedical to civil engineering to optical to computer engineering, is the first experience students get that is part of Stevensβ innovative design spine. The design spine is the core curriculum that gives Stevens students the skills and experience to take on the world in many disciplines. However, one issue that students, faculty, and administration agree upon is the length of the course. There is not enough time for in-depth explorations of all the different aspects introduced to students by Design I.
The Edge Computing Challenge for Plant Watering System, led by Louis Oh and Dakota Van Deursen of SES, will use students’ projects from their Design I course β automated plant watering systems. The competition will focus on the reliability of the systems, the ability to water the plants the exact amount they need, and maintaining a consistent soil humidity level. By competing in the challenge, students will gain knowledge of system integration, learn how to gather and process data, practice computer-system optimization, and develop environmental predictive analysis skills.
Between December 22 and January 19, students participating in the competition will place their systems in SES’s Integration Space in Edwin A. Stevens Hall. From there, between January 22 and February 2, students will monitor their systems via cloud software. Next, students will use edge software to update and adapt their systems from February 5 to February 9. Finally, the judging segment of the competition will begin around 10 a.m. on February 12 and last until February 16. During this period, systems will dispense 200mL of water, transmit data in 100-second intervals, and execute smart functions on the microcontroller.
The competition will use three aspects of the system to evaluate the teams: constructive value measurement, residual water amount accuracy, and variation evaluation. The constructive value measurement will consist of 100 seconds or more sets of data-sending periods, with 50 points available. For residual water amount accuracy, the systems will deposit 220ml to 20 ml over five days for 30 points. Point deduction will occur for leaking systems, an incorrect amount of water deposited, or empty water reservoirs. The final segment, variation evaluation, will award points if the recorded values are within 5% of the target values.
At the end of the competition, the top three teams will receive cash prizes: the first place team will receive $750, second place will receive $450, and third place will receive $300 β with each team splitting the awards equally amongst their three members. Beyond monetary awards, Oh and Van Deursen hope the competition will allow motivated students to continue learning engineering, collaboration, and communication skills.
Oh and Van Deursen stated they have yet to finalize all the competition details, but one note they would like to make sure is clear: this is optional for students who want to push themselves and will be purely extracurricular. Students not in the engineering department β like those from biology or computer science β might be able to participate, but the team will release more information as the competition gets closer. The competition is only open to first-year students to ensure a fair and equal playing field β a team of first-years competing against 5/5 students in senior design would contradict the competition’s mission. For those interested, more information will be provided in the coming months.
The Edge Computing Challenge offers an exciting opportunity for first-years to further their engineering skills. By utilizing their Design I projects, students will gain valuable experience and knowledge in system integration, data processing, and optimization β promising an exploration of interests and continuing learning beyond the classroom.
