Construction Process

Press Release

Capstone Design Project

305 MAST Way Highlands, NJ  07732 Phone (732) 291-0095 Fax (732) 291-9367

Presentation Announcement

Contact: Matthew Johnson Phone: (732) 671 4418

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE 9 A.M. EDT, April 5, 2011

Systems Engineering II: Robotics in the Classroom

On April 5, 2011 students from MAST (Marine Academy of Science and Technology), who have designed and constructed an underwater remotely operated vehicle over the past 9 months, will compete in the MATES ROV competition. The event will be held in a chlorinated pool at Monmouth University in Long Branch, New Jersey. Four teams comprised of three members have worked on their underwater ROVs as part of a Systems Engineering II course. The students will work to complete tasks provided by the MATES ROV competition in advance.

Matthew Johnson is a student at the Marine Academy who is competing with his team in the MATES ROV competition. He is specializing as the mechanical engineer while working alongside his team members Ross Basri and Matthew Gannon. As the mechanical engineer, he is designing and constructing a claw to perform the tasks provided by the competition. The team’s finished remotely operated vehicle will have a propulsion system (constructed by Matthew Gannon) to maneuver the vehicle and a hull (constructed by Ross Basri) that contains Matthew Johnson’s mechanical claw. The final product will operate in a chlorinated pool up to depths of 4 meters to complete the tasks specified by the MATES ROV competition.

CAPSTONE DESIGN PROJECT

The Capstone Design Project, as part of the Marine Academy’s Systems Engineering II course, will allow students to design and construct a product to solve a problem. The project is designed to simulate a problem that is occurring in the world today off the coast of Hawaii. To simulate how a team of engineers solve a real life problem, each ROV team is broken down into smaller parts that specialize in a particular aspect of engineering. Matthew Johnson has been given the role of the mechanical engineer, and as the mechanical engineer, he will work through the design process to create a final product to directly complete specific tasks. These tasks include resurrecting a PVC structure, sampling a bacteria mat, and collecting a crustacean species. His mechanical claw is operated by electric motors, which powers a series of gears to open and close the claw (see figure 1). The effectiveness of his mechanical claw will be dependent on the hull and electrical system of his teammates, which reflects how much of a team effort this project really is.

  (Figure 1)

MENTOR INVOLVEMENT

    While Matthew and his fellow classmates have been taking

Systems Engineering since their freshmen year at the Marine Academy, they are not quite experienced enough to go through the entire design and construction process alone. That is why each student doing the Capstone Design Project has at least one mentor. They can go to their mentors for references or advice at any point during the design or construction when they experience an issue. Matthew Johnson currently has one mentor, Martin Scott, who happens to be his uncle. Despite Mr. Scott not being a mechanical engineer, he is very useful with materials and robotics in general. Matthew has found him very helpful with the early stages in the design process, when he had an issue on how to collect the agar and what material to make the gear cage out of.

STEMM

The students at the Marine Academy will use knowledge of science, technology, engineering, manufacturing and mathematical concepts to design the most effective final product possible. Matthew Johnson, for example, has primarily used engineering concepts to design his mechanical claw. He has implemented complex machinery in powering his claw. Matthew’s claw will not have the ability to move up and down, however, it will use a spindle gear and an idler gear to open and close both claw’s at the same ratio.

Presentation

Like his fellow Systems Engineering II classmates, Matthew will soon give a formal progress update presentation to his class and instructors on the current status of his design. He will give a design brief of his overall project, and then dive into his final solution in detail. He will use isometric and orthographic CAD drawings to give a visual representation on how the final design will work and what materials he will have to use in the design process. Matthew will also talk about the current status of his construction and what the final mechanical claw will entail.

Expectations

All members of Matthew’s team will rely on one other for each aspect of the final remotely operated vehicle to successfully operate. The expectations for the mechanical claw (see figure 2) are to resurrect the PVC structure, sample a bacteria mat, and collect a new crustacean species. The expectations for the propulsion system and hull design will aid in the expectations for the final ROV that will compete at the MATES ROV event.

 

(Figure 2)

SUMMARY

  Students taking the Systems Engineering II course at the Marine Academy have a rigorous senior year with the Capstone Design Project. Each team will design and construct an ROV that will complete the tasks provided by the MATES ROV competition. It will be interesting to see the final products and how they fare at Monmouth University on April 5^th.

For more details about ROV in Long Branch, New Jersey contact Matthew Johnson at MatthewJohnson@mast.mcvsd.org or visit MAST (Marine Academy of Science and Technology) at www.mast.mcvsd.org.

About the Marine Academy of Science and Technology

The Marine Academy of Science and Technology (MAST) is a co-ed four-year high school, grades 9-12; one of five career academies administered by the Monmouth County Vocational School District. The Marine Academy is fully accredited by the Middle States Association of Schools and Colleges and offers small classes with close personal attention. The Marine Academy was founded in 1981 as a part-time program, which has since grown to become a full-time diploma-granting program. The school's curriculum focuses on marine sciences and marine technology/engineering. The MAST program requires each student to participate in the Naval Junior Reserve Officer Training Corps (NJROTC) in lieu of Physical Education.

MAST is located in the Fort Hancock Historic Area at the tip of Sandy Hook, New Jersey. The school campus is located adjacent to the Sandy Hook Lighthouse, the oldest working lighthouse in the country, in thirteen newly renovated buildings, within walking distance of several beaches. The "Blue Sea" is a 65-foot research vessel owned and operated by the Marine Academy and berthed at the U.S. Coast Guard Station, Sandy Hook. The vessel is used in all facets of the program.

For additional information:

Marine Academy of Science and Technology

732-749-3360

Matthew Johnson, E: student@mast.mcvsd.org
Wendy Green, V: 732-291-0995