Battle of the Boats Ends Engineering II Class

Alex Siragy's Engineering II students spent this quarter designing and building boats (temas of two) within a given set of dimensions that maximized displacement, speed, maneuverability, and effectiveness. Boat hulls needed to be no more than 60 cm long, 20 cm wide, 5 cm "tall" (measured from the top of their hull to their waterline), and 7 mm thick and also needed to have the capacity to carry 2.5 kg of additional load. Boats were constructed using a variety of materials, including wood, aluminum, plastic film, and duct tape, powered by electric motors, and controlled using a remote control system.

 

Their boats got tested in a makeshift pool near the swingset as the class final exam. Boats were assessed for each of the four criteria identified above and received points based on their ranking. Displacement was measured by an electronic balance and ranged from 1.8 kg to 3.5 kg. Speed was measured by how much time a boat needed to travel a 10-foot straightway section up and back of the 8'x16' test pool. Maneuverability was assessed by timing how long boats needed to complete a 6-turn slalom-style round-trip in the test tank. There was an obstacle course test where boats had to maneuver around six overturned stools in the water.  Effectiveness was determined by pitting boats against each other to see which boats could most effectively knock eggs off (3 eggs had to have a resting space on each boat) or damage other boats using a built-in 'weapon' while maintaining their ability to float and maneuver (seniors Owen and Ty included a butane 'flamethrower' on theirs while others had sharp projectiles and other menaces to avoid). Effectiveness points were awarded based on scored hits, durability, and ability to disable or sink opponents. The testing was a fun event, especially when the flamethrower was in use. Boat names included Jebediah Kerman, Odysseus, Jafar, Steve Irwin, Brigade and more. The total points earned by a boat determined its final score. The winning boat was Jebediah Kerman, built and maneuvered by Owen and Ty, with Jack M and Will and their Oysseus in second and Oscar and Sofia's Steve Irwin in third. Congratulations to our Engineering II boat builders. What a captivating project!