Released February 2, 2017
The Robotics Team from Quinebaug Valley Community College, winner of last year’s NASA Connecticut Space Grant Consortium Community College Quadcopter Challenge, was presented a plaque last night to honor its win.
On hand to make the presentation were Hisham Alnajjar and Mary Arico from the University of Hartford, administrators of the NASA Space Grant program.
According to faculty advisor Jakob Spjut, assistant professor of engineering science, the project involved “building a quadcopter and designing modifications to accomplish specific tasks, such as take pictures, capture video, map terrain, and collect a water sample.”
Spjut said the students learned how to use SolidWorks, a 3D Computer-Aided Design (CAD) package, to design parts that they then 3D printed or lasercut as part of the fabrication process. “They prepared a short video to document the process as they also learned to solder and troubleshoot electromechanical problems,” he added.
NASA Connecticut Space Grant Consortium (CTSGC) is a federally mandated grant, internship, and scholarship program funded as a part of NASA Education. Space Grant Consortia are located in all 50 states, plus Washington D.C. and Puerto Rico.
