When Michael Benjamin, the main research scientist at Mit Center for Ocean Engineering, came to myth 25 years ago, only professors and postdocians could touch the department’s underwater vehicles. The vehicles were pricey, explained and required extensive training for action.
“People were afraid of death for their loss or damage, [and] There was no educational pipeline to teach students, “he says, adding that the introduction of class 2.680 (sea autonomy, detection and communication) changed it a lot, creating a class in which students of studies and doctoral students could learn to write an autonomy code, and run their software on the robots on the Charles River. Adding class 2.S01 (introduction to autonomous vehicles (introduction to autonomous vehicles (introduction to autonomous vehicles (introduction to autonomous vehicles (introduction to autonomous vehicles underwater).
“2.S01 is a return to our roots: underwater vehicles. We wanted to create a learning environment in which every student deals with a robot, and no one is afraid to lose him,” he says. Each student is sent home with an electronic set, which Benjamin calls the heart of the robot. “They can experiment everything they want in their dorm room, and we will give them another set if they break him.”
AUV test sets and students in 2.S01 were designed and built by Supun Randeni, a scientist of mechanical engineering, as well as the main lecturer and content creator 2.S01 as well as Captain Michael Sacar from Mit Sea Grant. “Dr Randeni and Sacrian captain are genius behind the class,” says Benjamin. Together, RANDENI and Sacarny run practical laboratory instructions.
The goal is to extend the possibilities of education and research to include a larger and younger group of students. “This is the opposite of 25 years ago, as soon as the privileged few people could get into the robot,” says Benjamin. “Students’ growth and interest are directly related to the degree to which they have the” ownership “of their robot. Physical possession, but also responsibility for safe action and return. “
2.S01 provides students in -depth insight into autonomous underwater vehicles (AUV), introducing theoretical and practical aspects of the AUV design process. This includes the basics of naval architecture, designing electrical systems, mechanical design and software design. Students gather their own AUV using a set of parts and instructions from instructors, starting with basic electronics and building a full vehicle to be placed in the Charles river on the MIT campus in recent weeks.
Among the activities, students are involved in waterproof vacuum tests, subsystem tests before starting and tests of docks for ballasting, and then low -level control waveforms. Students also build autonomy missions-first in the simulation, and then autonomous missions in water to conduct an environmental examination in the Charles River. The last course laboratories include group competitions including challenges in water. In the second iteration of the course, which begins at the end of March, the instructors plan to add more laboratories that allow students to examine electronic complexities, more simulation options and more time for water.
Adowyn Bryne, a second -year mechanical engineering student (Meche), took a course last year as a member of the first group, but this was not her first experience with submarines. She participated in the maritime program in high school. “I chose 2.S01 because I wanted to find out about more complex underwater vehicles,” says Bryne. “It was only in the semester that I did not find out that Seaperch started at the myth of Sea Grant!”
Benjamin says that he hopes that there are a few things that first -year students take from participation in 2.S01: First, understanding that sea robotics is a very disciplinary effort, covering mechanical engineering, electric engineering, control theory, computer science and ocean sciences; And secondly, the possibility of perceiving effort as a gate to discover and understand the ocean. Students say it’s much more.
Isabella Yeung, a third year student 12, took part in classes during the second year after participating in the MIT Undergraduate Research Opportunities (UP) program in the MIT Sea Grant laboratory with Carolina Bastidas. Bastidas is a scientist in a group of sea advisory services, myth sea grant.
“During charm I saw many AUV and other projects developed in the myth of Sea Grant,” says Yeung. “I was curious more and I had a deeper insight into what they did. This class was the main opportunity to jump into the world of maritime robotics without any origin in the course 2.”
She called the course “easily one of the most practical (and even funny) classes”.
“As someone who likes to tinker, I appreciate the possibility of dirty hands – literally with Grease and Charles [River] Water – says Yeung. “I was looking forward to all the classes, especially the distribution session. Nothing matched the rush of our program, he was in a hurry to throw Auv into Karol and engage in the chase of Łódź, hoping that he did not freeze.”
Bryne advises students considering the course so that they do not worry too much if the class develops a specific career path they are considering. “Your first year is to discover. If you are interested in class, take it! You can find a modern area of interest. Regardless of whether you want to learn about AUV, you will receive valuable skills that you can move and you will have fun.”
Bryne itself says that this experience helps to prepare a scene in the field of discovering future interests and possibilities. “Every time I did something with robots, I loved it,” he says, “but I am also a very passionate for women’s health. I want to design medical technology especially for women, but I definitely think that there is a place to include robotics. It is great that Meche is such a wide field and that the myth curriculum allows me to discover so many potential areas of studies.”