Frontiers: Session II

Frontiers Session II offers the opportunity to explore Robotics or Global Sustainability (new this year). 

In the Robotics program you will immerse yourself in robotics engineering and discovering the science and technology behind robot design and operations. You'll learn sensor operations, programming, pneumatics, and manufacturing techniques and use this information to solve a challenging robotics problem. Each subgroup in the session will brainstorm, design, build, and test its own creation. During the week you'll spend time outside of the lab exploring important business aspects of robotics including marketing, entrepreneurship, management, and teamwork skills. The chance to show your team's design superiority will come when robots meet for the climactic end-of-session tournament! This session is particularly useful in preparing participants for entry or leadership within the FIRST robotics team in their high schools.

In the Global Sustainability program, you will explore the concept of sustainability and its application
to some of our very basic human needs: energy, food, and water, as well as implications for the built and natural environments. You will learn about cutting-edge technologies in this area, and be given the opportunity to conduct experiments and visit with professionals that utilize these concepts in their everyday lives as scientists, educators, and farmers. The program culminates with a group project in which you are asked to define sustainability and offer improved ideas for the future. Students interested in issues of global sustainability might want to consider attending the Frontiers I Environmental and Sustainability Studies or Civil and Environmental Engineering sessions.

Frontiers session II will run from July 22–31, 2012. Learn about application requirements and details for the Frontiers program. Session II participants may also participate in Session I.

A look back at the 2011 Frontiers session 2: