At 7:30 a.m. on April 17, the first of 481 little handmade boats attempted to circumnavigate UCF 麻豆精品 S檚 Reflecting Pond. Crafted by first-year engineering students, the armada included classic wood monohulls, catamarans designed with soda bottles and even a few submarines. Each boat will carry an orange as its passenger, as the event 麻豆精品 S檚 name, the Great Navel Orange Race (GNOR), suggests.
麻豆精品 S淪ome boats make it around the pond, some spin around in little circles and some sink 麻豆精品 S� designing, building and racing an autonomous (self-guided) vessel is quite difficult, 麻豆精品 S� says Jacqueline Sullivan 麻豆精品 S�87 麻豆精品 S�91MS, instructor of the Introduction to Engineering course that culminates with this final project.
Beyond a passing grade, a coveted grand prize is up for grabs for the team of the fastest vessel: a four-year McGraw book, e-book and software scholarship for each team member.
The race, in its 29th year, has all the components for innovation and potential for a mess. The classes of budding engineers have grown to nearly 2,000 students who form hundreds of teams. They 麻豆精品 S檙e using advanced technology and more components.
With this in mind, perhaps the most amazing aspect of the event is that it has become more orderly than ever, with races starting every 10 minutes for nine straight hours. There is no waste, in terms of time or materials.
麻豆精品 S淪ustainable engineering, 麻豆精品 S� Sullivan calls it, before admitting, 麻豆精品 S渂ut it wasn 麻豆精品 S檛 my idea. Race day used to be a bit chaotic until Mason [Clewis] came along. 麻豆精品 S�
It 麻豆精品 S檚 been only two years since Clewis, a senior photonic science and engineering student, recognized an opportunity to create a perfectly tuned e-waste recycling system, a timeline even he can hardly believe.
麻豆精品 S淭he students are doing at this level what SpaceX and NASA are doing at the highest level 麻豆精品 S� reusing and recycling. 麻豆精品 S� 麻豆精品 S� Jacqueline Sullivan, instructor
麻豆精品 S淎t first, I thought I 麻豆精品 S檇 run a recycling booth by myself and maybe reuse the boat parts or sell them on eBay, 麻豆精品 S� he says. 麻豆精品 S淏ut it 麻豆精品 S檚 grown beyond me, to multiple departments and a network of volunteers. It 麻豆精品 S檚 all happened fast and naturally. 麻豆精品 S�
The magic begins as each race ends. Participants who don 麻豆精品 S檛 advance to the final rounds take their boats to a tent where students disassemble each craft with the speed of NASCAR pit crews. They pull out batteries, computer chips and servomotors. Stainless steel screws and hardware are also collected. Whatever is left of the hulls is crushed and deposited into recycle bins.
The oranges are saved for other races.
As the day progresses through dozens of races, the lawn around the Reflecting Pond never changes from its original condition: a green carpet, in perfect spring form.
麻豆精品 S淭he students are doing at this level what SpaceX and NASA are doing at the highest level 麻豆精品 S� reusing and recycling, 麻豆精品 S� Sullivan says. 麻豆精品 S淭hat 麻豆精品 S檚 why I say Mason is my hero. 麻豆精品 S�
A Village Beyond the Tent
Clewis watched his first GNOR as a curious freshman. He 麻豆精品 S檇 been working on his own capstone project 麻豆精品 S� developing a temperature-controlled fan. During the races, a few of his internal wheels started turning when he noticed boat carnage spilling from trash cans and onto the lawn.
麻豆精品 S淪ome of the parts on the boats were the same parts I needed for my own project, 麻豆精品 S� he says. 麻豆精品 S淚 know plenty of students like me who don 麻豆精品 S檛 want to shell out $100 for the same perfectly good batteries, chips and sensors that are being thrown away. Plus, I 麻豆精品 S檓 interested in entrepreneurship and keeping the environment clean. So, I took the basic idea for a recycling booth to Miss Sullivan. 麻豆精品 S�
“That 麻豆精品 S檚 the most rewarding aspect for me: the lasting impact 麻豆精品 S� a positive, mutually beneficial impact. The campus looks better. Students can access free parts for their projects. Everyone has fun. There is no downside. 麻豆精品 S� 麻豆精品 S� Mason Clewis, student
The power of organic growth took root when Sullivan put Clewis and his project partner, Chris Lesniak, in touch with Jim Essad, manager of the machine shop sciences program. When students from UCF 麻豆精品 S檚 Robotics Club found out, they offered to disassemble boats on race day and organize parts for future reuse. Word then spread to College of Engineering and Computer Sciences Facilities Operations Manager Pete Alfieris, who offered recycle containers and golf carts. Don Harper 麻豆精品 S�88, manager of the Texas Instruments Innovation Lab, said he 麻豆精品 S檇 gladly take the discarded wood and barely-used hardware for the next cohorts to access for free.
麻豆精品 S淚 never thought so many people would want to be involved, 麻豆精品 S� Clewis says, 麻豆精品 S渂ut we 麻豆精品 S檙e helping others and there 麻豆精品 S檚 something inherently attractive about that. 麻豆精品 S�
Students want to be involved. Faculty and staff want to be involved. In the past 24 months, the savings in money and materials has been incalculable. The cycle feeds itself with the rare combination of sustainability and scale.
麻豆精品 S淢ason started doing the right thing about a need when no one was looking, 麻豆精品 S� Sullivan says. 麻豆精品 S淣ow everyone is looking. 麻豆精品 S�
E-Cycling into the Future
Clewis was in the recycling booth again for this year 麻豆精品 S檚 GNOR, but with a slightly different purpose: Teaching freshmen how to run the show.
麻豆精品 S淚 won 麻豆精品 S檛 be here in a couple of years, but someone else will keep it going, 麻豆精品 S� he says. 麻豆精品 S淭hat 麻豆精品 S檚 the most rewarding aspect for me: the lasting impact 麻豆精品 S� a positive, mutually beneficial impact. The campus looks better. Students can access free parts for their projects. Everyone has fun. There is no downside. 麻豆精品 S�
