Electrifying opportunity for students
10 August 2017
UC’s Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering (ECE) and the Electric Power Engineering Centre (EPECentre) welcomed more than 500 mainly year 13 Physics students into their brand new labs in June.
Technician, Paul Agger presenting to high school students in the High Voltage Lab.
In a variety of fun and interactive demonstrations, students from 11 South Island schools:
- learned about sensors, embedded systems and micro-chips by remotely piloting helicopters and interacting with autonomous robots
- explored a solar powered car, electric farm vehicle, the UC Motorsport FSAE Electric Racing car and the Shell Eco-Challenge car
- understood the fundamental risks and mitigation methods of high voltage electricity by experiencing 15,000 V lightning arc drawings and the Faraday Cage.
One Physics teacher summed up the visit saying: “It was a blast, exactly the kind of experience that we need to brighten our conversations in the physics class.”