Home Lighting In Developing Countries - Systems & Global Engineering Project - Events

Feb 15, 2010 to Mar 26, 2010
Location: Collaboration Central
Latest Activity: Feb 25, 2022

Lighting consumes roughly 25% of world energy use, and is a major source of energy waste and pollution in many regions. There is no single answer to meeting the energy demands related to lighting. Every region has unique needs that must be addressed. Therefore a multitude of alternative lighting and power devices must be developed to meet the needs of various regions and populations in an effort to both increase the quality of life and to lower energy use.Many regions have relatively consistent levels of sunlight during the day that may be harnessed to capture the energy needed for lighting. One possible solution would be a lightweight and low cost system to that does not require the use of scarce fuel. In this telecollaborative project, students in grades 9 - 12 will work with other schools to design and develop a prototype solar lighting device that is able to harness the sun's energy and can meet general lighting needs.Through this project, students will be introduced to the concepts of systems engineering. Systems engineering activities present an opportunity for students to do engineering the way engineers do it. Students can work together to identify problems or opportunities, explore alternatives, create models and test them. The Internet and computer-aided design software make it feasible for students in multiple locations to work together to develop solutions to complex engineering challenges.Students in each participating class will be assigned to one of the project-wide teams: Design Team, Prototyping Team, or Manufacturing Team. Each team will include students from multiple schools. Students in each team will collaborate to meet their team's goals and deliverables.

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