Using solid modeling and rapid prototyping in a mechanical engineering outreach program of high school students.

In an effort to attract talented high school students to the engineering profession, Milwaukee School of Engineering (MSOE) has developed a number of outreach programs. The most successful of these, entitled‘Focus on the Possibilities’, allows the student to select a specific engineering discipline and experience a week-long program in their chosen area. This paper details the program developed by the Mechanical Engineering Department at MSOE to attract talented high school students to the mechanical engineering discipline. The program consists of an integrated design/build/test experience, centered around the design of a scale-model race car. The program is facilitated by two key technologies available at MSOE: solid modeling and solid freeform fabrication (rapid prototyping). Through creative use of these enabling technologies, the students are able to take the design of their racer from concept to realization and testing in the span of the week-long program. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]