Week 2 Day 1 - June -17

This morning we discovered STEMcentric.  These tutorial videos are great!!!  We walked through the basics of Mindstorms programming and acquired a better idea of what we have to work with.

I'm getting excited about the possibilities for our lesson, our mission, and good times at TechFest!

After lunch - it's all about sensors and sensor networks.  Thank you Dr. Shengli Fu for your presentation and information!

So, we have sensors, sensor systems, and sensor networks.  Be sure to know the difference! 

(pop quiz below... What do you see?)

Yep, this is a sensor system: it can receive and communicate information... 

and there is just one of them.

A couple of interesting thoughts to take away from Dr. Fu's presentation:

-- minimum size of any processor and/or sensor is limited by the size of the required power supply.

-- The hummingbird drone shown in his video: it flies, it hovers, it videos.  But only for 5 minutes!?!?  Amazing potential with very tricky limitations.

And then we learn of Ecoplex - funded by the EPA - designed for the collection environmental data in urban areas, like Dallas.  Except for weather, we are relatively unaware of the status of our environment.  Things that make you go hmmm....

Dr. Acevedo begins discussing our field trip on Thursday to the 380 Greenbelt Corridor.  Amid a few good stories and application of sensors and wireless sensor networks we learn about Texas Evapotranspiration Network.  An "ugly word" evapotranspiration, Dr. Acevedo's describes as our atmosphere's demand for water. 

Sensor Networks Seminar

Dr. Shengli Fu

Dr. Miguel Acevedo