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Rose-Hulman successful in
international aerial robotics competition
A Rose-Hulman team has joined an elite group of
students who have successfully designed a computer system that can control a miniature
helicopter-like aerial robot in flight without the aid of human control.
The five-member Rose-Hulman team achieved the feat in June during the
International Aerial Robotics Competition in Richland, Wash. Rose-Hulman was one of only
two teams at the contest whose entry achieved pilotless flight.
Fewer than 10 teams have created a computer system able to fly an
aerial robot during the nine years of the competition, according to Wayne Padgett, the
team’s adviser and assistant professor of electrical and computer engineering.
The team placed fifth in the competition and was the second- place
American entry. The Rose-Hulman team finished ahead of MIT, Georgia Tech and the
University of California-Berkley.
The competition includes student teams who must create a flying robot
that can identify mock environmental disaster scenes, locate survivors, and identify
hazardous materials by using only computer processing systems.
The Rose-Hulman team consisted of team leader Patrick Duffey, Jeremy
Conner, Justin Morey and Benjamin Thompson. |
Wesley Bolsen is nation’s top junior
electrical engineering student
Just one look at Wesley Bolsen’s resume reveals
why he received the Norman R. Carson Award as the nation’s outstanding junior
electrical engineering student.
The award, presented by the Eta Kappa Nu national honor society, recognizes students for
their academic, technical, leadership and career goals in electrical engineering.
Bolsen’s activities at Rose-Hulman Institute of Technology read
like a “Who’s Who” listing.
The Lovington, Ill., native was co-founder of Rose-Hulman’s
Students Against Destructive Decisions chapter, organizing fund-raising events for Terre
Haute’s Mothers Against Drunk Driving and helping conduct a sobriety checkpoint for
the Indiana State Police. He’s also president of the Eta Kappa Nu society and head
manager for the football team.
Bolsen is a member of the Tau Beta Pi national engineering fraternity,
Pi Mu Epsilon national mathematics fraternity and Alpha Lambda Delta academic society.
And, yes, he sets aside time to be a dean’s list student.
“There’s never a dull moment for me,” admits Bolsen.
“I haven’t done anything special. I’ve donated my time and energies to
causes and organizations that interest me.”
That commitment is what attracted the Carson Award selection committee.
The honor doesn’t recognize the intelligent loner, but the intelligent leader.
“When Wes says something, it comes from the heart and you take
notice. He’s highly respected by his classmates and our faculty members,” said
Barry Farbrother, head of Rose-Hulman’s Electrical Engineering and Computer
Engineering Department.
This past summer, Bolsen further expanded his resume by working in the
sales office at the Intel Corporation in Santa Clara, Calif. |
ASCE chapter once again
among nation’s best
For the third straight year, Rose-Hulman’s
student chapter of the American Society of Civil Engineers has been recognized as one of
the nation’s best chapters based on community service, professional activities, and
performance in national and regional engineering competitions.
Rose-Hulman, winner of the Robert Ridgway Award as top chapter in 1998,
earlier was named the top chapter in its 15-state region.
The 70-member ASCE group has a distinguished record of community and
public service. It has been the largest financial donor to the Terre Haute
Tribune-Star’s Christmas Basket Fund; organized a fund-raising golf tournament for
Habitat for Humanity; and completed construction projects for local residents and
organizations.
Kevin Forbes (Civil Eng. ’85) serves as one of the chapter’s
professional contact members. |
Student Newspaper Reaps
Top Statewide Honors
Rose-Hulman’s weekly newspaper, the Rose Thorn,
reaped the most awards in its circulation category of this year’s publication
contest, sponsored by Indiana Collegiate Press Association.
The newspaper received seven honors, including first place for best
special issue and best comic strip (junior computer engineering major Ray Seitz); and
second place for best overall newspaper.
Staff members earning second place individual honors were 1999 graduate
Peter Anderson, for best entertainment review; sophomore Don Harrington, best sports
photograph; and 1999 graduate Nate Ingalsbe for best comic strip. |
Graduate student gets award at biomedical
conference
Biomedical engineering graduate student Alan Eskuri
won a “Best of Session” award in the student paper competition at the 36th
annual Rocky Mountain Bioengineering Symposium in Colorado.
Eskuri’s paper was titled, “Design of a Minimally Invasive
Stitching Device.” He was one of four Rose-Hulman students to attend the conference. |
Research on ethical issues wins region civil
engineering contest
Recent Rose-Hulman graduate Morgan Hawker was named
the winner in a research paper competition sponsored by the American Society of Civil
Engineers’ District Nine Council.
Hawker’s paper was titled, “Is it Ethical for Consulting
Firms to Make Political Contributions to Candidates That Can Directly Affect Engineering
Contracts?”
The district covers Indiana, Kentucky, Arkansas and Tennessee. |
Solar Phantom Finishes third in Sunrayce 99
The lack of sunshine didn’t keep Rose-Hulman’s Solar
Phantom V team from making it to The Winner’s Circle in last summer’s Sunrayce
99 cross country solar car challenge from Washington, D.C., to Orlando, Fla.
The team received accolades for its best ever finish — third place
— in the 10-day, 1,440-mile event that featured many of North America’s top
engineering colleges and universities.
Rose-Hulman joined the University of Missouri-Rolla (first place) and
Queen’s University of Canada (second place) in a ceremonial display at Walt Disney
World’s Epot Center. The team also received a trophy.
Rose-Hulman’s list of Sunrayce accomplishments included:
• The team won Day 1, a soggy 114-mile route from Washington,
D.C., to Charlottesville, Va.
• The team received a Teamwork Award for its outstanding
performance and honorable mention honors for electrical innovation.
• For the third straight Sunrayce, the team did not suffer a major
mechanical or electrical breakdown during the race.
The Solar Phantom team is now investigating future
endeavors, including possibly competing in the 2001 World Solar Challenge across
Australia. |
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