2021 Design Challenges | Translating Engineering Research K-8

2021 Design Challenges Available

A document containing a brief description of the TEK8 program and all the facilitator’s guides and the student handouts for all of the 2021 design challenges is available here. The guides and videos are also available by clicking on each design challenge in the table below. In 2020 a TEK8 Design Storyboard was developed as a tool to help students record their progress through the design process.

Title	Description	Engineering Area
ABCs of Airplanes	Modify a plane to carry a weight across the runway without losing it during landing.	Aerospace Engineering
Airfoil Analysis	Reinforce an airfoil so it sustains less damage than the original design.	Mechanical Engineering
Calibrating DNA Devices	Design as set of overhangs strong enough to hold the device closed when 3 weights are added and open when 5 weights are added.	Biomedical Engineering
Computer Comprehension	Create a Neural Networks that can identify many objects.	Computer Science and Engineering
Creating a Working Tissue Scaffold	Create a tissue scaffold with 10 living cells inside so it can withstand the applied weight and protect the cells.	Biomedical Engineering
DNA Detector	Separate out target DNA.	Biomedical Engineering
Forests as Carbon Sinks	Design a model to demonstrate how forests serve as carbon sinks.	Environmental (Civil) Engineering
Gotta Embed ‘Em All	Embed “tissue” to preserve it against the elements and be able to successfully preserve it.	Biomedical Engineering
Human Body Communications	Create a “human body communications” circuit to close when touching.	Electrical Engineering
Image Recognition	Design a Neural Network that can recognize different images that are fed into it.	Computer Science and Engineering
Make-a-Disc!	Design intervertebral discs to meet design criteria.	Biomedical Engineering
Printing Tissue Scaffolds	Create your own biomaterial fluid that resembles the ideal characteristics of a non-Newtonian fluid so that you can “print” your own lattice structures.	Materials Science Engineering
Processing Power	Build a processing technique to help you emulsify two given liquids.	Materials Science Engineering
Protecting Antibodies	Create a design/ morphology that will protect an antibody (marshmallow) during the testing process.	Materials Science Engineering
Soil Permeability	Create a soil sample with very low permeability.	Environmental (Civil) Engineering
Sorting Ship Signals	Create a system that can sort the different ship signals (marbles) regardless of the order or quantity that they are received	Electrical Engineering