Engineers turn ideas (technical, scientific, mathematical) into reality. Tell us about an engineering idea you have or your interest in engineering. Explain how Cornell Engineering can help you further explore this idea or interest. (500 words)
Sometimes I look up at the sky, only to realize the bittersweet truth that I am alone. It is ironic that there are approximately seven billion people swarming the earth, yet, when I look into space, it is lifeless.
Looking though my telescope at night, I could see craters on the moon, and behind the moon, I could see Mars, crimson like the setting sun. Many call it the red planet; I call it a beckon of life. Maybe space wasn't so lifeless after all: Mars, unlike any other planet, has frozen ice caps. The mere presence of water could indicate the possibility of life.
As an avid inventor, I have created rockets from scraps metal and tools after being inspired by Homer Hickam in October Sky, hoping to find that one could cross Earth's atmosphere and traverse into the barren space system. But those were mere baby steps compared to the opportunity that would allow me to truly expand my interest in Mars.
NASA wanted young engineers, myself and 42 other students selected from a national pool of applicants, to come up with ideas for a future spacesuit. This was the perfect opportunity to express my desire to create a meaningful contraption, or at least a machine bigger than my 13-inch stainless steel rockets, that would one day reach mars and explore the possibility of life. I was invited to attend MIT to talk to various engineers on their latest spacesuit prototypes. Dr. Larry Kruzntez, a senior scientist at NASA, and Charles Camrada, a former astronaut, taught me the basic principles regarding Mars. Its atmosphere is entirely different and complex than the Earth, with its most abundant gas being carbon dioxide. But more importantly, its gravitational forces are weaker than earth's, creating an essential problem when developing a maneuverable spacesuit. This difference in gravitational forces creates an imbalance in the center of gravity, making the astronaut unable to perform simple actions such as walking.
I focused on the robotics of the suit, which would not only help alleviate the atmospheric problems, but also the center of gravity issues. I had an idea to create an exoskeleton framework around the structure of the spacesuit that would maintain the center of mass of the suit. It would essentially be a titanium structure that would be attached to the inner compartments of the suit, where the weight of the life support system and the center of mass would be counter balanced through the titanium frame. This simple, yet, revolutionary idea sparked the interest of the judges as I presented my findings. NASA is currently evaluating my ideas in order to create potential patents.
Just as NASA provided me with an opportunity to make my idea come to life using the help of experienced scientists, Cornell Engineering programs such as Kessler Fellows, and The Cornell Center for Materials Research the would allow me to implement and make them real.
Sometimes I look up at the sky, only to realize the bittersweet truth that I am alone. It is ironic that there are approximately seven billion people swarming the earth, yet, when I look into space, it is lifeless.
Looking though my telescope at night, I could see craters on the moon, and behind the moon, I could see Mars, crimson like the setting sun. Many call it the red planet; I call it a beckon of life. Maybe space wasn't so lifeless after all: Mars, unlike any other planet, has frozen ice caps. The mere presence of water could indicate the possibility of life.
As an avid inventor, I have created rockets from scraps metal and tools after being inspired by Homer Hickam in October Sky, hoping to find that one could cross Earth's atmosphere and traverse into the barren space system. But those were mere baby steps compared to the opportunity that would allow me to truly expand my interest in Mars.
NASA wanted young engineers, myself and 42 other students selected from a national pool of applicants, to come up with ideas for a future spacesuit. This was the perfect opportunity to express my desire to create a meaningful contraption, or at least a machine bigger than my 13-inch stainless steel rockets, that would one day reach mars and explore the possibility of life. I was invited to attend MIT to talk to various engineers on their latest spacesuit prototypes. Dr. Larry Kruzntez, a senior scientist at NASA, and Charles Camrada, a former astronaut, taught me the basic principles regarding Mars. Its atmosphere is entirely different and complex than the Earth, with its most abundant gas being carbon dioxide. But more importantly, its gravitational forces are weaker than earth's, creating an essential problem when developing a maneuverable spacesuit. This difference in gravitational forces creates an imbalance in the center of gravity, making the astronaut unable to perform simple actions such as walking.
I focused on the robotics of the suit, which would not only help alleviate the atmospheric problems, but also the center of gravity issues. I had an idea to create an exoskeleton framework around the structure of the spacesuit that would maintain the center of mass of the suit. It would essentially be a titanium structure that would be attached to the inner compartments of the suit, where the weight of the life support system and the center of mass would be counter balanced through the titanium frame. This simple, yet, revolutionary idea sparked the interest of the judges as I presented my findings. NASA is currently evaluating my ideas in order to create potential patents.
Just as NASA provided me with an opportunity to make my idea come to life using the help of experienced scientists, Cornell Engineering programs such as Kessler Fellows, and The Cornell Center for Materials Research the would allow me to implement and make them real.