Design and Innovation

Prerequisite: Applied Engineering (Honors) and instructor approval

The goal of this course is to challenge students with advanced projects in various engineering specializations. Through independent projects and presentations, students will be provided opportunities for exploration, testing, and iterative improvement. Subject units could include material science and civil, electrical, biomedical, chemical, environmental, mechanical, and aeronautical engineering. Students will demonstrate aptitude through research presentations on real-world engineering problems and the integration of learned concepts into original prototype devices to solve these problems. Rubrics with clear design specifications will be used to assess student presentations and devices.

Prerequisite: None

In this hands-on class, students will apply concepts to projects related to various engineering disciplines. Units on environmental engineering will tackle the locally important topic of wastewater treatment; electrical engineering will focus on advanced circuits and custom PCBs to create novel products; mechanical engineering will explore topics in modern robotics; and musical engineering will use advanced techniques to create instruments such as electric guitars.

Students will utilize the tools and equipment of the Innovation Lab to create their projects as needed. Regardless of the unit, students will focus on precision, usability, and sound design. The last unit of the course will require students to pursue long-term independent projects focusing on one of the areas of the course.

 

Prerequisite: Instructor approval

In this hands-on class, students will apply concepts to projects related to various engineering disciplines. Units on environmental engineering will tackle the locally important topic of wastewater treatment; electrical engineering will focus on advanced circuits and custom PCBs to create novel products; mechanical engineering will explore topics in modern robotics; and musical engineering will use advanced techniques to create instruments such as electric guitars. 

Students will utilize the Innovation Lab's tools and equipment to create their projects as needed. Regardless of the unit, students will focus on precision, usability, and sound design. The last unit of the course will require students to pursue long-term independent projects focusing on one of the course areas. 

The Honors course has additional expectations. Students will be required to enter a national design contest, complete additional homework assignments, and pitch their final projects to the Torrey Explorers Fund.

Prerequisite: Instructor Approval

This course teaches students a modern, human-centered design process and culminates in a long-term project that will be ready for implementation beyond the school’s walls. Projects can range from a start-up company to an art installation to a community service project—the possibilities are endless. This process is based on modern design principles, supported by social science, and is used at tech companies, including Uber, X (Twitter), and Instagram. Students will first identify important 21st-century problems that are ripe for innovation by going out into the world and observing human behavior. Students will have the option to work with this year’s partnered company on their project (previous partners have included CamelBak and Ottobock) and may travel to the company headquarters to present their final product to the design team. In addition to this project, there will be biweekly classes dedicated to special topics in design (diversity in technology, cognitive factors, accessibility, and student topics TBD) and technical skill building (2D/3D modeling and sensors).

The Honors track will require more detailed proposal writing, a presentation to investors at the end of the year, and a variety of professional-level deliverables.

2 semesters, 1 credit
Prerequisite: Instructor approval

The goal of this course is for students to master modern technologies to create powerful, innovative solutions to 21st-century problems. Students will study wearable electronics, 3D modeling and printing, laser cutting, sensors and data, and human-computer interaction. The course will initially comprise several small student-driven projects that build essential skills, culminating in a long-term project of the student’s choice. This project will not only be fun and inspiring, but it will also solve a real-world problem that has been identified through research. As a studio class, students will work independently and share their progress with the class each week. Discussion on special topics in technology (diversity in technology, cognitive factors, accessibility, and student topics TBD) will occur every few weeks.