Students in the 2006 camp take part in the sumo-bot competition

Aspiring engineers in grades 8-12 will have the opportunity to learn robotics and mechatronics at UNC Asheville’s summer engineering workshops. Both daytime workshops and overnight camps will be available throughout the summer and are located on the UNC Asheville campus.

Registration deadline for all sessions is Friday, June 15. Applications are accepted on a first-come, first-serve basis. Enrollment is limited; early application is advised.

The Mechatronics Engineering Workshop I overnight camp runs July 15-20 and the Mechatronics Engineering Workshop II day camp runs July 23-25. Both workshops will introduce participants to the fundamentals of robotics, microprocessor programming and mechatronics. Participants will build and program their own robot. The final portion of the workshop will be a “sumo-bot” competition where students’ robots will battle for the top prize. Cost is $575 for the overnight camp and $150 for the day camp.

The Introduction to Engineering Workshop runs July 30-August 3. This day camp features an overview of basic engineering concepts, an introduction to the engineering profession, and site visits. Boy Scouts who successful complete the class will meet the requirements of the Boy Scout Engineering Merit Badge. Girl Scouts can work toward a badge in Interest Projects. Cost is $50.

All three workshops are sponsored by the UNC Asheville-N.C. State Engineering Programs, the Western North Carolina chapter of Institute for Electrical and Electronic Engineers, and Dynamic Systems Inc.

For more information or to register, call UNC Asheville’s Office of Academic Conferences and Institutes at 828/251-6558 or click on www.unca.edu/oaci/camp2007/mechatronics.html.