AIRSPACES: Air-propelled Instrumented Robotic Sensory Platform(s) for Assateague Coastline Environmental Studies - A multidisciplinary experiential learning and research project at a minority serving land grant institution

Abstract

AIRSPACES (Air-propelled Instrumented Robotic Sensory Platform(s) for Assateague Coastline Environmental Studies) project funded by the Maryland Space Grant Consortium (MDSGC) provides a model platform to involve a multidisciplinary team of Science, Technology, Engineering, Agriculture, and Mathematics (STEAM) students in a challenging experiential learning and research endeavor that promotes active learning in field and laboratory settings. The overarching goal of the project is to develop an autonomous surface vessel to collect and map selected water quality variables, geo-located with GPS sensors in lakes and ponds on campus, as well as Assateague and other nearby coastal bays for further scientific analysis. The project has been adapted for undergraduate students; however, outreach efforts by engineers and scientists at NASA Wallops Flight Facility have provided an overview of expanded scope of the goals and objectives that may be addressed in a professional setting.