PICATINNY ARSENAL, N.J. -- Demonstrating the uses of sensor technology, Picatinny Arsenal engineer Ralph Tillinghast gave a student presentation at the Louise Childs Library in Stanhope, New Jersey, on Aug. 5.
Tillinghast is the director of the Collaboration and Innovation Laboratory at the U.S. Army Armament Research, Development and Engineering Center. His presentation titled "Sensors and Segways" aimed to teach students, ages eight to 16, about the importance of sensor technology and offers hands-on experience with devices that use sensors, such as motion capture technology and 3-D animation.
However, the "Sensors and Segways" was not the only presentation by Tillinghast this summer. He also gave a workshop titled "Invent and Innovation" July 6 at Pequannock Township Library, another "Invent and Innovation" lecture Aug. 12 at the Sussex-Wantage Library, and a "New technology and 3-D printing" presentation at the Franklin Library on Aug. 13. These sessions were not only aimed to reach young students but also reach parents and grandparents.
"It is important that we conduct STEM outreach for the older generations, as they may have more opportunity to reach and influence their kids and grandkids," Tillinghast said. "It was pretty cool to see grandmothers texting pictures of themselves wearing Google Glasses to their grandkids."
In addition, George Fischer and Lucian Sadowski, two other Picatinny employees, offered student workshops this summer. Fischer provided two science presentations at the Washington Township Public Library. The first session was geared toward students from kindergarteners to second grade.
It focused on science and physics, including topics such as thermal and electrical conductivity as well as diffraction, which describes the deviation of light as it contacts an object. The second was for third to fifth graders.
"The library's summer theme is super heroes, so I tied in Frozone, Superman, and Gazerbeam," said Fischer about his presentations. "The children added Mr. Freeze and we talked about low temperature physics and optics. The librarian said I could come back every month and give more science shows and the children really liked their take-home experiments."
Sadowski presented a workshop titled "Our Sun and Solar Observations" at the Sussex County Library System in Newton on Aug. 20. It was for students from sixth to 9th grade and focused on subjects such as the sun spot cycle, lunar and solar eclipses, layers of the sun and more. It also provided students the opportunity to use a solar telescope and search for sunspots.
In total, Picatinny employees provided seven presentations in three New Jersey counties (Bergan, Morris and Sussex) as part of the Picatinny STEM Office's Library outreach program that was initiated last year.
Picatinny's Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics (STEM) Office aims to create a technologically proficient society able to meet the nation's workforce needs by providing educational, hands-on activities on science, technology, engineering and math.
Related Links:
U.S. Army Armament Research, Development and Engineering Center (ARDEC) homepage
U.S. Army Research, Development and Engineering Command (RDECOM) homepage
Social Sharing