Solar Cup 2021

Solar Cup Project Team

• Julie Miller Kalbacher ~ Solar Cup Coordinator • Metropolitan Water District

• Joseph Chavez • Metropolitan Water District

• Royetta Perry• Metropolitan Water District

• Chuck Oravec ~ Technical Support• Occidental College

• Giselle Serafin• SEI

Water Wholesaler 26 Members Agencies 5,200 square miles 21 million people $1 trillion regional economy 4 million acre-foot average

water demand

Solar Cup 2021

Overview

Kit Challenges• Robotics• Electronics• Solar Vehicle

Non-Kit Challenges• 3D Cad• Video Game • PSM’s• Career Webinar

Solar Cup 2021 Overview

• Solar Cup 2021 will be team event• Students can work on any Challenge that interests them• Will score all work submitted & award team highest score earned by their student• 10 Challenges

• The 11th Challenge is an additional Challenge, it is optional• Challenges have some optional activities • Optional item points will be kept separate.

• Two divisions ~ Schools select which division at beginning of program• Greater Time Commitment

• Gain more content mastery• Lesser Time Commitment

• More of a surface level mastery

Solar Cup 2021

Tech Challenges Introduction

Technical Challenges

• Six technical challenges developed by Occidental College Students, edited by MWD

• Every challenge will be scored separately• Our Focus:

• Hands on learning• Game development• STEAM skills• Career and resume building

Six TechnicalChallenges

• Blender / Onshape – 3D Game Building• Unreal Engine – Game playing and

building ~ Optional Challenge• Robotics – Building and programming• Basics of Electronics – Unpacking kit,

learning how things work• Solar Panel – Measurements and

graphing• Electric Circuits – Experimentation with

kit

Challenge 1: Blender / Onshape

• Build a computer game with an easy to learn game engine

• Blender has the largest user community of 3D graphics amateurs and professionals

• Large number of tutorials available

• All skills learned will translate to any other 3D software

• Career Building skills

Challenge 1: Onshape • Onshape is an industry standard 3D CAD program

• Browser based• Runs on low

power PC’s• Runs on a

Chromebook• Career building skills

Unreal Engine

• Our optional Technical Challenge, this software is not available to students using Chromebooks

• Build a computer game using a world class game engine

• Real world job skills• Works hand in hand with Blender to

create game assets

Robotics Challenge

• Build a working robot from a kit

• For those with robotics experience, can create own robot, will work with teams on deadline and scoring for this approach

• Our kit is great robot for someone with limited/no programming experience

• Program to run specific courses

• Program to spell out letters

Basics of Electronics Challenge

• Students sign up for kits that will be mailed to their homes or school

• Each team will have limited number of kits they can receive

• 200 total kits will be ordered• First Electronic Challenge will cover

electronics fundamentals

Solar Panel Challenge• Build and measure a

solar panel circuit from a kit

• Hands-on kit • Each team will have

limited spots to sign up for kits

Circuits Challenge

• Third of the Electronics Challenge• There will be an online tutorial

video for the Electronics Challenges as well.

• Students will learn to build and measure electronics circuits from parts in their kit

Technical Challenges Outcomes

• Even with just a minimum time commitment the students will learn valuable hands-on skills

• They get to keep the solar panel and electronics components

• The school gets to keep the robot for future use

Technical Challenges Time Commitment

Vary in time commitment:

• Minimum – 1-2 hours• Greater – Average 3-4 hours• Blender game challenge – 12 hours

Solar Cup 2.0

Other Challenges Introduction

SEI Challenges

SEI: Building Leaders for a Resilient World is

partnering with So Cal Edison on creating content

for Solar Cup 2021

• Will be hosting a career webinar that connects to a Challenge on careers

• Creating a PSM Challenge• Assisting us with the

electronic vehicle Challenge

Public Service Message (PSM) Challenges

There will be two PSM Challenges•One will focus on water issues•One will focus on larger

environmental topic

We will partner with SEI on one of the PSM topics

Solar Vehicle Virtual Racing Challenge

We will use the Solar Vehicles that were built for the SEI Vehicle Challenge to create a timed event

• Schools will be given course length to set up• MWD will provide zoom appointments to time

vehicles• Bring some racing to Solar Cup 2021

Solar Cup 2021

Program Details

Solar Cup 2021 Timeline

Challenges will begin on Thursday, February 4 ~ Program will conclude in early May

• Blender / Onshape Challenge ~Feb 4 launch• Unreal Engine ~ The Optional Challenge ~

launch in early March• Robotics Challenge—will email sign up soon ~

late February release• Career Webinar—March release• PSM Challenge 1—March release • Electronics Challenges (3)—Mid April- may

change with spring break vote• Solar Vehicle—Mail out kit mid April• PSM Challenge 2 ~ mid April release• Will race the Solar Vehicles virtually ~ late

April appointments• Virtual Closing Ceremony ~Early May- exact

date to be determined

MWD Solar Cup Webpage• Challenges will be posted on the

MWD Solar Cup webpage• www.mwdh2o.com/solarcup

• New Challenges: Teachers will be notified via email

• Deadlines: Challenges will have due date listed on them

• Fine line between procrastination and life interfering with deadlines

• Contact Julie with deadline concerns

Solar Cup 2021

Details

Solar Cup Scoring

Each Challenge will have points attached to various activities

• We will evaluate all the work turned in• Award team the highest points earned from their

students

We will have some items that are extra points • Social Media or “Document It” is optional• Unreal Game Engine is optional• These will be evaluated and kept separate from

overall scores• Students will be able to earn awards for these

categories

Teams will earn awards for the work they do in their division

Solar Cup 2021

Celebration