2005 ASEE Southeast Section Conference 1 Hovercraft Design Experiences in a Freshman Engineering Course at UAB Anne S. McClain 1 Tina G. Oliver 1 Stephen T. McClain 1 B. J. Stephens 1 Zoe B. Dwyer 2 Doug Rigney 2 Abstract – At the University of Alabama at Birmingham, freshman engineering students receive their first formal exposure to engineering in EGR 100, Introduction to Engineering. One of the main student exercises in EGR 100 is a design project. Students, in groups of four, are provided with basic theory, tools, and components and are asked to design and build a simple machine or device. In the Spring 2003 semester, students in select sections of EGR 100 were asked to build a simple hovercraft and compete in lift and speed competitions. While the projects were limited by small budgets, the students were exposed to a meaningful freshman design experience. Many of the student groups found creative solutions to the hovercraft design problems. The basic structure of the hovercraft design project, the background design information given to the students, a few examples of the creative solutions found, and selected student comments about their design experience are discussed. Keywords: Freshman, design, hovercraft INTRODUCTION Courses that introduce engineering concepts to freshmen students have become popular in curricula around the United States. These courses are used to explain the differences between the engineering disciplines, to expose students to design early in their program of study, to increase retention rates, to begin student to faculty contact earlier in the curriculum, to provide an early opportunity for group experience, and to impart an understanding of group dynamics [Wayne, 7][Burtner, 2][Hirsch, 5][Ohland, 6]. Whether the freshman or introductory course is taught at the departmental level or through the school or college of engineering, many institutions have found the introductory engineering courses very effective [Atashbar, 1][Eggert, 4]. At the University of Alabama at Birmingham, the introductory engineering course, EGR 100, is taught through the School of Engineering. Sections of EGR 100 contain students with a variety of engineering and engineering related majors. Students in EGR 100 must participate in a simple “design and construct” project. The design project requires the students to use basic design principles, to work in multi-disciplinary groups, to document their design and work process, and to present their results. The design projects have been very effective in achieving the objectives of EGR 100. Every semester, the different departments are asked to participate in EGR 100 and to construct design projects for the course. Examples of design projects performed in EGR 100 are the design and construction of skateboards using sandwich composites, the design and construction of remote controlled cars, and the design and construction of balsa wood bridges. In the Spring 2003 semester, faculty from the Department of Mechanical Engineering (ME) developed the design projects for three sections of EGR 100. In the ME directed sections of EGR 100, the students 1 The University of Alabama at Birmingham, Department of Mechanical Engineering, 1530 3rd Ave. S, Birmingham AL 35244-4461, amcclain@uab.edu 2 The University of Alabama at Birmingham, School of Engineering, 1530 3rd Ave. S, Birmingham AL 35244-4461