Any High School Level Engineering Project Ideas?

[teetar]

I'm not too creative, but I'm trying to compile a list of possible ideas that my engineering team can do during this school year. Projects or contests would be great fun, but I can't think of anything. Does anyone here have any ideas of possible ideas for an engineering team in school? Our skill level is rather undeveloped, but we are willing to research and collaborate to conquer many different challenges, as we have done in years past.

Thanks for any help anyone can offer!

 

[jack action]

• http://www.sciencebuddies.org/scien...Eng,MatlSci,Robotics&d=1,2,3&x=iaRobotics,0,0
  
• http://www.all-science-fair-projects.com/category89.html
• http://www.juliantrubin.com/science_fair_project/high school/high_school_engineering.html

 

[stinsonbr]

A common (and fun) one to do is to design and build a trebuchet.

 

[berkeman]

I'm not too creative, but I'm trying to compile a list of possible ideas that my engineering team can do during this school year. Projects or contests would be great fun, but I can't think of anything. Does anyone here have any ideas of possible ideas for an engineering team in school? Our skill level is rather undeveloped, but we are willing to research and collaborate to conquer many different challenges, as we have done in years past.

Thanks for any help anyone can offer!

• http://www.sciencebuddies.org/scien...Eng,MatlSci,Robotics&d=1,2,3&x=iaRobotics,0,0
  
• http://www.all-science-fair-projects.com/category89.html
• http://www.juliantrubin.com/science_fair_project/high school/high_school_engineering.html

I'd like to discourage your attitude that "I'm not creative", and encourage you to read through Jack's links. That's one way to get the creative juices flowing. As an engineer, one of your key skills is creativity. It takes work and tricks to be creative, and that is something that your school projects are designed to nurture in you.

Get used to doing lots of Google/other searching (I like Google Images to help me speed up my creative searches), reading Application Notes from manufacturers of parts that you are considering using, get used to setting up brainstorming parties with your friends, etc. One of my favorite things was having Patent Parties when I or other friends got issued a patent. That was a great opportunity to get together with your most creative friends, and celebrate and brainstorm. Fun times! :)

 

[theOrange]

In my senior year of High School, two of my friends and I designed (and built) a working glider. Small scale of course, the goal was to be able to carrier an egg safely from the top of a building and land on the soccer field below. The glider was not remote controlled and therefore had to be designed to correct itself if wind pushed it in any direction. It is simpler than you would expect, just need to do some research on gliders.

 

[Spoolx]

In my senior year of college they brought in a group of high school kids that wanted to be engineers, one of the projects they did was make catapults or trebuchets out of just scrap material and compared to see who could throw the penny the farthest. Was pretty cool, and way more fun than my senior project in college.