SHALIMAR — Engineering calculations and theories by students from 17 universities were put to the test this week during an annual event sponsored by the Air Force Research Laboratory.
Since Monday, students from across the United States have assembled, used and disassembled portable “bridges” designed to try to solve a real-world problem for Special Operations personnel at Hurlburt Field.
“We want to build something that the men can carry with them,” said Mickey Wright, whose company, Rally Point Management, consulted with the schools as they created their designs for the annual competition. “(The students) have to do a lot of engineering.”
Students first tackled the challenge about nine months ago after each school was awarded $20,000 to create a product that could be used to quickly cross open distances of 2 to 20 feet by a four-member Special Operations team.
Ideally, the final product should weigh no more than 20 pounds, but be able to hold 350 pounds, which is typically what Special Ops members weigh with all their gear, Wright said.
Students also were encouraged to come up with something that had additional uses, such as a ladder or a litter for injured troops.
Meeting the parameters of the challenge was no easy feat, students said.
“The first semester was basically concepts,” said Avian Hughes from Tennessee State University.
The practical applications were another matter. Students quickly discovered that calculations on a computer program don’t always work in the real world.
The first product that Prairie View A&M students in Texas designed weighed 80 pounds. The telescopic product they brought to Florida weighed 50 pounds.
“That was a big challenge, but we got it down as much as we could,” senior Jordan Fuchs said.
After the last universities complete their tests today at the Air Force Enlisted Village, a panel of judges made up of local engineers, Special Operations personnel and retired military will select a winner based on points, according to Jerry Provenza, who oversaw the competition.
In addition to objective measurements such as total weight and the length it can span, each product is judged on subjective criteria such as ease of assembly and multi-purpose use, he said.
The school with the top prototype will be given additional funding to improve its model, which eventually could be used by military personnel in the field, Wright said.
Contact Daily News Staff Writer Katie Tammen at 850-315-4440 or ktammen@nwfdailynews.com. Follow her on Twitter @KatieTnwfdn.