Motion control is arguably one of the most important areas in modern engineering. As increased productivity becomes ever more important along with sustainability and energy efficiency, innovative industrial automation is one of the most obvious positive steps. And yet we have fewer STEM grads, and those who are excited by motion control are increasingly ending up in nanotechnology and computer game design.
Advanced Motion Controls is doing something about it. Their Click&Move® Motion and Automation De$ign Conte$t is giving cash prizes as well as servo drives to college teams that use their software to build something exciting. To encourage profs to give support and class time, AMC is also awarding a nice chunk of change for new equipment for the winner’s lab.
We’re all for this. If you are or know an eligible, interested student, you should click that link and find out about this opportunity.
We’re also happy about President Obama’s Robotics Initiative. We love the local STEM initiatives. We’re just not happy to hear that fewer than half of high school graduates are well prepared for college in the areas of science and math. We’re not happy that engineering, though U.S. News says that engineers are the #1 most in demand grads, appeals to only 5% of our college students.
So if it takes a contest with cash prizes to encourage college students to become the next generation of industrial engineers, then thank you, AMC, for providing this carrot for young Americans!