Spotlight


Tesla's Toolbox Project for February is Mars Rover Design Challenge

Written by: developer

Tesla’s Toolbox is a new Space Foundation program named for engineer Nikola Tesla, who conducted some of his most creative experiments in Colorado Springs. From the Tesla experiments in electricity in the early 1900s, to current research in aerospace technology, Colorado Springs has long been a source of creativity, and the Space Foundation wants to encourage this local talent and encourage future exploration and experimentation through hands-on “Maker” activities.

Our Tesla’s Toolbox workshops are held the third Saturday each month at the Space Foundation Discovery Center in Colorado Springs. The program is designed for ages 10 and up, to share the basics of future technologies. It is also meant to encourage creativity and exploration in STEM fields — science, technology, engineering and math. Example activities include App Development, Minecraft 3D Design and Programming, a Mars Robot Design Challenge and Kinetic Creations. While the workshops are not designed to be comprehensive, they will give participants the tools and the resources to continue their exploration at home on their own. And each activity will introduce concepts that will prove valuable in inspiring possible future STEM occupations.

Our Tesla’s Toolbox activity for February challenges participants to use our Lego NXT kits and create a functional attachment to aid a pre-constructed Mars rover. This is called an end effector. Through creativity and ingenuity, participants will demonstrate similar problem-solving skills used by engineers in sending rovers to other planets.

Tesla’s Toolbox – Feb. 20 – Mars Rover Design Challenge
10:00 a.m. – noon
Fee: Discovery Center admission plus $10 to participate in the workshop

Space in the workshop is limited, so to reserve a space, click here.

Tesla’s Toolbox is sponsored in part by Corporate Giving Club member Uwingu.

About the Discovery Center
The Space Foundation Discovery Center is the region’s only space, science and technology attraction, and is located just minutes from Garden of the Gods Park, at 4425 Arrowswest Drive, Colorado Springs.

Discovery Center admission is $10.00 for adults, $4.50 for children ages 4-17, $1.00 for children ages 2-3 and children under 2 are free. Military discounts are available. For other information, click here, or call the Space Foundation at 719.576.8000.

This article is part of Space Watch: February 2016 (Volume: 15, Issue: 2).


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