VT KTU Feb. 25th exhibit- Virginia Career VIEW

Virginia Career VIEW

Really into computers? Love trying to figure out how things work? Learn about fun careers in technology at the Virginia Career VIEW exhibit. Through an interactive game, kids will learn more about technology careers and have some fun, too. Virginia Career VIEW is funded by Virginia's Department of Education Career & Technical Education department to research workforce needs and create resources for kids (and parents, teachers, and counselors) to use in grades K-8.

Visit Career VIEW at www.vacareerview.org

VT KTU Feb. 25th exhibit- "3D Printing and Additive Manufacturing"

Ever had a great idea for a new invention, but didn't know how to make it? Come by this booth to learn about 3D Printing and how it can be used to help you turn your dreams into reality! Participants will get to see a series of desktop-scale 3D Printers in action and get to see example parts created by the industrial-scale 3D Printers at Virginia Tech. Come learn about how 3D Printing works and what lies in its future!

Hosted by the Department of Mechanical Engineering's DREAMS Lab. The DREAMS Lab conducts research centered in additive manufacturing technologies. In addition to researching design tools, materials, and process improvements for additive manufacturing, the DREAMS Lab also explores how additive manufacturing technologies can be integrated into curricula to enhance STEM education.

Virginia Tech KTU Feb. 25th event exhibit- "Exploring Our World Through the Investigation of Materials"

We invite you to stop by our booth and become a materials scientist by investigating the properties of some materials! Through hands-on activities, you’ll discover why oil and water don’t mix, what magnetic fields look like, what causes silly putty to act the way it does, and more!!

*We are also introducing a pilot program, “PlayCreateDiscover.vt.edu”. Through this interactive website combined with hands on activities, we hope to encourage young girls (ages 5 -10) to explore the world around them through creative play!

Hosted by Professor Lou Madsen’s research group in the Chemistry department.

VT KTU Feb. 25th exhibit- EyeRobot For Secure Face Recognition

EyeRobot For Secure Face Recognition

Abstract: How do your friends be tagged in photos automatically on facebook?

Have you ever tried to login twitter via your face only? It is face recognition that makes all come true. However, have you ever found any flaw? Naughty kids may wear face photos to challenge the system. Can you secure the face recognition system? We bring an eyerobot to help make wise decisions on face recognition. Let it go and find the "real" person you want to talk to.

VT KTU Feb. 25th exhibit- Human Powered Submarine Team

The Human Powered Submarine team will be showcasing their submarine at Kids' Tech on February 25th. The team will have a booth at the event with interactive activities that emphasize the benefits of 3d printing and design. For more information on the Submarine team, please visit our website: http://www.hps.aoe.vt.edu/

VT KTU Feb. 25th exhibit- "Looking Down is Looking Up: Why do we work with aerial photography?"

Geospatial tools, which include geographic information systems (GIS), global positioning systems (GPS), and remote sensing, provide us with a new understanding of the earth. In this activity, participants will use GIS to identify changes on the earth’s surface. We will examine aerial photography from two different time periods, and students will explore, estimate, and measure general changes in land use during these two periods. Observing these kinds of changes helps us understand how landscape changes influence our local communities and environments.

This hands-on activity is being led by a professor, a Ph.D. student, and two undergraduate students from the Department of Geography. The Geography Department (founded in 1975), located in Major Williams Hall, is part of the College of Natural Resources and Environment. We offer both Bachelors and Masters Degrees and we participate in the College of Natural Resources doctoral program in Geospatial and Environmental Analysis. We have recently added a new degree program in Meteorology. The department’s students are active in its Geographic Society’s many outreach events and fellowship activities, such as exploring caves in southwest Virginia. More information about our program, our students, staff, and faculty can be found on our website at http://geography.vt.edu/

This activity is co-sponsored by VirginiaView, a state level organization within AmericaView—a national consortium that focuses upon research, outreach to K-12 and community college education, and distribution of imagery to a spectrum of users at state and local levels. VirginiaView’s mission encompasses many dimensions of the acquisition, analysis, and application of geospatial data to practical problems in natural resources, geography, geosciences, and agriculture. Additional information can be found at http://cnre.vt.edu/virginiaview/

Dr. John McGee, active within VirginiaView, prepared some of the activities presented this year at Kids’ Tech University.

VT KTU Feb. 25th exhibit hosted by CS^2

CS^2 is a student organization at Virginia Tech dedicated to bridging the "digital divide" in the New River Valley. This is accomplished through volunteer sites at local elementary schools and community centers, where we teach basic computer skills and lessons meant to spark an interest in technology.

Our display demonstrates a number of activities we perform at our sites, including logical problem-solving using Lightbot, computer model design using Google Sketch-up, game/software design with Scratch, and data visualization with Google Earth.