ECET students bring BRIAN to life for engineering robotics competition

SAVANNAH – A team of five Electronic and Computer Engineering Technology (ECET) students at Savannah Technical College have designed and built a robot for competition. B.R.I.A.N. (Beginning Realm of Intelligent Artificial Navigation) will compete in a robotics competition at the Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers (IEEE) Southeast Conference on March 15 – 18 in Orlando, Fla.

STC’s team members Megan Kittrell, Davon Cleary, Derek Edens, Jeremy Hefner, and Jeffrey Meeker (not pictured) created an autonomous information-gathering robot, aka BRIAN, who will traverse a maze-like course, analyzing electrical signals and other information along the course. The signals and information will allow BRIAN to make decisions in order to follow the proper path. The students have applied the knowledge from their analog, digital, and instrumentation courses at Savannah Tech to design and build BRIAN. Robots like BRIAN could be used for practical purposes such as inspecting a ship’s hull and exploring the far reaches of space.

“I am proud of our students, and this is proof that they are receiving a quality education that will enable them to solve real-life problems,” said STC’s ECET Department Head Dr. Oluwayomi Adamo. “I wish them good luck.”

In Fall 2011, Savannah Tech established a student branch of IEEE, the world’s largest professional association dedicated to advancing technological innovation and excellence for the benefit of humanity. The group is formed among students enrolled in the college’s ECET program with Department Head Dr. Oluwayomi Adamo serving as Branch Counselor and Derek Edens serving as Student Branch Chair.

Savannah Tech offers an ECET associate degree with three specializations: instrumentation and control engineering technology, computer engineering technology, and electronics engineering technology.

The ECET associate degree at Savannah Technical College is accredited by the Technology Accreditation Commission of ABET, 111 Market Place, Suite 1050; Baltimore, MD 21202, 410.341.7700.

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#1260 | March 8, 2012

For More Information Contact:
Amy Shaffer, APR
912.443.5512
ashaffer@savannahtech.edu

A unit of the Technical College System of Georgia, Savannah Technical College (Savannah Tech) is the premier provider of career-ready technical education in Coastal Georgia, offering a comprehensive range of nearly 150 market-driven programs, preparing students for high-demand careers including Aviation Technology, Cybersecurity, Health Sciences, Logistics & Supply Chain Management, Automation & Robotics, Information Technology, Culinary Arts, Public Services and more. With campuses in Chatham, Effingham, and Liberty Counties, Savannah Tech serves more than 13,000 credit and non-credit students with a variety of pathways to success, including dual enrollment programs for high school students and specialized support services for military veterans and their families. Beyond academics, Savannah Tech is an economic and community development partner, collaborating with industry leaders to provide customized training programs, assessment services, and continuing education opportunities. For more information, visit www.savannahtech.edu.

Savannah Technical College is accredited by the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools Commission on Colleges (SACSCOC) to award associate degrees, diplomas and technical certificates of credit. Questions about the accreditation of Savannah Technical College may be directed in writing to the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools Commission on Colleges at 1866 Southern Lane, Decatur, GA 30033-4097, by calling (404) 679-4500, or by using information available on SACSCOC’s website (www.sacscoc.org).

Savannah Technical College complies with the Technical College System of Georgia (TCSG). The TCSG State Board prohibits discrimination on the basis of an individual’s age, color, disability, genetic information, national origin, race, religion, sex, or veteran status (“protected status”). No individual shall be excluded from participation in, denied the benefits of, or otherwise subjected to unlawful discrimination, harassment, or retaliation under, any TCSG program or activity because of the individual’s protected status; nor shall any individual be given preferential treatment because of the individual’s protected status, except the preferential treatment may be given on the basis of veteran status when appropriate under federal or state law.