Steve Brown introduces sophomore Christina Ness and other John Jay High
School Science Academy students to the SPUD-mobile.
UTSA's SPUD-mobile takes John Jay High School students for a ride
(April 29, 2002)--Students from the John Jay High School Science Academy received a hands-on introduction to the world of precision agriculture, thanks to the help of Steve Brown, UTSA assistant professor of environmental science, and his SPUD-mobile (Spatial Precision Utility Device).
Brown and his students designed the go-cart vehicle, equipped with global positioning and geographical information system technology, to assist in conventional agricultural practices. Brown explained to students how the software could be used to help farmers maximize their crop production by limiting water and fuel usage, as well as herbicides and pesticides.
After the presentation, Brown took the students to a field so they could test the SPUD-mobile and maneuver the vehicle using the GPS/GIS equipment. The students watched a monitor on the go-cart to see the direction they were traveling, much like the screens on auto racing video games at an arcade.
"I think it's great and it would be useful for people like me who can't drive a car or are visually impaired," said Melissa Aguilera, a freshman who was in a wheelchair. "We could just look at the monitor to see where we were going."
"I was very impressed with the enthusiasm and the interest these students have taken in this technology," said Brown. "There is a tremendous need in the industry for knowledgable employees with GPS/GIS training and these students are preparing themselves for the future."
The Science Academy is an intense math, science and technology program in the Northside School District designed for students intending to go into the science and engineering fields. Students from the district's junior high schools must apply and be admitted to the special program.
Brown says Sean Callihan's world geography class is the first group ever to participate in a field demonstration of the SPUD-mobile and its GPS/GIS technology, and he looks forward to showing the go-cart's capabilities to the rest of the world.
----------------------------------------------------------
TODAY'S HEADLINES:
Teaching
Excellence Award: Susan Keehn, assistant professor of reading
Faculty
honors convocation set for May 1
Spring
2002 graduates invited to La Despedida ceremony
UTSA's SPUD-mobile takes John Jay High School students for a ride
UTSA
mechanical engineering program receives national award
Relaxation
sessions to help smooth rough semester's end
----------------------------------------------------------
© The University of Texas at San Antonio, 2001