In June 2019, students from St. Thomas More Collegiate high school in Burnaby B.C. participated in CanSat, an international competition hosted by the European Space Agency (ESA). As strong advocates of STEM education, aerospace and manufacturing, Applied Precision 3D was delighted to sponsor this team as they embarked on a mission to create deployment-ready satellite technology.
Every June, the European Space Agency (ESA) hosts this international competition for high school students to test data-collecting probes that they’ve built. In 2019, St. Thomas More Collegiate students made history as the first Canadian team to compete at the event.
What is CanSat? Inside the First Canadian Team’s Mission
During CanSat, teams must design and build a small probe that fits inside a container with the volume of a standard soda can. Probes are launched to an altitude of 1 km and must record then communicate temperature, pressure and other data during descent.
After launch, the data is interpreted and a formal presentation is given. Every team in the competition must choose a secondary mission of scientific interest. The 2019 St. Thomas More Collegiate team took optical and infrared photos during descent to create a topographical (i.e 3D) map. This innovative concept could establish a way to rapidly map terrain, making such a task easier on earth and other planets.
While other international teams have tried this concept and been unsuccessful in the past, the team from St. Thomas More Collegiate team have looked at new ways to improve the process. With mapping technologies, the final picture relies on a smooth, steady descent – this is not easy to achieve with a free-falling probe. Some of the potential solutions explored by the team included stabilizing the platform and increasing the on-board camera frame/refresh rate.
Applied Precision 3D Sponsors CanSat Team’s Competition Trip
“As leaders in innovative 3D scanning technology, our Team at Applied Precision 3D wanted to support the students from St. Thomas More Collegiate. Our business was one of several from across Canada who offered financial support, and were thrilled to help make this competition trip possible.” – Robert Bell, President of Applied Precision
“I am writing to once again express gratitude for Applied Precision’s support of my school’s team in the 2019 European Space Agency’s CanSat competition. It was a great experience for my students and has inspired them to go on in STEM careers.” – Joe Muise, CanSat Staff Sponsor at St. Thomas More Collegiate
Not only does Applied Precision 3D maintain the technology and expertise needed to succeed on a wide range of innovative scanning and modelling projects, we also care. We invest in youth science, technology, engineering and math (STEM) initiatives locally and across the country to ensure there’s a new generation of 3D innovators ready to lead. This is critical to ensuring the continuous supply of high-quality manufacturing and aerospace talent moving into the future.
To this extent, we have agreed to sponsor St. Thomas More Collegiate’s team again for 2020 as they have been selected once again for this international competition.
To learn more about Applied Precision 3D’s expertise and innovative technologies, please contact us.