NASA, in conjunction with Hasbro has started a contest to amp up student’s knowledge about technology transfer from the space agency to everyday uses here on Earth, commonly known as – ‘spinoff.’
NASA has tapped one of Hasbro’s most popular brands – The Transformers. To spearhead this effort the two groups have tapped none other than the Autobots leader himself – Optimus Prime.
It is hoped that this collaborative effort will teach students how NASA-derived technology is ‘transforming’ life here on Earth and how students utilize them in their everyday lives. Some of the technologies include medical equipment, water purifiers and protective fabrics.
NASA’s Education Office has created a video contest for students in grades three through eight. Participating students must submit a three to five minute video on a selected NASA spinoff technology listed in the 2009 Spinoff publication.
These videos must show that the students understand how and why the technology was developed, its commercial applications and how the public has benefitted from it. These videos must be submitted no-later-than Dec. 31. A NASA panel will select the winner, who will receive a glass Optimus Prime award.
The contest comes as Kennedy Space Center itself fends off Decepticon attacks (albeit of the cinematic variety). Transformers 3 is scheduled to begin shooting at KSC in the coming days and to combine NASA’s technologic efforts with living robots meshes well with NASA’s efforts to advertise its endeavors through popular culture.
-Examiner
