Learning new skills through autonomous underwater vehicle competitions

There is a long list of skills expected from engineering graduates starting their carrier in industry. They are expected to be well versed in their fundamental engineering knowledge. They are also expected to be aware of the latest technology and developments. There is an immense emphasis on soft skills now more than ever, since engineers’ required to interact intensely with their peers and other colleagues in their daily operations. In the context of engineering education at polytechnic, there is limited space in the current curriculum where some of these skills can be instilled. During the last decade, we have introduced various project based courses, capstone projects, internship programs in order to impart some of these skills. Engineering competitions provide another avenue for developing soft skills such as teams work and communication and technical skills concerning the latest technologies. Among the various competitions that our students participate, in this paper we will present our experience with the Singapore autonomous under water vehicle competition where our student teams have been actively participating during the last decade. Paper will describe areas where students demonstrated significant learning due to their involvement in the project and our observations on the outcome.