Cameco Spectrum showcases science at U of S

Cameco Spectrum has taken over the engineering building at the University of Saskatchewan (U of S).

The super-sized science fair features workshops and presentations that let attendees young and old learn to build their own rocket, or watch fighting robots battle for glory.

Many exhibits showcase the work of the school’s engineering students, including a robotic Mars rover built by the U of S Space Design Team.

Austin Shirley, the team’s vice-president of engineering, said the design was tested in competitions in North America and Europe and won first prize at a competition in Poland.

With the project put together mainly by undergrads working in their spare time, Shirley said even though they’ve had success, it’s still a thrill every time they fire up the machine.

“There’s a lot of custom parts in there that are designed with our very narrow range of experience. So when it turns on and it works, it’s kind of surprising every time,” he said with a chuckle.

The rover is designed to help astronauts who might make it to Mars one day. It carries equipment to gather and analyze soil samples and is able to move much faster than the robots currently crawling along the surface of the red planet.

Shirley said with more competitions coming up, work on the project never really stops.

“Oh yeah, we’re not done — I don’t think an engineer can ever say they’re done,” he said.

Cameco Spectrum runs Saturday and Sunday from 9 a.m. to 6 p.m.  Information on admissions and parking is available at the event website.