Course Focus
POE connects engineering analysis to planetary rover design work: energy transfer, lightweight structures, automated controls, sensor feedback, test data, and mission-ready documentation.
POE
Principles of Engineering
Explore systems, mechanisms, energy, forces, materials, circuits, data, and engineering analysis through applied design challenges.
Course landing page
Start with the course pathway
Use this page to open the current unit, review the course structure, and find course-specific tools and resources.
Your Responsibility
Document your evidence
Each unit connects classroom work to engineering evidence: notes, sketches, CAD/CAM files, code, photos, testing data, revisions, and final reflections.
Course overview
How POE is organized
POE connects engineering analysis to systems, mechanisms, structures, energy, controls, data, and design challenges.
Use engineering principles
Apply forces, energy, materials, mechanisms, circuits, and data to explain system behavior.
Develop working systems
Create prototypes that combine structure, motion, control, testing, and revision.
Use performance evidence
Measure outcomes, compare design decisions, and support claims with data.
Scope & Sequence
Course pathway
Each unit keeps the core POE concepts while connecting the work to aerospace systems, testing, fabrication, controls, and data-based decisions.
Engineering Readiness & CubeSat Lightweight Structure Challenge
Begin with aerospace systems, documentation, and FabLab safety, then design and manufacture a 4-inch open-frame CubeSat structure. Teams optimize a 3D-printed frame and laser-cut acrylic plates for the lowest qualified mass.
Mechanisms for Space Missions: Energy, Power & Aerospace Machines
You will investigate how aerospace machines redirect force, speed, distance, and motion through mechanisms and energy transfer. Using VEX systems and physical testing, they design and evaluate a mechanism that performs a launch-support, deployment, lifting, or positioning task.
Built to Survive: Aerospace Structures, Materials & Testing
You will study how aerospace structures carry loads while staying lightweight, reliable, and efficient. You will analyze forces, material behavior, and structural performance, then design and test a payload support or aerospace structure using evidence from calculations and physical testing.
Autonomous Rover Systems: Controls, Sensors & Fluid Power
You will explore how automated aerospace systems use logic, sensors, feedback, actuators, and fluid power to complete missions safely and reliably. VEX rover platforms and VEX ground-support systems become the platform for programming, testing, and refining open-loop and closed-loop rover behavior.
Mission Performance: Statistics, Kinematics & Test Data
You will use repeated trials, graphs, statistics, and kinematics to explain how aerospace systems move and perform. Mission, launch, projectile, glider, or rover data become the basis for predicting motion, measuring variation, and making data-supported design decisions.
Aerospace Rover Systems Capstone: Design, Test & Defend
You will bring the course together by designing, building, testing, and defending an integrated aerospace system. The capstone requires students to connect mechanisms, structures, controls, materials, fabrication, data, and documentation into one clear engineering solution.
Aerospace Design Challenges
Major project direction
Projects will use VEX rover platforms, laser cutting, 3D printing, physical testing, and engineering documentation. CNC is intentionally left out of POE for now.
CubeSat Lightweight Structure Challenge
Design, CAD, manufacture, assemble, and qualify an open-frame CubeSat structure. The lightest structure that passes every requirement wins.
VEX Rover Mechanisms Challenge
Design and test a VEX mechanism that redirects force, speed, distance, or motion for an aerospace support task.
Rover Payload Support Structure Challenge
Design, build, and test a lightweight structure that balances strength, stiffness, mass, and material choice.
Rover Mission + VEX Ground Support System
Program an autonomous rover mission and build a VEX or fluid-power support system connected to the mission environment.
Mission Data Investigation
Collect and analyze repeated motion or rover trials using statistics, graphs, and kinematic calculations.
Integrated Aerospace Rover Systems Capstone
Combine mechanisms, structures, controls, fabrication, testing, and data into one final aerospace engineering design review.
Student Outcomes
What you will be able to do
By the end of this course, you will connect engineering science to the design and testing of aerospace systems.
Analyze systems
Use diagrams, measurements, calculations, and test data to explain how engineering systems transfer energy, carry loads, move, and respond.
Build and test prototypes
Create physical models, test them under controlled conditions, collect evidence, and revise designs based on performance.
Communicate engineering decisions
Use sketches, calculations, graphs, CAD models, presentations, and engineering documentation to justify design choices.
Project Briefs
Major project briefs
Use these lesson briefs to understand each major POE aerospace challenge, required evidence, checkpoints, and final design review expectations.
CubeSat Lightweight Structure Challenge
Use the Unit 0 lesson sequence to track the CubeSat design rules, manufacturing certifications, project milestones, qualification requirements, and final competition evidence.
VEX Rover Mechanisms Challenge
Use this brief to guide the VEX mechanism design process, calculations, testing expectations, and final design review.
Rover Payload Support Structure Challenge
Use this brief to guide the structure design, material selection, force analysis, load testing, and final recommendation.
Rover Mission + VEX Ground Support System
Use this brief to guide the rover mission, control logic, VEX or fluid-power support system, testing, and final mission review.
Mission Performance Data Investigation
Use this brief to guide the rover or motion investigation, variables, repeated trials, statistics, kinematics, and final claim.
Integrated Aerospace Rover Systems Capstone
Use this brief to guide the final systems capstone, subsystem planning, prototype evidence, testing, and final design defense.
Project Support Templates
Common engineering templates
Use these LockwoodSTEM templates across POE projects for planning, documentation, testing, reflection, and presentations.
Engineering Notebook Entry
Document objectives, sketches, calculations, evidence, and next steps.
PDF DOCXDesign Brief Template
Define the problem, criteria, constraints, deliverables, and evaluation plan.
PDF DOCXDecision Matrix
Compare concepts using weighted criteria and evidence-based scoring.
XLSXTest Plan Template
Plan variables, materials, setup, procedure, safety notes, and success criteria.
PDF DOCXTest Data Table
Collect repeated trials and calculate summary statistics for engineering tests.
XLSX Print SheetFinal Design Review Slides
Use this slide structure to present the problem, design, testing, iteration, and recommendation.
PPTX PDFProject Reflection
Reflect on evidence, iteration, teamwork, and the next design improvement.
PDF DOCXRubric Template
Use a 4-point engineering rubric for projects, documentation, and presentations.
PDF DOCXDesign Review Form
Record design claims, feedback, concerns, questions, and revision decisions.
DOCXResources
POE course resources
Open the current course syllabus and find project briefs, templates, and evidence supports used throughout POE.
2026-2027 Course Syllabus
Review POE course goals, aerospace projects, grading, materials, FabLab and VEX safety, collaboration, artificial intelligence expectations, support, and the family acknowledgment.
Open Syllabus (PDF)Project Briefs
Major POE project briefs are organized by unit so you can access the correct challenge at the right time.
Engineering Templates
Notebook, test data, reflection, and design review templates are placed with the unit or project that uses them.
Final Evidence
you collect project evidence, data, CAD/CAM files, photos, and reflections throughout the POE pathway.
Your Workflow
How students work in POE
POE blends engineering calculations, prototype development, test data, and system-level communication.
Predict behavior
Use diagrams, calculations, CAD, and simulations to plan before building.
Build with purpose
Assemble mechanisms, structures, circuits, and control systems that meet design goals.
Collect data
Use tests and measurements to evaluate performance and identify failure points.
Revise the system
Use evidence to make design changes and explain why the final system works.