Feb. 13, 2009
Cal Poly Public Affairs
Tune in to the Blog: Students Spending Spring Break in Malta
Mapping Ancient Waterways with Aqua Robots
SAN LUIS OBISPO -- Six Cal Poly students will be heading to Malta during spring break (March 20-29, 2009) for the first-ever International Computer Engineering eXchange (ICEX) program.
The program, and the trip to Malta, is part of a collaborative effort between Cal Poly's Computer Engineering Program and various international partners. Accompanied by Asst. Professor Chris Clark (Computer Engineering) and Christine Victorino (Lecturer, Center for Teaching and Learning), the students will be mapping ancient water storage systems (cisterns) using underwater robots. The mapping is part of an archeological expedition with the Aurora Special Purpose Trust and the University of Malta.
Strategically located in the Mediterranean Sea, Malta has been attacked throughout history by its European and North African neighbors. Underground cisterns provided vital water storage during sieges. The Cal Poly students and their "waterbot" will map the cisterns in order to understand how they were built, interconnected, and maintained.
This interdisciplinary project provides Computer Engineering students with a unique opportunity to apply their technical skills in a hands-on, global context, Victorino explained.
For more information on Malta and ICEX, check out the program blog where students will be posting daily updates during the expedition:
http://icexmalta.blogspot.com/
Additional information on the Malta Cistern Mapping Project can be found at: http://users.csc.calpoly.edu/~cmclark/MaltaMapping/index.html
Watch for a story on the trip in the next edition of Cal Poly Magazine -- coming soon!