Daqscribe Hosts High School Students for Hands-On Engineering Internship

The Project

This summer, Daqscribe hosted three local high school students — Holden Le, a rising senior, and Patrick Chiem and Caleb Rossie, both rising juniors — for a weeklong engineering internship.

The Daqscribe High School Engineering Internship gave the students an opportunity to experience what it is like to contribute as members of a professional engineering team. Throughout the week, they followed the Engineering Design Process to solve a hands-on design challenge using the PiCar-X robotic vehicle.

The Process

The students began by defining the problem, identifying design requirements, and brainstorming possible solutions. After evaluating their ideas and selecting a concept, they developed detailed designs, built a working prototype, and programmed the PiCar-X to complete a series of driving tasks.

As part of the project, the team also designed and fabricated a custom trailer for the vehicle. This added another layer to the challenge by requiring the students to combine mechanical design, programming, and electronics into a single functioning system.

Once the initial prototype was complete, the students evaluated its performance through a series of tests. They collected data, identified areas for improvement, and refined both the mechanical design and programming based on their results. This repeated cycle of testing, analysis, and modification provided firsthand experience with the iterative nature of engineering.

Engineering Research

In addition to the vehicle project, the students researched and presented topics related to Boolean algebra, Shannon switching theory, and semiconductors. Members of Daqscribe's engineering team also introduced them to fundamental concepts in mechanical, computer, and electrical engineering while discussing potential education and career paths within each discipline.

The internship concluded with a final demonstration of the autonomous vehicle and trailer. The students explained their design decisions, discussed the challenges they encountered, and described how testing and continuous improvement helped them arrive at a successful final design.

Through the experience, Holden, Patrick, and Caleb developed practical skills in mechanical design, programming, problem-solving, teamwork, communication, and critical thinking. More importantly, they gained a clearer understanding of how engineers work together to transform an initial idea into a functioning real-world solution.

Daqscribe was proud to welcome these students and provide an environment where they could explore engineering through hands-on problem-solving, technical collaboration, and mentorship.

Continuing a Four-Year Tradition

This year marked the fourth consecutive session of the Daqscribe High School Engineering Internship Program. Over that time, the program has continued to grow as a hands-on opportunity for students to explore engineering, collaborate with professionals, and apply technical concepts to a real-world project.

Throughout the week, alumni from previous internship sessions also stopped by whenever their schedules permitted. They encouraged the current interns, assisted with project activities, and shared lessons from their own experiences in the program.

Their continued involvement reflects the strong relationships formed through the internship and the close-knit culture at Daqscribe. By returning to support the next group of students, former interns served as positive role models and helped create a meaningful connection between past and present participants.