Carlson Software, celebrating its 40th anniversary as a company, has released a STEM video game—Hydrology Engineer. The video game is designed to teach hydrology, a subset of civil engineering, from a practical standpoint. Players will be introduced to both simple and complex concepts of hydrology work with the chance to compete for most efficient design each month.
“We invite our entire customer base, those participating in educational programs around the world, and all those aspiring to be civil engineers, to try their hand at Hydrology Engineer,” says Bruce Carlson, president and founder of Carlson Software. “Players are welcome to submit the hydrology design with the lowest cost, including penalties and meeting all conditions. It doesn’t matter where you live, what your background is, how much training you have, if you are a ‘natural,’ if you think like a civil engineer or if you are willing to try many scenarios, you can win.”
The goal of the game is to design a storm sewer system from available inlets and pipe types and sizes that drains the site successfully, with no excessive pressure in the pipes overflowing at inlets and no excessive gutter spread in the streets that might cause flooding and hydroplaning.
The game uses a photo-realistic depiction of a subdivision with low points in the streets that require the placement of inlets with catch basins, and it must drain to a detention pond also found on the site. Players will be scored by the program automatically as they try to produce the lowest cost solution that drains the site and successfully meets regulatory requirements.
Hydrology Engineer utilizes real world materials, measurements, and costs to create an optimal design.
Each month, Carlson Software will provide either a new site or the same site with new constraints such as additional utility systems that must be factored into the design, to avoid collisions or meet regulatory requirements for offsets. For each month, all purchasers of Hydrology Engineer can compete to produce the lowest cost solution, earning an announcement on our website and a design approval certificate as well as the opportunity to connect with engineering firms for potential job opportunities.
Many universities and educational institutions have adopted Hydrology Engineer as a supplemental part of their existing curriculum. Carlson offers unique offers for any educational facilities interested in adopting the game as part of their program.
For more information about Carlson’s Hydrology Engineer video game or to purchase, visit carlsongaming.com. Sign up to enter into the July 2023 challenge.
Founded in 1983, Carlson Software Inc. specializes in CAD design software, field data collection, laser measurement and machine control products for the civil engineering, surveying, GIS, construction, and mining industries worldwide, providing one-source technology solutions for the entire project cycle. Carlson Software is headquartered in Maysville, Kentucky.