00;00;34;03 - 00;00;36;16 Speaker 3 Technically Speaking. 00;00;36;19 - 00;00;39;18 Speaker 4 Welcome to our technically on Technical Technology talk. 00;00;39;19 - 00;00;41;13 Speaker 1 And now, Wicked Landing production. 00;00;41;13 - 00;00;48;09 Speaker 5 And an award winning podcast with your hosts, Chelsea Holloway and Alex Jackson. 00;00;48;10 - 00;00;54;10 Speaker 2 Actually, while we've been gone, Alex, we've won another award for this podcast. 00;00;54;11 - 00;00;59;01 Speaker 1 Yes, we've won second place for audio production with the Navy Media Awards. 00;00;59;03 - 00;01;21;22 Speaker 2 All this while I was enjoying some time on the beach. Alex I recently went on vacation. As you know, it was very exciting. I got to go enjoy four Nights in Paradise aka the Caribbean with my family and I went to Turks and Caicos and it was awesome. It was beautiful. The water is truly the best beaches I've ever seen in my entire life. 00;01;21;23 - 00;01;38;19 Speaker 1 That's amazing! I'm glad you all had a great time. I, on the other hand, had some trouble with my wheelchair where I got stuck in the elevator position and had to have someone rescue me. And that someone is our audio engineer and photographer, Joe Bullinger, who helped rescue me that day. 00;01;38;21 - 00;01;45;25 Speaker 6 That's my job title for videographer, audio production specialist, and Alex's wheelchair repair man. 00;01;45;26 - 00;01;47;11 Speaker 2 Oh my goodness. 00;01;47;14 - 00;01;53;11 Speaker 1 Yes, Joe definitely came to my rescue. And so Chelsea, tell us a little bit more about your vacation. 00;01;53;14 - 00;02;22;08 Speaker 2 Well, I'm sorry you got stuck. That's no fun. Vacation was. You know, it was great. I wish I could have gotten stuck in the Turks and Caicos. So one really cool thing that we actually got to do while we were in Turks and Caicos that my four year old loved was we visited Little Water Kay, which is a small island that's nicknamed Iguana Island because it's the sanctuary for a whole bunch of these rock iguanas that are an endangered species there. 00;02;22;08 - 00;02;41;29 Speaker 2 So it was very interesting to see all these iguanas running around. And some of them are really big, but they're protected. They're used to tourists, and you just have to stay like on the path. And it was very neat. And I bring that up because we're actually going to be talking about a different endangered species on this podcast, Red Wolves. 00;02;42;01 - 00;02;54;11 Speaker 2 So we have a great story connecting navigator Charles Town Landing and Charleston Southern University engineering students together in creating a brand new scale to help with Red Wolf research. 00;02;54;13 - 00;03;18;07 Speaker 1 That's right. Coming up, we've got a father son duo here to chat about their work, collaborating on this technology doctor Don Lauer, and now a lab manager and his son, Matt Lauer. Explain how navigator was able to mentor students at CSU to create this scale for the Charlestown Landing endangered red wolves exhibit. So get comfy, turn up that volume, and let's get started. 00;03;18;09 - 00;03;23;23 Speaker 2 Welcome to the podcast. Before we get into it, please start and introduce yourselves for us. 00;03;23;27 - 00;03;25;05 Speaker 7 My name is Don Lauer. 00;03;25;09 - 00;03;26;23 Speaker 8 My name is Matthew Lauer. 00;03;26;26 - 00;03;30;17 Speaker 2 So should we call you Don Lauer or Doctor Lauer? 00;03;30;23 - 00;03;35;06 Speaker 7 Don's just fine. I'm only I'm only Doctor Lauer in the classroom. There's nothing pretentious. 00;03;35;07 - 00;03;46;04 Speaker 2 Okay, great. So right off the bat. Can. Matt, can you please tell us what your team created and why it was so important for Charlestown Landing and Red Wolves? Yeah, sure. 00;03;46;06 - 00;04;03;10 Speaker 8 We created a scale. But not just a normal scale. This particular scale does dynamic loading. And on top of that, it records it on the back end to create a hands free data collection system. 00;04;03;10 - 00;04;05;18 Speaker 2 In dynamic loading. Explain what that is. 00;04;05;19 - 00;04;27;16 Speaker 8 Dynamic loading is as a body, let's say just of a dog or even a person. Your body will fluctuate up and down and you don't necessarily think about it or feel it, but the force that the scale will see or the ground will see changes across that moment of time or that span of length. 00;04;27;16 - 00;04;48;26 Speaker 2 So your scale is kind of like a smart scale for these red wolves at at Charlestown Landing. It can collect data, it can do dynamic loading. So you don't just have to stand on the scale which animals aren't going to just stand there cooperatively for you. So how is this scale helpful for Red Wolves and Charlestown Landing? 00;04;48;26 - 00;05;16;02 Speaker 8 So these red wolves in particular work with Sidner or I should say Animal Forest at Charlestown Landing works with DNR to protect and reach populate these red wolves. These red wolves have to be kept on domesticated completely. And so Charlestown Landing is actively figuring out different solutions to not have to interact with the wolves as much as possible to keep them on domesticated. 00;05;16;02 - 00;05;40;10 Speaker 8 And this is really important because they do not get a lot of interaction and get the weights. Previously, their only method of obtaining weights was to sedate them or tranquilize them and to throw them on a scale. But this eliminates that completely, and they get more data points more frequently and reliably. 00;05;40;11 - 00;05;50;03 Speaker 2 And this is important because red wolves are critically endangered. So this is helpful for Charlestown Landing to collect this data, to study them, to help this population of animals. Correct. 00;05;50;04 - 00;05;58;18 Speaker 1 Yeah. Matt, can you explain your connection with Charleston Southern University and how you got connected with this project and how Charlestown Landing got connected with you? 00;05;58;19 - 00;05;59;07 Speaker 7 Yes. 00;05;59;07 - 00;06;33;08 Speaker 8 So the last four years I've been attending Charleston Southern University as a engineering major, specifically a mechanical concentration. This was our senior project that we have to do as a part of the requirement of the four year program with Charlestown Landing. Specifically, we were introduced them in August by our professor who knew another staff member at Charlestown Landing, slash professor at CSU, and introduced the project prompts to us. 00;06;33;08 - 00;07;00;16 Speaker 8 And from there we had three different options to choose from. Two of them were related to weighing. The other was related to a gate system. The two weighing options were either to weigh a bison or to weigh a red wolf, and then the gate option was specifically for the red wolves initially, so that they can trap them easier whenever they have to handle them and take them in. 00;07;00;16 - 00;07;04;14 Speaker 1 And how many people were on your team that helped with this project? 00;07;04;16 - 00;07;06;10 Speaker 8 My team, there was four people. 00;07;06;10 - 00;07;08;03 Speaker 2 And that was for students, right? 00;07;08;03 - 00;07;16;23 Speaker 8 Yes, for students. And then we had one advisor who was our just project advisor throughout the entire semester or throughout both semesters of the year. 00;07;16;24 - 00;07;20;08 Speaker 2 And so why did you seek out a partnership with navigator? 00;07;20;10 - 00;08;05;19 Speaker 8 So when we were going and taking a look at the design aspect of it, we knew we needed some way to manufacture. Initially, most of the components could be bought online, whether that was X rails or bolts, nuts, washers, the load cells, all the all of the electronics, all of that could be bought online. However, we ran into an issue where there wasn't a pre manufactured scale top that would fit our specifications if we wanted to place it within the chute in the area where the wolves walked directly from their habitat into their holding area so that we could get reliable data consistently, they would always walk across it. 00;08;05;20 - 00;08;27;17 Speaker 8 They tend to walk across that section quite often as they're open to it, unless the gate is closed. So we want we wanted to manufacture our own scale top custom to fit our scale and to meet the needs of our project. And that's why we chose to work with, navigate through some conversations and got in touch with a few of the staff. 00;08;27;18 - 00;08;40;19 Speaker 2 And so, Matt, you have a relationship with navigating not only through your father, but you have been involved with programs with Narvik Atlantic before. Did that influence your decision to reach out to the command? 00;08;40;24 - 00;08;50;13 Speaker 8 Yes. So there were a few people that I got to know from the Palmetto cybersecurity or the cyber camps based on those connections. 00;08;50;14 - 00;08;52;22 Speaker 2 With you're a part of. Tell us how you're a part of that. 00;08;52;24 - 00;09;04;02 Speaker 8 Yes. So I have been attending the actual camp since I was a kid. However, over the last three years, three years now. 00;09;04;04 - 00;09;27;01 Speaker 7 I've been using Matthew as an instructor with me for at least three, if not four of the last years. And so he's been attending the camp since he started in sixth grade, when he was eligible for the cyber camp. And it's just kind of grown up as part of Nick's annual camp programs. And then when he became kind of staff, the Stem program found some funding and a grant for him. 00;09;27;01 - 00;09;38;03 Speaker 7 And then they've been using Matthew for the last three years to work not only the Palmetto cybersecurity camp, but several of the other ideas, camps or other Stem camps that they offer throughout the low country. 00;09;38;04 - 00;09;52;15 Speaker 2 Amazing. And so you knew what I could do because of your experience all these years with navigator. So that, I'm assuming, is what made you think of the on demand manufacturing lab that we have to help with your project? 00;09;52;17 - 00;10;15;18 Speaker 8 Right. I knew and I've been told many times about my was capabilities, and through reaching out and finding the right connections, we were able to connect with Maxwell in over at 187. And we were able to talk a little bit more about machine capabilities, design specifications, things that needed to be done in order to manufacture our parts. 00;10;15;19 - 00;10;21;29 Speaker 1 And Don, what does the command gain from building this partnership between Charlestown Landing and Charleston Southern? 00;10;21;29 - 00;10;44;27 Speaker 7 So, you know, we're a member of the local Charleston community, and we're one of the largest employers in the in the area. And so part of it is just being, you know, a good citizen and employer to be part of the community. But at the same time, we have an agreement with CSU to mutually support them. So they have a computer science program and an engineering program, and they're in our backyard. 00;10;44;27 - 00;11;06;13 Speaker 7 And so we have the opportunity to tap in with these students who are doing research on kind of the most current trends and the leading edge of engineering and computer science. We get an opportunity to partner with the next generation of engineers and scientists, which is always kind of inspirational. That helps with our recruiting. It helps with our retention. 00;11;06;13 - 00;11;34;23 Speaker 7 It helps with our capabilities. Also working with Charlestown Landing, I just really enjoyed being around all of the animals because I was kind of like a little kid in there. When they asked me if I wanted to feed the bears or pet the otters, and so it was a great opportunity to just build relationships across the nonprofit and with South Carolina's state parks programs and DNR, as well as the engineering and computer science departments of Charleston Southern University. 00;11;34;24 - 00;11;47;03 Speaker 2 You mentioned working with this next generation, Dawn. So how was it working with these students? And your son kind of gave us a little insight between mentors and students. What did you see happening? 00;11;47;03 - 00;12;02;01 Speaker 7 So I fortunately I work with Matt all the time. Right. He is my here's my child and we do a lot of a lot of Stem things and coordinate together. But it was really nice to see that the team that they brought together is very similar to how we put together an iPPt. You know, we had mechanical. 00;12;02;05 - 00;12;03;07 Speaker 2 What is an iPPt? 00;12;03;09 - 00;12;27;00 Speaker 7 It's the integrated product team where we bring together subject matter experts to solve a problem and so on. His team, he had two mechanical, one electrical and a computer concentrated engineer. So to see the dynamic from, you know, structural to the the mechanical to the programing to kind of watch them all interact and work was, was, was really was a lot of fun. 00;12;27;02 - 00;12;45;12 Speaker 7 I had the opportunity to go with them to do not only a visit where I had to talk about, you know, security and how to gain them access to be able to come into our facilities. But more importantly, we got to do a site visit where they got to do requirements check and check with the individual zookeepers that would actually use the system. 00;12;45;12 - 00;13;11;11 Speaker 7 So they got to interact with who will ultimately be the customer and in use of it. So it was a lot of fun to see their their excitement. It was a lot of fun to watch them develop something from scratch and then test it. And they borrowed my three dogs multiple times to test the load cells. And as and I also got to see them through some of the frustration points where, you know, it worked, but then it didn't work. 00;13;11;11 - 00;13;26;05 Speaker 7 And they actually deleted some of their programing. So they got to work through almost a whole life cycle of fielding a system, you know, which almost mirrors a lot of what we do here professionally. So I had a lot of fun with that. And they're great kids, absolutely great kids. 00;13;26;05 - 00;13;40;15 Speaker 2 So I know you guys did the majority of the work on this project. This is your team's project. You you have designed this new scale, which is there's an acronym for it, Howl. What is the acronym stand for? Again. 00;13;40;16 - 00;13;43;22 Speaker 8 Howl stands for Health Observation and Weight Logger. 00;13;43;22 - 00;14;00;24 Speaker 2 And Navigate. Linux role was more of a mentor in the manufacturing of certain parts. And what did you learn that you maybe hadn't known before, from getting this hands on experience with an on demand manufacturing lab here at a command with the Navy? 00;14;00;24 - 00;14;27;29 Speaker 8 So thankfully, through a bunch of different experiences at home and with the business that both me and my dad have currently, I was able to think through a lot of the CNC aspect how to cut things out, but the one thing that I didn't know how to do was bend. So for the scale platform top seeing, seeing or flow jetting, I knew those concepts pretty well and was able to incorporate that in my design. 00;14;27;29 - 00;15;03;09 Speaker 8 But when it came down to bending the edges or the corners of the scale platform, I had some clue, but not a professional clue. When working with Nick, I was able to ask those questions, figure out the tolerances on that we were using. I believe eighth inch 5052 aluminum and cap building 187. They work with that material quite a lot, so they have very good experience and knowledge of that material, how it bends, the tolerances of that. 00;15;03;09 - 00;15;10;21 Speaker 8 And I was able to figure out the bend radius and incorporate them in that design so that I can then send it over to be manufactured. 00;15;10;25 - 00;15;35;21 Speaker 7 And one of the things that I did was when I brought the students to 187, not only did they get a chance to work with the engineers, we kind of took them in the back where it's the physical machinists to develop the parts based off of plans, and so they were able to spend a little bit of time with the people that would hands on, develop and actually make that tangible product and gain some insight and advice that isn't part of like, normal curriculum. 00;15;35;21 - 00;15;53;15 Speaker 7 It's part of the experience of creating things. So we were able to leverage a lot of our subject matter experts, you know, within the manufacturing area. But we were also when they got into a point where they were having trouble coding. My oldest son has a master's degree in computer science, and he's a computer scientist for an Iowa. 00;15;53;17 - 00;16;10;16 Speaker 7 So we were able to leverage a little bit of experience because he had done something very similar in the coding with a platform that he had worked with, an IPT. He had worked here. So we were able to kind of tap different resources as needed and give them like kind of the best of a little bit here and a little bit there. 00;16;10;17 - 00;16;35;27 Speaker 2 I love this story because it's harping on the fact that navigator has such an emphasis on family values in some ways. With this workforce, you've got two sons involved in a project, but not only that, it shows how Niva Atlantic is reaching out to local communities in multiple ways. Not just your son, but other students involved in this project Charlestown Landing, helping an endangered species. 00;16;35;27 - 00;17;03;28 Speaker 2 And in the end. How does this help the warfighter? Through recruitment? Because we need talent. We need the next generations talent to be able to continue to provide amazing information warfare solutions to the warfighter. So I just wanted to kind of wrap all this up a little bit into how many ways this story and this project is helping so many different parts and people and organizations all in one. 00;17;03;28 - 00;17;16;05 Speaker 2 And before Alex asks the final wrap up question, which we're all dying to hear, do you guys have anything else to add about how this has just touched so many different entities? 00;17;16;06 - 00;17;44;22 Speaker 7 Well, I was going to say it actually, it starts almost further back. I've been working with the Stem in the outreach program for the command for, wow, almost 14 years. And we go out and we mentor even in the middle schools, the high schools we put these camps on, we're trying to give more touch points of Stem earlier to the kids, but also give that relationship and planting those seeds much earlier about because a lot of people you can Google it, you'll see some things. 00;17;44;24 - 00;18;05;25 Speaker 7 Right. You know, kind of what we do. But you know, the children get a chance and the kids and the future engineers, they get an opportunity to actually work hand in hand with us when we do things and develop the relationships. So I found that to be a very, very valuable recruiting tool. And then it's great to be able to see them come on as new professionals and then eventually farmed out the teams. 00;18;05;25 - 00;18;17;17 Speaker 7 And then I'm fortunate enough that I get to be around the command and a lot of different IPS. So I get to see these kids kind of go through almost a life cycle into a professional engineer or scientist, which is quite rewarding. 00;18;17;19 - 00;18;31;17 Speaker 1 It's amazing to see all the collaboration that has happened within your family and within the command and the community. And, Matt, just one final question. What was the outcome of the project and how did you guys enjoy it, and what was the final grade that you received? 00;18;31;17 - 00;19;08;12 Speaker 8 So the outcome as for the grade, we got an A, thankfully. I'm very, very glad that we got that. As for the project and the installation and the implementation, that went great as well. We were able to deliver a professional product to Charlestown Landing, even when talking with the staff there at Charlestown Landing, they really appreciated all the work that we put into it to deliver a product that should last quite a while, like not just 1 or 2 months, like we're estimating hopefully several years that they can have this product. 00;19;08;12 - 00;19;28;28 Speaker 8 And not only that, to be able to build it themselves and recreate it themselves in case they need to redo it or maintenance it or add it to any of their other facilities. But they were really appreciative of that, and we were all very happy that a it was done. And b it works great. 00;19;29;00 - 00;19;34;11 Speaker 1 Well, congratulations and congratulations to you for your graduation from Charleston Southern. 00;19;34;12 - 00;19;35;29 Speaker 9 Thank you. 00;19;36;01 - 00;19;36;11 Speaker 4 So. 00;19;36;12 - 00;19;58;16 Speaker 2 Alex, another really cool fact about this technology that the students created is that it also records video of the animal on the scale, which helps the caretaker see the behavior of the animals as it moves across the scale. And it eliminates bad data like, say, if two red wolves walk across instead of one. And they of course only want the weight of one animal at a time. 00;19;58;16 - 00;20;00;16 Speaker 2 So it's a very smart scale. 00;20;00;16 - 00;20;15;07 Speaker 1 That's very interesting. I also liked how this not only got our engineers and I wake Atlantic collaborating with the younger generation on technology, it also is a great networking opportunities for students in the area to meet professional engineers in the Navy. 00;20;15;09 - 00;20;34;06 Speaker 2 Good stuff all the way around. And of course, a great help to the Red Wolves who no longer have to be tranquilized just to be weighed. Which of course we always want. Now to learn more about anything that we've talked about in this podcast, including these red wolves, check out our social medias under Nav or our navigator website. 00;20;34;07 - 00;20;35;21 Speaker 2 Links are in the description. 00;20;35;21 - 00;20;48;22 Speaker 1 And this wraps up another great episode. As always, we thank you for listening. If you have a story that you think should be included in this podcast, please contact us at our Public Affairs email address, which is listed in the description. 00;20;48;23 - 00;21;06;09 Speaker 2 Naval Information Warfare Center Atlantic, also known as dialog, is the East Coast branch of the Naval Information Warfare Systems Command within the Department of the Navy. We develop a range of technologies that provide state of the art capabilities to the United States military.