Carlson Introduces 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.