Engineering Expo Stars Student Innovators

Story Posted: Tue, Apr 9, 2002

Did you know OSU students create product prototypes and build robots that can compete in a Triathalon?

Come see the very latest student creations at the Engineering Innovators? Expo hosted by OSU?s Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering (ECE). At the Expo, ECE undergraduates will vie for prizes in two main events: the Senior Design Project Competition and the TekBotsTM Triathalon.

Student challengers in the TekBot Triathlon will have an opportunity to complete a three-part competition. In phase 1, their robots? appearance will be judged in a beauty contest where their score will be based on the difficulty of their bodywork design, creativity and aesthetics. In the labyrinth (phase two of the Triathlon), their TekBots will have to out-maneuver contenders, racing towards the end of a maze the students have never seen. But the freestyle competition may be the most challenging part of the Triathlon, where each TekBot is required to demonstrate a unique innovation?scores are based on the innovations? functionality, ingenuity, and difficulty. Competition will be stiff as all OSU ECE undergraduates are eligible to enter the Triathlon.

But the fun doesn?t stop there. The ECE Senior Design Project Competition will feature 27 projects, 17 of which have industry sponsors?but only the top three projects will take home prizes. There?s quite an array of these engineering marvels designed by these OSU students to solve real-life problems. Here are just a few examples of the prototypes you can expect to see:

· Members of the PGE Home Hydro Project have designed a revamped eco-friendly hydro-electric turbine that could be used to help provide electricity for home-owners in remote areas.

· The Cypress USB Light Sensor System team uses an energy-saving mechanism that automatically dims electrical lighting to compensate for bright sunlight, maintaining a constant amount of room light.

· The Smart ID Tag team created ID cards that transmit their position, so you can easily track where anything with the tag (employees, equipment, etc.) is within a given area.

· Students have even developed a Smart Braking System that improves traction control and helps correct over-steering/under-steering problems for the SAE mini-Baja racecar.

This year Oregon high school participants in the FIRST (For Inspiration and Recognition of Science and Technology) will also have their robots on display. These high school student teams built their robots in just six weeks!

If you are interested in engineering or are just interested in technology, this is a must-see event. Plus there will also be tours of the department?s labs with OSU student experts on hand to answer questions.

Admission is free, so why not check out the Engineering Innovators? Expo? The event will be held at Owen Hall on the OSU Corvallis campus on Tuesday, May 7 from 2 to 5 pm. (For more information, contact the OSU Department of ECE at 541-737-3617 or click here.)

Come join us for an afternoon of student innovations!

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