Published: April 17, 2008

Student-built devices ranging from a prosthetic hand to a single-passenger hover craft will be among more than 80 student inventions showcased at the University of Colorado at Boulder's Engineering Design Expo on Saturday, April 26.

The event, which is free and open to the public, will start at 12:30 p.m. and run to 3 p.m. at the Integrated Teaching and Learning Laboratory in the engineering center along Regent Drive, south of Colorado Avenue.

The Expo is a popular educational event for families and will showcase the work of about 400 CU students, including first-year and senior engineering students at CU-Boulder, local high school students and students at Colorado Mountain College.

This year's first-year engineering student projects include several Rube Goldberg contraptions, which perform simple tasks in complex ways, such as making breakfast, putting a stamp on a letter or feeding fish.

Other first-year projects include interactive educational exhibits, assistive technology for people with disabilities and appropriate technological devices for the developing world. Senior design projects in aerospace engineering, computer science and mechanical engineering also will be demonstrated.

Volunteers from industry, government and the community will serve as judges, rating each project on its originality, craftsmanship, grasp of engineering principles, effectiveness and presentation. An awards ceremony will be held at 3 p.m., and prizes will be given to the best project in each category.

Attendees can vote for their favorite project to win the "People's Choice" award.

Free parking is available across the street in Lot 436. For more information, call 303-492-7222 or go to the Web site at itll.colorado.edu.