From a bicycle-powered blender to a musical staircase, the University of Colorado at Boulder's Engineering Design Expo on Saturday, Dec. 5, will showcase dozens of student inventions ranging from the practical to the downright wacky.
A total of 78 student inventions will be demonstrated from noon to 3 p.m. at the Integrated Teaching and Learning Laboratory, located at Regent Drive and Colorado Avenue. The end-of-semester event is free and open to the public.
The semiannual demonstration will showcase the work of about 400 undergraduate students. Most of the students are enrolled in CU-Boulder's popular First-Year Engineering Projects course, which allows them to practice real-world engineering design from the beginning of their college experience.
Working in teams throughout the semester to design solutions to an array of challenges, engineering students have created projects including a mountain-climbing cart, a solar-powered model chairlift and a teddy bear with snap-apart joints.
Volunteers from industry, government and the community will serve as judges, rating each project on its originality, craftsmanship, understanding of engineering principles, presentation and effectiveness. An awards ceremony will be held at the end of the event. Members of the community can vote for their favorite project to win the coveted "People's Choice" award.
Free parking is available across the street from the ITL Laboratory in lot 436. For more information, call 303-492-7222.