It’s time for our annual Creative Kick-Start program! This program, created by the Engineering Library and the Engineering Technology Center, enables students to develop their ideas into viable products. Funds are generously provided by the Engineering Technology Center.
All Engineering students (both undergraduate and graduate) can submit their ideas for the program. Up to 10 projects will be invited to participate in the program and will receive $500 in funding. This award may only be used in the Engineering Technology Center for materials, tools, and labor. Any funds that are unused will be returned to the program.
So how do you get started?
Think of a problem you want to solve. Do you want to improve the design of a tool you use a lot? Have a solution for the most annoying part of your day? The timeline for the program is approximately 3 months, so think big, but keep things in perspective.
Find a faculty or staff member to sign on to your project. All projects must have one.
Fill out the application (Due October 29th) and tell us a little bit about your project.
Wait to hear! Our Application Review Committee will evaluate your application and choose up to 10 projects.
Participants will take part in a workshop to help them get started and to receive their Creative Kick-Start RedBoxes. These boxes contain everything the participants need for the program, including timelines for reports, a contacts sheet for the supporting partners, and the funding card that they will use in the Engineering Electronics Shop and Machine Shop. Students will present their projects at the College of Engineering Annual Research Open House.
Applications are due October 29th, so start putting together your proposal now! Do you have an idea you want to submit? Visit the project homepage for more information and to see past participants. If you have any questions, reach out to the Engineering Library. Call us at 319-335-6047, text us at 319-250-2176, email us at lib-engineering@uiowa.edu, or just come in and ask.
We are pleased to announce the winners of this year’s Creative Kick-Start Program!
Kick-Start, a program which was developed by the Engineering Library and the Engineering Technology Centers, awards $500 to 10 projects which are submitted by engineering students. Undergrad and graduate students are eligible to submit proposals for prototyping a new project or finishing a current project. The funds for the Creative Kick-Start program have generously been provided by the Engineering Technology Centers.
Meet the winners!!
Carly Donahue, Akar Jani, Emma Rigby, Lindsey Mundt, and Nick Nielsen are working on a Hawkeye Head Holder, a device designed to help support a patient’s head during spinal surgery. The Next-Generation Stage Measurement at Ungauged Locations using IoT is being developed by Muhammed Yusuf Sermet. The team of Ben Rauenbuehler, Annice Najafi, Hunter Duncan, and Xiaoyyue Yu are developing the Attentive Scooper. The Attentive Scoooper is being developed as a tool to help children with disabilities learn to rely on their caregivers less when eating.
A Multi-functional Compartmentalized Product Analysis Reactor is being designed by Collin Sindt, Patrick Henkhaus, Mason Lyons, Dimitiri Gatzios, and Nathan Jarvey. Their proposal is to redesign a reactor used in research labs to address three issues: ease and speed of assembly, effectiveness of the seal, and cost effectiveness. Ethan Patterson, Nicholas Seliga, Quenton Boddie, Isabella Solaroli, and Robert Agnew have teamed up on the Sled-Pull Power Optimization for Athletes. The goal is design a device to measure the force an athlete creates during a pulling-sled exercise, the data will be analyzed to output the optimal training loads.
Victoria Black, Russell Martin, Bailey Rambo, and Roger Luo have proposed UCan, a design for a specific two-year-old child with Canavan’s disease. Their device will allow the child to safely explore the environment with independence with care-taker oversight. The XY-SEE Reading Table is being designed by Faith Meyer, Zoey Slettenhaugh, Lukas Brandner, Shawn Franken and Rachel Cavett. Their goal is to design a device which would fulfill a previously untapped space in central vision aids for patients with macular degeneration and other types of low vision conditions.
The Palate Pal is being designed for a specific seven-year-old with Arthrogryposis Multiplex Congenita, which would help her to achieve more independent eating. Hannah Drkulec, Jennifer Mount, Ally Carey, Taylor Deutsch, and Jason Zych are working on this project! Designing a device which will allow for a universal system for sample testing in electrochemistry research is the goal of Austin McKee, Jacob Fields, and Jonathan Koonce. Their design is called an Adaptive Electrode Assembly.Andrew Solsrud, Caleb Eichelberger, Sawyer Goetz, Mitchell Schaffer, and Alex Peebles are working on the Throat and Airway Simulator. The goal is to improve endoscopic laryngeal learning experiences among ENT residents by designing a device that is an affordable and realistic model for residents to practice with.
CONGRATULATIONS TO THE WINNERS AND THEIR INNOVATIVE PROJECTS AND PROPOSALS!!
Hey students! Are you interested in giving your idea, project, or invention a kick-start? Want to make that project a reality?
Don’t miss out! Today, Oct 25, 2019, 11:59 PM (CT) is your LAST chance to submit your idea for the
Creative Kick-Start Program!
The program is designed so engineering students (undergraduate and graduate) may request funding to pay for prototyping and/or finishing projects – using the services offered through ETC and the Library Creative Space. The Creative Kick-Start Program is a collaboration between The Engineering Library and the Engineering Technology Center (ETC).
There will be ten $500 awards!!How exciting is that!?
Since there will only be 10 awards, this is a competitive process!
Briefly, any graduate or undergraduate engineering student may apply for a Kick-Start award. You come up with an idea which can be completed in roughly 3 months, find a faculty or staff sponsor, complete an online application form, attend an in-person workshop (approximately an hour), hand in a progress report, and present your project in April!
There are a few requirements which include (but aren’t limited to) keeping receipts and a record of all expenses (a budget spreadsheet template will be be provided). A post-project survey of the Kick-Start program will also be required.
There are a few restrictions, one of which is you may not already be receiving funding for this project from any other source. There can only be one idea per submission and a student may only be the primary investigator on one Kick-Start per year. Students may be co-investigators on more than one project.
Check the Kick-Start webpage for all the information you need – and get your proposal submitted TODAY!!
The funds for this project are generously provided by the Engineering Technology Centers.
Application Review Committee is Kari Kozak (Head, Lichtenberger Engineering Library), Jeff Nock (Entrepreneur in Residence/Lecturer, John Pappajohn Entrepreneurial Center), and Spencer Stumpf (Inventions Manager, UI Research Foundation).
We look forward to seeing your projects and working with you to make them a reality!
Hey students! Are you interested in giving your idea, project, or invention a kick-start? Want to make that project a reality?
Registration is now open for the Kick-Start program! The Engineering Library and the Engineering Technology Center (ETC), are pleased to once again present the Creative Kick-Start program! Applications will be accepted through October 25th.
The program is designed so engineering students (undergraduate and graduate) may request funding to pay for prototyping and/or finishing projects – using the services offered through ETC and the Library Creative Space,
There will be ten $500 awards!!How exciting is that!?
Five 3D printers available in the Engineering Electronics Shop (EES)
Since there will only be 10 awards, this is a competitive process! Make sure you check the Kick-Start webpage to get complete details and get your application in soon!
Briefly, any graduate or undergraduate engineering student may apply for a Kick-Start award. You come up with an idea which can be completed in roughly 3 months, find a faculty or staff sponsor, complete an online application form, attend an in-person workshop (approximately an hour), hand in a progress report, and present your project in April!
There are a few requirements which include (but aren’t limited to) keeping receipts and a record of all expenses (a budget spreadsheet template will be be provided). A post-project survey of the Kick-Start program will also be required.
You are strongly encouraged to visit the Hanson Center for Technical Communication for assistance with writing your proposal before it is submitted. We also suggest you fill out a hackaday.io page and use it to post regular, substantial updates on the status of your project. Each update should include photos – of your project, notes or sketches – and text explaining your progress. Invite a university photographer to take photos while you are working on your project (contact info will be provided later).
There are a few restrictions, one of which is you may not already be receiving funding for this project from any other source. There can only be one idea per submission and a student may only be the primary investigator on one Kick-Start per year. Students may be co-investigators on more than one project. Be sure to check the Kick-Start webpage for more information.
So what else do you need to know?
Creative Kick-Start Innovation Kit!
The idea for the project is yours, and may be a finished product or a prototype. You maintain ownership of your idea and anything you build during the project. A team may work on the project together, but one student must be designated as the primary investigator. A primary investigator may be a co-investigator on another project.
You may keep any materials you purchase for your project, but tools purchased should be turned in to the Creative Space for use by future makers. Knowing what items must be returned can be a gray area, so please direct any questions about what should be returned to lib-engineering@uiowa.edu. The $500 award may only be used in ETC for materials, tools, and labor, etc. Any unused funds will revert back to the program and will go toward helping another future maker build their idea. There also are many tools in the Tool Library which are available to check out.
You are required to have a sponsor who will review the requirements of the Kick-Start program and review your application before it is submitted. The sponsorship officially ends with the presentation in April, but the sponsor and student(s) are free to continue to work on the project if they so choose.
Remember that ‘failure’ is part of the creative process. The important thing is you learn from these failures and therefore are better prepared for future projects. You will still be required to present your project in April – your presentation can deal with what went wrong, how it could be fixed, what you would do differently, and what you learned through the process. As Elon Musk said, “Failure is an option here. If things are not failing, you are not innovating enough.”
Ellis mitre band saw in the Engineering Machine shop (EMS).
There are so many resources to help you complete your project! Our Creative Space is a great place to begin! Two collaboration tables, each with a quad-screen monitor will help your team work together to imagine your project. There are 4 modeling stations with the high-powered software you need. 3D cameras, a 4400 Dell computer with a video card, Leap Motion controllers and an Oculus Rift virtual reality headset and controllers can help you manipulate your project in virtual reality (check the Tool Library resources!). ETC hasthe equipment you need to take your project from virtual reality to reality! EES provides circuit board fabrication, dye sublimation printing, PC board prototypes, laser cutting and etching and 3D printing (among other things!). There are also sheet metal tools, power hand tools, computer controlled machine tools (and more!) ETC staff are happy to answer questions and provide guidance!
The funds for this project are generously provided by the Engineering Technology Centers.
Application Review Committee is Kari Kozak (Head, Lichtenberger Engineering Library), Jeff Nock (Entrepreneur in Residence/Lecturer, John Pappajohn Entrepreneurial Center), and Spencer Stumpf (Inventions Manager, UI Research Foundation).
“Body Betty” created by Caroline Chelsvig & Emily Leibold“Root Canal Pal” Ethan Slater, Collin Zweifel, Annie Cahill, Shao Yang Zhang, & Nina VanDerZanden
Here are two of the groups which have received Kick-Start awards! You could be an award winner, too! Get your application in before Oct. 25th and start making your vision a reality!
We look forward to seeing your projects and working with you to make them a reality!
Hey students! Are you interested in giving your idea, project, or invention a kick-start? Want to make that project a reality?
Registration is now open for the Kick-Start program! The Engineering Library and the Engineering Technology Center (ETC), are pleased to once again present the Creative Kick-Start program! Applications will be accepted through October 25th.
The program is designed so engineering students (undergraduate and graduate) may request funding to pay for prototyping and/or finishing projects – using the services offered through ETC and the Library Creative Space,
There will be ten $500 awards!!How exciting is that!?
Five 3D printers available in the Engineering Electronics Shop (EES)
Since there will only be 10 awards, this is a competitive process! Make sure you check the Kick-Start webpage to get complete details and get your application in soon!
Briefly, any graduate or undergraduate engineering student may apply for a Kick-Start award. You come up with an idea which can be completed in roughly 3 months, find a faculty or staff sponsor, complete an online application form, attend an in-person workshop (approximately an hour), hand in a progress report, and present your project in April!
There are a few requirements which include (but aren’t limited to) keeping receipts and a record of all expenses (a budget spreadsheet template will be be provided). A post-project survey of the Kick-Start program will also be required.
You are strongly encouraged to visit the Hanson Center for Technical Communication for assistance with writing your proposal before it is submitted. We also suggest you fill out a hackaday.io page and use it to post regular, substantial updates on the status of your project. Each update should include photos – of your project, notes or sketches – and text explaining your progress. Invite a university photographer to take photos while you are working on your project (contact info will be provided later).
There are a few restrictions, one of which is you may not already be receiving funding for this project from any other source. There can only be one idea per submission and a student may only be the primary investigator on one Kick-Start per year. Students may be co-investigators on more than one project. Be sure to check the Kick-Start webpage for more information.
So what else do you need to know?
Creative Kick-Start Innovation Kit!
The idea for the project is yours, and may be a finished product or a prototype. You maintain ownership of your idea and anything you build during the project. A team may work on the project together, but one student must be designated as the primary investigator. A primary investigator may be a co-investigator on another project.
You may keep any materials you purchase for your project, but tools purchased should be turned in to the Creative Space for use by future makers. Knowing what items must be returned can be a gray area, so please direct any questions about what should be returned to lib-engineering@uiowa.edu. The $500 award may only be used in ETC for materials, tools, and labor, etc. Any unused funds will revert back to the program and will go toward helping another future maker build their idea. There also are many tools in the Tool Library which are available to check out.
You are required to have a sponsor who will review the requirements of the Kick-Start program and review your application before it is submitted. The sponsorship officially ends with the presentation in April, but the sponsor and student(s) are free to continue to work on the project if they so choose.
Remember that ‘failure’ is part of the creative process. The important thing is you learn from these failures and therefore are better prepared for future projects. You will still be required to present your project in April – your presentation can deal with what went wrong, how it could be fixed, what you would do differently, and what you learned through the process. As Elon Musk said, “Failure is an option here. If things are not failing, you are not innovating enough.”
Ellis mitre band saw in the Engineering Machine shop (ETC).
There are so many resources to help you complete your project! Our Creative Space is a great place to begin! Two collaboration tables, each with a quad-screen monitor will help your team work together to imagine your project. There are 4 modeling stations with the high-powered software you need. 3D cameras, a 4400 Dell computer with a video card, Leap Motion controllers and an Oculus Rift virtual reality headset and controllers can help you manipulate your project in virtual reality (check the Tool Library resources!). ETC hasthe equipment you need to take your project from virtual reality to reality! EES provides circuit board fabrication, dye sublimation printing, PC board prototypes, laser cutting and etching and 3D printing (among other things!). There are also sheet metal tools, power hand tools, computer controlled machine tools (and more!) ETC staff are happy to answer questions and provide guidance!
The funds for this project are generously provided by the Engineering Technology Centers.
Application Review Committee is Kari Kozak (Head, Lichtenberger Engineering Library), Jeff Nock (Entrepreneur in Residence/Lecturer, John Pappajohn Entrepreneurial Center), and Spencer Stumpf (Inventions Manager, UI Research Foundation).
“Body Betty” created by Caroline Chelsvig & Emily Leibold“Root Canal Pal” Ethan Slater, Collin Zweifel, Annie Cahill, Shao Yang Zhang, & Nina VanDerZanden
Here are two of the groups which have received Kick-Start awards! You could be an award winner, too! Get your application in before Oct. 25th and start making your vision a reality!
We look forward to seeing your projects and working with you to make them a reality!
The Creative Kick-Start program was developed by the Engineering Library & the Engineering Technology Centers to encourage engineering students (undergraduate and graduate) to explore and develop projects. Students submit proposals which are reviewed by the Application Review Committee. Up to 10 wining projects receive funding – $500 which must be used in the Engineering Electronic Shop & Machine Shop. The funds for these projects are generously provided by the Engineering Technology Centers.
The Kick-Start program encourages innovation and learning new skills, while acknowledging that failing – and learning from those failures – is an important part of the creative process!
Seven Kick-Start winners presented project posters at the College of Engineering Research Open House this year. We are very excited about the projects which were developed.
Adam Hoffman and Philip Abangan developed the “Asonus Tech” – an alerting device for the hearing-impaired. Their initial idea was to develop a small wearable device which would vibrate to alert the wearer to loud sounds in the environment (doorbells, fire alarms, etc.). Their project evolved into a smart-watch app rather than a stand alone product. Currently the app can be set to recognize some sounds, but due to limitations of available sound databases and limitations with computer processing power when performing analysis of sounds it creates some false positives. Hoffman and Abangan plan to continue to refine the app and eventually have it in the Google Play Store as an Alpha testing product. During the process they there were challenges – debugging code, for instance – but they learned more about coding, soldering and using a 3D printer. We look forward to seeing this app widely available!
Ashley Mathews‘ idea was to create the Kineta – a self-defense device which would shock attackers on contact. Her device is now in the circuit- and bread board- phase and now aimed at providing a buzzer and GPS signal as an alert system. Mathews had several challenges to overcome: design process (transforming from an electrical shocking glove to a GPS locating device), learning about liability and weapons on campus, prototyping issues – working with the Arduino mini and the other parts which have with different connectors and learning how to modify the parts so they could work together. During her project process she learned about coding, breadboarding, and circuitry. She found she enjoyed the process so much she changed her major to Electrical & Computer Engineering, with an emphasis on the hardware side. As she takes more classes and learns more she hopes to make the Kineta smaller and more user-friendly. She also would like to work with emergency responders to create a device that will work with their systems.
Body Betty is the brainchild of Caroline Chelsvig and Emily Leibold. The idea was to create a way to teach anatomy using a doll and an app. Their goal is to introduce young girls to STEM concepts. They planned to use a Raspberry Pi to house an RFID receiver and have a screen to display the app. The RFID would enable the user to tap the various parts of the doll to answer anatomy questions. However, the Raspberry Pi has too few pins to accommodate the screen and the RFID. Their HTML page worked perfectly! They plan to continue to refining the product. Neither Chelsvig nor Leibold have backgrounds in circuitry or programming or RFID technology so their biggest challenge was underestimating the time it would take to learn the new skills.
Greg Beaver and Walker Jarvie explored the science behind a jet engine by taking a car turbocharger and turning it into a jet engine. They were able to make the engine work for a few seconds at a time, but learned that once they removed compressed air the engine failed to intake enough air to continue the reaction. The challenges they encountered included the expense of the parts and the tools they had were limited. Safety was also a big concern. They did learn how modify a car turbo and properties of propane gas, but because of expense and safety concerns they won’t be moving forward on this project.
Olivia Laux, Kaylin Slinskey, Lucinda Williamson, Jared McClung, and Bryan Williams set out to produce a a way to reduce damage to an individual’s wheelchair during commercial travel, thus encouraging more confident and independent travel experiences from wheelchair users. They developed a collapsible crate which would marketed to airlines and which would protect the wheel chair during flight. The crate would be collapsed and stored until needed. During the design process that developed a 3D printed hinge because hinges which are commercially available and within their budget were too weak to meet their needs. Their biggest challenge was working within a budget. Materials and testing of the product were both expensive. This challenge taught them to manage their resources and to keep their ideas in line with available materials/funds, testing and manufacturing. They worked around some of these constraints (expensive of a wheelchair, for instance), they worked with a smaller box and wheelchair to do their testing.
The Root Canal Pal was created by Ethan Slater, Collin Zweifel, Annie Cahill, Shao Yang Zhang, and Nina VanDerZanden. Their goal was to create a device that will stimulate large nerve fibers in the facial area. It will mask the brain’s perception of pain and work in tandem with existing local anesthetic administration. They used the idea of the Buzzy® which uses vibrations to override pain from needles. Their device would stimulate the nerves where they connect in the jaw in order to override the pain during dental procedures. They developed a skin, fat, and bone analog to test the vibration and created a housing for the vibration device which attaches directly to the dentists’ safety glasses. The fact that this would be used in a medical office presented the challenge of sterilizing the device for repeated use. They also studied the best way to measure vibrations. This group is in conversation with faculty in the Dentistry College to determine usability and to receive input.
The Optimus Prone: Improved Shoulder Rehabilitation is the project James Cory, Jayme Waite, Dakota Streit, Cecily Calcopietro, and Isaak Moore have been developing. Their goal is to create a shoulder rehabilitation table which may be adjusted for differing body sizes. Therapists do several exercises with patients, however each therapist has their own way of doing them to work around body sizes and table limitations. The hope is that the adjustable table would standardize the exercises. A challenge they faced was the expensive in developing a table which would raise and lower. Fortunately an old dentist chair had been donated to one of the labs and the group was able to deconstruct that and use the mechanism in their table. They learned testing designs and protocols while working on their project. They have now finished the design phase and are waiting for parts to come in so they will be able to construct the table for the final presentation of their Senior Design Project.
Congratulations to these outstanding students and their amazing and innovative projects! Well done!
University of Iowa College of Engineering Research Open House
Thursday, April 11, 2019
Creative Kick-Start Award Winners to Present Posters!
Twenty-two Creative Kick-Start Award Winners will be presenting posters showcasing their award-winning inventions at the College of Engineering Research Open House on Thursday, April 11, 2019!
The Creative Kick-Start is a program developed by the Engineering Library & the Engineering Technology Centers for engineering students (undergraduate and graduate) to submit a proposal to receive funding for prototyping/finishing their projects using the services offered through the Creative Space, Engineering Electronic Shop & Machine Shop.
Presentations will beheld in the 2nd Floor Lobby of the Seamans Center.
Kick-Start Presentations from 10:00 to 11:00 a.m.
Adam Hoffman and Philip Abangan will be presenting their creation, Asonus Tech. The Asonus Tech is an alerting device which is designed to alert the user, via vibration, of important noises in the surrounding environment. It is a small, wearable device which will help those with hearing impairments be aware of doorbells, fire alarms, and other important sounds – including their name. Their project is sponsored by Lynn Allendorf.
Ashley Mathews designed a self-defense device, the Kineta. The Kineta is designed to shock attackers when they come into contact with the person wearing the device. It is designed to be worn as a wristband and uses voltage to deliver a shock to the perpetrator. Her project is sponsored by Dr. Gary Christensen.
Kick-Start Presentations from 12:00 to 1:00 p.m.
Greg Beaver and Walker Jarvie will present their Car Turbo Jet Engine. Their goal was to take a turbocharger from a car and turn it into a jet engine. This required fabricating a combustion chamber, flame tube and the necessary piping to connect the system. It also required designing and building an oil system, and a fuel system. This project is sponsored by Dr. Albert Ratner.
Body Betty is an interactive toy which uses a doll and a fun app to teach anatomy. It was created and designed by Caroline Chelsvig and Emily Leibold. The app quizzes the user on basic anatomy and physiology. Body Betty has different outfits each of which may be connected to the doll. The app and Body Betty may both be used on their own. This toy will be ideal for teaching young girls STEM concepts. This project is sponsored by Dr. Jennifer Flegel.
Kick-Start Presentations from 3:00 to 4:00 p.m.
Olivia Laux, Kaylin Slinskey, Lucinda Williamson, Jared McClung, and Bryan Williams developed the Air Chair. The goal is to produce a way to reduce damage to wheel chairs during commercial air travel. They created a shield which will have two hard sides which can fold down into tiles and put on the back of the chair. The sides would have a sturdy mesh and reinforcing rods used to interlock the hard portions of the shield to limit the effects of impressive forces. This group hopes their invention will encourage confident and independent travel experiences for those needing wheel chairs. Dr. Colleen Bringman is their sponsor.
The Root Canal Pal is a device created by Ethan Slater, Collin Zweifel, Annie Cahill, Shao Yang Zhang, and Nina VanDerZanden. Their idea is to create a device that will stimulate large nerve fibers in the facial area. It will mask the brain’s perception of pain and work in tandem with existing local anesthetic administration. It will utilize vibrational frequency to stimulate the larger nerves of the face to block out the pain perception of a dental procedure. Their project is sponsored by Dr. Colleen Bringman.
James Cory, Jayme Waite, Dakota Streit, Cecily Calcopietro, and Isaak Moore have devised Optimus Prone: Improved Shoulder Rehabilitation. Their goal is to create equipment and methods for proper, prone bilateral execution of prone Y’s, prone I’s, and prone T’s exercies for shoulder injury patients. Mike Shaffer is their sponsor.
Stop in to the Seamans Center 2nd Floor Lobby (in the new annex) and support all the students presenting posters at the Research Open House!
We are pleased to announce the winners of this year’s Creative Kick-Start Program!
Kick-Start, a program which was developed by the Engineering Library and the Engineering Technology Centers, awards $500 to 10 projects which are submitted by engineering students. Undergrad and graduate students are eligible to submit proposals for prototyping a new project or finishing a current project. The funds for the Creative Kick-Start program have generously been provided by the Engineering Technology Centers.
Twenty-seven students are involved in the 10 winning entries. Each project has to have a sponsor and this year there are 10 faculty/staff who are sponsoring projects.
Meet the winners!
Olivia Laux, Kaylin Slinskey, Lucinda Williamson, Jared McClung and Bryan Williams are working on an Air Chair. Their goal is to design a product which will reduce damage to wheelchairs during commercial air travel. The Asonus Tech (Alerting Device) is being developed by Adam Hoffman and Philip Abangan. Their small, wearable device will alert the user – via vibration – of important noises in the surrounding environment. Sounds would include doorbells, fire alarms, etc. Body Betty, an interactive toy designed to educate children about anatomy using a doll and a fun app, is the goal of Caroline Chelsvig and Emily Leibold.
The Car Turbo Jet Engine will be designed by Greg Beaver and Walker Jarvie – and will take a turbocharger from a car and turn it into a jet engine. A wearable self-defense device called the Kineta uses voltage to shock the perpetrator. It is being developed by Ashley Mathews.
Theodore Simmons and Miguel Camarena want to design A Lyapunov-Based Control System for Path-Following WIPs. Their design will be a novel control algorithm and electromechanical system for path-following wheeled inverted pendulum (WIP) robots.
James Cory, Jayme Waite, Dakota Striet, Cecily Calcopietro, and Isaak Moore will create the Optoshoulder – equipment and methods for proper, prone bilateral execution of prone Y’s, prone I’s, and prone T’s exercise for shoulder injury patients. The Patient Table is being designed by Elizabeth LeMar to create a table that can be placed on a hospital bed, allowing patients to have access to a table that moves with their bodies, making activities much easier.
Emma Tokuyama and Daniel Kelly will be working to create a Rocket Bike – a regular bicycle converted into an electric bicycle. The end result will be a fast, cheap, and environmentally friendly way for students to get around. The Root Canal Pal will be a device designed to stimulate large nerve fibers in the facial area. It will mask the brain’s perception of pain and work in tandem with existing local anesthetic administration. Ethan Slater, Colin Zwifel, Annie Cahill, Shao Yan Zhang, and Nina VanDerZanden will be working on this project.
Congratulations to these winners! We’re looking forward to watching these projects develop!
For more information about the Creative Kick-Start Program click here.
The application Review Committee members are Kari Kozak (Head, Lichtenberger Engineering Library), Jeff Nock (Entrepreneur in Residence/Lecturer, John Pappajohn Entrepreneurial Center), Spencer Stumpf (Inventions Manager, UI Research Foundation), and Danny Tang (Chief Technology Officer, College of Engineering).
Hey students! Are you interested in giving your idea, project, or invention a kick-start? Want to make that project a reality?
Registration is now open for the Kick-Start program! The Engineering Library, along with, the Engineering Electronic Shop (EES), Engineering Machine Shop (EMS), are pleased to once again present the Creative Kick-Start program! Applications will be accepted through October 26th.
The program is designed so engineering students (undergraduate and graduate) may request funding to pay for prototyping and/or finishing projects – using the services offered through EES, EMS, and the Library Creative Space,
There will be ten $500 awards!!How exciting is that!?
Five 3D printers available in the Engineering Electronics Shop (EES)
Since there will only be 10 awards, this is a competitive process! Make sure you check the Kick-Start webpage to get complete details and get your application in soon!
Briefly, any graduate or undergraduate engineering student may apply for a Kick-Start award. You come up with an idea, find a faculty or staff sponsor, complete an online application form, attend an in-person workshop (approximately an hour), and present your project in April!
There are a few requirements which include (but aren’t limited to) keeping receipts and a record of all expenses (a budget spreadsheet template will be be provided). A post-project survey of the Kick-Start program will also be required.
You are strongly encouraged to visit the Hanson Center for Technical Communication for assistance with writing your proposal before it is submitted. We also suggest you fill out a hackaday.io page and use it to post regular, substantial updates on the status of your project. Each update should include photos – of your project, notes or sketches – and text explaining your progress. Invite a university photographer to take photos while you are working on your project (contact info will be provided later).
There are a few restrictions, one of which is you may not already be receiving funding for this project from any other source. There can only be one idea per submission and a student may only be the primary investigator on one Kick-Start per year. Students may be co-investigators on more than one project. Be sure to check the Kick-Start webpage for more information.
So what else do you need to know?
Creative Kick-Start Innovation Kit!
The idea for the project is yours, and may be a finished product or a prototype. You maintain ownership of your idea and anything you build during the project. For inspiration check out United Nations Global Problems. A team may work on the project together, but one student must be designated as the primary investigator. A primary investigator may be a co-investigator on another project.
You may keep any materials you purchase for your project, but tools purchased should be returned to the Creative Space for use by future makers. There are many tools in the Tool Library which are available to check out. Knowing what items must be returned can be a gray area, so please direct any questions about what should be returned to lib-engineering@uiowa.edu. The $500 award may only be used in EES and EMS for materials, tools, and labor, etc. Any unused funds will revert back to the program and will go toward helping another future maker build their idea.
You are required to have a sponsor who will review the requirements of the Kick-Start program and review your application before it is submitted. The sponsorship officially ends with the presentation in April, but the sponsor and student are free to continue to work on the project if they so choose.
Remember that ‘failure’ is part of the creative process. The important thing is you learn from these failures and therefore are better prepared for future projects. You will still be required to present your project in April – your presentation can deal with what went wrong, how it could be fixed, what you would do differently, what you learned. As Elon Musk said, “Failure is an option here. If things are not failing, you are not innovating enough.”
Ellis mitre band saw in the Engineering Machine shop (EMS).
There are so many resources to help you complete your project! Our Creative Space is a great place to begin! Two collaboration tables, each with a quad-screen monitor will help your team work together to imagine your project. There are 4 modeling stations with the high-powered software you need. 3D cameras, a 4400 Dell computer with a video card, Leap Motion controllers and an Oculus Rift virtual reality headset and controllers can help you manipulate your project in virtual reality (check the Tool Library resources!). EES and EMS have the equipment you need to take your project from virtual reality to reality! EES provides circuit board fabrication, dye sublimation printing, PC board prototypes, laser cutting and etching and 3D printing (among other things!). EMS has sheet metal tools, power hand tools, computer controlled machine tools (among other things!) Staff in both EMS and EES are happy to answer questions and provide guidance!
The funds for this project are generously provided by the Engineering Technology Centers.
Application Review Committee is Kari Kozak (Head, Lichtenberger Engineering Library), Jeff Nock (Entrepreneur in Residence/Lecturer, John Pappajohn Entrepreneurial Center), Spencer Stumpf (Inventions Manager, UI Research Foundation), and Danny Tang (Chief Technology Officer, College of Engineering).
3D Modeling an Abdominal Aortic AneurysmPrecision Landing System for Autonomous Aircraft
Here are two of the groups who received Kick-Start awards last year! You could be an award winner, too! Get your application in before Oct. 20th and start making your vision a reality!
We look forward to seeing your projects and working with you to make them a reality!
Kick-Start is a program which was developed by the Engineering Library and the Engineering Technology Centers and it is now in its 2nd year! Engineering students – both undergrad and graduate – submit a proposal to receive funding for prototyping a new project or finishing a current project. Ten awards for $500 each were awarded. The funds for the Creative Kick-Start program have generously been provided by the Engineering Technology Centers.
Twenty-nine students are involved in the 10 winning entries this year. Each project has to have a sponsor and this year there are 8 faculty/staff who are sponsoring projects. The winning projects this year include an Acoustic Fire Suppression Device, The Bugle Chip, Convert Any Piano to a Player Piano, an Irrigation Control System, The KnowGlobe, a Metered Dose Sunscreen Device, Stable Eyes, The Talon Retractor, Terrestrial Satellite Acquisition and Tracking, and What’s Behind the Pink Ribbon: Tackling Truncal Lymphedema!
For more information about the Creative Kick-Start Program click here.
The application Review Committee members are Kari Kozak (Head, Lichtenberger Engineering Library), Jeff Nock (Entrepreneur in Residence/Lecturer, John Pappajohn Entrepreneurial Center), Spencer Stumpf (Inventions Manager, UI Research Foundation), and Danny Tang (Chief Technology Officer, College of Engineering).
