Innovative and Inspirational Inventions on Display at Demo Day Event
Making life less challenging… that's what the seniors of Northern Illinois University's (NIU) College of Engineering and Engineering Technology (CEET) have been working on all year. From devices that alert drivers to approaching emergency vehicles to ensuring allergy patients always have their life-saving epinephrine injection handy, the 78 teams of engineering majors will demonstrate their innovative projects at Senior Design Demonstration Day on Friday, May 3 from 1 until 4 p.m. at the NIU Convocation Center. The event is open to the public and visitors of all ages are welcome.
"The Senior Design Program is the pinnacle learning experience in an engineering student's undergraduate education and represents the hallmark of success for seniors," said College of Engineering and Engineering Technology Dean Donald Peterson. "We encourage projects that create products that can be commercialized or put into practical use to improve an industrial process."
At the event, attendees can also get a closer look at the Supermileage vehicle that won first place in the Shell Eco-Marathon Americas competition at Sonoma Raceway in California. The Supermileage Team won first place in the Internal Combustion Engine Prototype category for its vehicle that can travel 1,525 miles on one gallon of gas.
For more information about the Senior Design Demonstration Day or the Supermileage vehicle, visit niu.edu/ceet.
Other highlights will include:
• Automatic Emergency Vehicle Detection Device - This device detects the sound of emergency sirens from ambulances, fire trucks, police vehicles, etc. and alerts the driver of the presence and general location of the approaching emergency vehicle.
• Gymnastic Robot That Learns - This robot is capable of doing gymnastic stunts. The robot will swing around by its own power and do flips and land on its feet.
• Redesign of the Personal Epinephrine Injection System - This is an Epipen, used by people with potentially life-threatening allergies who must carry epinephrine injectors (Epipen) with them at all times. The Epipen is part of a phone case and the medication is self-administered without a needle, using a pressurized puncture. Upon the release of the medication, it also sends a message to an emergency service.
• Smart Bag with Switchable Transparency Capability - This is a travel bag that is made with a transparent electronic plastic film that can change to a color using a smartphone app. It allows the traveler to make the bag transparent while going through security at the airport, and then change back to a colored bag as needed.
About NIU
Northern Illinois University is a student-centered, nationally recognized public research university, with expertise that benefits its region and spans the globe in a wide variety of fields, including the sciences, humanities, arts, business, engineering, education, health and law. Through its main campus in DeKalb, Illinois, and education centers for students and working professionals in Chicago, Hoffman Estates, Naperville, Oregon and Rockford, NIU offers more than 100 areas of study while serving a diverse and international student body.