The College of Engineering will hold its fifth annual Senior Capstone Innovation Day on Friday, May 4 from 9:00 a.m. to 11:45 a.m. at Lawlor Events Center. The showcase is open to students, faculty, staff and the general public to view projects and demonstrations from undergraduate seniors in all engineering departments.
The event will feature over 100 projects that were designed to provide solutions for real-life challenges. The students finish their final year at the ÍƼöÐÓ°ÉÔ´´ developing these class projects, including:
- Working on increasing the efficiency of lead production from the recycling process of lead-acid based automotive batteries so more batteries can be made using recycled lead.
- A Pedestrian Intent Recognition system that can accurately predict the future positions of pedestrians based on their joint rotations in real-time to increase safety in autonomous vehicles.
- Redesigning and rebuilding the taxiway at the Reno/Tahoe International Airport to improve safety and prevent collisions.
- A wearable high impact detection system to be used in a football helmet that can detect an occurred concussion and prevent further damage.
- A modified four-wheeled walker that uses a bi-folding system that doesn't sacrifice structural integrity, allowing it to be stored where comparable walkers can't be, and more easily transported regardless of vehicle size.
"Innovation Day is the culmination of our undergraduate seniors' hard work and an opportunity to display their inventive projects," said Indira Chatterjee, associate dean of the College of Engineering and professor of electrical and biomedical engineering. "Not only are their creations being seen by the students and staff of the University, this day provides an opportunity for those participating to meet industry representatives and showcase the creative and manual processes that have gone into their project."
Innovation Day also provides an opportunity for middle school and high school students from around Washoe county who are interested in pursuing engineering to speak to seniors about their time at the University and what kind of research they can undertake.
"We're having over 250 middle and high school students attending this year's event," Chatterjee said. "All of our degree programs will be represented so it's a great way to get the younger students excited about what they can do and the kind of choices they have in the College of Engineering."
Innovation Day is held at the Upper Concourse and Silver and Blue Rooms in Lawlor Events Center. Attendees may enter through the lower level ticket area. A full list of student projects is available on the Innovation Day website.
