ASU’s next generation of problem-solvers all met to exhibit their research projects and solutions during Innovation Showcase Thursday on the Polytechnic campus.
The College of Technology & Innovation hosts Innovation Showcase every semester. It is an immense exhibition of student-produced projects demonstrating how they solve real-world problems. Students collaborated with industry partners around the world to create solutions to meet societal needs.
Megan Workmon, Student Engagement specialist for the College of Technology & Innovation, co-sponsored the event. She said this is the largest exhibit since it first started.
“Last year we had 170 projects,” she said. “This year we have 620.”
The exhibits were displayed at the Sun Devil Fitness Complex and divided into different sections by famous inventors.
Leonardo Da Vinci, Nikola Tesla, The Wright Brothers, Thomas Edison, Grace Hopper, Steve Jobs and Albert Einstein all represented different sections of the exhibition.
Workmon said it went by chronological order.
“It starts with Leonardo Da Vinci representing the high school projects to Grace Hopper representing the graduate student projects,” she said.
Innovation Showcase give students the opportunity to demonstrate their research to future employers.
“This is really good for their futures and careers,” Workmon said. “Employers will come and talk to students.”
Mechanical engineering junior Sam Frommer and his team worked on a device called the Bi-axial Scissor Jack.
“The idea was to develop a device with the ability to move military vehicles,” Frommer said.
The device uses four lead screws, one left-hand thread and three right-hand threads. The threads are connected by a solid shaft and make up the main drive axis. Two axes intersect in the center of the jack and a torque transmits auxiliary axis by a differential gear box.
When the torque is applied to the device, the nut housings are pulled to the center of the jack and each thread is backed out. This inclination causes a lifting force.
Campo Verde High School seniors Mckenna Hallaran and Taylor Lawder displayed their senior capstone project at the event. They are both part of their high school’s biomedical science program.
Their project was called Pediatric IV Arm Assistant. The idea of their invention was to create a comfortable device for children to put their arms while doctors and nurses administer and IV.
“During surgery, the patients arm needs to be in a position that does not conflict with the operation,” Hallaran said. “The purpose of it is to improve the environment of pediatric surgery in the operating room.”
Electrical engineering sophomore Praveen Sinha and his team invented a solar dryer with the purpose of preserving food.
“We built it for the mountain communities in Peru,” he said. “A major cause of starvation in Peru is food spoilage so we tried to find a way to preserve food without electricity as that is something we wouldn’t have easy access to in that area.”
The Solar Dryer uses a ramp of solar panels allowing the sun to absorb water vapor from crops.
“It works,” he said. “Our plan is to send it to Peru, (and) I believe we’ve made a good effort.”
Reach the reporter at kgrega@asu.edu or follow her on twitter @kelciegrega
