Announcing the CEPS Photo Contest Winners
We are happy to announce the winners of the Fall 2018 CEPS Photo Contest! First prize went to Nick Vanstone, a biological engineering Lab Technician, for his photo titled “Biomimicry in Engineering.” Second prize went to Engineering Prof. John Donald for his photo titled “Teddy Bear Wheelchair.” Thank you to all who participated.
Biomimicry in Engineering
Nick was interested in taking photos of insects using a scanning electron microscope—a technique that enables researchers to produce magnified images of a sample at high resolution. Engineers can use this technique to visualize microscopic features in samples, including in insects such as moths (pictured above), as the first step towards mimicking those features in new technologies. For example, being able to mimic the anti-glare properties of a moth’s eye could be useful for improving the light-absorbing properties of solar panels, thereby improving their efficiency in converting sunlight to energy.
Teddy Bear Wheelchair
A first-year engineering student (pictured below) is working on their design project, to be showcased on Science and Engineering Sunday. As part of this event, multidisciplinary teams of students are tasked with building a teddy bear wheelchair. Mass, aesthetics, carbon emissions, and safety codes must be considered. In the 2018 challenge, the teams’ teddy bear wheelchairs competed in a “soccer match” by performing in a speed challenge and a free-kick event. This design project provides an opportunity for students to learn about teamwork and collaboration through hands-on experience.
