Undergrads research rapid prototyping at MSOE this summer
| Published: 08/14/2006 |
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A number of undergraduates from around the country were selected to participate in innovative research program at Milwaukee School of Engineering (MSOE) this summer. Funded by the National Science Foundation and MSOE's Rapid Prototyping Consortium, this intensive, 10-week program brought students and faculty together to work closely to solve a problem or find a new use for the technology known as rapid prototyping.
Rapid prototyping takes virtual designs from computer aided design software and transforms them into cross sections, still virtual, and then creates each cross section in physical space, one after the next, until the model is finished. MSOE's Rapid Prototyping Center labs can automatically construct the physical object. Although this technique has been used for many years by manufacturers to create fast prototypes - for example, a new engine part - the students investigated areas from biomedical engineering to architectural engineering applications.
Students then pursued research topics using library and Internet research, field trips to visit professionals, problem solved with advisors, teammates and other resources. They participated in poster sessions, group discussions, research documentation, attended at a Rapid Prototyping Consortium meeting, learned new software, made presentations, built models, designed and completed experiments and wrote research papers.
2006 Participants
Sommer Amundsen
Coon Rapids, Minn. Senior, Mechanical Engineering/Dance Hope College
Julie Blumreiter
Muskego, Wis. Junior, Mechanical Engineering Johns Hopkins University
Carrie Hall
Zion, Ill Junior, Engineering Science Bob Jones University
Brant Hubbard
York, Neb. Senior, Biological Systems Engineering U of Nebraska - Lincoln
Xavier Lange
Urbana, Ill. Senior, Computer Engineering Eastern Illinois University
Matt Ollayos
Wheaton, Ill. Junior, Computer Engineering MSOE
Casey Oware
Voorhees, N.J. Junior, Mechanical Engineering Rowan University
Jim Sracic
Johnstown, Penn Junior, Mechanical Engineering Virginia Polytechnic
Andrew Timm
DeKalb, Ill. Junior, Electrical Engineering/Technical Communication MSOE