April 21, 2016

MEDIA ADVISORY: Zero-energy home and zero-emission microbrewery designs part of Vanderbilt engineering school’s Design Day

A number of exciting projects are among the 74 design projects featured at the School of Engineering’s annual Design Day, including zero-energy home designs and a solar-powered desalination system.

Vanderbilt engineering students are playing a key role in Sterling Ranch, a sustainable community development a few miles south of Denver, Colorado. A number of their projects will be featured at the School of Engineering’s annual Design Day, including zero-energy home designs and a solar-powered desalination system.

Other projects include:

  • An ultrasound-based replacement for liver biopsies for detecting fibrosis; a slim, stylish hip protector to protect elderly from hip fractures; a device that provides light therapy to accelerate healing and reduce risk of infection of diabetic foot ulcers;
  • Design of a zero-emission, 100 million barrel per year microbrewery that can produce five varieties of beer year-round, as well as four seasonal and four-limited edition brews;
  • A utility robot that keeps track of the location of radio-tagged objects in a busy warehouse; an app that helps people moving to a new city locate compatible neighborhoods; an app that allows a group to build music playlists “democratically;”
  • A Baja off-road vehicle designed to be low cost, lightweight, safe, durable, easy to service and accommodating to different-sized drivers; a suborbital rocket with a “green” alternative spacecraft attitude control system.

These are just a few of the74 design projectsVanderbilt senior engineering students will be demonstrating on Design Day, April 25, from 4 to 6 p.m. in the Student Life Center on the Vanderbilt campus.

WHAT: Design Day (open to the public)

WHEN: Monday, April 25, 4 p.m. – 6 p.m.

WHERE: Student Life Center, Vanderbilt Campus