Imagine the Impossible at Engineering Open House, March 89

“Imagine the Impossible” is the theme for 93rd annual Engineering Open House (EOH) on March 8-9. In addition to more than 250 exhibits ranging from concrete crushing to Newtonian fluid demonstrations, this year’s EOH offers a few special attractions including an elaborate dorm room fire demonstration by the Champaign Fire Department, a talk by Discovery Channel’s Dr. Phil Plait, the AMD Jerry Sanders Creative Design Competition, and a monster Tesla Coils Concert lighting up the Grainger Quad on Friday night!

All events and exhibits are free and open to the public. The annual showcase of student projects and engineering marvels runs from 9:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. on Friday, March 8, and from 9:00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m. on Saturday, March 9, on the Engineering Campus.

This two-day event, attracting approximately 20,000 visitors each year, is organized and run by students from the Engineering Council at Illinois. Both interactive and informative, the comprehensive list of exhibits will be a fun learning experience for the whole family. A free mobile phone app, created by Lextech Global Services especially for EOH, includes exhibit details, building information, maps, and more, can be downloaded from the EOH website.

Bert, the childlike robot, returns to once again to welcome you to the Beckman Institute’s Open House (405 N. Mathews, Urbana, north side of Engineering quad), will be held in conjunction with Engineering Open House, and will feature more than 30 exhibits highlighting the work taking place at one of the nation’s leading centers for interdisciplinary research. Along with Bert, you will find displays of amazing imaging techniques and fascinating explorations of the human mind, among many other exhibits. The Beckman Café will be open for meals, snacks and beverages.

On Friday, 30 high school teams will compete on Friday to see which team can build the most entertaining and wackiest Rube Goldberg machine that inflates a balloon then pops it. The Middle School Design Competition will also be held on the same day, for 6th-8th graders, to test their skills at solving engineering problems.

The AMD Jerry Sanders Creative Design Competition is a national robotics competition held during Engineering Open House. College robotics teams compete in a new game each year on a large course designed and constructed by the Jerry Sanders Design Competition committee. This year’s game features a game of collection played with Nerf balls. The contest lasts two days, includes prizes, and attracts engineering students from across the country, along with teams from Canada and Mexico in recent years. The AMD Jerry Sanders Creative Design Competition annually provides a fun atmosphere and outlet for creative minds. The public is invited to watch the contest live in Kenny Gym during EOH. Please visit http://jsdc.ec.illinois.edu for more details

Death From The Skies! Presentation
Dr. Phil Plait, host of the Discovery Channel’s Bad Universe and writer for the Slate Magazine, will talk about asteroid impacts, exploding stars, and black holes. Doors open at 6:30 p.m. for the free presentation at the Foellinger Auditorium. Because seating is limited, tickets are required for admission. The tickets will be given out every hour on the hour from 9:00 a.m.-4:00 p.m. on Friday at the EOH Visitors Welcome Center outside of Grainger Library.

Tesla Coil Concert - Bigger and Better than Last Year!
Following Plait’s presentation will be a giant Tesla Coil Concert at 9:00 p.m. on the North Patio of Engineering Hall. Be amazed with the amazing visuals of thousands of volts of electricity zapping through the air as the operator uses the bolts to recreate well-known musical tunes. The Tesla Coil Performance is a truly unique experience that you will be hard-pressed to find anywhere else, so be sure to mark down the date and time and show up early to find a great viewing spot. You won’t be disappointed!

For those interested in engineering education programs at Illinois, the College of Engineering will hold several Dean’s Sessions throughout the day where prospective students can talk to a dean and get answers to any queries they might have Engineering at Illinois (1320 Digital Computer Lab; Friday: 11 a.m., 1 p.m., 3 p.m. & Saturday, 11 a.m., 1 p.m.). There will also be an Engineering Department EXPO for those interested in finding out more about the various departments in the College of Engineering.

Parking is available and is free to the public. Directions for parking can be found on the EOH website. From the parking area, visitors can board a free shuttle that stops at the Visitor Center and the design contest locations, along with stops at ExplorACES and the College of Applied Health Sciences events on campus.
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Contact: Gloria Lin, director, Engineering Open House, College of Engineering, 217/244-3828.

Writer: Niket Patel, director of internal marketing, Engineering Open House, College of Engineering, 217/244-3828.

If you have any questions about the College of Engineering, or other story ideas, contact Rick Kubetz, editor, Engineering Communications Office, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, 217/244-7716.