Inventive Minds

Five innovative undergraduate engineering projects that aim to improve lives

By Silvia Cernea Clark

These inventions are a select few of the 69 projects that were shown in April’s annual engineering design showcase and competition coordinated by Rice’s Oshman Engineering Design Kitchen (OEDK). According to OEDK director Maria Oden, the facility this year supported the work of 900-plus students from more than 25 courses taught in departments all across Rice, including all nine departments of the Brown School of Engineering. The event, which was held April 13 at the Ion innovation hub in Houston’s Midtown, has been newly renamed from the George R. Brown Engineering Design Showcase to the Huff OEDK Engineering Design Showcase in honor of Harrell and Carolyn Huff, who have supported dozens of teams in the competition over the years. Industry and medical professionals, many of whom are Rice alumni, judged the projects and awarded a total of over $19,000 in cash prizes. See magazine.rice.edu/winners for the full list.