FIRST LOOK
Battle Bots and Bottle Rockets
The “glitterbombs” attached to SWE’s robot are a club tradition; when popped, the balloons spray the arena with sparkle.
Where’s duct tape when you need it? Glittersaurus was built using a remote-controlled car protected by a wooden frame. Two wicked kitchen knives in front kept foes at bay—but they couldn’t keep the wheels on.
Each win went to the robot that stayed in one piece—or had the most successful moves. The UB Robotics team won this round, but SWE placed a respectable sixth overall for the week.
It must be National Engineers Week! For six days in February, students from UB engineering clubs performed feats of calculus and physics—including pumpkin-chucking and circuitbuilding—while thousands of students passing through the Student Union marveled at their handiwork. Leading up to the annual event, students burned the midnight oil to design, test and finally demo their creations, which included robotic warriors programmed for destruction, spacecraft built from Legos, and a weird pool of cornstarch and water that allowed the curious to hop barefoot across its liquidlike surface. Teams competed in engineering challenges throughout the week to earn the most “E points,” illustrating how an education in STEM (science, technology, engineering and math) fields can not only make a positive impact on the world, but also lead to a seriously fun career. Photograph by Douglas Levere
“E” is for Engineering: 16 teams competed this year, including one engineering fraternity, Theta Tau.
At At Buffalo Buffalo SPRING SPRING 2014 2014
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