Beyond Imagination at the University of Illinois

"Beyond Imagination" at the University of Illinois.

Sounds a little bit like Burning Man on the prairie. But in actuality, this is the University of Illinois Engineering Open House and may be the largest such event of its kind. The annual event will take place this Friday and Saturday (March 10 and 11)

The purpose is to showcase the research advancements of the University of Illinois College of Engineering. This event features student project exhibits, faculty lab exhibits, robotics competitions and grade/high school engineering competitions.

From the UI website:

86th Engineering Open House is "Beyond Imagination"

Wild and wacky Rube Goldberg machines, “robot wars,” and more than 160 fun-filled exhibits await visitors to the 86th annual Engineering Open House (EOH) at the University of Illinois.

“The theme of this year’s open house is ‘Beyond Imagination’,” explained Doug Johnson, director of the 2006 Engineering Open House. “We are expecting well over 10,000 visitors, who will experience the myriad of engineering marvels and mysteries in this ever-changing world. This is a chance for the engineers here to show off what they do during their spare time. EOH is a great forum for teaching a broad variety of audiences about how engineering affects their lives.”

The event, organized by students in the Engineering Council at Illinois, will take place from 9:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. on Friday, March 10, and from 9:00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m. on Saturday, March 11.

“This is a completely free event and no registration is required."

I see from the web site that activities and events range from Tube Climbing Robots, to Tank Wars, to a Vacuum Cannon, to a Quiz Bowl, to an exhibit on career opportunities in Agricultural Engineering, and on and on. Great looking stuff! I wish I could drive to Champaign for the event, but this weekend is busy, so maybe next year.

If anyone attends this PLEASE comment or email me an event report - who, what, why, impressions, feelings, etc. ALSO, if anyone knows of a similar event at a different institution, please send info directly to me or by commenting. Thanks!