Family STEM Night: Bioengineering

Bioengineering (BIOE) Week!

How can we use technology to solve medical problems? Bioengineers work every day to answer that big question. Whether it be engineering life-saving vaccines, building machines like MRIs, or writing code to analyze the human genome, the main goal bioengineers have is to use their skills to help patients. This week, you get to jump in and help!

Your goal will be to build a robotic gripper – the first step towards creating a robotic hand. During the Friday showcase, join us for a special guest presentation by Psyonic, a company that has designed a touch-sensitive prosthetic arm! Bring along your design to show off what you’ve made, and to enter our weekly raffle.

IMAGINE STEM Family Activities

1.  Design Challenge: Robotic Gripper! 
   • Step 1: WATCH a Step-by-Step challenge tutorial (video)
   • Step 2: WATCH The Science and Engineering Behind the Challenge (video)
   • Step 3: DESIGN using the Design Challenge Handout (included in your kit) to guide your design
2. Learn more  about biomedical engineers!
   • Think that bioengineers can only work in the hospital? Check out the awesome NASA bioscience department, where bioengineers help astronauts grow food, fight disease, and stay safe in space!
   • Grainger Bioengineering has made incredible contributions to healthcare technology over the years. Learn more about this exciting, interdisciplinary field here.
   • At-home health monitoring is super important for early diagnosis and for home-bound patients. UIUC alumni Todd Coleman is the inventor of biosensors as thin as skin that address that need. Watch a short video about his work here!

Schedule

Monday-Thursday: Work through the activities above

Tuesday 5:30-7:00pm: IMAGINE Office Hours: Join this session at any time to ask questions about this week’s activities, to have a block of time to work on your designs in the company of others, or to visit informally with University of Illinois engineering students. Zoom link is below.

Friday Showcase 6:00-7:00pm During this hour, we will share our designs and discuss the week’s events, guest presentations, and a raffle to celebrate the week of Family STEM time. Zoom link is below.

Return to the IMAGINE Family STEM Nights Homepage to see the monthly calendar.

Friday Showcase Zoom Recording