Two student teams from George Fox University have advanced to the InventOR Collegiate Challenge bringing inventions that aid the independence of people who use walkers and wheel chairs and open up the world of microfluids.
They say that hindsight is 20/20, right? Well, George Fox's Team Hindsight has invented an adaptable mirror option for people in wheelchairs, walkers, and power chairs.
The team made up of four juniors studying computer science and engineering includes: Zac Barley, Jillian Ramos, Kiana Heitzman, and Drake Dawson.
"Our product addresses rear and lateral visibility issues that users of mobility devices face in their daily lives," said Drake Dawson. "The value of this product is that it increases the independence and safety of a people group that often goes unseen."
A second team from George Fox is thinking small to think big. Microfluidics is the study of fluids moving through channels that are less than a a millimeter wide. Microfludics are prevalent within the natural world — trees drawing in water through root systems, our veins sending blood to organs — and studying them can unlock important scientific discoveries.
That's where Team Access to Microfluidics comes in. This group of four juniors studying engineering and computer science includes David Bacher, Megan Dyer, Brandon Ikehara, and John Micah Vinkemulder.
The team's innovation is a cheaper and more efficient way to implement the study of microfludics into public middle and high schools.
Curious? Follow InventOR through the semifinal competition in May to the final competition in June to learn more about these inventions and many more!