Grainger Engineering Weekend

Chenfang, Ophelia and Paul at the BAM lab stand
Our students made that size and breadth obvious, too. They took over Grange Grove for the day ahead of the football game and turned it into “Grainger Grove.” Students hosted more than 20 EOH-style booths and demos, showing off much of what the college has to offer. We had thousands of visitors come through—including local K-12 students and teachers, Scout troops from throughout central Illinois, fans, donors, alumni, friends, and families. https://bit.ly/2owi8HV
Paper 2 Tree Outreach Event

Professor Wissa and Graduate Student Kim Gustafson presenting the ornithopter.
The BAM lab participated to the Paper 2 Tree kickoff outreach event at the Booker T. Washington STEM Academy in Champaign, IL. Professor Wissa and graduate students presented the lab’s ornithopter. Students were introduced to bio-inspired design and were able to design and built gliders.
To learn more about the Paper 2 Tree initiative: https://paper2tree.org/

Students designing and building gliders.
Next Generation School Outreach
The BAM lab along with the Applied Dynamics Laboratory and the Kinematics Material research lab participated to at the Next Generation School Robotics Outreach event in Champaign, IL. Professor Wissa and graduate students presented the ornithopter and the crawling robot. Students were able to get hands on the two robots proving them with an introduction into the world of bio-inspired robotics.

Professor Wissa and Graduate Student Chenfang Duan flapping the ornithopter while a student holds the robotic bird about to take-off.
Girls Building Awesome Machines Outreach Event
The BAM Lab is proud to have hosted an outreach event as part of the Girls Building Awesome Machines (GBAM) camp.

Group photo of all the campers with Prof. Wissa and Graduate Student Boris Mandazhiev

Camper excitedly holding the ornithopter

Students designing and building their own glider

Prof. Wissa checking out the gliders and offering advice

More students planning out their glider wing design

Students are starting to finish up

Putting some final touches on the gliders before flight testing

Students showing off a completed glider

Students showing off unique wing design

Launching station where students had lots of fun seeing how far their glider would go