Foam insulation, tape, string and paper - that is all engineers in the Student Union needed to have a ball - or an egg - on Tuesday.
The UB Engineering Council held its fourth annual "Egg Drop" contest, open to all students, as part of National Engineers Week at UB. Forty-one people on 15 teams competed in the contest, which involved the construction of a device that could safely transport an egg from the third level of the Student Union to the ground floor, 36 feet below.
The egg's vehicle could be constructed only out of the foam insulation, tape, string and paper provided by the organizers. The designs ranged from parachutes to foam containers of various shapes and sizes.
"It helps to test your engineering ability, because you have all these constraints," said Dan Fenz, a senior civil engineering major and treasurer for UB's chapter of the American Society of Civil Engineers. "You have to be creative, but some science is involved, too."
Egg transport designs were judged on three criteria: weight (the lighter the better), how close the egg landed to the target area on the floor of the Student Union, and whether the egg remained intact.
Teams had four chances to drop their device and were allowed to modify the design between drops.
"Team Lightning," composed of National Society of Black Engineers members Terik Gaines, a senior mechanical engineering major, and Christopher Regent, a freshman mechanical and aerospace engineering major, captured first prize.
Team Lightning's egg transport weighed four grams and was shaped like a cup, with the egg nestled in a cushion of bubble wrap and sent down to the floor of the Union attached to a parachute.
According to Regent, who will also participate in Thursday's "Bot Wars," the egg broke on the first try, so the team made the parachute larger, which enabled the egg to safely reach the floor.
"It felt wonderful," Regent said. "It was good to know you can build something that is actually a winner."
"The Enginerds," made up of civil engineering majors Phil Mahar, a senior, Colleen O'Connell, a senior, and Chris George, a sophomore, employed a parachute and a foam container to float their egg to safety. The team came in second place.
"It could be improved. It can always be improved," Mahar said. 'That's what any engineer believes."
Some teams were less fortunate with their creations.
"That didn't even sound promising," said SA Engineering Clubs Coordinator James Ambrose, as Team Splat's egg, contained in a cone of paper and foam, hit the ground with a liquid crunching sound.
When Team C-Dogg's cone-shaped vehicle landed outside of the target area, Ambrose said, "The visual evidence is not good."
"I know what I need to do next time," said Jeff Carpenter, a senior civil engineering major and lone member of Team C-Dogg. "The egg was too far up the cone."
According to Ambrose, the egg drop contest has been gaining popularity. "It's such a fun event, because it's so competitive," he said. "It becomes more and more popular, and we get more and more sponsors each year."
This year, the egg drop contest, along with other National Engineering Week events, received a large financial donation from Rochester Microsystems President Mark Corio, a UB graduate.
Three more events are in store for UB as part of National Engineers Week. On Thursday, Feb. 20, from 11:30 a.m. to 2 p.m. in the Student Union lobby, the council will host "Bot Wars," followed by the "Food Tower Building Contest" on Friday, Feb. 21 from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m in the Student Union lobby. The week will conclude with the Engineers Ball from 7 p.m. to 12 a.m. at the Marriott Hotel in Amherst.
"This is one of the big events for SA and the engineering clubs," said SA Club Liaison Ryan McGowan.
Photo: Meredith Forrest Kulwicki
