Heart surgery is the primary method for correcting congenital heart defects in newborns. A major risk of heart surgery is damage to specialized tissue of the conduction system, which generates and propagates electrical impulses necessary for the heart to pump blood throughout the body. Even through the trained eye of a surgeon, it is impossible […]
Author: Lassonde Staff
Engineers Invent Mechanical Leech
Mechanical engineering students Jessica Kuhlman, Scott Ho and Andy Thompson developed a mechanical leech to replace biological ones used in post-surgical tissue reattachment treatment. Addressing biological leech drawbacks, the cost-effective device reliably reduces blood pooling and pressure, precisely injects anti-coagulants into the therapy site, and eliminates the “ick” factor. The mechanical leech was named runner-up […]
DesignBuildBLUFF Builds Better Architects
A U program that pairs graduate students in architecture with Navajos that need new homes, DesignBuildBLUFF is doing much more than providing an educational experience. Not only do students design the homes and build them from the ground up in less than a year, they also learn how to adapt to new cultures and really […]
Save Your Bacon: Easing Health-Insurance Confusion
People ages 18 to 34 are statistically accident-prone, but many do not get insurance because the process is too confusing. A new mobile-device game called “Save Your Bacon” illustrates the need for health insurance by showing the costs of accidents for insured and uninsured victims. The game randomly selects from a variety of potential injuries. […]
PROTOCOL TRANSCENDENCE: ONE MONTH FROM CONCEPT TO APP STORE
The assignment was to develop an app to release on the Windows 8 app store in one month. Six students from the class took control and developed “Protocol: Transcendence.” U Entertainment Arts and Engineering graduate student Travis Turner said it is a non-violent stealth game for cell phones. “The player is a janitor drone working […]
STEPPETS: VIRTUAL PETS WITH REAL HEALTH BENEFITS
Can a game get you walking your pet, even if it’s a virtual pet? U MBA student and co-founder of StepPets, Tim Cooley, is developing a game where players compete with pets they earn by walking more and more each day. The players earn, raise and train their virtual pets in a fun and exciting […]
NITEOUT: AN APP TO IMPROVE YOUR NIGHTLIFE
It’s Friday night, and you need a break from classes and homework. Where will you find your friends? Now, there’s an app for that! NiteOut is a new, socially driven application. “This is a quick way to check the scene at local bars or at an event,” said Jeffrey Morelli, NiteOut cofounder. “Never again will […]
XCADATION: USING GAMES TO IMPROVE STUDENT BEHAVIOR
While only a paper prototype, a game being developed by U graduate students is already reducing bullying and increasing attendance in classes in a local elementary school. “One mother told us it used to be a struggle to get her kid to school on time, but after the game, he pushes her to get him […]
Ute Weather Forecasts for Community
Students are getting a first-hand look at what it takes to predict the weather in the Ute Weather program — and their work touches thousands of people every day. Their forecasts are broadcast by news agencies across the region, their tweets are seen by thousands, and they provide some of the most accurate forecasts for […]
TECHNICAL ARTIST: ISAAC KELLIS
Isaac Kellis is bringing his imagination to life as a technical art student at the U. “There is nothing more satisfying than seeing my art come to life in a way other people can both connect with and experience interactively,” he said. Pictured above: Models of a character project, an android named Anna.