Cornerstone Design projects tackle extreme disasters

A pair of lightweight chainsaw chaps for forest firefighters took the top prize at the Fall 2018 Cornerstone Design Final Competition on Dec. 5.

A total of 26 student teams from Introduction to Design (EDNS 151) exhibited their projects at the final competition, representing the top team from each class section.

Blaster Disaster Rescue Crew won first place and $1,000 for their innovative personal protective equipment for wildland firefighters. Team members were Hanna Fitzgerald, Benjamin Fuchs, Grae Patterson, Trevor Sharon and Eric Tyskiewicz.

Earning second place and $500 were the Defenders, for their remote improvised explosive device (IED) detector. Forming the team were Aaron Vega, Danella Bunavi, Jacob Chwialkowski and Shawn Chen.

Third place and $250 went to Dayl and the Mini Dales and their proposed flag launcher for avalanche safety. Team members were Samuel Barnes, Derick Carroll, Justin Hering, Daylee Hurlburt and Abigail Koesser.

Required for all Mines undergraduates, Intro to Design is a semester-long course whose centerpiece is an open-ended design problem that students must solve as part of a team effort.

This semester's challenge focused on extreme events - scenarios such as volcanic eruptions, coastal flooding triggered by melting ice caps, wildfire, imminent extreme food shortages or power outages. Teams were tasked with developing novel science and/or engineering solutions to improve or mitigate the impacts of such disasters while also demonstrating a compelling value proposition and broad impact.

CONTACT
Emilie Rusch, Public Information Specialist, Communications and Marketing | 303-273-3361 | erusch@mines.edu
Mark Ramirez, Managing Editor, Communications and Marketing | 303-273-3088 | ramirez@mines.edu