What?! Engineering is Cool?!

Engineering has a lot of stereotypes: nerdy, difficult, heart-wrenching.  But what about that it is just plain cool?!  There are so many new innovations and ideas in the world today that you can’t help but stop and think “wow, that is amazing!”  Then you stop and think that the engineer who designed that cool thing started out just like you.  So why can’t you?!

Sometimes I get lost in all of my responsibilities and need to take a step back to see the big picture. Engineering is amazingly cool, and I have an opportunity to do or make something great as well.

So, what are some examples of cool innovations that are up and coming?  No need to ask me twice!  Recently, I learned about a new technology that basically uses bass (as in sound waves!) to put out fires.  Two college engineering students came up with this idea for their senior project.  After doing some of their own research, they found that this idea might just be a winner.  So, they created a clamp-typed bass generator, and they have been killing fires successfully ever since then.

When I think of technology of the future, I think of holograms.  Well, this new idea is just that.  Some people have a hard time typing on the small keyboards on iPads or cellphones.  Someone saw that need and had the genius idea of creating a portable keyboard.  But, this isn’t just any keyboard – it’s a hologram of a keyboard.  It works by connecting through BlueTooth then you can type wherever or on whatever surface you’d like.

Another awesome invention is the Foodini.  We’ve all heard about 3D printers that are rising in popularity, and this one spin-off of 3D printing is one I’d love to use.  Essentially, the Foodini prints food.  It can make you breakfast, dessert, and anything in between.  So when you’ve had a long finals week or a difficult day at work, you can connect to wireless and tell your Foodini to start cooking a delicious dinner.  It’ll make you eat a bit healthier, too, by using all fresh ingredients that you put into the machine yourself.

As you can see, there are some great ideas and innovations that come from people just like you and me.  There are so many awesome ones out in the world, and I am sure you can think of a few on your own.  So, if you ever get to the point where you are losing direction, just remind yourself of how cool engineering actually is and all the amazing things you can do with it!

Aleksa Susinskas is a junior majoring in Civil Engineering, and is a Mentor for WEPO'15!