September 2, 2003

Cutting-Edge Research Showcased At Engineering Labs Sept. 18

 

What do Idaho manufacturers designing new products, surgeons researching orthopaedic injuries, and athletes optimizing their training methods have in common? They may all benefit from two leading-edge research laboratories at the Boise State University College of Engineering — a recently expanded New Product Development Lab and the new Intermountain Orthopaedics Sports Medicine and Biomechanics Research Lab. Both labs will hold open houses, including live demonstrations of rapid prototyping and biomechanics research tools, on Thursday morning, Sept. 18. Members of the public, local business owners, medical specialists, athletes, students and anyone interested in product development or biomechanics are welcome to attend. At 9:30 a.m. in the New Product Development Lab (Room 413 of the Micron Engineering Center), College of Engineering dean Cheryl Schrader will unveil a new rapid prototyping system, made possible by a grant from the Economic Development Administration obtained with assistance from U.S. Sen. Mike Crapo. This technology enables manufacturers to create physical prototypes of product designs quickly, precisely and economically. Then at 10:15 a.m., Schrader will host the official opening of the Intermountain Orthopaedics Sports Medicine and Biomechanics Research Lab (Room 105 of the Micron Engineering Center.) Funded in part by Intermountain Orthopaedics, the lab is part of Boise State’s new interdisciplinary Center for Orthopaedic and Biomechanics Research, approved by the State Board of Education in June. “The state-of-the art labs will not only boost new product opportunities for manufacturers and provide technical assistance for medical researchers, but they will also equip Boise State engineering students with invaluable learning tools,” said mechanical engineering professor Steve Tennyson. Both labs will remain open until noon so visitors can learn more about the technologies and services the labs will provide. The Micron Engineering Center (MEC) is located behind the Engineering Technology Building on University Drive between Euclid and Manitou avenues. Enter the MEC from the doorway on Manitou. Free parking will be available in the Student Union Visitor Parking Lot. Visitors should mention the open house to the parking attendant. For more information about the open houses, call the College of Engineering office at 208 426-1153. More about the labs: New Product Development Lab Manufacturers, entrepreneurs, students and faculty will benefit from the services offered by a product development team, represented by a partnership between Boise State University and TechHelp, Idaho’s manufacturing extension center. Product development assistance includes design and prototyping as well as market identification, product readiness evaluation and marketplace reaction.   The new rapid prototyping equipment will further enable the laboratory, which opened three years ago, to assist manufacturers with rapid development and successful introduction of new products. The lab is equipped with five engineering workstations and two rapid prototyping systems, fused deposition modeling (FDM) and stereolithography (SLA). For information about TechHelp’s programs, contact Steve Hatten at 208 426-2812 or visit http://techhelp.org. Sports Medicine and Biomechanics Research Lab Part of the new Center for Orthopaedic and Biomechanics Research, this laboratory is equipped with the latest in medical imaging and motion capture technology.  Using the same technology utilized by video games makers and animators, the lab is equipped to capture and record human movements at 250 frames per second and over one megapixel per image. Other lab equipment includes two floor-mounted force transducers, a telemetric system for monitoring muscle activity, and a portable testing system for measuring an athlete’s aerobic capacities and training intensity. “The Biomechanics Research Lab will provide performance assessment of athletes and educational outreach programs for clinicians and coaches in addition to cutting-edge biomedical research,” said co-director Michelle Sabick, a Boise State mechanical engineering professor. “Local surgeons have partnered with laboratory researchers to study gait abnormalities, mechanisms of sports injuries in youth athletes, and applications of medical imaging technology.” The interdisciplinary lab, co-directed by Sabick and kinesiology professor Ron Pfeiffer, includes faculty researchers from the engineering college and the kinesiology, respiratory therapy, radiologic sciences and biology departments, along with local surgeons. -30- Rapid prototyping contacts Joe Guarino 208 426-3042 Steve Tennyson 208 426-4422 Biomechanics Lab contacts Ron Pfeiffer 208 426-3709 Michelle Sabick 208 426-5653 TechHelp contact Steve Hatten 208 426-2182 Media contact Pat Pyke communications and marketing 208 426-1987