• Question: what is the best thing you've made

    Asked by Taylee2907 to Ted, S. S., Laura, Kevin, Ellen, Andrea on 1 Mar 2019. This question was also asked by mrG abbie.
    • Photo: Andrea Pacheco

      Andrea Pacheco answered on 1 Mar 2019:

      I build an earthquake alarm and currently in mu PhD. I made amazing thorax phantoms that mimic the optical properties and anatomy of the human body.

    • Photo: Laura Farina

      Laura Farina answered on 1 Mar 2019:

      A Microelectromagnet! A microscopic device made of rings that trap and move drops of liquids or fluids. Each ring had a diameter of 250 μm, less than half millimeter.

    • Photo: Kevin OBrien

      Kevin OBrien answered on 1 Mar 2019:

      While I didn’t design it, I was involved in the manufacture of deep-brain stimulation (DBS) devices that help people with Parkinson’s and tremor.
      It’s amazing the difference these devices make to the lives of users, giving them their independence back.

    • Photo: Ted Burke

      Ted Burke answered on 3 Mar 2019:

      It’s hard to pick one thing, but I think I’d choose an art/software project I worked on called Fraktalismus. It lets people create their own unique visual pattern (called a fractal) and print it out on a greeting card. I’ve been fascinated by fractals since I was a child and I still spend time writing computer programs to create new types of them.

      If I had to pick one thing in biomedical engineering, I’d choose an ultra low-cost (about €5) electronic circuit I designed to measure electrical signals from the human body. I use this design in class and in workshops to let people build their own system to measure “electrocardiogram” (ECG: the electrical signal from the heart) or “electromyogram” (EMG: the electrical signal from a muscle that’s contracting). When people see electrical signals from their own body using something they built themselves, they’re always interested!

    • Photo: Ellen Simmons

      Ellen Simmons answered on 4 Mar 2019:

      Using a lasercutter, I was able to cut out an outline of my cousin’s family (which I made using Photoshop) into a piece of wood. I put this in a frame and gave it to them for Christmas. It was quite easy, but a great way to make them something personal that they will treasure. Engineering skills have many uses outside of work – it’s much cheaper (and often nicer) to make your own gifts!

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