Issue link: http://uwashington.uberflip.com/i/193116
ENGINEERING DISCOVERY DAYS AT THE UNIVERSITY OF WASHINGTON he University of Washington College of Engineering held its annual Engineering Discovery Days April 26-27, 2013. Engineering Discovery Days draws thousands of students from the region's elementary, middle, and high schools. These visitors explore exhibits and demonstrations that showcase the work and research done by UW engineering students. This year, PacTrans co-sponsored several events with the Smart Transportation Applications & Research (STAR) Lab and the Human Factors & Statistical Modeling (HFSM) Lab. These events included "How Traffic Signals Work," "Traffic Simulation Software," and "Driven to Distraction." UW doctoral student Jonathan Corey explains traffic signals to area schoolchildren Visiting area schoolchildren learning all about the world of engineering. LEGO LEAGUE: UW GRAD STUDENTS REACH OUT TO FUTURE ENGINEERS FIRST LEGO League is a robotics program for 9- to 16-year olds, who work in teams to develop innovative solutions to problems. One team, the Robo Brick Builders, wanted to implement a system to allow elderly and disabled pedestrians to receive additional time to cross the street at signalized intersections. They contacted students from the University of Washington's Smart Transportation Application and Research Lab (STAR Lab) for input into how such a system could be implemented in practice. STAR Lab graduate students Jonathan Corey and Yegor Malinovsky, assisted by Harold Wirch, a retired signal engineer from Snohomish County, listened to the team's proposal and offered advice regarding signal operations and optimization methods. Robo Brick Builders implemented the advice and topped 46 teams to win the most innovative project award at the FIRST LEGO League challenge at Bellevue College on December 9, 2012. The Robo Brick Builders — Engineers of Tomorrow 2012-2013 Annual Report 29