Students to show their latest creations in Toy Makers Fair

WEST LAFAYETTE, Ind. – Purdue University engineering students will display a bevy of new toy concepts on Thursday (April 30), from an amphibious vehicle to a soccer penalty shootout game.

The students, who are taking Karthik Ramani's computer-aided design course, have created a wide array of toys and will show them off during a Toy Makers Fair from 8:10 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. in Railside Station on the second floor of the Mechanical Engineering Building's Gatewood Wing.

"The aim is to inspire students to enjoy what they are learning and have fun while applying their skills in the creative process," said Ramani, the Donald W. Feddersen Professor of Mechanical Engineering. "This semester they are showing some impressive concepts."

Fourteen toys will be displayed during the event, which is open to the public.

Designs include:

* An AmphibiCar, a remote-control vehicle that is part boat and part car and capable of handling various terrains.

* A SpongeCar Racepants toy car that is powered by a small electric motor. It will consist of visible piston-cylinder assemblies that will help children visualize the physics behind most car engines.

* A Sea Wars-Crusaders of the Caribbean game designed around a pirates-versus-navy theme that mimics Pirates of the Caribbean movies to engage the imaginations of players.

* A toy that simulates the penalty shootouts in soccer games.

* A Boilermaker Xtra Xtra Special remote-control locomotive.

Teaching the course this semester is Min Liu, a visiting professor from Tsinghua University. 

Writer: Emil Venere, 765-494-4709, venere@purdue.edu

Source: Karthik Ramani, 765-494-5725, ramani@purdue.edu