By: Erin Butts, Kiara Jerez and Sandra Slattery

Photos by: Erin Butts, Kiara Jerez, Sandra Slattery and Brian Atkinson

With one week remaining in the I3 invention internship, the development groups are ramping up the invention process by producing working prototypes and testing the inventions for usability and potential issues.

The teams are testing different aspects of their invention designs and troubleshooting different issues that come up during production. Both teams got first-hand experience with problem-solving their designs, with Team One going as far as testing their theories on a professor's car and using a variable voltage power supply to test their design.

Team Two experienced a different setback, falling short of the amount of voltage and strength needed in the prototype. Initial estimates for the necessary amount of force their invention would need was higher than expected. Team Two retraced their steps back to Vons, a local grocery store, to retake measurements. The team is brainstorming a more durable material and mechanism to overcome the issue.

Students in the internship are learning a lot about teamwork and are enjoying the program. One of the interns, Candy Qu, shared: "I learned a lot of things that I did not understand before... As one of the students of this program, I feel very lucky to be able to participate in this program. I really like what we are doing now... [and] may continue to develop this product."

Engineering and Design: I3 Tests Prototypes