Photo: Caleb Cochran
At Wentworth, even freshmen have the chance to work with industry—right from the get-go.
In last spring’s Introduction to Engineering Design course, first-year students worked together to tackle a challenge from Dr. Sang-Eun Song, a surgical robotics expert at Brigham and Women’s Hospital: Come up with a simple engineering solution to address the issue of patient discomfort during protracted surgeries and MRI testing.
The goal was to create an industry-like environment that would help each student engage in a creative process and in teamwork.
The result was much more. Using machinery in Wentworth’s Manufacturing Center, the students—Electrical Engineering majors David Ahn, Timothy Bouchard, Griffin Kirby, and Joey Petruzziello and Electromechanical Engineering major Brett Powers—developed a prototype for a maneuverable leg rest that they tested at the hospital in April.
“The real-world atmosphere gave our group a feel for how it is in the industry, and how demanding it can be,” says Bouchard. “It has been a great opportunity to collaborate with Brigham and Women’s Hospital.”
The feeling is mutual. Song said he was impressed with Wentworth students, who possessed a unique skill set combination as creative engineers with manufacturing skills.
“The collaboration with Wentworth was perfect,” Song says. “This is only the start.”
–Kimberly Thorpe
