Inventors Face Off In OMSI's Da Vinci Challenge

Team invention ideas will be tested during the challenge.

Da Vinci's Vitruvian Man Courtesy: success.co.il

(PORTLAND, Ore.) - In celebration of Leonardo da Vinci, one of the greatest inventors the world has ever known, the Oregon Museum of Science and Industry (OMSI) has invited 16 teams of inventors, eight youth and eight adult, from around Oregon to put their minds to work and take part in the Da Vinci Challenge.

The Da Vinci Challenge teams have been tasked to build a modern adaptation of a da Vinci invention using a renewable energy source—air, water, solar, or human power.

The competing teams will demonstrate and test their inventions in front of the public and a panel of judges in an exciting, fun-filled, free event held at OMSI on April 4 from 10:00 a.m.-5:00 p.m.

"The development of abundant, cheap and clean energy has never been more critical to our global future," says Julia Novy-Hildesley, Executive Director of the Lemelson Foundation.

"OMSI's playful approach through the Da Vinci Challenge creates an opportunity for broader engagement around the serious need to channel invention for the creation of green energy technologies."

Team invention ideas to be tested during the challenge include; a solar-powered tank that shoots marshmallows, a solar-powered paddle boat, and a pedal-powered orthinopter (a type of flying machine).

To add to the fun, an OMSI-built large-scale ballista (a type of crossbow) will be launching projectiles hourly. Several smaller ballistae will also be set up where visitors can explore how different angles and tension impact the distance and trajectory of the projectiles as they aim for a variety of targets.

To expand on the Da Vinci Challenge themes of renewable energy and innovation, several organizations will be on site to showcase their projects.

The Oregon State University's (OSU) College of Engineering and O.H. Hinsdale Wave Research Laboratory will set up their 15-foot-long portable wave flume. Visitors will be able to use Lego's to build structures and test them in tsunami waves.

The Portland General Electric (PGE) Renewable Power Team will be on hand to provide visitors with information about renewable energy options. Other participating organizations include Tech Shop and the Micro-enterprise Inventors Program of Oregon (MIPO).

The Da Vinci Challenge is made possible by the generous support of The Lemelson Foundation, an organization dedicated to celebrating and supporting inventors and entrepreneurs.

Source: OMSI