At the Innovation Center, one of our primary goals is to support innovative and interdisciplinary work across the university. This semester, we had the opportunity to assist Dr. Caro from the Biology Department with a research project investigating ant population behaviors. This study required multiple cylindrical arenas to house the ants – open at the top to enable video monitoring – so we quickly designed and 3D printed an initial version of the structure. From there, we engaged in a productive dialog as new design requirements emerged, demonstrating why rapid prototyping is such a powerful tool in scientific research.

To streamline the process of transferring ants from test tubes into the arenas, the research team requested cylindrical, side-mounted sleeves to securely hold the tubes in place, which we designed and added. Later, when the team determined that the arenas needed to match the diameter of a specific set of clear lids required for their video-based analysis, we resized and reprinted the models to their precise specifications. Once the design was finalized, we produced dozens of identical units to support repeated trials and ensure statistical significance in their observations.

What makes this collaboration exciting is the blend of biology, technology, and hands-on prototyping – exactly the kind of interdisciplinary work we strive to inspire, support, and showcase. We’re enthusiastic about supporting innovative endeavors, and we look forward to helping the community with future projects whenever we can.