What is Build18?
Build18 is an annual engineering festival held by the Electrical and Computer Engineering department at Carnegie Mellon University and run by students. Build18 was founded out of the belief that the ECE curriculum is too structured - there just isn't enough room for simply tinkering with electronics and making cool stuff. It's meant to give ECE students time to work on self-proposed, creative projects and to promote the fun and playful aspects of engineering. Build Week is scheduled for the first week of the Spring semester. All students of all majors are welcome to participate!
The Kickoff
The Kickoff event, occurring early in the Fall semester, marks the beginning of the new Build18 season. During the kickoff, new members and Build18 alumni discover what is planned for future events including tutorials and sponsor talks. We also cover submission of project proposals and highlight a few projects from previous years. Missed the kickoff this year? No worries, contact the officers to get a copy of the presentation.
Tutorials
Build18 offers a number of tutorials that allow builders to gather some useful new skills in the Fall leading up to build week. From learning the basics of Arduino to experimenting with PCB design, we have tutorials for students of any level of expertise! We also welcome any new tutorial ideas, so if you have any suggestions please let us know.
Build Week
Build Week is the main event of Build18. At this point the projects have been finalized, parts have been ordered, and all builders are back on campus for the Spring semester. A week of furious building and programming ensues. While you're working on your project in the labs or elsewhere, Build18 supporters may stop by and talk about your project ideas and implementation. Build18 officers will also be offering snacks and refreshments, along with helpful advice for when you just can't debug that one problem.
Presentations
After build week, presentations begin. All build teams can set up and present their project at a massive demonstration on campus, and sponsors, faculty, and interested students will all get a chance to see your awesome creation. In addition to the presentation, your project will also be displayed on the garage, inspiring future builders in their own projects.
