FSU Panama City electrical engineering, Science Discovery Center of Northwest Florida present new exhibit

Florida State University Panama City electrical engineering senior design students and faculty along with the Science & Discovery Center of Northwest Florida will present the museum’s recent installation of Bubble Bits, an interactive bubble exhibit,  at 11 a.m. Wednesday, May 21, in the main exhibit hall of the Center.

Each year, Florida State University Panama City’s electrical and computer engineering students are required to participate in a two-semester project that allows student groups to take what they have learned in the classroom and apply it to a real-world project. In the fall of 2012, it became mandatory for senior design projects to be mentored and sponsored by a private sector company, organization or individual. For electrical engineering seniors Stephanie Smith, Ethan Thomas, Javon Cook and Itay Dreymann, that meant teaming up with the Science & Discovery Center to create Bubble Bits.

Inspired by an online video, the team spent months developing hardware and software necessary to display bubble designs in a series of glass tubes. The project was mentored by Bill Porter and Daniel Cassidy from Naval Surface Warfare Center Panama City Division.

Porter suggested an exhibit at the Science & Discovery Center after seeing a similar project online.

“I saw the project and realized it would present a good balance of complexity for engineering students to solve during their senior design class and make for a good exhibit once completed,” Porter said.

After weighing the options, Smith, the group’s project manager, said the bubble exhibit was the clear winner.

“I didn’t want to be stuck with something I wasn’t inspired by,” she said.

Smith said she was eager to help the Science & Discovery Center after seeing the facility through her children’s eyes.

“I knew there was a need for more exhibits,” she said.

Electrical engineering instructor Dr. Geoffrey Brooks agreed.

“Along with other exhibits at the Science & Discovery Center, we all hope to inspire future scientists and engineers in a fun and interesting way,” he said.

For information about for FSU Panama City electrical and computer engineering, contact Dr. Jerome Barnes at wbarnes@pc.fsu.edu or (850) 770-2261, Dr. Geoffrey Brooks at, gbrooks@pc.fsu.edu or (850) 770-2247, or Dr. Clay Hughes at chughes@pc.fsu.edu or (850) 770-2254.

Special thanks to mentors Bill Porter and Dr. Dan Cassidy, NSWC-PCD, and Linda Macbeth, Science & Discovery Center of Northwest Florida.