Eben Bayer ’07 and Gavin McIntyre ’07 with Greensulate™
	Other inventions taking shape at Rensselaer have potentially revolutionary applications that include... Realizing artificial intelligence through “Eddie,” a virtual character in “Second Life” with the reasoning abilities of a 4-year-old child. Drastically reducing animal testing with the development of a biochip that can be used in the chemical, cosmetic, and pharmaceutical industries. Saving burn victims with fast-growing skin cells resulting from research experiments at our Center for Biotechnology and Interdisciplinary Studies.
	BusinessWeek described Rensselaer as
	“one of the most forward-thinking design schools in the world.”

Creative Sparks. Revolutionary Impact.

Rensselaer is a kind of cauldron – a place where incredibly talented people join together, put their ideas into the pot, and see what bubbles up.

Nanoglue, a substance that bonds materials with unprecedented strength. The paper battery, an ultra-thin, incredibly flexible device designed for the energy storage requirements of the future. A man-made material – the darkest ever made – that absorbs more than 99.9 percent of light. Nanotube brushes with bristles more than a thousand times finer than a human hair.

Useful Applications

From advances in microscopic materials to innovations in computational finance, Rensselaer students and faculty are encouraged to invent useful applications for their ideas and discoveries. The examples cited above join the ranks of some of the most groundbreaking inventions in human history – from television to the microprocessor – which are all the work of Rensselaer graduates.

Student Inventors

Students in Rensselaer’s Design, Innovation, and Society program help to create products, services, and media to address the societal and environmental concerns of the 21st century. Some of their recent inventions have garnered international attention. Eben Bayer ’07 and Gavin McIntyre ’07 founded Ecovative Design, which manufactures Greensulate, a low-cost, biodegradable form of organic insulation.

Another team of Rensselaer students developed a foot-scanning technology designed to help people with diabetes avoid foot disorders. Jennifer Ash ’08, a graduate of our Games and Simulation Arts and Sciences program, led an interdisciplinary student team to create an interactive game simulation to help individuals with disabilities develop life skills.

As one of our graduates observed, “If someone were to invent a pair of glasses here that allowed you to see Rensselaer’s creative spark, the light would be blinding.”