Boston, MA – August 2, 2005 – On August 10th, 19 junior Industrial Design students from Wentworth Institute of Technology presented their final solutions of devices created to aid in the fight against terrorism. The purpose of the project was to detect a possible terrorist attack in the city of Boston, assess the nature and extent of the attack and monitor contamination. The students considered the possibility of radioactive, chemical, and biological attacks in such high profile areas as South Station and Downtown Crossing.

Emergency professionals and the media joined students, faculty and staff in the Design & Facility studios to review the completed design projects. The students received high praise from first responders Capt. Paul Carey and Fred Ellis of the Boston Fire Department, Officer Gregory Karayines of the MBTA and National Guard Capt. Andrew Parsons.

The Discovery Channel was present to film the review session for its “Firehouse," series that will air later this fall. Their presence created an electric atmosphere as they videotaped the presentations and interviewed excited students. Despite the charged environment, the students kept their cool.

Every aspect of the problem has been scrutinized. “We did a lot of research and analyzing," junior industrial design major Chad Eaton says of the project. “This research allowed us to determine the pros and cons of different concepts."

“It doesn’t matter what it looks like," says Eaton. “Performance and safety procedures are the focus."

“Our students talked to area experts and did some serious research for this project," says Design and Facilities Professor Fredrick Kuhn, who taught the course. “They developed a serious level of knowledge that enabled them to carry on an intelligent discourse with experts on this subject."

With the help of first responders and private manufacturing firms, the students developed some very interesting designs. “Students are not inhibited," says Kuhn. “They're able to come up with ideas that the experts might not have considered." Design solutions included the use of robotics, aviation technologies, and hand-held devices

Hopefully, these devices the value will never be realized as they can only be assessed in the event of catastrophe.