One hundred years ago, robots and solar power were but distant dreams.

On Saturday afternoon, several undergraduate students joined graduate students and faculty members from the Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering to give the public a taste of the ideas brewing in the department.

A portion of the event was originally scheduled to take place in an outdoor tent in front of Marston Hall, but the entire event was moved into Coover Hall to escape the day’s snow.

Although the department’s 100-year-anniversary festivities were slightly adjusted due to inclement weather, the students showcasing their projects remained enthusiastic about their creations and collaborations.

One of the larger-scale projects on display was a robotic arm. The current goal of the researchers involved with the project is to teach the robot to use tools the way humans can.

Matthew Swanson, ISU alumnus and Ames Laboratory employee, said there is no general algorithm for what the researchers are trying to accomplish with the robot.

Alex Stoytchev, assistant professor of electrical and computer engineering, described some of the challenges researchers face in programming a robot.

“The main challenge is to capture the common-sense knowledge about physical objects,” he said.

The robotic arm was sensitive to touch and could memorize a trajectory.

People passing by the display table were able to move the arm along any given path, and it would “remember” the motion and repeat it.

Kyle Meyer, senior in electrical engineering, helped explain the value of thin-film amorphous solar cells. He said solar films are flexible and light, unlike the heavy, brittle crystalline solar cells sometimes used as an alternative.

Meyer said the research he is helping with seeks to make thin-film amorphous solar cells more productive. The technology increases the average length that a particle of light spends in the active area of a solar cell.

“The longer you get a photon to stay in the active area, the greater chance there is of absorption and conversion into electronic energy,” Meyer said.

Jerome Whitter, senior in liberal studies, is a member of the group Critical Tinkers, which also had a display table at the event.

The group, formed by Mani Mina, senior lecturer in electrical and computer engineering, puts on small demonstration projects at area schools.

Whitter said he enjoyed seeing children’s amazement when they see the demos, which he said give the youngsters something to “pull them along in high school” and maybe put an idea in their heads to go to college.

Arun Somani, distinguished professor and chairman of electrical and computer engineering, said he enjoys and appreciates undergraduates participating in research alongside graduate students.

“I generally involve a lot of undergraduate students,” Somani said as he explained how he strives to involve younger students in research.

Somani said having younger students work alongside him and graduate students provides him with the opportunity to nurture the young students as they continue their education.