So that's what he's been doing.

It's the secret life of Eric Hardester which isn't secret in the slightest, but sure was fun to take this pathway to the workshop where he and others work on their Capstone Projects. This pathway is behind the Clyde Building. It certainly seemed a secret passage way, walking behind the bushes and between buildings like we did.

Can you believe that Eric said he'd never really noticed the flowers!! How could you not notice the beautiful lilacs and blossoms? I fear I'd never make it to where I was going if I walked a pathway like that every day. In fact, I almost didn't make it to the workshop - I ended up far behind Greg and Eric.

This is where Eric's team works on the super mileage car. Super Cat is the name of the car. A prototype they learn on and Eric has driven around is on the floor, up higher is the unfinished real thing!

Just something funny to keep around.

Checking a prototype engine.

This is where his head goes.

This is where his feet go. Remember, feet first so this is the front of the car.

This is the real engine - still being perfected.

His helmet to protect his head from bumps, and goggles to protect his eyes from the little gravely things the wheels kick up into his face. :-p

A vending machine that dispenses workshop staples. Eric says they never use it - too expensive.

Eric and "Super Cat"

When Eric finished showing us around the super mileage car he took us back to another workshop - this one is for "fast cars", electrics and hybrids. It also has the form they used to make the shell of Super Cat.

Super fast car.

Electric motorcycle.

Hybrid car.

The GM thing is a precision cutter that cut the foam that made the form that they put the fiber glass over to make the form that made the final shell for super mileage car.

Onto The Splash Lab - the place where Eric does his research/work under the direction of Prof. Truscott. Eric fist worked there counting bubbles - here on this computer. :-)

As of late, Eric has been taking high speed pictures of metal balls dropping through bubbles - all to measure the skin thickness and breaking points of bubbles.

This is a picture of a metal ball dropping through a bubble (just thought I'd explain that in case you couldn't tell :-)

Now Eric will start working on a thesis paper. I can't begin to explain that - it didn't really get explained to me. Something about "flapping robots"? Eric you'll have to fill us in. It was so fun having him show us around where he spends so much of his time. It was all so interesting. Super Mileage car will compete in June. Can't wait to hear how things are going. They're up to 720 miles to the gallon.