Cal Poly enters 75th float into the Pasadena Rose Parade

Cal Poly University's 75th entry in the upcoming Pasadena Rose Parade promises to be a musical showstopper. 

Titled "Shock n' Roll: Powering the Musical Current," this 55-foot-long float is designed and built by students, and it's all about celebrating the world of music.

Courtesy: CalPoly

The float is a colorful underwater spectacle featuring giant manta rays, electric eels, and musical instruments on a coral reef. What's unique is the concept of a symbiotic relationship between sea creatures and instruments, where the eels power the music, creating a rock 'n' roll party on the ocean floor.

Cal Poly's Rose Float program, known for its "learn by doing" ethos, has a history of success, having won 61 awards, including the 2023 Extraordinaire Trophy. This year's entry introduces innovative animation systems to sync float movements with the music.

Cal Poly student gets grant funds in Morro Bay project

A Cal Poly student received a grant from the college to continue her research on a deep ocean lander that could be used in conjunction with wind machines off the coast of Morro Bay.

Nikki Arm was one of 17 student research projects that shared in $60,000 in grants. 

The endowments support hands-on, project-based learning opportunities for individual students and groups in areas including STEM education, agricultural sciences, and climate change. Nikki Arm, a master’s student in mechanical engineering, received funding to support her thesis project designing, building, and testing a deep ocean vehicle lander. 

The project aims to improve a key component of the deep-sea lander by designing and utilizing composite pressure spheres to enable cost-effective, deeper submersion. Additionally, the project seeks to optimize sampling techniques in preparation for a multiyear controlled impact study on the wind farm being constructed off the coast of Morro Bay.