Rain fell steadily throughout the day, but that didn’t stop thousands of visitors from crowding into Imagine RIT, the university’s annual celebration of creativity and innovation.
This year’s festival featured a record 434 exhibits, ranging from displays on artificial intelligence to interactive games and sustainable transportation projects.
Lisa Stein, the festival’s director, said the growing focus on emerging technology helps keep the event fresh year after year.
"As technology evolves, there are new, innovative and creative things that will come out of it," she said. "Our students are up to the challenge of figuring that out and determining how they can make the place better."
Among the standout exhibits was Path Pursuit, a team-based game created by Nick Will, a New Media Interactive Development student, and Alexa Contreras, a New Media Design student, in partnership with The Strong National Museum of Play. The game challenges players to stay in sync while navigating obstacles, offering a sneak peek of the museum’s upcoming Beyond the Buzzer exhibit.
The team faced the challenge of designing a gameplay experience that was intuitive for all players. Will said the project pushed them to think beyond the classroom.
"We would love to see this end up in a museum somewhere for people to interact with," Will said. "That would be like a dream come true for us."
Nearby, engineering students Ashton Rowland and Isaac Becker demonstrated a robotic ice cream server. The robot, designed with accessibility in mind, could autonomously scoop dairy and non-dairy options without cross-contamination.
Becker said the collaboration behind the robot helped sharpen his technical and communication skills.
“I think I was able to develop my skills and modeling a lot more," Becker said. "Also, public presentation."
Matthew McGee, the team’s manager and a computer science major, said working alongside peers from different backgrounds was one of the most rewarding parts of the experience.
“I've learned so much, but I've also met so many other people," McGee said. "I've seen so many even younger members come in and really put in the time and show off their technical expertise.”
Despite the weather, Imagine RIT organizers said turnout remained strong, with visitors eager to see firsthand the projects shaping the future of innovation.
According to RIT, the festival typically draws more than 30,000 people each year.
