The 2017 University of Colorado Innovation and Efficiency Awards Expo showcased an impressive group of finalist submissions that covered everything from robotics to trash.

Eric Hoffmeyer, a professional research assistant with the Barbara Davis Center for Diabetes at the University of Colorado Anschutz Medical Campus, won a cash prize and impressed all in attendance by redesigning the programming for his lab’s liquid-handling robot. The redesign significantly reduced the amount of time needed for the robot to perform its regular tasks, allowing Hoffmeyer to program new tasks and increase the robot’s overall functionality. Thanks to Hoffmeyer’s robotics skills, the resulting improvements in efficiency and functionality have negated the need to purchase an additional robot to handle an increasing number of patient samples.