ROCHESTER, N.Y. — Thousands of community members visited the Rochester Institute of Technology campus on Saturday to get a chance to see the latest technology and projects from students.

Imagine RIT returned for the first time since the pandemic started.

One popular exhibit was the one showing liquid sand. It was part of mechanical engineering student Tucker Erickson’s project for Imagine RIT.

“We’re pumping pressurized air into a box of sand through PVC pipes,” Erickson said. "The air bubbles rise up and spread the grains of sand to get it to act like a fluid.”

The festival returned Saturday after a two-year break because of the COVID-19 pandemic. It featured more than 250 exhibits, and showed everything from a slime run to 3D printing.

Nidhi Mumagamuiu worked with about 20 other RIT students to create a machine that tests the strength of a 3D printed material.

“This is flexible material, you can squish it as much as you want,” Mumagamuiu said. “It can take impact as much as 10 pounds and won’t deform.”

Almost 2,000 students use Imagine RIT as a chance to show community members how they’re using technology in new ways. It’s also a chance to see people enjoying his project hands-on.

“We’ll be in the shop working in the evenings on this, it’s nice to see our hard work isn’t wasted,” Erickson said about his project.

Imagine RIT ran from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m.