ATLAS is an interdisciplinary institute for radical creativity and invention at CU Boulder.
Forget Area 51 - check out Locker 34. A Creative Technology & Design student made this spacey diorama some time ago. And it still lives on… [Know who made it? Tag ‘em!]
If you’ve ever wondered how gravity changes as you get closer to a black hole, Gravity Gradient has answers. The interactive display was built this spring by Autumn Bement, Isaiah Millington, Rui Wen for the Design a Science Exhibit course, co-taught by ATLAS director Mark Gross.
Video edited by CTD student .
Colorado weather changes quickly, and so does the Sopris Board! Named after the mountain top in Pitkin County, Colorado, the board was created by Creative Technology & Design students Aidan Youell and Ellyse Jensen, who showcased it at the 2026 ATLAS EXPO.
Video edited by CTD student
Audio engineering, physical fabrication, fine art, game production, product development, graphic design, robotics, neuroscience, interactive installations... whatever you're interested in, Creative Technology and Design gives you the opportunity to explore your passions—and discover new possibilities.
ATLAS EXPO 2026 project spotlight: How I Learned to Stop Worrying and Love the Mass Grave
Ever wonder how much of your life you've spent staring at your phone?
CTD student Maggie Kempen invited visitors to confront that question through an interactive installation originally exhibited in the B2’s Black Box Theater.
Kempen's project puts your social media habits front and center, encouraging reflection, laughter and maybe a trip down the rabbit hole.
Stay tuned for more EXPO spotlights. To learn more about the ATLAS Institute, visit 🔗 colorado.edu/atlas
Video edited by Juniper Dev.
ATLAS EXPO 2026 project spotlight: Sunnyside Scrambler
Get the lore of the Sunnyside Scrambler from members of the CU Boulder Theme Park Engineering and Design Club—including the tale of an evil chicken hell bent on humanity’s destruction.
Stay tuned for more EXPO spotlights. To learn more about the ATLAS Institute, visit 🔗 colorado.edu/atlas
Video editing by Juniper Dev.
Design A Science Exhibit spotlight: Aurora a la Carte
Did you know you can build your own aurora borealis from scratch? Creative Technology & Design students Elizabeth Saunders, Kira Warren, Sylvia Robles, Ayesha Rawal and Julia McKeag created Aurora a la Carte to allow users to adjust altitude, oxygen, latitude and other factors to produce a custom Northern Lights display.
This project was created for ATLS 4519/5519: Design a Science Exhibit, and showcased at Fiske Planetarium.
Stay tuned for more project spotlights. To learn more about the ATLAS Institute:
🔗colorado.edu/atlas
Video editing by Juniper Dev.
ATLAS EXPO 2026 project spotlight: REALM SYNC
Creative Technology & Design student Reilley Locke created REALM SYNC, a tabletop roleplaying game setup that integrates digital tools with the classic tactility of in-person play for when your dungeon crawling party can’t be in the same room together.
The hybridized system uses conductive figurines on capacitive touchscreens linked via a custom website to allow players anywhere on Earth to physically move their characters across a shared online battlemap in real-time.
Stay tuned for more EXPO spotlights. To learn more about the ATLAS Institute:
🔗 colorado.edu/atlas
Video editing by
If you missed this year’s ATLAS EXPO, we’ve got you covered with a video rewind series hosted and produced by Creative Technology & Design undergrad Juniper Dev and master’s student Andrew Widner.
ATLAS students Raphaelle L***r, Zeke Thoreson and Peter Burke created Echo, a multi-instrumentalist character brought to life through a blind-box series of four collectible figurines that each play their own instrument when paired with a custom Bluetooth speaker.
Stay tuned for more EXPO spotlights. To learn more about the ATLAS Institute:
🔗 colorado.edu/atlas
When your family and friends keep asking what your major actually is and you’re just like: “go to ATLAS EXPO” 🤷