The student creativity that Kansas City’s engineering economy has craved for years began, it seems, with a universal kick-start:

“I hate it when…”

It’s the imagination-starter, scrawled in student notebooks, that spawned many of the machines and gadgets that 100 area high-school seniors put on display Tuesday at Union Station.

I hate it when … I have to mow lawns in the heat.

I hate it when … the glow of my cellphone foils discreet texting.

To these ends, teenage engineers introduced the world to “Robomower” and “Cell Phone Concealer.”

The sight of these and dozens more inventions showed how far industry leaders and educators in Kansas City have come in combating their own broader problem.

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To reach Joe Robertson, call 816-234-4789 or send email to jrobertson@kcstar.com.

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