AKRON, Ohio - Students on the University of Akron Engineering Service Design Team and local artist Mac Love are partnering to create a mobile splash pad that can be taken to under-served Akron neighborhoods.

The five-student team and Love, owner of Art x Love, decided to create the splash pad after getting feedback from Akron residents about which type of attraction they wanted to see in their neighborhoods.

Materials were supplied by Love, using money he received in a grant from the John S. and James L. Knight Foundation for a 24-neighborhood interactive art project, @PLAY, which aims to bring people together and strengthen community connections.

Student engineers, who are volunteers, are building at least two features for the mobile splash park. The "car wash" features a long stretch of PVC pipe that sprays water and can be used along with a tarp for sliding. The "mushroom waterfall" dispenses water in the shape of a mushroom.

Splash park components are designed to be easy to assemble, take apart and transport, according to Sean Blake, the project leader and senior civil engineering major.

The mobile splash pad will be rolled out to Akron neighborhoods starting next year.

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