Senior Design is the capstone of the practice-integrated mechanical engineering and applied mechanics curriculum. The two-semester senior design sequence challenges students to bring theory, skills, general knowledge, and inventive energy to bear on substantial engineering problems. This year, eleven teams showcased the wide variety of mechanical engineering. Projects included a desktop 5-axis CNC mill, smart insoles for healthy running, an electric bike converter kit, and many more.
Team Argus
Team Argus, comprised Fiona McLaughlin, Oren Minsk, Samuel Stedman, Cody Hopkins, Zachary Rudder, and John D’Ambrosio created an autonomous robotic system specifically engineered to maintain golf course greens with a focus on both quality and efficiency. Maintaining high-quality and high-speed golf course greens is critical to the game of golf but demands significant labor and resources. Argus addresses this problem by developing an autonomous robot with green rolling and driving capabilities, optimizing labor efficiency and green quality. Argus is designed to autonomously navigate and operate on and between golf course greens, featuring obstacle avoidance, precise navigation, and optimal rolling pressure to meet varying greens conditions. Powered by an electric drivetrain, Argus is a sustainable solution with low noise and emissions.
Team Argus was advised by Shalini and Rajeev Misra Presidential Assistant Professor Nadia Figueroa.
Team Beathoven
Team Beathoven, comprised of Tajriyan Chowdhury, Saúl Escorza, Jazmyn James, and Katherine Li designed a device to support musicians, especially those experiencing mild to moderate hearing loss, by providing real-time, live feedback while it analyzes key musical parameters including pitch, volume, and timbre. With a simple LCD display, all the information is conveyed in a smooth, concise manner that can be referenced while actively playing. Musicians are 4x as likely to develop noise-induced hearing loss as the general population, and the Beathoven is an invulnerable ear in the room who can listen to and convey subtleties that might otherwise go unheard.
Team Beathoven was advised by Senior Lecturer Bruce Kothmann.
Team CPRo
Team CPRo, comprised of Tal Goodman, Josué León, Lucy Lin, Aaron Ray, and John Szijjarto created the Cardio Pump Robot, a lightweight, portable cardiac pump robot that quickly deploys for non-CPR-certified individuals, delivering consistent chest compressions. Out-of-hospital cardiac arrests affect over 356,000 individuals annually in the US with a 90% fatality rate. Prompt chest compressions can increase survival odds by 2-3 times, yet the average ambulance response time of 8 minutes leaves bystanders responsible for sustaining CPR. The device aims to sustain compressions for 10+ minutes, bridging the gap until emergency responders arrive.
Team CPRo were winners of the Best Poster Award the clarity, creativity, and impact of their poster and was advised by Associate Professor Jordan Raney.
Team Flash
Team Flash, comprised of Camila Pazos, Clarice Pranyoto, Ainsley Rexford, and Maya Shroff designed a fully automated film developing system that processes a user’s film canister—reeling the film, dunking it into precisely heated chemical baths, and returning the developed film in under 30 minutes. Film development involves technical processes that are hard to learn and require expensive equipment, costing users anywhere from $500 to $3,000. Current solutions attempt to simplify certain steps of the film development process but do not automate the entire process like Flash does.
Team Flash was awarded the William K. Gemmill Prize for outstanding creativity and were advised by Practice Associate Professor Dustyn Roberts.
Team Frost Bite
Team Frost Bite, comprised of Henry Seiden, Ethan Sundel, Davesh Valagolam, Jordan Yang, and Jared Astrof developed an ice cream maker for the home that has integrated refrigeration technology allowing for temperature control, leading to high quality texture. Frost Bite’s Yeti machine has integrated refrigeration technology that freezes ice cream ingredients throughout the one hour production cycle, eliminating the need to pre-freeze components. The integrated refrigeration system also allows for refined temperature control, leading to a high quality, store-bought dessert texture. With built-in ice cream, sorbet, and gelato modes accessible on an easy-to-use touchscreen, along with a mix-in port to add favorites like cookie dough and peanut butter cups during churning, the flavor possibilities are endless with the Yeti.
Team Frost Bite was advised by Associate Professor Igor Bargatin.
Team Helium Solutions
Team Helium Solutions, comprised of Ali Al Ayssami, Harrison Azrak, John Michael Hatheway, and Samuel Sullivan invented a portable, modular helium-filled soap bubble generator enabling full-scale field aerodynamics testing with quick setup and easy repairs. Current helium-filled soap bubble (HFSB) machines used for particle tracking velocimetry (PTV) are optimized for lab use, leaving a gap in the market for field-capable HFSB generators. By leveraging resin 3D printing and designing for modularity, Helium Solutions can be easily modified and repaired in the field in less than 30 minutes for setup and 15 minutes for changes. Manual controls enable the user to easily adjust gas ratios while local data recording creates a library of viable settings that accumulate over time.
Team Helium Solutions was awarded the Judges’ Choice Award for excellence based on the judges’ discretion and were advised by Assistant Professor Nathaniel Wei.
Team Hyd5a CNC
Team Hyd5a CNC, comprised of Finn McMullan, Ethan Hu, Tai Phan, and Aidan Moore developed a compact, affordable 5-axis desktop milling machine designed for prototyping and small-scale production. With a price point under $2500, it delivers five degrees of freedom with a precision of 0.005 inches, making multi-axis machining more accessible to hobbyists, prototypers, and DIY enthusiasts. It integrates seamlessly with a range of CAM software and prioritizes ease of use, efficiency, and affordability.
Team Hyd5a CNC was advised by Asa Whitney Professor of Mechanical Engineering Mark Yim.
Team IdeaSmith
Team IdeaSmith, comprised of Tate Park, Divya Krishnan, Rayan Shakarchi, and Jonathan Villegas generated a maker-centered project creation tool designed to make the process of creating project plans tailored to students’ needs and interests seamless. At its core, IdeaSmith is a CNC device, CAM software, and AI-based lesson planning tool and database. Packaged into a moveable cart, IdeaSmith is designed to be used in classrooms, equipped with noise dampening below 85 decibels, HEPA-grade vacuum filtering, and safety features including automatic enclosure locking.
Team IdeaSmith was advised by Asa Whitney Professor of Mechanical Engineering Mark Yim.
Team PressureSole
Team PressureSole, comprised of Brooke Caragher, Eugenia Kritsuk, Audrey Mann, Samantha Schoenberg, and Jake Wang created a novel solution designed to address the high frequency of running-related injuries, which affect 52% of recreational runners annually due to factors such as prior injuries, supination, and asymmetric loading. Designed for amateur runners, the product aims to help prevent long-term injuries by providing accessible, professional-grade feedback on running mechanics.
Team PressureSole was advised by AMA Family Assistant Professor Ottman Tertuliano.
Team Robopicker
Team Robopicker, comprised of Rohan Maliekkal, Finn Maniscalco, and Eli Katz designed a handheld, pneumatic robotic fruit picker tool designed for peaches. The device integrates a cloud-based, offboard computer vision ripeness detection system with a lightweight peach gripper and onboard display, ensuring higher-quality, undamaged fruit is picked. This system reduces yield loss while maintaining the industry-standard picking rate of six peaches per minute. Its affordability (<$750) and ease of use (<2 hours training) make it accessible to large and small-scale operators.
Team Robopicker was awarded the Couloucoundis Prize for the best senior design presentation and was advised by Assistant Professor Michael Posa.
Team Velox
Team Velox, comprised of Tyler Chaudhary, John Fera, Ryan Kagarise, and Thomas Rebstock, designed an easy-to-install electric bike converter kit that delivers the benefits of an electric bike without the high cost, bulk, or limited range of traditional models all without spending over $1,000.
Team Velox was awarded the Francis G. Tatnall Prize which is judged to be the most outstanding and reflects qualities ingenuity, technical proficiency, and usefulness. They were advised by Practice Associate Professor Dustyn Roberts.