ÄÛÌïÑо¿Ôº¹ÙÍø

---

Senior Capstone Design is one of the most important courses in the four-year curriculum. Students work beyond the traditional classroom setting to apply technical knowledge to actual engineering problems.

Teams are graded on their requirements analyses, feasibility studies, financial analyses, system designs, engineering drawings, prototype hardware, computer programs, presentations, demonstrations and reports. The experience helps students bridge the gap between their academic and professional careers by exposing them to realistic design processes, teamwork and expectations of practicing engineers.

Teams meet periodically with their client to review designs and provide written and oral progress reports. At the end of each semester, teams give a final presentation and write a design report. Evaluation is based on individual and team performance.

A number of ME students are part of interdisciplinary projects with the BME and ECE departments. 

Senior Capstone Design provides these development facilities for the project teams. 

• Projects Lab (LN-G111)
• Tech Lab (EB-A4)
• Vehicle Lab (EB-A3)
• Electric Vehicle Lab (EB-D1)
• Special Projects Lab (EB-A8)

The Projects Lab has a diverse array of benchtop equipment, which is assigned to individual teams as needed. The Tech Lab has a 3D digitizer, two 3-D printers, and several surface-mount technology soldering systems. The Vehicle Lab has innumerable automotive tools, including a TIG welder, and is home to the SAE Supermileage and MiniBaja project teams. The electric vehicle lab is home to the SAE Formula Electric vehicle. The Special Projects Lab is used for larger projects that will not fit into the Projects Lab. 

2025/2026 Mechanical Engineering Senior Design Projects 

• Motor-driven Centrifugal Reverse Osmosis Module

  The centrifugal reverse osmosis (CRO) system is an innovative desalination technique that utilizes centrifugal pressure generated within a rotating module to separate salt from water. In the retentate channel, both salt concentration and pressure increase radially, enabling more efficient operation compared to conventional reverse osmosis (RO), which requires the entire module to be pressurized. The team is tasked with designing and manufacturing a cylindrical CRO module for brackish water desalination. The module will be driven by an external motor to achieve the required rotation.

• DRONKET: VTOL Drone Rocket

  DRONKET is a Starship-inspired RC rocket designed to operate like a drone, combining a rocket housing with integrated drone propeller systems. The project integrates fluid dynamics, aerodynamics, mechanical and electrical systems to develop a reusable aerial platform using modeling, simulation, and fabrication tools.

• Baja Chassis and Fixturing 

  Design a rule-compliant Baja SAE chassis with emphasis on safety, strength, and manufacturability. Develop a custom frame jig incorporating suspension nodes to ensure precise alignment and improved fabrication accuracy, supporting consistent suspension geometry and overall vehicle performance.

• Spherical Parallel Manipulator with Independent Output
  The spherical parallel manipulator (SPM) is a three-axis robotic joint about a single point. The SPM essentially mimics a human wrist, offering independent pitch, yaw, and roll control. This project is for the Mars Rover team, so it will be used as the wrist on our robotic arm. The independent output shaft will be a lead screw that will drive our end effector (robotic hand).
• Soft Armor using Shear Thickening Fluid
  This project aims to design and fabricate soft composite armors filled with shear thickening fluids for impact protection applications.
• Robotic Arm for NES Power Glove
  Build a Robotic Arm that is compatible with a Nintendo Entertainment System (NES) Power Glove (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Power_Glove). The Robotic Arm shall be responsive to a Robotic Arm Controller developed as an ECE Capstone project.  The combination of the Robotic Arm Controller, Robotic Arm, and NES Power Glove will allow the user to play the NES game "Super Glove Ball".
• Non-contact Object Controller
  This project will develop a system that uses sound waves (acoustic tweezers) to control small objects without touching them. Students will learn to precisely move objects along different paths, including making them rotate. As an example, students will create a low-cost, portable paper-based microfluidic channel that spins like a centrifuge without any physical contact, useful for separating tiny particles in biomedical samples.
• Reactive Ion Etching of Glass Fibers
  Students will learn the working principles of semiconductor materials processing and apply them to the design of a reactive ion etching machine for the controlled etching of glass fibers under controlled tension at high precision.
• Gem Stone Bead Sorting Machine
  Students will learn the working principles of AI computer vision algorithms and a Gem stone bead sorting machine, then apply them to the integration of these functionalities to build a working prototype.
• Non-contact Measurements of Ultra-fine Wires
  Students will learn the working principles of eddy current and laser diffraction sensing, then apply them to the design and evaluation of non-contact diameter sensors for ultra-fine wires.
• Cooling Channel for Ultra-fine Wire Casting
  Students will design, construct, and analyze a gas or liquid cooling channel to control the material cooling rate during high speed production of optical fibers and ultra-fine wires.
• Autonomous Robot Racing Car
  Imagine creating a racing car that not only speeds around the track on its own but also dances through hairpin turns with precision and safety, like a high-speed ballet of technology and adrenaline. That's the exciting world of autonomous racing cars, where we design control systems that make these machines drift through corners with the grace of a professional racer. As autonomous driving becomes an integral part of our lives, the prospect of artificial intelligence surpassing professional racecar drivers is on the horizon. This project will focus on the development of a real-time sensing system and a neural network model for capturing the energetics, dynamics, and trajectory of a 1:10 scale RC Racing Car during real-world competitions, providing high fidelity data toward the ultimate goal of developing a fully autonomous robot racing car. Students participating in this project may also receive faculty advising on relevant topics such as reinforcement machine learning and task planning, motion planning and control for aggressive maneuver, physics-informed machine learning and multi-fidelity data fusion, as the needs arise during the project
•  AI Assisted Sport Analytics
  Students will build a robot capable of autonomously identifying and tracking the motion of moving objects (players and balls) for the purpose of personalized coaching. 
• Micro-plasma Welding System
  Students will learn the working principles of micro-plasma welding, then apply them to the design and construction of the electrode and electronics to achieve the project goal. 
• Smart Micro-Particle Manipulation Chamber

  This senior design project focuses on developing a cutting-edge chamber for studying and manipulating micro-particles under magnetic and electric fields. The system will provide a controlled environment for observing and analyzing particle motion. This project will result in a sophisticated educational tool, enhancing students' understanding of micro-particle dynamics, and promoting hands-on learning and research.

• Automated Calibration System for 3D Digital Image Correlation

  3D DIC System requires calibration of 3D Topography measurement. It uses calibration panels for various fields of view and is necessary to pose a certain viewing angle to the stereoscopic cameras(a pair of cameras). This project is to automate the poses and positioning of calibration panels automatically.

• Brain-controlled Drone

  Develop a brain–machine system that enables a user to control a drone using biopotential signals from the brain. Through this interdisciplinary project, students will gain foundational knowledge and hands-on experience in brain–machine interfaces, neurophysiological signal measurement, motion control and tracking, machine learning, and programming. 

• Baja Differential/Gearbox

  This project will consist of designing and building a lightweight, durable gearbox for a Baja SAE off-road vehicle. The gearbox will be tailored to reduce engine speed while increasing torque output. The gearbox should be developed with compactness, reliability, and manufacturability in mind. This project will include CAD modeling, gear ratio analysis, finite element analysis, and many other essential engineering processes. 

• Multimaterial Filament Feeding System

  Students will design and construct a multimaterial filament feeding system capable of simultaneously feeding up to four different feedstock materials at different rates for 3D printing. 

• Baja Front Differential

  The goal of this project is to design and build a custom front differential for the 2026 Baja vehicle. We want to focus on maximizing performance, durability, and repairability, while minimizing cost and weight.

• Swerve Drive Modules

  The goal is to create four identical swerve drive modules so that they may be equipped onto the 2026-2027 ÄÛÌïÑо¿Ôº¹ÙÍø URC Rover. A swerve module consists of two motors: one drive motor, which propels the rover forward; and one pivot motor, which allows for omnidirectional movement.

• Ablative Nozzle Optimization

  This project aims to optimize a solid rocket motor nozzle’s design for use in AeroBing’s motors. The nozzle must minimize graphite usage, maintain structural and thermal safety factors, select appropriate materials, and be compatible with existing mating features and retention methods, while adhering to specified geometric and material constraints.

• Nose Cone Profile Manufacturing Device

  The nose cone acts as the leading edge of the rocket, therefore it’s streamlined aerodynamic profile needs to be best suited to minimize drag. This requires manufacturing techniques that neither AeroBing nor the the Watson Fabrication Laboratory posses. This project aims to address this by designing a device to allow for new and precise nose cone profiles.

• Insulation Characterization Apparatus

  AeroBing requires accurate thermal conductivity data to reduce insulation thickness and increase propellant volume in high-temperature rocket motors. This project develops a device that enables quick, precise, and repeatable measurements - filling a critical testing gap and supporting AeroBing’s pursuit of safer, more efficient propulsion systems.

• Dual Event Recovery System

  In the realm of rocketry, recovery is a vital system for successful launches and verification of goals. Dual deploy recovery systems are widely used for larger rockets with the end goal being to reduce dispersion. This project should be able to present a new system that can deploy both of these parachutes utilizing the following requirements. The requirements aim at optimizing volumetric, mass, length, and other constraints which often have consequences to mission success. 

• 3D Freeze Printing Platform

  This project will design and manufacture a 3D freeze printing platform that is cooled using a Peltier plate and a water-cooled heat sink.

• Carbon Fiber Suspension Links

  This project aims to design and produce a carbon fiber suspension linkage system, or FSAE vehicles, using composite fabrication methods to reduce weight while maintaining strength. In addition, material property testing, FEA validation, and fatigue analysis to ensure performance under dynamic loads.

• Formula Racecar Undertray

  The undertray is responsible for controlling the air flowing under the vehicle. A well-designed undertray will reduce drag and increase downforce due to the resulting low-pressure zone under the car. ÄÛÌïÑо¿Ôº¹ÙÍø FSAE is constantly trying to improve their vehicles, and the current undertray has not been revised in 2 years.

• Mechanical Release of Micro and Nanoplastics

  Manufacture a modular, all-metal parallel plate shearing device to generate micro- and nanoplastic particles (MNPs). This device will facilitate investigation on plastic degradation mechanisms and the environmental/biological impacts MNPs.

• Zoetrope

  ÄÛÌïÑо¿Ôº¹ÙÍø Xscapes/Southern Tier Independence Center: The idea would to build a zoetrope with removable side panels that can be easily taken out and put back in by people going through an escape room. 

• Revolving Scroll

  ÄÛÌïÑо¿Ôº¹ÙÍø Xscapes/Southern Tier Independence Center: A scroll or frame that can rotate switch between visible part of the scroll at set intervals. This would make it so we can change images when players aren't look at the press of a button.

• Fake Dumbwaiter

  ÄÛÌïÑо¿Ôº¹ÙÍø Xscapes/Southern Tier Independence Center: Either a fake dumbwaiter or pneumatic tube system about the size of a bedroom cabinet. The goal is a box or tube can move up and out of view of players and then a seperate one will come down and deliver a new object or clue to players.