The skill, innovation, and engineering prowess of seniors in the Mechanical, Electrical, Biomedical, Civil, and Environmental Engineering programs were on display this past Friday as 31 teams of students presented their capstone projects during the annual Engineering Design Night.
With the afternoon sun illuminating the 4th floor of ¶¶Òõ̽̽’s Davis Center’s in a warm light, students, faculty, and visitors navigated through the tables containing a diverse and impressive assembly of prototypes and presentations guiding the viewer through the creative solutions each team had developed for the unique engineering challenge assigned to them.
The soaring Grand Maple Ballroom was a fitting showcase for the projects undertaken by mechanical and electrical engineering students for their capstone course, Senior Experience in Engineering Design (SEED). Each project originates the previous September as a problem statement provided by a company, institution, faculty member, or sponsor.
Based on the nature of the challenge and the skills and background of each student, teams are formed and paired with each problem. The students are then guided through the engineering design process by the director of the SEED program, Dustin Rand, a senior lecturer in the College of Engineering and Mathematics (CEMS) in the Department of Mechanical Engineering. In addition, each student receives support from an assigned faculty mentor whose experience and research pair well with the challenge.
Many of the SEED projects on display will remind guests that the program partners the students with local, Vermont companies. For example, one challenge from local Ice Cream pioneers, , seeks to ensure all the delicious mixings for their frozen creations are used efficiently, reducing both waste and expense. Another project seeks to improve the backcountry skiing experience by automating the lift mechanism for heel risers, used in climbing when the trail turns upward.
Other projects have been sponsored by local leaders in both the mechanical and electrical engineering industries. Essex, Vermont-based semiconductor manufacturer has sponsored five separate projects this year, each destined to help an aspect in the production and testing of their advanced chips. One project called for an automated solution to keep the very sensitive components used in examining semiconductor wafers, called probes, clean between uses. Another project from GlobalFoundries targeted improving the design of components of an automated AeroTrak system that delivers semiconductor wafers and components throughout their facility.
The breadth and diversity of the challenges spawned equally unique solutions in the form of prototypes designed and built by the students. , a Rutland-based company specializing in devices to improve the recovery of ICU patients, sought a solution to promote the rehabilitation of upper extremity injuries while wearing a restraint device. Visitors were able to test drive a functioning prototype developed by the team tasked with this challenge.
In an adjoining space, Civil and Environmental Engineering (CEE) students showcased their solutions to multi-disciplinary challenges brought to the program by local communities, towns, and non-profits with unique civil and/or environmental engineering-related needs. Led by Professor of the Practice John Lens, the CEE capstone program targets projects that offer the students a solid design experience and at the same time promote sustainability and civic engagement.
Working in consultation with representatives from the relevant community departments, the student teams consider multiple design alternatives and suggest recommendations based not only on cost but also on social and environmental impacts. The intensive 30-week experience culminates in a comprehensive technical report and presentation to external evaluators, faculty, fellow students, and community stakeholders.
This year, eight teams from CEE were tasked with a spectrum of community projects from across the state including more robust replacements for infrastructure damaged during last year’s flooding, to engineering improved accessibility for bike/walk paths.
Faculty, students, and guests mingled with sponsor-community representatives as the CEE capstone teams shared their solutions Friday afternoon on large posters that detailed both the complexity of the challenges and the unique benefits of their approach and design.