To perform vibration testing, L3Harris engineers need to accurately know the center of gravity of a wide variety of objects. While CAD software can provide this information for basic objects by approximating them as fully solid objects of equivalent weight, this method becomes unreliable for more complex assemblies such as frame or chassis components comprised of multiple pieces and materials. Our project seeks to alleviate this issue by providing an easy to use, accurate scale that outputs the center of gravity of any 12″x12″ object at an accuracy of ±1/8″.

Our scale uses three high-accuracy load cells to determine a measured object’s center of gravity, output as a coordinate relative to a user-defined origin point. This provides added versatility and ease of use when measuring abnormally shaped objects. The scale also has onboard calibration and a user interface designed to make the measurement process as quick and accurate as possible.

Team: Ian Mcneely, Hailee Sumpter, Brandon Dugas, Becca Divine

Advisor: Dr. Kyle Jones, Dr. Kate Youmans

When a person is stranded in an area with terrain that is difficult to traverse, that person is often left for hours or even days until a realistic rescue plan can be created and executed by the search and rescue team. This person can be without adequate survival supplies or can be injured without proper and relevant medical supplies.
Dr. Leang’s lab is creating a medical supply drone to get these necessary supplies to the person awaiting rescue until they can be extracted by a search and rescue team.
The drone will be launched at a high velocity, preferably from a search and rescue or medical vehicle, fly to the person’s location, and spiral down to land near the person awaiting rescue.

Team: Ryanne Bronnimann, Scott Conway, Quinn Fetch, Alexa Felt, & Connor Hamlin

Advisor: Dr. Shad Roundy

Heavy industrial water pump components, such as impellers and volutes, require precise handling during installation and maintenance. The current lifting beams used by Weir Minerals have served the industry for decades but present several operational challenges. Operators must frequently change pick points on the beam to maintain balance, a process that often requires the use of impact guns or wrenches while the beam is suspended. These manual adjustments increase the risk of pinch-point injuries and require technicians to work at height, creating significant safety and efficiency concerns.

Team: Max Esplin, Christian Leon, Kwon Saavedra, Efren Taboada, Connor Sammond

Advisor: Dr Kate Youmans

The project involves designing and building a high‑pressure hydraulic test station with an integrated containment enclosure capable of safely managing a worst‑case rupture event. The system includes a structural frame, blast‑shielded paneling, and a well-organized hydraulic tubing layout design with system labeling. This sustainable design is capable of supporting variable test configurations and pressure ranges. The design supports controlled testing of hydraulic components while prioritizing operator safety, repeatability, and future adaptability. The final deliverables include a full SolidWorks assembly, tubing layout, as‑built drawings, and a functional prototype pending procurement of critical components. The design incorporates a fully modeled SolidWorks assembly, including detailed tubing routing, component interfaces, and mounting architecture. Engineering efforts emphasize rupture containment, operator safety, repeatable test conditions, and compliance with sponsor requirements.

Team: Jack Pfeifle, Jason Stoker, Joshua Fleck, ​Mason Winterton, Sete Henrie, Quinn Lord​

Advisor: Dr. Steven Naleway

This project involves the development of an interactive flip disc display for the future J.W. Marriott Jr. Institute building. The flip disc display is a mechanical display made of small circular discs that flip between two colors using electromagnetics. It combines mechanical engineering and art by using precise mechanical systems to control hundreds of moving parts while also serving as a visual medium for dynamic and creative artistic expression.

Team: Hunter Schlepp, Matthew Beasley, Santo Gezelin, Peter Gulstad, Wesley Guice, Preston Bath

Advisor: Marc Brown, Dr. Steven Naleway

The Attitude Determination and Control System (ADCS) is designed to orient UCubeSAT’s 1u CubeSat to support its mission of capturing a 360-degree viewing experience of Earth. Precise orientation is essential for acquiring complete Earth imagery and directing antennas toward ground stations for reliable data transmission. The system achieves three-axis attitude control using a reaction wheel-based mechanism regulated by a PID controller, enabling accurate and stable satellite pointing throughout the mission.

Team: Stein Witt, Max Howerter, Milo Jacob, Zack Peterson, Noah Garcia, Lance Martin

Advisors: Dr Kate Youmans, Dr Doug Buettner

Our team is collaborating with the TRAILS program at the University of Utah Health’s Craig H. Neilsen Rehabilitation Hospital to develop the Adaptive CycleBoard, a modified electric scooter designed to improve mobility for individuals with paraplegia. The project adapts a lean-to-steer, three-wheeled electric scooter so it can safely support a manual wheelchair and its user as an alternative mobility and recreation device.

Manual wheelchair users often experience limited speed and travel range when self-propelling and are typically restricted to smooth, level surfaces. While power-assist devices can help with longer distances or uneven terrain, they can also place additional forces on the wheelchair that may reduce its lifespan. Additionally, the narrow tires on most wheelchairs are not well suited for roads, unpaved paths, or inclement weather. The Adaptive CycleBoard addresses these challenges by lifting and supporting the wheelchair and user on a purpose-built scooter platform, allowing them to travel across a wider range of surfaces while reducing wear on their primary mobility device.

Team: Danielle Valderrama Saldivia, Joshua Jordan, Jacob Knoles, Colby Osborne, Chloe Watson

Advisor: Jeffrey Rosenbluth, M.D.

A detachable 2D actuation system to translate a seated person’s mass side to side as well back and forth so, the user with a complex spinal cord injury, can ride an E-Foil. The actuation system will be used by TRAILS for their adaptive athletes.

Team: Khy Chhour, Logan Nickel, Johhny Dao, Micah Smith

Advisor: Dr Shad Roundy

This team aims to aid in the research of heat transfer mechanics of cells held at different temperatures in a single cell culture flask at the request of Dr. Cristian Clavijo. As of current, there are no commercially available tools to enable this research. To fill this niche, we are creating a small, portable unit which can accommodate and differentially heat a specific T25 cell culture flask for observation underneath an inverted microscope.

Team: Tyler Brown, Kevin Luo, Amond Nielsen, Brigham Peterson

Advisor: Dr. Shad Roundy

A device meant to determine the safety of a ladder. Using a linear actuator, it pulls horizontally on a ladder until it slips. It includes a Graphical User Interface (GUI) that allows a load rate to be set and an input for the weight of the ladder. The device maintains the load rate and uses a load cell to measure the force exerted on the ladder. The GUI then uses the measured force and the input weight on the ladder to calculate the available coefficient of friction (ACOF) between the ladder and the surface. The device uses suction cups to adhere to any smooth surface and a scissor lift to adjust the height for different ladders.

Team: Luke Dunbar, Mafizul Haque Pathan, Ethan Stulp, James Wright

Advisors: Dr. Erica Pliner, Dr. Shad Roundy

Overhead hazards are a major workplace safety concern in the steel and mining industry. The purpose of this project is to simulate swinging horizontal overhead hazards at varying heights and speeds in a research environment using a mechatronics system. The system must integrate with an existing overhead double rail Unistrut, not interfere with other testing equipment in the lab, and help streamline the research process. To do this, a mechatronics system was designed, wired, and coded focusing on safety and user-friendly operation.

Team: Dillon Brown, Emiliano Ramirez, Spencer Baron, Austin Everingham, Dylan Snow

Advisor: Dr. Bruce Gale

Current search and rescue (SAR) mission require heavy and involved clutch-pulley systems and multiple crew members. MAGHAUL provides a lightweight, motorized alternative to traditional SAR equipment using magnetic cogging parallel-elastic actuation (MC-PEA). This prototype will create a rescue device that requires fewer personnel, reduces physical demand, and meets safety standards.

Team: Elena Rubsam, Teddy Stevens, Yoan Rossy, Jack Leoni, Gabriel Maia, Justice Thurgood, Araxan Olivares

Advisor: Dr. Shad Roundy, Dr. Jake Abbott

Current U.S. IV saline production is highly centralized, creating a critical supply-chain vulnerability during natural disasters. This project aims to design and develop a compact, thermally driven pressurized reactor to sterilize water for decentralized IV fluid preparation. By maintaining precise temperature and pressure controls, the system ensures consistent microbial elimination and operator safety in a portable format. This solution enables reliable, point-of-use IV production for remote medical operations and emergency disaster-response environments.

Team: Renner Jones, Maria Herrera, Zair Roman, Arman Ljubijankic, Finn Bailie

Advisor: Dr Sameer Rao, Dr Shad Roundy

Mechanical systems that require vibration control often rely on large masses to influence dynamic response, which increases system weight and reduces efficiency. An inerter provides an alternative by generating forces proportional to relative acceleration without requiring large physical mass. This project focuses on designing and building a dual-flywheel mechanical inerter that produces effective inertance while maintaining net zero angular momentum. The device will be integrated into a test rig to measure dynamic response and demonstrate vibration attenuation capabilities.

Team: Nick Calin, Alex Cantrell, Joseph Charleston, Jane Paul

Advisor: Dr. Pai Wang

The ergonomic cordless revolving screwdriver project aims to create a DIY tool that enhances speed control and overall functionality. Based on the WORX revolving screwdriver concept, our design integrates the multi-bit storage system while improving speed control as well as the ergonomics of the design itself.

Team: Ben London, Hagan Reynard, Will Bennett, Jesse Aaron, Cedric Baker

Advisor: Dr Shad Roundy

Creating a deployable and variable rocket air brake system to use in the 2027 IREC Spaceport America Cup. The air brakes are attached to a four inch diameter rocket that our team has built. These air brakes use a PD controller along with a gyroscope, altimeter, and accelerometer to predict an expected apogee. Using this predicted apogee, the air brakes will deploy to the correct level allowing the rocket to reach a desired final apogee.

Team: Greyson Whitmore, Nathaniel Salkoff, Alexander Burn, Joe Boothe, Nicolas Rubio

Advisor: Dr. Alex Novoselov

The Baja SAE team’s purpose is to contribute to building a single-seat off-road vehicle that meets all requirements necessary to compete in the Baja SAE 2026 competition this upcoming May in Oregon. The design and manufacturing of the vehicle have been split between two capstone teams: Front Suspension and Rear Suspension, each responsible for enhancing the previous suspension design.

Team: Tanner Keys, Cormac Barry, Philip Melo, Max Halpern

Advisors: Dr Kate Youmans, Randall Morrill

The goal of this project is to create a Fluid Powered Vehicle to compete against other universities in endurance, sprint, regenerative braking, and efficiency races. The vehicle will be powered by hydraulic and pneumatic controls.​

Team: Mary Collins, Haley Welker, Aidan Perkins, Sydney Nelson, Ali Figlioli

Advisor: Dr M Dillon

Create a light-up punching bag sleeve that trains reaction time and strike accuracy. There is no cost-effective device on the market that helps fighters train target recognition and reaction time. This device, costing only a few hundred dollars, uses LEDs and sensors to indicate different targets and measure the time it takes for people to strike the target. Device settings can be changed via an interactive touchscreen.

Team: Josh Bushnell, Macor Childs, Nathan Bruns, Carter Davis

Advisor: Dr. Steven Naleway

When people get injured in the wilderness, it is very difficult to deliver medical supplies to them. A drone launcher needs to be built that is compact, quick to launch, and fit on an ambulance so drones carrying these medical supplies can be sent to people.

Team: Kyra Hoffman, Taylor Hayward, Adam Hartman, Joe Jewkes, Aydan Moore, Jeremy Craib

Advisor: Dr. Kam Leang

Avalanche risk is a concern for canyon roads. At the moment, there are no highly accurate methods for measuring snow density layer by layer in short intervals. The current methods involve manual assessment of snow depth and the average accumulated snow density, 1-3 days post storm. The Differential Emissivity Imaging Disdrometer (DEID) is designed to accurately report the density of snowfall versus snow depth for each snowstorm through an entire season autonomously. The DEID utilizes a thermal camera aimed at a PID-controlled hot plate to record snowfall data and process it into a continuously updating density graph. Our team upgraded the hot plate to have improved heat distribution over the plate surface and a higher heat flux through the plate which ensures more consistent and accurate snowfall data.

Team: Lucas Dittmer, Josh Polglase, Kaleb Sloan, Gavin VanDam, Aaron Vidmar

Advisors: Dr Eric Pardyjak, Dr Steven Naleway

The FSAE club is aiming to replace their current half steel, half carbon fiber chassis with a fully carbon fiber monocoque chassis. A fully carbon fiber chassis will be significantly lighter than its steel counterpart. Our team will manufacture a foam buck and a fiberglass mold to start this process for the Formula SAE team. ​

Team: Eli Budzinski, Philip Williams, Kevin Duprey, Nathan Mussolf, Marcus Agncaco

Advisor: Dr Ken D’Entremont