Previous ASME Award Winner
Recent Departmental Runner Up Awards
Capstone Design Projects
Transmission for Unmanned Ground Vehicle
2003-2004 - Winter
Team: 5
Team Members
William Hui
Fernando Martinez
Brian Parisi
Rosa Sandoval
Byron Tierney
Cohu Peripheral Pickup
2020-2021 - Winter
Team: 8
The purpose of this project is to design a peripheral seal solution for our sponsor, Cohu, to implement into their existing semiconductor testing machines. Cohu is an industry leader in equipment and services for back-end semiconductor manufacturing. It is necessary to research a variety of seal candidates in attempts to move the pickup mechanism for their pick and place handler to the periphery of the semiconductor chips their products handle in order to improve the efficiency of the handler.
Mice Vapor Control
2020-2021 - Winter
Team: 21
The Hnasko Lab aims to investigate the effects of opioid addiction using mice. This project sought to design an airtight and automated study chamber that allows mice to voluntarily intake drug vapor and enables the researchers to send behavioral cues using LEDs, speakers, and food pellets.
Bicycle Theft Detection
2020-2021 - Spring
Team: 22
Our device, which can be attached nicely underneath a saddle like a saddlebag, is capable of sensing movement of a bike and sending an alert to the user via text messages. To achieve long operation period, the device is equipped with four solar panels which are capable of not only running the system but charging the battery whenever possible.
Cell Growth Bioreactor for Tissue Regeneration
2020-2021 - Spring
Team: 19
Peter Chen, PhD. a stem cell researcher from the Biosciences Institute has engaged student engineers to construct a prototype bioreactor chamber that has the ability to stimulate a target cell population with: magnetic stimulation, electrical stimulation, static compression, and exposure to laminar shear stress. The completed bioreactor test chamber provides researchers with the tools to evaluate the effects of electromechanical stimulation on stem cells in a reproducible manner.
Reconfigurable 3D Magnetic Control System
2020-2021 - Winter
Team: 5
Researchers have made significant progress on magnetic soft robots. One of the difficulties lies in the remote manipulation of the micro particle embedded in the soft matrix. 3D Helmholtz coils with controllable magnetic fields have already been demonstrated. In the Cai Research Group, researchers regularly adjust the working space so detachable electromagnets are needed. This system allows researchers to control a 3D magnetic field density vector that will be applied to a working space.
Smart HVAC System
2020-2021 - Winter
Team: 2
Team Members
Madeleine Joseph
William Evernden
Tyler Ellison
Colton Mullican
There is a need to actively measure, model and predict mass (air with particulates) flow in large buildings such as Atkinson Hall at the University of California, San Diego. Such a system can aid in controlling flow that produces desired environmental conditions and/or reduces the transport of unwanted harmful particles such as viruses.
MRI Safe Hybrid-Fluid Actuator
2020-2021 - Winter
Team: 9
The design and manufacture of a hybrid air-water actuator system, which provides mechanical power transmission over a distance and enables usage of electric motors in robot-assisted intraoperative CT & MRI surgeries.
Endotracheal Tube Support System
2020-2021 - Spring
Team: 7
The purpose of the endotracheal tube support system is to reduce the pressure placed on the posterior larynx by the endotracheal tube during the length of the intubation period. Our team developed a sleek, strong, and durable clip which, once applied, guides the endotracheal tube to bend away from the posterior larynx therefore decreasing the chance of the patient’s voice box being permanently injured while intubated.
MRI Compatible Hydraulic Arm
2020-2021 - Spring
Team: 21
Sponsored by UC San Diego’s Advanced Robotics and Controls Lab, this project focused on the development of a MRI compatible hydraulic arm, which serves as a base for future research and development. The project’s motivation was to develop a system that can robotically perform needle biopsies to enable physicians to diagnose and operate on medical conditions without requiring line-of-sight to the anatomy.
Baseball Fielding Machine
2020-2021 - Winter
Team: 1
Team Members
Tyler Collins
Nicolas Compton
Dain Lee
Don Lee
A remote-controlled baseball fielding machine capable of launching balls up to 70 mph and aiming up/down/right/left at various trajectories.
Solar Turbines Alignment Mechanism
2020-2021 - Spring
Team: 5
Team Members
Nigel Coseip
Alberto Guardado
Vicente Lopez-Espinosa
Daniel Lopez Villa
Nicholas Pereyda
The purpose of this project was to investigate a new mounting foot design for a Solar Turbines Titan-250 turbine. Our solution would need to incorporate an actuation method which can produce precise movement, and a locking mechanism capable of arresting the feet under all conditions. The team identified two actuation solutions: a set of jacking bolts, and a worm gear screw jack. Both designs have their own advantages such as cost, maintenance, and ease of operation.
Precision Hydrogel Injector
2020-2021 - Spring
Team: 10
We focus on a biomedical device that creates a suction mechanism to grip onto a rat intestine model and is built with an insertion tunnel that allows a hydrogel syringe to inject the fluid at the intestinal site. The 3D printed device successfully gripped the rat intestine underwater, through which 1 μL water with red dye was injected. Red staining of the intestinal wall indicated successful delivery into the submucosal layer.
Trifinger Robot
2020-2021 - Winter
Team: 3
Team Members
Jan Dustin Tengdyantono
Jonathan Goenadibrata
Joseph Murad
Sebastian Podiono
A three-finger manipulator with 9 degrees of freedom, designed for Autonomous Research & Development capable of performing various tasks within its free workspace. The plan is to design a robot to be able to hold on and lift a specific object within a given coordinate frame and move it to a different specified location with precision and accuracy.
Wheelchair Accessible Tesla Project
2020-2021 - Spring
Team: 3
Our project is to develop a plan to modify a Tesla to be wheelchair accessible.
General Atomics: Robotic Handling
2020-2021 - Spring
Team: 13
This project analyzes the quality control of very small spherical capsules that are used to hold gases in a process called Inertial Confinement Fusion (ICF). The surface roughness and sphericity of the capsules affect the ICF process so they must be mapped using an atomic force microscope. General Atomics uses a robotic arm to re-orient the capsule to map the entire surface. The reorientation process has been found to contribute ~3° of rotational error which this project investigates.
Hamud Universal Upright Vehicle Rack
2020-2021 - Spring
Team: 29
The purpose of this project was to develop a universal vehicle equipment rack that could accommodate various types of sporting equipment. The problem statement was to design and manufacture a modular rack that was: versatile with many types of equipment, durable to withstand a maximum load of 430 lbs, and cost-efficient to be less than current competitors.
Formula SAE Traction Control
2020-2021 - Spring
Team: 12
UC San Diego’s Formula SAE team, Triton Racing, has been improving the power output of their engine year after year, making it difficult for student drivers to control the car. A traction control system was implemented to assist amateur drivers in maximizing the car’s performance by electronically controlling the engine output to ensure tire wheel grip remains in the optimum range throughout various driving scenarios.
XLence AM 3D Inertion Printer
2020-2021 - Spring
Team: 27
Team Members
Team Member 1: Adan Ruiz
Team Member 2: Puning Zhu
Team Member 3: Kennan Gonzales
Team Member 4: Bradley Robison
Team Member 5: Martyn Lizarraga
The XLence AM 3D Inertion Printer team focused on a novel method for metal 3D printers using argon and a fluidics loop to replace the vacuum chamber and maintain less than 1% oxygen concentration in the printing area. Successful completion of the project greatly reduces the cost of metal 3D printers and allows smaller engineering companies easier access to them.
Improving Automated COVID-19 Testing Workflows: Pipette Challenge
2020-2021 - Spring
Team: 32
The goal of this project was to optimize COVID-19 testing workflows, allowing for more daily testing and faster results. The problem was boiled down to test tube orientation. The status quo at the EXCITE Lab was for technicians to manually align the test tubes' barcodes in a rack before placing them into a machine that scans the tubes. This wasted about two hours daily. Our solution is a detachable piece that forces the correct alignment of each tube, removing the manual alignment step entirely.
Cohu Temperature Control
2020-2021 - Spring
Team: 20
Team Members
Nathan Zager
Matthew Soohoo
Harrison Lew
Emmanuel Gharehbekloo
Ronald Law
The Cohu Temperature Control project, sponsored by Cohu Inc. and in conjunction with the project sponsor, Steve Wetzel, aimed to create a marketable flow control module for the Cohu Delta MATRiX semiconductor handler.
Development of Advanced Hose Clamp
2020-2021 - Spring
Team: 18
This project focuses on the development of a new hose clamp to be used in Wildland firefighting to stop the high-pressure flow in a fire hose to attach more hoses. The project achieved this goal through testing and modeling the hose used by firefighters to get a better understanding of the force needed to restrict the flow of water. The team designed, analyzed and prototyped a newer hose clamp. This clamp will be less expensive, durable, and easier to use than existing hose clamp models.
Solar Turbines: Ancillary Quick Disconnect
2020-2021 - Spring
Team: 16
A vacuum test platform was designed and manufactured in order to test both installation/removal times of clamps and bolts as well as ensure the connection solution maintained a vacuum of up to 4 in Hg. Undermount toggle clamps in combination with a neoprene foam gasket is a proposed solution to replace the current use of bolts and Sikaflex.
Cerebellar Dependent Learning
2020-2021 - Winter
Team: 19
An improved apparatus utilized to measure cerebellum dependent learning via delayed eyeblink Pavlovian conditioning for UCSD neuroscience researcher Dr. Cole Ferguson. The system administers an LED flash stimulus followed by a puff of air to the mouse’s eye, then measures its blink response time with Matlab image processing software.
Automated Control of Material Structure with Electrical Impedance Monitoring
2020-2021 - Spring
Team: 4
The objective of this project is to automate the heating process for a metal-salt nanocomposite material given a target impedance spectra. Our controller makes data analysis and the sintering process more efficient for the lab in terms of time and result replication.
UCSD Medical - Blood Pressure Cuff
2020-2021 - Spring
Team: 9
Team Members
Austin Chung
Albert Hernandez
Jeffrey Onuma
Jordan Wong
Three mechanical shields have been designed to prevent external forces from affecting blood pressure readings during surgery.
Articulet: An Articulating Endotracheal Tube Stylet
2020-2021 - Spring
Team: 36
A lightweight, single-use stylet that gives users real time control of an endotracheal tube, ARTICULET can bend up to 90 degrees on its distal end to reduce intubation time while minimizing complications.
Precious Plastic
2020-2021 - Winter
Team: 17
The Precious Plastic team is working on improving the user experience of machinery to be used in an upcoming plastic makerspace. These machines will help the local community repurpose their plastic waste into new plastic products. The WI21 team was able to implement several components into a plastic injection machine for this makerspace and suggest future improvements to be worked on. With all the added components, the machine session time was reduced by an average of 43% so far.
Endoscopic Tissue Stapler
2020-2021 - Spring
Team: 34
An specialized tissue stapler designed to close hard-to-reach wounds in the throat region following endoscopic procedures by deploying stainless steel staples similar to traditional skin staplers. Accompanying the stapler are a staple die for stamping the specialized staples, a staple cartridge for sanitary and efficient loading, and a staple removal tip allowing for easy staple extraction once the wound has healed.
Endoscope Torque Applicator
2020-2021 - Spring
Team: 35
The objective is to design, build, test, and document a device that can reduce the stress on a doctor’s body when performing an endoscopy by applying mechanical advantage while exerting the necessary forces to perform a colonoscopy. The device must be a cheap, disposable tool or a durable, easy to clean tool that can replace the current hand and towel combination. Finally, the device must not alter the overall procedure as that will impose a training cost on the hospital.
