Previous ASME Award Winner
Recent Departmental Runner Up Awards
Capstone Design Projects
Nanospray Ionization
2003-2004 - Winter
Team: 3
Team Members
Sherry Chaumpluke
Debby Grunewald
Soren Harrison
Phuong Tran
Flying Reagent Dispenser
2003-2004 - Winter
Team: 2
Team Members
J. Armando Chavez
Won Tae Joe
James Chung
Chris Schmidt
Satoshi Kuwahara
Bead Bonding
2003-2004 - Winter
Team: 1
Team Members
Matt Mycroft
Stephanie Hoffman
Joann Luu
Adam Kimmerly
Classroom Table Extension
2003-2004 - Spring
Team: 9
Team Members
Joey Ho
Mary Le
Michael Yang
Sundana Chung
Tactile Navigation Interface
2003-2004 - Spring
Team: 8
Team Members
Laura Chao
Alice Duong
Gustavo Garcia
Yachtbot
2003-2004 - Spring
Team: 7
Team Members
Wayne Husband
Nicolas Padagas
Eric Mellers
Rebecca Denson
Joe Kilcoyne
Microscope Positioner
2003-2004 - Spring
Team: 6
Team Members
Thomas Scholl
Jeffrey Heil
David Hauser
Mike Di Lauro
Gas Turbine Fuel Mixer
2003-2004 - Spring
Team: 5
Team Members
Luca Brammer
James Gregg
Tuan Ong
Danielle Robles
Liquid Silica Dispenser
2003-2004 - Spring
Team: 4
Team Members
Aaron Davis
Chris Cobb
Justin Searcy
Lane Carlson
Skateboard Router
2003-2004 - Spring
Team: 3
Team Members
Elia Fehme
Dan Smith
Kyle Kleinschmidt
Dave Wiens
Acoustic Measurement Device, sponsor Navy Marine Mammal Program
2003-2004 - Spring
Team: 1
Team Members
Brandon Braga
Robert Hughes
Jeff Smith
Doug Spence
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.
Spar Mooring for Ocean Turbulence Measurements
2020-2021 - Winter
Team: 10
Team Members
Eliran Q. Lenard
Ayesha Riaz
Horim Yu
Erik Zamarripa
Geno Pawlak and the EFD Lab are conducting a research study seeking to quantify the hydrodynamic mechanisms in kelp forests. The spar mooring for ocean turbulence measurements was a design solution for securely housing the acoustic doppler velocimeters that record flow data during deployments.
Intraoperative Tissue Biomechanics Sensor
2020-2021 - Winter
Team: 14
Intraoperative, handheld devices designed to provide real time values of stress and strain within nerve tissue.
Dermal Cooling Vest
2020-2021 - Winter
Team: 13
Team Members
Joshua Choi
Tyler Compo
Edgar Favila
Vladimir Melnik
Jocelyne A. Perdomo Kú
Improper thermoregulation can be seen in field workers who perform physical activity in hot and/or humid environments. Medical patients can also experience it as a symptom or side effect of the treatment of certain diseases. In these cases, cooling vests can be used to remove excess heat from the skin which assists in thermoregulation. Our sponsor, Dr. José R. Suárez, proposes a novel cooling vest that utilizes thermoelectric cooling devices (Peltier devices).
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
Adjustable Head Mount for Augmented Reality Facial Motion Tracking System
2020-2021 - Winter
Team: 15
Augmented Reality is used for face-to-face conversations with another digitally projected person in a shared virtual space. A crucial element for this experience is the ability to digitize the users’ facial expressions and body motions authentically. The Augmented Reality Head Mount serves as a self-contained, wearable system for facial and body tracking. It consists of two cameras, IMUs, a battery and a StereoPi attached to a Microsoft HoloLens 2 main frame using 3D-printed component mounts.
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.
Tracheostomy Support System
2020-2021 - Winter
Team: 7
Nearly 85,000 Americans receive a tracheostomy annually. Amongst them, about 12.5% develop skin deteriorations and pain due to prolonged contact with ventilation tubing. Our project addresses this issue through the use of an inflatable silicone support that can automatically adjust based on force sensor readings. This device aims to tackle an unaddressed global problem in the hospital with a novel design idea centered around biocompatible materials, control automation, and air flow mechanics.
Sole Survivors
2020-2021 - Winter
Team: 12
This project focused on creating a solution to reduce the amount of stingray stings for a user, which could be achieved by either a footwear item that is puncture proof or a deterrent that scares away stingrays before they are able to be of harm. The team created a footwear item named “Sole Survivors” that is puncture resistant in key areas on the sole, top, and back of a user's foot to protect the user from the stingray’s venom.
Ultrasound Transducer Guide for Dental Imaging
2020-2021 - Winter
Team: 16
The ultrasound transducer guidance system was designed to aid the process of scanning the oral cavity while collecting necessary position data for 3D image reconstruction. The manually operated device has a patient position their head on a chin rest while the operator manipulates the transducer. An axial encoder and a linear encoder gather the position data of the transducer tip during the ultrasound scanning process which will be used by our sponsor to reconstruct 3D images of the oral cavity.
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.
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.
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.
