Spring Senior Design Expo

The William States Lee College of Engineering held its spring-semester Senior Design Expo on May 6, 2019. Teams who started in fall 2018 presented their completed two-semester projects, while teams who started in spring 2019 presented their first-semester design-concept posters.

The three completed projects judged the best were:

First Place – NASA Student Launch Competition (USLI_COMP4)
Project Overview – The NASA University Student Launch Initiative (USLI) involved students in designing, building and testing a reusable rocket with a scientific payload. The project required documentation of proof-of concept for designs, community outreach, and oral presentations to NASA engineers and staff.

Second Place – Stabilus – Gas Spring Pressure Testing Device for DOT Requirements (STAB_TEST)
Project Overview – Design of a tester to secure pressure tubes of various diameters and pressurize the tube up to 400 Bar. The tests had to be fast, less than 2 minutes, and visually indicate whether the tube passed the test.

Third Place – Duke Energy – Blockchain P2P Trading (DUKE_BLOCK)
Project Overview – The primary focus was to develop a peer-to-peer (P2P) Blockchain platform for facilitating energy transactions between residential and commercial customers. The proof of concept was designed using IoT devices and PCs.

The awards for teams presenting the best final Senior Design project videos went to:

First place – Husqvarna – Design of a Petrol Zero-Turn Mower to Include Integrated Charging Stations (HUSQ_CHARG)) – Riding lawnmower modified to add mechanical and electrical modifications to charge handheld device batteries.

Second Place – Husqvarna – Telescope/Tilt Steering Wheel (HUSQ_STEER) – Riding lawnmower modified to replace fixed steering system with tilt/telescope.

Third Place – Schaeffler Group – Vision Inspection System (SG_VISION) – Vision inspection system for Schaeffler parts.

At the Expo, the Senior Design team introduced the new People’s Choice Award to recognize the favorite first-semester Senior Design 1 project. The winner was the Caterpillar Redesign of Cab Access System for Front End Loader (CAT_LADD) project.

Providing students with an innovative, hands-on learning experience, the Senior Design Program at UNC Charlotte is educating engineering students, supporting industry partners and benefiting the State of North Carolina. The program teaches students how to apply their years of math, science, and engineering knowledge to solve the unique problems presented by many progressive North Carolina companies. The William States Lee College of Engineering encourages multi-disciplinary projects that involve engineering and technology solutions in the disciplines of mechanical, electrical, computer, systems, environmental and civil engineering.