This team is working with the Savannah River Plutonium Processing Facility, or SRPPF, to develop a quick-change workholding solution for their vacuum-based pot chucks. The current fixturing process is time-consuming and requires manual adjustments to align parts concentrically with the lathe axis. The project aims to design, prototype and test a solution that enables fast,…

This team is collaborating with Los Alamos National Laboratory, or LANL, to develop a wearable robotic exoskeleton that reduces operator fatigue caused by prolonged use of gloveboxes in plutonium handling. LANL researchers face significant muscle strain due to unnatural arm and shoulder positions required by these devices. The project aims to improve portability, usability and…

In collaboration with Honeywell Aerospace, this team is developing a low-SWaP drone flight controller to improve UAV stability, efficiency and modularity. Current flight controllers face issues like gyro drift, high power consumption and limited adaptability. The solution integrates the Honeywell I400 MEMS IMU with an STM32 microcontroller for high-precision stability under 5W power. The modular…

Xnrgy, an HVAC design and manufacturing company, aims to enhance their systems. Current fan array systems maintain a consistent speed across the entire array, often designed for maximum load situations. The project explores the potential efficiency gains from using an algorithm to automatically reduce the number of fans running when a reduced load is detected….

The team is collaborating with the Marine Corps to address the challenge of clearing foreign object debris, FOD, from civilian roadways without taking up valuable cargo space in transport vehicles. Current FOD removal solutions are bulky and inefficient, making transportation to remote locations difficult. The goal is to design a compact, transportable device that clears…

The team is working with Summit Automation to develop a Bluetooth adapter for their boards and an app to control it. Summit Automation specializes in automated door systems and approached the team to create Bluetooth modules for their system. Sponsor Summit Automation

Sandia National Laboratories specializes in navigation and instrumentation for military and defense aerospace applications. However, some navigation systems can be complex and may lack precision or accuracy, posing issues for road safety, military operations and rescue missions due to insufficient location data. Developing more precise and accurate navigation systems could revolutionize urban planning, logistics and…

Reyes Coca-Cola, a key bottling partner of The Coca-Cola Company, faces challenges in monitoring conveyor belt performance within their autonomous production facilities. Currently, operators only become aware of belt issues once production is affected, delaying troubleshooting. The team’s solution is a sensor-based monitoring system that measures conveyor speed and transmits real-time data wirelessly via Wi-Fi…

Rayva Inc., a leader in integrated solar solutions, specializes in solar products that replace roofing tiles or asphalt shingles. Their products are designed for installation during new construction or roof replacements. This team was tasked with designing a mounting system for their asphalt shingle product that incorporates passive cooling. Solar panels tend to heat up…

Northrop Grumman, a leading U.S. defense and aerospace company, has tasked Team 18 with designing a device to continuously measure the recession rate of Thermal Protective Systems, or TPS. TPS materials are used on the exterior of Northrop Grumman Launch Vehicles to protect equipment and crew during atmospheric re-entry and supersonic flight by ablating. The…