Previous ASME Award Winner
Recent Departmental Runner Up Awards
Capstone Design Projects
Sub Sea Sonics
2023-2024 - Winter
Team: 11
Sub Sea Sonics looked to tackle communication issues that come with deep sea fishing. Fishermen had no reliable and cost effective way of logging the dropped positions of their fishing gear. This not only made fishing difficult but allowed some to fish in endangered locations. Team 11 designed a system that can log the telemetry of fishing gear and that can operate under high sea pressures. This device consisted of a pressure vessel, tracking electronics, software, and a battery system.
Kidney Transplant Pump
2023-2024 - Spring
Team: 16
The kidney is placed in a sealed transparent chamber with tubing and blood drainage openings, on a perforated stainless-steel platform for monitoring. Perfusate flows to an external reservoir, recirculating nutrient-rich blood cells via a peristaltic pump, simulating natural blood circulation. An oxygenator mimics lung function, while a heating system maintains temperature. Integrated sensors monitor flow rate and pressure, ensuring conditions meet specifications.
Neuroscience Accessory for Mice Brain Transverse Hippocampus Section
2023-2024 - Spring
Team: 11
Team Members
Diego Gonzalez
Elise Rehder
Griffith Nguyen
Sandra Naranjo-Heredia
Sydney Tom
Our design is based on the existing buffer tray for the Leica VT1000S Vibratome along with the addition of a rotating stage with various angles for sectioning up to 45 degrees, which was done to simplify the sectioning process.
SE ARMOR Lab Smart Pill Bottle
2022-2023 - Spring
Team: 23
Partnering with UC San Diego's Active, Responsive, Multifunctional, and Ordered-materials Research (ARMOR) Lab and SANO Healthcare Consultants, our project aims to produce a custom pill bottle cap that is able to dispense a single pill at a time for different types and shapes of pills, and be operated by one hand with a low-cost multifunctional cap
Smartfin
2022-2023 - Spring
Team: 27
In order to keep track of climate change, it's important to measure oceanic data from all areas of the ocean; however, shorelines are difficult to measure due to their constantly changing environments. In order to combat this issue, the Smartfin was made. The Smartfin is a custom surfboard fin that can measure oceanic metrics using embedded electronics. Our team's goals were to create a documentation process for the construction of these fins, and to strengthen them.
Instrumented Epidural Needle Injector
2022-2023 - Spring
Team: 31
This device uses two pressure sensors and a piezoelectric pump to measure the pressure drop in the system as the needle advances through the different layers of a patient’s tissue. The device attaches to an epidural needle, accurately detects the resistance the needle feels, and notifies the doctor once the needle enters the epidural space.
High-precision system for humidifying dry air streams in greenhouse gas analyzers
2022-2023 - Spring
Team: 29
The high-precision system for humidifying dry air streams in Greenhouse Gas (GHG) analyzers is necessary for researchers at Scripps Institution of Oceanography to accurately measure GHG content in the atmosphere. This requires the introduction of a stable air sample with adjustable moisture content into their GHG analyzers. This project’s goal is to design a mixing chamber and attached piezo circuit to atomize dry air to a range of 0.01-1% that can be used to calibrate the optical GHG analyzers.
Semiconductor Test Bench Temperature Control Unit
2022-2023 - Spring
Team: 18
Designing a temperature control unit, used for semiconductor testing, to be inexpensive, easily repairable, and manufactured hsing comercially available parts
An Underwater Robotic Vehicle For Plankton Imaging
2022-2023 - Spring
Team: 30
Plankton imaging devices are important tools for environmental research, yet there are no affordable and open-source options, making it inaccessible for many researchers in the field. The Plankton Imaging Robot solves this gap as an open-source device with parts that can be purchased and 3D printed. It can move through the ocean up to 50 meters. The robot captures images of plankton inside a flow channel within the housing, where a thruster pulls water through as the device descends.
Ocean Well RO Membrane Characterization
2022-2023 - Spring
Team: 28
Team Members
Parker Knopf
Jennifer Hernandez-Mora
Nikhil Iyengar
Karina Plascencia
Jaden Gilliam
To design, manufacture, and empirically test a Reverse-Osmosis membrane (RO membrane) with the intent of finding flow rate and pressure drop due to an axial thruster. This testing rig would then be used to test other RO membranes. Integrated with submersible flow and pressure sensors data was collected and displayed for the user during testing. Wet testing of the device provided linear relationships between power, pressure drop, and flow rate.
Adaptive Motorized Swing
2022-2023 - Spring
Team: 1
Team Members
Fadi Shaba
Brandon Char
Faith Edrosolano
Angelica Stuczynski
Roman Schlichting
UCSD alumni, Michaelle and Kevin, fund a project to assist their son Tristan, who suffers from a KCNH1 gene mutation causing severe symptoms including sleep disturbances. Currently outgrowing his baby swing, a crucial sleep aid, this project aims to create a motorized, adaptable rocking swing suitable for Tristan's growth, utilizing a basic glider and crank rocker mechanism, operating from 0-67 RPM.
Ionic Cleaning System for Optical Surfaces
2022-2023 - Spring
Team: 2
Team Members
Manuel D. Ochoa-Ochoa
Roberto S. Medina
Erik D. Mauricio Jimenez
Luis E. Cruz Acosta
Sound Imaging's MRI Visor
2022-2023 - Spring
Team: 3
Team Members
Blake Iwaisako
Isaac Kim
Kevin Nouneh
Ibrahim Shalwani
Ryan McKinney
Elephant Behavior Monitoring Anklet
2022-2023 - Spring
Team: 20
Team Members
Janet Hawatmeh
Jason Howard
Tara Len
Christina Neil
Jolie Tran
Design and fabrication of an elephant anklet to encase a sensor stack collecting inertial data to monitor elephant health.
Microinjector System to Study Cell Migration
2022-2023 - Spring
Team: 4
The creation of a microinjector system to study cell migration is a project sponsored by Dr. Tracy Handel, Dr. Rina Salanga, and Dr. Leire Borrega Roman, who work at Handel Lab in UCSD Skaggs School of Pharmacy. They have identified a need for a more robust research tool that would allow for detailed studies of a cells’ journey to higher chemokine gradient, rather than observing only the beginning and end results.
TritonAI Autonomous Racing eVGoKart Emergency Brake
2022-2023 - Spring
Low Cost Microsurgical Training Instrument
2022-2023 - Spring
Team: 5
Team Members
Allison Lee
Christina Tensfeldt
Suhayb Adan
Ryan Tran
Low Cost Microvascular Training Clamp, a realistic training alternative to surgical grade clamps. Hoping to improve healthcare curriculum and ultimately, patient outcomes.
FSAE Electric Vehicle Accumulator Container
2022-2023 - Spring
Team: 10
A first-gen prototype of an FSAE compliant battery pack for UCSD's formula team to build off of as they transition toward EV production
3D Terrain Scanner
2022-2023 - Winter
Team: 5
We have been tasked with the development of a portable 3D scanner using a camera and laser in order to obtain topographic data for small-scale (<0.5 square meters) field locations. The device will connect to a laptop and output topographic data in a text file. This data can be used to track and/or model paths of motion for insects as well as biologically-inspired microrobots to support the research efforts of Gravish Lab.
Neonatal Resuscitator
2022-2023 - Spring
Team: 6
Team Members
Ahmed Cheruvattam
Howard Tsang
Umar Usman
Warren Chang
Mock Flow Loop for Novel Endovascular Surgery Graft Creation
2022-2023 - Winter
James Webb Space Telescope Replica
2022-2023 - Winter
Team: 8
Team Members
Team Member 1: Natalia Bautista
Team Member 2: Jian Qin
Team Member 3: Benjamin Noriega
Team Member 4: Yuhuai Song
The main objective of the project is to build a replica of the James Webb for the purpose of demonstrating to people outside of the realm of engineering how telescopes similar to it captures amazing images like those that have been released recently. The replica is to reflect laser light from distant locations within a room, sport a similar structure/folding mechanism.
Orthopedic Fracture and Dislocation Reduction Trainer
2022-2023 - Spring
Team: 7
Team Members
Michael Zeng
Manuel Secundino Delgado
Weisen Liu
Marcela Muñoz Martinez
The team has developed a 3D-printed orthopedic trainer for medical students. It simulates "nursemaid's elbow," a children's radial head subluxation, and instructs on the "supination technique" for correction. The left-arm prototype provides real-time feedback with a 'click' sensation and sound to mimic actual treatment procedures, replacing the radius bone with a special mechanism for accuracy and aesthetics.
Design of a Miniature Flow Control Valve
2022-2023 - Spring
Team: 26
Team Members
Bora Gursel
Manoel Aguirre Lara
Michael Gigoux
Matthew Cordova
Anannaya Vij
This project, in collaboration with and sponsored by Cohu, focuses on development and
subsequent integration of a remote actuated flow valve into a self developed test stand in order to test
semiconductors, thermal subsystems, and semiconductor automated test equipment to be used
by a wide range of industries, including but not limited to automotives, and aerospace.
subsequent integration of a remote actuated flow valve into a self developed test stand in order to test
semiconductors, thermal subsystems, and semiconductor automated test equipment to be used
by a wide range of industries, including but not limited to automotives, and aerospace.
UCSD Scripps Ultra-quiet Autonomous Underwater Vehicle
2022-2023 - Winter
Team: 7
An ultra-quiet autonomous underwater vehicle capable of identifying, tracking, and imaging objects to be used to study and track fish up to 100 m deep.
The Dark Cool Helmet
2022-2023 - Spring
Team: 8
The "Dark Cool Helmet" Project, sponsored by Wearable Sensing, aims to improve their fNIR+EEG headset product's reliability. Designed to prevent sensor saturation from sweat or light intrusion, the project also prioritizes user comfort, marketability, and product longevity. By utilizing active cooling and light-blocking subsystems, combined with custom and off-the-shelf components, the helmet promises an affordable, reliable solution.
Illumina Fluid Cartridge Project
2022-2023 - Spring
Team: 21
Illumina shipped their fluid cartridges with dry ice to keep reagents at the right temperature but due to environmental impact and shipping costs, the company decided to use lyophilization. The reagents are dehydrated and rehydrated back on site so the company needs an efficient mixing strategy to make genome sequencing more efficient.
Air Powered Soft Robotic Toy
2022-2023 - Spring
Team: 22
Team Members
Sofia Guerrero
Gabrielle Hart
Drago Vasile
Hector Arredondo
Antoinette Gautier
The goal of this project was to improve on the design of the "Huggable Pet", a soft robotic toy for children ages 6-12 that is designed to hug using a completely air powered system.
Manufacture and Characterization of a Rolling Diaphragm Actuator for MRI Procedures
2021-2022 - Spring
Team: 1
MRI machines are underutilized for conducing procedures like biopsies due to their lack of access points and compatible materials. Robots, such as that of the Yip Lab, are being developed to enable doctors further range of motion within the MRI chamber, but there are several complicating factors to be considered. This project seeks to dive deeper and evaluate the feasibility of the rolling diaphragm actuation mechanism of the Yip Lab robot.
Fenestrated Escharotomy Instrument
2021-2022 - Spring
Team: 11
The material properties of human skin when exposed to flames or high temperatures change and lose their necessary elasticity. An area of interest is the chest and torso skin, where burnt skin can cause tightness in the chest and impede normal breathing. We seek to develop an incision device to produce a mesh pattern on the surface of the skin to allow for expansion and relieve pressure from the tightening of the skin.
