ENGINEERING PROJECT SUMMARIES

Bio-inspired educational robots play a crucial role in bridging the gap between biology and engineering by providing interactive and tangible demonstrations of complex biological concepts. These robots help make abstract scientific phenomena more accessible and engaging for learners of all ages.  The student will support the development of such robots. These robots will be designed to replicate biological processes accurately and illustrate clear causal input-output relationships, offering visitors an immersive learning experience. The project is an opportunity to engage in interdisciplinary work at the intersection of biology, engineering, and education, contributing to the creation of impactful educational tools.

In response to the growing national need for skilled geoscientists, this project aims to develop an innovative online educational program that integrates geography, mathematics, biology, and physics through geoscience and paleontology applications. By demonstrating how these disciplines intersect in real-world contexts, the program seeks to enhance high school and early college students' understanding and interest in geosciences. This interdisciplinary approach not only addresses the anticipated shortage of geoscientists but also highlights the critical role of geoscience in solving global challenges.

The project involves creating and refining engaging learning materials that will effectively teach complex concepts by showing their practical applications. The student will play a crucial role in reviewing existing learning materials, creating new content, embedding media from geological fieldwork, and assisting in the design and implementation of the online program. Additionally, the student will communicate with various stakeholders, including educators and paleontologists, to ensure the content is accurate, relevant, and aligned with educational goals.

Nanocoatings have emerged as a transformative technology, offering unprecedented control over material properties at the nanoscale, enabling the development of highly functional devices with enhanced mechanical, thermal, and electrical characteristics. This project focuses on the innovative assembly process for nanomaterial coatings, which leverages real-time techniques to coat various substrates with precision and uniformity. By integrating advanced 3D printing methods, we plan to achieve simultaneous deposition and patterning of nanomaterials, facilitating the creation of complex, multifunctional structures. This approach not only enhances the performance and durability of coated materials but also opens new avenues in the fabrication of next-generation devices, including sensors, wearable electronics, and biomedical implants. The impact of this work lies in its potential to transform the manufacturing of high-performance, customizable materials, driving forward applications in fields such as healthcare, aerospace, and environmental monitoring.

Additive manufacturing has revolutionized our ability to produce prototypes and functional engineering parts. The primary advantage to additive manufacturing is its ability to create specialized geometries previously inaccessible by traditional subtractive manufacturing. While the technology has found widespread consumer adoption for decorative and functional items, it has also begun to permeate the industrial sector. For example, metal additive manufacturing has already found its way into rockets, aircraft, and automobiles. However, when it comes to academic and industrial research, the potential of additive manufacturing has not been fully realized.

Experimental research has historically been limited by access to expensive testing equipment. With the recent revolution of additive manufacturing, anybody can make high-performance parts affordably. While 3D-printed components can be found in many laboratories across the world, there is no repository of designs for research equipment or consolidated information about the research-relevant properties of commercially available 3D-printer filaments.

This project aims to lay the foundation for a 3D-lab, an affordable, versatile laboratory accessible to anyone with fundamental knowledge in engineering and a passion for discovery. By driving down the cost of equipment, we can increase research accessibility to more brilliant minds around the world.

The first stage of the project consists of constructing and tuning a fused filament 3D-printer capable of printing engineering-grade components. The first stage also consists of documenting research-relevant properties for commercially available polymer filament. All processes and testing will be documented and made available online through open-source repositories.