The 2024 Senior Capstone course in mechanical engineering was taught by Daichi Fujioka. To learn more about the mechanical engineering projects, please email Daichi Fujioka.
If it moves, a mechanical engineer probably had something to do with it. From automobiles, airplanes and space shuttles to robots, artificial limbs and biochips – all moving and transforming our future. Visit the Department of Mechanical Engineering.
Explore student projects in mechanical engineering.
Students: Kyle Larsen, Jaylen Hurtado, Jordan Nissen, Hayden Haelsig, Calhan Erickson
Dynamic Wings is a bio-inspired morphing wing project focused on improving aerodynamic performance through controlled flexibility. Instead of using a traditional fixed winglet or hinged control surface, the design integrates a flexible, actuated wingtip that changes shape in real time. The goal is to demonstrate how adaptive geometry can reduce drag, improve stability, and increase control authority, particularly for small aircraft and UAV applications. The wing combines a rigid primary structure with a compliant outer section engineered to withstand aerodynamic loads while allowing smooth, repeatable deflection. The system was developed using parametric CAD, additive manufacturing, and embedded electromechanical components to create a compact and integrated mechanism. Computational fluid dynamics and structural analysis were used to evaluate aerodynamic performance and stress distribution under loading conditions.
Students: Bobbie VanSant, Renae Maxson, Taylor Jensen, Kevin Meyers, Ian Davis
We are creating a gearshift system that can attach and detach from a wheelchair. The goal of this is to make it easier for a wheelchair user to traverse inclines. Currently, using a manual wheelchair daily, especially on inclines, causes significant upper extremity strain. With a gearshift installed, the user would be able to select different gear ratios to ease travel. Additionally, having a system that utilizes a user's existing wheelchair makes the device cheaper for the user and to produce.
Students: Emily McAffee, Otto Klippenstein, Reyes Reynaga, Miles Hamburg, Aidan Gomes
This project focuses on the design and validation of a fully mechanical, modular finger prosthetic intended for individuals missing the middle and distal phalanges. Unlike many existing finger prostheses that prioritize cosmetic appearance or rely heavily on electronics, this design emphasizes functionality, durability, and user independence through a purely mechanical system. The prosthetic restores basic finger motion while incorporating a detachable fingertip mechanism that allows users to quickly switch between multiple functional attachments. The interchangeable tips include a standard fingertip for everyday use and touchscreen interaction, as well as specialized tools such as a pen, screwdriver, flashlight, and laser pointer. This modular approach enables users to adapt the prosthetic to a wide range of daily tasks without requiring multiple devices. The design prioritizes comfort, ergonomics, and reliability while remaining lightweight, affordable, and easy to maintain. Additive manufacturing methods allow for rapid prototyping and customization to accommodate individual user needs. Overall, this project aims to improve accessibility, versatility, and quality of life for individuals with partial finger amputations by providing a single, adaptable prosthetic solution that supports independence in everyday and professional activities.
Students: Dean Follmer, Kaden Neuman, Carson Beers, Joey Guariglia, Aidan De Los Reyes
The emergency power system will target propeller driven aircraft's with the goal of providing power to the electrical systems after engine failure. The main engine will act as a small power generator allowing for the use of critical systems.This will be modelled with a remote control aircraft modified to include a kill switch and alternate circuit pathways. The brushless motor will have the ability to generate enough power off of the air resistance experience on the propeller.
Students: Andrew Rounds, Jared Anderson, Nolan Chase, Eli Davidson, Tyler Lloyd
In Formula SAE, a student design, build, and race series, teams are constantly pushing for more performance out of their vehicles. Top performing teams have switched to using outboard motor technology because of the numerous competitive benefits such as reduced weight, AWD systems, and torque vectoring. These outboard motor systems use motors mounted directly to the upright of the suspension instead of the common inboard motor-differential-driveshaft setup. The elimination of inboard components reduces weight significantly because, along with eliminating whole components like the differential and chain drive, all the mounting structures for these components are no longer required. It would be expected that transitioning to outboard hub-motors on the UNR car would reduce the overall weight by up to 25kg. This package will be designed around a motor from Drivetrain Innovation, a retailer of FSAE oriented motor and inverter packages. The scope of the project involves: designing an upright body, designing a drive hub, designing and optimizing a compound planetary gear set that will be housed in the upright for gear reduction, designing a cooling system for the motor, and designing other constituent parts needed for the attachment of the motor to the upright assembly.
Students: Lance Turnham, Parker Auerweck, Elian Olivares-Lara, Mason Paul, Gavin Wesley
Smart-Hydroponics, developed by Team H2Grow, is a modular smart growing system designed to optimize plant health through automation and real time monitoring. The system integrates pH and moisture sensors with controlled nutrient delivery to maintain ideal growing conditions while minimizing water and resource waste. Each individual plant pod features a built-in reservoir, dedicated sensor housing, and a recirculating water design to improve efficiency and plant health. A centralized pump and solenoid-controlled drip system distribute nutrients directly to each pod, allowing for precise and scalable growth management. The modular architecture enables users to expand the system easily, making it adaptable for small indoor applications. By combining mechanical design, fluid systems, and embedded sensing technology, Smart-Hydroponics provides a sustainable, user-friendly solution for modern indoor agriculture. Team H2Grow's goal is to make precision hydroponic cultivation more accessible, efficient, and scalable for growers of all experience levels.
Students: Matthew Wetta, Ryan Barney, Caleb Potts, Evan Strother, Joseph Forest
Easy Dispense is an automatic pill bottle opener that is able to precisely dispense the number of pills input into the machine regardless of the pill and container size. This product was designed to assist those who struggle with dexterity and to provide additional autonomy to their lives.
Students: Jake Lambden, Raf Vecchione, Michael Chathem, Cody Arao
In a perfect world, a portable power generation device could produce as much power as you needed in remote or emergency situations. Producing that much power with such a small platform is difficult to achieve. Consequences can include small fires, possible explosions, and no power generation. Our goal is to create a power generating device that is small enough to easily carry in a backpack and provides enough power for the user to power small devices.
Students: Justin Harris, Larsen So, Benjamin Crutchfield, Noah Chavez, Abby Hoon
This project develops an embedded active vortex control system designed to reduce induced drag caused by wingtip vortices. The system uses a recessed synthetic jet actuator that injects controlled bursts of air to weaken the swirling airflow that forms at the tips of aircraft wings. A Pitot Static probe measures airflow velocity, and an onboard ARM microcontroller estimates vortex strength in real time using aerodynamic modeling principles. Based on these calculations, the controller adjusts a low power oscillating diaphragm to deliver precise airflow pulses only when needed. The system operates in a closed feedback loop, allowing continuous micro adjustments during flight to optimize performance while minimizing energy use. An autonomous shutoff feature deactivates the device once vortices have been sufficiently reduced, preventing unnecessary operation. By reducing drag without adding external structures, this technology aims to improve fuel efficiency, lower emissions, and enhance overall aerodynamic performance in a compact, energy efficient design.
Students: Amelia Bogard, Tyler Nagano, Allison Phillips, Alec-Rey Viloria
The problem addressed in this project is the lack of accessible wind tunnels capable of simulating variations in pressure and altitude. Existing wind tunnel systems are typically large, expensive, and fixed installations that require significant space, financial investment, and logistical planning to operate or relocate. As a result, access to aerodynamic testing is often limited to well-funded institutions, making experimental validation costly and restrictive for many aerospace and mechanical engineering applications. The ideal end state of this project is the development of a portable, scalable, and cost-efficient wind tunnel capable of adjusting internal pressure conditions while maintaining reliable and repeatable airflow. The motivation for this project is driven by the need for accessible experimental platforms in undergraduate engineering education. A portable wind tunnel allows students to observe flow behavior, validate theoretical concepts, and conduct controlled experiments without reliance on large institutional facilities. Beyond its educational value, the proposed system offers potential for reuse across multiple courses and research activities, increasing its long-term relevance. By providing an affordable and reliable alternative to traditional wind tunnels, this project seeks to reduce barriers to aerodynamic testing and expand hands-on learning opportunities.
Students: Jacob Heiny, Nathan Russo, Trevor Margetts, Ethan Crawford, David Leonhardt
SolarGuard Systems aims to create a cooling vest with modular cooling regions that can be worn for multiple hours during the heat of the day. It will provide more even cooling to maximize comfort and safety of construction workers when working in high heat environments.
Students: Carter Stone, James Seibel, Erik Norton
This project tasks our team to create a device that can aid in securing a shoe to a foot.This is intended for individuals who struggle with flexability or fine motor controls, and would enable them to wear any shoe without the need for a custom-made shoe or assistance from another person. As a result, the project must produce a small lightweight unit that can attach to a shoe in order to secure laces. In addition, the prototype must be able to withstand weather, terrain, impacts, and movements without issue. Overall, our success will be based on keeping shoelaces taught and the device secure to the shoe throughout daily activites.
Students: Matthew Davidson, James Dornhoefer, Blake Latos, Milo Lawley, Trevor Marlin
Advisors: Blake Muzinich, Advanced Material and Devices (AMAD)
Our team is partnering with Advanced Materials and Devices (AMAD) to redesign their overpressure simulation system used for blast sensor testing. The current setup produces a Friedlander‑type overpressure wave but lacks the control, repeatability, and integrated safety features needed for reliable long‑term research. Our project focuses on developing an improved system architecture that enhances operational safety, enables controlled gas‑mixture handling, and supports consistent, repeatable overpressure wave generation without disclosing or relying on AMAD's proprietary methods or equipment designs. By strengthening system reliability and experimental repeatability, this work supports more accurate sensor evaluation and contributes to ongoing research aimed at understanding and mitigating blast‑related injury risks. The redesigned system will provide a safer, more controlled platform for future overpressure studies while remaining within the engineered scope defined for this capstone effort.
Students: Royce Roque, Chris Velasco, Emma Swetlech, Otoniel Renteria, Aden Gentner
The logistics industry faces persistent inefficiencies driven by outdated pallet designs that cannot adapt to modern supply‑chain demands. Fixed‑size wood and plastic pallets fail to accommodate diverse load geometries, leading to unstable shipments, poor truck cube utilization, and increased handling and transportation costs. When not in use, these pallets consume excessive warehouse space, and current designs do not fully leverage recycled plastics that could reduce environmental impact. Despite clear industry needs, no existing pallet system offers true modularity, structural interlocking, and high‑density nest ability in a single platform. As a result, our team is creating a customizable, space‑efficient, and mechanically robust pallet solution that can scale, interlock, and nest without hardware while meeting contemporary performance and sustainability requirements.
Students: Colton Hope, Pedro Lechuga Gomez, Terrence Silva, Tyler Swanson, Jonathan Stoll
The concept of a fully automated luggage cart is very relevant in the local area of Reno, given there is a major focus on the hotel and casino industry that has thousands of customers moving through it every day along with their luggage. This luggage has to get from point A to B once it enters the hotel. Our project aims to reduce the cost, improve security, and improve efficiency of the process. The BellBot will act as an autonomous safe box for luggage whilst also delivering the luggage in lieu of a bellhop. There's a level of inherent increase in the feeling of safety with the customers as they wouldn't have to worry about one more person having access to their luggage. In terms of economic welfare, it is cheaper in the long run for a hotel to have a singular purchase that handles luggage transport rather than a set of employees who are moving it themselves. Automating this process allows us to potentially reduce the amount of lost or damaged luggage during this crucial step of moving them over.
Students: Jack Merrill, Wyatt Sander, Thomas Nichols, Alfonso Custodio, Quinn Lucas
Advisors: Andy Smith
This project is basically our team building a **Rapid Aerial Deployment System (RADS)** a compact setup that can **store and launch multiple drones super fast** from a vehicle during search‑and‑rescue missions. Instead of focusing on the drones themselves, we're designing the **mechanical system** that holds them safely and fires them out quickly when responders need eyes in dangerous places. As the Problem Statement puts it, the goal is to "*create a rapidly deployable UAV search and rescue system... with emphasis on the launching and storage system for drones*." We're aiming for something **modular, reliable, and easy to scale**, so teams can deploy a bunch of drones at once to cover huge areas without putting people in danger. The project ties into real‑world needs like disaster response, tight‑space navigation, and reducing risk for first responders. Market research shows there's a big gap in systems that can launch multiple UAVs quickly, so our design fills that niche with a practical, vehicle‑mounted solution.
Students: Nate Bornilla, Logan Gould, Tyler Hughes, Mitchell Jones, Ryan Emoto
The goal of our project is to provide an efficient method of keeping food warm during online food deliveries on bicycle. To accomplish this, an insulated box with low-power heating elements and a compact battery were used. To extend operating time and reduce the need for frequent charging, the system utilizes a small tire-driven generator. This results in a lightweight, practical, and user friendly warming system that supports food quality and customer satisfaction.
