Student Design Showcase Projects: Variety of Majors

Florida Tech’s annual Northrop Grumman Engineering and Science Student Design Showcase is a testament to the dedication and ingenuity of our students. Expecting to be judged and even recruited by industry experts, Florida Tech students tirelessly work on projects that push the boundaries of their knowledge in technology, science and engineering.

As they gear up to showcase their designs, prototypes and research, these students embody the hands-on learning experience through real-world applications. Let’s look into some exciting projects that are prepping students for their future careers.

The StrabiSense team

Major: Biomedical Engineering

Project Goal: These students are developing a novel force sensor to be used in strabismus surgery. Their sensor will allow for forces to be felt at the tip of the surgical instruments. This vital force feedback will give surgeons real-time quantitative data on the force outputs from extraocular muscles to increase the accuracy and precision of strabismus surgeries.

The Collaborative Control of Autonomous Cars team

Major: Computer Science and Software Engineering

Project Goal: These students are working on ways to address the current flaws of autonomous cars. Utilizing an open-source simulator for autonomous driving research, the team is working to code software that, in the event a self-driving car is unable to make an accurate decision, more smoothly transfers control from car to driver.

The Methanol Synthesis from Cruise Ship Food Waste team

Major: Chemical Engineering

Project Goal: These students are demonstrating how the cruise ship industry can turn its food waste into fuel. Their project will provide a proof of concept of how food waste can be first turned into syngas and then into methanol, which can fuel the ships. In addition, they are developing a business plan that highlights the economic impact this could have on the industry.

The COBOT Arm team

Major: Computer Engineering

Project Goal: These students are continuing a project from last year, building software to train robots to play chess against one another autonomously. Additionally, they want to enable a human to step in and play against the robot on the fly.

Exploring Biofertilization Capabilities of Microbe Anabaena Cylindrica in Extraterrestrial Regolith Simulant 

Major: Astrobiology

Project Goal:This student is exploring a way for astronauts to grow food using regolith present on the surface of Mars. Using cyanobacteria (blue-green algae) Anabaena cylindrica in place of traditional fertilizers, the student is evaluating changes these organisms make to the regolith and how it affects plant growth. 

Historial Data Reanalysis: Forecasting Hurricane Katrina

Major: Meteorology

Project Goal: In an effort to aid in improving hurricane forecasting, this student is reanalyzing the parameters used in the categorization of hurricanes. Her research focuses on whether storm surge and pressure tendencies should be considered in hurricane categorization alongside wind speeds. This project will also be presented at the American Meteorology Society’s 36th Conference on Hurricanes and Tropical Meteorology.