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The Esch Competition, hosted by the Conrad School of Entrepreneurship, featured a wealth of inventive projects. Among them were several Mechatronics Engineering Capstone Design Teams showcasing their senior projects, vying for esteemed prize money. Our student teams delivered impressive pitches for their innovative solutions to a panel of esteemed judges and the guests who attended to watch the competition unfold.ÌýÌý

Learn more about the projects below and their prize money amounts:Ìý

Robots for almost everyone. BracketBot has developed a $500 Python-based robotics platform designed to simplify and reduce the cost of robotics for hobbyists, researchers, and the education sector, serving high school students and above, with plans for significant expansion.ÌýÌý

The team developed a method to rapidly create ceramic moulds and cast metal—using a microwave. This helps to ensure an affordable, safe, and fast way to move investment casting in-house and is set to have a significant impact on metal prototyping.ÌýÌý

The team was inspired by a friend who had a rough time after injury with their cast, and through their continued research, the team found that both orthopedists and patients are also facing issues with typical casting, including skin complications leading to premature removal of the cast which can mean an injury may never fully heal. The team’s solution is to offer 3D scanning to create customizable, washable, and breathable casts to vastly improve patient healing.

Focusing on electric vehicles, the team has developed a device to be integrated into electric vehicle batteries, enhancing the detection and prevention of fires. Using an optical fibre cable to measure temperature changes in glass prisms, their technology provides early warnings to passengers should their vehicle start to catch fire, ultimately saving lives.

The team partnered with one of their team member’s former managers, who also happens to be a farmer in Hawaii, to improve sea asparagus farming for research and development. The specialized industry lacks the necessary technology for harvesting, resulting in methods that limit the industry's scalability, despite its potential for profitability. The team has created a device that is 5 times faster than handÌýharvesting and helps to preserve the shelf life and tenderness of sea asparagus by pulling the plant instead of cutting it.Ìý

Climate change is increasingly causing power outages due to the intensification of extreme weather events. Inspired by a lineman in the industry, the team has developed an automated device to streamline the weather-resistant wrapping process, helping to protect utility poles and ensure they last longer. Thus, this helps utility workers reduce the gruelling manual labour they need to put in when a utility pole needs repair.ÌýÌý

Putting is hard for almost everyone, and PuttPilot has created a system that simulates any type of slope or lean on golf course greens, controlled by a mobile app. This system is more modular than other simulators, and even has ball dispensing, automatic ball return, and can track putting statistics.ÌýÌý

Congratulations to our senior Mechanical and Mechatronics students on the successful conclusion of their studies! Want to learn more about Esch and the other successful winners this year? Go to Bold ideas win big at the Esch pitch contest in À¶Ý®ÊÓƵ News.ÌýÌý