The Pigman College of Engineering to host the first annual Capstone Design Showcase. The event will be held in the Gatton Student Center Harris Ballroom on April 28 from 3:00PM to 6:00PM. Over 200 students from seven engineering disciplines will be showcasing their Capstone projects, including prototypes, through interactive poster presentations.
The event is open to students, faculty, staff, project sponsors, and family.
Participating Disciplines
Sponsorships
Sponsorship opportunities for this event are available. Contact Anastasia Hauser for more information.
This event is sponsored by: Toyota and Gray AES
Lecturer, Chemical Engineering
56 Capstone projects will be showcased. Blow is the list of project organized by primary adacdemic major.
Lunar Medical
Dr. George Thomas, OBGYN
Anna Baur, Biomedical engineering, Physics minor
Nina Bradley, Biomedical engineering, Gender and Women's Studies minor
McKenzie Walters, Biomedical engineering, Mathematics minor
Caleb Hunley, Biomedical engineering
Clay Allison, Product Design
Inserting an IUD is a blind, invasive procedure. During the procedure, the clinician must measure the depth of the uterus to ensure proper placement of the IUD. Measuring this depth requires contact with the uterine fundus which causes discomfort. Designing a solution to decrease patient discomfort could increase the number of women who opt for this long acting and effective contraception. Our objective is to create a functional prototype of a uterine sound that will provide audio feedback to the user as they approach the uterine fundus. Our project involves including a sensor on what is conceptually a basic uterine sound. This sensor should be powered without a wire (to decrease the diameter of the sound), thus reducing the size of the device entering the cervix. This sensor will use audio as an interface to communicate with the physician where the end of the probe is in relation to the uterine fundus. With measurements noted on the side of the sound, the clinician has an accurate measurement of the uterine depth. We envisioned this to work like the back-up camera of a car, utilizing sound to alert physicians when the sound is too close to the uterine fundus.
GynoTech
Dr. Mark Hoffman, Obstetrics and Gynecology
Emma Stein, Biomedical engineering
Kayla Bolling, Biomedical engineering
Anna Keplinger, Biomedical engineering, Mathematics minor
Abby Joyce, Biomedical engineering
Kam Clark, Biomedical Engineering, Computer Science minor, Mathematics minor
Mason Ford, Product Design
The GynoSheath is comprised of 4 components: a flexible sheath designed to fit over a hysteroscope, a clamp to provide connection between the sheath and hysteroscope, a flange to keep the sheath in place during the procedure, and a position indicator that assists physicians during assembly of the device. This solution allows for visualization during the procedure, eliminating the need for the tenaculum and uterine sound, while also confirming correct placement of the IUD.
GyneMed Engineering Solutions
Dr. Bryan K Rone, MD - Obstetrics and Gynecology
Kendall Kuzniar, Biomedical engineering
Mary Grace Vest, Biomedical engineering
Sheridan Naugle, Biomedical engineering, Mathematics minor
Shealee Paige Thorpe, Biomedical engineering
The GynAdapt Exam Device is an advanced gynecological examination instrument engineered to enhance patient comfort and clinical efficiency. Traditional speculums, composed of rigid materials, often induce significant discomfort and procedural anxiety, discouraging routine gynecological evaluations. GynAdapt mitigates these concerns through an innovative expandable bladder system, designed to conform to individual anatomy while optimizing visualization and procedural accessibility. The device features a compact insertion profile, with a diameter comparable to or smaller than a tampon, ensuring minimal insertion resistance. Upon placement, the inner-tube-shaped bladder expands via a manually operated air pump. Fabricated from reinforced thermoplastic elastomers (TPE) with embedded aramid or fiber mesh reinforcements, the bladder maintains structural integrity under uniform radial expansion. A pressure relief valve, integrated into the inflation assembly, passively regulates pressure, preventing over-expansion beyond a 10-psi safety threshold. The bladder incorporates a multi-layer design, consisting of an inner airtight membrane to contain the inflation medium and an outer elastomeric layer for structural resilience. A visualization port at the distal handle facilitates direct cervical inspection, while an integrated access channel permits the introduction of biopsy tools and cytological collection instruments for diagnostic sampling. The latex-like silicone air pump, embedded within an ergonomically optimized ABS plastic handle, utilizes a one-way check valve to maintain inflation stability and prevent air backflow. By integrating adaptive expansion technology, biocompatible materials, and precise pressure modulation, the GynAdapt Exam Device represents an ideal shift in gynecological instrumentation, enhancing both patient experience and procedural efficacy.
RDB Medical Technology
Dr. Mark Fritz, ENT
Kiki Dean, Biomedical Engineering, Mathematics Minor
Sean Reardon, Biomedical Engineering
Johnathon Beckwith, Biomedical Engineering
Post-intubation tracheal stenosis is a significant healthcare challenge, often affecting patients who require respiratory support during surgery or emergency care. Approximately 57% of intubated patients experience airway injury, and the condition can lead to severe complications such as restenosis and tracheoinnominate fistulas. Current solutions fail to comprehensively address both tissue irritation and fluid accumulation. This study proposes an innovative endotracheal tube design that combines a dual-layer cuff and secretion drainage system. This integrated approach offers a comprehensive solution for preventing airway damage and improving patient safety in surgical and critical care settings, addressing a significant market gap in respiratory care technology.
Ascleon Orthopedics
Dr. Selby, Orthopedics
Haley Shaver, Biomedical Engineering, Dance Minor
Ben McNamee, Biomedical Engineering
Andrew Branstetter, Biomedical Engineering
Pierce Bergin, Biomedical Engineering
Killian McCarthy, Biomedical Engineering
Periprosthetic joint infections (PJIs) following total hip arthroplasty (THA) pose a significant challenge in orthopedic surgery, requiring a two-stage exchange arthroplasty for effective treatment. The first stage of this procedure involves removing the infected prosthetic components and replacing them with a temporary antibiotic-loaded bone cement spacer. Currently, surgeons hand-mold these spacers, a time-consuming and inconsistent process that increases intraoperative time and surgical complexity. To address this issue, Ascleon Orthopedics has developed a novel femoral spacer mold designed to streamline the formation of antibiotic cement spacers, improving surgical efficiency and patient outcomes.
Our device features a durable, sterilizable polymer mold with a precise cavity that aligns with femoral broach sizes, ensuring a uniform cement mantle and proper spacer fit. The mold utilizes a secure latch mechanism for ease of assembly and disassembly, while its vertical orientation and pressure indicators facilitate optimal cement injection and uniform distribution. By eliminating the need for manual shaping, our mold reduces intraoperative time by approximately 15 minutes, lowering infection risks and enhancing workflow efficiency.
This innovation directly addresses the needs of joint replacement surgeons by providing a reliable, cost-effective, and user-friendly solution that improves surgical outcomes. With increasing THA procedures and associated PJIs, the implementation of our femoral spacer mold has the potential to significantly impact orthopedic surgery by optimizing the two-stage exchange arthroplasty process and reducing patient morbidity.
Palash Eyecare Devices
Dr. Nicholas Fowler, Ophthalmology
Sarah McDowell, Biomedical Engineering, Computer Science Minor, Neuroscience Minor
Liza Gossett, Biomedical Engineering
Alex Clark, Biomedical Engineering, Neuroscience Minor
Pierce Pietro, Biomedical Engineering
Harrison Yang, Biomedical Engineering
The Ocular Extenders are an attachment device for slit lamps in ophthalmology clinics that promote ergonomic physician posture during eye examinations. Eye care professionals perform 40-60 eye exams a day. Each time, they must lean forward to reach the slit lamp eyepiece. This repetitive motion results in musculoskeletal pain in the neck and back. The Ocular Extenders lengthen the slit lamp eye piece to promote healthier postures and stop the development of musculoskeletal pain at its source. This product introduces a quick, effective solution for physician back pain without compromising diagnostic accuracy.
Interstellar Medical Technologies
Palladin Medical
Cole Stafford, Biomedical Engineering, Mathematics Minor
Ayleen Hernandez, Biomedical Engineering
Kole Thompson, Biomedical Engineering
Lidia Gonzalez Garcia, Biomedical Engineering, Mathematics Minor
For our project, we are exploring why microgravity affects the regulation of cerebrospinal fluid and causes a pressure buildup in the skull. We believe our work is significant because if astronauts lose their sense of vision while in space, it could lead to potentially dangerous situations. Also, the pressure buildup could cause uncomfortable symptoms that affect the astronauts negatively, leading to difficulty in the mission. We are working to regulate the cerebrospinal fluid and release pressure for the astronaut's benefit. Our device consists of pants that remove the air and create a negative pressure vacuum by having an exoskeleton structure around the legs that are attached between each other with vertical rods.
PTO Team
Altec Inc.
Hannah Markwell, Biosystems Engineering, Biomedical Engineering Minor
Quinn Rison, Biosystems Engineering
Faith Cox, Biosystems Engineering
Altec creates specialized bucket trucks for utility companies with many different departments. Our project focuses on their chassis assembly team in Elizabethtown, Kentucky. We are designing a mechanism to help remove the risk of injury during the installation of the PTO, extension shaft, and pump components. In doing so, this will help Altec promote a safer and more inclusive work environment by maintaining safety and providing more opportunity for the assembly team.
sites.google.com/view/altec-pto-team/home
N/A
The University of Kentucky, Britney Ragland-Utilities and Energy Management
Rebecca Stacy, Biosystems Engineering, Environmental Engineering Certificate
Ashlyn Lippert, Biosystems Engineering, Distillation, Wine and Brewing Studies Certificate
Seth Daniel, Biosystems Engineering
The University of Kentucky operates four cooling plants that use chilled water for building cooling, refrigeration, and research purposes. The current system relies on domestic water from Kentucky American Water Company, costing approximately $3.1 million annually. Campus expansion has increased cooling demand and stormwater runoff, prompting an opportunity to replace domestic water with treated stormwater. This approach aims to reduce costs, minimize water waste, and enhance sustainability (University of Kentucky Utilities and Energy Management, 2024).
Cooling Plant #2 (CP #2) operates using a closed-loop system where condenser water is cooled through evaporative cooling towers, using "makeup water" to replace evaporative losses. The proposed rainwater harvesting system would collect stormwater for use as makeup water, reducing CP #2 's dependency on municipal water sources. System design considerations include local rainfall patterns, storage tank sizing, and water quality management. Ensuring proper treatment and monitoring of rainwater will prevent scaling, corrosion, and biological fouling (SPX Cooling Technologies, 2022).
The project aligns with environmental goals for the Town Branch watershed, which faces challenges like urban runoff and flash flooding (Lexington, 2024). Stormwater harvesting reduces strain on municipal water systems, improves water quality, and mitigates runoff impacts.
Dr. Michael Peterson
Eli Barrow, Biosystems Engineering
Alexis Puckett, Biosystems Engineering, Biomedical Engineering Minor
Audrey Suit, Biosystems Engineering
Current equestrian helmet testing systems fail to accurately model real-life scenarios. The industry-standard tests, involving a headform mounted on a pendulum slamming into a steel anvil, do not account for the rotational motion associated with projectile movement. Riders face some of the highest rates of head injuries and concussions in the sports industry. Accurate testing is a necessity to ensure riders have maximum protection from impact. Furthermore, a steel anvil does not fully represent the impact surfaces riders typically encounter, such as turf and poly-track. Our team is developing a system that models projectile motion and accommodates a wide range of testing surfaces. This system consists of a rail system and a spring launching the headform down the track. A mechanically triggered quick-release will discharge the headform onto a landing area, and inside the standard-following headform, a shock-recording accelerometer will measure impact. The system is designed to be adaptable to a variety of surfaces to assist in our goal of reflecting real-world conditions. The landing area will accommodate using a variety of surfaces for testing. Prioritization of this adaptability ensures that our system will be comprehensive, practical, and applicable to the equestrian industry.
Website Link: https://sites.google.com/view/equestrian-helmet-testing/home?authuser=0
Pink Bugs
Dr. Tyler Barzee
Aashika Uppala， Biosystems Engineering
Lauren Shackleford， Biosystems Engineering
Isaac Stevens， Biosystems Engineering， Environmental Engineering Certificate
The Black Soldier Fly (BSF) larvae processing system presents an innovative, sustainable, and cost-effective solution for organic waste management and protein production. BSF larvae (Hermetia illucens) efficiently convert organic waste into high-quality protein and lipid-rich biomass, offering a valuable feed source for livestock, poultry, and aquaculture. The system involves controlled rearing, waste inoculation, larvae harvesting, and post-processing to produce insect meal, oil, and frass (organic fertilizer).
Key components of the system include waste preprocessing, optimized environmental conditions (temperature, humidity, and aeration), and an automated harvesting mechanism to maximize larvae yield. BSF larvae can reduce organic waste volume by up to 50%, significantly lowering landfill contributions while minimizing greenhouse gas emissions compared to traditional waste disposal methods. Additionally, the larvae are rich in protein (40%-45%) and lipids (20%-30%), making them a sustainable alternative to conventional protein sources like fishmeal and soybean meal.
This processing system is scalable and adaptable to various waste streams, including food waste, agricultural by-products, and manure, supporting circular economy principles. Advances in automation, data-driven monitoring, and bioconversion efficiency optimization further enhance productivity. However, challenges such as microbial safety, regulatory compliance, and market acceptance must be addressed for widespread adoption.
Overall, the Pink Bugs team designed a processing system that targets people or households with a personal aquarium or very small hobbyist aquaculture operation for the yield of protein produced by the processing system.
Dr. Tiffany Messer
Ethan Stephens， Biosystems Engineering
Megan Fister， Biosystems Engineering
Zachary Lloyd， Biosystems Engineering， Environmental Engineering Certificate
Excessive pesticide use in the U.S. poses significant environmental and health risks. Commercial sprayers in Kentucky produce at least 100 gallons each of pesticide rinsate per application, with 3 to 5 applications annually. Improper disposal of rinsate contaminates waterways with harmful chemicals. Proper management of rinsate disposal is crucial for environmental protection and enhancing water quality. One promising solution, widely used in Canadian and European agricultural settings, is the biobed. This system effectively holds and naturally processes excess rinsate. The goal of this project is finding how to best implement biobeds in America, specifically for use on University of Kentucky research farms.
Website Link: https://sites.google.com/view/2024ukbiobed/home
Team 11
NA
Tripp Chapman, Chemical Engineering, Math Minor
Nicholas Coffman, Chemical Engineering
Dylan Baughman, Chemical Engineering
Clayton Genty, Chemical Engineering
This project focuses on designing an optimized process for producing 99.5 wt% MIPA at a chemical plant in Baton Rouge, Louisiana, integrating an overhaul of an existing IPA process. The goal is to develop a cost-effective MIPA production facility that meets market demands, driven by sectors such as agrochemicals and pharmaceuticals. The design includes an ASPEN simulation for process optimization, heat integration, and reactor design, while considering key constraints such as pressure drops, feed materials, and catalyst specifications. The MIPA process is simulated as a base case, and the MIPA process is optimized to enhance production efficiency and product purity. An economic analysis, including equipment sizing, costing, and profitability assessment, is conducted based on plant lifetime. Environmental and safety considerations are also incorporated, including waste management strategies and process safety evaluations to meet regulatory requirements. The final design ensures a profitable MIPA plant that supports the overhaul of the IPA process and contributes to long-term sustainability.
Team 5
Gray AES
Caitlin Uecker, Chemical Engineering
Dylan Ernst, Chemical Engineering
Jacob U'Wren, Chemical Engineering
Maria Jackson, Chemical Engineering
Paw-some Pet Bites Inc. is a new pet food manufacturing company planning to establish its first commercial kibble production facility. The company aims to produce a premium pet food product by integrating a proprietary blend of vitamins and nutrients with traditional kibble production processes and core ingredients to enhance pet health.
Students will act as members of the Little Gray Design & Consulting (LGDC) Process Engineering team, responsible for developing a conceptual design and an early cost estimate for the proposed facility. This project will involve evaluating key processing steps, ingredient selection, extrusion technology, drying, coating, and packaging methods to ensure the successful production of high-quality kibble.
Team 1
Eli Lilly
Caleb Tackett, Chemical Engineering
Tyler Lulek, Chemical Engineering
Marissa Nicholson, Chemical Engineering
Mei Li Weatherly, Chemical Engineering
John Kappes, Chemical Engineering
Sponsored by Eli Lilly and Company, this project focuses on the safe, scalable, and economically viable process development of a nitro reduction reaction. This converts an aromatic nitro compound (-NO2) to its corresponding amine (-NH2) via a phenylhydroxylamine (PHA) intermediate. The key challenge in this reaction is mitigating the accumulation of PHA, which poses significant safety risks due to its potential for explosive decomposition. This study systematically investigates reaction kinetics, mass transfer limitations, heat transfer, and safety considerations to achieve an optimized and scalable process. A detailed kinetic model is developed to quantify reaction rates and activation energies, ensuring the conversion of PHA does not outpace its subsequent reduction. Mass transfer effects, such as mixing intensity, solvent selection, and catalyst dispersion, are analyzed to promote an efficient and safe reaction pathway. Heat transfer assessments focus on controlling exothermic reaction steps to prevent thermal runaway through appropriate cooling strategies. Additionally, a technoeconomic analysis evaluates raw material costs, process scalability, and operating conditions to determine the feasibility of industrial implementation. Scale-up considerations include reactor configuration, mixing regimes, and heat/mass transfer correlations to ensure the transition from lab-scale to pilot and full-scale operation. Safety and risk management strategies, such as HAZOP and fault-tree analysis, are integrated to mitigate explosion hazards.
Ultimately, this project delivers a comprehensive process design, including a reactor system, control strategy, material and energy balances, and a cost analysis. The findings aim to support the industrial adoption of a robust, safe, and efficient nitro-reduction process with high selectivity and economic viability.
Strand Associates
Derek Orndoff, Chemical Engineering
Hannah Whaley, Chemical Engineering
Kendall Edelen, Chemical Engineering
Mattie Brock, Chemical Engineering, Mathematics Minor
A 6.8 million gallon per day (MGD) water quality treatment center (WQTC) is facing operational challenges due to the recent addition of high-strength industrial wastewater influent. The existing biological treatment system, which is sufficient for residential wastewater, consists of four oxidation ditches (1.36 MG EACH), 2 clarifiers (6.8 MGD), and UV disinfection. However, the increased organic and nutrient loading requires system upgrades to ensure compliance with Kentucky Division of Water regulations. In collaboration with Strand Associates, this project will assess the current treatment capacity using the BIOWIN modeling software and will develop at least two alternative treatment solutions. Each alternative will be evaluated based on the projected effluent quality, capital and operational costs, and site constraints. The final recommendation will include detailed hydraulic calculations and ensure compliance with the 10 State Standards for Wastewater Treatment. Environmental, health, and safety considerations will be addressed to mitigate risks associated with process upsets, spills, and operational hazards. A comprehensive design report will be developed outlining existing conditions, future load projections, alternative evaluations, and implementation strategies (including the construction phase). Additionally, a 20-year present worth analysis will compare the lifecycle costs of each alternative, ensuring the most cost-effective and sustainable solution is selected. The proposed upgrades will enhance the WQTC’s ability to handle increased wastewater loads efficiently while maintaining regulatory compliance and protecting local water resources. This project will provide the WQTC with a robust and long-term strategy to accommodate industrial growth while prioritizing environmental sustainability and public health.
Little Gray Design & Consulting
Cameron Tvrdik, Chemical Engineering
Molly Palmer, Chemical Engineering
Sophie Cox, Chemical Engineering
Luke Ransom, Chemical Engineering
The COVID-19 pandemic reshaped the pet food industry, as an increase in pet ownership led to a higher demand of dry kibble. A new dry kibble manufacturing company under the name "Pawsome Pet Bites Inc" is looking to build their first manufacturing facility. The Little Gray Design & Engineering team was contracted to create a conceptual design for this new facility. The facility must be capable of producing 20 million 20-lb bags of dry kibble, split across four different proprietary recipes provided by the company. These recipes include various combinations of dry ingredients such as corn, wheat, and rice that must be ground to a powder before mixing with a meat mixture. This combination is fed to an extruder, where it is cooked under heat and pressure and shapes it into the classic kibble shape. This then must be fed to a dryer, where moisture is removed to improve the shelf-life of the product. Finally, the dry kibble is coated with fats and oils to improve the taste and nutritional value of the product. The facility must adhere to appropriate FDA standards and follow OSHA guidelines for a safe manufacturing facility. Additionally, the capital cost of the facility is limited to $2.5M/kton of dry kibble produced. This facility is planned on being built near Nashville, TN for better distribution of product and high source of labor.
Team 8
Emma Vick, Chemical Engineering
Alyssa White, Chemical Engineering
Tabitha Mitchell, Chemical Engineering, Mathematics Minor
Logan Martin, Chemical Engineering, Physics Minor
The current isopropyl alcohol (IPA) production process is outdated and economically inefficient, yielding minimal profit. To improve profitability, there is interest in a comprehensive redesign to improve efficiency and reduce costs. A practical approach to support the capital investment required for this modernization is to optimize an existing monoisopropylamine (MIPA) production design. MIPA production requires IPA as a key feedstock, making it a natural extension of the IPA value chain. By implementing heat integration, parametric optimizations, and topographical improvements, the MIPA process can efficiently utilize the product from the existing facility to financially support the IPA overhaul. Furthermore, increasing energy efficiency would align with federal sustainability targets. Also, the global IPA market saw an overall price increase in the second quarter of 2024, highlighting the benefit of using the current IPA as feedstock for this process beyond the initial process overhaul. This reduces the effects of variable IPA pricing while ensuring a stable supply for MIPA manufacturing, establishing a long-term plan for continued profitability once construction is complete.
Team 3
Matt Davis, Chemical Engineering, Math Minor, SEAM, Distilling, Wine, and Brewing Science
Nicholas Ori, Chemical Engineering, Distilling, Wine, and Brewing Science
Griffin Shively, Chemical Engineering, Distilling, Wine, and Brewing Science
Andrew Snyder, Chemical Engineering, Environmental, Distilling, Wine, and Brewing Science, Power and Energy
The project focuses on designing a comprehensive pet food production facility, encompassing several key subsections, including Bulk Dry Ingredient Storage/Transport, Micro/Minor Dry Ingredient Storage/Transport, Batching/Milling, Meat Slurry, Clean in Place (CIP), Preconditioning/Extrusion, Drying, Coating, Cooling, Intermediate Storage, Packaging, and Plant Mechanical, Electrical, and Piping (MEP) services. Additionally, Architectural and Structural considerations are integral to the overall design.
The facility is intended to operate 24 hours a day for 330 days per year, with a goal of producing 20 million 20-pound bags of kibble annually. The design process involves several critical factors, such as cost estimation, environmental protections, health and safety hazards, and corresponding mitigation plans. All these aspects must be incorporated into the final layout.
As each subsystem is developed, deliverables such as a detailed equipment list and a comprehensive sequence of operations for various process areas are required. These components ensure operational efficiency.
Following the design phase, value engineering will be performed to identify cost-saving opportunities without compromising quality. This allows the customer to choose more cost-efficient routes if deemed fit.
Ultimately, all the gathered data, designs, and cost analyses will be compiled into a formal design report, presenting a thorough blueprint for the successful execution of the facility‘’s operation.
Team 9
Hailey Craft, Chemical Engineering
Chase Whitt, Chemical Engineering
Katie Osborne, Chemical Engineering
Carson Carlisle, Chemical Engineering
This design project focuses on developing an optimized process for producing 99.5 wt% monoisopropylamine (MIPA) at a new facility in Baton Rouge, Louisiana. The new MIPA plant will be integrated into an existing isopropanol (IPA) production site, which requires a significant overhaul. Due to financial and operational considerations, the MIPA plant will be constructed first to generate revenue that will support the reconstruction of the IPA facility. The new IPA plant must produce a flowrate that matches the MIPA process feed requirements within ±5%, with a consistent IPA composition of ±0.02 mass fraction.
The project involves process simulation and optimization using ASPEN software while adhering to specified constraints, including pressure drops across equipment and efficiency factors for pumps (70%) and compressors (75%). The design must ensure that propylene (95 mol%) and water are effectively converted into IPA, which then serves as a precursor for MIPA synthesis via reaction with ammonia (99.9% purity). The project also considers the economic feasibility of replacing the existing IPA plant entirely while maintaining production continuity.
Market demand for MIPA in agrochemicals and pharmaceuticals, along with rising costs of IPA and ammonia, drives the need for an efficient and cost-effective production strategy. Additional design credit will be given to proposals that integrate IPA and MIPA production into a single simulation model. The final design will emphasize process efficiency, economic viability, and seamless integration of the new MIPA facility with the upgraded IPA plant.
Team 10
Yasamin Hashemi, Chemical Engineering
Saloni Patel, Chemical Engineering
Camden Jackson, Chemical Engineering
Rachel Hollis, Chemical Engineering
Monoisopropylamine (MIPA) is produced from a reaction and separation process between isopropyl alcohol (IPA) and ammonia. Starting with IPA production from propylene and water, this robust process can be incredibly strenuous and intensive. This project focuses on creating a base case design of an IPA production process that then feeds into a given MIPA process that then is optimized. Both processes require all equipment to be designed and simulated in ASPEN Plus to meet the specified production requirements. Moreover, process flow diagrams will be created, incorporating stream information and considering all relevant results. Discussions on environmental and sustainability aspects related to the production facility, process, and impacts will take place, with a comprehensive profitability analysis conducted upon system completion.
Team 12
Aaron Hill, Chemical Engineering
Brandon Ly, Chemical Engineering
Zach Sears, Chemical Engineering
Kolby Coburn, Chemical Engineering
An optimized process for 99.5 wt% monoisopropylamine (MIPA) in Baton Rogue, Louisiana, utilized in agrochemical and pharmaceutical markets, will be used in conjugation with an isopropyl alcohol (IPA) production plant for a more profitable, efficient process. IPA production involves reacting two feed streams of 95 wt% of propylene and balance water. To connect the processes, the production rate and composition from the IPA plant must match the feed stream inlet into the MIPA plant. This report will be primarily focused on optimizing the base-case process for MIPA production from the reaction of ammonia and IPA, and the design of a base-case IPA process. To optimize the MIPA process, this project aims to introduce and optimize heat integration, as well as optimizing the flash drum within the production. This will drive the capital and operating costs down, resulting in a more profitable system. Modeling the process in ASPEN, equipment design and costing can be determined. In addition to the MIPA production, a 15-year plant lifetime profitability analysis will be conducted on the combined IPA and MIPA plant. Then, an analysis on the composition and quantity of waste produced by the plant will be conducted, considering the treatment and disposal of this waste. To satisfy safety standards, this report will also discuss a what-if analysis on the IPA reactor design. Location-specific risks and possible impacts on the environment and human health will be considered, to ensure not only an economically feasible process, but a safe and sustainable one.
MIPA Production Team 7A
Peighton Rowe, Chemical Engineering
Elliot Horn, Chemical Engineering
Zach Bird, Chemical Engineering
Zeke Dijiba, Chemical Engineering
Olivia Cseh, Chemical Engineering
Monoisopropanolamine (MIPA) is a chemical commonly used within the pharmaceutical and agricultural industries produced from isopropyl alcohol (IPA) and ammonia. A current IPA production plant is located in Baton Rouge, Louisiana. The project goals include developing a new IPA production plant and adding an optimized MIPA plant to the existing process modeled within Aspen+. Multiple steps are included for process optimization of a base-case MIPA plant including heat integration of the system with a goal to decrease environmental impacts and production cost. By creating an optimized process, profits may greatly increase for the proposed company. IPA is produced through reactive distillation of propylene and water. In developing this system, factors taken into consideration include the utilities needed, product amount and quality produced, additional recycle streams, and maintaining safe temperature and pressure within the system. Environmental impacts of the system are explored along with waste treatment of output streams. A safety analysis is completed on the reactive distillation column to produce IPA, predicting any concerns within the equipment. A profitability analysis is completed on the system as a whole, taking into account the cost of each specialized piece of equipment within the system, a total capital investment, and annual total production cost. Providing a total cost estimate for the two systems over a total of 20 years including 2 years of building for the systems and 1 year of start-up.
Funky Rooster Engineering
Funky Rooster Coffee
Jack Driscoll, Chemical Engineering
Miller Dawkins, Chemical Engineering
Ifrah Hammad, Chemical Engineering
Gabe Whitmer, Chemical Engineering
Coffee decaffeination is a critical process that yields solutions to two growing industries: caffeine for the energy drink industry and raw, caffeine-free beans for the decaffeinated coffee industry. In this process caffeine is extracted from raw coffee beans leaving behind high-quality decaffeinated coffee beans. The caffeine that is extracted can be used in the plethora of caffeinated beverages such as sodas and energy drinks. Supercritical CO2 is the instrument used in this project to achieve a successful decaffeination. Highly pressurized CO2 is effective at pulling caffeine out of coffee beans whilst not extracting other organic molecules, thus preserving the natural flavor of the original coffee. The objective of this project is to design and optimize an efficient supercritical CO2 decaffeination process that produces 20,000 tonnes of decaffeinated coffee beans per year. Aspen Plus Process Modeling will be the primary vehicle to simulate this process enabling our team to hastily design and optimize a solution in a rigorous and accurate format. Upon completion of our design, a complete economic analysis of the process will be performed to determine the cost and profitability of our design. Success will be determined by not only the efficiency and profitability of the process, but also its deliberation for process safety and the environment.
See Blue Engineering
City of Lexington, KY
James Watterson, Civil Engineering
Ryan Leach, Civil Engineering
Caroline Bruser, Civil Engineering
Keren Keener, Civil Engineering
Mamadou Diallo, Civil Engineering
We were tasked with finding solutions to Lexington's lack of affordable housing. Lexington has a thriving economy and lots of congestion, but poor housing choices for citizens to live. We were given a section of the urban boundary and asked to identify areas that could be better utilized for this project, as well as develop a proposal, and plan for all aspects of the project.
Foundations First Consulting
Jason Steigerwald, Civil Engineering
Avery McFarland, Civil Engineering
Matthew Lynch, Civil Engineering, Mathematics Minor
Nicholas Guizio, Civil Engineering
Tyler Stone, Civil Engineering
This capstone project involves a team of consultants working with the city of Lexington to design and develop affordable housing that blends modern needs with the historical charm of the city’s architectural heritage. Our project focuses on creating housing solutions that reflect the unique character of Lexington’s urban landscape, dating back to 1934, while addressing the growing demand for affordable living spaces. Our team, composed of professionals from diverse backgrounds in civil engineering, is committed to delivering an innovative and sustainable design that enhances the community. We will consider factors such as building materials, urban design, and social impacts to create spaces that are not only affordable but also harmonious with the city’s rich history. Through effective collaboration and thoughtful planning, our goal is to contribute to the development of a thriving, inclusive Lexington for years to come.
OHR Solutions
City of Lexington
Joseph Ammons, Civil Engineering
Trinity Buchanan, Civil Engineering, Hospitality Management Minor, Math Minor, Business Minor
Jacub Colvin, Civil Engineering
Thierno Diallo, Civil Engineering
Kristen Aellen, Civil Engineering
Recent changes to the zoning ordinances in the city of Lexington are expected to provide more opportunities for affordable housing by increasing the density of residential areas. As a demographic, the occupants of affordable housing are mostly first-time renters or first-time homeowners and those who are moving to a fixed income (retirees/disabled). When someone is in a safe and stable home environment, a foundation for prosperity has been laid. Additionally, affordable housing units contribute to community engagement and well-being.
The City of Lexington is looking to incorporate new affordable housing in the urban service area. To achieve this, sites have been assessed for future infill and new development. The project consists of designing housing structures and related infrastructure to allow for Lexington’s growing population. Inspiration for future infill and new development of affordable housing in Lexington will come from the historically more walkable and mixed-use areas of Lexington, before zoning was implemented in 1934.
Within the Urban Service Area of Lexington, finding available sites for development can be challenging. Available infrastructure often constrains infill and new developments. The City of Lexington is requesting an evaluation of existing conditions within the urban service area to identify potential opportunities for affordable housing development. After identifying the potential opportunities, the task will then be to provide site and structure design to maximize benefits to the communities.
Town Branch Consulting
Sara Jones, Civil Engineering
Ernest Walls, Civil Engineering
Marc Shewmaker, Civil Engineering
Kyle Quisenberry, Civil Engineering
Mit Dave, Civil Engineering
The demand for affordable housing continues to grow across U.S. cities, especially in Lexington, KY. Over the past generation, the age of first-time homebuyers in Lexington has risen to 37. This shift reflects the rising challenges of housing affordability. In response, the 2023 Comprehensive Plan, Imagine Lexington, has identified affordable and workforce housing as a key priority. Recent modifications to zoning ordinances aim to increase residential density, fostering greater opportunities for affordable housing development. This research project will evaluate Lexington’s existing infrastructure, zoning policies, and land availability to identify optimal locations for affordable housing development. The team will conduct a comprehensive analysis of current conditions, assess potential barriers, and propose strategic site selection criteria. Additionally, the study will incorporate sustainable and cost-effective design solutions for maximizing residential density while maintaining community livability. By leveraging engineering expertise and urban planning principles, this project aims to provide actionable insights that support Lexington’s goals of expanding affordable housing opportunities and improving long-term community development. The project will produce three detailed written report, include recommendations for zoning adjustments, infrastructure improvements, and strategic development locations. The research team will also deliver a presentation summarizing the project’s key findings, highlighting the most viable locations for affordable housing, infrastructure considerations, and proposed design solutions. This presentation will serve as a resource for city planners, policymakers, and stakeholders involved in shaping Lexington’s future housing landscape.
Wildcat Consulting
The City of Lexington
Amanda Casolare, Civil Engineering
Colby Stiles, Civil Engineering
Sam Little, Civil Engineering
Nathan Riffell, Civil Engineering
Mason Place, Civil Engineering
This project is a part of a bigger plan called Imagine Lexington. That plan calls for sustainable, measured, and equitable urban growth and development throughout Lexington. The goals outlined in this plan are divided into themes. Themes specifically important to this project include 'Growing & Sustaining Successful Neighborhoods’, ‘Improving A Desirable Community’, and 'Maintaining a Balance Between Planning for Urban Uses and Safeguarding Rural Land’. The goals of Imagine Lexington combine with ZOTA to enable the expansion of urban Lexington through high-density housing being planned and constructed in walkable neighborhoods. With these areas identified and analyzed, a planning report can be put together describing and ranking the benefits of each site with respect to the end goals. With this understanding of the project and Lexington as a whole, the problem we will try to solve, is where can affordable or workforce housing be constructed outside the inner city to offer higher densities among communities without disrupting or affecting the present infrastructure and maximize benefits to the community. The deliverables of this project will include a Request for Proposal, site visit evidence that the sites were investigated for conditions and fulfillment of client needs, an environmental site assessment, an alternative assessment, a schedule, and preliminary designs.
Future Foundations, Inc.
Sophia Del Rey, Civil Engineering, Mathematics Minor
Zachary Hawkins, Civil Engineering
Sebastian Melgar, Civil Engineering
John Ehrsam, Civil Engineering
Cohen Kemper, Civil Engineering
Lexington, Kentucky is currently experiencing a drought of affordable housing available. Right now, just over half of the city’s population (54.3%) is paying over 30% of their income on housing, which is the benchmark cost for affordable housing (Oliva, 2024). In addition to that, 28% of the 54.3% are ‘extremely cost-burdened' or spending more than a half their total salary on housing (Oliva, 2024). These situations where individuals must delegate a large chunk of their salary to housing can cause significant financial stress, especially when it comes to affording other essential needs. The lack of available housing has increased the first-time buyer age by 10 years to the age of 37 (Oliva, 2024).
To solve these issues, the City of Lexington has implemented Urban Growth Management Zoning Ordinance Text Amendments (ZOTA) which allows for changes to increase the current density within residential areas to accommodate for the lack of affordable housing. However, the city faces challenges with certain areas of infill development being constrained by transportation availability, water supply and storm/wastewater systems. Future Foundations, Inc. has been tasked with examining these conditions and locating areas in our designated zone for potential housing developments.
East to West Engineering
The city of Lexington
Dalton Stepp, Civil Engineering, Mathematics Minor
Ben Graham, Civil Engineering
Zach Malone, Civil Engineering
Meredith Clack, Civil Engineering, Mathematics Minor
Ali Vargas, Civil Engineering
Like many cities in America, Lexington, KY is in major need of affordable housing that also improves the quality of life for the residents. Since the last generation, the age of first-time homebuyers in Lexington has increased from 27 to 37. Residential areas have become car-dependent through the limited walkable access of retail and restaurant spaces. The focus of the city’s comprehensive plan, Imagine Lexington, is to grow successful neighborhoods, protect the environment, create jobs and prosperity, improve a desirable community, and achieve urban and rural balance, all through an efficient and safe plan. For this, the city has requested engineering services to evaluate existing conditions, identify potential opportunities for affordable housing development, and provide site and structural design to maximize benefits to the community. Our team will take insight from the residential buildings and strategies within the 1934 urban boundary. This was before zoning was implemented and the city was more walkable with mixed development. We will implement these ideas to possible development zones within the new urban boundary. We plan to produce mainly townhome and apartment-style living, with options for retail and restaurant spaces. Also, we will add sidewalks and bike lanes to make it easier for people to get around without cars. We'll also try to expand public transportation to better connect different parts of the city. These changes will help Lexington create a lively urban setting. Through this plan, we can increase the quality of life and walkable accessibility for the residents, while keeping the units at an affordable price.
L.A.D.S.
Campbell DeYoung, Civil Engineering
Matthew Wright, Civil Engineering
Miles Hornbeck, Civil Engineering
Dwayne Shuman, Civil Engineering
Biven Turner, Civil Engineering
The city of Lexington has recognized its great growth in recent years and has realized its need for more affordable housing to go up in areas around the city. They want the affordable housing to be in locations that have everything a family would need within a walkable distance from their new home. Creating high-quality houses for single families and the walkability of the city from their home is something that Lexington has placed high priority on. The city of Lexington has tasked us with finding locations and designing the affordable housing project within a certain sector of Lexington. The sector we were tasked with researching and creating our project is on the northwest side of Lexington between Georgetown Street and North Broadway. This area has a rich history and throughout the downtown area much of this area has densely packed housing with businesses mixed in which is what LFUCG is looking. In our project, we want to create housing just like we see in downtown Lexington between Georgetown Street and North Broadway, but further out toward the county line due to the amount of available space in that area, which would help the city expand nicely.
J-Engineered
Mr. Baillie - The City of Lexington
Juan Diego Hodgson, Civil Engineering
Jacob Kirk, Civil Engineering
Jordan Boon, Civil Engineering
Joseph Hohn, Civil Engineering
John Sterba-Green, Civil Engineering
One of the major challenges faced by our society nowadays is the lack of housing we are facing. Since the late 1900s, the average age for a homeowner has increased by 10 years. Most first-time home buyers get their first house at the age of thirty-eight now, which is crazy as just thirty years ago or so, it was twenty-seven. To address this problem, our project focuses on developing the few areas in the city of Lexington which have still not been developed, to ensure we create more housing options for the citizens of Lexington. To do this, our team has visited different parts of the cities looking for potential development sites to ensure that we can help better our community and make the new generation of young professionals become homeowners sooner than they expect. To accomplish this goal, as a group we have decided to make the new housing development project follow the same building structure that houses did back in 1934 when Lexington was being urbanized and growing. We are confident that this will allow for more housing facilities to be established, as well, as keep a functional model that has been proven to work for almost one hundred years. The second part of the program includes making existing infrastructure more walkable to encourage residents of Lexington to be more active, but also reducing the use of cars to make our city more environmentally friendly. We want to make sure to address the problem of traffic congestion as well to better our community as a whole.
Papa John's
Natalie O'Leary, Computer Science, Spanish Minor
Daniel Alvarado Segura, Computer Science, Mathematics Minor
Tharanie Subramaniam, Computer Science, Computer Engineering Minor, Violin Performance Minor
Knox Garland, Computer Science
Effective pricing management is critical for Papa John's due to the changing nature of pricing and promotions. The complexity of their current pricing engine makes analysis challenging, as it consists of thousands of lines of code. This project aims to develop a machine learning tool that extracts, optimizes, and summarizes pricing rules from the dense code base, and presents them in a way that enhances readability to streamline decision making. By structuring pricing logic and highlighting dependencies and conditions, this tool makes rule analysis much faster and more efficient. Our tool is designed to assist pricing analysts while maintaining compatibility with existing Papa John's procedures. Emphasis was placed on scalability, agility, and thorough documentation in order to support long-term usability. The expected outcome is a robust tool that summarizes and simplifies pricing rule dependencies, which will accelerate pricing adjustments and enhance Papa John's pricing strategy.
Grace Camp, MS and James MacLeod, VMD, PhD, Department of Veterinary Science, Gluck Equine Research Center, University of Kentucky
Leighanne Lyvers, Computer Science
James Chen, Computer Science, Mathematics Minor
Jared Taylor, Computer Science, Mathematics Minor
Evan Meyers, Computer Science, Mathematics Minor, Statistics Minor
Connor Day, Computer Science, Mathematics Minor, Statistics Minor
The MacLeod Musculoskeletal Laboratory at the Gluck Equine Research Center focuses on understanding the causes and risk factors of joint disease and lower forelimb fractures in Thoroughbred racehorses to improve their safety and welfare. A catastrophic musculoskeletal injury, or CMI, is an acutely acquired, life-ending musculoskeletal injury in a horse. Usually, CMIs occur in equine athletes, but serious musculoskeletal injuries can occur to any horse even when not being ridden. To try and understand the causes and risk factors of bone fractures, tendon and ligament injuries, and joint disease within these amazing athletes, computed tomography (CT) scans are performed to create a set of visualizations and data on the limbs. Our Capstone Design project expands on the current database to develop an interactive, web-based 3D forelimb viewer to enhance the visualization and understanding of equine forelimb anatomy and pathology. The platform will be an educational and collaborative tool for veterinarians, researchers, students, and the broader equine industry. Users will be able to explore detailed 3D models of the lower forelimb to gain a greater understanding of CMIs. This is done through text-based informational overlays that provide anatomical descriptions and pathological narratives and displaying detailed visualizations backed by real data from the lab that will be dynamically updated. The project also emphasizes the importance of accessibility and usability in its navigation and theming of its interface, which makes this website easily available to users of all backgrounds and knowledge. Through these efforts, the project aims to foster collaboration, enhance veterinary education, and contribute to the prevention of severe musculoskeletal injuries in Thoroughbred racehorses.
Locked and Loaded
dormakaba
Peyton Buckles, EE, math minor
Colin Hrdlicka, EE, math minor
Erin Toon, EE, French and Francophone Studies, minor
Jake Badstibner, EE, math minor
Shaun Lavin, EE
Coleman Reed, CPE, math minor
The Cencon lock tester will be a testing device which ensures the functionality of newly manufactured Dormakaba Cencon ATM lock units’(Dormakaba, 2024)’. The device will increase the efficiency of end-of-line testing of this product. The two halves of the lock unit will be mounted on the testing device and connected by the user. The testing device will then go through a set number of automated test cycles of charging the lock unit, entering the lock code, unlocking the bolt, and locking the bolt. The testing device will have different sub-devices which enact each phase of the test cycle and will detect and report to the user if an error occurs in a phase. The user will control when the testing process starts and stops, and how many test cycles are desired through a control panel user interface. This panel will also display test success, failure, and error indicators.
Arena Energizers
Sponsor Newton’s Attic
McKay Dunn, Electrical Engineering, math minor
Kevonte Kilby, Electrical Engineering, math minor
Blake Shorter – Electrical Engineering. Math minor
Patrick Lobbo – Electrical Engineering
Abstract- Our mission is to design and implement a robust, efficient, and user-friendly power distribution system for the Robot Gladiator League arena. We are committed to creating a streamlined electrical layout that optimizes power connectivity while ensuring safety, durability, and ease of use. Safety remains a top priority throughout the design and implementation process. We will utilize high-quality, sturdy materials to build a system that withstands the demands of repeated use.
CAN-Do Crew
Sponsor Jens Hannemann
Lucrezia Roberti- Computer Engineering, Computer Science minor, Math minor
Braedyn Johnson- Computer Engineering, Math minor, Computer Science minor, Japan Studies minor
Brady Mahoney- Electrical Engineering
Will Hodge- Electrical Engineering
Abstract- The project involves communicating between multiple nodes, each with a microcontroller and CAN controller, using the CAN bus protocol. This project is sponsored by Dr. Jens Hannemann in the UK engineering technology department. Control Area Network, or CAN for short is a serial communication protocol often used in automotives, which connects Electronic Control Units (ECUs). Some examples of ECUs in a car include engine control, the anti-locking brake system, and the transmission control unit. PCB’s will be designed to serve as nodes and should be able to interface with the provided modular synthesizer. Each node will have some form of I/O such as an LED, switch, sensor, or actuator. These nodes are how the user will communicate with the system. A later goal will be to connect our nodes to the CAN bus of a Camry to send and read commands. Once we have accomplished this, we all be able to do things like honking the horn or receiving input from the steering wheel to control a video game. Two different microcontrollers will be used so that students can learn how to target specific platforms so that the mass production of devices using the CAN Bus will be cheaper. The final product will be used as a teaching tool for engineering students to learn about the CAN Bus. These technologies are often lower level in nature, and most engineers will never interact with them until they leave school, a problem Dr. Hannemann and Toyota are looking to solve.
Light Show Fans
Sponsor: Isaac Fedyniak
Cameron Yates – Electrical Engineering, Minor Math
Zach Remke – Electrical Engineering, Minor Math
Jack Vance – Electrical Engineering
Hanlei Xu – Electrical Engineering
Abstract- Currently in the mining industry, mine cars are used to collect aggregate that is being mined. It is essential that an operator visually inspects and controls aggregate-filling of the bed. To improve safety, this process must be automated but cannot be done with vision systems. Strain gauges within a sensor placed at each tire can be used to determine load distribution of the aggregate in the mine car. Unfortunately, strain gauges in the current sensor design are inaccurately measuring load with some variation due to thermal effects. Our goal was to determine systematic causes of inaccurate load measurements, primarily with respect to temperature, and optimize design aspects to deliver accurate and reliable load-distribution data. This effort is part of a larger ongoing project between the University of Kentucky Department of Mining Engineering and Matrix Analytics Group. Our key tasks were to characterize baseline behavior of strain gauges under complex loading and with varying temperature, then relate this behavior to that of the current sensor design. With this information, we will deliver a working sensor design that is fully functioning despite any changes in loading or environment.
SKEYE
Sponsor – Boeing, Dr. Cheung, Dr. Silvestri
Gabe Singleton – Electrical Engineering, math minor
Derrick Williams – Electrical Engineering
Ale Lozano – Computer Engineering
Niles Roxas – Electrical Engineering
Abstract- The overarching theme of the project is to detect nitrogen deficiency in agriculture using drones equipped with machine learning and advanced image processing. Nitrogen deficiency affects the crop yield, causing inefficient production for farmers with a direct effect on the economy. Nitrogen deficiency also causes over fertilization which leads to runoff pollution into local waterways, which in turn also harms the environment. The goal of this project is to aid farmers in finding balance between the two aforementioned outcomes. By using advanced imaging, we will be able to gather higher quality data that will allow detection of nitrogen deficiency in target crops. This process allows us to leverage the use of indices previously established to identify said nitrogen deficiency. Two main indices the team will use are the Normalized Difference Vegetation Index (NDVI) and the Normalized Difference Red Edge Index (NDRE), both commonly used in agricultural applications and research. The expectation for the drone itself is to have the ability to complete autonomous flight path mapping over nitrogen stressed crop field areas as well as collecting real-time data. The data gathered will then enable the client to better regulate their fields in the coming crop cycle, if not immediately, providing long-term solutions. Some objectives to aid clients in achieving said goals are visualization of data such as nitrogen level and recommended fertilization strategies. The collaboration ensures a well-rounded approach to commitment to innovation and sustainability, providing valuable insights to practical solutions in precision agricultural challenges.
The Kentucky Electric Mudboat Team
American Society of Naval Engineers
Cameron Souder – Electircal Engineering Colin Adams - Electrical engineering, minors: mathematics and computer science Garret Abboud – Computer Engineering, minors: mathematics and computer science Lucas Gastineau - Electrical engineering
Abstract- This project is to improve an existing uncrewed electric powered boat designed within the rules and regulations to compete in the American Society of Naval Engineers (ASNE) Promoting Electric Propulsion (PEP) competition. The main focus of improvement is the automation system using a pre-input path-based software and additionally a basic collision avoidance system. Some additional improvements are the battery-based power supplies, the range of communication for the remote control and automation ground station, and some upgrades to the remote-control regarding user ergonomics. Some improvements are made in response to changes in the regulations, these being the ability to deploy the boat in the water in under 5 minutes and carry at minimum a 30 lbs. payload and at most a 60 lbs. payload. In addition to these improvements this boat will compete in the ASNE PEP competition with the objective of completing the full competition distance of 2 miles within the allotted time of 55 minutes.
Dormakaba (Jan Kubicek, Brian Lee, Brenda Evans)
The Cencon lock tester will be a testing device which ensures the functionality of newly manufactured Dormakaba Cencon ATM lock unit (Dormakaba, 2024). The device will increase the efficiency of end-of-line testing of this product. The two halves of the lock unit will be mounted on the testing device and connected by the user. The testing device will then go through a set number of automated test cycles of charging the lock unit, entering the lock code, unlocking the bolt, and locking the bolt. The testing device will have different sub-devices which enact each phase of the test cycle and will detect and report to the user if an error occurs in a phase. The user will control when the testing process starts and stops, and how many test cycles are desired through a control panel user interface. This panel will also display test success, failure, and error indicators.
UAV Innovators
Dr. Samson Cheung
Abrahim Hamdan- Electrical Engineering, Computer Science and Mathematics
Sanzher Harsha- Electrical Engineering, Mathematics
Daniel Seibert- Electrical Engineering, Mathematics
Ash Huang, Computer Engineering, Computer Science and Mathematics
This senior design project focuses on the development of an autonomous drone system designed for in-home patient monitoring, specifically to aid stroke survivors in their rehabilitation. Stroke patients often require continuous supervision to ensure safety and track progress, but traditional monitoring methods can be intrusive and resource-intensive. Our solution provides a non-intrusive alternative by leveraging an autonomous drone to follow patients throughout their daily routines, capturing high-resolution video data. This footage is securely stored, encrypted, and transmitted to healthcare providers, enabling remote analysis and personalized treatment adjustments based on natural behavior in a home environment.
Key features of the drone include facial recognition for patient identification, obstacle avoidance for safe indoor navigation, and automated return-to-base functionality for recharging. These capabilities ensure the drone operates independently while maintaining patient safety and effective activity tracking. Additionally, the system integrates advanced data security measures to protect patient privacy and confidentiality.
Our design process includes system architecture analysis, functional decomposition, and implementation planning, ensuring that each subsystem meets the requirements for a reliable in-home monitoring solution. After discussions with our project sponsor, we have refined our scope by removing certain features, such as voice and gesture control, to focus on the core functionalities of remote monitoring and autonomous navigation.
By providing real-time, continuous, and secure patient monitoring, this project aims to enhance post-stroke rehabilitation outcomes while reducing the burden on caregivers and healthcare professionals. The proposed system represents a step forward in leveraging autonomous robotics for healthcare applications, improving accessibility and efficiency in patient care.
Cameron Souder, Electrical Engineering
Colin Adams, Electrical Engineering , Computer Science and Math,
Garret Abboud, Computer Engineering, Computer Science and Math,
Lucas Gastineau, Electrical Engineering,
This project is to improve an existing uncrewed electric powered boat designed within the rules and regulations to compete in the American Society of Naval Engineers (ASNE) Promoting Electric Propulsion (PEP) competition. The main focus of improvement is the automation system using a pre-input path-based software and additionally a basic collision avoidance system. Some additional improvements are the battery-based power supplies, the range of communication for the remote control and automation ground station, and some upgrades to the remote-control regarding user ergonomics. Some improvements are made in response to changes in the regulations, these being the ability to deploy the boat in the water in under 5 minutes and carry at minimum a 30 lbs. payload and at most a 60 lbs. payload. In addition to these improvements this boat will compete in the ASNE PEP competition with the objective of completing the full competition distance of 2 miles within the allotted time of 55 minutes.
The Deciduous
Sponsor- Michael Briscoe
Spencer Bazsika- Electrical Engineering, Math
Jordan May- Electrical Engineering, Math
David Stewart- Electrical Engineering, Mathematics
Charlie Baer Electrical Engineering
The U.S. Navy is exploring a variety of crewed and uncrewed electrically propelled vessels, aiming to advance naval capabilities and sustainability. The 2024-2025 American Society of Naval Engineers (ANSE) Promoting Electric Propulsion (PEP) Competition serves as an outlet for participants to showcase new and innovative designs for electrically propelled vessels, supporting the Navy advance to these technologies. Our team's task is to design a small, unmanned, electrically propelled boat. From a competition standpoint, our design will be evaluated based on criteria such as overall efficiency, design uniqueness, engineering documentation, and performance demonstrations.
SenseTech
Reese Terry Foundation
Shane Wojcicki, Computer Engineering, Mathematics, Computer Science
Chris Stephens, Computer Engineering, Mathematics, Computer Science
Kage Hall- Electrical Engineering
Ethan Shidler- Electrical Engineering, Mathematics
Nathan Sanders, Computer Engineering, Computer Science
Caitlyn Smith- Product Design
The second version of the Sensory Wall is a modular sensory block system designed to support users with special needs related to sensory stimulation. Our goal is to create a universally accessible product that features a modular customizable design. Positive sensory experiences can be added, and others can be adjusted or removed to meet individual needs. It will consist of a series of building blocks which can be constructed into a free-standing structure or used independently, each with a sensory interface on one side of the block. All modules can function completely on their own, powered by a battery and controlled by a microcontroller local to the individual blocks. The interface on each unique block will be made up of tactile, analog inputs and adjustable sensory outputs. The Critical Design Report highlights the developed marketing requirements, engineering requirements, impact statements, and testing/verification of the subsystems that make up the modular sensory blocks.
Big Blue Baron
Dr. James Lumpp
David McCubbins- Electrical Engineering, Mathematics
Daniel Walden- Electrical Engineering, Computer Engineering, Computer Science
Jonah Edwards- Product Design, Japanese
Reece McDorman- Electrical Engineering, Mathematics
John Paredes- Electrical Engineering
The Student Unmanned Aerial Systems (SUAS) competition, hosted by RoboNation, challenges university teams to develop autonomous drones capable of completing mission tasks such as waypoint navigation, object detection, payload delivery, and aerial mapping. Team Big Blue Baron, sponsored by Dr. James Lumpp, is designing a UAV for the SUAS 2025 competition that integrates advanced flight control, machine learning-based object detection, and an autonomous payload delivery system. The drone must meet FAA and competition safety regulations, demonstrate autonomous waypoint following, and complete mission objectives without manual control. Our UAV incorporates a flight controller and microcontroller for autonomous navigation and task execution. A high-resolution camera, paired with a machine-learning algorithm, enables real-time object detection and mapping. The payload delivery system deploys a winch mechanism to lower items precisely onto designated targets. The system architecture prioritizes modularity, efficiency, and compliance with competition constraints, including weight, battery capacity, and safety considerations. The design process incorporates feedback from faculty and advisors, addressing challenges related to system integration, weight reduction, and power management. By leveraging commercial off-the-shelf components, our team ensures manufacturability and cost-effectiveness. Additionally, we consider environmental impacts by optimizing battery use and implementing sustainable disposal practices.
This project details our UAV’s development, competition strategy, and integration approach, aligning technical feasibility with real-world applications such as disaster relief, agriculture, and surveying. Our work aims to advance drone autonomy while serving as a foundation for future student teams.
Animal Crate
Dr. Kitzman Patrick
Daniel DeVries, Electrical Engineering
Shunsuke Morosa- Electrical Engineering
Yoseph Tefera- Computer Engineering, Computer Science
John Willis- Compuer Engineering, Mathematics
Anna Quarles- Product Design
Samuel Byerly, Electrical Engineering, Mathematics
Animal noise toys are designed to educate young children about animal and sound recognition, cognitive skills, language development, and understanding animals’ habitats. However, the majority of the animal noise toys on the market do not target children that have locomotive skills issues, impaired hearing, and visual impairments. Dr. Patrick Kitzman, a professor in the Physical Therapy Department of the University of Kentucky, has tasked us to create an animal noise toy that is more accessible to a wide range of children with disabilities as previously mentioned and to make our project open source so that it can be recreated by others that may need such a product. This project is funded by the Reese Terry Fund, which allows us to have a maximum fund of $500. This fund can be reapplied if it runs out. Through the marketing requirements we developed engineering requirements to ensure that each marketing requirement is fulfilled with an engineering approach.
Dr. Patrick Kitzman & Reese Terry Award
Victor Torres- CPE, EE, Computer Science
Josh Lytle- CPE, Computer Science
Calvin Demps- CPE, Computer Science
Drew Workman, CPE/EE, CS
Nathan Jackson- EE
Grace Schroeder- Product Design
This project started September 2024 and will conclude in May 2025. The sponsor for this project is Dr. Patrick Kitzman. The main objective of this project is to recreate the classic game Sorry! to make it more accessible to those with various physical impairments (visual, audio, etc.). The game board will include a speaker, RFID scanner, and LEDs to provide more accessibility to players. The game pieces will also be recognizable by shapes (as well as the original colors) to adhere to those who are colorblind; the game board will also include the respected shapes.
Hydro Hustlers
ASNE Michael Briscoe
Cannon (Shields)- Electrical Engineering, Mathematics
Said (Al-Hinai)- Electrical Engineering , Mathematics
Kiefer (Howland)- Product Design
Matt (Poff), Computer Engineering
Our team is competing in the American Society of Naval Engineers (ASNE) Small Unmanned Electric Boat Competition, where we are challenged with designing and constructing a fully autonomous electric boat capable of transporting a 30 lb payload or 60 lbs for an additional 5 points across a 2-mile course in under 55 minutes. The course consists of four half-mile laps, testing not only the boat endurance and efficiency but also its ability to maintain control over multiple laps. Additionally, the boat must be fully deployed from its stowed position to the water within 5 minutes, emphasizing rapid setup and operational readiness.
For wireless communication, we are utilizing an NRF24L01 2.4GHz radio module, which facilitates remote control operation and ensures reliable data transmission. The boat is powered by a 24V LiFePO4 battery, chosen for its long lifespan, high energy density, and thermal stability, making it a safe and efficient power source. Two Cube Mars W30 underwater thrusters, each capable of generating up to 50 lb-ft of thrust, are mounted in parallel to optimize propulsion, allowing the boat to efficiently navigate the course while maintaining speed and control.
The hull is CNC-machined from insulation foam, providing a lightweight core, and is then fiberglass-wrapped and epoxy-coated for structural integrity, durability, and hydrodynamic performance. With an estimated gross weight of approximately 105 lbs, including electronics and payload, our boat is designed for stability, efficiency, and rapid deployment while meeting competition requirements and ensuring high performance in challenging conditions.
SOS (Save Our Squirrels）
University of Kentucky Physical Plant Division
Katie Addison- Electrical Engineering, Mathematics, Spanish
Ethan Green- Electrical Engineering, Computer Engineering, Computer Science, Mathematics
Nathan Haynie, Computer Engineering, Computer Science
Carter Mayer, Electrical Engineering, Mathematics
Jason Nichols, Electrical Engineering, Mathematics
The University of Kentucky Physical Plant Division (UKPPD) has tasked our team with developing an innovative detection system to monitor substation areas for small animals, such as squirrels, to alert personnel and prevent power outages. Animal-related outages pose a significant operational challenge to the University of Kentucky, often resulting in costly repairs, disruptions to critical campus facilities, and diminished reliability of power delivery. These issues are particularly pressing for UKPPD, which has experienced an average of one squirrel-related outage annually between each of its substations over the past five years, with an average outage duration of nearly four hours.
Our project focuses on detecting squirrels at Substation #1, where their ingress has consistently led to power disruptions. This detection system provides early alerts to substation employees when small animals enter the monitored area, enabling prompt intervention to prevent damage to equipment and mitigate outages. By addressing the root cause of these outages, the system has the potential to significantly improve power reliability across campus.
The system design incorporates sensors and cameras to detect, timestamp, and store data on animal ingress events, ensuring employees have actionable information and a record for analysis. This approach prioritizes user safety by enabling remote monitoring, eliminating the need for employees to approach dangerous high-voltage areas. Additionally, the design complements existing deterrents, such as pole guards and line guards, by introducing a proactive detection mechanism that overcomes their limitations. This scalable and cost-effective solution aims to enhance substation reliability while reducing financial losses and operational disruptions caused by animal intrusion
CLUELESS(07)
Patrick Kitzman
Bobo Murula- Electrical Engineering
Andrew Graves- Electrical Engineering
Jackson Deye- Product Design
Daniel Breidenbach, Computer Engineering
Our project aims to design an accessible version of Clue Junior that promotes cognitive, motor, and social development for children with motor, cognitive, and sensory impairments. This adaptation ensures that all players, regardless of ability, can actively participate in the game by integrating assistive technology and interactive features.
To achieve this, the modified game board will incorporate RFID technology, LED indicators, and an interactive panel display system. RFID sensors will track player movements and game pieces, while LED indicators provide visual feedback to guide users through the game. The interactive panel display will present clues, instructions, and game progress in an accessible format, catering to people with visual or cognitive and sensory difficulties.
Beyond entertainment, our project serves as a rehabilitation tool. By embedding cognitive and motor skill-building tasks within an engaging, structured environment, the game will support children in clinical and educational settings, including rehabilitation centers, special education classrooms, and therapy clinics. This approach addresses gaps in existing therapy tools, offering a more engaging and inclusive alternative that aligns with the needs of therapists and educators working with children requiring adaptive learning strategies.
By designing a game that is both accessible and developmentally beneficial, we seek to enhance engagement, social interaction, and skill-building opportunities for children with disabilities. This project demonstrates how inclusive game design can bridge the gap between play and therapy, making recreational activities more equitable and impactful for all children.
Anthony Price- Computer Engineering Technology
Nolan Harvey, Computer Engineering Technology
Helena Shobole, Computer Engineering Technology
Crystal Wicks, Computer Engineering Technology
The IEEE SoutheastCon Mining Mayhem hardware competition has challenged teams to design and build a robot capable of autonomously collecting and sorting materials in a constrained playing field. The competition’s objective is to create a robot that effectively collects, differentiates, and deposits objects within a structured playing field. This playing field is designed with zones for start gate exiting, material collection, and container placement. The competition assigns points based on task completion, therefore, precise navigation and efficiency in task execution are critical for maximizing our score within the allotted 3-minute time frame. To address the competition’s challenges, we decided to design the robot with a modular approach, integrating a scoop for collection, a hall sensor for material differentiation, and a conveyor system for sorting. Central to our robot’s operation is a Raspberry Pi for processing camera images and Arduino for motor controls, along with supporting components such as servo motors, motor controllers, power distribution, and a robust chassis.
Sponsor Name- Bullard
Ian Bouma- Lean Systems Engineering Technology
Sierra Metz- Lean Systems Engineering Technology
Reece Terry- Lean Systems Engineering Technology
This capstone project focuses on the optimization of Powered Air-Purifying Respirator (PAPR) production for an assembly cell at Bullard. The team’s approach to conduct quantitative analysis through process mapping, time analysis, and qualitative insights to identify areas for improvement. Product flows were mapped, inventory levels assessed, and interviews conducted with assembly team members to understand current operational challenges. Quantitative data was gathered through time studies, comparing actual cycle times to calculated takt time to pinpoint bottlenecks and inefficiencies. The research focuses on addressing key business needs identified through these analyses and discussions with management. Specifically, the study explores the impact of visual management systems on production and problem identification. It examines the role of optimized inventory sizing and availability in ensuring smooth production flow. This project also analyzes the relationship ergonomics within the U-Cell and the impact on operator well-being and productivity. Furthermore, the study investigates work balancing strategies to align production capacity with changes in demand. Finally, the potential benefits of implementing an andon system for real-time issue notification and rapid response are explored. The findings of this project offer practical recommendations for Bullard to apply lean manufacturing principles to enhance production efficiency, improving operator safety, and ensuring timely delivery to their customers.
Team Beam Corrosion
Suntory Global Spirits
Chaz Ernst, Materials Engineering
Joshua Combs, Materials Engineering, Mathematics
Suntory Global Spirits requires data on how the high water-vapor and ethanol atmosphere affects the existing rick house structural materials including metal fasteners and fire suppression systems. The team performed accelerated corrosion on numerous building fittings using the Accelerated Corrosion System (ACS) inherited from the previous year's capstone project. Testing consisted of three trials placed into our ACS with 153 total samples, including heavy hex bolts, sheets, pipes, and brackets. Two coatings were under evaluation for the best prevention of corrosion: Paraffin Wax and Spirit Lock by Devil's Cask. Some samples were coated and some left as-is for controls. A few materials were tested: wrought iron, galvanized low carbon steel, and stainless steel. Three sections of barrel hoop were treated with Evapo-Rust, which is advertised to prevent subsequent corrosion (in addition to restoring iron, removing the oxygen in rust).
After the ACS, the samples were imaged under standardized lighting conditions. Image analysis code was significantly improved upon from inherited code. Code was executed to analyze all images, calculating the percent corrosion on surface area for every sample.
Team Mine Car
Matrix Analytics Group
Kailee Barrett- Materials Engineering
Julia Kilgore- Materials Engineering, Physics
Currently in the mining industry, mine cars are used to collect aggregate that is being mined. It is essential that an operator visually inspects and controls aggregate-filling of the bed. To improve safety, this process must be automated but cannot be done with vision systems. Strain gauges within a sensor placed at each tire can be used to determine load distribution of the aggregate in the mine car. Unfortunately, strain gauges in the current sensor design are inaccurately measuring load with some variation due to thermal effects. Our goal was to determine systematic causes of inaccurate load measurements, primarily with respect to temperature, and optimize design aspects to deliver accurate and reliable load-distribution data. This effort is part of a larger ongoing project between the University of Kentucky Department of Mining Engineering and Matrix Analytics Group. Our key tasks were to characterize baseline behavior of strain gauges under complex loading and with varying temperature, then relate this behavior to that of the current sensor design. With this information, we will deliver a working sensor design that is fully functioning despite any changes in loading or environment.
Aerospace Alloy Team
Touchstone Research Lab
Forres- Materials Science in Engineering
Andrew Gilbert- Material Science in Engineering
The use of Cr rich Ni-Cr alloys has been increasingly utilized in aerospace materials for its high strength, creep resistance, and corrosion resistance. The experiments performed by this group aim to characterize various material samples from Touchstone Research Lab's aerospace materials project. The material's microstructure was analyzed via metallography to reveal the nanophase sintered structure via optical microscopy and SEM, and determine the efficacy of the powder processing. Thermomechanical characterization was performed via TMA. The effects of the phase transition microstructure was also analyzed through DSC and post sintering thermal processing. Through the course of this experiment the material was revealed to have the unique thermal properties determined by TRL, as well as having a high resistance to corrosion. The material also proved to be incredibly hard and difficult to machine, a property worthy of further study for wear resistance.
Team Aluminum Cracking
Secat (Connor Varney)
Caleb Parsons- Materials science and engineering
Gabriel Suarez- Materials science and engineering
Blake Gorman- Materials science and engineering
Applications for high strength aluminum like airplane wings, car chassis, and structural supports require suitable resistance to stress corrosion cracking, which is cracking induced from the combined influence of tensile stress and a corrosive environment. The standard practice for measuring a material's resistance to stress corrosion cracking is to keep it at a constant tensile strain or load, submerge the specimen in a salt bath, then remove it and allow it to dry. This process is repeated 24/7 for days or even months. If a specimen exhibits cracking or fracture, then it is reported as a failure and the number of failed specimens in the sample and their times until failure are reported. Our sponsor for this project was Secat, who doesn’t currently provide stress corrosion cracking testing services. So we were tasked with designing, building, and testing fixtures for stress corrosion cracking tests. Our fixtures were designed for [DOGBONE DIMENSIONS] dogbones and they were made from stainless steel and nylon. We decided to go with an accelerated version of the test lasting only 10 days, during which the fixtures with dogbones were lowered into a 3.5% NaCl salt bath using an overhead hoist. In the future our fixture will serve as a standard testing fixture for Secat to analyze the stress corrosion cracking properties of the aluminum samples they receive from third-party companies seeking formal characterization of their aluminum. Ultimately, this has the potential to have a significant impact on the way Secat interacts with their customers as now Secat can offer more comprehensive testing of their already highly impressive aluminum characterization toolset. Lastly, there is much room for additional improvements, primarily in regards to the test length and method, as this particular matter was beyond the scope of our project.
Engineering Capstone Design Support for Medical and Health Applications
