Mechanical Engineering Senior Design Showcase

I really enjoyed working on this folding e-scooter. It was cool to be able to work on a project that could be used in day to day life compared to doing a purely academic project. My ME courses really did prepare me for this, especially the 3D modeling classes using solidworks and design of machine elements class. This project will definitely help me in my career following graduation; I am going to work at Exact Sciences as an automation engineer. A huge part of that job will be designing parts using solidworks and then machining those parts which is exactly what we did in this project. Overall, I think the senior design coarse is extremely important in finishing off the mechanical engineering degree!

– Team member Jayne Henry

I found this project very valuable in terms of working with a real-world client with design requirements. In almost every step of the process I found myself utilizing skills from my classes. There were many aspects of the project that I had very little experience with, and prototyping in general was something I had not done too much of before this. So, being able to create and build a design from scratch allowed me to take away a lot of knowledge about designing and manufacturing products. It also was beneficial in terms of having practice working with and leading a team. Teamwork is a major part of engineering, so being able to succeed in a team project such as this is a huge achievement. After graduation I am heading to Denmark to get an MSC in Design and Innovation at the Technical University of Denmark (DTU). 

– Team member Sarah Clausen

It was rewarding to take something past UW groups had started and continue to improve it for our client who started the project and is a UW alum. Our team improved the system by adding a power assist system and independent braking system. I look forward to seeing what future groups implement as the project works towards the overarching goal of being an independent non-tandem tricycle. We were fortunate to have Trek as our team sponsor and were given the opportunity to tour their prototyping laboratory at their headquarters. I believe these experiences were good exposure for our future careers in industry. After graduation, this Fall I am attending graduate school at Johns Hopkins University to get my master’s degree in mechanical engineering. 

– Team member Kate Concannon

I truly enjoyed our project. It was an open-ended problem that allowed us to incorporate previous knowledge from engineering courses and use creativity to develop our design. Our ME 342, design of machine components, course experience helped us to determine material selection based on material properties. Also, statics and dynamics helped us to perform various calculations on the enclosure to ensure it could withstand the forces present. Collaboration between my team members and experience working with a variety of faculty taught me how to work more efficiently and effectively. I was able to prepare for meetings and ask the proper questions to propel the project forward. After graduation I will begin my full-time position with The Dow Chemical Company.

– Team member Reagan Hubbard

I think all four of us have an interest in renewable energy, so we were all excited to get this project. This project was very unique in the sense it required us to identify failure points of an existing system instead of designing a product from the ground up like most senior design projects. I think it challenged us to troubleshoot, especially given that our client did not have any blueprints of the existing system. This project also involved a lot of logistics and project management to coordinate shipping dates and financials since our client prioritized cost savings. That kind of experience will certainly benefit us going forward. Starting in July, I will be working as a mechanical engineer for Generac Power Systems in Waukesha, Wisconsin,  in portable generator new product development.

– Team member Noah Lawinger