Rockwell Automation, an industry leader in technology services, asked our team to produce a system demonstrating the steps of automated manufacturing to K-12 audiences. The mission is to educate students about the manufacturing process and engage students in STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering or Mathematics) topics. 

The RoboBoat competition, an annual event joining teams from across the globe, challenges them to navigate their robotic boats through an obstacle course. The tasks within these courses change each year. 

The connection between a fuel depot and space vessel is secured with a coupler that prevents leakage, limits boil-off and protects cryogenic fuels. NASA relies on effective coupling to supply cryogenic fuel to space vessels to continue deep space exploration. Through collaborations with industry professionals, we designed, modeled, built and tested a cryogenic coupler to facilitate a successful connection for fueling. We optimized the seal locations to decrease leakage and boil off, which is the main weakness of current designs.

Funded by NASA, our project goal was to design a test fixture that would mimic the space environment on the Moon’s surface. Space is a vacuum, where pressure is zero and temperature is below zero in the Celsius degree range. Regolith, which is soil on the Moon’s surface, contains 95% dirt and 5% water (as ice). NASA wants to extract hydrogen and oxygen from the water in the regolith and use it to make spacecraft fuel. This would allow spacecraft to refuel while in space and increase the travel duration.

Our goal was to develop an effective way to clean parts in low gravity. Selective laser melting is a 3D printing method that uses a laser to melt metal powder. Powder placement and heating occurs layer by layer until the part finishes. This leaves extra metal powder on the finished part. Cleaning the surface with a traditional method works but removing powder from inside the part is difficult. Powder becomes stuck inside the part and can prevent intended use.