News Release
Mechanical Engineering Technology students demonstrate senior projects
May 13, 2009
Wesley Miller and his automatic door
A search and rescue robot, an amphibious bicycle, a voice-activated door, and even a new, improved chassis for a race car were among the innovations created by Mechanical Engineering Technology seniors during the spring semester at Penn State Harrisburg.
These required senior capstone projects were among those explained and demonstrated during senior project day for faculty, students, staff, and families at the end of the term.
Jason Stahl and his race car chassis
With the aim of linking knowledge gained through studies to opportunities working with real-world industrial applications, the projects are indicative of the college’s commitment to provide high-impact educational opportunities to its students.
The projects are in line with mandates set by ABET, the national academic accrediting organization. All of Penn State Harrisburg’s undergraduate engineering and technology programs in the School of Science, Engineering, and Technology are accredited by ABET.
Todd Gettle and his front end loader
The rescue robot, developed by New York City resident Lawayne Johnson and Carl Dean Jr. from Norristown, is remotely controlled and includes a mounted camera which provides a live video feed for short-range search and rescue activities. The robot, which is propelled on tank-like treads, has two independently controlled motors for movement and variable speeds. It is capable of negotiating rough terrain as well as buildings.
Donald Lee, Highspire, and Kevin McLaughlin, Middletown, perfected an amphibious bicycle that can be ridden on water as well as on land. “Instead of going around a body of water, the bike can simply go right across it,” Lee points out. Mechanical flotation devices installed on the bicycle are operated by a lever which allows it to float with paddles providing the propulsion.
Matt Mogel and his electronic scissors jack
Programmed to respond to specified voices, the voice-activated pocked door developed by Glen Rock resident Wesley Miller permits it to operate using commands of “open” and “close.” The signal is used in combination with two transistors and two relays to allow the motor to operate in both directions as commanded.
Jason Stahl has been competing on the area’s 1000 CC micro-sprint car circuit for five years, driving a racer he and his father built. They will soon have a more competitive sprinter thanks to Jason’s creation of an improved chassis. Made of airplane chromoly, the chassis was designed to move more weight to the back wheels and increase the wheel base – within regulations. Jason expects the chassis to improve handling, especially in turns.
Lawayne Johnson and his search and rescue robot
Todd Gettle’s creation – a front-end loader attachment for a garden tractor – will stay at his home. An employee of the engineering department at Kercher Industries in Lebanon, Gettle installed the hydraulics and fabricated the attachment with a “common plate” so it can be used with either a bucket or a snow plow.
Matt Mogel of Hummelstown took advantage of his project choice to fabricate a scissors jack for a car which is operated with a common power drill. Mogel milled and welded the adapter for a drill which can be quickly removed if the user would rather hand-crank the jack.
The heat stake developed by Peter Rodriquez of Bethlehem is an automated digital unit with temperature controls and is used to secure plastics to a fixed location quickly. The stake includes automated controls and safety shields and was designed to stake a pressure relief valve in a desired location on a high rate industrial lithium ion battery.