Engineering Technology students pitch prototypes in senior design capstones

Local manufacturers, businesses invited to review student inventions 
 
DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. (May 3, 2013) – The challenge to Stavros Hataistavridis, Scott Hood and Robert Gorski was one that has plagued golfers since the sport was invented on the coast of Scotland during the 15th century: how to avoid losing one’s clubs.
 
The answer the three Bachelor of Science in Engineering Technology students at Daytona State College came up with was an electronic gizmo they call the “Golf Club Buddy.” The device, when clipped to a golf bag, senses when a club is removed, then issues a soft buzzing alert once the bag starts moving as the golfer moves through the course.
 
The invention is just one of over a dozen presented to Drs. Nabeel Yousef and Ron Eaglin, professors in the engineering technology program, as part of the students’ senior design projects that require them to demonstrate a blend of technical knowhow and creativity.

In the first part of May, students presented working prototypes of their own inventions ranging from amusement park rides and personalized digital pill dispensers to solar-powered emergency generators and rainwater purification systems.
 
“The senior design I and II projects are as close to a real-world experience as one can get in the classroom,” Yousef said. “It’s all about turning a conceptual idea into a working prototype that they can present to a potential client or investor.”
 
During their degree program, engineering technology students participate in two capstone courses, one in which they present a project plan and pitch their product, followed by another where they present an actual working prototype.
 
Eaglin noted that students build their prototypes using the resources of Daytona State’s Advanced Technology College, including electronics, CAD and machining labs, and 3-D printers available at the facility. In addition to market research and product development, the students also are required to create technical and user manuals for their presentations.
 
“This is a very good opportunity for industry folks to look at potential products, and in the past we have commercialized some of these,” Yousef said. He pointed to prototypes that have made it to market, such as wall-mounted retractable electrical extension outlets and art tablets that attach to grocery carts to keep toddlers occupied while their parent’s shop.
 
Eaglin said the presentations are a good opportunity for industry representatives to show their support for his students, many who will become future employees and, better yet, employers. “If anyone is interested in sponsoring a senior design group to develop an idea they currently have, I encourage them to come to at least one presentation so they understand how this works.”
 
Presentations included:
 
Self-closing, no-touch toilet seat
 
Rear-view trailer mounting camera
 
Efficient solar end mounts
 
Golf club tracker
 
Portable solar power generator
 
Digital personal pill dispenser
 
Christmas tree light wrap
 
Rainwater collection and purification system
 
All presentations were at the ATC, 1770 Technology Blvd. in Daytona Beach, in room 104. Area manufacturers, ATC advisory board members and potential sponsors were welcome to attend.

For more information, contact EaglinR@DaytonaState.edu; (386) 506-4176.
 
Caption: B.S. in Engineering Technology student Scott Hood presents his team’s “Golf Club Buddy” system.
 
Caption: Some examples of student projects that have made it or are on their way to market include a wall-mounted retractable electrical extension outlet, a “Shop-a-Doodle” that attaches to grocery carts to keep toddlers occupied while their parent’s shop, and a solar-powered circulation pump for hot-water supplies.
 
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NOTE: In 2013, U.S. News & World Report ranked Daytona State among the top in the nation for online bachelor’s programs, placing it at No. 2. Students can earn the Bachelor of Applied Science in Supervision and Management and the Bachelor of Science in Engineering Technology completely online. They can take the Bachelor of Science in Education partly online, as well.