Rice University

MECH 407/408

Senior Engineering Design

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Course Description

The course covers both semesters of the senior year. Students work in teams of three to six members each. The fall semester is generally devoted to related lectures and doing background research for the problem assigned and then designing a suitable solution to the problem. The spring semester is devoted to construction and testing of the design. In the case of the contests, designs compete with designs from other universities under the sponsorship of recognized engineering societies. In the process they experience many phases encountered in engineering practice such as dealing with suppliers, ordering supplies, handling purchase orders, securing delivery and other related responsibilities.

Students are expected to approach the project with enthusiasm and a strong interest, develop their native creative abilities, and utilize their engineering theory and knowledge. Projects originate from many sources. Some are contests sponsored by technical societies. Some are projects suggested by outside interests, some by faculty, some by the students themselves. Some of the best have been suggested by the students. For that reason we encourage students to come up with ideas of their own and if they have friends they want to work with, organize their own team. Once the project is selected by a team of students, they are responsible for the completion of every phase of the project.

Current Projects

· Battlebots (Advisors: McStravick, O’Malley)
· SAE Aero 1 (Advisors: Loos, Cunningham)
· SAE Aero 2 (Advisors: Loos, Cunningham)
· Foosbot (Advisor: Wise)
· Window-Washing robot (Advisor: Ghorbel)
· Autonomous Zamboni (Advisor: Carroll)

Completed Projects

Engineering Sponsored Contests
· SAE Mini Baja
· SAE Aero 
· SAE Walking Robot
· ASME Solar Splash
Laboratory Equipment
· Rotating Pendulum System
· Impulse Turbine Brake
Petroleum Equipment Related
· Millirobotic Crawler
· Autonomous Underwater Vehicle
· Diamond Bit for Casing Drilling
Medical Related Designs
· Multidirectional Wheel Chair
· External Elbow Fixator
· Controlled Femoral Head Osteotomy
Other
· Maria's Cart
· Omni-directional Robot Platform
· Mars Rover
 
 
For additional information contact 
 
Marcia O'Malley
Email: omalleym@rice.edu
Personal: http://www.ruf.rice.edu/~omalleym
Telephone: 713 348 3545
Fax: 713 348 5423