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Students: Abigail Ganze, Natasia Ehlers, Zoe Atherton, Monserratt Ramirez

Howler Technology is a wearable, noninvasive monitoring system designed to detect early signs of heat stress in working dogs operating in high-risk environments such as military, law enforcement, search and rescue, and agricultural settings. Working dogs face extreme temperatures and intense physical demands that can quickly lead to heat exhaustion, organ damage, or fatality. Our system integrates continuous skin temperature monitoring, heart rate sensing, microcontroller-based signal processing, and Bluetooth communication to provide real-time physiological data to a mobile application. When predefined safety thresholds are exceeded, the system generates escalating alerts to notify handlers immediately. Lightweight, waterproof, and harness-mounted, the device is built for field durability while maintaining comfort and mobility for the dog. By enabling proactive monitoring rather than reactive intervention, Howler Technology aims to improve animal welfare, reduce preventable injuries, protect valuable operational assets, and enhance mission flexibility in demanding environments.

Students: Brendan McPartlin, Blake Smith, Tristan Eaton, Sumiran Marsani
Advisors: Kovi Bessoff, MD, PhD (Renown), Jared Worchel, DO (Renown)

SafeStep is a pressure-sensor-based smart walker designed to provide objective balance and stability data to support hospital discharge decisions and ongoing at-home monitoring. Current discharge mobility assessments are often subjective and time-consuming, allowing instability to go unnoticed until after patients return home. One in four Americans aged 65 or older falls each year, contributing to injuries, costly readmissions, and billions of dollars in annual healthcare expenses.   SafeStep integrates pressure sensors into a familiar assistive device to quantify real-time stability during discharge evaluations. By measuring weight distribution and balance patterns, the system provides clinicians with objective metrics to better assess fall risk and make informed discharge decisions. The broader clinical impact includes reducing post-discharge falls, lowering readmission rates, improving patient safety, and decreasing financial strain on healthcare systems through more informed and data-driven discharge decisions.   Key deliverables include an integrated smart walker prototype, embedded firmware for real-time data acquisition and processing, stability assessment logic, and an LCD-based feedback interface. Supporting deliverables include sensor calibration procedures, validation testing results, and complete technical documentation. 

Students: Robin Jessee, Alex Reuter, Ben Carrico

MicroSentinel is a proof-of-concept engineering system designed to enhance how small-volume biological samples are monitored. Current microdialysis workflows collect fluid samples for later laboratory analysis, but they do not provide continuous, real-time feedback during sampling. Our team is developing a compact, modular device that integrates directly into the fluid outflow pathway and measures changes in electrical capacitance as the fluid composition varies. The system combines a 3D-printed microfluidic chip with embedded conductive probes, an Arduino-based signal acquisition circuit, and a software interface for real-time visualization and data logging. Operating at clinically relevant flow rates, the prototype demonstrates stable multi-hour performance and reproducible response to controlled chemical perturbations. Rather than replacing laboratory analysis, MicroSentinel augments existing workflows by adding continuous digital trend monitoring without consuming the sample. This approach may expand the functional capabilities of microdialysis systems and provides a scalable foundation for future development in real-time chemical monitoring technologies.

Students: Hayley LaCost, Ethan Lopez-Laing, Braden Crawford, Sophie Dawson
Advisors: Nolan Erickson

Anhydrous Lithium hydroxide - the dehydrated form of Lithium hydroxide monohydrate - is used in CO2 scrubbing for submarines, ship hulls, and in aeronautical spaces. We have been tasked both to update and optimize the current production process at Albemarle's Silver Peak facility and to design a new process from scratch. This project requires extensive knowledge in reactor design, reaction kinetics, process design, and industrial processing techniques; skills all used in chemical engineering.

Students: Bryce Campo, Corban King, Josiah Guyer, Austen Rorex

Our  team is developing a bench-scale copper sulfate, CuSO4, crystallization experiment for the CHE Unit Operations Laboratory. The system is designed to help chemical engineering students connect thermodynamics, kinetics, and separations through a visually engaging and data-driven process. Students will learn traditional cooling crystallization, using solvent composition and cooling rate as practical operating variables to control supersaturation, yield, and crystal size distribution. The project emphasizes reproducibility, safe operation, and realistic downstream handling through filtration, washing, and drying as is seen in industrial crystallization. By pairing simple measurements (mass recovery and size analysis) with solubility concepts, the lab is intended to be both accessible for undergraduates and technically rigorous enough to support open-ended experimentation.

Students: Daniel Morales, Travis Rothgeb, Spencer Fellenz, Daniela Vega-Rinne
Advisors: Ed McNew Mountain Pass Materials

Design of the process to produce water soluble rare earth chlorides from a rare earth concentrate derived from bastnasite mineral. The "one-step" process is carbochlorination of the rare earth carbonate fluorides in a fluidized bed. Introducing rare earth carbonate fluorides into a chlorine rich environment with carbon reduces the rare earths into rare earth chlorides. These rare earth chlorides are soluble in water, which allows for the separation of the rare earth chlorides into their constituents. These rare earth constituents are lanthanum, cerium, neodymium, and praseodymium. Separation of the rare earth constituents allows for further production of rare earth based materials, such as permanent magnets for use in electric motors.

Pictured from left to right: Alexis Pedraza,  Leoney Spence, Stella Abejar, Adan Albarran Ayala

Students: Leoney  Spence, Alexis  Pedraza, Stella  Abejar, Adan Albarran Ayala
Advisors: Chad Knight (Carollo), Daniel Nitzan (Carollo), Andy Cho (Jensen Infrastructure)

SalTerra is developing a desalination facility to help address Los Angeles' growing water crisis by converting seawater into a reliable source of potable water. The treatment plant will be located in Griffith Park, chosen for its available land and proximity to the coast, while the intake structure and pump house will be positioned in Will Rodgers Beach. The treatment process begins by pumping saline water into a transmission main from an underground slant-well intake system. This water undergoes pretreatment-including coagulation, flocculation, sedimentation, and filtration-to protect the downstream reverse osmosis (RO) membranes from fouling. After pretreatment, the RO system removes dissolved ions, followed by remineralization to restore beneficial minerals and final disinfection before distribution to the potable water system. SalTerra is also designing an innovative brine treatment system to minimize environmental impacts. In addition to process design, the structural facilities housing the RO system, brine treatment, disinfection units, and office space are being designed inhouse using reinforced concrete, with a public amenity planned above the structures. This will ensure Los Angeles has a dependable, climate resilient source of water, while the public amenity will serve to inform the public of the innovative processes occurring beneath their feet.

Students: Jackson Aulner, George Bachvarov, Nevaeh Brady, Haley Roofener
Advisors: Christian Heinbaugh, Rebecca Vinter

The U.S. 50 Dayton to Stagecoach Redevelopment Initiative seeks to improve user safety and improve stormwater management along a 2-mile-strech of Highway 50 between Dayton and Stagecoach, NV.  A lack of safe crossings and stormwater infrastructure has left the roadway ill-equipped for vehicular, pedestrian, and wildlife users.  The Chicken Consulting Co. seeks to alleviate the issues plaguing this corridor.   The roadway portion of this project focuses on the conversion of both project intersections into Restricted Crossing U-Turn intersections.  These innovative intersections will reduce accident risk and promote efficient travel.  The roadway segments within the project area will be resurfaced to improve safety conditions.   The water resources portion of this project will concern the effective conveyance of stormwater.  This will be accomplished using roadside ditches/open channels, which will direct water to existing stormwater infrastructure in Dayton, NV.   The structural engineering portion of this project concerns the creation of the Community Overpass for Optimizing Passage.  This bridge will feature separated wildlife and pedestrian crossings, promoting safety and efficacy for all users.   The Chicken Consulting Co. Will provide an innovative approach to rural corridor redevelopment through this burgeoning initiative. 

Students: James Baird, Matt Bigham, Louie Quiroz, Rafael Sutter

The Pyramid Way Transit Center is designed to address  increasing traffic congestion and safety concerns in Spanish  Springs. As the community continues to grow, Pyramid Way  has experienced heavier traffic volumes, longer commute  times, and increased risks for both drivers and pedestrians.  Our project introduces a strategically located bus station  that promotes public transportation use and reduces the  number of individual vehicles traveling along this major  corridor. The proposed transit center focuses on efficiency,  accessibility, and long-term sustainability. Key design  features include reinforced concrete structural systems, mat  foundation support slabs, engineered storm water runoff channels, integrated drainage retention basins, and  improved site grading patterns that minimize surface water  accumulation. The station's placement is intended to  optimize entry and exit points, preventing backups while  maintaining steady vehicle movement. By centralizing transit services, the project encourages  residents to consider reliable alternatives to driving, which  can reduce congestion and lower emissions. Overall, this  solution supports future community growth, improves  mobility, enhances roadway safety, and creates a more  organized transportation system for Spanish Springs.

Students: Gael Lopez Madera, Joshua Chavis, Wendy Fang, Maheono Guilloux-Chevalier
Advisors: Ivan Trebotich (NDOT), Bryan Snider (NDOT), Curtis Hartzell (NDOT)

This proposed project will alleviate traffic congestion in the North Valleys Region just north of Reno, Nevada. In recent years, there has been increased commercial and residential development in the area. Improvements to Golden Valley Road and West 7th Avenue have suitable performance across traffic operations, safety, accessibility, and constructability. The proposed work includes refinement of roadway geometry, pavement design, and geotechnical design.  The rehabilitation of Golden Valley Road and West 7th Avenue includes expanding a two-way road (one lane in each direction) into a four-way road (two lanes in each direction). This will take into account the geometric design of the roadway, which evaluates the alignment, lane widths, shoulder width, design speed, and stopping sight distance.   The pavement selection is determined by an expected estimate of large trucks, regular traffic, and weather conditions to enhance the lifespan of the road. Pavement design will involve types of pavement, height, depth, mix design, and maintenance.  In addition, a retaining wall will be added on the northern side of West 7th Avenue near Jim Denning Way to prevent landslides onto the road and to provide access for lane expansion due to the topography of the surrounding area. 

Students: Andrew Hjermstad, Sanjay Mathew, Andrew Hardwick, Gage Colagiovanni
Advisors: Jim Pringle, Austin Martin

The main design component of the Truckee River Park Project will be the site layout.  Approximately half of the site will be a dedicated green space. This space will include irriga5on  features, a broad array of naturally occurring foliage, reten5on pond and a community garden. The other half of the site will include tennis, pickleball and basketball courts, the basketball  courts are intended to be placed under a shaded structure. The area will also include a fully  powered bathroom, and a parking layout that is able to sustain the volume of people  an5cipated to u5lize the park and its ameni5es. The parking lot will include shaded structures  that are incorporated with a solar panel array which will help power the park. The green space  as well as the solar panels are intended to combat the urban heat island effect. The rest of the features are included to increase the available ameni5es to the people of the City of Reno.

Students: Mia Eriksen, Bryanna Dohm, Tyler Bickell, Genevieve Miller, Grace Hager
Advisors: Keith Karpstein - DOWL, Sophia Waite - Lumos

Talus Valley is a new residential development located on both the west and east sides of Veterans Parkway in South Reno. As the community continues to expand, traffic volumes accessing Veterans Parkway are projected to increase significantly. Currently, access is limited to side streets connecting to South Meadows Parkway, which is expected to result in congestion at that intersection as development progresses. To alleviate future traffic demands and improve circulation, new northbound and southbound on- and off-ramps are proposed at Alexander Lake Road. The northbound off-ramp will connect to a right-turn-only stop-controlled intersection, while the northbound on-ramp will tie into a roundabout near Desert Way to improve neighborhood access and operational efficiency. Our design includes a flexible pavement design for the northbound off-ramp, a rigid pavement design for the roundabout, a box culvert design, and a complete geometric design of the northbound off-ramp.

Students: Ben Maxinoski, Talon Cox, Veeral Patel, Jorge Flores Gonzalez
Advisors: Nick Anderson (CME), Owen Wurgler (Shaw Engineering)

Verdi Pines Campground is a proposed outdoor recreation facility located in Verdi, Nevada, designed to provide affordable, accessible, and environmentally responsible camping near the Reno-Tahoe region. The site includes A-frame cabins, RV hookups, tent camping areas, restroom and shower facilities, internal access roads, and an on-site potable water system. The project prioritizes sustainable site design by minimizing soil disturbance, managing stormwater runoff, and protecting the nearby Truckee River corridor. Engineering efforts integrate structural, geotechnical, and water resources design to ensure long-term durability, safety, and regulatory compliance. The campground is designed to support year-round use, promote community engagement with the outdoors, and balance recreational development with environmental stewardship. This project demonstrates how thoughtful civil engineering design can enhance public spaces while protecting sensitive ecosystems.

Students: Connor Galvan, Brett McVeigh, Mason Daforno, Brody Plimpton
Advisors: Janelle Thomas (Washoe County Senior Engineer), Tony Gugliuzza (CFBR Structural Group )

Nevada Civil Solutions, a student team composed of Connor Galvan, Brody Plimpton, Brett McVeigh, and Mason DaForno, developed the design of a one-story grocery store and pedestrian bridge that creates a direct connection to campus, improving walkability and giving students and faculty an easier way to reach everyday necessities. The project combines several areas of civil engineering. Structural engineering shapes the layout and systems for both the building and the bridge. Geotechnical engineering guides the foundation design based on site soil conditions to ensure stability and long-term performance. Water resources engineering develops the utility connections and pipe networks for water and sewer service and includes on-site detention to manage stormwater runoff. Together, these elements create a practical, coordinated design that shows how civil engineering can provide reliable infrastructure that fits the needs of the campus and the surrounding community.

Students: Dominik Brozowski, Samuel Gonzales, Bryce Belli, Jonathan Sanchez
Advisors: Nelson Pearson - Sierra Engineering, Mark Doehring - Newfields Engineering

With the increase in population of Reno, Nevada, the need for a larger transportation network to accommodate northeastern communities such as Sun Valley, Spanish Springs, and Sparks becomes more important than ever. The Northeast Reno Connection Project aims to enhance the quality of life for northeast residents by improving the accessibility to the major arterial Pyramid Highway while adding alternative travel routes. These improvements will be implemented in the undeveloped land west of Pyramid Highway. Currently, the Nevada Department of Transportation is planning improvements in their Pyramid Highway project. This project includes six phases of construction to improve traffic conditions through road expansions and new exits. Phase 3 of this project will connect Pyramid Highway to Dandini Blvd. However, the project does not include any improvements for east-west travel. To improve the conditions on Pyramid and Highland Ranch Pkwy a roadway will tie-in to East Fourth Avenue in Sun Valley and connect to the roadway planned in Phase 3 of NDOT's project. Sound walls are present to reduce the noise pollution from the new road. This design will improve the connectivity of the area while reducing the traffic volume on Pyramid Highway by adding an alternative route.

Students: Brandon Kase, Jack Cherry, Jason Barshtak, Riley Doyle

This project focuses on the preliminary design of a proposed grocery store development on an 11.32-acre commercial parcel in southwest Fernley. The city has experienced steady population growth in recent years, while most major grocery and retail services are still concentrated in the northern part of the community. As residential development continues expanding southward, residents must travel longer distances to access food and daily necessities.   Access to food is both a civil engineering and community planning challenge. Infrastructure must be designed not only to accommodate growth, but also to ensure essential services are distributed in a convenient, safe, and sustainable manner. This project builds upon a previously completed feasibility study that evaluated multiple development alternatives and found a grocery store as the preferred solution.   The design includes site layout planning, parking configuration  , roadway access, grading and drainage design, and utility coordination. The project aims to improve food accessibility, reduce travel demand, and support long-term development in southwest Fernley.

Students: Grant Peterson, Dominic Layco, Sulman Sajid, Vinh Nguyen

Our proposed Elevated Rail Transit (ERT) Station is an innovative and transformative alternative mobility solution aimed at alleviating the persistent traffic congestion along I-80 between Reno/Sparks and USA Parkway. This project would be particularly significant since the corridor between Sparks and USA Parkway is considered one of the most heavily congested commuter routes in the region. The proposed Elevated Rail Transit Station will be strategically located near the I-80/Greg Street interchange and will act as a high-capacity transit station connecting residential areas to large-scale industrial and commercial employment centers. This station addresses passenger comfort and safety needs through climate-resilient sheltering, real-time digital scheduling, accessible elevators and stairways, clean restroom facilities, filtered drinking water stations, and well-lit monitored transit platforms. The Transit Station is also designed for universal accessibility and desert-smart solutions. This will provide a safe, efficient, and comfortable travel experience for commuters to reach their destinations without the need to travel in automobiles. The proposed Elevated Rail Transit (ERT) Station is not only aimed at relieving traffic congestion in the region but also ensures the long-term economic vitality of the region through alternative regional connectivity solutions. 

Students: Dean  Credico, Aadyn Ray, Ben Miller, Shayne  Smith
Advisors: Edward Thomas, and Joshua LeGrande

The Steamboat Creek Flood mitigation project will consist of re-routing the north end of Steamboat Creek as well as the design of a two-phase stormwater detention basin. The detention basin will be able to store a large amount of water and will reduce flooding in upstream and adjacent communities such as the UNR farm and Hidden Valley. Nebraska sedge, southern cattails, and additional vegetation will be planted in and around the creek to reduce mercury transportation through the creek into the Truckee River. Flood walls will be added on the east side of the phase I detention basin to prevent flooding of the Truckee Meadows Water Reclamation Facility during storm events. The excavated soil will be used to fill in the old Steamboat Creek along with raising the elevation of the land to the east of the detention basin. This will allow for future expansions of the Truckee Meadows Water Reclamation Facility while raising the headworks to minimize pumping requirements. 

Students: Alexis Corona, Zachary Dube, Georgia Petroff, Charlotte Skorlich
Advisors: Eric Rademacher (Linchpin Structural Engineering) and Megan Berry (Wood Rodgers, Inc.)

Nova Engineering presents the design for the Las Vegas Station, as part of the Brightline West high-speed rail project connecting Southern California and Las Vegas, Nevada. The project will detail a railway station and accompanying mixed-use facility, encompassing 166,000 square feet of the 120-acre property located south of the iconic Las Vegas Strip. The station will feature space for two train bays, ticketing areas, and passenger waiting areas. The two-story mixed-use building will include commercial amenities and entertainment on the first floor and suite-style hotel rooms on the second floor. Collectively, these two structures serve to support transit, multimodality, and economic growth in Las Vegas. Nova Engineering selected four CEE subdisciplines to provide a thorough design deliverables package for the project. The team will perform geotechnical calculations for foundations, structural calculations for the buildings' framing, transportation calculations for the entrance intersection, and water resources calculations for the site's drainage.

Students: Sara  Pettay, Anisa Ali, Lili Pakko, David Wagner
Advisors: Chuck Reno (DOWL) and Joesph Toth (Ausenco)

The Spanish Springs Recreational Center Project addresses the shortage of recreational and social facilities in the Spanish Springs area by proposing a two-story, 120,000 square-foot complex on a 15-acre site designed to promote health, learning, and community connection. The facility will include indoor sports courts, fitness areas, multipurpose classrooms, and outdoor recreational spaces, creating an inclusive environment for residents of all ages. Environmentally conscious features such as photovoltaic panels, water-saving fixtures, greywater reuse, and optimized irrigation systems further reduce environmental impact. The design also considers local climate conditions, sustainability objectives, and community input. The SLAD Designs team is responsible for structural, environmental, and geotechnical design. This includes the steel framing system, detailing, specifications, and structural analysis. Additionally, the environmental scope includes designing the grey water piping, irrigation, and greywater reuse system. While the geotechnical design includes soil property characterization, foundation design, and seismic site classification. Overall, the proposed project delivers a sustainable community-focused recreational facility that integrates structural, environmental, and geotechnical design elements. 

Students: Garrett Plank, Sam McCoy, Katherine Martin, Erick Medina
Advisors: Eric Giles and Rich Pettinari of GCW Inc.

The Bain Spring Trail Project aims to improve traffic conditions on Geiger Grade Road by providing a separate multi-use path for pedestrians and bicyclists following the existing Bain Spring Road. This will also improve safety conditions for these users. The pathway design considers the roadway geometry and its connection to Geiger Grade Road, the pavement design, hydrologic analysis, and drainage design. This project also consists of a trailhead facility with a parking lot in South Reno at the start of the path. Structural components will be designed for the proposed trailhead facility, and pavement design will be considered for the attached parking lot.

Students: Tyler Moore, Martin  Rose, Parker  Ronsheimer, Caden Riley, Keith Dennett
Advisors: Amaya Shafer - Nelson Wilcox Structural Engineers

A proposed student-focused housing development called Mountain View Flats is situated close to the �Ƽ��Ӱ�ԭ��. The proposal uses an integrated mixed-use design to solve growing housing costs, transportation issues, and sustainability requirements. Residential apartments, an integrated parking garage, a grocery shop on-site, and water reuse techniques in line with LEED Platinum goals are all features of the complex. Water resources, geotechnical, and structural engineering evaluations were carried out. Well-drained alluvial soils with controllable constructability considerations were found during site assessments. Gravity and lateral load needs were determined via structural design, which led to the sizing of reinforced concrete columns and the use of a 30-inch mat base to improve seismic performance and load distribution. Planning for water resources included fire flow compliance, xeriscaping to reduce irrigation, and estimating residential demand. The project places a strong emphasis on practical constructability, affordability, and sustainability. Mountain View Flats offers a practical way to save student living expenses while fostering long-term environmental performance by incorporating necessary amenities and resource-efficient technology.

Students: Peter Ghelfi, Jackson Schlink, Diego Hernandez de la Luz, Mark Moyle II

The proposed project involves an improvement of pedestrian safety and traffic flow on the south end of the �Ƽ��Ӱ�ԭ��'s campus with a comprehensive redesign at the corner of E Ninth St. and Evans Ave. Rapid increase of student population and outdated infrastructure have resulted in the intersection seeing significant pedestrian and vehicle conflicts, jeopardizing safety of the entire campus community.  To address the demand in traffic, the project incorporates various main improvements including a roundabout, replacing the existing unsignalized intersection and eliminating traffic standstills completely. The removal of the current crosswalks will be replaced with two pedestrian bridges, rerouting foot traffic above the roads and complementing the rerouting of traffic circulation, mitigating pedestrian and vehicle interaction.   Railings will be installed along the edge of sidewalks, bordering the intersection, to prevent pedestrians from crossing the street and encouraging the use of the pedestrian bridge. Three ramps will be installed at the ends of the bridges providing access to each side of the streets. One ramp will end in front of the HERE Reno apartment building, another in Evans Park, and the third ending at the parking lot between Fleischmann Agriculture and Sarah H. Fleischmann Building.

Students: Khushi Sharma, Ashley  Gilliam, Breanna LaGere, Noelle Ebiya

In order to address the growing homeless population and food insecurity issues in Reno, Nevada, the Sustainable Shelter project includes the construction of a new shelter building, site preparation and foundation-laying, and an onsite greenhouse foodshed irrigated by a grey- and rainwater reuse system. Located on North Wells Avenue and Winston Drive, the project is in an optimal location to offer useful resources for the target community, such as the Salvation Army Thrift Store and Community Center, and the Reno-Sparks Gospel Mission on Timber Way. The shelter has the capacity to house 150 residents in need within dormitory-style housing units and will include communal spaces such as the reception, first aid station, kitchen, and dining area. The total area for construction of the site will be about 9,000 ft2. Collected grey- and rainwater will be used for irrigating edible crops, treated to Class A water quality using a bio-retention cell to act as preliminary treatment before going through the on-site water treatment system.

Students: Madisyn Kopecki, Luke Stopka, Dominic  Pucci, Matthew Henry
Advisors: Megan Sulezich, Wood Rodgers. Kelsey Wittels, Wittels Engineering.

The �Ƽ��Ӱ�ԭ�� (UNR) has experienced consistent enrollment growth in recent years, which has increased the demand for on-campus student housing. Adequate housing is an essential component of the student's experience, as it promotes academic success, fosters a sense of community, and ensures safe and accessible living arrangements. However, the university currently faces challenges in both the capacity and condition of its residence halls.   Many of the existing facilities are aging and no longer meet modern standards for comfort, sustainability, or energy efficiency. At the same time, limited housing capacity has forced a growing number of students to seek accommodation off campus, often at higher cost and reduced convenience. These issues present significant barriers to student success and limit the university's ability to accommodate future growth.   This project aims to address these concerns by offering a new student housing dormitory that will both expand the quantity of available housing and improve the quality of existing facilities. By investing in modern, sustainable, and accessible housing, the university can better support its mission to provide a safe, supportive, and inclusive environment for its students.  

Students: McKenna Johnson, Casey Valdez Walker, Tito Guerra Carrera, Alexis Rincon
Advisors: Hilton Atherton, PE: Monte Vista Consulting ; Russ Wallace, PE: RW Engineering

TMAC proposes a multi-span concrete bridge designed to reduce congestion at the heavily traveled intersection of Pyramid Way, Highland Ranch Parkway, and Sparks Boulevard in Sparks, Nevada. This corridor currently experiences high daily traffic volumes, long queue lengths, and increased crash risk during peak hours. To provide a long-term solution, our team is implementing Accelerated Bridge Construction (ABC) techniques to minimize construction time and reduce disruption to the surrounding community. ABC methods allow major bridge components to be prefabricated off-site and installed efficiently, significantly limiting traffic delays during construction. An innovative aspect of our design is the use of CSA (Calcium Sulfoaluminate) concrete, a material not currently utilized in Nevada but successfully implemented in other states. CSA concrete gains strength more rapidly than traditional Portland cement concrete, allowing for faster construction timelines while maintaining durability and long-term performance. By combining innovative materials with efficient construction practices, our project delivers a safe, sustainable, and resilient infrastructure solution that will accommodate future traffic growth while improving mobility and safety for the Spanish Springs and North Sparks communities.

Students: John Wylie, Matthew Ladowski, Benjamin Hungerford, Jaime Garcia Alejandre

The Rock Boulevard Rehabilitation Project addresses recurring flooding, safety concerns, and operational deficiencies along a key transportation corridor serving industrial, commercial, and residential areas. Frequent storm events overwhelm existing drainage infrastructure near the Union Pacific Railroad underpass, creating roadway closures and hazardous driving conditions. Limited conveyance capacity combined with a low roadway elevation results in stormwater accumulation that disrupts traffic flow and emergency access. This project develops a preliminary engineering solution focused on improving drainage performance, roadway geometry, and long-term infrastructure resilience. Proposed improvements include upgraded stormwater conveyance systems, vertical retaining structures, and geometric enhancements near the Interstate 80 interchange to improve safety and mobility. Designed to support the needs of the City of Sparks, the rehabilitation prioritizes constructability, cost-effectiveness, and future hydraulic capacity associated with regional growth and increased impervious surfaces. By reducing flood risk and improving reliability, the project enhances commuter access, freight mobility, and long-term transportation performance for the surrounding community.

Students: Aween  Ali, Arwen  Antes, Daxton  Johnson, Dominic  Palmieri

Our project, ClubHub, is a tool that can help and assist club officers on campus with organizational duties and management by addressing the lack of an effective, centralized webpage for officers and leaders of on campus clubs and organizations, aiming to provide success through efficient leadership. 

Students: Kimberly Agraan, Jenna Chang, Adrian Delibassis, Anthony Martinez

PlagueStead is a farming/fighting video game that takes place in the wake of the apocalypse. You, a humble and determined farmer, must survive long enough by planting crops and fighting off the hordes of menacing zombies that have been created by a living bioweapon. A variety of mutated plants can now grow into guns, transforming your farm into a personalized weapon factory. Use your daytime wisely to prepare for the chaotic dangers risen in the dark. Help will be on the way soon...

Students: Evita Kanaan, Snow Cai, Ava Chong, Ernest Velasquez

Bound Spirit is a 2D mystery puzzle RPG where players awaken as a newly departed ghost with no memory of how they died. To uncover the truth, players explore cozy yet eerie environments, interact with characters, and solve puzzles woven directly into the narrative. Each puzzle is inspired by real cybersecurity concepts; such as multi‑factor authentication, password cracking, and data remanence; reimagined as intuitive, story‑driven mechanics that teach through play rather than instruction. As players investigate their past life, they also influence the living characters they encounter, nudging them toward closure, conflict, or unexpected revelations. The game features multiple endings shaped by player choices, emphasizing replayability and narrative depth. Developed in Unity, Bound Spirit demonstrates how abstract cybersecurity principles can be transformed into engaging gameplay experiences that are accessible to a broad audience. The project highlights an innovative approach to cybersecurity education by embedding learning seamlessly within a mystery‑driven adventure.

Students: Vincent Luong, Yuhan Tang, Shawn Meng, Sean Masterson

Between Cure and Chaos is a 2D, turn-based RPG set in a post-apocalyptic world where players play as a scientist named Peter, who is searching for his missing lab partner and a cure that could save humanity. Players explore a large, interconnected open-world map, battling through hordes of enemies with a strategic turn-based card system. Each card offers unique effects: attacks, buffs, healing, and area-of-effect abilities, while weapons can be upgraded to make them more powerful. Players can also craft stronger cards by combining two cards from their collection, and build different decks to tackle the hordes of enemies encountered during the journey. The game emphasizes resource management and story-driven exploration, allowing players to make meaningful choices that influence their journey. With a focus on accessibility, the game provides clear HUD elements and intuitive controls, making it approachable for both casual and strategic players. 

Students: Simeon Dimitrov, Samuel Mouradian, Arvind Pagidi, Aidan Swan
Advisors: Levi Scully - Master's Graduate & VR Developer at the �Ƽ��Ӱ�ԭ��'s CSE Software Systems Lab

THE YEAR IS 1578, AND JAPAN IS AT WAR... You are Mōri Katsuko, a samurai who has been called by his daimyo to aid the Ikko Ikki clan at their capital city. Sent with a supply wagon and only a handful of samurai, you must reach your ally's capital with the supplies, lest the Oda clan succeeds in their siege and brings another province under their control.  Mōri is a first-person combat game set within the Sengoku period of Japanese history. This is a title that takes inspiration from a variety of combat games, such as Chivalry: Medieval Warfare, Ghost of Tsushima, Mordhau, Ninja: Gaiden, and Ultrakill.  Mōri will include two game modes. The game will be set within a "Horde" mode, wherein you will attempt to survive an onslaught of enemy forces, which will grow in size and difficulty as time progresses.  Will you be the one prevail against the Oda clan's army, or will you bring shame to your clan and dishonor to your family?

Students: Thompson Thai, Michael Pedote, Z He

All Stars Arena is a fast-paced, 3D platformer, fighting game that is going to be published on Roblox. Players can unlock characters through a gacha summon system that provides different cosmetics and visual effects. Using those characters the player can choose to drop into our free-for-all arena for some quick brawls, they can choose to queue up for matches if they are feeling a bit more competitive, or they can choose to just hang out in the lobby to show rare titles or cosmetics that they have earned. Our goal for this project is to break the stigma that comes with Roblox development, as well as open Roblox up as an option for indie developers choosing to create a multiplayer game.

Students: Jared Baze, Alex Zorzella, Alyssa Workman, Chanel Koh
Advisors: Richie White (CSE), Lucas Lac

The purpose of this project is to apply reinforcement learning techniques to train AI agents capable of playing a 2D fighting game. The primary goals are to implement reinforcement learning in a fighting game environment, compare the fighting style and performance between multiple models, and evaluate how these AI agents perform against human players. Analyzing AI-human interaction can also help assess which models are best in promoting player growth and satisfaction, a key consideration for game players and developers alike. The intended audience of this project are game studios and developers seeking cost-effective, time-efficient ways to train new characters and update current ones. By focusing on generalization and flexibility, this project aims to produce models that can adapt to new characters and updates with minimal retraining, making the models easier for our audience to use.

Students: Andrew  Wittig, Abigail  Barnes, Victor  Dang, Colby Gramelspacher
Advisors: Chris Forkner (Unity Engineer)

Echo's Cry merges the fundamental mechanics of rhythm games and horde-based fighting games into one exciting game-play loop. Think of the game Hades, except every attack must be on beat. The player begins the gameplay loop by starting in the town square. This is the central hub to access the Shop Keeper to buy items, and the Blacksmith to upgrade character stats and unlock weapon abilities using currency dropped from different enemies. The player may then enter through a number of gates to begin a level. The player battles waves of enemies through utilizing their given instruments' unique abilities, and performing combinations of light and heavy attacks to deal greater damage. The player may dodge or parry attacks from enemies by dashing away. Both the effectiveness of attacking and dodging are tightly interleaved with the user's success in completing rhythmically timed inputs to the beat of the soundtrack.

Students: Richard Nguyen, Jorge Cervacio, Cody Shrive, Cole Gilliam

Promptle is a web game inspired by Wordle but with AI implemented into it. This project addresses the limitation that traditional Wordle games have, where topics are hard coded and pulled from a fixed database. We solve that by integrating AI through the OpenAI API, allowing puzzles to be dynamically generated based on the user's prompt. Promptle is a webpage with a Wordle-like game as its main feature and core experience. The platform includes a login system with user profiles, "most common" Wordle-style games, AI prompt-generated games, multiplayer functionality, and a variety of additional game modes. The multiplayer mode showcases online compatibility, giving users the ability to compete in real time.

Students: Joe Wu, Malcolm  Hays, Austin  Fredstrom, William  Leon

Our project is an online multiplayer first-person extraction shooter. Where you and/or your friends are space mercenaries who take odd jobs from people who have posted to spacelist (space Craigslist). These people abandoned a space station called J.A.W.M for unknown reasons. Clearly they left things behind, or just want something, which is where you and/or your team comes in to take the odd jobs and go to the abandoned space station to retrieve said items, and any items you find that aren't valuable to your client are all yours. Beware however there may be unknown danger lurking, or other mercenaries, so it would be recommended to bring items to defend yourself.

Students: Marlo Ongkingco, Nicky Victoriano, Cole Kauffman, Royce Ortega
Advisors: Gunnar Wumbaugh

BEATDOWN is a high-octane multiplayer rhythm game where every playthrough is a musical concert come to life. The annual Battle of the Bands competition is calling you, and you're ready to fight to the top! Team up with up to 4 friends in couch co-op, choose from a variety of instrument-inspired fighters, and battle your way through stylish stadiums filled with enemy bands that test your reflexes, rhythm, and team coordination. Land precise hits to trigger powerful buffs, enter a Flow State, and rack up satisfying streaks as your squad stays perfectly in sync. Whether you are competing for top scores or just jamming with friends, BEATDOWN delivers the rush of action combat with the pulse of a live performance. Don't be late!

Students: Angelo Calingo, Joshua Matni, Ploy Wandeevong, Kyla Trotter
Advisors: James McDuffie (Amazon Web Services), Dr. Ben Teitelbaum (Carson Tahoe Ear, Nose, & Throat)

Our team is building an AI-powered triage system designed to streamline patient intake and prioritization for ENT clinics. When patients call the clinic, they interact with a conversational AI agent that collects their symptoms, medical history, and relevant information in a natural, guided exchange. The AI analyzes this data to assess the urgency of each case, automatically flagging critical symptoms and generating a concise patient summary for clinic staff to review. All incoming cases are displayed on a staff-facing dashboard, organized by urgency level  so users can quickly identify who needs immediate attention. Staff retain full oversight throughout: they can review, edit, or override any AI-generated assessment at any time. By automating the initial intake process, the system aims to reduce administrative burden, minimize bottlenecks, and ensure that patients with the most pressing needs receive timely care.

Students: Leslie Becerra, Austin  Finch, Vanessa Medina, Manuel Morales-Marroquin
Advisors: Bill Doherty, Shamik Sengupta (Cybersecurity Center University of Nevada Reno)

The Cyber Clinic Web Application is an affordable, easy-to-use alternative to expensive commercial vulnerability scanners that many small organizations cannot afford. Developed to support the student-led Cyber Clinic nonprofit founded at UNLV and now expanding to UNR, this project helps local businesses, tribal agencies, and local governments better understand and reduce cybersecurity risks. These groups are often prime targets for cyberattacks due to limited budgets, staffing, and in-house security expertise.  Since our initial design, the system architecture has significantly evolved. Originally, all scans were processed directly on the web server. However, to better support organizations with internal or segmented networks, we implemented a hybrid scanning model. Users can create an account to scan public-facing websites immediately. For internal networks, they can download a secure client application that connects to the platform. The client verifies its integrity, establishes a secure tunnel, executes scans locally, and sends results back for processing.  Our primary deliverable is a clear, human-readable report that translates technical findings into plain English with actionable recommendations. Each report also provides a direct path to contact the Cyber Clinic for free follow-up support and education.

Students: Ivan Ching, Bailey Escritor, Liam Riel, Andrew Shelton

Wonderkin Toybox is a top down 2D turn-based strategy video game that combines tactical grid-based combat with a deck-building system, all set within the imaginative world of a child's toybox. This project explores strategic decision-making and card mechanics that can create meaningful player choice and replayability. The goal of Wonderkin Toybox is to innovate within the turn-based strategy genre by integrating tactical grid-based combat with a flexible deck-building system that encourages adaptive and creative play. By giving each unit its own deck and allowing players to customize and expand their team over time, Wonderkin Toybox promotes strategic experimentation while maintaining depth across repeated playthroughs. Having this system coupled with a procedurally generated map for each stage, the project aims to create a replayable strategy experience where no two runs will feel the same. 

Students: Dillon Janakus, Pablo Macias, Justin Trinh, Kevin Munson

RadSpire is a top-down open-world RPG set in a post-apocalyptic modern world where players explore the remnants of a collapsed civilization shaped by technological failure and environmental instability. Developed in Godot using C#, the project emphasizes systems-driven gameplay and modular, component-based architecture to create a scalable and maintainable codebase. Players scavenge resources, craft equipment, manage inventory, and engage with AI-driven threats in a persistent, interactive environment. RadSpire highlights the integration of game design and software engineering principles, demonstrating collaborative development practices, structured documentation, and iterative system refinement to transform an ambitious concept into a polished technical and creative experience.

Students: Trent Smelich, Luis Garcia, Jia Xing Luo

The senior project that we have is a 2D Top-Down defensive survival video game with a roguelike aspect video game called Cycle Of The Dead. The game will mainly feature roguelike and defensive elements. The main goal of the game is to survive as long as you can and get the most enemy kills as possible. During the game, the player is able to get the upgrade offer, get more coins, and buy different types of buildings in the shop in order to get stronger as the waves of enemies are increasing. After the player is dead, the player needs to retry the game from the start. Cycle Of The Dead is developed by Unity game engine, C# scripts, and other assets.

Students: Warren Truong, Weijun Zheng, Ellison Domingo

Our game project is a turn-based, combat-oriented Mecha (robot) game. The purpose of this project is to introduce cool mechanics into turn-based gameplay, which typically relies on strategies and precision. The goal is to provide and attract fans of turn-based games, as well as casual players, who want to try something new within a similar game loop. We want to create a fun and interactive experience through simple controls and engaging gameplay mechanics, which include inventory management, navigation/exploration, combat decisions, and natural level progression, to foster a sense of accomplishment. Players can collect equipment by defeating enemies or discovering it through exploration. Equipment can affect players' in-game stats, such as health restoration or Attack damage during combat. Enemies spawn on the map to progress to the next stage; the player must defeat them. The main selling point of the game is our core combat system, an AP (action points) system, which tests the creativity of the player. If correctly unitized, the player can enter Fury/Rage mode, which adds extra turns without the AP restrictions. Combining Fury/Rage mode with the Skill/Level system, players build the ultimate Mecha of their dreams. 

Students: William Chuter-Davies, Ethan Claire, Jacob Xie

This project is a proof-of-concept for a web-hosted data-visualisation tool proposed to the NSF by Dr. Richard Plotkin and Dr. Sergiu Dascalu et al. It is designed, developed, and published on behalf of the �Ƽ��Ӱ�ԭ��, Department of Physics and shall be made publicly available for the purposes of academic research and education. Our team is designing and implementing support for two-dimensional data-visualisations, full-feature plots and displays, linear regression, data-mining procedures, dataset importation/exportation, remote storage, user authentication, and user-group management. Our team is also providing opportunities for students to learn about astronomy, data-visualisation, and academic research.

Students: Dylan Seibel, Jackson Loughmiller, Selena Nichols, Mark Mitzen

Identiflora is a mobile application that allows users to identify plants and compete using their plant identification skills. Powered through an AI plant identification model embedded within the application, Identiflora can identify various plants solely through camera or image upload. The app also offers the ability for users to create an account to compete with other users based on their independent ability to successfully identify plants. Plant enthusiasts can snap a picture of a plant and select their guess of the plant's identity. If correct, they gain points to compete against other users on leaderboards, progress toward leveling up, and earn various in-app rewards through their identifications.

Students: Divisha  Naharas, Wiem  Boubaker, Brendan  Capello
Advisors: James McDuffie and Dr. Benjamin Teitelbaum

Our project is an AI-powered ENT Patient Support Chatbot that helps users determine the severity of their ear, nose, or throat symptoms before considering where to get assistance. The chatbot conducts a brief, guided discussion, gathers crucial facts (duration, severity, and whether symptoms are getting worse), and then assigns an urgency level: emergency, semi-urgent, or routine. It is not a diagnostic tool; rather, it is intended to facilitate safer and quicker decision-making. For clinicians, the system will provide a concise case narrative and highlight symptom-matched reference images, making evaluation faster and more consistent. The idea is to decrease unnecessary emergency visits and enable individuals at greater risk to get medical attention sooner, all through a user-friendly web experience.

Students: Isaiah McLain, Yovan Hirales, Jairo  Cadena-Mendez, Elena Chau

AGROS WHORL-E is a fully autonomous drone capable of precisely applying gametocides to Sorghum Whorls. WHORL-E takes a flight mission plan, then automatically detects sorghum whorls it finds in it's flight through computer vision and through controls and visual servoing, positions itself towards the whorl to apply the gametocide before continuing on it's flight mission applying gameotcides to each whorl it passes. Effective gametocide application is critical to induce male sterility by producing hybrid seeds to prevent plants from reproducing with themselves. As a result, this application eliminates manual labor required to apply gametocides when the sorghum is growing, which can be tedious, harmful, and costly.  Accurate gametocide application has an effect on crop yield as well as the survivability of plants by allowing selective breeding to increase resistance to heat, disease, etc.

Students: David Riede, Langdon Isaacson, Matthew Patterson
Advisors: Atlas - Johnathan Berrier, Chad Sherf

Atlas is an AI-powered personal training platform designed to make fitness guidance more accessible, engaging, and efficient for both clients and trainers. Many beginners struggle with consistency and personalized direction, while trainers often spend excessive time on administrative tasks rather than coaching. Atlas addresses both challenges through intelligent automation and trainer-supported feedback.  The platform features a conversational AI chatbot that provides structured workout guidance, habit reinforcement, and progress insights tailored to individual users. Instead of relying on complex manual tracking, users interact naturally through chat and guided prompts. To enhance motivation, Atlas incorporates a Greek mythology-inspired gamification system where users earn themed avatars, achievements, and milestones that reflect their progress.  Unlike fully automated fitness apps, Atlas keeps trainers in the loop. Clients can upload workout videos directly to their personal trainer, who can review footage, provide visual annotations, and deliver personalized feedback. AI-assisted workout logging further reduces repetitive data entry for trainers, allowing them to focus on meaningful coaching interactions.  By combining AI guidance, human expertise, and engaging design, Atlas creates a balanced, scalable approach to modern personal training.

Students: Rajat Sharma, Emma Cornia, Bella Picasso-Kennedy, Edgar Lopez

In this single-player sci-fi adventure, take on the role of Atlas, an interplanetary explorer whose routine survey mission goes disastrously wrong. After a catastrophic crash, you find yourself stranded on a distant alien world: isolated, damaged, and far from any known star routes. As you explore the planet's varied environments, it becomes clear that a mysterious, planet-wide event has wiped out nearly all advanced technology. What little remains of technological knowledge is fragmented and unstable. The surviving colonies have adapted in different ways, each holding pieces of the planet's forgotten history and conflicting ideas about its future. Accompanying you is VERA, your AI companion who serves as a constant guide throughout the journey. VERA assists with environmental analysis and translation of alien languages, helping you make sense of the planet's ruins and surviving colonies. Your ultimate goal is to rebuild your ship, but the path forward is not simple. As you learn more about the planet and its people, you must make meaningful choices that shape the story's outcome. Will you focus solely on escape, leaving the planet behind? Or will you stay to help rebuild what was lost, forging a new future from the ruins of the old?

Students: Illya Gavlovskyi, Max Knaefler, Jay Knight

Bloom is a socially assistive system that helps Speech Language Pathologists and Teachers guide students through a speech therapy lessons. A web application is used to assign and manage lessons, while an interactive robot leads students through lessons using spoken prompts and real time feedback. The system is designed to be simple, reliable, and secure, supporting personalized learning and consistent practice.

Students: Gisselle Cruz-Robinson, John Libed, Derek Ngu, Dominic Valdez
Advisors: Jordan Hastings

The New Class Search redesigns the current University's class search system as a modern, user-friendly web application that improves course exploration and academic planning. The existing system can be difficult to navigate, making it challenging for students to efficiently browse classes and organize schedules. Our solution simplifies course searching, provides a digital planning tool, and offers resources for exploring degree programs. The application combines an intuitive interface with structured course data to make searching, comparing, and planning classes more straightforward. Role-based features for students, advisors, instructors, and administrators provide support for different needs. The project prioritizes usability and accessibility to make academic planning simpler and easier to understand for all students.

Students: Kaitlyn Valdez, Jasmine Kong, Natalie Roberts, Harry Sho Aguinaldo

Our group developed a cozy horror 2D pixel-style narrative game centered around a girl searching for her missing friend. The story begins with the girl reading the final post from their friend, which describes an unsettling town filled with secrets. Driven by a need for answers, the girl must travel to this town in hopes of finding her friend. As the player explores the town, they will interact with townsfolk, solve a variety of puzzles, and collect items that will uncover darker secrets. Built in Unity using entirely original artwork and music, our goal was to create a rich, story-driven experience as well as puzzle-based gameplay that keeps the player entertained and challenged throughout. Will she be able to save her friend, or will the town get another new resident?

Students: John Althoff, Aiden  Coss, Karam Alkherej

Phalanx is a web-based security evaluation platform designed to assess the robustness of large language models before deployment. As LLMs become increasingly integrated into products and services, they introduce new risks such as prompt injection, jailbreak attacks, and unsafe output generation. Phalanx allows users to securely connect their model via API and run structured adversarial testing against it. The system executes automated vulnerability probes, analyzes model responses, and generates a detailed report. Our goal is to make LLM security testing accessible, repeatable, and transparent. Rather than relying on informal red-teaming or ad hoc testing, Phalanx provides a standardized framework that produces measurable results and actionable insights. The platform is designed with a secure client-server architecture, emphasizing safe API handling and responsible data processing.

Students: Biniam Gashaw, Ankush Joshi, James Acacio, Alexander Medal

AgendaAI is a web-based academic planning application designed to help college students manage assignments, events, and communications across multiple platforms. The system integrates Canvas, Gmail, and Google Calendar using OAuth 2.0 and the Model Context Protocol (MCP) to aggregate data into a unified dashboard. Built with React, FastAPI, PostgreSQL, and AWS Cognito, AgendaAI enables users to create and categorize tasks and events, receive priority-based reminders, detect scheduling conflicts, and interact with an AI assistant through natural language commands. The platform emphasizes security, accessibility, and usability while reducing student stress by centralizing fragmented academic tools into a single intelligent interface.

Students: Christopher Maldonado, Justin Juera, Jennifer Hogueison, Hunter Bickel
Advisors: Shawn Treants, College of Southern Nevada

Shale is a 2D search-action platformer built in the Godot Engine, where you play as a girl with mysterious cloning powers named Shale. Shale lives in the Chasm, a cavern where monsters have started showing up as the air gets colder and colder, disrupting life in the fragile society that has developed since humanity reached the stars and all but forgot about their species' cradle. Explore, gather equipment, solve puzzles, and find out who is causing this mysterious phenomenon and why. Even if Shale can't handle something alone, she's never alone when she's with her clone. The clone mirrors her movements, allowing you to double  your firepower against enemies, and explore multiple areas simultaneously. Even in a bleak world, the mistakes of the past need not be the future.

Students: Alexis  Asuncion, Johan  Ramirez

For Innovation Day, we'll showcase our progress from early prototypes to working features, demonstrate real-time health integration, and highlight the insights our visualizations provide to help users make data-driven wellness decisions.

Students: Lloyd Cargo, Allen Bruan, Damian Conteras

The Fully Modular Controller (FMC) is a gamepad with hot-swappable modules allowing for on the fly reconfiguration of the controller, as well as user definable customizations to allow for an open and configurable controller platform. It consists of the actual controller, as well as the controller modules that are configurable.

Students: Byron Billy , Luis  Perdomo , Conner Marks, Edgar  Rodriguez-Angulo

We are developing an intelligent, agent-driven calendar that actively manages a user's time using real-time location services. The system calculates drive times based on the event's location and the user's current position, notifying the user when it is time to leave to arrive on time. If the user is not at the event location, the app adjusts departure times based on traffic and distance. Our app focuses on user preferences, such as preferred sleep times or other softer-constrained events. Additionally, the app will suggest local events that the user may be interested in and that fit within their schedule. Our goal is to transform a traditional calendar into a proactive assistant that enhances daily time management and provides helpful recommendations.

Students: Zach Zimmermann, William Bryan, Jackson Elsemore, Ryan Ransom

Kairos is a web platform that lets users build and test investment strategies through a system of connected nodes that represent data-processing steps and generate signals for portfolio allocation. The platform emphasizes long-term strategy design over short-term prediction, and supports both rule-based approaches and optional deep-learning-based risk analysis to help users explore how strategies behave across different market conditions. Kairos also provides research and comparison tools that summarize results using standard performance and risk statistics such as overall/annualized return, volatility, correlation, maximum drawdown, Sharpe ratio, and factor analysis with the aim of helping non-professional investors think more strategically about investment decisions and better understand the risks associated with different approaches.  Users can prototype ideas like periodic rebalancing, indicator-based regime switching, and risk-on/risk-off allocations, then inspect results through interactive charts and side-by-side comparisons. The goal is to provide a tool that allows users to reason about investment strategies, while encouraging them to evaluate tradeoffs such as turnover, concentration, and sensitivity to different kinds of risks.

Students: Cory Bateman, Bohdi Norvell, Tim Hand
Advisors: Austin Martin, Truckee Meadows Water Reclamation Facility

The project's focus is creating a platform for process engineers to use predictive modeling for several tasks. Our web application allows for predictive models to uploaded and used either independently to make predictions or as soft sensors to monitor the integrity of critical sensors throughout the plant. By providing accurate models of critical sensors, changes in data integrity can be caught earlier leading to better plant efficiency. The application keeps track of the model analytics and allows for reports to be generated. We have also built an API that lets authorized users access the prediction infrastructure from outside the application. This allows the systems administrator at the plant to tie the predictions into any current distributed control systems. We are currently working with Truckee Meadows Water Reclamation Facility and have modeled the total influent flow, as well as the North and South manhole level sensors. 

Students: Aaron Ba, Sean Lai, Shannon Belton, Jacob Darby
Advisors: Wilmer - SCL.gg

Professional Counter-Strike 2 teams rely on match replay files to analyze gameplay and improve performance, but existing replay tools make it difficult to understand team communication and decision-making. Replays often lack voice communications, and reviewing multiple player perspectives is time-consuming and inefficient. This project addresses the challenge of contextualizing in-game actions with team communication during post-match analysis. We are utilizing Discord, WhisperX, and many other public GitHub projects to gather audio, transcribe, and analyze communications. This will be combined with a 2D replay of the game to sync the game events to the communications, giving the replay the power to be more than just a map.

Students: Jonathan Nunez, Luis  Carrillo, Omar Rojas, Jhade  Mondragon

Petch is a modern pet adoption platform designed to revolutionize the way people discover and adopt pets. Inspired by the intuitive swipe-based interfaces of popular dating apps, Petch brings a fresh, engaging approach to pet adoption that makes the process enjoyable and accessible for everyone.  The platform addresses a critical problem in animal welfare: despite millions of pets in shelters across the United States, traditional adoption processes can be cumbersome, fragmented, and discouraging for potential adopters. Petch solves this by providing a unified, mobile-first experience where users can browse available pets through an intuitive discovery interface, filter by preferences such as species, breed, age, and special needs, and connect directly with verified shelters and rescue organizations.

Students: Amiel Brent Galela, Mary-Ann Affo, Johnnie Morris

JamX Translator is a software tool that aims to bridge the gap between increasing interest in video games worldwide and the lack of language support for these global audiences. For this purpose, this project employs Optical Character Recognition and Text Hooking to allow for the detection of text visually and within the game's memory. Users will be able to translate detected text manually or with machine translation software such as Google Translate and have this translation displayed over the game. Translated text can then be shared with others so that anyone can enjoy a video game regardless of language. This project will serve as a means to bypass the language barrier impeding enjoyment of video games internationally that has otherwise remained unaddressed.

Students: Aleena  Kureekattil , Helene Henry-Greard, Jordan  Ledesma

The creation of the Soleil Band introduces a wearable UV exposure monitoring device for individuals monitoring sun damage. The Soleil Band will provide real-time UV intensity data and translate it into actionable sunscreen reapplication alerts. Data from the band will be transmitted to an app that will track how long a customer is under a certain UV index and when they should be reapplying their sunscreen to help stay protected. This piece of technology will help bridge the gap between awareness and behavior when it comes to UV radiation and the harm it does to human skin.  

Students: Abby Battaglia, Max Dunlay, Alex Fiore, Hannah Minucci

The WatchLi-Ion is a battery protection system intended for consumer electronics which utilize Lithium-Ion (Li-Ion) batteries for power storage. Under certain conditions these batteries can enter what is called thermal runaway, where they can become superheated, release flammable gas, and ultimately combust causing damage and presenting hazards to users. In order to remedy this significant issue, our team has developed a system called the WatchLi-Ion. This system can be attached to Li-Ion batteries and provide monitoring of the battery's operational conditions. In the event that hazardous conditions are detected, the WatchLi-Ion will disconnect the battery from the rest of the circuit and alert the user that there is an issue with the battery, effectively preventing thermal runaway before it happens. The WatchLi-Ion utilizes a microcontroller and sensors that monitor heat, current, pressure, and the release of flammable gas. With this system our team hopes to provide a solution to a glaring issue impacting Li-Ion batteries and provide peace of mind to the consumer.

Pictured from left to right: Sofia Ahlstedt, Emely Zecena-Romero, Joe Antrim, Joanna Nemitz

Students: Joanna Nemitz, Joe Antrim, Sofia Ahlstedt, Emely Zecena-Romero

Asthma is the most common childhood disease, with approximately five million children in the United States affected by it. Asthma attacks in children cause more than 10 million missing school days and 767,000 trips to the emergency room every year. That number can be reduced with better tools for children and parents to manage asthma attacks so that they do not get so severe that a hospital trip is required. Young children who are learning to manage their symptoms are not always able to identify an oncoming attack.   Asthma attacks are characterized by wheezing, coughing, shortness of breath, and in severe cases, low blood oxygen saturation. Coughing and shortness of breath are incredibly common symptoms that can be symptoms of other extremely common conditions, including overexertion from exercise. A child may not recognize the symptoms of an oncoming attack as any different than a mild cold or simply being out of breath from running. The LungLink device will offer a convenient tool to alert the user of an oncoming attack. 

Students: Ethan Hanson, Nelson Lemus, Anthony Goforth, Alex Humphrey

CircuitShield redefines power safety as an advanced, active management system rather than a passive protector. By combining real-time current sensing with intelligent relay controls, it creates a self-aware power environment that proactively isolates circuits at the first sign of an overload. This seamless integration of hardware and monitoring allows for the prevention of fire hazards and equipment failure before they happen. It is more than a power strip-it is a smart isolation system designed to protect both the user's hardware and their peace of mind through constant, autonomous vigilance.

Students: Lucas Adams, Nathan Coffman, Manav Dudhia, Rhea Janofsky-Clark

Resistrak is a smart resistance band handle designed to bring real-time performance tracking to strength training. Using an integrated load cell and wireless Bluetooth communication, the device measures the force applied during exercises and transmits the data to a computer application for analysis and visualization. The system processes the signal to detect repetitions, calculate performance metrics, and generate session summaries, allowing users to monitor progress over time. By combining affordable sensors, embedded electronics, and custom software, Resistrak transforms traditional resistance bands into a data-driven training tool. The goal of the project is to make strength training with resistance bands more measurable, engaging, and effective for athletes, fitness enthusiasts, and rehabilitation users.

Students: Shaun  Mathew, Hunter Matthies, Sophia Bustos, Zachary Troutman

The purpose of Guardian Jacket is to provide safety, comfort, and security to motorcyclists and cyclists when on the road with other vehicles. The Guardian Jacket will include 360º of visibility along with head and taillights to make the cyclists more visible on the road and decrease the rate of accidents due to poor visibility. It will also incorporate crash detection and a messaging system that could increase the response rate to cyclists who have been involved in a single vehicle or multi-vehicle crash. This system also includes wireless turn signals that work simultaneously with blind spot monitoring. The addition of heating pads will also keep the rider comfortable and help to eliminate the weather from causing uncomfortable conditions for the rider.

Students: Nikhil Anil, Kailani  Alarcon , Jerard Cabeguin, Jose De Jesus Soto

Maintaining continuous fluid delivery is critical in high-stakes clinical settings, yet IV occlusions often go unnoticed until complications arise. This innovative detection system bridges the gap between patient safety and operational efficiency. Designed specifically for the fast-paced environment of modern healthcare, it provides an instant, sterile solution for identifying line blockages before they compromise patient care.

Students: Jose Huerta, Jack Garbe, Micah Millarhood

The Smart Compression Sleeve is a wearable device designed to deliver medical-grade compression therapy with real-time feedback, helping address the lack of quantitative monitoring in current compression treatments. By combining soft-textile engineering with low-power embedded systems, the project integrates flexible pressure sensors directly into a calf-high garment and converts their readings into standardized mmHg measurements using an ESP32-C3 microcontroller. This approach supports more accurate, consistent compression while accounting for signal noise and material variability. The project also has strong potential impact, as chronic venous insufficiency affects an estimated 5-30% of adults, deep vein thrombosis contributes to millions of cases worldwide each year, and poor adherence often limits the benefits of compression therapy. By improving monitoring and user awareness, the Smart Compression Sleeve could support better treatment outcomes, reduce hospital readmissions, and expand applications in athletic recovery and sports science.

Students: Joey Lewis, Emily Cuellar, Ryan Noriega

FaultTech is a low-cost, edge-based corona detection system designed to identify early signs of transmission line degradation before they lead to larger failures. The prototype uses a Raspberry Pi 5 to integrate three sensing methods: a solar-blind UVC photodiode for ultraviolet detection, an acoustic sensor for corona-related noise, and an AI camera for visual inspection of insulators and conductors. By combining these data sources through sensor fusion, the system improves detection reliability and reduces false positives. FaultTech is intended as a scalable alternative to expensive proprietary systems and labor-intensive manual inspections, with the goal of improving grid reliability, lowering maintenance costs, and supporting preventative maintenance.

Students: Cade Ball, Kieran Kentley, Calvin Lu, Conner  Mcdonald

Offlink is a portable, battery-powered private network designed for emergency situations where internet and cellular systems fail. It enables first responders to securely collect, store, and transfer patient information in real time during disasters, blackouts, or remote operations. By creating a self-contained encrypted communication system, Offlink removes dependence on external infrastructure and reduces delays in triage coordination. The platform improves situational awareness, protects sensitive data, and supports faster decision-making in high-stress environments. While designed for emergency response, it can also be adapted for secure asset tracking and off-grid operations in other industries.

Students: Hunter Arends, Randall Chegg, Andriano Baptiste, Miguel Rivera

Ippo Punch is a smart punching bag system allowing the user to track their force, accuracy, and reaction time. It also provides training regiments to improve at combat sports and give a fun exercise experience.

Students: David Whilden, James Tracy, Sean Crum, Chris Sexton

Archers and bowhunters frequently lose arrows during practice and in the field, resulting in significant seasonal costs and frustration. Apollo Archery Systems is developing an RF-enabled arrow tracking system designed to help archers quickly and reliably recover their lost arrows after being shot. Our system uses a compact transmitter embedded in the arrow and a handheld receiver that guides the user to the arrow's location. The Trackable Arrow is built to function in challenging recovery environments such as dense vegetation, snow, and uneven terrain where visual detection is difficult or impossible. By improving arrow recovery rates, our system reduces equipment loss, saves time, and enhances overall confidence for archers in both target practice and hunting applications. Apollo Archery Systems aims to provide a practical, cost-effective proof of concept that demonstrates reliable RF tracking performance while maintaining compatibility with standard archery equipment.

Students: Seth Begonia, Knight Fevella-Potes, Jose Pacheco, Javier Correa-Martinez

The issue with modern day effects pedals is that they are expensive, difficult to manage, and complicated to set up. This makes for an unfavorable user experience. These issues with modern day effects pedals reduce accessibility to amateur and hobbyist musicians, inhibiting artist creativity, and can discourage people from pursuing or continuing playing the electric guitar. The goal of W.A.V.E.S. is to lower the barrier to entry of those wanting to play the electric guitar and increase the ease of use of effects of pedals. W.A.V.E.S. is a wireless transmission with minimal to no lag and noise, four distinct applicable effects that will modulate and manipulate the original audio waveform of the electric guitar that can be used in combination simultaneously, and an easy to use user interface that will allow the user to control which effects are being implemented and the strength of each effect being applied.

Students: Brendan  O'Brien, Zinat Namira, Peter Rengal, Carson McClintick

Our team is developing a proof-of-concept pair of AI-powered glasses designed to assist individuals with visual impairments by detecting nearby objects in real time. Using an embedded camera and computer vision technology, the system identifies common obstacles and environmental features such as doors, people, furniture, and other hazards. When an object is detected, the glasses provide immediate audio feedback through connected headphones, allowing the user to better understand their surroundings and navigate safely. The goal of this project is to demonstrate how compact, wearable technology can combine artificial intelligence and accessible design to enhance independence for individuals with limited vision. By integrating object detection and real-time processing our prototype highlights the potential for affordable assistive devices that improve everyday mobility and awareness.

Students: Brett Hopkins, Khoa Minh Do, Ibrahim Khondoker, Ian Goff, Luke Bowler

The Open Radio Interferometry project aims to solve the complexities of radio astronomy by providing an affordable, open-source, plug-and-play solution. Traditionally, radio interferometers cost upwards of $20,000, are highly difficult to operate, and are gatekept by proprietary agreements. This creates an unsustainable barrier to entry for students, educators, and smaller research groups. Our project democratizes access to astrophysical exploration utilizing off-the-shelf components. The system features a central processing engine based on a Xilinx Zynq SoC and an FMCOMMS5 transceiver, supporting four radio telescope receivers. To eliminate deep technical overhead, users are supported by a Python-based software workflow that automatically handles multi-channel receiving, FX correlation, calibration, and CLEAN image synthesis. With a user-friendly GUI and astronomy-standard FITS file formatting, per-channel spectrograms and synthesized celestial images are easily generated. By streamlining both hardware deployment and data processing, this platform enables hands-on observation of phenomena like 1.4 GHz galactic hydrogen line emissions without having to overcome the technical complexities of radio interferometry. 

Students: Desmond Lacounte, Camdyn  Ernst, Zachary  Hitchcock

This project focuses on understanding and controlling oxide layer thickness during the anodization of 6000-series aluminum. Aluminum samples sourced from diving board extrusion material will be cut into uniform coupons and prepared through a controlled surface preparation process. Each sample will undergo mechanical polishing followed by chemical cleaning using an alkaline degreasing soap, a caustic cleaner, and a desmutting treatment to remove contaminants and create a consistent aluminum surface prior to anodizing. Laboratory-scale anodizing experiments will then be conducted using a designed experiment (DOE) approach. The study will vary key process parameters including applied current density, immersion time, and bath temperature to determine how these variables influence oxide layer thickness and coating uniformity. After anodizing, samples will be analyzed using scanning electron microscopy (SEM) to measure oxide thickness and evaluate coating consistency. Electrical behavior during anodization will be recorded by monitoring voltage changes over time for each condition. The bath's thermal control system will also be evaluated to understand heat transfer efficiency. Periodic bath samples will be analyzed to track aluminum dissolution into the electrolyte. The objective is to develop a repeatable lab-scale anodizing process capable of producing uniform oxide layers with reduced variability.

Students: Hannah  Igbekoyi, Nicholas  Blondeaux, Ben Gardiner

Anodized aluminum is widely used in structural and recreational applications due to its improved corrosion resistance, surface hardness, and durability. However, the anodized oxide layer can be brittle and susceptible to cracking when subjected to repeated or high levels of bending stress. This behavior is important in applications such as Olympic diving boards, where aluminum structures experience frequent flexural loading during use. The objective of this project is to determine anodization conditions that optimize bending resistance of anodized aluminum to cracking. To accomplish this, aluminum samples will be anodized under a range of conditions including variations in current density, temperature, and time. The resulting samples will then be mechanically characterized through cyclic bend testing to evaluate the resistance of the anodized layer to cracking during flexural loading and nanoindentation to explore wear resistance. By correlating anodization parameters with mechanical performance, this study will identify anodization parameters that maximize bending resistance while maintaining surface properties. The results will help inform anodization practices for aluminum Olympic diving boards.

Students: Niccole Callahan, Alex Humas, Nicolas Salcedo

The project is centered on the process of creating an oxide layer to protect the aluminum beneath. The project uses anodization in a sulfuric acid bath to form the oxide layer. The process has been monitored and varied (changes to temperature and duration of submersion) in order to build oxide layers of varying thickness. Once an oxide layer has been established, the process will be to test the corrosion resistance of the varied oxide layered coupons. It is hypothesized that the oxide layer will provide protection to the metal underneath by having the corrosion attack the oxide layer before the aluminum itself in an attempt to extend the effective life of the material. We intend to test these samples using a Q-FOG machine which can simulate highly corrosive environments. To show a comprehensive and in-depth analysis of our findings we will look at the samples pre and post corrosion test using the SEM, we will aim to show how the oxide layer thickness correlates to the overall corrosion resistance properties of the aluminum sample.  

Students: Kyle Larsen, Jaylen Hurtado, Jordan Nissen, Hayden Haelsig, Calhan Erickson

Dynamic Wings is a bio-inspired morphing wing project focused on improving aerodynamic performance through controlled flexibility. Instead of using a traditional fixed winglet or hinged control surface, the design integrates a flexible, actuated wingtip that changes shape in real time. The goal is to demonstrate how adaptive geometry can reduce drag, improve stability, and increase control authority, particularly for small aircraft and UAV applications.  The wing combines a rigid primary structure with a compliant outer section engineered to withstand aerodynamic loads while allowing smooth, repeatable deflection. The system was developed using parametric CAD, additive manufacturing, and embedded electromechanical components to create a compact and integrated mechanism. Computational fluid dynamics and structural analysis were used to evaluate aerodynamic performance and stress distribution under loading conditions.

Students: Bobbie VanSant, Renae Maxson, Taylor Jensen, Kevin Meyers, Ian Davis

We are creating a gearshift system that can attach and detach from a wheelchair. The goal of this is to make it easier for a wheelchair user to traverse inclines. Currently, using a manual wheelchair daily, especially on inclines, causes significant upper extremity strain. With a gearshift installed, the user would be able to select different gear ratios to ease travel. Additionally, having a system that utilizes a user's existing wheelchair makes the device cheaper for the user and to produce.

Students: Emily McAffee, Otto Klippenstein, Reyes Reynaga, Miles Hamburg, Aidan Gomes

This project focuses on the design and validation of a fully mechanical, modular finger prosthetic intended for individuals missing the middle and distal phalanges. Unlike many existing finger prostheses that prioritize cosmetic appearance or rely heavily on electronics, this design emphasizes functionality, durability, and user independence through a purely mechanical system. The prosthetic restores basic finger motion while incorporating a detachable fingertip mechanism that allows users to quickly switch between multiple functional attachments. The interchangeable tips include a standard fingertip for everyday use and touchscreen interaction, as well as specialized tools such as a pen, screwdriver, flashlight, and laser pointer. This modular approach enables users to adapt the prosthetic to a wide range of daily tasks without requiring multiple devices. The design prioritizes comfort, ergonomics, and reliability while remaining lightweight, affordable, and easy to maintain. Additive manufacturing methods allow for rapid prototyping and customization to accommodate individual user needs. Overall, this project aims to improve accessibility, versatility, and quality of life for individuals with partial finger amputations by providing a single, adaptable prosthetic solution that supports independence in everyday and professional activities.

Students: Dean  Follmer, Kaden Neuman, Carson Beers, Joey Guariglia, Aidan De Los Reyes

 The emergency power system will target propeller driven aircraft's with the goal of providing  power to the electrical systems after engine failure. The main engine will act as a small power generator allowing for  the use of critical systems.This will be modelled with a remote control aircraft modified to include a kill switch and alternate circuit pathways. The brushless motor will have the ability to generate enough power off of the air resistance experience on the propeller.

Students: Andrew Rounds, Jared Anderson, Nolan Chase, Eli Davidson, Tyler Lloyd

In Formula SAE, a student design, build, and race series, teams are constantly pushing for more performance out of their vehicles. Top performing teams have switched to using outboard motor technology because of the numerous competitive benefits such as reduced weight, AWD systems, and torque vectoring. These outboard motor systems use motors mounted directly to the upright of the suspension instead of the common inboard motor-differential-driveshaft setup. The elimination of inboard components reduces weight significantly because, along with eliminating whole components like the differential and chain drive, all the mounting structures for these components are no longer required. It would be expected that transitioning to outboard hub-motors on the UNR car would reduce the overall weight by up to 25kg. This package will be designed around a motor from Drivetrain Innovation, a retailer of FSAE oriented motor and inverter packages. The scope of the project involves: designing an upright body, designing a drive hub, designing and optimizing a compound planetary gear set that will be housed in the upright for gear reduction, designing a cooling system for the motor, and designing other constituent parts needed for the attachment of the motor to the upright assembly.

Students: Lance Turnham, Parker Auerweck, Elian Olivares-Lara, Mason Paul, Gavin Wesley

Smart-Hydroponics, developed by Team H2Grow, is a modular smart growing system designed to optimize plant health through automation and real time monitoring. The system integrates pH and moisture sensors with controlled nutrient delivery to maintain ideal growing conditions while minimizing water and resource waste. Each individual plant pod features a built-in reservoir, dedicated sensor housing, and a recirculating water design to improve efficiency and plant health. A centralized pump and solenoid-controlled drip system distribute nutrients directly to each pod, allowing for precise and scalable growth management. The modular architecture enables users to expand the system easily, making it adaptable for small indoor applications. By combining mechanical design, fluid systems, and embedded sensing technology, Smart-Hydroponics provides a sustainable, user-friendly solution for modern indoor agriculture. Team H2Grow's goal is to make precision hydroponic cultivation more accessible, efficient, and scalable for growers of all experience levels.

Students: Matthew Wetta, Ryan Barney, Caleb Potts, Evan Strother, Joseph Forest

Easy Dispense is an automatic pill bottle opener that is able to precisely dispense the number of pills input into the machine regardless of the pill and container size. This product was designed to assist those who struggle with dexterity and to provide additional autonomy to their lives.

Students: Jake Lambden, Raf Vecchione, Michael Chathem, Cody Arao

In a perfect world, a portable power generation device could produce as much power as you needed in remote or emergency situations. Producing that much power with such a small platform is difficult to achieve. Consequences can include small fires, possible explosions, and no power generation. Our goal is to create a power generating device that is small enough to easily carry in a backpack and provides enough power for the user to power small devices. 

Students: Justin Harris, Larsen So, Benjamin Crutchfield, Noah Chavez, Abby Hoon

This project develops an embedded active vortex control system designed to reduce induced drag caused by wingtip vortices. The system uses a recessed synthetic jet actuator that injects controlled bursts of air to weaken the swirling airflow that forms at the tips of aircraft wings. A Pitot Static probe measures airflow velocity, and an onboard ARM microcontroller estimates vortex strength in real time using aerodynamic modeling principles. Based on these calculations, the controller adjusts a low power oscillating diaphragm to deliver precise airflow pulses only when needed. The system operates in a closed feedback loop, allowing continuous micro adjustments during flight to optimize performance while minimizing energy use. An autonomous shutoff feature deactivates the device once vortices have been sufficiently reduced, preventing unnecessary operation.  By reducing drag without adding external structures, this technology aims to improve fuel efficiency, lower emissions, and enhance overall aerodynamic performance in a compact, energy efficient design.

Students: Amelia Bogard, Tyler Nagano, Allison Phillips, Alec-Rey Viloria

The problem addressed in this project is the lack of accessible wind tunnels capable of simulating variations in pressure and altitude. Existing wind tunnel systems are typically large, expensive, and fixed installations that require significant space, financial investment, and logistical planning to operate or relocate. As a result, access to aerodynamic testing is often limited to well-funded institutions, making experimental validation costly and restrictive for many aerospace and mechanical engineering applications. The ideal end state of this project is the development of a portable, scalable, and cost-efficient wind tunnel capable of adjusting internal pressure conditions while maintaining reliable and repeatable airflow. The motivation for this project is driven by the need for accessible experimental platforms in undergraduate engineering education. A portable wind tunnel allows students to observe flow behavior, validate theoretical concepts, and conduct controlled experiments without reliance on large institutional facilities. Beyond its educational value, the proposed system offers potential for reuse across multiple courses and research activities, increasing its long-term relevance. By providing an affordable and reliable alternative to traditional wind tunnels, this project seeks to reduce barriers to aerodynamic testing and expand hands-on learning opportunities.

Students: Jacob Heiny, Nathan Russo, Trevor Margetts, Ethan Crawford, David Leonhardt

SolarGuard Systems aims to create a cooling vest with modular cooling regions that can be worn for multiple hours during the heat of the day. It will provide more even cooling to maximize comfort and safety of construction workers when working in high heat environments. 

Students: Carter Stone, James Seibel, Erik Norton

This project tasks our team to create a device that can aid in securing a shoe to a foot.This is intended for individuals who struggle with flexability or fine motor controls, and would enable them to wear any shoe without the need for a custom-made shoe or assistance from another person. As a result, the project must produce a small lightweight unit that can attach to a shoe in order to secure laces. In addition, the prototype must be able to withstand weather, terrain, impacts, and movements without issue. Overall, our success will be based on keeping shoelaces taught and the device secure to the shoe throughout daily activites. 

Students: Matthew Davidson, James Dornhoefer, Blake Latos, Milo Lawley, Trevor Marlin
Advisors: Blake Muzinich, Advanced Material and Devices (AMAD)

Our team is partnering with Advanced Materials and Devices (AMAD) to redesign their overpressure simulation system used for blast sensor testing. The current setup produces a Friedlander‑type overpressure wave but lacks the control, repeatability, and integrated safety features needed for reliable long‑term research. Our project focuses on developing an improved system architecture that enhances operational safety, enables controlled gas‑mixture handling, and supports consistent, repeatable overpressure wave generation without disclosing or relying on AMAD's proprietary methods or equipment designs. By strengthening system reliability and experimental repeatability, this work supports more accurate sensor evaluation and contributes to ongoing research aimed at understanding and mitigating blast‑related injury risks. The redesigned system will provide a safer, more controlled platform for future overpressure studies while remaining within the engineered scope defined for this capstone effort.

Students: Royce Roque, Chris Velasco, Emma Swetlech, Otoniel Renteria, Aden Gentner

The logistics industry faces persistent inefficiencies driven by outdated pallet designs that cannot adapt to modern supply‑chain demands. Fixed‑size wood and plastic pallets fail to accommodate diverse load geometries, leading to unstable shipments, poor truck cube utilization, and increased handling and transportation costs. When not in use, these pallets consume excessive warehouse space, and current designs do not fully leverage recycled plastics that could reduce environmental impact. Despite clear industry needs, no existing pallet system offers true modularity, structural interlocking, and high‑density nest ability in a single platform. As a result, our team is creating a customizable, space‑efficient, and mechanically robust pallet solution that can scale, interlock, and nest without hardware while meeting contemporary performance and sustainability requirements.

Students: Colton Hope, Pedro  Lechuga Gomez, Terrence  Silva, Tyler  Swanson, Jonathan  Stoll

The concept of a fully automated luggage cart is very relevant in the local area of Reno, given there is a major focus on the hotel and casino industry that has thousands of customers moving through it every day along with their luggage. This luggage has to get from point A to B once it enters the hotel. Our project aims to reduce the cost, improve security, and improve efficiency of the process. The BellBot will act as an autonomous safe box for luggage whilst also delivering the luggage in lieu of a bellhop. There's a level of inherent increase in the feeling of safety with the customers as they wouldn't have to worry about one more person having access to their luggage. In terms of economic welfare, it is cheaper in the long run for a hotel to have a singular purchase that handles luggage transport rather than a set of employees who are moving it themselves. Automating this process allows us to potentially reduce the amount of lost or damaged luggage during this crucial step of moving them over. 

Students: Jack Merrill, Wyatt Sander, Thomas Nichols, Alfonso Custodio, Quinn Lucas
Advisors: Andy Smith

This project is basically our team building a **Rapid Aerial Deployment System (RADS)**  a compact setup that can **store and launch multiple drones super fast** from a vehicle during search‑and‑rescue missions. Instead of focusing on the drones themselves, we're designing the **mechanical system** that holds them safely and fires them out quickly when responders need eyes in dangerous places. As the Problem Statement puts it, the goal is to "*create a rapidly deployable UAV search and rescue system... with emphasis on the launching and storage system for drones*."  We're aiming for something **modular, reliable, and easy to scale**, so teams can deploy a bunch of drones at once to cover huge areas without putting people in danger. The project ties into real‑world needs like disaster response, tight‑space navigation, and reducing risk for first responders. Market research shows there's a big gap in systems that can launch multiple UAVs quickly, so our design fills that niche with a practical, vehicle‑mounted solution.

Students: Nate Bornilla, Logan Gould, Tyler Hughes, Mitchell Jones, Ryan Emoto

The goal of our project is to provide an efficient method of keeping food warm during online food deliveries on bicycle. To accomplish this, an insulated box with low-power heating elements and a compact battery were used. To extend operating time and reduce the need for frequent charging, the system utilizes a small tire-driven generator. This results in a lightweight, practical, and user friendly warming system that supports food quality and customer satisfaction.