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Robot CAD Design made by TAMU RoboMasters
TAMU RoboMasters created their robot entry to compete in the annual RoboMasters competition held in China each year. The team also entered their robotics project into the non-capstone category of the Virtual Project Showcase, placing second and earning $300. | Image: Courtesy of TAMU RoboMasters

With the year coming to a close, the 2020 Virtual Project Showcase (VPS) was a cumulative experience for participants and judges alike, highlighting student accomplishments in a time unlike any other.

Allowing students an opportunity to expand their creative and innovative potential, the Virtual Project Showcase offers a platform for students to share their projects with those in industry. Magda Lagoudas, executive director of Industry and Nonprofit Partnerships and instructional associate professor, said that the competition attracted 100 industry judges from over 60 organizations.

In the showcase, students are able to submit a video of their work along with engineering analyses, with the aim to provide a comprehensive overview of their team’s success in the past year. Industry judges are then able to view these videos remotely and rate the project’s novelty among other qualities.

Among many accomplishments made by the teams, the judges found the Long-Range Thermal Survey Platform, Streamlining the Nomination Process and the Bi-Axial Material Testing Device projects impressive.

The Long-Range Thermal Survey Platform project placed first, earning $750 within the electrical and computer engineering capstone category. The project used unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVS), thermal imaging and long-range transmission to survey remote areas for conservation and search and rescue applications. One judge said the solution was a great piece of engineering and computer science work with its premise one for a great cause.

In the industrial and systems engineering capstone category, the Streamlining the Nomination Process project ranked second winning $500. This project reviewed the current nominations and scheduling process at TC Energy and found ways to optimize the process. One of the judges of the project was impressed in its ability to reduce the time required for the process of four hours to just half an hour.

Similarly, the Bi-Axial Material Testing Device placed first in the mechanical engineering capstone category receiving $750. The project is a stand-alone bi-axial material testing stage designed to apply and measure forces to a cruciform-shaped compliant material to determine material properties. The judge remarked on its unique hand drawings and calculations that resembled old-fashioned engineering and felt that it was a testament to what true engineering is.

With over 450 students participating this year, Lagoudas congratulated those who were able to partake in this year’s Virtual Project Showcase. These projects, and many more from the competition, were made possible by the support of various industry project sponsors. This year’s award sponsors are Baker Hughes, Emerson, Jacobs and Shell. 

“We would like to thank project sponsors for providing our students an opportunity to work on real-world projects and our industry judges for taking the time to review video submissions and provide valuable feedback to the teams,” Lagoudas said. “The VPS is a great partnership between industry and the College of Engineering at Texas A&M University.”

A list of the 2020 Virtual Project Showcase winners are listed below.

SENIOR CAPSTONE DESIGN TEAMS

OVERALL CAPSTONE WINNER

  • $1,000 - Engineering Technology and Industrial Distribution - Icarus Cosmic Dust Collection System

ELECTRICAL and COMPUTER ENGINEERING

ESET and MXET (First Semester – ETID 419)

INDUSTRIAL and SYSTEMS ENGINEERING

MECHANICAL ENGINEERING

  • 1st Place: $750 - Bi-axial Material Testing Device
  • 2nd Place: $500 - Walk-On Piano  
  • 3rd Place: $350 - Lockheed Martin Fourth Generation Fighter Aircraft Emergency Power Unit  

NON-CAPSTONE DESIGN TEAMS