The Capstone Design Expo 2014kicked off April 24, and featured the work of more than 130 AE seniors, spread out across 21 project teams.

Taking home first place for Aerospace Engineering was Team Raven, which developed a high-speed vertical takeoff design to meet requirements set by the American Helicopter Society.

The team's concept is a fan-in-wing design, with fans powered by ducted exhaust from two turbofins during hover. The turbofans are also used as the propulsion system in forward flight by closing off the ducting to the fans and providing direct thrust out the rear of the aircraft.

Check out some photos from this uniquely Georgia Tech event.

Working on Team Raven were: Brett Kubica, Andew Aldrich, Joshua Bareket, Mike Ross, Ethan Sarikas, Yuanji Zhu, Brendan Haber, William Keller, Cliff Sircar, and Pateus Pereira.

Support for all of the AE teams came through a generous corporate gift from Delta Airlines as well as significant contributions from Kirk Thornburg and David Garrison.

All told, more than 900 Georgia Tech seniors competed in the event, which showcases design projects that are created through the undergraduate Capstone Design Course. Expert judging for the event is done by Georgia Tech alumni, faculty, and industry leaders.

In the end, it was Team Spot-On, a joint effort from mechanicl and biomedical engineering students, that took home the top prize for best overall project.

As the name suggests, the Capstone Design course wraps up key components of the undergraduate curriculum -- and puts a bow on them -- by giving students a chance to apply their knowlege to a product launch, a social need, or a collaboration with an industry sponsor.

More than 5,000 visitors roamed McCamish Pavilion, checking out projects that ranged from life-saving medical devices to tools to make life easier. There was a treatment for cauliflower ear (an ear injury common among wrestlers and boxers), a smart digital bike sign, a device that prevents drivers from texting while their car is in motion, an improved sleep apnea diagnostic tool, a chair lift for airplane stairs, a gel-free sonogram attachment, and many, many more fascinating projects.

Some teams worked on projects that they think could be commercially viable, like Team Hemo Halt which developed a low-cost hemorrhage control device to address preventable military hemorrhage fatalities which are the leading cause of potentially survivable deaths among American soldiers.

“This whole Capstone experience is unlike anything else,” said team member Tyler Harmon (BME). “I feel like I’m creating my own future and my own business. We’ve taken ownership of this project. We had plenty of late nights, but we didn’t question what we were doing. We knew this project could save lives.”

 

One of the 21 AE-based teams that competed in the 2014 Capston Expo. Check out thisslideshow of the event, which was held April 24.