Even as the nationwide shut down unfolded in the spring of 2020, the three Mechanical Engineering Senior Design Competition Teams remained active, though virtually. Here is a synopsis of each:

I. NASA Lunabotics Rover Design

STEM students come together to participate in the NASA Lunabotics Engineering Competition. This annual competition is held at the Kennedy Space Center in Cape Canaveral, Florida where 50 national collegiate teams come together to showcase their designs and compete against one another with the common goal of mining, collecting, and dispensing as many lunar ice crystals as possible within a certain amount of time. The overall philosophy behind the operation of the rover was to collect and dispense the lunar ice crystals in a clean and precise manner. Throughout the life of the project, the team founded the first ever Robotics Club at Youngstown State University and brought together students of many disciplines including mechanical engineering, electrical engineering, computer science, manufacturing engineering, and physics. Working together, the YSU Robotics Club was able to build a rover capable of performing the tasks set forth by NASA. Unfortunately, the 2020 NASA Lunabotics Competition was cancelled due to the COVID-19 pandemic and the team was unable to showcase all of its hard work; however, they continued to optimize their virtual design right up until graduation. The project was passed on to underclassmen to continue testing and optimizing the current design with hopes of winning the 2021 NASA Lunabotics Competition.

Students interested in the Robotics Club may contact Dr. Jason Walker (here is his email, you can hyperlink it: jmwalker05@ysu.edu.

II. YSU Penguin Baja Racing Competition Team

SAE Baja is a worldwide collegiate design series where teams are tasked with creating their own off-road vehicles. The purpose is to push engineering teams and Baja cars to their limits and see which designs stand up to the rigors of competition. For Youngstown State University the SAE Baja team is a sponsored club that unites all levels of mechanical engineering students. This year the team had the goal to place top 10 overall in this year’s competition. However, due to unforeseen circumstances with the COVID-19 epidemic the physical competition was canceled. The team continued to work on the design so that they could compete in the virtual static events at an international competition. From over 100 teams entered spanning 7 countries, Penguin Baja Racing placed 22nd in the overall static events competition. This included a 23rd place finish in design cost, a 21st place finish in engineering design, and an 18th place finish in the investor sales presentation. This was their 2nd best static events placement since YSU Baja was reestablished in 2013 which had positioned them well to break into the top 15 if the entire competition were held.

Students interested in the Baja Team should contact Mr. Anthony Viviano (hyperlink his email: avviviano@ysu.edu(link sends e-mail)

III. YSU Aero – 3D Printed Glider Team

This Mechanical Engineering senior design team was poised to compete at The University of Texas at Arlington 3D Printed Aircraft Competition. This competition provides students from all over the world an opportunity to advance the fields of additive manufacturing and aerospace. Teams are tasked with designing an aircraft where all the structural members and aerodynamic surfaces are 3D printed. This aircraft is propelled for a maximum of 5 seconds on launch and must glide to the ground. Entries are measured by time, beginning when the launcher leaves the hand of the “thrower” and ending when the aircraft contacts the ground. Control surfaces are permitted for teams to pilot the aircraft. Prizes are awarded to the teams with the two longest flight durations, and an additional award is provided to the most innovative design. While the physical competition was cancelled, the virtual competition was held and team YSU AERO WON the design innovation award in the fixed wing category! The three man team included mechanical engineering students Joe Ciarniello, Cole Popichak, and Josh Potkanowicz. Here is a statement from these YSU graduates:

“This project provided our team the opportunity to develop our additive manufacturing skills and gave us new perspectives on working as a team. Through the many trials of this project, whether internal or external, we leveraged the unique skills of each member to create a successful outcome. This teamwork mindset will prove invaluable as we begin our careers. Additionally, we are proud to showcase Youngstown State University as a hub for continued innovation in additive manufacturing.

We would like to thank our faculty advisors, especially Dr. Moldovan and Marcus Harden, for their constant support throughout this project. Additional thanks goes to the University of Texas at Arlington faculty for providing this competition to students from around the country. We are honored by the review panel’s recognition of our efforts, and many thanks to Altair for their support of the Design Innovation Award during this difficult time.

We wish luck to next year’s team of incoming seniors!”

Students interested in the 3D Glider Competition may reach out to Dr. Stefan Moldovan simoldovan@ysu.edu