Process Engineering

This project showcases an analysis on the research output at the University of Rochester.

Abstract: Accidental disconnection of gastrostomy (G-tube) extension tubes during enteral feeding remains a clinical and caregiver challenge, impacting approximately 100,000 patients annually. Disconnections often occur during nighttime sleep, leading to…

Our team designed a line of sign communications system that sends text messages between two devices using infrared lasers.

The Surprisingly Popular algorithm (Prelec et al., 2017) is a voting algorithm designed to accurately recover the ground truth answer from a crowd of people. One limitation of the original…

This project investigated whether patterns in medication use among older adults could help predict rehospitalization after home healthcare. Using data from over 6,800 patients, we analyzed active medications, diagnoses, and patient characteristics, mapping them to standardized codes like RxNorm and PhecodeX. We applied clustering techniques and machine learning models, including XGBoost and BERT-based text embeddings, to identify potential risk factors. Although some variables—like hyper-polypharmacy, reduced physical function (ADL), and certain medication classes—were associated with increased risk, no clear or consistent clusters emerged as highly predictive. Our best-performing model achieved 96% accuracy and 97% ROC-AUC, reinforcing the value of advanced methods but also underscoring the need for individualized deprescribing strategies in geriatric care.

Project Title: An AI-Powered Regulatory Chatbot for Labor LegislationTeam Members: Ethan Leung, Carol Li, Astha Singh, Keming ZhangSponsor: PaychexAffiliation: Goergen Institute for Data Science, University of Rochester INTRODUCTION In today’s fast-evolving regulatory…

Team members: Skye Crocker, Colin Hascup, Ahmed Malik, Lam Nguyen, Ruilin ZhangSponsor: Zalliant | Instructors: Ajay Anand, Ph.D. Cantay Caliskan, Ph.D. Drying crops before storage as hay or silage is…

Authors Zhe Chen, Luca Laport, Erjia Meng, Zhefu Qin, Diego Velázquez Sponsor Rel8ted, Ryan Hilimoniuk Instructor Professor Ajay Anand Abstract Modern supply chains face growing risks from geopolitical instability, financial…

Wireless Multi-Modal Foot Interface Controller Improving Ergonomic Efficiency in the Operating Room Project Team Members Will DeCotiis, Jason Lin, Anastasiia Rudaeva, Wenqi DiDepartment of Biomedical Engineering, University of Rochester Team…

The GLUE team aims to improve a gluing machine for labeling bottles through ArcWorks, an organization that employs individuals with disabilities.

An assistive cycling device to allow mobilization of bed-bound patients in the ICU.

Customers Thomas Quiter, Founder and President of the Mobility Independence Foundation Matthew Lacey, Vice President of the Mobility Independence Foundation Authors Ila Benciolini, Anna Hinchcliffe, Jayden Collins, Ivy Chang, Gavin…

Introduction Prostate cancer is ranked the second most commonly diagnosed cancers among men worldwide, while being named the fifth most common cancer deaths. Robot assisted radical prostatectomy (RARP) exists as…

We designed an ML-Driven Wirelessly Controlled Robot which uses machine learning to detect objects of a given class and automatically navigate towards the closest one within its camera view. The robot is able to detect over 80 different classes of objects, and can also be controlled via three modes: Physical Joystick, ML Object Detection, and Web‑Based Virtual Joystick.

Team Members Yunji Kim – B.S. Audio and Music Engineering ‘25Zian (Alan) Wang – B.S. Audio and Music Engineering ‘25Haochen (Glenn) Xiong – B.S. Audio and Music Engineering ‘25Samuel Yang…

An electrically assisted human powered vehicle (e-HPV) was designed by a team of ME seniors, and the capability of this vehicle was evaluated in the ASME’s e-HPVC competition against other colleges that were designed to accomplish the same goal at UNC Charlotte.

This is a leaf-blower powered hovercraft designed by Team Crocodile. It will race against Team Alligator on Design Day.

A Cassegrain telescope is a type of telescope that uses two reflective mirrors to form an image, like the Hubble Space Telescope. Our project was to assemble and test a current table-top Cassegrain telescope and based on those findings, design, manufacture, simulate and test our newly designed telescope.

This project redesigns MicroEra Power’s THERMAplus system into a compact, modular thermal energy storage unit that improves installation efficiency, reduces pressure losses, and enhances maintainability. The system enables off-peak energy storage and flexible heat delivery using a single reversible heat pump across multiple operating modes.

Parallel jaw grippers for the Sawyer Robotic Manipulator lack the degrees of freedom to replicate the motion and flexibility of a human wrist. This project focuses on combining a 6 degree of freedom (DOF) wrist joint using a “Stewart Strut” platform and a parallel gripper.

Hi! We’re the Plastic Recycling and Fabrication team and out project is to make a small scale recycling system tailored to UR needs.

The Houston Astros need a way to measure the moment of inertia (MOI) of baseball bats—a key factor in swing feel and performance. Current tools only measure weight and length, missing critical data that affects player consistency and injury risk. There is no portable, accurate, or non-destructive MOI measurement device on the market. Our system fills this gap, giving the Astros a tool to optimize bat selection across players. 

Cadmium selenide nanoplatelets (a two-dimensional variant of the quantum dot) are increasingly used in optical devices due to their bright and tunable emission characteristics.

However, to use these colloidal particles in practical photonic devices, the direct patterning of micron-scale features remains a grand-challenge.

Using thin-film fabrication and UV lithography tools inside the URnano cleanroom, we have been able to direct-write nanoplatelet patterns inside Fabry-Perot cavities with features as small as one micron, and show strong light-matter coupling with greater Rabi splitting than typically seen in this geometry due to stronger lateral electric field confinement.

The capability to create arbitrary patterns in nanoplatelet films will enable the fabrication of chiral meta-structures which opens up the possibility to observe and study chiral strong light-matter coupling and exciton-polariton photo-physics.

This project investigates a classical nonlinear interferometer designed to mimic the halved fringe spacing of N00N state quantum interferometry.

This project studies the effects of pulsed lasers on aluminum and graphite, and uses spectroscopy to analyze the contents of the created plasma.

Team Customers Advisors Additional Assistance Abstract The purpose of this project was to redesign the telescope from last year’s senior design project in a way that was both more compact…

Our project concentrates on using PlanOpSim’s optimization algorithm software to enhance the efficiency and functionality of nanostructured optical devices. Unlike traditional engineering methods, in which a structure is designed and then tested, inverse design begins with a target optical response and uses computational methods to determine the optimal nanostructure to achieve that function. For our first objective, we designed a metasurface capable of displaying two distinct holographic images depending on whether the incident light is in the TE or TM polarization state. For the second, we aimed to design a metasurface that produces specific colors by controlling the interaction of light with carefully engineered nanostructures.

We created model retinas for fundus imaging, which simulate several parts of the retina.

The low numerical aperture multimode fiber project is a detailed fiber design and simulation developed by a team of undergraduate senior students. As such, the inputs were determined through discussion with our project customer, ASML. We are designing a fiber to support ASML’s YieldStar (YS) optics sensor for scanning wafers using white light with the wavelength range of 400 to 1000 nm and another fiber to operate at a wavelength of 1070 nm meant to preheat a mirror for a separate lithography machine.

  Our Mission SpacerScope aims to improve the everyday use of inhaler spacers by reimagining spacers to be a collapsible device with a two-way valve system. Our goal is to…

The Pluck & Dispense System (PDSys™) automates the precise transfer of cells from microbubbles to wells, enhancing accuracy and efficiency in laboratory research. This system addresses key challenges such as reducing human error and increasing throughput, making it a valuable tool for small pharmaceutical companies or academic researchers working with microbubbles.

Problem A craniotomy is a surgical technique that exposes the brain by removing a section of the bone from the skull. A surgeon makes two or more burr holes and…

Ammonia Biofilter Optimization for Chicken Manure Composting Authors: Geoffrey Doyle, Jason Maher, and Aidan Shea Advisor: Professor Kelley ​ Department: Chemical Engineering Sponsor: Hal Kreher, Kreher Farms Introduction Kreher Farms is…

Authors Mentor Prof. Mark Juba Sponsor Dr. Brian Cleary Abstract The objective of this project is to develop a continuous system for producing high-value p-toluidine. This system utilizes a nitroarene…

Two part system for collecting weather data and sending it back to a user in the form of a bedside alarm clock.

WheelTalk is a compact and inexpensive system that offers voice control of regular electric wheelchairs with a joystick controller, offering convenience to individuals with compromised motor skills.

The Beat Buddy 3000 is a robotic drum machine capable of actuating a live drum set. Users can compose patterns in real-time using the sequencer-style interface as well as by selecting from a list of predefined drum patterns. This instrument is equipped with pause, play, reset, and mute commands, and features global tempo and local MIDI velocity controls. The Beat Buddy is designed to stand in for a human drummer in live settings, to be user-friendly, intuitive, easy to set up and tear down, and to be more affordable than similar products on the market.

This work investigates material birefringence as a means to determine microplastic identity in samples.

Team Members Customer Daniel Brooks – Optimax Systems, Inc. Mentor Dr. Aaron Bauer – Institute of Optics Abstract The goal of this design project was to build an alignment tool…

A solution for tracking acoustic metrics about community spaces in real time over the internet. A small unit is installed in a communal space such as a lobby, office, or library, which transmits audio data to an on-site computer for processing. Metrics about the space and its occupants are uploaded to a web server for convenient access.

This group is designing a broadband anti-reflection coating and an imaging multivariate optical element coating to eliminate the need for software-based image analysis for AGR’s handheld camera system.

Table of Contents Team Members Duy Doan M.S. Student in Biomedical Engineering at University of Rochester – CMTI Ben Amadi M.S. Student in Biomedical Engineering at University of Rochester –…

Ammonia Biofilter Optimization for Chicken Manure Composting Authors: Geoffrey Doyle, Jason Maher, and Aidan Shea Advisor: Professor Kelley ​ Department: Chemical Engineering Sponsor: Hal Kreher, Kreher Farms Introduction Kreher Farms is…

Design an interchangeable, fixed offset, fixed gear-ratio eccentric tool spindle for gravity-loaded optical polishing procedures.

A high-resolution fluid deposition system for use with Waveguide-Enhanced Raman Spectroscopy sensors.

An automated hydroponic plant growth system that is monitored online by a user

Proposed by SPX Flow, the goal of this project is to characterize the oxygen transfer rate (OTR) within inert fluids of various viscosities.
Paul Eisold, Kamal Raji, Rony Waheibi, Collins Yawe

This Xerox-sponsored project aims to completely separate high viscosity PDMS and heptane via a solvent evaporation process followed by supercritical carbon dioxide extraction.
Alissa DeRubertis, Colin Ikei, Bryan Schellberg, Mark Volkin

The URMC Kidney Model Optimization Project aims to create a polymer material that can simulate the human kidney for practice by surgical residents.
Bimpe Isafiade, Harshita Mahaseth, Natalie Ramesh, Baris Eser Ugur

This project aims to characterize a wastewater stream in addition to addressing biochemical oxygen demand in cooperation with LiDestri.
Katerina Connor, Junseok Jeon, Connor Pope, Brian Yegela

This project was to design an accelerated testing system for Harbec, Inc to evaluate gaskets in the India Mark II hand pump for installation by the Ugandan Water Project.

Dan Allara, Oion Akif, Paul Irving, Tessa Ludwick

In this project, a lab-scale chromatography process was developed to purify crude LUV dye. Upon scale up at Eastman Kodak Company, the chromatography process would be able to purify 2 kg/day.
Quinton Dang, Waad Magram, Zhiwei Wang

This project aims to design and build a multi-channel reverse water gas shift reactor system that allows for exploration of heterogeneous catalysis.
Ahmad El Gazzar, Thien Hung Nguyen, Clive Onyango, Emilio Vega-Ramos

The Rossell Hope Robbins Library is underutilized by many students on campus due to the lack of awareness of the library and its resources. To promote awareness for the library, this project contains designs for a “life-size” portable chess set with medieval themes.

Minimize nickel contamination of cleaning tanks in Orafol Precision Technology’s electroforming process.

Limit entry of abrasive sediment into India Mark II handpump for Ugandan Water Project.

Optimize creation of composites combining under-utilized hemp fabrics with epoxy.

Using a rope of LEDs, connected to a Raspberry Pi with our software, we will read the audio signal from an HDMI cable and display colors on the LED strip that match the tone of the music. . The goal of our project is to be able to create a visualization to convey a similar feeling to people that are unable to hear the music.

Creation of atmospherically-controlled chamber for UV degradation testing of novel OLED materials for Molecular Glasses, Inc.

Characterize LiDestri Food and Drink portfolio of spaghetti sauces to optimize manufacturing process.

Identify inexpensive process for in-house purification of motion picture film dye for Kodak.

Automation of feedstock delivery for creation of biochar, a product of biomass pyrolysis, thermal decomposition in the absence of oxygen.

Create building materials for developing countries from waste plastic and biochar, and compare to concrete standard.

Enable self-sustaining biochar production by reclamation of process by-products.

Controlled, rapid-cooling chamber for initiated chemical vapor deposition of thin film polymers.

Analysis of organic light-emitting diode (OLED) chemical solutions’ inkjet printability through range of solution concentrations.

We are tasked by Rochester Rehab to create a device that increases the efficiency of packaging an underwater camera into a foil bag, primarily by reducing friction on the camera. By doing so, more cameras will be packaged per hour and the wage of the workers who are employed in the process will increase.