In their final year at UNLV, engineering students in all disciplines have the opportunity to take the entire breadth of their educational experience and turn it into a tangible, real-world product. The semiannual Fred & Harriet Cox Senior Design Competition challenges upcoming College of Engineering graduates to implement their acquired skills and create a solution to an engineering problem.
Each senior design team builds a working prototype that goes on display for the public and a team of industry judges, who then rate each team on the marketability of the idea, the technical qualities, and their presentation skills. Winning teams receive cash awards at a ceremony following the competition. For these three teams, it comes down to tackling practical problems with creativity and know-how.
Collaboration is key

Dizon’s team includes fellow students Sean Mulvey and Aphiwat Surunna, and they worked together on a mechanical weheelchair adapter. They combined their experience in automotive work, robotics, and electrical engineering to develop a cost-effective solution that would allow a manual wheelchair to operate like a fully-functioning electric wheelchair.
Hands-on experience builds confidence

A complex project, Wilkins felt more than prepared to take it on. “It’s not a fear of getting started, or the fear of not knowing how to do something that we have to show courage against — it’s the will to keep going that takes courage,” Wilkins said.
Wilkins says Hestia has given her the opportunity to implement a wide range of skills in electrical, mechanical, and computer science through hands-on application.
Focus on commerciality

“I starred in an independent film and we had a scene that required me walking towards the camera,” said Johnson. “I remember my friend falling backward as he was filming on shaky and uneven ground. Imagine doing that for an action scene where you need to move faster.”
To execute this project, Johnson and Rogall applied their skills to prototype a design that effectively shoots quality B-roll footage. For influencers, the video or vlog footage will be smooth and create a fluid vision to an artistic montage or transitions between shots.