LAS VEGAS (FOX5) — UNLV engineering seniors presented their innovations at the Fred and Harriet Cox Senior Design Competition on Tuesday, showcasing inventions aimed at solving real-world problems.
Nearly 200 students across 47 teams put their classroom knowledge to the test, presenting their technology advancement ideas to a panel of industry judges.
The projects are judged based on innovation, commercial potential, sustainability, and overall presentation quality.
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One team tackled what students say is a gap in water safety.
“My team found out that currently there is no market solution for rescuing passively drowning victims out in open ocean situations,” said Thomas Miller, a senior mechanical engineering student. “We built a robot that can go up to a passively drowning victim, pick them up and get their head out of the water, and therefore stop them from drowning, and then deliver them back to shore.”
The winning teams receive prize money for their efforts. Miller said, beyond winning, he hopes to take his team’s creation from a university setting into the real world.
“Hopefully we’ll be able to maybe license or patent the work and go from there,” Miller said.
Other inventions included a product to catch debris in stormwater runoff systems, a faucet sensor to track water usage as Lake Mead dries up, and an immersive rollercoaster simulator for people who cannot otherwise ride.
The competition is held twice a year at the end of the fall and spring semesters.
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