Eight teams of engineering students presented designs for original devices to industry experts and investors. These students were part of Invent@SU, a six-week summer program where students design, prototype, and pitch to judges.

On June 20th, the teams gave their final pitch presentations to a panel of 14 expert judges. The room was filled with guests, including Dean Cole Smith, Syracuse University Life Trustee Bill Allyn and program supporter Mike Lazar. The event kicked off with poster presentations that gave the student teams the opportunity to showcase their inventions and answer questions from the judges.

This year’s competitors were:

TreadBed: Jason Bae ’25 (biomedical engineering), Sandy Lin ’25 (computer science), Ian Roche ’25 (mechanical engineering), Colin Wanderman ’27 (mechanical engineering)

A patient transfer device that reduces the amount of lifting required for caregivers when moving a patient between a stretcher and a hospital bed. 

MagniClaw: (Tied for Second Place) Davis Hood ’26 (electrical engineering), Jennifer Mason ’26 (mechanical engineering), Matthew Pinto ’27 (biomedical engineering), Carter Thompson ’26 (aerospace engineering)

A device that securely locks wheelchairs in place for moving vehicles.

Swift Straps: (Tied for Second Place) Jessica Moreno ’26 (aerospace engineering), Patrick Phanichyakarn ’26 (mechanical engineering), Amira Salihovic ’25 (biomedical engineering)

Retractable, color-coded restraint straps that make transferring or transporting EMT patients more efficient.

R!G: (Third Place) Robert Adinolfi ’28 (mechanical engineering), Brayden Phillips ’27 (chemical engineering), Jair Espinoza ’25 (computer science), Ava Lubkemann ’27 (environmental engineering)

A lightweight, breathable suit that helps correct posture and provides lumbar support.

CaddyTrack: Giancarlo d’Amore ’26 (mechanical engineering), Daniel Stitch ’26 (mechanical engineering), Tom Xiao ’28 (mechanical engineering)

A golf cart that can track your ball and autonomously drive to the ball’s location.

Phloat: (First Place) Elijah Alexander ’27 (civil engineering), Malak Aljerari ’27 (biomedical engineering), Nathan Brekke ’26 (computer science), Joshua Varkey ’26 (aerospace engineering)

A phone case that has a compact, deployable flotation feature that activates if the phone falls into deep water.

GymIn: Jack Friedman ’27 (chemical engineering), Antonio Goncalves ’27 (computer science), Alexander Hamza ’26 (biomedical engineering), Armani Isonguyo ’25 (computer engineering)

A service that allows gyms to gather data on usage of their equipment.

Kare9: Richard Nguyen ’27 (mechanical engineering), Uchechukwuka Obiofuma ’25 (computer engineering), Mallika Saikhedkar ’26 (computer science), Juliana Sepulveda ’25 (biomedical engineering)

An all-inclusive solution for monitoring your dog’s health and ensuring their safety through a health harness. 

Invent@SU is made possible by program sponsor Michael Lazar, partner sponsor the Lyons Family Foundation, and team sponsor Ralph Folz. A special thank you to Bill and Penny Allyn for sponsoring multiple years since 2017.

“Students learn about design, ideation and intellectual property, then conceive an original invention, prototype the invention and refine it in response to weekly feedback from diverse audiences of guest evaluators. In addition, students learn key business, entrepreneurship and professional skills, such as: communication, creating a “pitch,” financing a start-up, sustainable design, accounting, marketing, pricing, leadership and teamwork,” said Professor Alex Deyhim. “All 8 teams did an amazing job and walked away with invaluable lessons learned and friendships that will last a lifetime.”