Invent@SU

Interdisciplinary Engineering Teams Design, Prototype and Pitch Original Devices at Invent@SU 2024

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:

Team TreadBed students Sandy Lin, Ian Roche, Colin Wanderman and Jason Bae

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. 

Team MagniClaw students Carter Thompson, Davis Hood, Matthew Pinto and Jennifer Mason

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.

Team SwiftStraps students Jessica Moreno, Patrick Phanichyakarn and Amira Salihovic

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.

Team R!G students Jair Espinoza, Robert Adinolfi, Brayden Phillips and Ava Lubkemann

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.

Team Caddytrack students Tom Xiao, Giancarlo d'Amore and Daniel Stitch

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.

Team Phloat students Nathan Brekke, Joshua Varkey, Malak Aljerari and Elijah Alexander

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.

Team GymIn students Jack Friedman, Antonio Goncalves, Alexander Hamza and Armani Isonguyo

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.

Team KARE9 students Richard Nguyen, Juliana Sepulveda, Malika Saidhedkar and Uchechukwuka Obiofuma

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. 

The students, faculty and supporters of Invent@SU 2024

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.”

Interdisciplinary team of Engineering and Computer Science Students Wins 2022 Invent@SU Competition

When searching a burning building for people who may be trapped inside, smoke and debris can cause firefighters to work in zero visibility conditions. They are attached to ropes but it is easy for them to become disoriented. This makes it difficult to navigate their way back to safety.

Environmental engineering student Oliver Raycroft ’25 heard about the problem from a firefighter during his first year at the College of Engineering and Computer Science and started thinking about ideas.

“I thought the problem was interesting and there was a clear need,” said Raycroft. “I wanted to help and find a solution.”

At the beginning of the six week Invent@SU program, Raycroft presented the problem to his teammates biomedical engineering student Alejandra Lopez ’22 and computer science student Adya Parida ’25. Both were interested in seeing if they could use their science and engineering skills to design a practical solution that would help firefighters orient themselves during rescue operations.

“If we could solve this problem, we could save the lives of firefighters and billions in damages,” said Parida.

During Invent@SU, student teams design, prototype and pitch new inventions with help from engineering and communications faculty. Each student receives a $2200 stipend and teams have a $1000 budget for prototyping materials. Teams spend six weeks developing their ideas during summer session one and each week a panel of Syracuse University alumni and friends evaluate the progress of their five-minute pitches.

“It was a combination of experimentation and feedback. This program taught me skills I can apply anywhere,” said Parida.

“I got better and better at presenting and communicating what we were working on,” said Lopez.

Raycroft, Lopez and Parida developed an initial prototype that would attach to rescue ropes and indicate directionality to firefighters who were working in zero-visibility. As they considered adjustments and materials for their next version, the team brought the initial prototype to the Oswego Fire Department to get their feedback and input.

“The fact firefighters liked it so much made it worth it,” said Parida.

On the final Thursday of the program, all seven teams in Invent@SU pitched their inventions to a panel of alumni judges. Raycroft, Lopez and Parida’s team named “Scale Sense” took first place and a $1500 prize.

Second place went to team “Wonder Walker” who designed a mobility assistance device for children with special needs.

Third place went to team “Silogix” – who designed a device to provide farmers with a way to prevent dangerous grain blockages in silos.

“It was a ride, it was fun, challenging and rewarding,” said Parida.

Several Invent@SU teams plan to work with the Blackstone Launchpad in Bird Library to explore business plans and patents.

Invent@SU was made possible by program sponsors Syracuse University Trustee Bill Allyn G’59 and Janet “Penny” Jones Allyn ’60 and Michael Lazar G’65. The 2022 team sponsors were Matthew Lyons ’86, Haden Land G’91 and Cathy Jo Land and Ralph Folz ’90. For more information on the program, visit invent.syr.edu.

Biomedical and Chemical Engineering Spotlight: Bianca Andrada ’22

Bianca Andrada is the 2022 Recipient of the Bioengineering Founders Award.

Hometown:

New York City

BMCE/ECS/other activities you have been involved with:

  • Dr. Pranav Soman Research Lab
  • President of Engineering World Health
  • President of Kappa Phi Lambda Sorority, Inc.
  • 3+ Resident Advisor for Engineering and Computer Science Living Learning Community
  • Honorable Mention Recipient for Invent@SU
  • TA for Invent@SU Summer 2022
  • Engineering Excelerators
  • Tau Beta Pi – The Engineering Honor Society
  • Mentor Biomedical Engineering Society
  • Food Recovery Network
  • Guest Services – Barnes Center at the Arch Recreation

Favorite thing about BMCE:

My favorite thing about BMCE are the faculty and staff. They have all been supportive of my interests, passions, and they ensured that my studies revolve around them. For instance, I expressed my curiosity in CAD Design to Dr. Yung. He was able to connect me with the Industrial and Interaction Design School so I can bridge together my interest in design and engineering.

Favorite thing about Syracuse University:

On the engineering side, I had the opportunity to be a part of a multitude of projects that provided opportunities to prove to individuals my depth, understanding, and skillset in biomedical engineering. On the social side, I love going to the Basketball Games with my friends. 

Plan after graduation:

After graduation, I will be obtaining a Master of Science in Robotics and Autonomous System at Boston University. My focus will be in medical and soft robotics.