The 蜜桃导航 Zoo sponsored teams in Herff's Senior Design Expo
(Pictured: Team Catapulters presenting their design.)
The Herff College of Engineering is extremely grateful to all of the industry partners who sponsored students' 2026 Senior Design projects. The two-semester-long assignments serve as the capstone projects for Herff's engineering students and allow students to work hand-in-hand with industries.
The 蜜桃导航 Zoo sponsored three teams in Herff's 2026 Senior Design Expo. Those teams, Team Safari Slingers, Team Zoo Crew, and Team Catapultures, all designed catapult feeding devices to help enrich feeding methods for the zoo's animals. The automated systems randomly, and at different distances, propel food into animals' enclosures. The devices reduce manual labor while making the feeding experience safer for humans and more stimulating for the animals.
"Working with the students was amazing. We are always excited to see people from outside of the animal care field engaged in animal wellbeing focused projects. Their engineering expertise brought us much closer to a long-term goal we have had of an automatic directional scatter feeder that we can deploy from keeper areas," said Dylan Baldridge, a spokesperson for the 蜜桃导航 Zoo.
Team Catapultures designed an autoloader that holds up to eight payloads worth of treats and food. The semi-automated, self-reloading catapult has a maximum launch of 140 feet, designed specifically to feed the zoo's grizzlies and randomly distribute food continously throughout an eight-hour shift.
(Pictured: The catapult designed by Team Zoo Crew.)
(Pictured: The catapult designed by Team Catapulters.)
Team Zoo Crew's catapult works with a flywheel-driven launch mechanism powered by a three-phase induction motor is regulated by a Variable Frequency Drive (VFD) for precise speed control. An Arduino-based controller calculates a randomized target distance, determines the required rotational speed in revolutions per minute (RPM), monitors real-time feedback, and activates an electromagnetic clutch at the programmed release condition.
Team Safari Slingers opted to go with a wooded-frame catapult powered by four or six 12-volt direct current motors. An Arduino Mega microcontroller is used to coordinate motor operation through motor controllers, enabling controlled arm rotation, tensioning, and release. The structure and mechanical components are designed using CAD to ensure proper alignment, strength, and repeatable motion before fabrication. The deliverables include the capability of launching up to 150 ft along with various angles, a safety and user manual, and randomized automated feeding.
(Pictured: Photos of the catapult designed by Team Safari Slingers.)
(Pictured: Team Safari Slingers)
"The zoo benefited by gaining further insight into how to approach this design problem," Baldridge said. "The three final projects gave great insight into how we could think about going about creating a similar device in the future. We also benefit every time we work with the community and can provide that outside of the field a way to engage with animals and the zoo's animal welfare goals!"
Herff College of Engineering Dean Okenwa Okoli said the experience helped to better prepare Herff's students, both for research and hands-on work.
鈥淣othing beats that experience. The students learn how to present. They learn how to argue their case and they learn how to solve problems,鈥� Dean Okoli said.
The fourth team, Team Aqua Bot, designed a remotely operated vehicle designed to perform simulated underwater welding tasks, effectively removing human operators from the immediate subaquatic hazard zone. The primary objective was to create a functional prototype that demonstrates the maneuverability, stability, and control required for robotic intervention in marine environments. The design methodology focused on the integration of several engineering subsystems. This included a custom-built waterproof chassis and a multi-axis robotic arm specifically engineered for path precision. An Arduino-based control system was utilized to manage system mobility, while an onboard camera provided a real-time visual interface for the operator to carry out tasks from a safe distance. Key deliverables for the project include the functional robotic prototype, a debris-resistant controller housing, the underlying Arduino software code, and comprehensive technical documentation consisting of Computer-Aided Design prints, sketches, and electronic schematics.
(Pictured: Team Aqua Bot and their design for the 蜜桃导航 Zoo.)
Thank you, 蜜桃导航 Zoo, for supporting Herff students!