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Seniors at the Batten College of Engineering and Technology have spent the last two semesters laser-focused on completing their senior design projects. Typically, students dedicate the first semester to planning and design, and the second to building and testing their projects.

Their hard work will be on full display on April 25, when student teams present more than 40 innovative projects during the annual Engineering Student Projects Expo (ESPEX), held from 2:00 to 5 p.m. in Webb Center’s North Café. The event is free and open to the public.

Established in , ESPEX provides a platform for students to present their work to industry professionals, faculty, and the community.

This year’s projects span a wide range of ideas and innovations, including:

· Design of 1.7 miles of the easternmost portion of the new Virginia Beach walking and biking trail, featuring an overhead crossing over Oceana Blvd. The project is sponsored by the City of Virginia Beach.

· Design and construction of a device to improve the precision of a laser mass spectrometer – a device used to analyze materials and detect harmful substances. Sponsored by the Army ASPIRE Capstone Program and the National Science Foundation, the project focuses on shortening the ion pulse from approximately 100 nanoseconds to one nanosecond, significantly improving spectrometer readings.

· A machine learning (ML) and software-defined radio (SDR) system to reduce wireless network congestion caused by the growing number of Internet of Things (IoT) devices. The system analyzes real-time radio signals and communicates with a Wi-Fi access point to select the best transmission channel.

· Development of a robot sorting system that integrates vision and tactile sensing to classify and sort different types of fabric and cloth for reuse and recycling.

· An electric boat, built to compete in the race. The team will race against 40+ other university teams at First Landing State Park in Virginia Beach.

“ESPEX gives our students the opportunity to demonstrate the practical and theoretical skills they have gained throughout their time at the Batten College,” said Jeffrey LaCombe, Ph.D., associate dean for Undergraduate and Graduate Education. “It’s a clear reflection of the work they have put in and the problems they are preparing to solve in the real world.”