Projects at the Design Lab

The Design Lab seeks projects that accomplish two goals:

To engage engineering students in open-ended, technically challenging, real-world design projects that are important to sponsors and partners.
To provide a valuable return on investment in ideas, innovations, and potential employees to our sponsors and partners.

Since 2000, we have built up a broad base of project experience and past work. The projects shown here represent only a small sampling of the hundreds of projects that our students have delivered.

Project Type Project Type

Research Area Research Area

Solar Kiosk

Develop a solar powered kiosk that provides a secure place to charge phones and offer Wi-Fi service for customers.

Design Applications for Light Diffusing Glass Fiber Optics

Develop enabling technologies for Corning including low cost, end of fiber reflector to achieve uniform light distribution throughout length: efficiency > 50; develop practical mounting solutions to aid in FibranceTM installation within architectural applications.

Direct Writing of Silicone

Determine the capability of silicones in the additive manufacturing process to allow for customizable solutions in the medical, aerospace, automotive, electronic, and consumer industries. Expand the market for Momentive silicones.

Aids for People with Physical Challenges

Improve customer ease of life for a specific quadriplegic customer. Increase access to tools by developing custom wrist braces.

My Mobility Test

The Design Lab, in partnership with the Albany Guardian Society, has been exploring balance any mobility topics for many years leading to an approach for mobility testing to help avoid the risk of falling among senior citizens.

Turbine Blade De-Icing with Microwaves - Antenna

Wind turbine blades ice in cold climates. GE wants technical evaluation of microwave deicing option. Design test system to deice 1 meter blade section.

Augmented Reality System

Create a foundation in workspace design and assembly operations for Raytheon to use going forward. System will reduce labor and assembly costs through more efficient operations and increased labor production.

Cross-Flow Wind Turbine

To develop a wind energy harnessing device that performs well in urban environments by minimizing upfront costs and limiting space consumption, noise pollution and rooftop stresses.

Ecosystem of Systems Testing Platform

Provide CASE with a modular test chamber to assess the impact of a variety of new technologies on environmental conditions and indoor air quality.

Improved Hook and Loop Test Method

Develop test method to accurately predict performance of Velcro hook and loop fasteners in diapers.

iPhone Geotagging App

Create a phone application that will allow field technicians to accurately record wind turbine configuration information.

Peristaltic Pump

Create a mechanical design to support Perkin Elmer’s conceptual plan for extending tube life of a Peristaltic Pump.

Quench Variability

Evaluate seasonal variability in quenching of MRI magnets.

Robotic Wingbox Assembly

Design and simulate robotic arms that can properly apply sealant to the inside of an airplane’s wingbox.

Turbine Blade De-Icing with Microwaves - Test

Investigate the use of microwave de‐icing technology to enhance the performance of wind turbine blades operating in cold environments

Vanilla Magnet

Project to replace customer-specific welded interfaces on the exterior of an MRI magnet with an alternative joining method to create a standard or "vanilla" magnet that is differentiated later in the production process.

Wind Turbine Reliability Analytics

Generate lifetime consumption estimations and fatigue based metrics for wind turbines.

Bath Toy

Create a water‐recirculating toy that allows children to safely play with running water. Toy is self‐pumping and provides multiple water outlets, unlike competitors.

Cryocooler Vibrations

Minimize vibrations of the cryocooler for operation in sensitive environments.

Gas Flare Management

Provide a software tool to evaluate opportunities when associated products and services (like Virtual Pipeline) can be marketed and sold.

Wearable Technology

Study the feasibility of using VELCRO brand conductive hook and loop fasteners in wearable technology

Wind Turbine Repair - Gantry Crane redesign

Redesign gantry crane system to reduce time, manpower, and cost to complete NGC gearbox maintenance in GE Wind Turbines.