The Mechanical Engineering Department is the largest department at Cal Poly with more than 1,250 undergraduates and is ranked as the second-best undergraduate focused mechanical engineering program in the country by U.S. News and World Reports.
The curriculum shares a common philosophy that real engineering work requires not only a solid understanding of theory but also hands-on experiences and skills to finish the job. With state-of-the-art laboratories, student clubs and organizations, and machine shops, the program effectively combines theory and practical application to prepare students for careers in a wide variety of industries and graduate school.
Modified from me.calpoly.edu
Senior Projects from 2024
Hitch Cart “Landing Gear”, Rebekah White, Jose Raygoza, Randy Hernandez, and Brandon Leon
Sim Racing Pedal Assembly, Ben Wold, Owen Clobes, Angel Perales, and Mike McMasters
Swim Fly Drone, Alia Wolken, Sha'anan Levy, Andrew Jwaideh, and Eduardo Santos
Bird Trail Stairway Access Replacement, Mackenzie Wright, William Spellman, Nicholas Buccino, and Jack Long
Rover Chassis & Suspension, Nikki Zainer, Aung Bhone Zaw, Joelle Romero, and Colin Thompson
Senior Projects from 2023
Biomechanical Knee Joint for Exoskeleton, Gabriel Ireton Ahern, Calloway Miller, Christianna Altamura, and Eric Mailes
Mechanics Desktop Lab Equipment, Dante Azpilcueta, Quentin F. Mormann, and Arfan Ansar
Treadmill Platform for Quadrupedal Robots, Baxter J. Bartlett, Jack F. Butler, Phillip A. Shafik, and Tarun S. Ganamur
Microfabrication Lab Furnace Upgrade, Brooke Ann Benedict, Benjamin Ozer Fields, Nathaniel David Burtnett, and Thomas Mackay Taylor
Slitter Blade Sharpener, Griffin Buchan, Regan Lane, and Kinsale Sproule
PROVE Primary Battery Structure, John D. Burkhart, Andy Mccormick, Ryan Yu, and Soren Barclay
Road Embedded Traffic Actuated Turbine (RETAT), Derek Terry Cedillo, Jairo Fernandez Garcia, Alejandro Samaniego, and Yosef Towfique
Metamaterial-Based Soft Actuators, Savannah June Cheney, Nathan Kessenich, Marco Leen, and Merek McGill
Headlamp/Bike Light Damping System, Ethan Reece Clark, Alec Stonehouse, Omeed Ostry, and Mitchel Anderson
Turbine Integrated Pitching System, Elizabeth Costley, Josephine Maiorano, Jeff Larson, and Cameron Jackson
Bruxism Biofeedback Device, Claire A. Dossey, Errin S. Abasolo, and Isabelle A. Starr
Surf Sled 2.0, Troy I. Feinstein
Drop Test Release Mechanism, Sophie M. Getty, Matthew A. Tichenor, Nash W. Levy, and Connor D. Dilloughery
Cooled Liquid Rocket Thrust Chamber, Benjamin Gibson, Kealan Frederick Harris, Ryan Frank Schackel, and Bjorn Thorsen
Integrated Actuator, David Hefter, Mathew Smith, Amanda Westmoreland, and Akanksha Maddi
Portable Drinking Water Cooler and Dispenser, Gustavo Hernandez-Lerena, Erik Torres, Caleb Francis Parham, and Terry Leung
Band Motor Crankshaft for Hydrogen Combustion Engine, Lincoln Hofer, Jacqueline Mendoza Cortes, Austin Rhee, and Roze Raymond
Baja SAE Semi-Active Suspension, Cameron Paul Jones, Ethan Jacobi Mikel, Joshua Macguire Wright, and Aditya Garg
Wave Energy Converter for Marine Vessels and Isolated Communities, Leo Kirshenbaum, Owen Pyle, Gage Howard, Charlie Camilli, Jonathan Ma, Emigdio Islas, and Joseph Bonafede
Planar Element Alignment System, Benjamin E. LaVigna, Benny F. Cruz, Samuel Gierhan, and Jacob Q. Henriksen