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Trying his first few leg-pumps on his brand-new swing, Dylan Bush’s face said it all.
The closed-eyed joy of Bush, a Fort Collins man with autism, was well worth the Herculean efforts by Colorado State University engineering students over the last few weeks to complete the custom-designed and built swing. It’s now permanently installed in Bush’s mother and stepfather’s front yard, punctuating a year’s worth of work for the students, and the end of a very unusual final semester.
“One of the biggest things that drew us to this project was how we could see the immediate impact,” said student engineer Paige Floyd. “There was this specific client in need, we were working with a loving family, and we would be able to see a final product that could be installed and used. That was very motivating for us.”
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Senior Design changes lives.
With state-of-the-art equipment, award-winning faculty, and most importantly, the creativity of our students, we look forward to addressing your industry’s needs. Your company’s real-world improvements provide the greatest opportunities for our students.
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Students improve wheelchair safety for Fort Collins resident
Wanda Roche’s life changed in 2013 when a collision with another bicyclist during a tour threw her into a ravine and paralyzed her from the chest down.
She bought a wheelchair that allows her to exercise her upper body. But with the hills around her Fort Collins home, she couldn’t safely brake or turn.
Late last summer, she called the Walter Scott, Jr. College of Engineering. Now, with a little help from some mechanical engineering students, she’s ready to face the hills in her neighborhood.
The mechanical engineering graduates – Shura Al Maawali, Younis Al Masoudi, Billy Anthony and Drew Caldwell – took on the project with support from Lab Support Engineer Steve Johnson, redesigning the wheelchair to allow for better braking and steering.
- Watch Engineering Students Make Woman's Wheelchair Dreams Come True on CBS Denver
About Senior Design
Senior year mechanical engineering students focus on a year-long capstone design course to help them in the transition from college to an engineering career.
The Senior Design Project is a two-semester course sequence that partners senior-level engineering students with industry sponsors to tackle real-world issues.
Students gain professional engineering experience by working in teams to apply theory to practice. Each team designs, builds, and tests innovative solutions and take part in intercollegiate project competitions.
The partnerships between design teams and industry sponsors help students develop the skills they need to secure positions within their field. These collaborations create an opportunity for students to make a lasting impact on the lives of those benefiting from their hard work.
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Mechanical Engineering at Colorado State University is about using our knowledge of materials, energy, and health to solve society’s global engineering challenges.
Mechanical Engineering at Colorado State University is about using our knowledge of materials, energy, and health to solve society’s global engineering challenges.
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