Sponsored senior design projects
ROB 450 is the culminating senior design experience for Robotics undergraduates at the University of Michigan. In this capstone course, student teams work on real-world robotics challenges sponsored by industry partners, startups, faculty research labs, and government agencies.
Over the course of the semester, student teams:
- Define project requirements and specifications with their sponsor
- Design, prototype, and iterate on robotic systems
- Apply skills from sensing, reasoning, acting, and human-robot interaction
- Present their work at the end-of-semester Project Showcase
Students gain hands-on experience solving open-ended engineering problems while sponsors get fresh perspectives on their challenges from the next generation of roboticists.
Course details
- Credits: 4
- Prerequisites: TCHNCLCM 350, senior standing
- Duration: Full semester
- Team Size: 4-6 students per project
- Culminates in: Design Expo presentation
Interested in becoming a sponsor? Join leading companies and labs in shaping the future of robotics. Express your interest in becoming a sponsor.
Project requirements
A good ROB 450 project is scoped to be achievable within one semester by a team of 4-6 students, and must include at least two of the following elements:
- Physical design: mechanical, electrical, aesthetic, etc.
- Interaction: sensing and/or acting in the real world
- Reasoning: controls, autonomy, decision-making
Example projects
High-definition mapping upgrade for the mBot
Sponsor: General Motors
Upgrading an educational mBot with LiDAR, high-resolution cameras, and a more powerful processor, then developing real-time SLAM software to create detailed environmental maps.
Training crate for a reticulated python
Sponsor: Detroit Zoological Society
Designing a heated, sensor-equipped crate that lets zoo staff weigh a 15-foot reticulated python and train voluntary crate entry, improving the animal's well-being and staff safety.
Bio-inspired soft actuators for underwater robots
Sponsor: Hybrid Dynamic Robotics Lab
Designing a soft propulsion actuator with real-time tunable stiffness, letting a robotic fish shift between fast, efficient, and precise swimming to improve underwater maneuverability.
Computational design tools for insect-scale robots
Sponsor: Zoetic Robotics Laboratory
Building a simulator that generates compliant mechanisms for insect-scale robots, enabling new crawling, jumping, and swimming gaits, then validating designs with prototype micromechanisms.
Refreshable tactile maps for blind and low-vision users
Sponsor: HaptiX Lab
Combining soft, fluid-filled bladders with rigid linkages to create a refreshable tactile display with millimeter resolution, helping blind users navigate new environments by touch.
End of semester showcases
At the end of each semester, students present their work to the community in the Robotics Building.
Become a sponsor
Partner with Michigan Robotics to engage with talented students and explore innovative solutions to your robotics challenges.
What sponsors provide
- A real-world robotics challenge or problem statement
- Technical mentorship throughout the semester
- Hardware or resources as needed for the project
- Feedback during milestone presentations
What sponsors receive
- Access to top robotics talent
- Fresh perspectives on technical challenges
- Opportunity to evaluate potential future hires
- Visibility within the Michigan Robotics community
Sponsorship timeline
Fall semester projects
- Project proposal intake: Early July
- Project selections: Early August
- Project kickoff: Early September
- Design Expo: Early December
Winter semester projects
- Project proposal intake: Early November
- Project selections: Early December
- Project kickoff: Early January
- Design Expo: Late April
Past sponsors include
Oceanus Power & Water
