At the end of each semester, the College of Engineering’s Senior Design teams showcase their projects at Poster Day. These projects and presentations represent the culmination of hard work by undergraduate engineering students, as they apply theories and concepts learned in the classroom to real-world projects. For the spring 2026 semester, there are 28 teams presenting their projects on Poster Day. Below are just three of the impressive student projects.
Team 8 AI Chess: An Electrical and Computer Engineering Demo
Team Advisor: Joseph Picone
Senior Design Instructor: Maryam Alibeik
Team Members: Dylan Boles, Samuel Georgi, Shane Mullin, Zephan Joseph
From left to right: Zephan Joseph, Dylan Boles, Samuel Georgi. Not Pictured: Shane Mullin
Photo by Casey Tinney
With their project already being utilized by the Electrical and Computer Engineering Department, Team 8, AI Chess, worked on an accelerated timeline to create an interactive AI chess demonstration for prospective college students interested in engineering.
Originally a prototype from a previous student’s independent study project, team members were tasked with creating an interactive demonstration to showcase the capabilities of electrical and computer engineers and inspire prospective students to pursue the field.
The device uses two Raspberry Pi computers that communicate directly, without requiring Wi-Fi, to compete in chess matches against each other. There is also a feature that allows for a human to compete against the computer. The team additionally developed machine learning models design to emulate the strategies and playstyles of professional chess players. The demonstration requires only a connection to a laptop, which is used as the display and graphical user interface.
Team 8 worked diligently to have most of their project complete in time for Engineering Expo hosted by the college on February 26. There, they saw their project used in real time by attendees including current engineering students, high school students and industry members. They also showcased the demonstration at several Experience Temple Days. The experiences allowed them to see real people interact with their project, identifying ways they could make the interface more user-friendly.
“One of the things that came up a lot was when high schoolers were playing the game they were trying to move pieces, but they didn’t know they were in check,” explained Dylan Boles. “So, we added a feature where in the user interface the outer ring of the board lights up red whenever one of the sides is in check,” he said.
In addition to programming, the team designed and 3D printed the housing for the Raspberry Pi computers and other elements. They connected all moving parts of the system themselves, a power switch and LED screens and lights to add an avatar element to the computers, displaying various emojis including red or green lights depending on the result of the chess match.
The team cited their ease in working together and learning from each other as a highlight of their experience.
Team 15 OWL-SIGHT: Acousto-Optic Detection for Tracking Low-Altitude FPV Drones
Team Advisor: Osman Sayginer
Senior Design Instructor: Hamid Heravi
Team Members: Connor Beck, Henry Krumrine, Rocco Haeufgloeckner
From left to right: Rocco Haufgloeckner, Connor Beck, Henry Krumrine
Photo by Casey Tinney
After nearly an entire academic year of work, Team 15, OWL-SIGHT, designed and built a system to accurately track the position of small tactical drones. The machine learning model, trained with images of existing drones, uses the attached cameras and microphones to identify and then track any approaching drones. The project represents a highly interdisciplinary effort rooted in mechatronics, integrating mechanical design, electrical systems, and software development into one cohesive solution.
The two cameras, the primary sensors, work in tandem to both identify the visual presence of a drone in addition to its distance. If an approaching drone is not in view, the four microphones form an acoustic triangulation system, tracking an approaching drone’s approximate location via sound. Based on the determined location, this alerts the cameras to move towards the drone location and continue tracking.
While wirelessly operated drones can be countered with radio interference, these methods cannot disable drones controlled via fiber optic cable, an issue Team 15’s project hopes to solve with the combined camera and microphone tracking system. As the use of drones increases, many organizations and groups worldwide are working on similar tracking systems, an aspect that drew several of the students to work on the project.
The team effectively built the project from the ground up, acquiring microphones and cameras along with some other equipment, alongside building the aluminum frame from scratch in the College of Engineering’s machine shop and 3D printing many components in the IDEAS Hub.
As with any project, the team faced some challenges along the way. However, overcoming these challenges became the most rewarding part of their journey.
Rocco Haeufgloeckner noted one of the most difficult aspects was “just figuring out how everything works together.” He said, “in the end, combining the acoustic system with the vision was difficult as well.”
As one of the final aspects of the project, the team dissembled the system to paint. The full re-assembly afterwards provided them with a moment to reflect on all the components they spent months working on. “It was just very satisfying to see all of our work come together in that way,” said Henry Krumrine.
Team 17 NASA MicroChariot HIVE-X Wheel
Team Advisors: John Helferty and Alex Pillapakkam
Senior Design Instructor: Hamid Heravi
Team Member: Guy Porter
Guy Porter with an early prototype of the MicroChariot HIVE-X Wheel.
Photo by Casey Tinney
What started as a project for Temple Robotics turned into a NASA competition entry and a senior design project all in one for Team 17 NASA MicroChariot HIVE-X Wheel.
After noticing some deficiencies in their wheel design during the NASA Lunabotics Challenge last spring, Guy Porter spent the summer working on an improved wheel design for the upcoming year. Around the same time, a Temple Robotics teammate informed him of the Rock and Roll with NASA Challenge as NASA looks for rover wheel designs as part of their ongoing mission to return to the moon. Porter submitted his design and was announced as a Phase 1 finalist in December of 2025. He’s spent the remainder of the academic year, and his senior design project, on tweaking his design and creating a physical prototype to ship to NASA as part of Phase 2 of the competition.
The environmental constraints of the moon required Porter to design a lightweight wheel that could withstand extreme temperatures and not sink when navigating lunar regolith (the sand-like surface of the moon).
Most of the wheel was constructed in the College of Engineering’s IDEAS Hub. Porter worked extensively with IDEAS Hub Lab Manager Brock Donnelly, testing various 3D printing materials and making design improvements.
Porter is now waiting to hear if he’s moved on to Phase 3 of the competition, which would include live testing of the remaining wheel designs.