Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering Undergrads' Shoe-Tying Robot Gets Shoutout in Digital Trends Article
Members of the EME 185 class saw their shoe-tying robot included in a Digital Trends rundown of six unique robots:
"If you don’t have time to tie a pair of laces a couple of times a day, you probably don’t have time to wait for a robot to spend four minutes tying each shoe. But that didn’t stop engineers from the UC Davis College of Engineering from building a robot that’s capable of a pair of tying shoelaces.
"While it’s difficult to think of too many real world applications for a robot such as this (although we guess it could be a useful accessibility tool), it’s nonetheless an impressive example of robot dexterity. And with just two motors and an imposed budget limit of just $600, it manages this within some fairly hefty constraints."
Taught by MAE Lecturer Dr. Jason Moore, the EME 185 design-project course differs from almost all other university courses in that there is no predetermined list of theories, facts, or physical laws that students are expected to learn and master. Rather, the sole objective of the design project course is to provide students with opportunities to use their own skills and knowledge to solve an engineering-design problem. This experience will help students make the transition from school to work, bridging the gap between theory and applications.