Electrical & computer engineers tackle real-world solutions for Expo 2026
The Basically Wizards team developed an environmental monitoring system that collects long‑term data on climate and soil conditions, collaborating with the NASA Colorado Space Grant from 2025.
Graduating seniors from theDepartment of Electrical, Computer and Energy Engineering (ECEE)at ̽Ƶ are set to showcase their capstone projects at theEngineering Project Expo. The highly anticipated event highlights the creativity, expertise gained and problem-solving skills of students as they tackle real-world challenges.
This year, 22 ECEE capstone teams will present a wide range of projects that elevates technology and innovation. The projects address areas in biomedical engineering, wireless power systems, RF connectivity and portable instrumentation, among others that demonstrate students’ ability to design, test and propose solutions for a variety of applications.
TheSenior Design course is a two-semester program for all graduating electrical & computer students. Over the course of the year, students collaborate in teams to bring a product from initial concept to functional prototype.
Each team partners with an industry or faculty sponsor to define a product, explore possible technologies and develop custom electrical and computing solutions.
Students gain hands-on experience that prepares them for engineering careers by immersing them in the full product development cycle from brainstorming and design to testing and implementation.
Industry collaboration
Join us at Expo 2026!
Who: K-12 students, prospective CU engineers and community members
When:Friday, April 17, 2-5 p.m.
Where: Ford Practice Facility, 2150 Colorado Ave., Boulder, CO
Parking:Parking is availablein lots 391 (Folsom Garage), lot 169 or lot 177for $5.
Under the leadership of Assistant Teaching Professor Erik Hodges and Scholar in Residence Eric Bogatin, the capstone design program partners with professionals from industry organizations who want to provide a collaborative experience for ECEE students.
This year’s sponsors include leading organizations such as Qualcomm, Pico Technology, NASA’s JPL, Medtronic, SamTech, Hyperlabs, Cardiost, NASA Space Grant and Teradyne. ̽Ƶ faculty also sponsored projects including Marco Nicotra, Al Gasiewski, Cody Scarborough and Mona El Helbawy.
“Capstone is special to me because it is where students transition from being engineering students to being full-fledged engineers,” Hodges said. “I see capstone as a key environment for students to develop strong communication skills—not only formal presentation skills, but also how to communicate their work to both engineers and non-engineers.”
Hodges noted the progress students have made throughout the capstone process from nailing down a product’s initial concept to building a prototype.
“I am extremely proud of my students for their work and I cannot wait for them to show off their projects at Expo.”
He is also advising ten electrical & computer engineering students who are doing their capstone as part of the CU Racing Team, where they are building an electric car for Expo.
Surgical robotics accelerates next-gen medical device
Electrical engineering senior Kylie Auerbach is leading a team working with Medtronic to develop the Easy-Z, a compact benchtop replica of one arm from Medtronic’s Hugo surgical robot.
Hugo is a human-sized robotic-assisted surgery platform used in real operating rooms, where its arms hold and maneuver precision instruments that surgeons control during procedures.
Gaining access to the full Hugo system just to test a single new instrument is slow and logistically complex and the Easy-Z solves that problem.
“The Easy-Z replicates one of those arms in a compact, standalone form, putting it directly in the hands of engineers and speeding up the development of next-generation surgical instruments," Auerbach said.
The key to the Easy-Z is a motor control technique called Field Oriented Control, one of the main methods available for electric motors. Unlike simpler approaches, it continuously calculates and adjusts magnetic forces inside the motor in real time, delivering smooth, precise and efficient motion at the millimeter scale, critical in surgical robotics.
The team also designed a custom motor driver circuit board from scratch using components made from Gallium Nitride, a next-generation semiconductor material.
“GaN switches faster, runs cooler and wastes less energy than conventional components,” Auerbach said. “Being able to design that hardware and push GaN’s capabilities within a demanding control system, on a project with surgical robotics implications, is exactly the kind of cutting-edge work that makes this project so compelling.”
The project is advised by Medtronic engineer Keith Malang alongside engineers Madelyn Polly and Donovan Facey, both former ̽Ƶ electrical engineering graduates who completed their own Medtronic capstone.
After graduation, Auerbach will join Arvada-based startup Bifrost Electronics as an Applications Engineer, where she will work on ultra-low noise, magnetically insensitive parametric amplifiers for quantum computers.
A smarter bench multimeter
The Quantum Eels student team develop a compact, lightweight benchtop multimeter designed for electronics design, in collaboration with Pico Technology.
Sponsored by Pico Technology, the team known as the Quantum Eels is designing a small, lightweight portable benchtop multimeter intended for electronics design, repair and education purposes.
The instrument will measure a range of electrical properties, such as voltage, current, resistance, capacitance, inductance and impedance, with each team member taking ownership of a specific measurement domain as a subject matter lead.
Every member has expanded both their technical skill set and their collaborative abilities. For example, each student has a designated role and area they are responsible for including voltage sensing, PCB lead analog output, software and USB.
“Working with our sponsor, Pico Technology, has been an excellent experience,” said electrical engineering student Andrew Rusin. “The project has allowed us to fully experience the R&D process from start to finish, which has been incredibly rewarding.”
Wireless power for life-saving heart devices
Another compelling project comes from a team working with Cardiost, a medical startup developing implantable heart-assist devices. Left atrial and left ventricular assist devices, known as LAUDs and LVADs, use electrically driven pumps to help weakened hearts circulate blood, extending the lives of patients with critical heart disease.
I really enjoy working with our students on translating the theory and skills learned in their coursework to solve real-life engineering challenges."
Dr. Erik Hodges
However, these devices currently require an external power cable that pierces the patient’s skin, creating a persistent infection risk that can lead to serious complications.
The team is developing the Transcutaneous Energy Management and Transfer (TEMT) system, a prototype wireless charging system for an implanted battery that would power Cardiost’s LAUD device, eliminating the need for that dangerous external wire.
The engineering challenges are significant: the distance between charging coils can be 10-15 mm even under ideal implant conditions, the system must tolerate coil misalignment and heating of tissue must be minimized for patient safety. Additionally, the implanted module must remain compact and the system must deliver substantial power efficiently to quickly recharge the battery between the device’s long operating periods.
The team’s goal is to demonstrate a wireless power transfer system capable of delivering 25 watts at 80% DC-to-DC efficiency while meeting all of those constraints, something that could eventually become a viable medical device.
Cardiost CEO and Co-Founder Nico Anzellini mentors the student team, along with ECEE faculty members Professor Dragan Maksimovic and Associate Professor Luca Corradini.
Validating complex RF cable networks
One team has developed an RF connectivity analyzer designed to help engineers validate dense cable interconnection networks in partnership with Qualcomm.
The device consists of three main components: an RF signal generator, a switching unit that routes the signal to one of eight outputs and a signal detector with ten inputs to measure incoming signal power.
“Our project with Qualcomm is highly significant for our entire team,” said electrical engineering student Taite Hartman, “as it presents the opportunity to develop a device that will be utilized in labs worldwide for a company that plays a critical role in wireless technology infrastructure.”
Their RF connectivity analyzer addresses a real need in the validation of complex RF systems and represents the team’s work on signal generation, switching computer architecture and precision measurement.