Engineering the future

Meaning ‘new life’ in Latin, the LuxNova 3D printer could bring new bone life to animals and eventually humans.

Created by a group of California State University, Long Beach engineering students, the LuxNova was one of many projects displayed at the exhibition for the design and analysis of mechanical engineering systems course, Friday at CSULB.

Mechanical and aerospace engineering professor Christiane Beyer said that the course, which is full of mostly graduating seniors, is to prepare the students for the real world of engineering.

“These are all industry related projects,” Beyer said. “The team learns all the skills that are needed as an engineer. They have to develop skills like how to present, how to pitch, how to do proposals of the project.”

The LuxNova 3D printer won the 2015 CSULB Innovation Challenge Design Competition for its ability to print bone material that could be used for animals such as rats and rabbits.

“I think [the innovation challenge] helped us to see where we could take this and go into the future of engineers,” said Miguel Vintimilla, senior mechanical engineering major and one of the creators of LuxNova. “We believe there is a big gap between the medical field and the robotics field and we want to help bridge that gap.”

Ventimilla said that he and his group started off with intensive research to see what was already being done with the 3D printing of bones and wanted to create a new process that would separate them from the competition.

“We wanted to replicate bones that could be used in the medical industry for surgical purposes such as bone replacements,” Ventimilla said. “This specific printer here, we want to focus it for research for 3D printing bones for rats and rabbits and get results there before we get the bigger printer for bigger bones.”

Another project on display was an unmanned underwater vehicle similarly created for a competition held by the Association of Unmanned Vehicle Systems International in San Diego in July.

“It’s an underwater robot that will be able to maneuver through various obstacles,” said Nicole Van Derhoof, senior mechanical engineering major. “Eventually it will be able to maneuver small objects with a claw and fire torpedoes.”

The robo-sub, nicknamed Zeebo, could replace scuba divers at companies who search for oil underwater. Zeebo can also check the hulls on boats if there are any issues while in the water as well as search for underwater mines.

The end-of-the-year exhibition also allows students to continue their work from the course and expand on the knowledge they gained throughout the year.

Senior mechanical engineering student Trevor Wagner, who helped create the LuxNova, said that his team has a spot to speak at the upcoming 3D RAPID convention in Long Beach, which focuses on 3D printing, scanning and additive manufacturing.

“We started a company and are getting everything patented,” Wagner said. “I think [the convention is] focusing on bio printing because the FDA is soon to release their restrictions on 3D printing for bio parts and we believe that bones are going to be one of the first ones that they release.”