From a simple lever to the telescoping arm on the space shuttle, mechanical engineers set the world in motion. The mechanical engineering students at the University of Notre Dame are no exception. But before they begin designing products in the real world, they have to pass the senior design course. This year each team of students in AME 470: Mechanical Design is responsible for the development of a product concept, formal proposal, fabrication, and demonstration of a complete system. Teams were able to choose from three project options: a bulk material transporter*, an intelligent hand tool, or a mine detection system. This site shares the experiences of the students throughout the course and what they learned from the design experience.

*Student teams designing a bulk material transporter have the option to enter their product or mechanism into the 2005 ASME Design Competition.