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Engineering seniors design portable toy tractor manufacturing machine to engage kids in making process

goersab — Tue, 05 May 2026 13:45:00 +0000

Engineering seniors design portable toy tractor manufacturing machine to engage kids in making processgoersab May 5, 2026

Capstone concludes three-year professorship, collaboration with Urban Forestry Board

Abbey Goers

While Wisconsin farmers are out in their tractors preparing their fields, engineering students at �� have designed a portable manufacturing cell – a semi-automated assembly machine – to produce wooden toy tractors for area children.

The cross-disciplinary Taft Wooden Toy Assembly System group is made of five mechanical engineering and manufacturing engineering seniors: Owen Coon, of Appleton; Ben Gurka, of Beloit; Kierce Hemauer, of Menomonie; Ryan Kahl, of Menomonie; Aili Klein, of Lakeville, Minnesota; and Dominick Widi, of Stillwater, Minnesota.

Owen Coon, Kierce Hemauer, Ben Gurka, Aili Klein, Ryan Kahl and Dominick Widi

The two-semester-long project concluded their Engineering Technology Capstone 2 course, under the guidance of Assistant Professor Kevin Dietsche. The manufacturing cell is 40 inches wide, 38 inches long and 36 inches tall. Its height makes it accessible to elementary children, as Dietsche plans to transport the machine to area schools to demonstrate the toy manufacturing process. He can also show the cell on campus tours and at industry conferences. The machine is fully enclosed with safety features, allowing Dietsche to pause assembly and talk about the process.

Constructed to be able to fit in the back of Dietsche ��. minivan, the two-part portable cell can be easily assembled and disassembled by one person, and its lightweight aluminum extrusion and plexiglass frame meets OSHA ��. standards for a two-person lift. It can produce 20 tractors in an hour, including the main body, front and back wheels, and two dowel axles.

On May 1, the group showcased their system to engineering and technology faculty, as well as retired faculty members John Schultz and Professor Emeritus Jerome Johnson and City of Menomonie representative Megan Hines, environmental program coordinator with the Urban Forestry Board.

They presented again on May 4 to faculty, peers, industry partners, family and community members as part of the Senior Design Experience, which blends the university ��. polytechnic tenets of applied learning and research, business and industry collaboration, and career-focused experiences.

The wooden toys, ducks and tractors are constructed from ash tree lumber provided by the City of Menomonie ��. Urban Forestry Board.

An interactive toy manufacturing experience for kids

Challenges for the Taft Wooden Toy Assembly System group began on day one, as they essentially needed to redesign the previous group ��. manufacturing cell from scratch. The previous design had broken and was not usable for testing.

However, this also gave them the opportunity to revamp the design in their own way. Their concept ideas in CAD included updating the sheet metal frame to a stronger aluminum extrusion and plexiglass frame. This was also a durability and safety consideration. The original sheet metal frame had sharp corners and was not as solid – features the group deemed unsafe, since the machine is meant to be accessible to children.

With Dietsche as their project sponsor, the group ��. lead capstone instructors were Assistant Professor Nathan Spike and Senior Lecturer Glenn Bushendorf, to whom they presented their initial research and design concept for critique. The group was aided by Instrumentation Coordinator-Instructor Paul Craig and Lecturer Brandon Dick for coding and controls and Lecturer Mike Miller with sensors.

“The build phase brings a spark to see the fully functional machine. Our overall design has changed a lot. It ��. two inches bigger and wider than our initial concept. The cell originally had seven doors, but after talking with Paul, we changed it to have one plated door on top. This cut down on the number of safety latches that we needed,” Hemauer said. “The machine also has an emergency stop button, and if the door is opened during production, the machine will stop.”

The wooden tractor components are fed by Dietsche through the top door into 3D-printed gravity-fed chutes. Then, like a mini-Henry Ford assembly line, five actuators – one for the body and one for each wheel – feed the components through the machine.

At first, the group designed the machine to be automated. “But we switched to have the dowels be manually inserted through the wheels, so kids can engage in the making process,” Klein said. “We also included a human-machine interface (HMI) touch screen for kids to give them an industrial feel. The screen shows images to guide kids through the steps of making the tractor.”

It was Hemauer ��. idea of a Pez dispenser that evolved into the bolt-action idea of the manual insertion of the dowels, similar to how a ball is launched in a pinball machine. The insertion of the dowels is a press-fit operation, with no glue involved.

In their research, the group found that the pull force of a 6- to 10-year-old child is 22 pounds. They made the pull factor of the wheels 60 pounds for added safety and durability, knowing children would try to remove the wheels. They also imagined children would attempt to sit on and ride the tractor, although it is only 6 inches long and 3 inches high. With extra-strong dowels, made of oak, and chamfered wheels for structural integrity, the tractor can support up to 200 pounds.

A controls box mounted on the front of the machine houses the circuit board. They also added a plaque commemorating the professorship project, as well as ash wood brackets to cover the metal brackets on the exterior casing, giving the machine a warmer appearance.

The group enjoyed the cross-disciplinary project and understands the importance of the experience as they prepare to graduate and enter the workforce. “Working across majors helps you see other people ��. point of view and their strengths,” Gurka said. “We’re building communication skills and the confidence to ask each other questions. It ��. being able to admit when you don’t know something and being able to fall back on each other for knowledge.”

A collaboration connecting people to people

The project concludes Dietsche ��. three-year G.A. Taft Manufacturing Engineering Endowed Professorship, in which various groups of students designed toys with first-graders, created AI rapid prototypes of toys with kindergartners and built a two-wheel toy assembly system to produce a wooden duck, including its body, wings, wheels and dowel axle.

Professor Emeritus Jerome Johnson gives a brief history of the collaboration during the capstone presentation.

The collaboration between the engineering and technology department and the city ��. Urban Forestry Board began nearly a decade ago with the support of a Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources grant. As the city ��. ash trees were dying and trees were being cut down, the grant funded the cutting, acquiring, milling, and kiln-drying of the ash wood. The repurposed wood was then used in student projects, creating benches for the City of Menomonie parks.

The projects were fostered under the guidance of Johnson and Nancy Schofield, a former �� professor and member of the Urban Forestry Board, who has since passed.

“Students wanted to see something that they built be used out in the city. Students became leaders and produced projects I never imagined possible,” said Johnson, who was honored as Citizen of the Year by the Menomonie Urban Forestry Board in 2021.

Professor Kevin Dietsche presents Environmental Program Coordinator Megan Hines with a toy wooden tractor and duck.

Students produced more than 20 city benches from the repurposed ash wood between 2018 and 2021, when Johnson retired and Dietsche stepped in to take his place. “This project has impacted how I teach. It follows a high-impact practices model (HIPS), which reinforces the importance of partnerships and hands-on activities, creating a whole team of student leaders,” Dietsche said.

“This project is something special. We’re able to take something dead and dying and give back to the city, with an end goal of showing kids the engineering process – from mechanical and technical to packaging. The real key is connecting people to people,” he added.

Dietsche plans to continue similar projects with the addition of artificial intelligence and circular design practices in the research and development, as well as construction and repair processes.

Graduates from �� . mechanical and manufacturing engineering programs reported 99.5% employment rate within six months of graduation and an average starting salary of more than $70,000, according to the latest university First Destination Report.

�� . Robert F. Cervenka School of Engineering is home to five ABET-accredited programs that also include computer and electrical engineering, engineering technology and plastics engineering, as well as a sixth bachelor ��. program in packaging. A master ��. in manufacturing engineering is available on campus or online.

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Music to honor a master: Ukulele kits by engineering students are in homage to alum Kuboyama

goersab — Mon, 13 Apr 2026 15:34:32 +0000

Music to honor a master: Ukulele kits by engineering students are in homage to alum Kuboyamagoersab April 13, 2026

Cross-disciplinary groups also design toolless furniture connections, learn valuable customer perceptions

Abbey Goers

A small black case rests atop a filing cabinet in Assistant Professor Kevin Dietsche ��. office. He opens the case and begins strumming a ukulele. The soft music fills the office. Dietsche, an engineering technology instructor at ��, built the ukulele 15 years ago under the guidance of Kazukiyo “Jiggs” Kuboyama, a master in his craft who was honored by the Ukulele Guild of Hawaii.

In homage to Kuboyama, Dietsche tasked his own students to develop a process to build ukuleles in his New Product Development course this semester. “For me to do this is in honor of his tradition,” Dietsche said of Kuboyama, who was a 1957 �� industrial arts alum. He taught technology education in Oahu and passed away in 2019.

Professor Kevin Dietsche and Braden Kapitz watch as the CNC machine removes wood to shape a main ukulele jig.

The project grew to also include developing toolless bed connections, with one group expanding their design to work across different furniture types – a solution allowing for flexibility of use.

The engineering technology and mechanical engineering students worked in cross-disciplinary groups to research market trends and materials and to ideate preliminary designs before they were joined by engineers and designers from Ashley Furniture Industries, including industrial and product design alums Caleb Toft and Anna Lindner, as well as Emeritus Professor Jerome Johnson, who viewed the groups’ design presentations and provided insight based on their industry experience.

The groups then began their build process of the ukuleles and toolless connections in the Jarvis Hall Technology Wing Woods Lab.

“These projects are about teaching the students problem solving through the design process. The most difficult part is getting your first draft right. Once you’ve troubleshooted everything, you can build hundreds of models using your programming,” Dietsche said.

Creating ukulele building kits for beginners

The ukulele groups are meeting the challenge of making instrument-building kits more accessible to beginners. Two groups – Andrea Smith, of East Troy, and Brook Derks, of River Falls; and Konnor Kraft, of Plymouth, Minnesota, Alex Ogno, of DeForest, and Braden Kapitz, of Athens – researched ukulele construction methods, dimensions, and kerfing techniques, and how wood type and body shape affects sound quality and buildability.

Konnor Kraft shows a cardboard prototype and a CNCed jig for a ukulele.

“Traditional instrument construction requires a high level of craftsmanship, which can be difficult for those with limited woodworking experience. Our goal is to simplify the process so anyone can successfully build a ukulele using guided methods and fixtures,” Smith said.

The groups designed main jig blocks in SolidWorks to match the size and shape of a ukulele and then, using AI contour construction, they removed the inner material on a CNC machine to make the manufacturing process more consistent and repeatable.

Andrea Smith and Brook Derks discuss their ukulele design.

“We then steamed .08-inch-thick strips of ash wood for 45 minutes to make it malleable and clamped it to the inside of the main jig block for 48 hours to create the exterior curve of the instrument,” Kraft said. “The quality of the wood can affect how it curves, as well as how long it is steamed. We found that 45 minutes in the steamer was optimal for malleability, and that knots will affect the wood ��. strength. It will weaken and split at the knot when curved.”

The groups also made kerfing supports (flexible, notched wooden strips glued to the inside of the ukulele body to strengthen the structure). “The top of our ukulele will be made of spruce for sound quality and the neck will be made of cherry wood for its vibrant color,” Kraft said.

Konnor Kraft cuts pieces for a ukulele neck on a bandsaw, assisted by TA Annika Schlueter.

Smith and Derks expect bending the wood sides and achieving consistent kerf cuts to be challenging, since both directly affect the shape and structural integrity of the ukulele. “Designing jigs that ensure accurate alignment and repeatability has also required careful planning. We’re looking forward to testing to see how well our designs perform and what adjustments may be needed,” Smith said.

She ��. enjoyed researching everything that goes into making a ukulele and understanding how each component affects the final instrument. “It ��. been especially rewarding to take that knowledge and apply my design skills to create something that actually works. Seeing the transition from research to a functional build has been the most satisfying part of the process,” Smith said.

Andrea Smith and Brook Derks ready their ukulele jig block for the CNC machine.

Simple, functional, attractive and mass-manufacturable designs

One of the toolless connections groups – Alex Dill, of Hartland, Aden Story, of Holcombe, and Bethany Winge, of Cottage Grove – first worked to identify ways that toolless assembly works in conjunction with a flatpack bed frame (a bed designed to be deconstructed into individual components). They then compared their drafted ideas to existing market solutions.

“We found that a flatpack frequently involves various methods that have self-aligning or self-maintaining joinery. From there, we began to brainstorm connection methods that involved self-contained components, or single-step customer assembly and disassembly items,” Dill said.

TA Annika Schlueter and Bethany Winge construct a frame for an epoxy mold pour.

From Toft and Johnson ��. critiques, the group thought the most interesting was to remember how material affects customer perception and quality of an item. “For example, a nicely finished piece of stainless steel has a much more premium feel than injection molded plastic,” Dill said.

Dietsche required the toolless connection groups to produce their designs with three different manufacturing methods and materials. Dill, Story, and Winge ��. thumbscrew and locking head device is intended to work across different furniture types.

Their methods and materials include: 1.) a 3D-printed component, designed in SolidWorks and printed by Story on his home 3D printer; 2.) a poured epoxy component, produced using a two-part casting rubber mix; and 3.) a metal component, based on availability and machinability, such as stainless steel and aluminum, and cut out by Dill on the CNC machine in the Machine and Subtractive Processing Lab in Fryklund Hall.

TA Annika Schlueter and Bethany Winge mix the two-part casting rubber for an epoxy mold pour.

“The epoxy pour makes everything more repeatable in the manufacturing process. And our 3D-printed component is very well designed and thought out. But I think the metal component would sell the best in the real world,” Winge said.

The challenging part is almost always coming up with a design, as it needs to be simple, functional, attractive, and most importantly, mass manufacturable, Dill said. “Professor Dietsche facilitates a phenomenal environment to learn about CNC programming and other shop processes. Being able to go out in the lab and make things while learning how on the fly has proven very fun and interesting.

“More people should take technical manufacturing classes, as they build an appreciation for how the world around us is made,” he added.

Aden Story holds a 3D-printed thumbscrew for toolless furniture assembly.

�� . engineering and technology department offers six undergraduate degrees, including computer and electrical engineering, manufacturing engineering, mechanical engineering, plastics engineering, engineering technology and packaging, as well as four minors and a master ��. in manufacturing engineering.

Technology education is offered through the School of Education, which is home to nine undergraduate degrees, five graduate degrees, certificates, certifications and online professional development courses.

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Engineering seniors design portable toy tractor manufacturing machine to engage kids in making process

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Cross-disciplinary groups also design toolless furniture connections, learn valuable customer perceptions

Ashley sponsors toolless bed connections engineering project

Product Development students build prototypes, propose solutions for global company

Cross-disciplinary groups also design toolless furniture connections, learn valuable customer perceptions Ukulele and toolless connections projects, Woods Lab

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Ashley sponsors toolless bed connections engineering project

goersab — Tue, 27 May 2025 13:25:00 +0000

Ashley sponsors toolless bed connections engineering projectgoersab May 27, 2025

Product Development students build prototypes, propose solutions for global company

Abbey Goers

Students in a New Product Development course at �� recently completed a 3 1/2 week project developing toolless bed connections for Ashley Furniture Industries, LLC (Ashley), a global leader in furniture manufacturing.

The project kicked off on April 15, when Ashley Research and Development (R&D) team members presented the project virtually to the 18 students in Assistant Professor Kevin Dietsche ��. class.

Over the next few weeks, the students worked in eight cross-disciplinary groups to research market trends, ideate preliminary designs, test materials and build professional prototypes. They received mentorship along the way from Ashley product designers.

The class then traveled to Ashley in Arcadia on May 6, for a tour of the facility and to present their prototypes to the R&D team.

�� engineering students outside of Ashley's Automation and Robotics Lab

“This was an incredible experience – one that stood out for its real-world relevance and industry collaboration,” mechanical engineering major Alex Springer said. “Working directly with professionals from Ashley – one of the biggest companies in the furniture industry – gave us insight into the complete product development cycle, from initial design through manufacturing and packaging to mechanical and interior design to align functional and aesthetic goals.”

Ashley Furniture Industries is the world's largest furniture manufacturer with more than 35,000 employees worldwide, providing product to 20,000 storefronts in 155 countries, and operating over 1,100 Ashley retail stores in 70 countries.

Dietsche was awarded a sponsorship by Ashley to fund the project.

Preliminary research and feedback

Ultimately, each group wanted to create a unique product that was budget-friendly, sturdy and easy to assemble right out of the box – a main goal of the toolless bed connection concept.

Luke Janssen, Sam Petkovsek, Professor Kevin Dietsche, Alex Springer and Jered Clark in the Woods Lab

They began by conducting market research to view current Ashley products and prices, as well as those of competitors and DIY models online. They factored in pricing of materials, such as medium density fiberboard (MDF) and particleboard, to save on costs, looked at estimated labor, manufacturing, storage, shipping and more compared to selling cost.

Several groups conducted surveys to find where consumers prefer to buy their furniture, how much they are willing to spend on a bed frame and how much time they expect to spend on assembly.

When looking at styles of joinery in woodworking, groups based their initial digital designs on mortise and tenon joinery with locking pins, castle joints and Japanese wedge joints.

Some groups simulated tests on the strength of MDF board and particleboard, testing different thicknesses for weight allowances. Other groups “over-built” their designs according to the FEA – finite element analysis – factor of safety, to measure how well a design could withstand a load.

Alex Springer and Sam Petkovsek measure and cut bed posts in the Woods Lab

One group – Springer and fellow mechanical engineering major Jered Clark, and packaging majors Luke Janssen and Sam Petkovsek – drafted a Computer Numerical Control, or CNC, model for automated machining of sideboards, slots, pins and legs, based on mortise and tenon joinery. They estimated a run time of 12 minutes to complete a bedframe.

Another group – mechanical engineering major Owen Coon and engineering technology major Kadence Tinsley – designed 3D-printed interlocking brackets using SolidWorks software. They also wrote an AI prompt to generate images of bed frames for college-age consumers. They estimated their design would have a 50% profit margin.

Technology education major Annika Schlueter and engineering technology major Hunter Ouimette built a scaled model of an interlocking Japanese wood joint bedframe using CNC for manufacturing the larger parts because it is more efficient and cost-effective. They also implemented two different types of locks – a wedge and a 3D-printed ring – for different aesthetic looks.

Ashley product designers Angel Kraemer, Caleb Toft and Anna Lindner, all �� industrial and product design alums, provided feedback, including encouraging the groups to think about usability and flexibility for multiple looks depending on a consumer ��. individual style.

Sam Petkovsek and Luke Janssen cut bed slats in the Woods Lab

They asked the groups to understand the materials used and how different environments can impact MDF board versus particleboard, such as temperature and climate tolerance, as well as to consider how the different materials, such as MDF versus wood, handle tooling and manufacturing. A joint design in one material may be more difficult to produce in another.

Designing under a deadline

Dietsche uses the Design Build Process – a model for teaching projects with quick turnaround times. “When you give students such a fast deadline for large-scale projects, when you cram them with ideas, it forces creativity. There ��. this crash and burn and rebuild mentality. They’ll make mistakes and learn to quickly find solutions. It can be stressful, but it builds grit.”

Schlueter thinks one of the biggest benefits of this teaching/learning approach is the need to be creative and take advantage of the time given, with only four to five class periods to research, test, fully develop a model and be ready to present. “No team ��. design has stayed the exact same since we started the toolless bed connection project. Things go wrong, and things go right, and we had to develop accordingly,” she said.

Jered Clark printed models of 3D printed fasteners

Springer, Petkovsek, Janssen and Clark ��. group had to pivot away from their original design of mortise and tenon joinery when Ashley ��. designers recommended that they use fasteners to secure the frame to the legs instead of wood joints. This tested the group ��. adaptability, Springer said.

“Ashley sent us some ideas for fasteners, and they served as a model for ours. After researching, we bought one model of metal fasteners and designed two custom models of fasteners – a slot and lock; and a hook and clamp,” added Clark, who printed the group ��. models on his 3D printer at home.

The group designed multiple iterations of their fasteners. The first prototype failed to hold securely under tension. The second performed better but still slipped under stress. “Our final design addressed those weaknesses, significantly improving grip and structural stability. I think if we were able to continue the project, we would look into stronger plastics and possibly metal to enhance the durability of our clips,” Springer said.

Jered Clark, Alex Springer and Sam Petkovsek test their 3D-printed fasteners

In the Jarvis Hall Technology Wing Woods Lab, the group built and tested a full-scale queen-sized prototype using MDF and chipboard for the frame and 4X4s for the posts. Working with MDF introduced material-specific hurdles, such as expansion and contraction, which affected their product ��. fit tolerances.

They also developed a corrugated branded packaging solution using �� . Packaging Lab in the Applied Arts Building and designed an assembly booklet for customers. “It was an all-around lightbulb moment to see the mechanical engineering and packaging phases of our project come together,” Springer said.

Making an impact on manufacturing

Dietsche and the Product Development class traveled together by bus to Ashley on May 6. They were given a tour of the facilities, including a visit to the Advanced Technology Maker Center, the Automation and Robotics Laboratory, and the design and R&D departments.

�� engineering students tour Ashley's facilities and labs in Arcadia

The eight groups then gave PowerPoint presentations of their designs and discussed their physical prototypes with the R&D team.

Springer, Petkovsek, Janssen and Clark are proud of their final outcome. Along with their functional full-size bed frame, they also delivered a professional mini model to showcase during their presentation.

“Given the timeline and complexity, we’re delighted with what we accomplished. We were excited to get feedback on our project, especially the positive feedback from Ashley,” said Springer, noting that presenting to Ashley was a highlight of the semester.

“The project was an opportunity to make connections with different majors in the class, advance our CNC and manufacturing process skills and professionalism, and have fun while doing something that could be very impactful for a large company,” Schlueter added.

Kadence Tinsley and Owen Coon present their toolless bed connections

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Hero Caption: Hunter Ouimette and Annika Schlueter present their toolless bed connection prototype to Ashley's R&D team members

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Career-ready competition: �� students have leadership impact at SkillsUSA, Science Olympiad events

giffeyt — Fri, 18 Apr 2025 15:54:17 +0000

Career-ready competition: �� students have leadership impact at SkillsUSA, Science Olympiad eventsgiffeyt April 18, 2025

Hundreds of middle, high school students gain science and job skills in on-campus contests

Tom Giffey

SkillsUSA and Wisconsin Science Olympiad are programs designed to help middle and high school students develop engineering, science, and workforce skills, but they’ve also given University of Wisconsin-Stout students opportunities to develop their own leadership abilities.

This spring, dozens of �� students served as volunteers and judges for SkillsUSA and Science Olympiad state and regional competitions on the �� campus as well as in Madison.

These experiences complement the applied learning that is core to �� . identity as Wisconsin ��. ��.

“Student participation in events like the Wisconsin Science Olympiad and SkillsUSA is vital because it transforms learning into action,” said Tiffany Hoage, College of Science, Technology, Engineering, Mathematics and Management project coordinator. “By taking on roles in planning, coordination and event facilitation, students gain hands-on experience that builds critical skills such as leadership, communication, problem-solving and teamwork.”

Students compete in the Team Engineering Challenge at the SkillsUSA State Tournament April 2, 2025, in Madison. / Abhimanyu Ghosh

This spring, �� students’ hard work helped make possible three events:

The Wisconsin Science Olympiad State Tournament, which brought more than 1,300 middle and high school students to campus April 4-5.
The SkillsUSA Wisconsin Regional Competition, which included about 300 sixth-through-12th graders from 35 schools Feb. 27-28.
The SkillsUSA State Competition at the Alliant Energy Center in Madison on April 1-2, where �� students and faculty members organized and oversaw the Team Engineering Challenge, one of the largest contests in the event.

“These opportunities allow students to apply what they’ve learned in the classroom to real-world situations, enhancing their confidence, professionalism and career readiness,” Hoage said. “Involvement also strengthens their resumes, expands their networks and helps them stand out to future employers – all while contributing to impactful, community-focused events.”

�� volunteers at the SkillsUSA State Competition in Madison. / Abhimanyu Ghosh

SkillsUSA focused on career education

SkillsUSA is a nationwide organization that provides educational programs, events, and competitions focused on career and technical education. �� has hosted SkillsUSA events for more than four decades.

Sean McNeill, a senior mechanical engineering major from Rosemount, Minnesota, was one of 16 �� students who helped at the SkillsUSA State Competition. McNeill helped create the engineering challenge – in this case, building models of homes that could withstand flooding and tornado-strength winds – that students had to tackle during the competition. At the event in Madison, McNeill also answered questions, ran group interviews and judged the students’ prototypes.

“I loved seeing the engineering process developing right in front of me. These young students attacked the problem in so many unique ways,” McNeill said. “Seeing the creativity of all the students there was awe-inspiring. It was also great to see them not give in to the feeling of failure, which is a constant in the field of engineering.”

Even if what they had built failed the ultimate tests, McNeill explained, some students would continue to tweak their designs although the competition was almost over. “That is the essence of engineering that I have fallen in love with and the reason I am in the major to begin with,” he said.

�� students judge a competitor's project at the SkillsUSA State Tournament in Madison. / Abhimanyu Ghosh

First-year student Harshita Sharma, an applied science and engineering technology major from Ahmedabad, India, helped with both the regional and state SkillsUSA events. She helped with contest design, problem statements, testing ideas, judging and more – all while working with teenage competitors. “As expected, some would listen to the instructions, some would require repeating it and some wouldn’t listen,” she said. “But it was fascinating to see how knowledgeable they were about the subject. I saw some great ideas in the answers to the problem statement and also understood the difference between the teaching curriculum in India and the U.S.”

Sharma added that volunteering at the competitions helped her develop skills in organizing events, crafting engineering problem statements, working with fellow students and developing her self-confidence.

Many of the student volunteers are part of �� . Technology and Engineering Education Collegiate Association, which provides leadership opportunities for future educators. Assistant Professor Mike Mills, the technology education program director, is advisor of the TEECA chapter and is a former SkillsUSA state director.

Assistant Professor Abhimanyu Ghosh, engineering and technology, who coordinated the Team Engineering Challenge in Madison alongside Assistant Professor Oai Ha, said the event provided an applied learning opportunity for both the �� student judges and the student competitors.

"We wanted the activity to be something related to engineering ��. social role,” Ghosh said of the construction of flood- and wind-resistant housing during the engineering challenge. “We wanted them to think about something that is socially responsible.”

Competitors work in a lab at �� during the Wisconsin Science Olympiad State Tournament on April 5, 2025. / Steve Duerst

Science Olympiad offers learning for competitors, volunteers

Just a few days after the SkillsUSA State Competition in Madison, about 1,300 middle and high school students took part in the Wisconsin Science Olympiad State Tournament at �� on April 4-5. The middle and high school students, who represented more than 70 schools, engaged in a track-meet style competition that consisted of dozens of events focused on chemistry, physics, mechanical engineering, geology and other scientific disciplines. Some events were exam-based, while during others students demonstrated projects they had built beforehand, such as robots or helicopters.

Hoage said the Science Olympiad tournament required several hundred volunteers, including about 50 �� students, many of them part of an event management class taught by Professor Kristal Gerdes.

Among those students was Lily Meyer, who is pursuing a double major in business administration and hotel, restaurant and tourism management. Meyer served as Hoage ��. personal assistant during the competition, doing everything from creating slideshows and playlists to setting up ceremonies.

“It really showed me the importance of putting yourself out there and seeing how things operate. In our event class, we’re always talking about the steps it takes to plan an event, but actually being there, seeing it and doing it really showed me a different side of the event industry,” said Meyer, a junior from Cedar Grove.

Hoage said she hopes to get even more �� students from multiple disciplines to help with these events in the future.

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Hero Caption: �� students help student competitors at the SkillsUSA Regional Competition Feb. 28, 2025.

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Tiffany Hoage

As the Youth Program Manager at the University of Wisconsin-Stout, Wisconsin ��. ��, I design and lead initiatives that help young learners discover their strengths, spark curiosity, and see themselves as innovators and problem-solvers.

Through programs such as STEAM summer camps, FIRST (For Inspiration and Recognition of Science and Technology), SkillsUSA, and Science Olympiad, students explore emerging fields, build technical and transferable skills, and gain confidence in their academic and career pathways.

By collaborating with faculty, student leaders, PK-12 and higher education partners, industry, and youth-serving organizations, I help expand access to high-impact experiences that develop future-ready talent and strengthen communities.

If you are interested in partnering, I welcome the opportunity to connect and explore how we can create meaningful impact together.

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Design for Industry students create kindergartners’ ideal toys through AI rapid prototyping

goersab — Mon, 18 Nov 2024 14:00:00 +0000

Design for Industry students create kindergartners’ ideal toys through AI rapid prototypinggoersab November 18, 2024

Collaboration with St. Paul ��. School introduces children to engineering; completed toys gifted to school

Abbey Goers

On a warm October morning, 17 kindergartners from St. Paul ��. School of Menomonie recently joined a class of �� students in Assistant Professor Kevin Dietsche ��. Design for Industry course, unknowing of what excitement and imagination their day was about to bring.

As part of a toy design project, a user-centered design experience, teams of college and kindergarten students would brainstorm, draw and build a prototype with craft supplies of their ideal toys. They would then create rapid prototypes of the toys through artificial intelligence software and later build the toys in the university ��. Woods Lab in Jarvis Hall Tech Wing, before delivering the final products to the children at their school.

See a selection of the toy building and gifting photos at the end of the story.

This was the start of the second year in a three-year, cross-disciplinary project supported by the G.A. Taft Manufacturing Engineering Endowed Professorship, which Dietsche was awarded in fall 2023. Continue reading to find out more about Timothy the Duck from the project ��. first year.

Design for Industry students and a kindergartner brainstorm toy ideas / ��

In the Woods Lab classroom, Dietsche sat on the floor with the children, surrounded by his college students. He began by asking the children how to spell their names. They also spelled K-E-V-I-N together – a way for him to introduce himself to the young group and to open a new conversation.

“When you were coming to school this morning and you looked out the window, what did you see?” he asked.

The children listed several natural and mechanical objects: Leaves, clouds, bushes and farm combines.

“Were any of those things made, created or designed? Who made them?” he asked.

“People,” they tentatively answered.

“Right,” Dietsche nodded. “Everything we do here in this class is about design. And these students – these college students – they design and build things. They’re going to be engineers. Can you help us design today? You get to be a junior engineer and work with a college student friend to help design a toy,” he said.

A Design for Industry student draws and colors a toy police car / ��

Dozens of little eyebrows arched in anticipation, and with safety goggles on, they broke off in teams of twos and threes to gather around the lab tables.

Dietsche believes Design for Industry is a special class because of its cross-disciplinary nature. Students represent several degree programs, including mechanical engineering, manufacturing engineering, engineering technology, technology education and business administration.

Sparking creativity and building connections

The college and kindergarten friends began with a brainstorming Get to Know You exercise to help inspire what toys they might create and to connect with their young clients.

“I like that my students have the opportunity to meet the Stout students,” said Sandra Hemling, a kindergarten teacher at St Paul ��.. “It sparks creativity, and they learn something new, even if they’ve never thought about engineering before. They can see the steps it takes to plan a design.

“I love how the kids are excited to come here. Even my shy ones are interacting. And they think, ‘Stout is somewhere I could go to school.’ It ��. neat to see them thinking about the future,” she said.

Technology education student Annika Schlueter draws and colors a princess dress / ��

Their toy ideas cover a range as vast as any 6-year-old ��. imagination: a tank-copter (a combination of a tank and helicopter, of course); a magic spell casting kit; several animal species, such as horses, scorpions, cats and a bass in a bubble bath; dolls and action figures inspired by Nintendo and Disney characters; and a princess cat named Cakey.

As the kindergartners explain their grand ideas, the Design for Industry students make rough sketches of their young clients’ imagined toys. With small or large corrections here and there (Cakey, for instance, does not wear a dress but is covered in sprinkles), the rough sketches are complete.

The kindergartners then colored their ideas in every color of the rainbow, and using colored popsicle sticks, markers, crayons, glue, cardstock, pipe cleaners, Lego bricks, clay and more, the teams built low-fidelity prototypes of the toy concepts.

�� students team up with local children to design toys, give city ash trees new life

Collaboration with St. Paul ��. School, City of Menomonie also will connect with community in three-year project

The last part of the morning ��. activities was to produce rapid prototyping images of the imagined toys.

Dietsche ��. students brought out their laptops, and using Adobe Firefly they typed in descriptions of the toys. The software generates four images based on the prompt, and just like the sketching exercise, the prompt can be edited to produce images to better match the children ��. vision.

“Firefly is a tool to help make sure we know we are understanding what our clients want. It ��. based on user-centered design. Instead of it taking weeks to ideate a client ��. vision, we can do it in minutes, saving time, materials and money,” Dietsche said.

An Adobe Firefly rendering of a toy tank-copter / ��

Within the next few weeks, his class will use 3D printing and solid modeling to help prototype parts for the toys. The kindergartners will return to �� to see the 3D prototypes.

Through the Taft Professorship, Dietsche has bought two new 3D printers for the Woods Lab.

Technology education in motion

The class includes a handful of technology education students who are working toward their K-12 licensure through the Wisconsin Department of Public Instruction.

Although graduates of the program will be teaching middle and high school students, technology education Program Director Mike Mills thinks the project is a good opportunity to involve elementary students in the engineering design process.

“The project also offers our students a glimpse into the cross-curriculum concepts of STEM (science, technology, engineering and math). It ��. a good model for them to participate in with the younger students,” he said.

Technology education student Cadence Calkins and a kindergartner design build Cakey the Princess Cat / ��

Future teachers Cadence Calkins, of Glen Flora, and Annika Schlueter, of Oconto, were helping their kindergarten friends to construct Cakey the Princess Cat out of Lego bricks and purple pipe cleaners and draw and color a Disney ��. “Frozen” Elsa-style dress.

“It ��. cool to see the developmental changes between the middle and high students we’ve worked with and these kindergartners. They think differently – that ��. important to recognize,” Schlueter said. “Where these young kids see big details, like colors and shapes as being most important in the design process, the older kids tend to overthink things and look for perfection right away.”

Calkins enjoyed the creative freedom of working with her kindergarten friend and being able to experiment in design with the younger level.

Regarding perfection in design, she said, “As a teacher, students look up to you and so it ��. good to let them know that you fail sometimes too. It ��. one way to be relatable – to let them know that it ��. OK not to be perfect.”

She gave an example of one of her own design failures. “On a 3D print project, my object printed way too small. I realized I was working in centimeters instead of inches. I learned to double-check my measurements,” she said.

Testing and failing are part of the learning process

In fall 2023, the project ��. first semester, Dietsche ��. class invited first-graders from St. Paul ��. to collaborate on the same project, with an end goal of building mid- to high-fidelity prototypes of the imagined toys using ash tree lumber provided by the City of Menomonie ��. Urban Forestry Board.

Student-manufactured pieces of Timothy the Duck / ��

The finalized prototype was a pull-toy – Timothy the Duck, complete with wings and oval wheels, which gave it a waddling motion.

Timothy was designed by a team of mechanical engineering students: Josh Goodreid, Grace Goodreid, Ayden Veness, Deric McConnell, Shane Schauss and Vinny Bonofiglio. They are now in their Mechanical Engineering Capstone 2 course and are working to build a manufacturing cell, an automated machine, to produce multiple models of the toy duck.

The team presented its manufacturing cell prototype – constructed of wooden dowels and cardboard – to the kindergartners, showing them how it automatically assembles the pieces of the duck, including its body, wings, wheels and axle.

Together, the children and engineering team built a version of Timothy.

“My favorite part is that he waddles,” one child said, while another flapped his arms up and down and said, “My favorite part is the wings.”

The mechanical engineering team shows its manufacturing cell to the kindergartners / ��

The team explained how it went through several phases of testing Timothy before reaching a final model. In the first model, two wings were glued in place on either side of the duck ��. body. But when testing to see if the wings were stable, one broke off when the team wheeled the pull-toy over a curb.

A modified second model, with a joint to strengthen each wing, broke as well.

“We failed again, but we learned again,” Josh said.

The team ��. third design included a slotted groove in the duck ��. back, where wings carved from a single piece of ash slid into place. After many more tests, the team decided this design worked the best.

Once the manufacturing cells are completed, Dietsche hopes to use the remaining ash lumber to make many Timothy toys to give back to kids in the community through various means, like Toys for Tots.

Design for Industry students met with their kindergarten friends to deliver their toys.

Their toy creations ranged from dolls to vehicles to animals to games.

A yellow cat and a magic spell casting kit bring wonder to the eyes of the children.

�� students built the toys in the Woods Lab and delivered them to their 4K friends at St. Paul's School.

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John Deere will benefit from sustainable plastic research conducted by �� students, faculty

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Collaboration with St. Paul ��. School introduces children to engineering; completed toys gifted to school Engineering Toy Design Project with Kindergartners

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Hero Caption: Technology education student Cadence Calkins and a kindergartner design her ideal toy, Cakey the Princess Cat.

Kevin Dietsche

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Future of farming in Wisconsin: Professors design customized, energy-efficient, low-cost technology

goersab — Mon, 11 Nov 2024 18:50:00 +0000

Future of farming in Wisconsin: Professors design customized, energy-efficient, low-cost technologygoersab November 11, 2024

Social science, engineering project for precision agriculture funded by Universities of Wisconsin

Abbey Goers

Engineering and social science professors at �� are helping to advance the next generation of agricultural support systems to ensure that new technologies meet the needs of Wisconsin farmers.

Through customized, energy-efficient, low-cost technology for precision agriculture, the team is looking to improve productivity, enhance farming efficiency, increase crop yield and quality and boost profitability for farmers with beef and grazing cattle, small dairies, specialty and large cash crops and agronomists.

The project, A HumanCentered Collaborative Approach to Designing an Energy-Efficient Wireless Sensor Network, includes several aspects: a ground wireless sensor network, machinery for automation, livestock monitoring and drone data collection to help farmers make informed decisions based on real-time and historical data.

The team, led by �� engineering Professor Yuan Xing, overseeing the overall system design, and applied social science Program Director Tina Lee, includes �� engineering professors Cheng Liu, sensor hardware implementation, and Abhishek Verma, UAV (unmanned aerial vehicle) system design, as well as UW-River Falls Professor Bob Zhiwei Zeng, agricultural machinery design.

Engineering Professor Yuan Xing presents the livestock monitoring software and its AI capabilities / ��

The cross-disciplinary engineering/social science project received a two-year, $175,000 Universities of Wisconsin Innovation Grant.

The team recently demonstrated the prototypes and machinery at Mann Valley Farm in River Falls.

The demonstration included how AI methodologies for data analysis can be integrated into each system, allowing farmers to view historical data of their property, including weather- and animal-related data and more.

“These technologies are available now, but we want the data results to be useful to farmers at an affordable price,” Xing said. “This system is the first of its kind available to the farmers in Wisconsin. The uniqueness includes the energy-saving orientated AI algorithms and human-centered DIY hardware design.”

Engineering faculty, college deans, area farmers and AI professionals attended the demonstration, as well as student members of �� . Artificial Intelligence Club, who are interested in the progression of technology, and how it can change the future of farming and be applied to other areas.

A human-centered approach to technology

The project began this spring, when Lee held eight preliminary interviews with farmers in Dunn, Barron and St. Croix counties to learn how the technology could be designed to meet their individual needs.

The presentation was attended by faculty, staff, students and area farmers / ��

“Farmers feel a great pressure to be profitable, while remaining environmentally friendly,” Lee said. “We need to understand their point of view, while making sure the technology is readily available at a low cost, is efficient, easy to use and easy to learn how to use.

“Then, what do we do with all the data collected? We need to understand how to make that data useful, as each type of farmer has different needs based on their crops or livestock, so the system is designed to be customized based on a farmer ��. needs,” she added.

Originally, the engineering faculty and Lee were applying separately for the Innovations Grant, but university leadership encouraged them to join forces, Lee said.

Wireless sensor networks: a miniature weather tower

The HOBO energy-efficient wireless sensor network has up to 50 sensors to monitor water management, solar intensity, humidity, rainfall, soil health, and wind speed and direction.

Engineering Professor Cheng Liu presents the wireless sensor network and weather monitoring functions / ��

The miniature weather tower has a simple graphical user panel. It is solar-powered and runs on an internal battery, making it 99% energy efficient. It stands about 10 feet tall, with an adjustable height, and is grounded in case of severe weather, Liu said.

The wireless sensor network at Mann Valley Farm has been in place since June, collecting data in a cornfield.

“The sensor network is reasonable and practical because of the high amount of data collected at a low cost,” Liu said. “A farmer can remotely manage their sensor data, and data is accessed via an app on their phone. Historical data can be viewed in the HOBO online data dashboard to assist farmers with farming decisions.”

The AI data analysis system runs algorithms to process data and help a farmer make informed decisions, Xing said.

“The AI model is trained to predict weather conditions based on historical data of the farm, such as moisture in an afternoon based on data collected that morning. New data can be predicated based on historical data, and the more data that is collected allows AI to calculate more accurate predictions within 5% accuracy,” Xing said.

The AI model can also be trained to identify types of pests or diseases present based on photos, but the training takes time, he added.

The ease of automation for specialty crop farmers

The Amiga robot, by Farm-ng, is a battery-operated micro-tractor designed for 24/7 automation in specialty crop farming. The all-terrain, all-weather robot can be used:

As a scouting robot in the field, programmed for pest and disease control
For weeding or harvesting of specialty crops, such as lavender or berries
To capture real-time images at ground level, with a mounted vision sensor camera.

�� Artificial Intelligence student club members pose with the Amiga Farm-ng robot / ��

The Amiga can be trained to learn the parameters of a field. It can hold up to 1,000 pounds and travel 5 1/2 mph, fully loaded for four to five hours, or eight hours on light duty. Its ground clearance is about two feet, and its height and width can be adjusted as needed, Zeng said.

Liu installed a $120 mini-PC into the Amiga for data collection.

Livestock monitoring to save time and money

A computer vision system offers a high-resolution live camera and video feed of livestock in a field or barn. The video feed tags individual animals and includes a real-time behavior analysis, such as if an animal is standing, feeding or sleeping. It can also count the number of animals present.

The Cow Manager software has an online dashboard to help a farmer monitor and track an individual animal ��. health, such as its digestion or body temperature to predict fertility or stress.

“A farmer can know days before a cow will be in heat if they need to have a bull ready on hand or to know when the cow will be viable for artificial insemination. This can save a farmer time and money,” Zeng said.

The software analysis can also be loaded into an AI model to predict future health conditions based on an animal ��. present state.

Collecting drone data from the seat of your tractor

A drone, or UAV monitoring system, can be used to collect data through high-resolution photos and video.

For farming purposes, the UAV can be used to photograph bare ground, dry grass or fresh plants. It can detect pests, weeds, water content or nutrient deficiency through a hyperspectral camera. Farmers can have an aerial view of their entire crop from their front porch.

Engineering Professor Abhishek Verma shows faculty, staff and students the UAV's live video feed / ��

“For instance, simple image processing of a corn field can be used to estimate its water content by running a low complexity AI model,” Verma said. “The drone can cover 60 acres in two hours, and the data collected can then be analyzed in minutes.”

The UAV can be taught the parameters of a field, similar to geofencing, and can be programmed to follow an optimal flight path over crops. It can correct its path to stay on course if there is a change in wind speed or direction, Verma said.

“Fifty feet is the optimal height for data collection, and the camera offers a maximum zoom of 200X. The map on the handheld control panel shows a real-time location and video feed,” he added.

Abhishek Verma and the UAV / ��

The team will continue testing and collecting data throughout the fall and will conduct a broader survey and interview five to seven more farmers this winter.

Design modifications will begin in 2025 when the team will gather feedback for improvements from participating farmers. Seminars will be held in select counties across the state to explain the system and offer farmers free trial use of the prototypes, with a finalized system planned for December 2025.

The project is an outgrowth of �� . CROPS — the emerging Center for Rural Opportunity, Prosperity and Sustainability. CROPS is piloting ongoing research about issues facing rural communities, including farm consolidation, the loss of population and small businesses, rural poverty and environmental issues related to conventional agriculture.

Professors received initial support from the Dunn County Land and Water Conservation Division; Joe Ailts of Ailts Agronomy, a crop consultant serving farmers in northwest Wisconsin; and a local farmer.

In 2022, �� mathematics professors received a $36,000 grant from the Freshwater Collaborative of Wisconsin for a similar project, Crop Per Drop in Sandy Soils.

�� . Robert F. Cervenka School of Engineering has four undergraduate and one master ��. program in engineering, as well as an engineering technology degree. The applied social science program is housed in the College of Arts and Human Sciences.

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Hero Caption: �� and UW-RF engineering and social science professors demonstrated their technology developments at Mann Valley Farm.

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Tina Lee

Dr. Lee is an applied anthropologist who specializes in the anthropology of the contemporary United States, specifically public policy and inequality. She is a graduate of the Anthropology PhD program at the City University of New York (CUNY) Graduate Center and has conducted research about the child welfare system, environmental governance, and humanitarian engineering. She is the author of Catching a Case: Inequality and Fear in New York City's Child Welfare System, published by Rutgers University Press in 2016, as well as serval articles based on her fieldwork in New York City. A book chapter on her follow-up work on child welfare in rural Wisconsin will be published soon. She is also the co-director of the LAKES REU, an NSF-funded research experience for undergraduates site which trains students through research on phosphorous pollution in the Red Cedar Watershed and how it might be mitigated. She teaches anthropology, research methods, and women and gender studies courses and is the program director for the Applied Social Science major as well as the Stout Core Director (Stout's polytechnic version of general education).

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RECOVER: Alum ��. expertise in 3D printing, adaptive technology helps give veterans hope

polingj — Mon, 11 Nov 2024 14:00:00 +0000

RECOVER: Alum ��. expertise in 3D printing, adaptive technology helps give veterans hopepolingj November 11, 2024

Davis, an engineering technology graduate, supports efforts to improve lives at Minneapolis VA Medical Center

On the fourth floor of the Minneapolis Veterans Administration Medical Center, with a panoramic view of the Mississippi River valley, an office countertop holds a seemingly macabre collection of plastic models: A foot, hand and forearm, a heart, part of a spine, a lower jaw and other small, novel devices.

To the visitor, they’re just that. To their creator, Drew Davis, a 2007 �� engineering technology graduate, they are so much more. The 3D-printed models are re-creations of actual body parts of veterans, based on their MRIs and CT scans, that support their treatment and potentially improve their lives.

Davis and the VA ��. RECOVER team — Rehabilitation and Engineering Center for Optimizing Veteran Engagement and Reintegration — give hope to veterans.

Drew Davis, a 2007 �� alum, is an adaptive technology specialist whose work helps disabled and sick veterans at the Minneapolis VA Medical Center. / ��

The collection in the high-tech, 3D print lab includes, for example: one veteran ��. aorta 3D-printed in exact detail that a doctor used to explain what had to be fixed; a half-scale head with a face that can be peeled away to reveal the extent of damaged bone. Davis uses software that takes CT and MRI data, captured by a radiologist, and generates 3D printable files of patient anatomy. He then optimizes the 3D printer settings to print bone and tissue structures.

The foot on the counter is part of an ankle-foot system designed for veterans with a prosthesis. The system is attached to the wearer at the end of the prosthetic socket. It slips into a 3D printed foot that is designed for a specific heel height.

An innovative foot and ankle system for veterans with a prosthesis allows them to wear shoes with different heel heights. / ��

The veteran can bring in a pair of shoes and walk away with a prosthetic foot for that shoe, which slips onto the ankle unit. Imagine a veteran walking into their home, taking off their outside shoes — foot included — and putting on their inside shoes, foot and all.

At RECOVER, veterans are included in the design process, whether it ��. a novel design or adaptive technology. “We take their input and make it real. Helping the veterans makes the job worth it,” Davis said.

Davis prints 3D models, in exacting detail, of veterans’ body parts based on CT scans and MRIs to help their doctors with diagnosis and treatment. / ��

Davis also has designed a system to test the strength and wear of a prosthetic socket, creating a pneumatic testing frame and using custom software to control the tests. “The goal is to come up with a test that can confirm the structural integrity of a traditionally fabricated socket. We can then apply those same tests to start to optimize materials and design of the sockets,” he said.

A wheelchair that makes veterans more mobile

On another floor at the VA hospital, Davis enters a windowless room with an assortment of wheelchairs. One of them is special: A prototype of a manual, mobile, standing wheelchair. Davis sits down, presses a button at the end of an arm with his thumb and the chair slowly rises to a standing position.

Then, he rolls forward like he wants to get something from a high shelf. Think of the many more things people in wheelchairs could do if they could move and stand. “It would help empower veterans,” he said.

The VA Center ��. RECOVER projects include a new type of wheelchair moves up and down and would allow disabled veterans to stand up. / ��

Davis, who has worked at the VA for more than two years, helped design and oversees the manufacture of the wheelchair. The project goes back 10 years, but with his work it has advanced to user testing in Minneapolis and Palo Alto, Calif.

“That ��. the major reason I’m here. I saw that technology and wanted to be part of it,” said Davis, who previously worked as a project engineer with Stratasys, which makes 3D printers. The standing wheelchair includes 3D-printed parts. If successful, it too could be licensed for commercial production.

Along with the 3D lab, Davis works in the machine shop. “We’re more of a hacker space. It ��. a really cool job, the culmination of my career experience,” he said.

He also supports the design engineers with TTAP — the VA Technology Transfer Program.

“TTAP is for ideas, devices and therapies that come from anyone in the VA network who wants to develop them. We will apply our experience and skills to help get the idea through industrial design, functional design and design for manufacturing,” he said.

Davis’ engineering technology degree included an emphasis in plastics. Seventeen years ago, 3D printing was fairly new technology, but he saw its potential. Once, he was two hours late for a date with his future wife, Jillian McDowell Davis, a 2005 alum, when he lost track of time while 3D-printing in a lab.

For his senior capstone, he was the only person who 3D-printed his project — a crank arm for a bicycle pedal. His career in engineering and 3D printing has been cycling forward ever since.

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#StoutProud: Bob Fuller ('67, '68)

Bob Fuller ('67, '68) turns creativity into hands-on learning, inspiring thousands of children through interactive museum exhibits each year.

#StoutProud: Cindy Pawlcyn ('77)

James Beard Award-winning chef Cindy Pawlcyn '77 helped redefine American dining through innovation, leadership and a people-first approach.

#StoutProud: Michael Hilliger ('22)

Michael Hilliger ’22 is making his mark on the entertainment industry, leading animation teams and contributing to projects seen by millions worldwide.

Drew Davis and the VA ��. RECOVER team — Rehabilitation and Engineering Center for Optimizing Veteran Engagement and Reintegration — give hope to veterans. Drew Davis 1

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Xuedong (David) Ding

Full Name: Xuedong Ding

Job Title: Interim Dean / Professor / Director

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College: College of Science, Technology, Engineering, Mathematics & Management

Department: Robert F. Cervenka School of Engineering Operations & Management Department

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Degree: Ph.D. Industrial and Management System Engineering

University: University of Nebraska-Lincoln

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PHOTO ESSAY: The Building Blocks of Robotics

goersab — Wed, 02 Oct 2024 15:59:21 +0000

PHOTO ESSAY: The Building Blocks of Robotics goersab October 2, 2024

Discover what engineering students are programming in automation

Abbey Goers

A robotic arm swings across a platform, stops and lowers its wrist to pick up a small wooden block with its vacuum grip. The wrist rises and the arm pivots, stops and lowers again to place the block on top of another, forming the second row of a pyramid.

Across the room, other robots are feeding blocks onto conveyor belts or picking up plastic pegs to balance them on top of blocks.

What ��. the power behind these small feats of manufacturing engineering? Fourteen teams of two – students in Program Director Paul Craig ��. Advanced Industrial Robotics and Vision System Integration course.

In �� . Robotics Lab, home to more than a half million dollars of equipment, students gain hands-on experience with FANUC LR Mate 200iD robots, designed for assembly, material handling and machine tending; Universal Robot 3e Collaborative robots, compact table-top robots designed for light assembly tasks; and Cognex cameras, a 2D and 3D vision system for machines.

But it all starts in a computer lab in Fryklund Hall, home of the Robert F. Cervenka School of Engineering, where students learn to program the machines, using industry-standard software, like FANUC Roboguide, Universal Robots simulator and Cognex In-Sight Explorer.

On their computer screens, students view digital replicas of what they will see in the Robotics Lab across the hall, where they’ll apply their offline programs in real time.

Craig has instructed engineering courses at �� for 14 years, continually modifying curriculum to keep his engineering students at the cutting edge of industry practices.

“There ��. a lot of material to cover with modules on FANUC robots, Universal Robots, and Cognex vision systems, all running concurrently through the semester. This gives students the most applied engineering experience possible,” he said.

“I have students in manufacturing engineering and engineering technology, and students pursuing dual Bachelor of Science degrees in manufacturing engineering and mechanical engineering.”

In the Robotics Lab, MFGE seniors Aidan Clifford, of Wausau, and Ryan Myers, of Kenosha, work for Craig as lab technicians, assisting their peers in troubleshooting issues in their programs.

At one station, Jackson Majerus and Nathan Notch use a digital Teach Pendant – a tablet similar to a large remote – to set up their program in person on a Universal Robot. They call Myers over for help.

The robot is supposed to pick up a series of blocks and place them on a conveyor belt, one at a time. However, after placing the first block on the belt, the robot swings back to where the first block was, instead of progressing to the second block. The vacuum suction cup grabs nothing but air, before swinging back to lower nothing onto the belt.

“We needed it to run on a pallet-mode, where the robot moves from one block placement to the next. But we had it set on a loop-mode, so it repeated the exact same motion twice,” explained Majerus, of Chaska, Minn.

“The robot will keep doing what it is programmed to do, even if the task is incorrect. It will continue running until it is shut off or reprogrammed correctly. That ��. one difference between robotics and AI – robots will not learn from errors,” said Notch, of St. Michael, Minn., who interned at Graco in Rogers, Minn., and Banner Engineering in Plymouth, Minn.

Perfecting a program takes patience. “One program at an internship we were able to run perfectly on the first go. Other runs can take multiple tries, depending on how complex the task is that you need the robot to complete,” he said.

Ben Gurka, of Beloit, and Isaac Shefka, of Appleton, team up at another Universal Robot.

“These applications are helping to get us familiar with the robots used in industry. Universal Robots and FANUC are two of the biggest companies in robotics in manufacturing,” Gurka said, adding that FANUC are used more in heavy automation, while Universal Robots are used in collaborative industries, like packaging.

Gurka used both brands of robots during his internships with plastics fabrication companies – Universal Robots at MacLean-Fogg in Whitewater, and FANUC at Prent Corp. in Janesville.

“The automation saves time and relieves workers of repetitive motions,” he said. He and Shefka would like to develop programs and troubleshoot robotic operations for worker relief and safety, making physical tasks more efficient and less strenuous.

Teams at the Cognex cameras stations help robots “see” what the engineer sees, allowing the machine to identify and inspect parts, measure distances between objects and the area of an object, and correctly position and align objects on a production line, while safely navigating its restricted workspace.

The small cameras are mounted at an adjustable height above a workstation, facing downward to take an accurate image of the desired object – in this case, the wooden blocks.

“You upload pictures of the parts you’re working with, giving the camera examples. Eventually, you integrate the vision system with the robot. When mounted to the robot, you can use the live pictures with the software to allow the machine to recognize the parts – you’re teaching the robot what it needs to identify, and the program tells the robot what to do from there,” Clifford explained.

The advanced robotics class builds on an earlier course, where students learn fundamentals of automated manufacturing processes, including developing a palletizing program, a common process used to load items onto a pallet for transportation.

And in a shapes lab, they learn to program a pattern, commanding the FANUC to trace various shapes – the laser pointer in the center of the gripper follows a circle, square and diamond on a black template. Students in the advanced course revisit these skillsets.

Craig is the 2024-26 Fulton and Edna Holtby Manufacturing Engineering Chair. He uses the professorship funds for “new toys for students, to make them think critically about engineering problems,” he said, including a Cognex snap camera, which is an AI-based camera, plus additional higher-end Cognex cameras for the Robotics Lab.

Craig completed the Universal Robots Teacher Certification Training, which gives him access to core robotics training courses and, in turn, gives his students the opportunity to take a “final exam” to earn an industry equivalent certificate through Universal Robots.

“Having that certification is a great booster to our resumes,” said Shefka, who programmed a FANUC robot to play chess in an earlier course.

�� . B.S. manufacturing engineering program is the only undergraduate program of its kind among the Universities of Wisconsin, and one of about 25 in the country. Program graduates are 100% employed within six months of graduation or are continuing their education, as reported in Career Services’ First Destination Report.

�� . Robert F. Cervenka School of Engineering, which produces more engineering graduates than any UW university north of Madison, offers undergraduate programs in computer and electrical engineering; engineering technology; mechanical engineering; plastics engineering; and packaging. The M.S. manufacturing engineering degree is available both on campus or online.

A new engineering minor in advanced automation and robotics gives students hands-on experiences with industry-standard manufacturing software, designing and integrating components within complex automation systems, developing techniques in programmable logic control programming, exploring applications in robotic and vision system integration, system security, digital twin technology and more.

Engineering was listed by the Universities of Wisconsin as a key area to address in Wisconsin ��. workforce needs in its 2023 workforce proposal.

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Robert F. Cervenka School of Engineering

The Robert F. Cervenka School of Engineering focuses on enhancing the learning experience for students in �� Polytechnic's engineering programs.

Paul Craig

Full Name: Paul D. Craig

Job Title: Instrumentation Innovator-Instruction / Program Director

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College: College of Science, Technology, Engineering, Mathematics & Management

Department: Engineering & Technology Department

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Curriculum Vitae: Paul Craig CV (125.68 KB)

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Degree: M.S. Manufacturing Engineering

University: University of Wisconsin-Stout

Degree: B.S. Manufacturing Engineer

University: University of Wisconsin-Stout

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SkillsUSA brings more than 300 middle, high school students to �� for leadership, technical competitions

goersab — Mon, 26 Feb 2024 16:52:52 +0000

SkillsUSA brings more than 300 middle, high school students to �� for leadership, technical competitionsgoersab February 26, 2024

Industry, educators work together to prepare young people for future careers, solve skills gap

Abbey Goers

More than 300 students from 36 middle school and high schools across the state participated in the SkillsUSA Regional Competition at ��, gaining hands-on skills in leadership and technology to prepare for their future careers in industry and business.

Students competed in 28 events hosted by the College of Science, Technology, Engineering, Mathematics and Management on Feb. 22-23. Using CSTEMM labs’ industry-standard machinery, devices and software, competitors caught a glimpse into the Stout student experience and the polytechnic advantage.

Event winners and their schools are listed at the end of the story, with multiple students from Eau Claire, Chippewa Falls, Hartford Union, Oregon, Slinger and Unity winning gold standings.

Events included 3D Printing, Automotive Service Technology, Carpentry, Entrepreneurship, Precision Machining Technology, and Welding, and were coordinated and judged by �� faculty, staff and students, SkillsUSA advisers, technology educators and alum.

A SkillsUSA adviser and student competitor in �� . Fryklund Hall welding and foundry labs / ��

“SkillsUSA plays a vital role in helping young people to prepare for their futures, developing leadership skills, meeting with local industry partners, developing budgets and learning the value of community service through projects,” said Dodgeland High School technology education teacher Anna Vitale. “They participate in competitions that have been vetted by professionals, which helps them gain the skills necessary in their chosen field.”

Although Dodgeland in Juneau, northwest of Milwaukee, is quite a distance from Menomonie, Vitale prefers attending �� . event because of the “variety of competitions offered and the long legacy of ��'s affiliation and support of our organization,” she said.

Dodgeland sophomore Leila H. was one of 11 classmates to participate. She loves the environment of SkillsUSA and how invited she feels. “I was on the edge about competing, but SkillsUSA is all about taking risks and helping you succeed,” she said. “I chose to go to the �� competition because of the countless opportunities it can give me in leadership and social skills.”

Dodgeland High School technology education teacher and SkillsUSA adviser Anna Vitale meets with students / ��

�� has hosted SkillsUSA for more than 40 years, and for many years it was the only four-year university in Wisconsin to host it, with other events held at high schools and two-year colleges, said engineering technology Program Director Abhi Ghosh, adding that �� . may be the largest SkillsUSA Wisconsin event outside of the state competition in April.

Ghosh coordinates the �� event with biology Lecturer Tiffany Hoage, CSTEMM project coordinator. They believe hosting SkillsUSA is a great way to bring dedicated middle school and high school students into �� . labs and classrooms.

“Our polytechnic roots mean that we have the capability to offer a full four-year college experience while also consistently being as hands-on and applied as any two-year college,” Ghosh said. “We are on the right track for the future, and we always have been.”

Bringing attention to the need for skilled workers

Machine tool technician Mike Berry is SkillsUSA state director for the Wisconsin College/Post-Secondary Association. He is an instructor in the precision machining technician program at Mid-State Technical College, Wisconsin Rapids campus and coordinated the Precision Machining Technology event.

A student team completes their robot in the Urban Search and Rescue event / ��

“Being a journey worker machinist and educator in the machining field, I am always excited to see students embrace a trade that has been such a big part of my life,” he said. “Knowing there are students interested in a career in the trade and seeing the skills these young people bring to the table continues to bring excitement. The future for these students is bright.”

Berry, a 2011 career, technical education and training �� alum, has taught at technical colleges for 23 years and has served as a SkillsUSA adviser for a decade. He believes it provides students an opportunity to showcase their skills through competition.

“Additionally, the organization is playing a role in bringing attention to the need for skilled workers and what pathways can be used to gain employment in those careers. This is a way for students, industry and educators to work together to solve the skills gap,” he said.

A profound experience that cannot be duplicated in the classroom

Vitale, Stanley Phillips and Bob Morehead have more than 63 years of teaching experience between them and have been SkillsUSA advisers for 44 years combined. Phillips and Morehead are technology education teachers at Menomonie High School and Chetek-Weyerhaeuser Area School District, respectively.

Vitale coordinated several leadership events and Morehead the welding events, while Menomonie High School hosted the Automotive Service Technology competition, the only competition held off campus.

SkillsUSA students compete in the Electrical Construction Wiring event / ��

“As an educator, SkillsUSA helps validate the content I teach,” Morehead said. “The events push students to showcase their skills and knowledge and force them out of their comfort zone. This oftentimes leads to a profound experience that cannot be duplicated in the classroom. It is a great lesson in problem-solving, time management and teamwork.”

The competitors rarely have a flawless performance, Morehead added. “This is part of the learning process. We learn more from our mistakes than we do from our successes. If they do have enough perseverance to make it to the awards podium, it is a tremendous feeling of pride and accomplishment.”

Cedar L., a senior from Chetek-Weyerhaeuser, enjoys SkillsUSA because “it allows me to gain valuable experience I otherwise would not be able to get. It allows me to see and use other shops, which means I gain experience with different types of welders and equipment. It also puts me in contact with people who aspire to follow the same or similar path as me.”

Students work on small engines in Power Equipment Technology event in a Jarvis Hall Science Wing lab / ��

Twelve of Phillips’ students were required to participate as part of their senior internship. “I see it as a way for the students to gauge their knowledge and skill set to students at other schools around the state,” he said. “I enjoy watching them get excited about being at ��. It's a nice experience for them, and they take the competitions pretty seriously.”

Vitale loves seeing the students develop and hone their leadership skills year after year. “I love seeing their confidence increase, watching the shy introverts blossom out into leaders or seeing how the ‘Type A’ student who likes to take control learn that the best way to be a leader is to help others become leaders,” she said.

Vitale earned her technology education license through �� . Distance Learning Program in 2014. Morehead is a 2001 technology education alum. Vitale and Morehead have served on the Wisconsin Technology Education Association board of directors.

�� students helped coordinators with judging and developed and set up many of the technical events. Some events were run independently by student organizations, like the Student Construction Association and the Technology Education and Engineering Collegiate Association student club.

“The technology education students enjoy judging the contests, as once they are licensed teachers, they will be in charge of running SkillsUSA chapters in their schools,” said technology education Program Director Barb Bauer, TEECA club adviser. “This is a huge opportunity for high school students to see Wisconsin ��. ��.”

A student competitor in the welding and foundry labs / ��

The 51st annual SkillsUSA State Leadership and Skills Conference and state competition will be held April 9-10, at Alliant Energy Center and Madison Area Technical College, in Madison. There are two contests, in leadership and technical skills.

SkillsUSA Regional Competition winners and their high schools:

3D Printing and Design: Logan Marksteiner, Florence
Additive Manufacturing: Chunche Tsai, Oregon High; and Simon Braeger, Slinger
Advertising Design: Sam Gnatzig, Slinger
Automotive Service Technology: Adrik Dix, Memorial
Carpentry: Trent Schmitt, Hartford Union
Cabinetmaking: Mason Lipenski, Hartford Union
CO2 Dragster: Stanley Lang, New Auburn
Electrical Construction Wiring: Silas Cronkrite, Lincoln, Wisconsin Rapids
Electronics Technology: Carson Brown, Chippewa Falls
Extemporaneous Speaking: Christine Bertsch, Unity
Facilithon: Carson Brown, Chippewa Falls
Job Interview: Abigail Weiterman, Slinger
Job Skill Demonstration: Ellen Lehman, Unity
Medical Math: Rene Wright, Webster
Medical Terminology: Alexander Loff, Slinger
Photography: Jadyn Lallensack, Slinger
Power Equipment Technology: Logan Pagliaro, Holmen
Precision Machining Technology: Samuel Schumacher, Wausau West
Prepared Speech, silver winner: Sawyer Melchert, Winter
Related Technical Math: Morgan Spindler, Oregon
Robotics - Urban Search and Rescue: Morgan Spindler and Jackson Walsh, Oregon
Team Engineering Challenge, middle school: Brock Buchholz, Silas Hake-Gregerson and Travis Hendrickson, Black River Falls
Team Engineering Challenge, high school: Neva Clarke, Brooklynn Gross and Oliver Melson, Clinton
Technical Drafting: Brandon Bork, Gale-Ettrick-Trempealeau
Welding: Hayden Koch, Eau Claire North
Welding Fabrication: Ty Agen, Guyton Patrow and Aydon Perkins, Chippewa Falls
Welding Sculpture: Callie Mackyol, St. Croix Falls

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Polytechnic at its finest: Miron Construction campus projects give students unique opportunities

Construction management majors get up-close experience on multimillion-dollar Heritage Hall, Recreation Complex upgrades

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University ranked at the top based on high median earnings, graduation rates, affordable tuition

Industry, educators work together to prepare young people for future careers, solve skills gap Skills USA students competing in the Power Equipment Technology event

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Abhimanyu Ghosh

Full Name: Abhimanyu Ghosh

Job Title: Assistant Professor

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Tiffany Hoage

If you are interested in partnering, I welcome the opportunity to connect and explore how we can create meaningful impact together.

Bio Introduction: Youth Program Manager at UW–Stout collaborating with schools, industry, and community partners to advance PK-12 career exploration and workforce readiness.

Full Name: Dr. Tiffany Hoage

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Department: Continuing Education & Conferences

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Degree: Ph.D. Biomedical Sciences

University: Mayo Clinic Graduate School

Degree: Graduate Certificate in Instructional Design

University: University of Wisconsin-Stout

Degree: B.S. Applied Science (Laboratory Management)

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Inspiring Graduate: Julia Baxter, B.S. Engineering Technology

goersab — Wed, 27 Dec 2023 19:08:02 +0000

Inspiring Graduate: Julia Baxter, B.S. Engineering Technologygoersab December 27, 2023

‘I get to combine my passions of medicine and engineering, enabling me to improve others’ quality of life.’

Inspiring Graduate: Julia Baxter (’23)

Hometown: Chippewa Falls
Degree: B.S. Engineering Technology
Concentration: Production Operations

Julia Baxter was studying premedicine, when she decided three years into her college journey to change her degree and transfer to ��.

“I discovered I had a great passion for engineering. At Stout, I get to combine my passions of medicine and engineering, enabling me to improve others’ quality of life,” she said.

Although transferring to �� added a few years to her schooling, Baxter earned her B.S. in engineering technology on Dec. 16, along with 526 graduates.

Julia Baxter before graduation as a manufacturing engineer with Phillips Medisize / ��

“It took Julia a long time to complete her bachelor's degree due to transferring, but she was tenacious and graduated with a great academic record,” said Program Director Abhi Ghosh.

She was hired full time before graduation as a manufacturing engineer with Phillips Medisize, a medical device manufacturer.

She plans to one day pursue her master's in supply chain and operations at ��.

How has your �� education changed you?

My Stout education and experience have allowed me to be more confident working in the field of engineering. They allowed me to become more innovative and creative. I developed lifelong skills that I can use in and out of the industry.

It has also shown me that once you set your mind to something, you can accomplish anything; and it ��. never too late to receive an education.

How well has �� prepared you to work in your field and why?

Stout has done a great job preparing me for the field of engineering. What helped me the most were the internship and co-op opportunities.

Julia Baxter earned her B.S. in engineering technology on Dec. 16 / ��

My two-year internship as a project engineer at Phillips Medisize allowed me to grow as an engineer and gain valuable knowledge in the industry.

Having my internship experience allowed me to take what I learned in class and apply it in industry, as well as apply the knowledge I learned in industry and take it back to the classroom.

My experience at Stout led me to be able to have a job lined up months before I graduated.

Engineering technology is a very hands-on major, and I learned many valuable skills, like welding, casting, machining, wiring and computer-aided manufacturing that I can use in and outside of the workplace. Using a lot of these tools was very intimidating at first, as I had no previous experience with them.

Inspiring graduate Julia Baxter with Chancellor Katherine Frank at commencement / ��

I am thankful for all of my professors for helping me overcome the intimidation and helping me become more comfortable and confident using them.

What challenges did you face in earning your degree and how did you overcome them?

One challenge I faced was being a transfer student. There were many medical classes that did not transfer into my engineering degree, which put me a couple of years behind. My adviser was helpful in transferring what he could to use toward my Stout degree.

Another challenge I faced was being a woman in engineering. On average, there were one to three women in each of my classes. This major was a lot more male-dominated than I had expected. This made it difficult at first to find friends who shared similar interests and made me feel out of place in class.

Julia Baxter hopes her experience encourages more women to join the engineering field / ��

To overcome this, I made friends with the other girls in my classes and used Bumble BFF to find more friends. After a while, I was used to being one of the only girls and it became my normal.

Being a woman in engineering is not easy, but I hope my experience encourages more women to join the field.

What are you most proud of as you finish your degree?

Five years ago, if you would have told me that I would be graduating from �� with an engineering degree, I wouldn’t have believed it. It is OK if you don’t know what you want to major in right away or if you change your mind a couple of years in.

It is important to follow your passions even if it means you must take a non-traditional route.

I am proud that I believed in myself and stuck through it. There were times when I wanted to give up but, in the end, it was so worth it.

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Inspiring Graduate: Rosella Wille, B.S. Business Administration

Hired before graduation at Redpath and Company as a tax associate

Inspiring Graduate: Thomas Shamla, B.S. Mechanical Engineering

Hired before graduation at Absolut Manufacturing

‘I get to combine my passions of medicine and engineering, enabling me to improve others’ quality of life.’ Julia Baxter

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Stout Proud day: Chancellor congratulates 526 happy graduates during fall commencement

Smiles and warmth filled Johnson Fieldhouse at �� on an early winter day as 526 graduates received degrees Dec. 16 in two ceremonies.

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News

Engineering seniors design portable toy tractor manufacturing machine to engage kids in making process

An interactive toy manufacturing experience for kids

A collaboration connecting people to people

B.S. Manufacturing Engineering

B.S. Mechanical Engineering

Music to honor a master: Ukulele kits by engineering students are in homage to alum Kuboyama

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Ashley sponsors toolless bed connections engineering project

Preliminary research and feedback

Designing under a deadline

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Robert F. Cervenka School of Engineering

Career-ready competition: �������� students have leadership impact at SkillsUSA, Science Olympiad events

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Design for Industry students create kindergartners’ ideal toys through AI rapid prototyping

Sparking creativity and building connections

�������� students team up with local children to design toys, give city ash trees new life

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Testing and failing are part of the learning process

Robert F. Cervenka School of Engineering

B.S. Technology Education

Future of farming in Wisconsin: Professors design customized, energy-efficient, low-cost technology

A human-centered approach to technology

Wireless sensor networks: a miniature weather tower

The ease of automation for specialty crop farmers

Livestock monitoring to save time and money

Collecting drone data from the seat of your tractor

Interdisciplinary innovation: �������� professors’ wireless sensor network for crops receives $175,000 grant

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A wheelchair that makes veterans more mobile

Gold medal status: �������� receives Military Friendly designation for supporting veterans, families

B.S. Engineering Technology

PHOTO ESSAY: The Building Blocks of Robotics

B.S. Manufacturing Engineering

Robert F. Cervenka School of Engineering

SkillsUSA brings more than 300 middle, high school students to �������� for leadership, technical competitions

Bringing attention to the need for skilled workers

A profound experience that cannot be duplicated in the classroom

Robert F. Cervenka School of Engineering

Inspiring Graduate: Julia Baxter, B.S. Engineering Technology

B.S. Engineering Technology

Stout Proud day: Chancellor congratulates 526 happy graduates during fall commencement

Career-ready competition: �� students have leadership impact at SkillsUSA, Science Olympiad events

�� students team up with local children to design toys, give city ash trees new life

Interdisciplinary innovation: �� professors’ wireless sensor network for crops receives $175,000 grant

RECOVER: Alum ��. expertise in 3D printing, adaptive technology helps give veterans hope

Gold medal status: �� receives Military Friendly designation for supporting veterans, families

SkillsUSA brings more than 300 middle, high school students to �� for leadership, technical competitions