The chance to build cool stuff in Santa Clara University’s robotics lab is what drew senior Casey Kute from Louisville, Kentucky, to Santa Clara. “I love hands-on work,” she says. “Actually building something helps learning so much.”

A mechanical engineering major, Casey is building a modular rescue robot with a team of fellow engineers for her senior design project. The machine “looks like a tank,” explains Casey, because it was adapted from a robot built for a previous project. But the team has repurposed it to create a search-and-rescue machine that can be used to locate people or hazards in a disaster scene.

“I was inspired after 9/11,” says Casey. The robot can climb stairs, carry supplies, identify different toxins, and find a victim at a disaster site. It‘s adaptable to many different situations and environments, with cameras and rescue equipment that can be added or removed depending on need. “It’s pretty awesome,” she says.

View the video of her robot in action:

External Links

• Read more about Casey Kute
• Read more researcher profiles
• Back to SCU stories home