AME Students and Team Build Golfing Robot

The Phoenix-based equipment manufacturer PING sponsored its second Interdisciplinary Capstone project, asking a student team to build a robotic pendulum that can grip and swing a putter the same way a golfer would. The capstone team includes aerospace and mechanical engineering students Austin M. Davis, Steven Perry and Ian Kyler Shaw. Perry, an avid golfer, is Team 22008's procurement lead. He was eager to contribute to a project likely to improve a product he uses.

“Once this is testing new putter head technologies, perhaps maybe a pro or even I would buy the new developed putter, and I can say, ‘Yeah, I built the thing that tested this,’” said Perry. “It’s an awesome feeling.”

Focusing on procuring parts and materials was a valuable learning experience for Perry, who maintained a detailed parts inventory as part of an internship at Raytheon last summer. However, procurement was the entire team’s most difficult challenge due to enduring supply chain issues. 

However, the team planned ahead as much as possible and tested with similar parts in some cases so they could drop in final parts with confidence when they arrived.

In advance of Craig M. Berge Design Day in May, Perry shared his excitement about presenting the project.

“I’m excited for the oohs and aahs of the students who come out and say, ‘Wow, that's cool – you can make it putt from 10 feet, 15 feet, 30 feet.’ And I’m excited to showcase that we're not just going to school, we can actually do something with the skills that we gained, make a system that will do what we wanted it to do,” he said.