Three SUNY Poly Mechanical Engineering students, Amy De Sena, Sarah Hahn and Gabriella Yacobucci, will compete for a chance to win $15,000 at the 2024 New York State Industries for the Disabled (NYSID) CREATE Symposium in Albany on April 8. The annual symposium sees students collaborating with rehabilitative support organizations to develop innovations that help those with disabilities succeed in their jobs.

Their project, the Screw Counting Machine, was done in partnership with The Arc, Oneida-Lewis, with the trio being advised by Arc, Oneida-Lewis Executive Director of Business Enterprises Chad Hartwig and SUNY Poly Associate Professor of Mechanical Engineering Dr. Yu Zhou. 

The purpose of their project’s design is to make the task of counting screws easier, which in turn is expected to increase employee efficiency and distribution of screw kits. Currently, the system in place involves heavy use of the hands to perform dexterous motions, which could lead to long-term problems such as carpal tunnel syndrome. To make the process more ergonomic, the new product will implement a new way of removing the screws from their original bag, automatically count the screws, and assist in packaging the individual screw kits. For safety, the new process will aim to reduce contact between the screws and the employee’s hands. This will help reduce scratches on the skin from the hardware.

Their effort was recently covered in the news (see coverage linked below). Stay tuned to find out how they fare at this year’s competition!

View WKTV’s coverage