Columbus State, Pratt & Whitney Partnership Turns Senior Robotics Engineering Capstone into Full-Scale Automation Challenge

Senior Robotics Engineering undergraduates at Columbus State University recently collaborated with a leading global aerospace company, spending their last academic year developing an automation solution that bridges classroom knowledge and factory application.

The 2025-26 Senior Design Capstone course marked a first-ever partnership between the Robotics Engineering program and the Pratt & Whitney Columbus Engine Center. The students’ challenge? Design and develop an advanced automated sorting prototype for engine caps and plugs set aside or left unused during manufacturing and maintenance, to facilitate their reuse.

“Our capstone project covers all key technical areas of our Robotics Engineering curriculum, including embedded systems, AI-enabled computer vision, machine intelligence, control systems, sensors and actuators, and signal processing,” Dr. Mohammad Jafari, Senior Member, IEEE, an associate professor of robotics engineering, explained. “In practical terms, it offered students valuable hands-on experience in project planning, budgeting and time management, while also providing opportunities to work with practicing professionals in the field.” Click here to view the complete article.

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