Mag-Vengers
Background
Camilo Velez Cuervo, researcher and Professor at University of California - Irvine, has been working with micro/nano robotics, micro/nano device fabrication, microfabrication of magnetic microsystems, magnetic micro/nanostructures, selective magnetization of micro patterns, and more. His work in electropermanent magnets (EPMs), specifically, has given Mag-Vengers the opportunity to work on a drone attachment design meant to house six (or more) sensor pucks. The drone attachment will rely on EPMs as a switchable magnet to be able to hold onto the sensor pucks and drop them at a desired time or place through remote control.
Goal and Objectives
The goal of this project is to finalize two fully function prototypes meeting certain requirements and reliability that will be able to magnetically drop pucks one by one by the end of Winter Quarter of 2026 with the intentions of presenting the work done in the Winter Design Fair.
The Objectives and Timeline is Outlined Below:
1. Coil Calculations (Fall25 W5-6)
2. First Prototype CAD Design (Fall25 W5-6)
3. First Coil Prototype (Fall25 W7-8)
4. First EPM Prototype (Fall25 W9-10)
5. Testing and Documentation (Fall25 W11)
6. Second EPM Prototype (Winter26 W3-4)
7. Final Prototype (Winter26 W9)
8. Winter Design Review (Winter26 W10)
Additional Information
The team will heavily rely on COMSOL Multiphysics Simulations and SolidWorks for any necessary design, testing, and calculations that the project will require. The team will work on simulating the magnetic flux density, finding ideal materials and sensitivity of the EPMs, and calculate the forces (such as torque) involving the drone attachment, EPMs, and the sensor pucks.
An example of testing Mag-Vengers intend to complete is shown in the link below provided by COMSOL:
https://www.comsol.com/model/one-sided-magnet-and-plate-213
Team Contacts
Emma Bernardin (ebernar2@uci.edu)
Shir Diner (sdiner@uci.edu)
Mrinalini (Rina) Mangalampalli (mmangala@uci.edu)
Diane Hoang (dianevh@uci.edu)
Sponsor Contact
Camilo Velez Cuervo (cvelezcu@uci.edu)
Team Contract
https://drive.google.com/file/d/1tinmZPz8DrMeId85Rh008Ml3Bi8bdRzy/view?u...
