Mission-Based Project Teams

Humans have achieved flight, yet birds and insects still surpass man-made aircraft in agility and control. The Flapping Wing Micro Air Vehicle (FWMAV) team seeks to uncover how nature achieves such mastery. By studying creatures like hummingbirds and dragonflies, engineers analyze the unsteady aerodynamics and nonlinear mechanisms that enable efficient, stable flight.

FWMAV’s small, agile, and hovering capabilities have applications in law enforcement, defense, and scientific research. The project investigates the physics behind flapping-wing flight to design innovative aerial systems.

About ChemE Cube at UCI

ChemE Cube is a national student competition hosted by the American Institute of Chemical Engineers (AIChE), challenging students to design a modular, one-cubic-foot plant to solve global issues. Organized through the UC Irvine chapter of AIChE, our interdisciplinary engineering team designs the chemical process, builds the physical cube, and conducts market analysis to pitch the technology to mock investors. 

Challenge and Solution:

According to the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), global warming continues to accelerate climate change, with the U.S. alone releasing 6,343 million metric tons of greenhouse gases in 2022 . To tackle this, ChemE Cube at UCI is engineering a Direct Air Capture (DAC) and regeneration process to scrub carbon dioxide directly from the atmosphere, pairing innovative engineering with a viable commercial business model. 

Key Highlights:

• 7th Place Nationally (2025): Outperformed 50
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Underwater Robotics at UCI is a student-run engineering organization specializing in autonomous underwater robotics. We plan to compete in the annual RoboSub competition with the help of our sponsors