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UMD CPSE Celebrates Student Innovation at Fourth Annual Demo Day

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Dr. Tsu-Jae Liu, President of the National Academy of Engineering, on Demo Day giving the keynote address


Five weeks earlier, 44 aspiring engineers arrived with ideas to solve real-world issues. On Demo Day, they stood in front of hundreds of people and presented working solutions to those ideas.

Demo Day was the culminating event for the 2026 “Jumpstart Your Engineering Career” Summer Program (Jumpstart) on Friday, August 14, 2026. Both Demo Day and Jumpstart were run by the University of Maryland’sCyber-Physical Systems Engineering (CPSE) program located at the Universities at Shady Grove (USG). The event’s keynote address was given by Dr. Tsu-Jae Liu, President of the National Academy of Engineering.

Demo Day showcased 44 Jumpstart student participants who were selected from a highly competitive pool of over 250 applicants. They represented various high schools, community colleges, and universities across Maryland.

Participants worked in 11 teams and identified a compelling societal problem to then build a solution with engineering principles and technical skill. Teams tested their solutions with representative users and refined their designs to see whether they could become early minimum viable products. 

CPSE faculty and staff guided the students as they learned how to leverage AI and get hands-on experience in electronics, sensors, microcontrollers, software development, and 3D manufacturing. Students also navigated working with a team under a deadline and adapted when projects did not go as planned. In the end, they all delivered a useful product ready for Demo Day.

Over 300 people filled the ballroom on Demo Day to see the projects—families, friends, educators, industry professionals, and state delegates. The event opened with a lively expo as guests moved from table to table to see various products—from a robotic exoskeleton, an automated trash sorting system, a smart cane, and more! See the descriptions below of all 11 teams and projects or view the Demo Day magazine. 

After the expo, students and attendees listened to the keynote presentation given by Dr. Liu, an accomplished engineer who co-developed the FinFET transistor design now used in all modern microprocessors. She said, “Today we are living in the fourth industrial revolution of cyber-physical systems.” 

Then, the teams took the stage and “pitched” their prototypes, sharing the concept and problem it addressed. Throughout the whole evening, all teams were evaluated for two awards: the Engineering Excellence Award and Impact & Innovation Award. 

The Engineering Excellence Award, sponsored by RNO E-Tech, recognized excellence in engineering design, functionality, technical execution, and testing. Team Pipe Patrol, consisting of Newton Yang, Leah Wang, Arav Assija, and Andrew Zhao, took home the award.

The Impact & Innovation Award, sponsored by World BioHazTec, recognized teams for addressing meaningful problems through innovative, user-focused solutions with potential for future impact. Team Galea Guard, consisting of Bennett Parisi, Srinikhesh (Nick) Siriam, Kaleb Teshale, and Joshua Luong, earned the award.

At the end of the night, attendees left inspired, and the students left accomplished.

The collaboration between USG and CPSE showcased what is possible when aspiring students with bright ideas are provided an environment that offers engaging engineering experience that goes beyond the classroom. 

CPSE is excited to welcome a new cohort of participants for the 2027 “Jumpstart Your Engineering Career” Summer Program. Applications will open on March 1, 2027.

Meet the 11 Jumpstart Teams

Engineering Excellence Award Winner | Sponsored by RNO E-Tech

  • Team Pipe Patrol developed a semi-autonomous rover that combines robotics with artificial intelligence to make sewer inspections safer, faster, and more efficient, while preventing major catastrophic pipe failures.

    • Newton Yang - AI & ML Developer

    • Leah Wang - Project Leader & Designer

    • Arav Assija - Hardware & CAD Lead

    • Andrew Zhao - CAD Lead, Hardware & Software Developer

Impact & Innovation Award Winner | Sponsored by World BioHazTec

  • Team Galea Guard developed a smart football helmet that collects and displays impact data in real time to help coaches, trainers, athletes, and families make more informed decisions about player safety after a head collision.

    • Bennett Parisi - Project Leader & Hardware Developer

    • Srinikhesh (Nick) Siriam - Website Developer & Graphic Design

    • Kaleb Teshale - Website Developer & Sensor Systems

    • Joshua Luong - CAD Lead & Embedded Systems Developer

  • Bike E-Buddydeveloped a smart bicycle safety system to give cyclists greater awareness without requiring them to look away from the road. Bike E-Buddy could make everyday riding safer, smarter, and more comfortable.

    • Matthew Boyce - Software, Hardware & CAD Developer

    • Owen Garland - Electronics & Hardware Developer

    • Austin Hwang - Electronics & Hardware Developer

    • Jayden Williams - Project Leader, Software & App Developer

    • Benjamin Peng - CAD Developer

  • Dot Botcreated a portable device that produces customized Braille labels supporting greater independence at home, at school, and in unfamiliar environments.

    • Andrew Chestnut - Software & App Developer

    • Brianna Yan - Project Leader, CAD, & Mechanical Developer

    • Kiyoma Algama - Hardware Developer

    • Nina Faustini - Software Developer

  • WeCyclecreated an automated, AI-powered sorting system that helps improve sorting accuracy and encourage more sustainable habits in homes, schools, offices, and public buildings.

    • Leul Yohannes - Software Developer

    • Kedus Anteneh - CAD & Electronics Developer

    • Vyomesh Parasa - Electronics Developer

    • Mischa Desai - Project Leader & Design

    • Caroline Timmons - Hardware Developer

  • Floodgatedeveloped a low-power monitoring system that measures water levels inside storm drains. This can help communities respond to blocked drains and reduce the damage caused by flash flooding.

    • Leo Fan - Hardware & Firmware Integration

    • Dylan Siah - Project Lead & CAD Design

    • Roland Wong - Electronics Developer

    • Mark Fu - Software & Backend Developer

  • LitAlouddeveloped a wearable system that converts printed words into spoken audio, making books, worksheets, handouts, and other printed materials more accessible to those who are blind, have low vision, or learn more effectively by listening.

    • Aahan Gandhi - Hardware, Software & App Development

    • Aaron Humes - Software Developer

    • Matthew Habib - Project Leader, CAD, AI, & Software Developer

  • Phantom Weightcombined virtual reality with electrical muscle stimulation to create more immersive exercise experiences, making exercise more interactive and engaging

    • Prince Wang - Lead Unity Environment Developer

    • Pablo Figueredo - Project Leader & Hardware Lead

    • Don Algama - CAD Design & Hardware Developer

    • Dat Nguyen - Unity Environment Developer & Software Developer

  • Nudgedeveloped a wearable robotic hand exoskeleton that responds to the user’s muscle activity, helping users practice hand movements and complete daily tasks with greater independence.

    • Bryce Owen - Co-Project Lead & Lead Hardware Developer

    • Steven Saenz - Hardware & CAD Design

    • Aakash Reddy - Hardware & Build Developer

    • Mohit Patil - Co-Project Lead & Software Lead

  • PathFinderdeveloped a smart cane using time-of-flight sensors to measure the distance between the user and nearby objects, helping users detect obstacles sooner and navigate with greater awareness and confidence.

    • Bryndon Ekabe - Software Developer

    • Dominic Ye - Hardware Developer

    • Maximo Tode - Hardware & CAD Developer

    • Artur Khachatrian - Project Leader & CAD Designer

  • SurgiSight developed a system that replaces physical markings with projected laser guides, providing medical professionals with a more flexible method of visualizing procedure plans, allowing guides to be changed without repeatedly drawing on the patient’s skin.

    • Neo Cheng - Electrical & Software Developer

    • Aadya Mani - Project Leader & Hardware Developer

    • Thomas Yu - Hardware Developer

Any students, academic partners, or industry organizations interested in getting involved or learning more about the Cyber-Physical Systems Engineering (CPSE) program offered by the University of Maryland, College Park, A. James Clark School of Engineering, Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering, at The Universities at Shady Grove (USG) Rockville campus, please email them at es-sg@umd.edu or visit their website: https://shadygrove.ece.umd.edu/

Check out the Summer Program’s promo video for CPSE’s 2026 Demo Day below:

https://youtu.be/BCi04mGgr6w

You can also follow theCyber-Physical Systems Engineering (CPSE) program at USG onInstagram,Linkedin,Twitter/X,YouTube,Flickr, orFacebook. 

Written with TerpAI Support

Published October 26, 2026