Team C.R.A.T.E.R.’s award-winning dust tolerant pivoting mechanism made Lone Star College-CyFair history when a United States patent for their space tool design was officially issued in January.
Two members of Team C.R.A.T.E.R. (an acronym for Cultivating, Retrieving, Analyzing and Testing Experimental Rocks) who were named on the patent as inventors are LSC-CyFair alumni Kary Meadows, now studying aerospace engineering at Texas A&M University, and Humberto Leal Acosta., studying neuro-engineering at the University of Houston.
Meadows said not many college students are able to list a patent on their resume, but it was one of the determining factors that helped him secure a Fall co-op at SpaceX in Hawthorne, CA.
“I can honestly say, as this is my second patent, they are an immense tool for up-and-coming engineers, let alone a student still in college,” said Meadows. “This patent represents the acknowledgement of the determination and achievement of all the hard work that was put into the project even through the beginning of the pandemic. This has already provided recognition for me professionally and I am sure it will for Humberto as well.”
Team C.R.A.T.E.R.’s design was filed for a patent in Fall 2020 after the 2019-2020 year of competition in the Texas Space Grant Consortium Design Challenge, garnering top honors in multiple categories such as 1st-place overall in Top Design Team, as well as the NASA Micro-g NExT Design Challenge.
Not only did this team meet design goals listed for them by NASA, compete against primarily four-year universities and exceed expectations, they had to adapt to delays and present virtually when their journey was complicated by COVID, said Dr. Yiheng Wang, LSC-CyFair Professor and Lead Faculty of Engineering, served as Team C.R.A.T.E.R.’s advisor.
“Remarkably, they persevered through it all and now their hard work is part of history,” said Dr. Wang. “I am so proud to see Kary and Humberto listed as inventors on the patent. I am sure this patent can inspire more students to dream big, fulfill potentials and create more inventions and solutions to the world’s challenges.”
For information on other NASA-related news, from LSC-CyFair’s design teams’ projects and accomplishments, such as Team CERO’s award-winning zip-tie cutter tool deign developed and used by astronauts at the International Space Station, to the NASA Community College Aerospace Scholars (NCAS) program, go to LoneStar.edu/cyfair-nasa.
To be part of LSC-CyFair’s NASA design challenge teams, email Yiheng.Wang@LoneStar.edu.
Email Cy-FairEngineering@LoneStar.edu for information on LSC-CyFair's Engineering Program.
Registration begins March 7 for summer classes go to LoneStar.edu/regcyfair.