UC students combine engineering and design experience

Engineering, industrial design students win first place in DAAP competition

At the University of Cincinnati, collaboration and innovation are crucial to the student experience. Recently, the College of Design, Architecture, Art and Planning (DAAP) hosted a competition in partnership with HAAG-Streit USA, challenging students to design an ophthalmology workstation that is accessible and can be incorporated into retail settings. Caleb Loayza, a mechanical engineering student UC's College of Engineering and Applied Science, and Guy Mueller, an industrial design student in DAAP, teamed up to combine their unique skillsets and took home first place.

Caleb Loayza smiles at the camera. He is pictured outside with a city behind him.

Caleb Loayza is a mechanical engineering student at CEAS. Photo/Provided

"Growing up, I was always fascinated with creating things," said Caleb Loayza, a fourth-year mechanical engineering student.

A first-generation college student, Loayza grew up in a small town in Peru, and both of his parents were entrepreneurs. He recalls his childhood, watching his parents work together to create things out of materials they had around the house. This motivated him to pursue a career that would provide him with the tools and resources to be technically knowledgeable. Even as a high school student, he knew that he wanted to further his education in the U.S. and began researching and applying to American schools. He was particularly drawn to UC's world-renowned cooperative education (co-op) program.

"It was the co-op program that brought me to UC. Ever since I was in high school, I knew I needed to learn by doing, not only by looking at books. I wanted that experiential learning," Loayza said.

Caleb Loayza takes a selfie with another man while on co-op. They wear blue work uniforms and hard hats.

Caleb Loayza has completed all of his co-op rotations at Nucor Steel. Photo/Provided

He's completed four co-op rotations so far, all at Nucor Corporation, the largest steel producer in the U.S. His experiences at Nucor have pushed him out of his comfort zone and expanded his skillsets as an engineer. On campus, he is involved with Bearcats Racing, the student-run formula vehicle teams. It was through this organization that he became connected with industrial design student Guy Mueller, with whom he competed in the Optometry Station Design Workshop Competition.

Loayza shared that it was while he and Mueller were working together on the formula car that they realized they shared common interests and passions outside of school, and they became fast friends.

"After learning of the design competition, I quickly realized I should team up with someone who had different expertise than I did," Mueller said. "Caleb and I already worked well together on the Bearcats Motorsports team, so I introduced the competition to him."

"He knew he had a lot of good design ideas but thought that my experience as a mechanical engineer would help determine what was feasible and how we could turn these ideas into real life," Loayza said.

Mueller explained that one of the most time-consuming steps in the process was the initial ideation. To kick the competition off, HAAG-Streit USA brought one of their current optometry chair designs to campus, showing the students a baseline to start their designs and areas that needed improvement. The company gave students a list of 20 things their designs must contain, 10 for the chair and 10 for the instrument delivery system.

With the current design, they identified three major problems: wheelchair access takes up a lot of space, the technical capabilities are outdated, and the aesthetics are not fit for retail stores. Of the requirements, the one that Mueller and Loayza spent the most time on was ensuring their design was ADA compliant, specifically ensuring compatibility with wheelchair users.

an image of several sheets of paper with optometry station design ideas on them.

Caleb Loayza and Guy Mueller created numerous renditions of their design, Mueller using his industrial design background was able to create artistic renderings throughout the process. Photo/Provided

"Traditional exam chairs are simply moved aside to accommodate wheelchairs, forcing operators to maneuver a 200-pound chair in a tight space. Our design solves this issue by folding to create the necessary space, improving both accessibility and efficiency in exam rooms," Loayza said.

The folding chair design met all of HAAG-Streit's criteria, including providing the unique wow factor they desired.

Using his design background, Mueller was able to create renderings of their various design concepts throughout the process, allowing them to visualize their ideas. Taking these artistic renderings, Loayza was able to use his engineering skills to create to-scale versions of the design with AutoCAD, specifying the dimensions and measurements for making sure it was technically sound. For the final presentation, they combined the artistic and technical drawings, creating an accurate, visually appealing concept that showcased their skills.

"Combining the creative visuals wwith the technical engineering language made all the difference," Loayza said.

Caleb Loayza and Guy Mueller hold a giant check after their competition win.

Caleb Loayza and Guy Mueller took home first place in the Optometry Station Design Workshop Competition, a collaboration between DAAP and HAAG-Streit USA. Photo/Provided

Loayza's hydraulics experience during his co-op jobs at Nucor Steel gave him an edge for this competition, enabling him to create something that would move, while Mueller's industrial design experience gave him an eye for appearance and user experience. For both, working with a student outside of their area of study was invaluable.

"The project showed me how important it is to work together as an interdisciplinary team in product development," Mueller said.

Additionally, this gave Loayza a chance to foster his passion for the arts, working in the DAAP building and spending hours on the design. After earning his degree, Loayza plans to continue at Nucor Steel and hopes to one day pursue a master's degree in aerospace engineering.

Loayza and Mueller's design featured a chair seat that folded in on itself, allowing wheelchairs to easily slide into the space. Photos/Provided

Featured image at top: Caleb Loayza and Guy Mueller worked together and took home first place in the competition. Photo/Provided

UC students combine engineering and design experience

Engineering, industrial design students win first place in DAAP competition

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