For their senior design project, mechanical engineering students Olivia Beyreis, Belle Petronack, Makenzi Stluka and Corby Svihovec developed a wearable device that monitors chemical exposure and vital signs during firefighting operations.
Firefighters routinely put themselves in harm’s way to protect others, often facing dangerous levels of exposure to hazardous chemicals. Yet, there is currently no reliable way to monitor or track that exposure over time. A team of NDSU engineering students want to change that.
For their senior design project, mechanical engineering students Olivia Beyreis, Belle Petronack, Makenzi Stluka and Corby Svihovec developed a wearable device that monitors chemical exposure and vital signs during firefighting operations.
“This project came from an idea brought to us by our mentor, Dr. Ali Amiri,” Beyreis said. “He saw a real need in the field. Firefighters don’t have a way to measure their exposure to harmful chemicals during or after an operation and that can have serious long-term health impacts.”
To better understand what features would be most useful, the team collaborated directly with the Fargo and Moorhead Fire Departments. Firefighters shared insights about the kinds of chemicals they encounter, the environments they work in and how such a device could fit into their workflows.
“They were incredibly helpful and open to working with us,” Beyreis said. “They even donated fire suits so we could study them and see how our device might integrate with what they already use. It gave us a much better sense of what the final product would need to do.”
The students’ device is currently a proof of concept. It’s capable of detecting several hazardous chemicals and collecting exposure data, along with monitoring vital signs. That data could one day be used to alert crews to immediate danger, assist in post-incident decontamination procedures or support long-term health records.
But there’s still work to be done. Beyreis said the next steps would include rigorous testing for accuracy and reliability, especially under the extreme heat and stress of an active firefighting scene.
“This thing needs to be tough. It has to work reliably in very dangerous environments and be safe for the firefighter to wear,” she said. “Future teams could focus on things like thermal analysis, impact testing and validating the safety of the materials.”
While the project may not yet be ready for real-world deployment, Beyreis and her team said the College of Engineering’s senior design experience provided a valuable look at real-world engineering.
“It was just really cool to work on something that could actually make a difference,” she said. “Getting to solve real problems, work with a team and talk directly with people in the field is what engineering is all about.”
Every major in the College of Engineering includes a capstone experience. The course immerses student teams in hands-on design projects, many for industry clients. Student teams then display their projects at the Winter or Spring Senior Design Expo.
Companies interested in partnering with the College of Engineering on a Senior Design project can learn more at its Industry Connections page.
