It’s that time of year again!

Time for Stevens’ student innovators to show off all the amazing projects they’ve been cooking up in classrooms, labs, dorms and backyards throughout the academic year.

This year’s Stevens Innovation Expo takes place May 9 across campus, showcasing the best of our student ingenuity, art and music. Trust us — you’ll want to be there.

Still need convincing? Here’s a sneak peek at eight cool projects picked from the 200-plus capstone projects that will be on display.

1. The Best Exam

Breast self-exams are super important for early cancer detection, but they’re not always reliable, especially for women with denser breast tissue. And we all know early detection can make all the difference when it comes to treatment.

That’s why a clever team of Stevens biomedical engineers has built a better way. Team DensiSense will unveil a prototype device that clips lightly onto the chest, using smart sensors and AI to detect abnormalities that might be missed by hand. Students Avery Aquino, Meredith Czurlanis, Sonali Dalwadi, Ilana Plager and Simran Salem make up the team, advised by Professor Sally Shady.

2. The Weed-Busting Bot

The home gardener and the industrial corporate farmer each face a common foe that can bring either one to their (literal) knees: weeds. They’re annoying in your backyard garden — and can be a billion-dollar headache for large-scale farms.

Enter student team G.R.O.W. (Green Robotics for Optimal Weeding). They’ve developed a foot-high robot that drives itself around and uses a depth camera, LiDAR scanning and AI to spot and pluck weeds, leaving the good stuff to grow strong. Abigail Izzo, Jason McCauley, Atharva Shaligram, Eli Shtindler and Christopher Spadavecchia worked with professors Yi Guo and Kevin Lu on this garden game-changer.

3. The Parking-Spot Finder

We’ve all been there –circling endlessly around Manhattan blocks or, say, some anonymous campus parking lot (Eighth Street), watching minutes tick by as you’re running late for class or a meeting. It’s the worst.

That’s where ROOST comes in (short for “Real-time Optical Open-Spot Tracking”). This smart system from Stevens students uses cameras to continuously monitor open and occupied parking spots in real-time, letting you know exactly where the open spaces are. It can even save you a spot before you arrive! The system comes from students Frank Genderson, Alan Manjarrez, Kavin Mohan, John Shea and Joris Wilson, advised by professor Hong Man.

4. The Doggo Boundary-Builder

Got a pup that’s a little too adventurous? Team Boundless Buddy has the fix. They’ve created an app that works with sensors built into a dog-walking harness to geofence your pet – no hands or harsh training methods required. Unlike shock collars — which, let’s face it, aren’t very nice — this system uses gentle sound and vibration warnings to let your dog know they’re going too far. And you can always grab the real leash if your furry friend decides not to listen. (But your dog wouldn’t do that. He’s a good boy!)

This pet-friendly tech comes from students Megan Curtis, Martin Da Silva, Jessica Guerrero, Emma Ruiz and Lily Stanwyck, advised by Professor Frank Fisher and researcher Louis Oh.

5. The Super Skateboard

This isn’t your average skateboard – it’s a custom-designed “commuter skateboard” build for the challenges of urban travel. Its cool features include electric power (rendering hills powerless), all-wheel suspension (to handle those pesky potholes and curbs) and other city-savvy innovations.

This slick ride was designed by students Cameron Domenico, Thomas Haemmerle, Scott Herzberg, Evan Jinks and Lauren Morrissey, with professor Maxine Fontaine advising.

6. The Power Walk

Imagine charging your phone just by walking down the street! That’s exactly what the PowerStep team has made possible. Their innovative footwear captures the energy you generate with each step and converts it into power that can charge your devices.

How do they do it? With some clever piezoelectric technology that turns movement into electricity. This ingenious concept comes from students Erjon Bushka, Matthew Casey, Jaleesha Gutierrez and Carlos Valverde, with professor Yong Shi helping them step up their game.

7. The Anti-Drowsy Driving Cap

WakeMate is a seriously cool trucker-style cap that monitors your brainwaves while you’re driving. Other sensors keep tabs on your skin and blood oxygen levels. When the system notices you’re getting sleepy, it gives you a verbal wake-up call, encouraging you to pull over and park it for a catnap. It’s road safety reimagined.

This potentially life-saving wearable was created by students Anthony Giller, Braedan Joyce, Jack Martinek and Liam Rodgers, advised by the professorial trio of Hao Chen, Feng Liu and Onur Asan.

8. The Peanut Detector

Time out for a serious PSA: Peanut allergies can be deadly, and they’re on the rise. Even worse, peanut proteins often hide in foods you wouldn’t suspect.

Now Stevens senior team PAID (Peanut Allergen Identification Device) is on the case. Advised by Peter Popolo, students Emma Brooks, Katelyn Moncion, Brisnid Pardo and Caleb Philip are designing a device that analyzes foods and predicts with high likelihood whether they might contain even a trace of those dangerous nuts.

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And, somehow, that's just the tip of the iceberg!

The Expo will showcase hundreds more projects — engineering plans for train stations, piers and wetlands; a drone designed to explore Venus; an autonomous sub that picks up packages on the sea floor; affordable prosthetics for children in war-torn nations; apps to help local restaurants manage their business; glasses that help visually impaired people navigate obstacles; and tons of chemical and biological breakthroughs.

Plus, AI innovations galore. Not to mention art, music and technology projects and the annual concert on the campus quad.

As a special bonus, this year marks the 10th anniversary of the Ansary Entrepreneurship Competition — where student teams pitch their ideas, Shark Tank–style, on the stage at DeBaun Auditorium for a chance to win serious cash (top prize: a cool $10,000). And, yes, the fun Gallois Autonomous Robot Competition — wherein student teams pivot mini motorized and wheeled robots around a devious obstacle course (also for cash prizes) — will be back, too.

Mark your calendars: May 9. Be there or be square.