Harvard Athletics’ Lael Ayala has ingeniously combined her love for softball and engineering in her senior thesis project. The mechanical engineering student and outfielder developed an autonomous robot designed to locate and collect softballs in the outfield during practice drills.
Professor Seymur Hasanov, who advised Ayala on the project, noted her strong motivation to solve a practical issue related to her sport using her engineering skills. Despite the time-consuming nature of retrieving balls, Ayala managed her packed schedule, balancing her commitments to softball, engineering, Army ROTC, and other activities.
Ayala expressed gratitude for the opportunity to blend her two main interests, stating that the Ivy League’s support allowed her to pursue diverse passions while competing athletically. Her invention, a softball-collecting robot akin to a Roomba, was developed using machine learning techniques to identify softballs, and it effectively gathered an average of 6.5 balls per session.
Through iterations of the project, Ayala enhanced her technical abilities and confidence, making significant strides in both engineering and design. Her experiences in ROTC also equipped her with valuable leadership skills, which she applied to both military and softball contexts.
Following graduation, Ayala is set to undergo cadet summer training and will be commissioned as an Army officer. She also aims to advance her startup, Gander Robotics, focusing on creating autonomous underwater drones for maritime search and rescue operations.
Original Source: news.harvard.edu
