VIRGINIA STATE UNIVERSITY RESEARCH FOUNDATION

The 2024 Program Accomplishments for Virginia State University Research Foundation(VSURF), are as follows. The College of Engineering and Technology has hosted numerous impactful events, highlighted by student achievements supported by VSURF grants, either during the current or previous tax years. The Virginia State University Lunabotics team recently showcased their capabilities at the 2025 NASA Lunabotics Challenge, held at Kennedy Space Center in Florida from May 20 to May 22, 2025. Notably, VSU was the only Historically Black College or University (HBCU) represented and one of only three teams from Virginia selected for this rigorous competition. The NASA Lunabotics Challenge is a two-semester systems engineering competition aligned with NASA's Artemis Campaign. It encourages students to engage in robotics and space exploration by designing and building robots capable of navigating and performing tasks on a simulated lunar surface. Robots must operate both autonomously and under remote control, simulating real lunar exploration and construction tasks. The VSU team, composed of 15 students from the Computer Engineering, Computer Science, Manufacturing Engineering, and Mechanical Engineering Technology programs, successfully designed and built a versatile robot. Their robot performed exceptionally well, completing all required tasks and finishing strong in the competition. This achievement highlights VSU's growing reputation in advanced engineering disciplines, reinforcing the university's commitment to providing students with exceptional opportunities for excellence in engineering and computer science. Another milestone for the College was hosting the First International Hackathon, which brought together students from Virginia State University (VSU), National Taipei University (NTPU), and the Technical University of Moldova (TUM) from November 4 to November 11, 2024. The event was a resounding success, offering students a unique global learning experience. A total of 85 students participated-19 from NTPU, 30 from TUM, and 35 from VSU. The students formed 15 teams, 12 of which submitted final solutions demonstrating creativity, hard work, and innovation. The competition was judged by seven experts who provided invaluable feedback, enhancing the participants' experience. Three teams emerged as winners, showcasing exceptional collaboration, ingenuity, and talent. The event's impact was evident as students shared their certificates of participation, signed by the deans, on social med In another notable accomplishment, five VSU students won first place in the 8th Annual Advancing Minorities' Interest in Engineering (AMIE) Design Challenge. The competition, held at the 39th Black Engineer of the Year (BEYA) STEM Conference on February 14, 2025, in Baltimore, Maryland, brought together 13 teams of top HBCU engineering students to develop technology-driven solutions for real-world challenges. VSU's team earned first place with their project, *"G-Mo" (Grow-More)*, an innovative system designed to help small-scale farmers maximize crop yields. The system integrates embedded sensors, machine learning, digital twin technology, and AI to analyze soil conditions. Using real-time data on moisture, temperature, and humidity, the system provides actionable insights via a digital twin app, simulating farm conditions and offering recommendations. During their presentation, the team showcased a compelling video of the technology in action and confidently answered questions from the judges, demonstrating their technical expertise and problem-solving skills. This victory marks a historic first for VSU, surpassing their previous best finish of third place in the competition's nine-year history. In recognition of their success, the team and the College of Engineering and Technology received a cash prize to further develop their project, with potential funding for commercialization. The team was also invited to present their work at Prairie View A&M University during the AMIE Annual Conference in September, where they connected with industry leaders, researchers, and potential investors.