ISE Capstone Design Team Develops a Smart Pottery Assistant

In January, ISE majors Hala Raslan, Belen Palacios, and Olivia Robinson will graduate, confident that they — and "PotteryPal," their senior capstone design project — face bright futures. 

While each of the students had tried a pottery class or two for fun, none of them considered themselves potters. Still, they chose their PotteryPal project, Raslan remembers, of this shared interest in pottery — and a hope that they might make the art more accessible and beginner-friendly by developing a smart pottery assistant.

"PotteryPal provides potters with real-time pottery thickness and shape measurements, analysis, and feedback. Ultrasonic and LiDAR sensors are mounted near the pottery wheel to capture wall thickness and shape while the clay is being manipulated. A web dashboard displays live readings and renderings, so potters can work more precisely to avoid cracks and collapse," Raslan says. 

She adds that while "PotteryPal is currently tuned to wheel-thrown vessels, its sensing and software approach can be adapted for ceramicists who need consistent thickness in building tiles or other section-built forms."

Resolving Project Challenges

The team faced a significant physical challenge when it came to determining how to get accurate sensor readings from a rotating, wet clay surface. They met this challenge by experimenting with sensor placements, building a stable mount, and redesigning some of the interfaces to make results easier to interpret. Team members agreed that each challenge pushed them to be more creative and practical with their design choices. 

Jules Garder, a graduate student who teaches an undergraduate ceramics course at Rutgers Mason Gross School of the Arts, mentored the team. "She helped us share PotteryPal into a tool that's as practical and intuitive for both new and advanced users," Raslan recalls. 

"Engineering with art," as Raslan puts it, was "genuinely refreshing. Getting to test the system on real pottery made the project feel alive and exciting, and it was especially rewarding to see our ideas turn into something of actual use."

Since PotteryPal can produce more consistent results with an enhanced level of precision, Raslan, Palacios, and Robinson predict it has the potential for further development. 

Future versions, Raslan says, "could use additional sensors for full-3D shape modeling, intergrate AI to analyze pottery profiles, and develop a pottery library, including a database of preset pottery shapes users can make themselves."

While each of the team members were attracted to majoring in ISE for reasons ranging from its flexibility and variety to its mix of technical skills, problem-solving, and real-world impact, Raslan maintains that being ISE majors "gave us a problem-solver's mindset. We learned how to break down messy processes, design practical solutions, and see the bigger picture in how things work. It feels like a major that prepares you for any industry."