University of Cincinnati

04/09/2026 | Press release | Distributed by Public on 04/10/2026 01:00

A picture-perfect finish for innovation at CEAS EXPO 2026

A picture-perfect finish for innovation at CEAS EXPO 2026

Multispectral camera Kromico earned the prestigious 1819 Innovation Award

4 minute read April 9, 2026 Share on Facebook Share on Twitter Share on LinkedIn Share on Reddit Print StoryLike

Innovative projects led the way during the CEAS EXPO 2026 presented by DRT Holdings, a signature event where graduating seniors in the University of Cincinnati's College of Engineering and Applied Science present their groundbreaking capstone projects.

Alongside 21 Marmon Holdings-sponsored prizes, the 1819 Innovation Hub presented its own award, showcasing the design with the greatest originality, innovative use of technology, impact potential and presentation. In a tight race of student-powered progress, multispectral camera Kromico took home the 1819 Innovation Award.

Kromico: Integrated multispectral camera

Team members: Nate Bolin, Alba Samsami, Jon Scheckel and Alex Smith

Kromico carried home the 1819 Innovation Award for inventing a compact camera that takes high-quality, multi-wavelength photos without excess parts like cables and a laptop. It can capture crisp images showing both visible and invisible light due to a high-resolution monochrome sensor and a motorized filter wheel that quickly switches between different light filters.

A close-up shot of the Kromico camera. Photo/Mary Dwyer

Multispectral cameras, which show both visible and invisible wavelengths of light, are usually bulky, need extra parts and demand specialized knowledge to begin. Not so with Kromico.

"Traditional [multispectral] setups require a lot of research, a lot of building and a lot of industry information to get started," says Jon Scheckel, Kromico's team lead and optomechanical engineer. "Our camera is compact - it's easier to use, everything is all inside of the box. All you need is to power it and you can take it."

Kromico allows users to easily take true-color images with calibrated color filters, making it ideal in fields such as astronomy, environmental monitoring, materials science and forensics work. These disciplines often require highly specialized pictures showing both visible and invisible light, making Kromico's build not just innovative but effective.

Made at the makerspace

Projects at the CEAS EXPO didn't come together on their own - they required immense creativity, Bearcat talent and access to top-tier resources. Many CEAS students used the 1819 Ground Floor Makerspace to bring their projects to life, leveraging the tools and equipment at Greater Cincinnati's largest making facility.

Person taking a photo of the Kromico camera. Photo/Mary Dwyer

With over 12,000 square feet of workspace spanning everything from 3D printers and laser cutters to CNC machines and woodworking equipment, the 1819 Makerspace offered nearly everything for CEAS students to succeed. On top of that, Bearcats benefit from skill certifications and personalized guidance from professional makers.

Kromico team members headed to the 1819 Makerspace to build most components of their camera. "We used many resources at the makerspace, primarily the mill, the manual mill and the metalshop," Scheckel says. "That was how we made the majority of our critical structure parts."

The CEAS EXPO was packed with phenomenal and high-impact projects, highlighting Bearcat students' engineering expertise. Kromico took home the prize, but the deep bench of advanced designs shown at Fifth Third Arena reveal that innovation runs deep at UC.

Featured image at top: Kromico team winning its award at the CEAS EXPO 2026. Photo/Mary Dwyer

Innovation Lives Here

The University of Cincinnati is leading public urban universities into a new era of innovation and impact. Our faculty, staff and students are saving lives, changing outcomes and bending the future in our city's direction. Next Lives Here.

Related Stories

1

UC Aerocats soar to new heights in elite flight competition

March 30, 2026

The University of Cincinnati Aerocats club built a plane from scratch and flew it all the way to a fourth-place finish in the regular class during the SAE Aero Design East Competition in Lakeland, Florida.

2

Bearcats Racing speeds toward a victorious season

April 12, 2025

Bearcats Motorsports, Bearcats Baja and Bearcats EV are racing to build winning car models at UC's 1819 Innovation Hub as competition season approaches.

3

CEAS Expo unveils inaugural innovation awards - discover the winners

April 11, 2025

During the CEAS Expo's first-ever 1819 Innovation Awards, five groundbreaking inventions received recognition. Learn about prize winners from the CEAS Expo and their transformative projects.

University of Cincinnati published this content on April 09, 2026, and is solely responsible for the information contained herein. Distributed via Public Technologies (PUBT), unedited and unaltered, on April 10, 2026 at 07:00 UTC. If you believe the information included in the content is inaccurate or outdated and requires editing or removal, please contact us at [email protected]