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A picture-perfect finish for innovation at CEAS EXPO 2026

Multispectral camera Kromico earned the prestigious 1819 Innovation Award

headshot of Stephen Kenney By Stephen Kenney
4 minute read April 9, 2026

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

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

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

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