Engineering and business students collaborate to build modifiable exercise equipment 

Curls, rows, flies and pulldowns are cornerstones in many workout routines, but what if each could be performed with one machine?   

Wills Crook, a senior in the Department of Industrial and Systems Engineering (ISE) with a minor in Business Engineering Technology, and a team of six undergraduate engineering and business students developed the Infinity Flex, a modifiable cable attachment for a multitude of upper body exercises. Crook and his team completed market discovery for the product at the Auburn Recreation and Wellness Center.   

The team’s engineering and marketing knowledge helped develop a product that caters to gym-goers everywhere. According to Crook, Infinity Flex’s simplicity warrants easy accessibility to any workout.    

Crook collaborated with mechanical engineering seniors Nick Smith and Ford Watson, ISE senior Brock Baker and two seniors from the Harbert College of Business, management major, Conner Knighten and supply chain management major, Walker Hartfield.  

One of the most difficult mental processes during the development of the Infinity Flex was working through the theoretical designs and materials, according to Crook.   

“We had to spend a long time with design and figuring out the necessary materials needed, and then actually figuring out how to build the product,” he said.   

Once they finalized an initial design, they developed a financing plan and purchased materials to build a prototype. Using 3D printing, they identified the best parts for cable machine weights, settling on telescoping steel rods. They then structured the rods, attached hinges and used a water jet to add handles, creating the finished prototype.   

Crook flexed his engineering and business muscles to design the product and build a marketing plan.   

“We combined product development engineering and actually developing a legitimate business model through a physical product, customer discovery, and research,” he said.   

The Infinity Flex taught Crook various skills and concepts from aspects of engineering and business. According to Crook, he will carry this project with him into future work.  

“The Infinity Flex helped me learn more about product design and development, as well as some marketing techniques and business model concepts that I can take with me into the professional world,” he said.   

Auburn has been a key component of Crooks’ success. He credits ISE for his academic and professional readiness.  

“Auburn has been instrumental in my development as a person and student and has prepared me well for a professional career,” he said. “Auburn provides many rigorous classes and great professors in industrial and systems engineering. I feel equipped with plenty of technical skills and experience that has helped me grow in the engineering and business world.”