The team in front of one of FPL substations after the PDR presentation.

On Monday, October 20, 2025, the team traveled to one of FPL substations in Venice, FL, to present our Preliminary Design Report (PDR) to our project liaisons. After an early morning drive from Gainesville, we met our liaisons in person and successfully presented our progress. We received valuable feedback, including a key recommendation to design for a 3-ton load instead of a 9-ton load, as it’s more representative of typical field applications. This adjustment will help us create a more practical and effective solution for linemen.

Following the presentation, we toured the substation and got hands-on experience with various hoists and conductor grips used in the field. Seeing and handling these tools provided a clearer understanding of the real-world challenges linemen face. Afterwards, our liaisons kindly treated us to lunch at a local waterfront restaurant, where we enjoyed great food and conversation about both work and life. Lastly, the team got the opportunity to spend some time on the white sand beaches of Sarasota before the journey back to Gainesville.

We’d like to thank our liaisons — Natasha Zbib, Justin Kissel, Olivia Meingasner, and John Redmann — for their continued guidance and support. This process would not be possible without them, and for that we are forever grateful. Looking ahead, we’ll refine our 3-ton automatic conductor hoist design and continue developing our prototype for Prototype Inspection Day on November 4. Exciting progress is on the horizon for LineTech!