... a graduate project?
all you need to do is put a container on a simple pivoting assembly so it will always hang straight downwards. you could build one in an evening. maybe add some friction to the pivots for a damping effect so it wouldn't swing around too much on uneven surfaces... but still I hardly think that would cut it as a graduate project by itself...
and... why couldn't you just put the liquid in a sealed container? then it wouldn't drip no matter how you tilted it.
unless there is something you're not telling us about it...