capstone project ideas for mechanical engineering

99+ Mechanical Engineering Capstone Project Ideas

• Post author By admin
• February 13, 2024

Welcome to our helpful guide on Mechanical Engineering Capstone Project Ideas! As you reach the end of your mechanical engineering studies, you’re probably excited to start a project that shows what you’ve learned and how creative you can be.

We will explore many project ideas designed especially for mechanical engineering students like you.

In the mechanical engineering world, you can do tons of cool projects. Whether you like robots, renewable energy, planes, cars, or something else, we’ve gathered many fun ideas to get you thinking.

From designing new machines to improving existing ones, each idea is meant to challenge you and inspire you to think big

As you read through this blog, we aim to give you ideas and tips to help you start your project. Whether you’re working on a final-year assignment, trying to solve real problems, or just want to learn more about engineering, we have plenty of ideas and resources to help you. 

So, let’s dive in and discover the exciting world of Mechanical Engineering Capstone Project Ideas together.

Table of Contents

List of 100 Mechanical Engineering Capstone Project Ideas

Here’s a list of 100 Mechanical Engineering Capstone Project Ideas categorized into different types:

Renewable Energy

• Solar-powered vehicle design and prototyping
• Wind turbine optimization for efficiency
• Hydroelectric power generation system development
• Biomass energy conversion technology
• Geothermal heating and cooling system design

Automotive Engineering

•  Electric vehicle charging infrastructure development
• Autonomous vehicle navigation and control system
• Fuel-efficient engine design and optimization
• Vehicle aerodynamics enhancement for fuel economy
• Noise and vibration reduction in automotive systems

Aerospace Engineering

• Unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) design and testing
• Satellite propulsion system optimization
• Aircraft wing design for improved aerodynamics
• Spacecraft thermal protection system development
• Rocket engine performance analysis and enhancement

NOTE: “ 60+ Inspiring Capstone Project Ideas for STEM Students: Unlocking Excellence “

Manufacturing and Automation

•  Automated assembly line design and implementation
• Robotics for material handling and sorting
• CNC machine tool optimization for precision machining
• Additive manufacturing process optimization
• Quality control system development for manufacturing processes

Biomechanics and Medical Devices

•  Prosthetic limb design and development
• Wearable health monitoring device design
• Rehabilitation robotics for physical therapy
• Biomedical imaging technology enhancement
• Orthopedic implant materials optimization

Energy Efficiency and Sustainability

• Building energy management system development
• HVAC system optimization for energy efficiency
• Energy-efficient lighting system design
• Smart grid technology for renewable energy integration
• Waste heat recovery system design and implementation

Fluid Dynamics and Heat Transfer

•  Heat exchanger design and performance optimization
• Computational fluid dynamics (CFD) analysis of airflow in HVAC systems
• Fluid flow control in piping systems
• Thermal management system design for electronic devices
• Turbomachinery design and performance analysis

Materials Science and Engineering

• Composite materials development for lightweight structures
• 3D printing of advanced materials for aerospace applications
• Nanomaterials for energy storage and conversion
• Corrosion-resistant coatings development
• Biomaterials for medical implants and devices

Control Systems and Robotics

• Autonomous underwater vehicle (AUV) navigation and control
• Swarm robotics for cooperative tasks
• Control system design for industrial automation
• Robotic exoskeleton for rehabilitation and assistance
• Adaptive control algorithms for dynamic systems

NOTE: “ 90+ Inspiring Capstone Project Ideas For Civil Engineering: Building Dreams “

Structural Engineering

•  Seismic retrofitting of existing structures
• Structural health monitoring system development
• Lightweight structural materials for transportation applications
• Bridge design and analysis for resilience and sustainability
• Finite element analysis (FEA) of complex structures

Environmental Engineering

•  Water purification system design and optimization
• Air pollution control technology development
• Waste management and recycling process optimization
• Green building design and certification
• Sustainable urban infrastructure planning and design

Fluid Power Systems

•  Hydraulic system design for heavy machinery
• Pneumatic actuator optimization for automation applications
• Fluid power energy recovery systems
• Electrohydraulic servo systems for precise control
• Fluid power system fault diagnosis and troubleshooting

Thermal Systems Engineering

• Solar thermal energy storage system design
• Combined heat and power (CHP) system optimization
• Thermal energy storage materials for renewable energy applications
• Refrigeration system design for cold chain logistics
• Waste heat utilization in industrial processes

Instrumentation and Measurement

•  Sensor development for environmental monitoring
• Instrumentation system design for aerospace testing
• Non-destructive testing (NDT) techniques for materials inspection
• Data acquisition and analysis system for performance testing
• Calibration system development for precision instruments

Machine Design and Analysis

•  Gearbox design and optimization for efficiency and reliability
• Bearing system analysis and improvement for rotating machinery
• Linkage mechanism design for robotic applications
• Vibration analysis and mitigation in mechanical systems
• Kinematic analysis of complex mechanical assemblies

Electromechanical Systems

•  Electromagnetic energy harvesting device development
• Electric motor design and optimization
• Piezoelectric energy harvesting system for renewable energy
• Electromechanical actuator design for aerospace applications
• Electromechanical braking system for automotive safety

Human Factors Engineering

•  Ergonomic design of workplace environments
• Human-robot interaction studies for collaborative robotics
• User interface design for medical devices and equipment
• Safety system design for hazardous environments
• Cognitive workload analysis in complex human-machine systems

Transportation Engineering

•  Traffic flow simulation and optimization for urban planning
• Intelligent transportation systems (ITS) for traffic management
• Railway track design and maintenance optimization
• Air traffic management system optimization
• Autonomous cargo delivery system design for logistics

Robotics and Automation Systems

• Robotic manipulator design and control for industrial applications
• Autonomous agricultural robot for precision farming
• Swarm robotics for search and rescue missions
• Soft robotics for delicate object manipulation
• Humanoid robot design for human-robot interaction studies

Renewable Energy Systems

• Wave energy converter design and testing
• Tidal turbine optimization for marine energy extraction
• Biomass gasification system for renewable power generation
• Solar tracking system design for maximum energy capture
• Hybrid renewable energy system integration for off-grid applications

These project ideas include many different topics and uses in mechanical engineering. They give students many chances to explore and develop new ideas for their capstone projects.

Why Choose a Good Capstone Project Idea?

Choosing a good capstone project idea is crucial for several reasons.

Real-world relevance

A good capstone project idea allows students to work on real-world problems or challenges faced by industries or communities. This experience helps bridge the gap between academic knowledge and practical application, preparing students for future careers.

Skill enhancement

Engaging in a meaningful project allows students to apply and enhance the knowledge and skills they acquire throughout their academic journey. It will enable them to gain hands-on experience in problem-solving, critical thinking, project management, and teamwork.

Career Preparation

A well-chosen capstone project can significantly enhance a student’s portfolio and resume. Completing a project demonstrating practical skills and innovative thinking can impress potential employers and give students a competitive edge in the job market.

Personal interest and motivation

Students are more likely to be motivated and engaged When they work on a project that aligns with their interests and passions. This intrinsic motivation often leads to higher-quality work and a more fulfilling learning experience.

Networking opportunities

Capstone projects often mean working with people from companies, mentors, or classmates. Doing a project that matters gives students chances to make connections with others. These connections can help them in their future jobs.

In summary, choosing a good capstone project idea is essential because it provides students real-world experience, enhances their skills, prepares them for their careers, keeps them motivated, and offers networking opportunities.

Things to Think About When Choosing a Capstone Project Idea

Several factors should be considered when choosing a capstone project idea to ensure its success and effectiveness.

Personal Interest

Choose a project that you like and care about. Working on something you’re genuinely interested in will keep you excited and focused during the project.

Feasibility

Consider whether you can do the project considering time, what you need, and what you already know. Pick a project you can complete within your school’s requirements and time.

Evaluate the potential impact of the project. Aim to work on projects that have the potential to make a meaningful contribution to your field of study, industry, or community.

Resources Available

Assess available resources, including equipment, facilities, mentorship, and funding. Choose a project that can be effectively supported with the available resources.

Alignment with Career Goals

Think about how the project fits with what you want to achieve. Pick a project that helps you learn useful things for the job you want later on.

Interdisciplinary Opportunities

Explore opportunities for interdisciplinary collaboration. Consider projects integrating knowledge and skills from multiple disciplines, providing a broader and more holistic learning experience .

Support and Mentorship

Seek out projects that offer support and mentorship from faculty members, industry professionals, or other experts. Having guidance throughout the project can help you navigate challenges and achieve success.

Innovation and Creativity

Look for projects that encourage innovation and creativity. Choose ideas that allow you to explore new concepts, technologies, or approaches within your field.

By considering these factors when choosing a capstone project idea, you can select a personally rewarding and academically valuable project.

Final Thoughts

Lastly, selecting a mechanical engineering capstone project idea is pivotal for a student’s academic and professional growth. A well-chosen project provides a platform to apply theoretical knowledge and fosters critical problem-solving, innovation, and collaboration skills.

By carefully considering factors like personal interest, feasibility, and potential impact, students can embark on projects that align with their career aspirations and contribute meaningfully to their field. 

Students can unleash their creativity and make significant strides in mechanical engineering through dedication, perseverance, and guidance from mentors.

As students delve into their capstone projects, they are urged to embrace the challenges, seek mentors’ support, and effectively leverage available resources.

This journey marks a pivotal moment in their academic journey, preparing them to transition into the workforce as competent, innovative professionals ready to tackle tomorrow’s engineering challenges.

What is a capstone project in mechanical engineering?

A capstone project in mechanical engineering is a culminating academic experience where students work on a significant project that integrates their knowledge and skills acquired throughout their degree program. It typically involves solving real-world engineering problems or developing innovative solutions.

Why are capstone projects important in mechanical engineering?

Capstone projects matter in mechanical engineering because they let students use what they’ve learned in real-life situations. They also help students learn important skills like solving problems, thinking critically, managing projects, and working in teams, which are useful for future jobs.

How do I choose a good capstone project idea?

When choosing a capstone project idea, consider factors such as your interests, feasibility, potential impact, alignment with career goals, available resources, and opportunities for interdisciplinary collaboration. Select a realistic, achievable project that allows you to develop skills relevant to your desired career path.

What are some examples of mechanical engineering capstone project ideas?

Examples of mechanical engineering capstone project ideas include designing and fabricating an autonomous vehicle, developing a renewable energy system, optimizing manufacturing processes, designing a prosthetic limb, and simulating fluid dynamics in a turbocharged engine.

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Recent Posts

Top 151+ Mechanical Engineering Capstone Project Ideas

Welcome to our guide on Mechanical Engineering Capstone Project Ideas! You’re in the right place if you’re a mechanical engineering student preparing for your last project. Capstone projects are a big deal in your school journey. 

They are your chance to show all the skills and knowledge you’ve learned throughout your studies. This blog will help you select the ideal final project idea. We’ll discuss why picking an interesting, possible, and impactful project is important.

Whether you’re interested in renewable energy, robots, sustainable transportation, biomechanics, or advanced materials, we’ve covered you with different project ideas to get your creativity going. So, let’s dive in and explore some exciting possibilities for your mechanical engineering capstone project!

Why is Choosing a Good Capstone Project Ideas Important?

Table of Contents

Here are a few key reasons why choosing a good capstone project idea is important:

• Lets you apply what you’ve learned. The capstone project allows you to use all the skills and knowledge you’ve gained in your program.
• Builds expertise. By diving deep into a topic, you can become an expert on something that interests you.
• Shows your skills. A great capstone project highlights your abilities to potential employers.
• Expand your network. Capstone projects often involve working with external organizations or communities.
• Drives personal growth. An in-depth project helps build planning, critical thinking, and problem-solving skills.
• Creates a sense of accomplishment. The capstone is a major milestone that shows you’ve achieved your degree.
• Select a topic you’re passionate about. This provides motivation and a satisfying finish to your academic journey.

In short, choosing a capstone project that excites you allows you to fully demonstrate your new skills and abilities while preparing for your future career.

What Are The Factors To Consider When Choosing A Capstone Project? 

Here are some simple tips on choosing your capstone engineering project:

Pick a Topic You’re Passionate About

Choose something you find interesting! You’ll enjoy the project more and stay motivated.

Make Sure It’s Feasible

Don’t pick ideas that are too complex or expensive. Ensure you have the skills, time, and resources to complete it.

Aim for Real-World Impact

Pick a project that solves a real problem or improves lives. This will make your work more meaningful.

Talk to Your Professor

Ask for their advice on project ideas that fit the course requirements. Their guidance is invaluable.

Start Brainstorming Early

Give yourself plenty of time to develop creative ideas and research. Don’t leave it to the last minute.

Be Original

Avoid picking the same projects as others. Come up with fresh, innovative ideas to stand out.

Stay Organized

Make deadlines and track progress. Good time management is key to finishing successfully.

Hope these simple tips help you choose an awesome final project! Let me know if you need any other advice.

151+ Mechanical Engineering Capstone Project Ideas

Here’s a list of 151+ mechanical engineering capstone project ideas for students:

• Design and prototype a low-cost, portable water purification system.
• Develop a smart irrigation system using IoT sensors and actuators.
• Design a solar-powered refrigerator for off-grid communities.
• Create a drone-based package delivery system for urban areas.
• Develop an automated vertical farming system for urban agriculture.
• Design a low-cost prosthetic limb with adjustable settings for different activities.
• Develop a wearable device for monitoring and improving posture.
• Design and build a small-scale wind turbine for residential use.
• Develop a bicycle-sharing system with integrated GPS tracking and locking mechanisms.
• Design a compact, energy-efficient home heating system using renewable energy sources.
• Create a robotic exoskeleton to assist with lifting heavy objects.
• Design a pneumatic-powered wheelchair for off-road use.
• Develop a smart helmet for motorcyclists with built-in communication and safety features.
• Design an autonomous vehicle for agricultural tasks such as planting and harvesting.
• Create a modular construction system for building temporary shelters in disaster areas.
• Develop a noise-canceling system for reducing cabin noise in airplanes.
• Design a self-balancing electric scooter for urban commuting.
• Create a smart home energy management system for optimizing energy usage.
• Develop a device for extracting water from air humidity in arid regions.
• Design a low-cost, portable ultrasound machine for medical diagnostics in rural areas.
• Create a solar-powered desalination system for producing drinking water from seawater.
• Develop a low-cost, energy-efficient cooking stove for use in developing countries.
• Design a waste-to-energy conversion system for small-scale applications.
• Create a modular, expandable furniture system for small apartments.
• Develop a wearable device for monitoring vital signs and alerting emergency services in case of medical emergencies.
• Design a low-cost, portable electrocardiogram (ECG) machine for remote healthcare monitoring.
• Develop a smart traffic management system for optimizing traffic flow in cities.
• Create a low-cost, portable water filtration system for disaster relief operations.
• Design an automated system for sorting and recycling household waste.
• Develop a wearable device for monitoring and improving sleep quality.
• Design a low-cost, scalable wind energy harvesting system for rural electrification.
• Create a device for detecting and alerting air pollution levels in real time.
• Develop a smart irrigation system for precision agriculture.
• Design a compact, portable power generator for camping and outdoor activities.
• Create a device for monitoring and reducing energy consumption in households.
• Develop a robotic system for inspecting and maintaining bridges and pipelines.
• Design a low-cost, portable medical imaging device for use in remote areas.
• Create a device for monitoring and improving indoor air quality.
• Develop a smart home automation system for elderly care and assistance.
• Design a low-cost, portable device for diagnosing infectious diseases in resource-limited settings.
• Create a system for converting food waste into biogas for cooking.
• Develop a wearable device for monitoring and preventing workplace injuries.
• Design a compact, portable water desalination system for disaster relief.
• Create a device for monitoring and reducing water usage in households.
• Develop a robotic system for inspecting and maintaining solar panels.
• Design a low-cost, portable device for detecting water contaminants in rural areas.
• Create a system for monitoring and optimizing energy usage in commercial buildings.
• Develop a smart waste management system for optimizing garbage collection routes.
• Design a portable, self-contained medical clinic for use in remote areas.
• Create a device for monitoring and reducing energy usage in industrial settings.
• Develop a system for converting agricultural waste into biochar for soil improvement.
• Design a low-cost, portable device for diagnosing respiratory diseases in children.
• Create a device for monitoring and reducing fuel consumption in vehicles.
• Develop a robotic system for cleaning and maintaining solar panels.
• Design a compact, portable device for detecting lead contamination in water.
• Create a system for monitoring and optimizing energy usage in data centers.
• Develop a smart lighting system for reducing energy consumption in buildings.
• Design a low-cost, portable device for detecting pesticide residues in food.
• Create a device for monitoring and reducing water usage in agriculture.
• Develop a system for converting organic waste into biogas for cooking.
• Design a compact, portable device for diagnosing malaria in remote areas.
• Create a device for monitoring and reducing energy usage in schools.
• Develop a robotic system for inspecting and maintaining wind turbines.
• Design a low-cost, portable device for testing soil fertility in agriculture.
• Create a system for monitoring and optimizing energy usage in hospitals.
• Develop a smart transportation system for optimizing public transit routes.
• Design a compact, portable device for detecting heavy metal contamination in water.
• Create a device for monitoring and reducing energy usage in office buildings.
• Develop a robotic system for harvesting fruits and vegetables in agriculture.
• Design a low-cost, portable device for diagnosing diabetes in rural areas.
• Create a system for monitoring and optimizing energy usage in hotels.
• Develop a smart waste sorting system for recycling facilities.
• Design a compact, portable device for testing water quality in rivers and lakes.
• Create a device for monitoring and reducing energy usage in retail stores.
• Develop a robotic system for sorting and recycling plastic waste.
• Design a low-cost, portable device for diagnosing tuberculosis in developing countries.
• Create a system for monitoring and optimizing energy usage in airports.
• Develop a smart parking system for optimizing parking space usage in cities.
• Design a compact, portable device for detecting air pollution levels in urban areas.
• Create a device for monitoring and reducing energy usage in warehouses.
• Develop a robotic system for sorting and recycling paper waste.
• Design a low-cost, portable device for diagnosing HIV/AIDS in resource-limited settings.
• Create a system for monitoring and optimizing energy usage in shopping malls.
• Develop a smart traffic signal system for reducing congestion in cities.
• Design a compact, portable device for testing water quality in wells.
• Create a device for monitoring and reducing energy usage in stadiums.
• Develop a robotic system for sorting and recycling glass waste.
• Design a low-cost, portable device for diagnosing malaria in children.
• Create a system for monitoring and optimizing energy usage in universities.
• Develop a smart lighting system for reducing light pollution in urban areas.
• Design a compact, portable device for testing air quality in indoor environments.
• Create a device for monitoring and reducing energy usage in museums.
• Develop a robotic system for sorting and recycling electronic waste.
• Design a low-cost, portable device for diagnosing dengue fever in tropical regions.
• Create a system for monitoring and optimizing energy usage in theaters.
• Develop a smart transportation system for optimizing school bus routes.
• Design a compact, portable device for testing soil moisture in agriculture.
• Create a device for monitoring and reducing energy usage in gyms.
• Develop a robotic system for sorting and recycling metal waste.
• Design a low-cost, portable device for diagnosing cholera in emergencies.
• Develop a smart navigation system for visually impaired individuals.
• Design a compact, portable device for testing water acidity in aquaculture.
• Create a device for monitoring and reducing energy usage in libraries.
• Develop a robotic system for sorting and recycling textile waste.
• Design a low-cost, portable device for diagnosing the Zika virus in affected regions.
• Create a system for monitoring and optimizing energy usage in restaurants.
• Develop a smart transportation system for optimizing delivery routes.
• Design a compact, portable device for testing water turbidity in rivers.
• Create a device for monitoring and reducing energy usage in concert halls.
• Develop a robotic system for sorting and recycling plastic bottles.
• Design a low-cost, portable device for diagnosing hepatitis in remote areas.
• Create a system for monitoring and optimizing energy usage in stadiums.
• Develop a smart traffic signal system for reducing congestion in parking lots.
• Design a compact, portable device for testing water hardness in wells.
• Create a device for monitoring and reducing energy usage in convention centers.
• Develop a robotic system for sorting and recycling food waste.
• Design a low-cost, portable device for diagnosing typhoid fever in developing countries.
• Create a system for monitoring and optimizing energy usage in sports arenas.
• Develop a smart transportation system for optimizing taxi routes.
• Design a compact, portable device for testing water salinity in coastal areas.
• Create a device for monitoring and reducing energy usage in theme parks.
• Develop a robotic system for sorting and recycling construction waste.
• Design a low-cost, portable device for diagnosing yellow fever in affected regions.
• Create a system for monitoring and optimizing energy usage in cinemas.
• Develop a smart traffic signal system for reducing congestion at intersections.
• Design a compact, portable device for testing water conductivity in rivers.
• Create a device for monitoring and reducing energy usage in casinos.
• Develop a robotic system for sorting and recycling organic waste.
• Design a low-cost, portable device for diagnosing rabies in rural areas.
• Create a system for monitoring and optimizing energy usage in amusement parks.
• Develop a smart transportation system for optimizing ride-sharing routes.
• Design a compact, portable device for testing water temperature in lakes.
• Create a device for monitoring and reducing energy usage in zoos.
• Develop a robotic system for sorting and recycling medical waste.
• Design a low-cost, portable device for diagnosing bird flu in poultry farms.
• Create a system for monitoring and optimizing energy usage in aquariums.
• Develop a smart traffic signal system for reducing congestion on highways.
• Design a compact, portable device for testing water oxygen levels in rivers.
• Create a device for monitoring and reducing energy usage in botanical gardens.
• Develop a robotic system for sorting and recycling hazardous waste .
• Design a low-cost, portable device for diagnosing swine flu in pig farms.
• Create a system for monitoring and optimizing energy usage in theme parks.
• Develop a smart transportation system for optimizing bus routes.
• Design a compact, portable device for testing water nitrate levels in lakes.
• Create a device for monitoring and reducing energy usage in ski resorts.
• Develop a robotic system for sorting and recycling automotive waste.
• Design a low-cost, portable device for diagnosing mad cow disease in cattle farms.
• Create a system for monitoring and optimizing energy usage in botanical gardens.
• Develop a smart traffic signal system for reducing congestion in school zones.
• Design a compact, portable device for testing water phosphate levels in rivers.
• Create a device for monitoring and reducing energy usage in wildlife reserves.
• Develop a robotic system for sorting and recycling household hazardous waste.
• Design a low-cost, portable device for diagnosing avian influenza in poultry farms.
• Create a system for monitoring and optimizing energy usage in wildlife reserves.
• Develop a smart transportation system for optimizing shuttle routes.

These Mechanical Engineering Capstone project ideas cover various topics and can be tailored to fit multiple levels of complexity and resources available to students. Students can choose a project based on their interests and available resources.

Tips For Success In Capstone Project Execution 

Here are some easy tips for success with your engineering final project:

• Start early – Don’t wait until the last minute. Give yourself plenty of time.
• Break it down – Break the project into smaller tasks and set deadlines. This makes it less overwhelming.
• Ask for help – Talk to your professor if you get stuck. Bounce ideas off classmates.
• Research thoroughly – Learn everything you can about your topic. Understanding it is key.
• Record as you go – Take detailed notes and photos. Document the whole process.
• Test, test, test – Test continuously as you develop your project. Fix issues as they come up.
• Stay organized – Use checklists and notebooks to stay on track. Clutter causes chaos.
• Relax – Take study breaks and get good sleep. Don’t let stress sabotage your success.
• Practice presenting – Prepare and rehearse what you’ll say for project presentations.
• Proofread – Double-check your paper and slides for any errors before turning them in.
• Enjoy the process – Have fun bringing your ideas to life! The learning experience is invaluable.

Final Remarks

Congratulations on finishing our Mechanical Engineering capstone project ideas guide! This blog has helped give you ideas to find the perfect project for your final endeavor. Remember, your capstone project isn’t just a requirement to graduate – it’s a chance to make a real impact in mechanical engineering. 

Whether you choose one of our ideas or come up with your own, welcome the challenge and enjoy the journey. As you start on your final project, remember the skills you’ve learned, ask your professors and industry professionals for guidance, and manage your time well.

Your hard work and dedication will pay off as you show your abilities and contribute to the exciting world of mechanical engineering. Best of luck with your final project, and may it be the start of many more successes in your engineering career!

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All mechanical and materials engineering students are required to complete a capstone project in their senior year. Below you will find a list of past capstone projects from our engineering students.

2023 Fall Semester Projects

• Rapid Solidification Machine (PDF) Team Members: Anthony Carver, Jesse Potts, Landon Tuck, Courtney Wuilleumier  
• Design and Development of an Extrusion-Based 2.5D/3D Printer for Electronic Packaging (PDF) Team Members: Alex Adams, Dylan Hall, Jacob Harrison, Jeet Patel  
• Development of a Grease Lubrication Mechanism for a Two-Disk Contact Set-Up (PDF) Team Members: Devin Blankenship, Braden Russell, Kevin Kemp, Austin Sherwood, Alex Plas  
• Green Automated Aquaponics System (PDF) Team Members: Intissar Elhani, Alan Whiting, Kevin Grubb, Evan Gehret  
• CFD Modeling of Formula 600 Race Car (PDF) Team Members: Sean Barber, Ethan Cornell, Bailey Hoelscher, Tamal Kambarov, Viswanathan Ramesh  
• Low Head Ocean Energy Storage (PDF) Team Members: Adam Hume, Cameron Floyd, Carson Estep, Dustin Leonard, Samuel Boys

2023 Spring Semester Projects

• Convertible Home Gym Apparatus (PDF) Team Members: Connor Schock, Noah Bledsoe, Jackson Nix  
• Battlefield Model Design (PDF) Team Members: Hameed Juma, Jeff Denton, Lemuel Duncan, Zach Baker  
• Metal Air Batteries for EVs and Electronic Devices (PDF) Team Members: Alexis Burt, Logan Nielsen, Ian Thompson  
• Wave Power Conversion (PDF) Team Members: Luke Banks, Bryce Ullman, Emma Vuckovich  
• SAE Baja Collegiate Design Series (PDF) Team Members: Clay Minor, Logan Rowland, Elliot Wiggins, Julia Sentman, Dominic Manns, Stephanie Gangl  
• Hybrid UAV Power System (PDF) Team Members: Lucas Duncan, Riley Hall, Abigail Kerestes, James Schmitz  
• Optimization of Joining Methods for Generator Converter Chassis (PDF) Team Members: Tyriek Craigs, Seth Perkins, Robert Hall, Jacob Evans  
• Optimization of Temperature Gradient in Magnetic Inductors (PDF) Team Members: Kyle Schroder, Alan Hingsbergen, Blake Martin, Jordan Stanley  
• Optimized Wire Coiler for GE Aviation (PDF) Team Members: Connor Allen, Bradley Jones, Alex Strack, Kaitlin Willi  
• Solar Splash Electric Boat Competition (PDF) Team Members: Brice Prigge, Bryar Powell, Chase Mansell, Evan Hannon  
• Ultralight Copper Current Collectors for Flexible Batteries (PDF) Team Members: Connor Wyckoff, Branen Bussey, Dryana Russell, Mashuj Alshammari  

2022 Fall Semester Projects

• Modular Vibration Testing Kit for Vibrations Lab Course (PDF) Team Members: Michael Ahlers, Seth Madison Tyler Motzko  
• Design of Complex Fluid Electrical Conductivity Cell (PDF) Team Members: Bradley Cripe, Garrett Gniazdowski, Gaspard Matondo, Scott Osborne  
• Structural Optimization of Quadcopter Landing Gear (PDF) Team Members: Taha Etekbali, Jilian Sollars, Katrina Knight  
• Convertible Home Gym (PDF) Team Members: Max Carnevale, Randa Richards, Kevin Hall, Michael Orengo  
• IDC Spring Crimping Tool (PDF) Team Members: Aleni Burcham, Samuel Sowers, Alexander Smith, and Luke Lieghley  
• Ocean Wave Energy Generation (PDF) Team Members: Cameron Slater, Ben Ferree, Daniel Ploss, Austin Shurlow

Past Capstone Projects

• Micro Turbine Engine Design Competition
• Additive Manufacturing Process Design
• SAE Baja Competition
• Fluid Viscosity Measurement
• Folding UAV
• Wheel Life Prediction
• Dual-Plane Airfoil
• Resonance Wave Power
• Autonomous Aerial Remote-Sensing Drone
• Serial Grinder and Imaging System to Create 3-D Images of Vertebrate Rich Sedimentary Rock Cores
• Customizable and Low-Cost Water Quality Monitoring Platform for Grand Lake St. Marys
• Robotic Football Competition
• Wood Materials Project
• Self-Learning Targeting System
• Convertible Home Gym
• Additive Manufacturing Welding
• Programming & Optimization
• Characterizing the Performance of a UAV for a Future Hybrid Powertrain
• Configurable Bike
• Mechanical Tester for Printed Electronics
• Porous Testing Medium
• SAE Aero Design Competition
• Solar Splash Design Competition

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Senior design projects.

Senior design projects (also known as "capstone" projects) are the centerpiece of the ME curriculum's professional component, allowing students to be involved in interesting, real-world activities. Each senior is required to complete this course. Capstone projects are each advised by a full-time tenured or tenure-track faculty member who works with the teams.

For more detailed information, please visit ME Undergraduate Advising Canvas: Capstone Page .

Without exception, all ME 495 projects must be team efforts. Teams must consist of between three and five students.

Project topics

Students can pursue their varied technical and professional interests through a selection of projects that include:

Competition-based

• Human Powered Submarine
• Formula Motorsports
• Mechatronics
• Engineering Innovation in Health
• Industry-sponsored projects
• Student-inspired projects
• Faculty-guided projects

Capstone design projects allow students to experience the rigor and structure of a full-cycle design, including:

• Problem definition
• Benchmark studies
• Concept generation and feasibility study
• Engineering design analyses
• Prototype fabrication and testing

Through the capstone courses, students learn to fully define a design problem. This includes not only a statement of the project deliverables and objectives in the layman's or client's terms, but also a full definition of the agreed upon functional requirements and constraints (quantified). In the case of the competition-based projects, the problem definition is based on the detailed rules and guidelines of the competition.

All of the capstone projects draw upon at least several fundamental engineering science areas and involve significant quantitative analysis often in the form of numerical simulation, typically preceded by approximate analytical solutions. Industry-inspired projects are carefully selected on the basis of the required fundamental engineering science areas and also to align with the core expertise of the faculty adviser.

All projects must include a written report. Although the form of the report may vary according to the nature and requirements of the individual project, all final reports must contain the following (or equivalent) sections:

• Risk and liability
• Ethical issues
• Impact on society
• Impact on the environment
• Cost and engineering economics

Industry Capstone Program

The Industry Capstone Program brings together UW students and professionals to tackle real-world, interdisciplinary engineering problems. Sponsors bring in projects from their organizations and provide support to teams of creative, talented engineering students who will design and build innovative solutions.

View capstone projects

Sponsor a project

• For health-related projects, contact Kat Steele , Albert S. Kobayashi Endowed Professor
• For all other types of projects, contact Jill Kaatz , CoE Industry Capstone Program Director

Project Examples

More than 1,000 projects successfully completed.

Below are just a handful of recent projects.

Exhibits for the Orpheum Children's Science Museum (Champaign, Illinois)

During the 2018 spring semester, two teams of five MechSE undergradudates created two new interactive astronomy-themed exhibits for the Orpheum Children's Science Museum in Champaign, Illinois. “Asteroid Mine” and “Orphy’s Escape to Space” are first-of-their-kind projects for the Senior Capstone Design Program. The students were given full autonomy to conceive, design, and build the exhibits, and they collaborated with Orpheum staff and MechSE faculty advisors. The students created original, interactive, working exhibits over the course of a single semester.  We thank Phillips 66 for their support!

Hydraulic bike for the Fluid Power Vehicle Challenge

The goal of the 2018 spring semester team for the hydraulic bike project was to create a hydraulic system capable of powering and driving a bicycle for the National Fluid Power Association's vehicle challenge. Requirements include a power input, drive motor, a mechanism to store hydraulic power, and regenerative braking. The team produced a functioning treadle pump and hydraulic motor system with improved valving and consistent hydraulic flow. 

Compact and Efficient Fluid Power Competition: Additive manufactured excavator cab

Design of a Solar Powered Lemur Heating and Cooling System (for Johnson Controls and the Lemur Conservation Foundation)

Design of an ICU Bed Head Angle Measurement System (for Carle Foundation Hospital and Shell Oil Company)

Design for optimized heat flow across a bolted/gasketed interface (for Boeing)

Surgical pad control box design (for Innoventor)

Bike helmet design (for Caveat Emptor)

Industrial burner redesign for reduced weight (for Eclipse)

Bridge impactor design for fault detection (for Civil Engineering)

Cold aisle containment design to save cooling costs (for NSCA)

Design of an affordable human-powered water pump for Cambodia that utilizes local materials and manufacturing techniques (humanitarian project, sponsored by Shell)

Shell Eco-Marathon Americas Competition

NFPA Fluid Power Vehicle Challenge

Design of a waterside economizer predicted to save over $2M/year in cooling costs (for NCSA Blue Waters supercomputer)

SpaceX Hyperloop

To propose a Senior Capstone Design Project or to learn more, contact:  Steve Zahos,  [email protected]

Capstone Design Projects

Capstone Design is the culmination of the undergraduate student experience, creating a blueprint for innovation in engineering design.

Department of Mechanical Engineering

• Whitacre College of Engineering
• Mechanical Engineering

Capstone Design Projects

There were 24 design teams and projects. Each team worked for two semesters to come up with the design and fabrication of the project. A list of the design projects for Fall 2023 is as follows.

• Garden Grabber
• RTA Industries
• Tire Pressure Pro - 25
• Team Kilowatt
• Imagination Group - Off Grid Washing
• GSD - Beverage Dispenser
• Racing Machine
• The Refrigeraiders
• Aquatic Search and Recovery Device 
• Electric Bike Design
• Grain Gobbler
• Household Injection Machine Design
• M&M Lab Injection Molding Design
• Scorch Cooler
• Pill Dispenser
• Powder Cast Oven
• Mobility Scooter Lift
• Car Rotisserie

Spring 2023

There were 24 design teams and projects. Each team worked for two semesters to come up with the design and fabrication of the project. A list of the design projects for Spring 2023 is as follows.

1. Lane Detection System 

2. Campfire Steam Turbine 

3. EVTOL Transition Mechanism 

4. Tesla Pulse Jet Engine 

A Pulsejet Engine is an engine that pulses the thrust and combustion with little or no moving parts. These engines are very inefficient due to significant heat loss, vibrations and noise. A Tesla valve is designed as a check valve with no moving parts by relying on the direction of flow. The Tesla Pulsejet Engine was designed to investigate the use of a Tesla valve as a control valve before the intake on a Giant Chinese Valveless Pulsejet Engine. The device consists of the mechanical engine body system, mechanical fuel system and electrical ignition system.

Team Members: Anna Slovak, Ben Jensen, Zach Lee, Tyler Maurer, Bodee Humphreys, Jake Bradford

Instructor:  Turgut Baturalp

5. Forklift Hydraulic Fluid Heater 

6. Frost Fan 

7. Beach Wheelchair 

8. Automated T-Post Driver 

Problem Statement: T-Post instillation processes are slow and labor intensive, there is a need for easier, economically viable solution. Objective: Develop a remote operated machine that drives multiple t-posts without user assistance. Design Criteria: • Total weight < 250lbs (max load for UTV) • Performance in all terrain environments • Projected production cost < $750/unit

Team Members: Colton Black, Dane McMahon, Kallista Kunzler, Will Shaw, Nathan Sullivan

Instructor: Dr. Paul Egan

9. Automated Ratchet Strap 

Mission Statement: Our mission is to revolutionize cargo transportation by developing an innovative auto-tightening ratchet strap that not only secures the load but also displays the force on the load. Our strap's intelligent design ensures that it auto-tightens when straps loosen during load shifts on a journey, providing reliable and safe transportation for our customers' cargo.

Team Members: Logan Fox, Corentin Menand, Jake Witte, Agustin Gonzalez, Zander Goodwin, Nathan Shapiro, and Blake Parr

10. Upper Body Exoskeleton System 

In our first semester, the goal of our exoskeleton design was to assist individuals with degenerative muscular conditions or physical limitations. During this time, we toggled between single-arm designs of a wheelchair-attached or physically-fitted device. This semester, the project deviated towards a more robust, upper body, Iron Man-esque design after realizing the oversimplicity of our original design. This system is now capable of dynamic and static load-lifting with the options of dual-arm or individual arm control. The wholistic design and the specific solutions realized to make this project possible have great potential for both industrial and personal use.

Team members: Kim Bezeau, Nicholas Villagran, Brett Ferguson, Cesar Jimenjez, Tyler McLemore, Sahil Patel 

11. Cycling Aid 

The most challenging part is creating a design that accommodates as many people with arm or motor disabilities as possible. The design needs to be adjustable to fit different genders and body shapes. It will be important to create attachments that are easily installable for the user or that can be taken to a local bike shop install. Our attachments must be designed to adhere to a bike like common bike attachments are to avoid installation difficulties. Our project combines a balancing element, steering element, and braking element to allow safe use of a bicycle and can be installed at a regular bike shop. 

Team members: David Batres, Yvonne Cebe, Connor Davis, Alex Fanos, Nasser Filty, Leighton Mitchell, Austin Skender

12. Star Forge: Space Mining with Plasma 

The ability to access raw materials in space has been identified as a necessary step in NASA's goals of establishing sustainable human presence in space. However, the processes used today to extract and refine these materials are far too heavy and complex to be transported directly into space. The present design solves this problem by providing a light-weight system capable of refining critical compounds without the use of chemical reactants sourced from Earth. 

Team members: Aaron Chadwick, Adrian Brink, Devon Yeager, Francisco Aguilera, Luke Jackson, Max Kennedy, Parker White

13. Knee Device 

Knee injury accounts for 41% of all sports injuries”; is a quote from an article published in the British Journal of Sports Medicine written by Dr. Parag Sancheti and colleagues. Described in the article are important risk factors related to a knee injury and common methods of both prevention and treatment. These include surgery and rehabilitation of the mentioned common types of injury. We see that there are many people who could benefit from a design improvement in physical therapy techniques that offers a portable and effective option to existing technologies such as CPM machines.

Team members: Pinak Bhuban, Trey Vela, Eric Arevalo, Brianna Wilkerson, Sean Atchue, Evan Potvin

14. Floating Arm Trebuchet 

15. Telescopic Arm 

16. Asteroid Core Examiner Probe 

17. Pneumatic Pit Bike 

18. Automated Stick Charring 

19. Baseball Pitching Machine 

20. Small-scale Turbo Jet Engine  

Turbojet engines have been used in aerospace applications for over 80 years to achieve high flight performance and power output. This design project's goal is to produce a working turbojet engine using materials and resources that the University provides, along with material anyone can buy from a hardware or hobby store.

Team members: Weston Wright, Joseph Scheffey, Brett Shaw, Colby Reynolds, Harrison Childre, Jayce Jensen, Garrison Stevens, Jacob Wilhelm

Instructor: Dr. Jeff Hanson

21. 7 Seas Water Sample Collection Boat  

Playa lakes are primarily filled with runoff; therefore, they are prone to contamination. We created a remotecontrolled boat designed to collect water samples, eliminating the need to wade into potentially contaminated waters. Our design will simplify the process by decreasing collection time and increasing sampling efficiency.

Team members:  Allie Smith, Blake Moore, Carly Weaver, Carl Cassel, Christopher Smith, Nathan Broyles, William Schaap

22. ASME Renewable Vehicular Robot 

One way to increase renewable energy production is by developing devices that can charge directly from the sun and the wind without drawing power from the grid. If enough devices are developed with this capability, it will reduce the strain on the power grid and alleviate reliance on non-renewable resources.

To develop technology for renewable energy devices by designing a Renewable Vehicular Robot (RVR) for use in the ASME Student Design Competition. 

Team members: Akshata Bhide, Alejandro Cardenas, Oluwasayofunmi Felix-Aremo, Blake Houldsworth, Elliot Pak, Joshua Ramon Dira, Deborah Ukoha

23. Solar Assist Trike 

The Solar Assist Trike Design Project was started to satisfy the needs of a pollution-free, on-the-go charging form of transportation. With the use of a solar panel to charge several batteries that power a motor, the idea is that the rider will only need to pedal at a steady, comfortable pace while still maintaining speeds above 10 mph. After finalizing our deign, we were able to bring into fruition a working protype which we believe successfully fulfills the goals of this design project.

Team members: Troy Gallagher, Andrew Evans, Joe Wagner, Israel Paz, Cameron Clancy, Carson Johnson, Samuel Hoyl, Bradley Daniel 

Faculty advisor: Andrew Mosedale

24. NASA Rover 

The NASA Human Exploration Rover Challenge is an annual international competition where colleges and high schools are tasked with creating a human-powered rover to explore the surface of Mars and complete water collection tasks. 

Team members: : Kierya Freiboth, Nova Goulet-Cyr, Travis Isburgh, Alexis Jimenez, Mateo Robles, Mary Roccaforte, Rebecca Stokes, Tianzheng Wang

Faculty advisors:  Roy Mullins and David Myers

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2021 Mechanical Engineering Capstone projects showcased online

May 25, 2021

Usually the Faculty of Applied Science’s Design and Innovation Day is a bustling all day event that fills multiple buildings on campus with students demonstrating the final design projects that are the culmination of their undergraduate studies. For the past two spring terms this celebration of student design has been transformed into an online showcase due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

Instead of taking over two floors of the Engineering Design Centre with devices and posters, the Mechanical Engineering class of 2021 has showcased their capstone projects through video presentations on the UBC Faculty of Applied Sciences’ Design and Innovation Day website . These projects are sponsored by companies, non-profits, and sometimes UBC research labs who have a problem they need to solve, and work with students to create a solution. This year-long project gives students experience with a real-world design problem, that prepares them for graduation and entering the world of industry.

This year’s projects included the creation of a multi-nozzle 3D printer that can merge soft and stiff materials in the same print, an artificial intelligence hardhat that monitors the wearer’s brainwaves in real-time with electroencephalography (EEG) sensors, and more. Every year awards are given to the most outstanding projects, and this year the capstone instructor team selected the following two projects after considering both the technical work and the dossier documentation completed by the students:

Melissa Coleman Janelle Lawson Connor Schellenberg Alexander Waslen

Video not available, due to NDA.

Project: Surgical tool tracking

The MECH Capstone students advanced the development of a surgical instrument tracking system using computer vision to reduce the occurrence of retained surgical instruments (RSIs).  RSIs pose serious health risks to patients and are considered an entirely preventable mistake.  Current control methods require nurses to double-count the instruments before and after a surgery and record the counts on paper sheets. The system under development automates this process by using computer vision and machine learning to identify and track instruments presented by a nurse.  

Thank you to Dr. Christopher Nguan, Associate Professor in the UBC Dept. of Urologic Sciences and Surgical Director of the Kidney Transplant Program at VGH, for sponsoring this project.

Sachin Choudhury Ahmad Manzoor Faheem Saeed David Stewart

Video available here .

In this project, the Tetra Society of North America sought a hands-free solution to assist individuals with motion impairments to use everyday COVID PPE. The student team developed solutions for a face mask and hand-sanitizing device for this audience. The mask solution reduces the strain on the user’s arm by reducing the amount of flexion required at the elbow. A finger or thumb can easily protrude in/out of the cross shaped finger catch, which gives grasp-less control to the user. The 3d printed base is over-molded with silicone both for comfort and functionality as straps. This solution is low cost and can be manufactured quickly and easily.  The hand sanitizer solution features a device which automatically sprays hand sanitizer when the user’s hand is detected by an IR sensor. The functioning prototype features a slim design, easily removable covers for back panel access, and versatile mounting.

Thank you to Eric Molendyk, National Program Coordinator with the Tetra Society of North America, for sponsoring this project.

Congratulations to these two teams on their outstanding work, and to all of our 2021 capstone students on their achievements during this challenging school year. Thank you to this year’s project sponsors for their support and mentorship of our students:

A and K Robotics

Dr. Ahmad Mohammadpanah

UBC Aquatic Centre

Dr. Jean-Sébastien Blouin and Dr. Lyndia Wu

Canadian Space Agency

DarkVision Technologies

UBC Formula E

Furrion Exo-Bionics

GTD Scientific

Hevvy Toyo Pumps

Bill Lind and Dan McGreer

Human Motion Biomechanics Lab

Lloyd’s Register

UBC Manufacturing Program

UBC Micro-Electrical-Mechanical Systems Lab

Product Care Association

Reaction Dynamics Lab

Tetra Society of North America

Dr. Peter Black and Dr. Drew Phillips, UBC Dept. of Urologic Sciences

Dr. Chris Nguan, UBC Dept. of Urologic Sciences

Zaber Technologies

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Senior projects.

Mechanical & Aerospace Engineering Program

Capstone Program

The two-semester Capstone program (MAE 4800 and 4810) provides an opportunity for students to solve real engineering problems while working closely with faculty and industry sponsors. Sponsors provide the project requirements, funding, and mentorship, the faculty provide overall project guidance and management, and the students provide the solutions.

The overall program goal is to improve students’ “design to realization” skills. Student progress is closely monitored through lectures, lab sessions, formal design reviews, informal meetings, and oral presentations. The program also incorporates cutting edge modeling and management software to help familiarize students with tools they will likely encounter during their careers.

Sponsors benefit by having one of their important engineering problems be the top priority of a student team. Often these projects are ones the sponsor may not have the time or resources to pursue internally. Having a committed student team dedicated to the project provides the sponsor with a very cost-effective solution. The sponsor also receives all IP, documentation, prototypes, and materials from the project. One additional benefit of the program is that students become familiar with a corporate environment and how things get done in that industry.

Multidisciplinary projects, including mechanical and aerospace engineering students and faculty and students from other USU departments, are encouraged. Projects of this type more closely resemble those they will encounter in industry.

Capstone I (MAE 4800) – Project Design

At the start of the first semester students select a project they would like to work on from among the potential projects submitted by sponsors. Student project teams are formed and each team meets with its sponsor to understand and refine the project requirements. These requirements, when combined with independent research, become the basis for the project design plan document. The document outlines the planned engineering methodologies, schedules, budgets, and any specialized materials.

During this semester, students present peer-critiqued formal design reviews. Sponsors are highly encouraged to attend these reviews and provide guidance.

Capstone II (MAE 4810) – Project Build

This semester’s focus is on the construction of the project. The teams create, test, refine, and demonstrate engineering prototypes. At the end of the semester, each team provides a written design document and delivers their final prototypes. The report summarizes the project, describes the alternate solutions considered, and details the selected final design. Each team also delivers an oral presentation of the completed project to the sponsor, faculty advisors, and peers.

Project Success

Three hundred plus capstone projects have been successfully completed over the life of the program. Some have resulted in marketable products and several more are in various stages of determining their marketability.

Several projects have received national and international recognition including multiple awards in government and industry sponsored student competitions. Some recent examples include:

• 1st Place in the 2018 AFRL Student Design Challenge
• 2nd place overall in the 2017 Human Powered Vehicle Competition, 1st place in the Women's Speed Event, 3rd place in the Men's Speed Event, and 2nd place in the Endurance Event
• 3rd place overall in the 2016 Human Powered Vehicle Competition, 2nd place in the Innovation Event, and 1st place in the Endurance Event

Projects completed for industry sponsors during the 2019-2020 academic year include test systems, new designs, proof of concept, automations, and product improvements.

Sponsorship

Projects are more likely to be successful when sponsors are involved with the project outcome. Sponsors are asked to designate a mentor from their organization to work with the student team. Mentors provide critical insights that help to ensure projects meet their design requirements. This mentorship is invaluable to a project’s success.

Our sponsors represent a broad cross-section of industry and government including companies in the manufacturing, construction, health care, education, aerospace, consumer, and defense segments. We gratefully acknowledge their support!

Some of our current sponsors include:

If you have a project you would like to sponsor, please contact us at [email protected] to set up a time to talk about the project and how best to schedule its inclusion in the program.

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Mechanical Engineering & Interdisciplinary Capstone Projects

• Bio-medical Capstone Projects (Medtec)
• Electrical, Computer and Software Engineering Capstone Projects
• Bioengineering Capstone Projects
• Civil Engineering Design Projects
• Chemical Engineering Design Projects

One of the most important activities of the McGill University's Faculty of Engineering is to manage a two‑semester Capstone Mechanical Engineering Design Project. The teams of 4 students of the final year work during 8 months on various projects, starting from the scratch, producing conceptual and detailed design of the required product, and finally building a working prototype of the device.

Every year we have 120-150 students working on nearly 35-40 different projects. Of these projects, about half belongs to mechanical and interdisciplinary domains of engineering design. Up to 30% come from industry (pharmaceutical, manufacturing, rehabilitation, aeronautical). Industrial companies provide projects to the Capstone course and benefit from creativity and high motivation of the student teams.

When required by an industrial partner, the team can include students from Mechanical Engineering, Electrical & Computer Engineering, Bio-Engineering and other departments.

All projects begin in the Fall and require a management fee of $4000 (plus GST/QST). This fee assists the Faculty to defray expenses for professional support, laboratory space and design materials. In addition, the cost of any materials used to build prototypes must also be covered by the sponsor.

• All prototypes and copies of drawings and reports are delivered to the sponsoring company at the conclusion of the project. Any intellectual property developed during the project belongs to the sponsor.

The project culminates with McGill Design Day, an exhibition of all projects and prototypes in the first week of April.

If you are interested in getting benefits for your company from motivated, passion and creative students, while helping them to master modern technologies and engineering practices, we will be happy to include your project to the capstone design course of the next academic year.

To propose a project, please fill the form and email it to the address indicated in it, or just send us an email with your ideas and/or proposals.

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University of Utah Senior Design Capstone

What is the Capstone Program?

The Program in a Nutshell

The Capstone Design Program matches a team of motivated senior undergraduate mechanical engineering students with an engineering project defined and funded by an industry sponsor.

Why Sponsor Capstone?

Contribute to educating the next generation of mechanical engineers by offering them a real-world industry experience, while simultaneously advancing long term projects or breadboard ideas.

THANK YOU TO OUR RECENT SPONSORS

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• Mechanical Engineering
• Senior Capstone Design Projects

Spring 2021 Senior Expo Information

Lab Location: Brown Hall Room 118

Coordinator:  andy pardue.

At Tennessee Tech, we want you to know not only how to DESIGN solutions, but also have some experience BUILDING the solutions. This hands-on experience will make you a better engineer. One way we incorporate this learning experience is in our two Senior Capstone Design Project courses, which all Mechanical Engineering students take. Students select projects and begin making progress in ME 4410, where they start the development phase by creating the preliminary design, supporting analysis for the design, and drawings with a list of needed supplies and associated costs for the project.  In ME 4420, the student teams continue with the design build, prototyping, and testing phases to complete the project.

As part of the courses and lab, students are provided with experience in the use of mechanical engineering design for the solution of engineering problems. You'll work in a team environment on selected mechanical engineering projects emphasizing both mechanical systems and thermal science design aspects. Important parts of the two-semester design projects include a formal project proposal, design analysis report, engineering drawings, project construction, and project testing. Formal written and oral presentations about the projects' results are made at the completion of the project. Time scheduling and project costs are also important considerations.

Upon completion of this class, the student will be able to:

• Engage in the various elements of the engineering design process.
• Complete a group-based, hands-on, capstone design project.
• Employ basic computer-based data acquisition.
• Use programmable logic controllers and ladder-based programming.
• Work in a team environment on an engineering design project.
• Determine the potential impact of ethical and societal concerns on the engineer and engineering design process.
• Prepare and delivery/submission of a written report(s) and an oral presentation.
• Communicate with a variety of "nonacademic" contacts (e.g. technicians, vendors, and other professionals for the purpose of gaining factual information and making component purchases).

Mechanical engineering students at Tennessee Tech have access to leading-edge laboratories, which are well outfitted with the latest equipment, hardware, and software. Undergraduate students in the Senior Capstone Design courses use these labs to help gain valuable, hands-on experience as they complete their projects over the course of two semesters. This is precisely the kind of experience that many of the top companies in the nation are looking for in new employees, helping to make our graduates more competitive in the job market.

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Mechanical Engineering

Senior capstone design.

Intro to MEE Capstone by Dr. Alex Friess

2019-2020 Senior Capstone Projects:

• Hybrid UAVs
• Lighter-Than-Air Vehicles
• Hydrofoiling Bicycles
• Human-Assistive Robots
• Solar Splash Boats
• Solar Maple Syrup Boiler

2018-2019 Senior Capstone Projects:

• Lighter-than-Air Drones
• Land Drones
• Human Powered Vehicles
• Robotic Knee Assistive Device
• Self-Leveling Infant Car Seat
• Ice Core Transport Container
• Self-Cleaning Upweller Device
• Smart Swim Starting Block
• Infinite 3D Printer
• Ground Force Test Bench

Crosby Laboratory YouTube channel shows videos of some of the senior capstone projects.

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Capstone Senior Design (Capstone) is the final required course for the Bachelor’s degree; it provides the opportunity for students to integrate their curricular and experiential journeys into a multi-semester team project with a real-world outcome.

The Capstone experience applies the engineering sciences and other knowledge domains to the design of a system, component, product, process, and/or set of research inquiries. The Capstone projects reflect current, practical, and relevant industrial and mechanical engineering design projects or may involve a combination of both disciplines. Students bid for or develop their team’s particular design project with the approval of appropriate faculty.  In the project assignment process, design teams are self-formed, or configured of students with similar interest areas. Each project includes the use of open-ended problems, development and application of research and design methodologies, formulation of design problem statements and specifications, generation and consideration of alternative solutions, along with safety, usability and feasibility considerations, and detailed system descriptions. It also includes realistic constraints such as economic factors, sustainability, along with global and social impact, to name a few.  Throughout the Capstone experience, students are also challenged to think and act as a ‘team’ and to consider how notions of diversity, equity, inclusion, and belonging affect their decisions, actions, and results.

Capstone projects are often sponsored by outside clients, including early-stage ventures arising from NU’s Entrepreneurial Ecosystem.  Sometimes, ambitious student-proposed technical ideas can (and have) become startup ventures themselves.

Sponsor a Project

The breadth of engineering challenges, both ME and IE, reflect the diversity of the project sponsors. Our sponsors, both corporate and non-profits, range from the aerospace industry to biomedical and regional hospitals. Department faculty sponsor projects for related to their research interests and for custom equipment for their research labs and, increasingly, students enter the program bringing their own sophisticated projects.

In many respects, our project sponsors are the life blood of the program. They bring current real world problems to the students and expect real solutions. Sponsors want to know the patent searches will be done and that intellectual property rights have been considered and protected.

The project sponsors must provide a contact person and are expected to provide timely feedback and interactions. The project should include a prototype deliverable or implemented solution. A “not for work” grant to be negotiated and expensive required items for the prototype are requested from the sponsor. Northeastern will provide computer simulation and basic machining processes. It is usually for the corporate sponsor and Capstone Design Coordinator to discuss and negotiate the details of this arrangement. Protection of the sponsor’s intellectual property is a major concern throughout this process.

At the beginning of the two semester sequence, the students self-assemble into groups and, after reviewing project descriptions, indicate their preferences. The preferences are used to assign the projects. Once projects are assigned, the students meet with their faculty advisor weekly and with representatives of the sponsor, through onsite visits, Skype or teleconferences, on a basis determined by the sponsor. The evaluation and reporting processes are tightly structured. The program culminates with a day long series of public presentations judged by a panel of our alumni.

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Mechanical Engineering - UC Santa Barbara

Capstone projects.

All UCSB Mechanical Engineering seniors gain hands-on experience via the ME Capstone Project (ME189). Sample projects from recent years include: 

• Microfluidic interface bonding tool
• Human-powered concrete mixer sponsored by Engineers Without Borders
• Autonomous data-collection oceanographic research vessel
• Hydrocephalus shunt protection device sponsored by Medtronic
• Helmet-mounted thermal imager with wifi stream for firefighters sponsored by FLIR
• Magnetic tweetzers with oscillating field strength

Students work in teams under the direction of a faculty advisor to tackle an engineering design project. Engineering communication, such as reports and oral presentations are covered. We emphasize practical, hands-on experience, and integrate analytical and design skills acquired in companion senior-level core courses.

If you would like to sponsor a project, or would like to check what our students have created this year please visit our UCSB Engineering Capstone website!

For more information, please contact:

Tyler Susko ,  Capstone Instructor, Lecturer PSOE:  [email protected]

Thank you to our 2021-2022 Capstone Sponsors:

Department of MECHANICAL ENGINEERING Engineering II, Room 2355 University of California, Santa Barbara Santa Barbara, CA 93106-5070

805.893.2430  

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Senior capstone design projects in Mechanical and Industrial Engineering

Course objectives:.

The goal of the capstone design course is for students to apply their full engineering and general engineering education to a new and important problem which is amenable to an engineering solution and present their results. The course will develop and refine students’ abilities in this context by planning and organizing a term project, evaluating design alternatives with supporting engineering analysis, applying appropriate engineering standards, assessing and optimizing designs from the customer perspective, and presenting final designs.

Course Topics :

• Problem Recognition
• Problem Formulation
• Customer Needs identification
• Product Specification
• Engineering Standards
• Concept Generation
• Evaluation/Selection of Concepts
• Principles of Life Cycle Design
• Prototyping
• Poster Competition

Integrative Experience:

Engineering solutions are almost always created in response to some societal need. Understanding the need is central to success in engineering design and an engineer must understand the economic, social, political, sustainability and environmental contexts in which the need arises. Therefore, as engineering students embark on the problem identification phase of engineering design they have the opportunity to reflect and draw on the knowledge they have gained through their General Education courses and then integrate this with the engineering knowledge they have gained in their major. More specifically, by employing the broad knowledge they gain from experiences in economics, psychology, sociology and history, students are better equipped to understand how an engineering solution will be accepted and will address societal needs. This kind of reflection goes beyond understanding in the separate disciplines by considering, for example, how economic, safety and environmental issues compete and complement each other and by observing how their own perspectives on these issues have evolved.

Project Overview:

Mechanical Engineering:  The objective is to identify a design need, develop engineering specifications for the product, and design, develop and fabricate hardware related to your design project.

Industrial Engineering:  The objectives are to (1) design, develop, implement, and/or improve an integrated system or systems that include people, materials, information, equipment and energy and (2) to use appropriate analytical, computational, and experimental practices in the context of an integrated system; demonstrating skills and knowledge indicative of a capstone project.

This means that the project should require a higher-level of engineering knowledge and skills than found in sophomore and junior-level design classes. Thus, the project must involve significant use of engineering tools and standards, the results of which are used to inform decisions. There are several project formats as part of the course.

• ME or IE Student Concepts:  The top student proposals based on innovation and feasibility will be selected for development. Selected ME projects can be one or two semester projects; IE projects will be two semester projects.
• ME/ECE Collaborative Senior Capstone Design:  Teams of two ME students will be paired with two Electrical and Computer Engineering (ECE) students to develop a student concept project. Note that ECE teams start forming in March of their junior year. ME students selecting this option will complete ECE 415 and 416 during their senior year in lieu of MIE 415 (ECE 415 will satisfy a ME technical elective – the only one permitted outside of MIE courses).
• ME/Nursing Collaborative Senior Capstone Design:  Teams of four ME students will be paired with a Nursing student to develop assistive technology. Students will work with clients to identify issues they face and develop engineering solutions to mitigate them. Teams will work with clients who live in the area and will be required to travel to their location. Prof. Cynthia Jacelon in nursing will also co-advise the team along with the course instructors.
• ME Semester-Long Industry Sponsored:  Companies have sponsored senior design projects relevant to their business. For these projects, students will work directly with a technical contact at the company to develop an engineering solution to their problem. Students will be expected to be in regular contact with the industry sponsor and present their progress throughout the semester. Travel within MA or CT maybe required for some projects.
• ME or IE Year-Long Industry Sponsored:  For year-long projects, ME students will enroll in MIE 497M (a ME technical elective) in the fall semester and MIE 415 in the spring semester. Year-long ME projects are expected to make a prototype demonstration at the end of the first semester. As in IE Student Concept projects, the fall semester will focus on proposal development and the spring semester is dedicated to completing the project.

Project Requirements.  This team-based capstone project must also meet several requirements. These include the following:

• It must demonstrate an ability to design (or redesign) a mechanical system to meet desired needs within realistic constraints such as economic, environmental, social, political, ethical, health and safety, manufacturability, and sustainability. [1]
• It must demonstrate an understanding of the project’s potential impact in a global, economic, environmental, and societal context. [2]
• It must demonstrate skills and knowledge indicative of a capstone design project. This means that the project should require a higher-level of engineering knowledge and skills than found in sophomore and junior-level design classes. Thus, the project must involve significant use of engineering tools and standards, the results of which are used to inform design decisions.  Models used to predict the behavior and optimize the design. Evaluation of the design must be performed.
• Your design (or some portion of the design) must be realized in hardware that helps validate the design concept.

[1] This is an  ABET  ( A ccreditation  B oard for  E ngineering and  T echnology) requirement.

[2] This is an  ABET  ( A ccreditation  B oard for  E ngineering and  T echnology) requirement.

• Assistive technology and universal design . Assistive technology helps people with physical disabilities perform tasks which otherwise would be difficult or impossible. A common example of assistive technology is a hearing aid. In universal design a product is designed to maximize its usability, including by people with disabilities.
• Industry sponsored project.  Many students engage in summer internships or ‘coop’ engineering experiences with companies. Such work experiences will often provide real-world design opportunities that may be appropriate to address in the context of a capstone design project. Such a project requires buy-in by management at the company, as well as a technical point of contact who is able to interact with student teams and provide the necessary information (customer needs, design specifications, etc.) and resources.
• Home physical therapy equipment.  This application domain is rich for new and creative design solutions.  Examples include specialized strengthening or range of motion equipment for patients with medical conditions, such as stroke victims who experience weakness on one side of the body. 
• Product testing equipment.  This domain is very application dependent, as it involves the design and development of specialized equipment to test a product. For example, a shoe manufacturer may be interested in testing the energy absorption and/or energy release mechanism of a new composite running shoe design. To do this the shoe needs to be loaded and unloaded thousands of times in a manner realistic to its intended application, and data must be gathered that measures the shoe performance.
• Cardiovascular exercise equipment.  While there are many cardiovascular exercise products on the market, such as treadmills, stair masters, elliptical machines, and stationary bicycle trainers, few are affordable, lightweight, easily and quickly collapsible, and highly compact for storage.

This is not intended to be an inclusive list. You are free to propose design project ideas based on your interests and/or interactions with industry and other UMass departments.

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Department of Mechanical Engineering

College of engineering and information technology, spring 2020 capstone projects.

What is Senior Capstone?

Below you will find a summary video and poster of this semesters Capstone projects. Each video is 2-3 minutes in length.

Lead-Instructor: Dr. Jamie Gurganus, [email protected]

Co-Instructors: Dr. Ruey-Hung Chen, Dr. Keith Bowman, Dr. Marc Zupan

Group#1 Engineers Brewery Consultancy 

Customer: JailBreak Brewing Co.

Team: Matt Nauman, Ethan Gazelle, Jesse McElree, Sanjay Mysore

To view Poster full screen click here: EBC-020-Poster

Group#2 390Engineering

Team: Conner Strang, Alex Ives, Bruce Jackson, Brandon Jackson, Devyn Morehouse

To view Poster full screen click here:   Group#2 Jailbreak Brewing Co – Poster

Group#3: J.Y.A.F.S Engineering Solutions 

Project: Improving Micromobility

Customer: Dr. Steven McAlpine, Assistant Director INDS at UMBC

Team: Abdul-Raheem Adeleke, Yasiru Bandara, Frank Coughlin, James Pak, Shyla Jones

To view Poster full screen click here: : https://me.umbc.edu/wp-content/uploads/sites/81/2020/05/ENME-444-Final-Poster.jpg

Group #4 JDECC

Project: Thermoelectrically Cooled Helmet

Customer: Dr. Tony Farquhar – Mechanical Engineering Department UMBC

Team: Dane Meassick, Cole Diana, Christian Traynor, Eli Davidson, Joey Davis

To view Poster full screen click here: : https://me.umbc.edu/wp-content/uploads/sites/81/2020/05/JDECC_030_Poster-1.jpg

Group #5 IMPS

Project: Sound Reducing Chamber

Customer: Dr. Tim Topoleski – Mechanical Engineering Department UMBC

To view Poster full screen click here: : IMPS-023-A Poster

Group #6 The Tripawds

Project: Dog Prosthetic Leg 

Team: Riley Delker, Nathaniel Valentine,Matthew Laulis, Hamzah Tariq, Kayla Markley

To view Poster full screen click here: https://me.umbc.edu/wp-content/uploads/sites/81/2020/05/Final-Project-Poster-3.pdf

Group #7 4 Legs 4 All

Project:Dog Prosthetic Leg 

Team:  Christina Hoffman, Thomas Chaisson, Patrick Hannon, Catie Gottschalk, Aamin Haroon

To view Poster full screen click here:   https://me.umbc.edu/wp-content/uploads/sites/81/2020/05/4L4A-Poster.jpg

Group #8 Team Forte

Project: Pocket Violin

Team: Jordan Armstead, Catherine Chonai, Helen Rogers, Nathaniel Zucker

To view Poster full screen click here: Copy of POVI #015- Poster

Group #9 Equilibrium 

Project: Global Engineering – Hybrid Pressure Cooker 

Customer: Dr. Marc Zupan – Mechanical Engineering Department UMBC

Team: Eric Goodman, Cameron Underwood, Miles Johnson, Jared Rodriguez

To view Poster full screen click here: Equilibrium Project Poster

Group #10 Human First

Project: Global Engineering – Open Fire Stove 

Team:  Binit Sainju, Ewnet Sisay, Naomi Gordon

To view Poster full screen click here: https://me.umbc.edu/wp-content/uploads/sites/81/2020/05/HF-022_Poster-1.jpg

Group #11 Phase Cool 

Project: Global Engineering – Cold Chain 

Team: Elyssa Ferguson, Gabrielle Magalotti, Sarah Sinnokrot, Jethro Ssengonzi

To view Poster full screen click here: Official FMSS-035 (Poster_Picture)

Group #12 Kinetic Artwork Spinner

Project: Kinetic Artwork Spinner

Customer: Professor Eric Dyer, Visual Arts Department UMBC

Team: Zachary Schulz, Cameron Kincaid, Yousef jabaji

To view Poster full screen click here: SPIN-025-Digital Poster

Group #13 3D Photogrammetric Scanning Rig

Project:  Photogrammetry Room enhancement 

Customer: Dr. Marc Olano, Computer Science and Electrical Engineering Department UMBC

Team: Mariana Bueno, Bridgett Redding, Brett McIntyre, Justin Saelens

To view Poster full screen click here: ENME 444 Poster

Group #14 Robo Runners

Project: Improving UROS Engineering 101 project 

 Dr. Chuck LaBerge, Computer Science and Electrical Engineering Department UMBC

 Dr. Jamie Gurganus, Mechanical Engineering Department, UMBC

Team: Kyle Kulp, Timothy Carter, Ross Welsh, Daniel Corteville

To view Poster full screen click here: https://me.umbc.edu/wp-content/uploads/sites/81/2020/05/Team-14-poster-1.png

Group #15 Adaptive Technologies

Project: Automated Skee-Ball System For Children with Disabilities

Customer: St. Elizabeth’s School for Children with Disabilities, Ms. Colynn Furg ason

Team:Samuel Willits, Nick Fisher, Brendan Isaac, Edward Dulaj, German Bu 

To view Poster full screen click here: Adaptive_Technologies_Poster (1)

Group #16 Techy Treads

Project: Imani’s Modified Treadmill

Customer: VME https://www.v-linc.org/ & Ms. Imani Graham

Team: Renmar Sarreal, Jennie Le, Jason Vanisko, Rachel Kelly, Thuyai Ha, Jessica Boesch

To view Poster full screen click here: TT-029 Final Poster

Group #17 Trailer Iron Works

Project: Underride Crash Prevention Bumper for Tractor Trailers

Customer: Dr. Marc Zupan & Dr. Michael Duffy – Mechanical Engineering Department UMBC

Anthony Corretto, Engineering Dynamics

Dr. Bob Scurlock, Virtual Crash

Team: Zach Hall, Jackson Stefancik, Tracie Jones, Matt Dusek

To view Poster full screen click here: https://me.umbc.edu/wp-content/uploads/sites/81/2020/05/TIW-027-v1-Final-Poster.jpg

Group #18  FISH+

Project: 3D Printer Filament Recycler 

Customer: Dr. Michael Duffy – Mechanical Engineering Department UMBC

Team: Yomiyu Fekadu, Derek Hovel, Ben Iannuzzi, Nehal Syed, Tom Thomas

To view Poster full screen click here: FISH+020-A – Poster Presentation

Group #19  RobotCart

Project: Automatic Robot to retrieve groceries

Customer: Dr. Jamie Gurganus -Mechanical Engineering Department UMBC

Team: Blake Prout, Sal Aslam, Jocelyn Wilkins, Susan Muzzey

To view Poster full screen click here: ROB17-A_Final Poster

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Mechanical Engineering

Posters of Previous Projects  

The following are PDF files of posters of successful Senior Design Capstone Projects and Embedded Projects presented at the annual Projects Day held in May of each calendar year.

AY 2019-20 (May 2020)

  IN PROGRESS

AY 2018-19 (May 2019)

    3D Plasma CNC Machine (Partner-led project)     3D Printed Samples   (Partner-led project)     Anechoic Chamber-Tabletop   (Partner-led project)     Anterior Tilt Wheelchair   (Partner-led project)     Automated Bottling System   (Partner-led project)     Baja SAE  (Partner-led project)     Battery Swapping Mechanism   (Partner-led project)     Carton Forming Tool   (Partner-led project)     Corona Discharge   (Partner-led project)     High Pressure Testing Chamber   (Partner-led project)     Lift Gate Redesign (Partner-led project)     Mobile Loading Crane (Partner-led project)     Packing Line (Partner-led project)     Perovskite Solar Cells (Partner-led project)     PLC Bottling (Partner-led project)     Robotic Arm Material Handling (Partner-led project)     Seasoning Mixer   (Partner-led project)     Vacuum Conveyor   (Partner-led project)     VEB Stage - (Partner-led project)     WaterPurificaiton   (Partner-led project)

AY 2017-18 (May 2018)

    3D BioPrinter   (Partner-led project)     3D Sannner   (Partner-led project)     BajaSAE   (Partner-led project)     BajaSAE Suspension (Partner-led project)     Energy Harvesting   (Partner-led project)     Flange Fitting (Partner-led project)     Indexer-Conveyor Belt ( Partner-led project)     Poly Quarter Fender (Partner-led project)        Steering Angle (Partner-led project)     Towel Counter (Partner-led project)     Tube Finning Machine (Partner-led project)

AY 2016-17 (May 2017)

    Baja SAE   (Partner-led project)     Vehicle Bed Design   (Partner-led project)     Cookie Topping Device   (Partner-led project)     Electric Static Energy Harvesting (Partner-led project)     ElectroActive Composites (Partner-led project)     Implement Test Run Module (Partner-led project)     MRF Knee (Partner-led project)     NanoCooling (Partner-led project)     Nanotube Composites (Partner-led project)     Super Charger Test Rig (Partner-led project)     Vibration Energy Harvesting (Partner-led project)     Water Purify (Partner-led project)

    Resealable Can ( Experience-project)     Robot Arm Pedestal  ( Experience-project)     Trash Bag Stopper ( Experience-project)

AY 2015-16 (May 2016)

    Evaporative Cooler Circuit Stacker (Partner-led project)     Ford Transit Poptop (Partner-led project)     Formula SAE Drivetrain (Partner-led project)     Formula SAE Suspension (Partner-led project)     Full Layer Palletizer   (Partner-led project)     Nanofluidic Energy Conversion   (Partner-led project)     Press Brake Sheet Follower   (Partner-led project)     Standardized Box Quality Control   (Partner-led project)     Tremor Reduction Device   (Partner-led project)     UAV for Safety   (Partner-led project)     Vacuum Pick   (Partner-led project)     Wheelchair Power Add-on (Partner-led project)

    3D Cooling ( Experience-project)     AutoTee ( Experience-project)     Dual Compactor ( Experience-project)     Phone Grip ( Experience-project)     PVT Cooling System ( Experience-project)

• Last Updated Jul 31, 2022

Best Capstone Project Ideas for Engineering Students

“Projects that we have completed demonstrate what we know-future projects decide what we will learn”

                                                                        -Dr. Mohsin Tiwana

We learn more from life from the things that we experience than from the things that we read in books and classes because theoretical knowledge doesn't give us practical experiences. That is why we need to do projects, and when it comes to doing engineering, then doing projects is must, I mean If you have put those 4 years of your life in learning engineering and its subjects then what is its use If you can’t work on a project by using and upgrading your project?

So, the next thing that haunts each one of us before thinking of doing something new is where to start from?

Well, then you are at the right place because here I am going to discuss with you some good capstone or let's say it some good capstone engineering projects that you can have a good time with!

Have you checked out our projects on Mechanical yet? Mechanical Kit will be shipped to you and you can build using tutorials. You can start with a free demo today!

1. 3D Printer

2. Automobile Prototyping

3. CNC Machine using Arduino

4. Project Management with Primavera

So, Are You Ready For It!

Learn more about capstone projects

What is a capstone Project in Engineering?

A capstone project is the research work of a student for a year or more, in which the student selects a particular topic and does the required research by gaining information from all the possible sources that he/she can.

This lets the student in having a better understanding of the subject and give an edge over others because others have just studied theoretical skills but you have gone in-depth and understood the subject.

Practical experiences are always appreciated more than the theory because that’s where your real knowledge is tested.

Sounds cool! Right?

Now, let’s come to some best capstone engineering project ideas!

Explore more capstone projects

Latest projects on Mechanical

Want to develop practical skills on Mechanical? Checkout our latest projects and start learning for free

Best capstone engineering project ideas

1. Home Automation Using IoT

Anyone who denies from the idea of automatically working homes is lying for sure because we humans are always super-duper lazy in doing households and keep looking for the easiest ways in which we don't have to work? Sounded Relatable?

Well, then we can make a capstone engineering project in which you can learn how to pair all your electronic home appliances with Bluetooth so that they can perform the given task on your own by one click or command by the simple IoT applications.

Learn more about this project

Skyfi Labs helps students develop skills in a hands-on manner through Mechanical Online Courses where you learn by building real-world projects.

You can enrol with friends and receive kits at your doorstep.

You can learn from experts, build working projects, showcase skills to the world and grab the best jobs. Start Learning Mechanical today!

2. Animatronic Hand:

What if you could create a machine that could be controlled just by your hand and finger gestures or facial expressions or a robot intimating animal.

Well, such robots are called Animatronic Hand!

These also imitate humans and animals.

This capstone engineering project will help you in understanding the making and working of this Animatronic Hand

By working on servo motors which will act as actuators with the design, fabrication and flex sensors,

You will also get to work with Ardunio Architecture and its programming

3. Smart Energy Meter using GSM:

The generation and supply of electrical energy are one of the widest used applications of electrical engineering.

This capstone engineering project is a great learning source for the students who want to go in the field of energy generation and control and talking about this smart energy meter then this is called smart because it keeps and gives the record of total energy consumed and the energy lost via sending SMS periodically so that the unnecessary loss of  energy can be avoided

This project also involves Arduino Architecture and its Programming. Along with it, you will learn about the electrical loads and measurement and the working and the application of the GSM technology.

4. Home Automation System:

Home automation is a kind of project you will always have fun working with, this project is unlike the earlier discussed Home automation project, as it has so much more to learn like the system framework of home automation, then you will learn about the Bluetooth communication.

That’s all? No dear, along with this you will also learn about the relay driver circuits and also about the 8051 architecture and its programming!

5. Solar and Smart Energy Systems

The solar energy obtained from the sun’s rays is a renewable source of energy and that’s the reason Solar energy and its smart energy generation are something which will never go out of trend, at least till the earth is getting sun rays in abundance.

This is one of the reasons electrical engineering is more persued and job secured as electrical energy is also used for the generation of energy in big plants and industries.

Hence, to enhance such energy generation skills and knowledge one must learn about the  Solar energy and smart energy systems.

This project will help you in the study of the IR sensors and its applications. You will also get an idea about the Solar and Smart energy system frameworks.

Along with it, you will learn about the working of the solar panels and the application of Ardunio Architecture and its programming.

6. Automatic Solar Tracker

As discussed earlier solar energy is among the most used and most in-demand resources, and automatic solar energy tracking is an important skill to learn because not only sunlight alone matters but also obtaining it from the right direction matters to make the most out of it.

And such Electrical project helps one in gaining more and more industrial exposure and giving one an edge over others.

In this capstone project, you will learn about the working of solar energy systems, along with it you will also learn about the photoresistors in the electronic systems and will have to work with Arduino Architecture and planning.

Learn more about Automatic solar tracker

7. 3D Printer

No doubt 3D printing is the future of every developing nation and as the technology will keep on going forward the demand for the people who know 3D printing will keep on increasing.

Therefore, knowing, understanding and practising 3D printing with a self build-up 3D printer will give you an edge over others.

By working on this capstone project, you can easily print out a 3D object from a CAD model. This course involves the application of Ardunio programming with additive manufacturing and the use of RAMPS Board, SMPS &motor Driver.

8. Smart Traffic Lightening Systems:

The traffic in the world is increasing as the population of the world is increasing.

Urbanization is on the rise and day-by-day different methods and systems are getting used to making things smarter and smarter.

So, it is the same trying to be done with the traffic lights. This capstone engineering project will help you in making smart traffic lighting systems.

Any kind of Ardunio, electrical, mechanical or mechatronic projects can be picked up as a capstone project like:

• Automation with PLC
• Persistence of Vision
• PCB Manufacturing
• Health Monitoring wearable

For more information about good capstone projects for engineering you may go on the links below:

• Mechatronic capstone project
• Raspberry-pi capstone project
• Electronics capstone project
• Mechanical capstone project

I hope you got some good capstone projects from this article. If you have any queries let us know in the comments section.

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Mechanical Engineering Capstone

.cls-1{fill:#a91e22;}.cls-2{fill:#c2c2c2;} double-arrow mechanical engineering capstone sequence.

The Capstone Sequence is the primary culminating project of the mechanical engineering curriculum. Students carry out a formal design experience that takes you from design requirements to idea/design generation and on through prototyping and testing. The sequence is intended to provide experience in the design process and bring together and reinforce skills obtained in the analysis, modeling and measurement of engineering systems. Students also continue to refine communication and teamwork skills and be introduced to concepts in project management that will be utilized to successfully complete the capstone projects. The courses also touch on other important aspects of real-world engineering practice.

Students must complete the following prerequisites prior to beginning any capstone sequence: MECHENG 3360, MECHENG 3671, and MECHENG 3870. Students are also required to enroll in the co-requisite MECHENG 4510 in the same term as capstone. These prerequisites will be  strictly enforced  and exceptions will not be made. All students are also required to complete MECHENG 4870 (Multidisciplinary Mechanical Engineering Laboratory) regardless of the capstone option chosen.

General Capstone Presentation  (Prof. Marzette)

In the general capstone, students are able to participate in a diversity of projects including community and industry projects, instructor-suggested projects, and student conceived projects. Projects options may touch upon any fundamental area of mechanical engineering, and while some may be purely mechanical, others may involve mechatronics or other interdisciplinary work, topically speaking.

There are opportunities to partner with subject-matter experts external to the department who are interested in supporting student projects. Recent projects include an automated lawnmower, a robotic fish, a cookie extruder, a drone constraint device, and a mechanical regeneratively brake bike. 

Students can begin the General Capstone Sequence in the Autumn or Spring semesters. 

Student Design Competition Presentation

Students work on design projects arising from various student team competitions in engineering. The emphasis will be on automotive projects similar to Baja SAE, EcoCAR2, Buckeye Electric Motorcycle and Buckeye Bullet, among others. Note that these projects are tightly formulated to aid student teams in the design and manufacturing of specific components or systems for the vehicles. Some examples include advanced braking systems, high-performance composite structures and the creation of real-time vehicle telemetry. Student teams also document their designs so a record can be created for the various vehicle systems. Permission from the instructor is required to be enrolled in this capstone sequence.

Students can only begin the Student Design Competition Capstone Sequence in the Autumn semester. 

Product Design Presentation

Students will work in teams of three to four students for the entire two–semester sequence, where students are responsible for taking a product idea from the initial conceptualization stage to a functional prototype. The emphasis of this course is on product design, as compared to engineering design, and include lectures on the background and theory of user-centered product development, product architecture, and manufacturing. Students will be expected to complete extensive fieldwork and design research before beginning the project. Additionally, students will build several prototypes over the course of this two–semester sequence. Recent projects include a hose management system for firefighters, an enrichment device for Asian Elephants at the Cincinnati Zoo, and a rainwater collection system for urban farms. 

Permission from the instructor is required to be enrolled in this capstone sequence.  MECHENG 5682.01 is a pre- or co-requisite for the first semester of this capstone.

Assistive Devices Presentation  (OLD)  

Assistive Devices capstone is currently not being offered for the 2023-2024 school year. We hope to be able to run this capstone option - please keep an eye on your email if this is posted to the course schedule for Autumn 2023.

Students will create assistive devices for people with disabilities. These devices will aid in the quality of life for many types of disabilities. These projects emphasize working with the customer and understanding the specific needs and wants of a variety of patients. Project teams of three to five students will be presented with an unmet need for an assistive device or technology, and will work through the entire product design process over the two-course sequence. This project will also be completed in collaboration with senior capstone students from the Department of Biomedical Engineering. Project teams will have faculty mentors from both the College of Engineering and the College of Medicine.  The project will culminate with the creation of working prototypes that will be tested and used in a clinical setting.

Students can only begin the Assistive Devices Capstone Sequence in the Autumn semester. 

Multidisciplinary Design Presentation

This capstone sequence is designed to prepare students with the engineering and professional skills and techniques needed to complete a real-world project using a design process. Students will learn a multidisciplinary design process, which includes defining the problem; conceptualizing solutions; designing a solution; building or modeling a prototype; and creating and implementing a validation plan.  Students will demonstrate technical communication skills and professional practices in a multidisciplinary environment. Students will also learn project management and teamwork skills.

Teams of students (typically four to six students) from various engineering programs (i.e. CBE, CSE, ECE, Engineering Physics, FABE, ISE, etc.) and other disciplines (i.e. Business, Chemistry, Finance, Industrial Design, Psychology, etc.) work on these real-world projects, which represent those that might be encountered upon graduation and entering a professional working environment. The project topics range from product and process improvement to new product development, humanitarian and socially innovative product design. A faculty or staff advisor is assigned to each team and each sponsor supplies a liaison for the entire length of the project. Additional information can be found  here .  Permission from the instructor is required to be enrolled in this capstone sequence. Students can only begin the Multidisciplinary Design Capstone Sequence in the Autumn semester. 

.cls-1{fill:#a91e22;}.cls-2{fill:#c2c2c2;} double-arrow MAE Capstone Survey

Are you a member of the community and have a project idea? Looking to partner? Tell us about it here:  https://go.osu.edu/MAECapstoneSurvey .

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College of Engineering

From infant care and virtual reality to art preservation and submarines, vcu engineering students show off their creative problem-solving, winners of college of engineering’s annual capstone design expo reflect dedication across an array of disciplines..

May 2, 2024

By Leila Ugincius

For the past year, seniors in Virginia Commonwealth University’s  College of Engineering  have been working to make the world a better place for humankind.

Whether assembling a wheelchair-lifting system, constructing a hybrid bike for veterans with limited mobility or exploring safe human-industrial robot collaboration, the senior class unveiled their research projects on April 26 at the college’s annual  Capstone Design Expo .

A signature event of the college, the expo represents the culmination of the graduating class’s education and showcases their innovative research and design prototypes from their yearlong senior Capstone Design course. The required class teaches leadership, teamwork and design skills.

Faced with challenges when developing prototypes, students gain valuable insights into the intricacies of designing innovative solutions. For many, the process highlights the importance of flexibility and adaptability in problem-solving.

The long-term nature of the projects sets this course apart from the rest of the curriculum. Students discovered the challenges of turning their initial ideas into a functioning product – and that building a solution is far tougher than designing it.

Here are summaries of the 2024 Engineering Capstone Design Expo winners.

BIOMEDICAL ENGINEERING

Mini Sensors to Track Movement of Preterm Babies  (BE 24-103)

Ashlyn Jones, Ireleigh O’Malley, Sarah Johnson, Adriana Bautista and Ishika Singh (advisor: Thea Pepperl)

“Premies” — babies born prematurely — are more susceptible to health challenges and require constant monitoring. This project tracks newborns’ movements using sensors to identify any potential issues, such as neurological complications or infections. It aids in early detection, ensuring these babies receive care for optimal health and development.

“We faced challenges when prototyping and choosing the most suitable wearable design to meet our sponsor’s specifications, since we needed to ensure the sensor was protected, the device as a whole could be sterilized, and maximized the baby’s comfort,” Bautista said.

CHEMICAL AND LIFE SCIENCE ENGINEERING

Subcritical Hydrothermal Catalytic Degradation of PFAS  (CLSE 24-204)

Abdullah Alqallaf, Jazzamine Threatt, Holly Sheppard and Anthony Anzelmo (advisor: Frank Gupton)

Poly- and perfluoroalkyl substances — commonly referred to as PFAS, or “forever chemicals” — take nearly forever to breakdown and, since they contaminate drinking water, can build up in the body over time. Forever chemicals are used to create common household products such as cleaning solutions, nonstick cookware and personal care items, and demand to find ways to break down PFAS is steadily increasing every year.

This project developed a continuous method of degrading PFAS found in water. Implementing two separate methods, the students removed up to 76.5% and 98.8% total PFAS, respectively, setting the stage for future experiments to see how adsorption affects the final concentration of PFAS in the treated solution.

COMPUTER SCIENCE

Sentiment Voice: Integrating Emotion AI and VR Performance in Arts  (CS 24-319)

Josiah Wilson, Chase Taylor and Ariana Thomas (advisor: Alberto Cano)

Can artificial intelligence “read” people’s emotions when they’re inside virtual reality? The students developed a system using the Unity Platform that tracks a user’s emotional changes.

Based on what users say and how their facial expressions change, the environment — in this case, a computer-generated Tokyo — changes around them, showing how someone’s emotions can project into the environment around them.

Based on research by VCU’s Semi Ryu, Ph.D., the project offers potential in multiple settings, including treating patients with PTSD or helping users process trauma and stressful situations.

ELECTRICAL AND COMPUTER ENGINEERING

Microgrid Model and Design  (ECE 24-405)

Madison Hofmann, Steven Holt, Amanda Orndorff and Jalen Richardson (advisor: Zhifang Wang)

Dominion Energy sponsored this project, in which the students designed an energy management system — essentially, a tiny computer controller that functions as a brain — to forecast electric demand. The “brain” helps decide how to use electricity most efficiently and at the best price by determining where the electricity should come from — the sun, the wind or a diesel generator.

As the world continues to shift toward renewable energy, the students wanted to think small (as in, microgrids) as well as big.

“Since microgrids rely on small, local generation, this makes them optimal for deploying renewable energy resources,” Holt said. “Implementing renewable energy throughout communities using wind turbines, rooftop solar panels and even solar carports reduces the need for large power farms that consume large amounts of land. Having power available locally also reduces stress on long-distance transmission networks and increases reliability in times of high grid instability. Ultimately, microgrids are an efficient way of implementing a sustainable, renewably powered future.”

MECHANICAL AND NUCLEAR ENGINEERING

Fabrication of Magnetic Filaments for Fused Deposition Modeling Technology  (MNE 24-503)

Thomas Pierce, Micaiah Akyeampong, Vincent Mazzochette and Kamau Bey (adviser: Radhika Barua)

Additive manufacturing — building something by adding material one layer at a time — reduces reliance on traditional supply chains by enabling on-demand production of spare parts and components.

One of the most common methods of additive manufacturing is fused deposition modeling, better known as 3D printing, which extrudes a plastic filament in a series of layers to create the 3D object.

This team set out to produce a magnetized filament by combining recyclable polymer with magnetic powders and conductive fillers. Ultimately, the proposed filament could be used for 3D-printing electromagnetic shielding, which is used for applications such as surface ship radar, weather radar, air traffic control, inflight Wi-Fi and spacecraft telemetry.

MULTIDISCIPLINARY

VMFA Horizontal Track System  (MULTI 24-618)

Cole Jordan, Zach Mazzola, Andrew Shalaski and Matthew Hayden (advisers: Reza Mohammadi, Dan Resler)

Art conservationists meticulously preserve and repair paintings that tie us to the past by using fine precision tools, including microscopes. But the risks – even just a minuscule flake of paint chipping off during movement or inspection – are high.

This group set out to design a track system to allow a microscope to travel over large pieces of art. Think of a claw machine at the arcade, where the claw can be positioned and then lowered – though in this case, the “prize” isn’t touched.

The current industry standard for such inspection costs hundreds of thousands of dollars. This system can be built in stages, starting with manual motion based on a system of rails and carriages — like a drawer — that can then be upgraded to automated motion with motors. It can be installed for about $8,500.

BEST INDUSTRIAL

Advanced Rudder Actuation  (MNE 24-509)

Keely Cooley, Alex Sellers, Thomas Goldstein and Daniel Woodworth (adviser: Worth Longest)

Few modifications have been made to control systems in submarines over the past century, with new technologies having issues of scalability and cost. The team wanted to explore better maneuverability, stealth and efficiency of submarines.

After creating more than 15 novel rudder and control designs, the team chose the top three for further analysis: a whale-inspired tubercle design, a triple-hinged flap and a compliant mechanism design. The students then prototyped and tested each design in a wind tunnel, comparing the results with a control test sample and to each other. The major measures of success were maximum lift-to-drag ratios of hydrofoils, minimal acoustic effects and signatures, and robustness of the design.

Preliminary results showed that while the whale tubercle design acted as intended, a few changes to the design could have increased the lift-to-drag ratio in comparison with the control sample. Analysis is still underway for the compliant and segmented hydrofoils, which are expected to perform better than the tubercle design.

EXCELLENCE IN DESIGN

Design to Reduce Pulse Oximeter Reading Inaccuracies Due to Skin Pigmentation  (BME 24-107)

Jayla Johnson, Ellen Patchin and Mariana Fernandes Gragnani (adviser: Barbara Boyan)

Patients of color often receive delayed oxygen treatment due to inaccuracy in readings from the pulse oximeter — the device that clips on to a finger to measure oxygen in blood. Current models report a larger number than usual, which can be dangerous as doctors don’t realize the patient actually needs more oxygen.

The students developed a new oximeter that improves how it measures the oxygen in blood, regardless of skin color.

“Health care has a long history of racial and gender-related disparities that have long affected the quality of treatment many individuals receive,” Pathcin said. “This has taken the form of issues like the one our project addresses, where the technology itself is not suited for darker skin tones, and medical practices founded on misinformation and medical myths.”

PEOPLE’S CHOICE

Formula SAE Aerodynamic Front Wing Design  (MNE 24-516)

Carson Clark, Jonathan Morton, Garrett Giddings and Ryan Noll (advisers: Bradley Nichols, Laleh Golshahi)

Ram Racing, the multidisciplinary student organization that designs, builds and races Formula 1, Formula E and Mini Baja race cars from scratch, wanted to improve the performance of its next race car.

Members of this project group who have experience racing the car have noticed a serious performance problem when the car enters a corner. The car lacks traction at the front wheels and slides, rather than turns, when cornering, which slows its speed in that part of the racecourse.

Speaking to other FSAE race teams from other Virginian colleges, the Capstone team learned that many race teams have little to no background research or analysis for their front wing design. The student team designed a two-foil front splitter for a Formula SAE car to produce maximum downforce while maintaining laminar flow over the front tires.

“It’s the opposite of an airplane wing,” Noll said. “Instead of lifting the plane up, it forces the car down.”

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May 1, 2024 | Olivia Drake - UConn College of Engineering

Engineering Students Share Yearlong Research Projects During Senior Design Demo Day

Through their Senior Design projects, students work to solve real-world engineering problems while learning valuable skills

More than 240 teams from the College of Engineering participated in Senior Design Demo Day on April 26. (Chris LaRosa / UConn)

While chemical engineers may more commonly be known for working in areas of pharmaceutical development, materials processing, and petroleum industries, Kanisha Desai ’24 (ENG) is brewing up her own innovative idea for putting her chemical engineering degree to use.

Desai, along with engineering classmates Cameron Hubbard ’24 (ENG), Hailey Tam ’24 (ENG), and Ethan Krouskup ’24 (ENG), debuted their project—a non-alcoholic beer brewing process—during Senior Design Demonstration Day on April 26 in an energy-buzzed Gampel Pavilion. ( View the photo gallery online here .)

“We wanted to solve a problem that most people wouldn’t normally classify as an ‘engineering problem,’” Desai says. “Brewing has always been a fascinating topic to us as chemical engineers, and since many people love the taste and creative flavors of craft beers, but don’t want the added alcohol, this project allows us to help small breweries develop a thriving alcoholic and non-alcoholic beer brewing business.”

The team’s project, “ Spirit of Sobriety: Of Non-Alcoholic Brews ,” was among 242 student-led endeavors showcased during the 2024 Senior Design Demo Day. Sponsored by the College of Engineering (CoE) and under the mentorship of Associate Professor in Residence Jennifer Pascal, the project took first place of all senior designs from the Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering Department.

Senior Design is two-semester capstone course where faculty and industry engineers mentor students as they work to solve real-world engineering problems for university and company sponsors. Through the experience, students learn about the principles of design, how ethics affect engineering decisions, and how professionals communicate ideas. In addition, they acquire valuable teamwork skills and professional skills while interacting with industry professionals and other mentors.

“Each year, dozens of leading manufacturing companies, pharmaceutical and medical firms, consulting practices and utilities present the College of Engineering with design challenges or problems they are encountering in their business,” explains CoE Dean Kazem Kazerounian. “For a modest fee, the companies suggest a particular problem and our senior engineering students, under the joint mentorship of engineering faculty and practicing experts from the sponsoring entities, work to properly frame the problem and develop meaningful solutions.”

Senior Design Demo Day provides the soon-to-be UConn graduates an opportunity to share the results of their independent research projects with fellow students, faculty, alumni, and community members.

“For our students, this experience is the culmination of their undergraduate education, and an opportunity to showcase their skills and education as they venture into the next steps of their careers,” says Daniel Burkey, associate dean for undergraduate education and Castleman Term Professor in Engineering Innovation. “Even after Demo Day, some students continue working on their project, especially if they accept a job with their project sponsor.”

While the “Spirit of Sobriety” team also implemented a pasteurization process on a home-brewing scale to ensure the safe drinkability of the non-alcoholic beer, materials science and engineering majors Charlotte Chen ’24 (ENG), Sanjana Nistala ’24 (ENG), Jenna Salvatore ’24 (ENG), and Allison Determan ’24 (ENG) designed a “ Joint-On-A-Chip ” to emulate the in vivo environment of a knee joint affected by osteoarthritis. The chip mimics the immune response and mechanical strain that cells in an affected joint experience in the human body.

Through their Senior Design project, “ Deblurring of Digital Images ,” electrical and computer engineering majors Andrew Feliciano ’24 (ENG) and Colby Powers ’24 (ENG) evaluated blur reduction or removal algorithms that could be implemented on imaging systems found on United States Coast Guard ships and naval vessels.

And Gary Zhu ’24 (ENG), Jack Crocamo ’24 (ENG), Ryka ChandraRaj ’24 (ENG), Alicia Chiu ’24 (ENG), Ryan Mercier ’24 (ENG), and Donny Sauer III ’24 (ENG) completed a systems engineering project titled, “ Data Collection and Analysis for an Autonomous Electric Vehicle System .” With the support of sponsor Pratt & Whitney, the team developed a data analysis framework capable of precisely predicting a self-driving vehicle’s reactions to input directives. The foundation of this initiative rests upon a data-driven control system tailored for electric vehicles, harnessing the power of machine learning algorithms.

Solving Problems Statewide

One of the goals of Senior Design is to help solve problems on a local level.

In Madison, Conn., the Connecticut Department of Transportation wants to expand a rest stop along the heavily traveled Interstate 95. Environmental engineering majors Rory Cavicke ’24 (ENG), Kelsey DiCesare ’24 (ENG), and Alexander Brita ’24 (ENG) worked with industry sponsor CHA Consulting to design a septic system and stormwater infrastructure for an expanded tractor trailer rest stop. The team developed their designs in accordance with the CT Public Health Code 2023 Technical Standards and the CT Stormwater Quality Manual.

And in Woodstock, residents are working to restore and preserve the historic Chamberlin Mill, which produced wood shingles in the 19th and early 20th centuries. For their senior design project, mechanical engineering majors Alexander Guzman ’24 (ENG), Will Goss ’24 (ENG), and Vinicius De Souza ’24 (ENG) conducted a mechanical analysis and working CAD model of the mill’s 1860s shingle machine , which will be used by the mill to teach future STEM students.

Catalyzing Campus

Other projects focused on benefiting UConn itself.

Under the guidance of faculty advisor Shinae Jang, civil engineering majors Joshua Maccione ’24 (ENG), Christian Maignan ’24 (ENG), Connor Behuniak ’24 (ENG), Ryan Baj ’24 (ENG), and Darren Lin ’24 (ENG) designed a multi-story, modernized building to accommodate the expanding engineering programs within the newly designated College of Engineering. The team obtained geotechnical data from past construction projects and identified an optimal new location for this proposed facility on campus. The design incorporated composite and non-composite beams, along with a combination of steel and braced frames. Their project, “ Proposed College of Engineering Building at the University of Connecticut ,” took second place of all civil engineering senior designs.

Also, mechanical engineering majors Christian Bjork ’24 (ENG), Alanna Barzola ’24 (ENG), and Nicholas Trottier ’24 (ENG), along with electrical engineering majors Patrick Place ’24 (ENG) and River Granniss ’24 (ENG), collaborated on the design, development, and analysis of a scaled-down, concentrated photovoltaic/thermal system (CPV/T) that could be integrated into a greenhouse roof at UConn. Photovoltaic and thermal systems are considered conventional green energy methods used to power a greenhouse, however combining them is relatively new concept.  Because photovoltaic systems can become inefficient when they reach high temperatures, for this project, the team proposed cooling the photovoltaic system with a combined thermal system while simultaneously producing thermal energy to heat the greenhouse.

Their project, “ Design and Development of PV/Thermal System for Greenhouses ” was advised by Wajid Chishty, Nathan Lehman, and Ravi Gorthala and sponsored by Sonalysts, Inc. It received first place in systems engineering projects and third place in mechanical engineering project.

For Grannis, the senior design process proved to be challenging, but rewarding. With his electrical engineering knowledge, Grannis was tasked with making the system’s sun tracking device operate correctly, in a minimal amount of time.

“The tracking system design we ended up using was not finalized until about a month into the second semester of senior design. After that, I spent all of my time working on the electronics and software for the tracking system pretty much until Demo Day,” Grannis says. “The biggest thing I learned was coding in C++ for Arduino. In many cases the hardest parts of the project were not the most interesting to present, so learning to show off what is interesting while continuing to work on the hard stuff—while also informing sponsors and advisors about what difficulties there are—is a balance that needs to be found early on. The most important thing Senior Design reinforced is how important interpersonal communication is, even in engineering where things are heavily results-driven.”

A Little Competition …

Demo Day isn’t the only venue students share their novel projects. For Senior Design, Ashley Sciacca ’24 (ENG), Nathan Garala ’24 (ENG), Ryan Maguire ’24 (ENG), and Spencer Alsup ’24 (ENG) fabricated a fully electric-powered, waterproof boat . Along with other members of UConn’s Promoting Electric Propulsion team— Christopher Capozzi, Andrews Marsigliano, Ian Pichs, and Xavier Purandah—the group competed in a five-mile course in Virginia, sponsored by the American Society of Naval Engineers. Students designed the boat using a simulation software and combined this data with test results to determine power requirements.

“This was the first year of competition for the UConn team, and of 39 schools, we finished in the top 10, which is a great accomplishment,” said project advisor Vito Moreno, professor in residence of mechanical engineering.

Similarly, electrical and computer engineering majors Matthew Silverman ’24 (ENG), Spencer Albano ’24 (ENG), and Nicholas Wycoff ’24 (ENG) participated in a Software Defined Radio (SDR) university challenge in Ohio with their Senior Design project, “ Physical Layer Network Slicing .” They created an access point that can establish a network and communicate across both Wi-Fi and Zigbee (a Wi-Fi alternative) devices. The competition, hosted by the Wright Brothers Institute (WBI) and Air Force Research Laboratory, encouraged hands-on skill building and explore experimentation through SDR hardware. UConn’s team was among the top 8 finalists and received the Most Outstanding Project Award. Shengli Zhou, professor of electrical and computer engineering, served as the team’s advisor.

“There are some routers that can communicate over both Wi-Fi and Zigbee but are typically two separate devices bundled in the same enclosure,” Albano explains. “Having one device that communicates across both standards provides ease to a network administrator that can manage devices in both standards. The benefits include efficiency, flexibility, and security.”

And the Winners Are …

Senior Design Demo Day began more than 40 years ago. Today, it features the projects of students majoring in biomedical engineering, chemical and biomolecular engineering; civil and environmental engineering; electrical and computer engineering; environmental engineering; materials science and engineering; systems engineering; management and engineering manufacturing; multidisciplinary engineering; the School of Computing; and the School of Mechanical, Aerospace, and Manufacturing Engineering.

Each CoE department and school awarded prizes for the best poster presentations. The 2024 winners are:

Biomedical Engineering

1st place: “Joint-On-A-Chip Osteoarthritis Disease Modeling for Evaluating Anti-Inflammatory Drug Performance,” by Charlotte Chen (MSE), Sanjana Nistala, Jenna Salvatore, and Allison Determan. Advisor: Syam Nukavarapu. Sponsor: UConn Biomedical Engineering Department.

2nd place: Singular Part 3D-Printed External Prosthetics for Mastectomy Patients Without Reconstruction,” by Yukti Ummaneni, Ashwini Patel, Mia Haynes, and Jamie Trinh. Advisor: Liisa Kuhn. Sponsor: Beekley Lab for Biosymmetrix

3rd place (tie): “Circuit and Sensor Design for Smartphone-Based Electroretinography,” by Rory Harris, Rodrigo Tuesta, and Yuexi Hao. Advisor: Hugo Posada-Quintero. Sponsor: UConn Biomedical Engineering Department.

3rd place (tie): “In Vitro Model for the Study of Traumatic Brain Injury” by Mark Cristino, Rudin Lloga, and Kaiya Pringle. Advisor: Kazunori Hoshino. Sponsor: UConn Biomedical Engineering Department.

Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering 1st place: “Spirit of Sobriety: Of Non-Alcoholic Brews,” by Cameron Hubbard, Kanisha Desai, Hailey Tam, and Ethan Krouskup. Advisor: Jennifer Pascal. Sponsor: UConn College of Engineering.

2nd place: “Design And Optimization Of A Multi-Effect Desalination Unit Integrated With A Gas Turbine Plan,” by Wasif Zaman, Katelyn Honegger, Alanna Smith, and David Gan. Advisor: Burcu Beykal. Sponsor: UConn College of Engineering.

3rd place: “Redefining How to Process Body Wash: Creating A More Efficient and Agile Supply Chain,” by Aadil Shahzad, Samantha Miel, Megan Shiring, and Matthew Silver. Advisor: Anson Ma. Sponsor: Unilever.

Civil Engineering 1st place: “Blue Line Extension,” by Anson Lau, Yuanlong Dai, Helen Pruchniak, Nicholas Vestergaard. Advisor: Wei Zhang. Sponsor: Construction Industries of Massachusetts-Labor Relations Division (CIM-LRD).

2nd place: “Proposed College of Engineering Building at the University of Connecticut,” by Joshua Maccione, Christian Maignan, Connor Behuniak, Ryan Baj, and Darren Lin. Advisor: Shinae Jang. Sponsor: Slam Collaborative.

3rd place (tie): “Design of Pedestrian Walkway For The Gold Star Memorial,” by Shaun McGuire, Kayla Turner, Steven Anderson, Juan Javier Mejia. Advisor: Manish Roy. Sponsor: HNTB Corporation.

3rd place (tie): “Worcester Union Station Center Island Platform Project,” by Conor Murphy, Harley Jeanty, Jakub Patrosz, Benjamin Ragozzine. Advisor: Wei Zhang. Sponsor: HDR, Inc.

Environmental Engineering

1st place: “Remedial Design of a PFAS Contaminated Site in Connecticut,” by Valentine Falsetta, Wilmalis Rodriguez, and Nicola Bacon. Advisor: Alexander Agrios. Sponsor: Amine Dahmani.

2nd place: “Stormwater/Septic Design,” by Rory Cavicke, Kelsey DiCesare, and Alexander Brita. Advisor: Alexander Agrios. Sponsor: CHA Consulting, Inc.

3rd place: “Stones Ranch Road Drainage Upgrades and Erosion Control,” by Grace Carravone, Amanda Jacobson, Sara Makula, and Jason Contreras. Advisor: Manish Roy. Sponsor: Connecticut National Guard.

School of Computing 1st place: “Solubility Data Management,” by John Bogacz, Connor Brush, Maniza Shaikh, Jianhua Zhu, Walson Li, and Peter Filip. Advisor: Qian Yang. Sponsor: Boehringer Ingelheim.

2nd place: “Light Scattering Automation,” by Zachary Hall, Nikolas Anagnostou, Alden Dus, Jacob Montanez, Avaneesh Sathish, Zakarya Zahhal, and Nikolas Kallicharan. Advisor: Qian Yang. Sponsor: UConn School of Computing.

3rd place: “Responsive Multimodal Care Coordinator (MCC) Development,” by Randy Yu, James Frederick, Betul Agirman, Cameron Ky, Quincy Miller, and Mir Zaman. Advisor: Suining He. Sponsor: University of Connecticut and Bastion.

Electrical and Computer Engineering Projects 1st place: “Robotic Perception Sensor Characterization Platform,” by Hritish Bhargava and Samuel Gresh. Advisor: Shan Zuo. Sponsor: Draper Laboratory​.

2nd place: “Air Force Research Laboratory Software Defined Radio (SDR) University Challenge: Physical Layer Network Slicing,” by Spencer Albano, Matthew Silverman, and Nicholas Wycoff Advisor: Shengli Zhou. Sponsor: UConn Electrical and Computer Engineering Department.

3rd place: “Automated Angle Table for AS5,” by Alexander ReCouper and Mitchell Bronson. Advisor: Liang Zhang. Sponsor: OEM Controls.

Materials Science and Engineering 1st place and Student Choice Award (tie): “Joint-On-A-Chip Osteoarthritis Disease Modeling for Evaluating Anti-Inflammatory Drug Performance,” by Charlotte Chen, Sanjana Nistala, Jenna Salvatore, and Allison Determan. Advisor: Fiona Leek. Sponsor: UConn Biomedical Engineering Department.

2nd place and Student Choice Award (tie): “Citric Acid Passivation Process Development,” by Kevin Li and Matthew Maramo. Advisor: Alexander Dupuy. Sponsor: ARKA.

3rd place: “Bio-Based Material Commercial Door Components Footprint,” by Yuexuan Gu and Jaclyn Grace. Advisor: Fiona Leek. Sponsor: ASSA ABLOY.

Management and Engineering for Manufacturing 1st place: “Enhancing Smartfood Popcorn Line Efficiency to Reduce Downtime And Boost Production Performance,” by Anna Lidsky, Valeria Nieto, Isabelle Bunosso, and Lauren Hart. Advisor: Craig Calvert. Sponsor: PepsiCo Frito-Lay.

2nd place: “Modernizing Raw Material Marking and Inventory System To Enhance Traceability,” by Nimai Browning, Quinn Reelitz, Steven Jaret, and Austin Muzzy. Advisors: Craig Calvert and Rajiv Naik. Sponsor: HORST Engineering.

3rd place: “Reliability Testing and Design Risk Assessment to Enhance Product Quality and Business Sustainability,” by Alex Domingo, Madeline Corbett, Brett Pierce, and Alexander Pearl. Advisor: Rajiv Naik. Sponsor: Belimo Americas.

School of Mechanical, Aerospace, and Manufacturing Engineering Professors Award: “Designing and Operating An Experimental Facility To Study Non-Premixed Flames Of Pre-Heated (And Pre-Vaporized) Reactants,” by Al-Yaman Zoghol and Tyler Dickey. Advisor: Francesco Carbone. Sponsor: UConn College of Engineering.

1st place: “Multifunctional Metamaterial to Attenuate Acoustic and Elastic Waves,” by Evan Kluge and Lindsey Japa. Advisor: Osama Bilal. Sponsor: ACC Masters.

2nd place (tie): “Improved Performance of Magnetic Speed Sensor Analyzer,” by Kristen Angeli and Emily Root. Advisor: Farhad Imani. Sponsor: AI-Tek Instruments.

2nd place (tie): “Belt Based Continuously Variable Automatic Transmission Prototype,” by Ajeeth Vellore, Luka Ligouri, Ethan Wicko, and Ryan Zwick. Advisor: David Pierce. Sponsor: Transcend Bicycle LLC.

3rd place: “Design and Development of PV/Thermal System for Greenhouses,” by Christian Bjork, Alanna Barzola, Nicholas Trottier, Patrick Place and River Granniss. Advisors: Wajid Chishty, Nathan Lehman, and Ravi Gorthala. Sponsor: Sonalysts, Inc.

Systems Engineering 1st place (tie): “Robotic Perception Sensor Characterization Platform,” by Isabella Fabrizi, Liam Mohan, Samuel Gresh, Aveline Mills, Gerardo Robles-Luna, and Hritish Bhargava. Advisor: Osama Bilal. Sponsor: Draper.

1st place (tie): “Design and Development of PV/Thermal System for Greenhouses,” by Christian Bjork, Alanna Barzola, Nicholas Trottier, Patrick Place and River Granniss. Advisors: Wajid Chishty, Nathan Lehman, and Ravi Gorthala. Sponsor: Sonalysts, Inc.

Multidisciplinary Engineering In addition to the Demo Day awards, six seniors were honored for being among UConn’s first multidisciplinary engineering majors: Edward Wilkinson, Matthew Koniecko, Sean Tan, Patricio Salomon-Mir, Josephine Luby, and Kelly Russell.

Distinguished Educator Engineering Award (nominated by students) Jasna Jankovic, associate professor of materials science and engineering, and Manish Roy, assistant professor in residence of civil and environmental engineering.

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