what is capstone design project

Capstone Design is a culminating course offered to undergraduate students in several disciplines at the Georgia Institute of Technology. Students work in teams to design, build, and test prototypes with real world applications. At the end of each semester students showcase their efforts at the “Capstone Design Expo”.

The Capstone Design course provides students the opportunity to work with real-world, open-ended, interdisciplinary challenges proposed by industrial and research project sponsors. They learn and apply the engineering design process: defining functional requirements, conceptualization, analysis, identifying risks and countermeasures, selection, and physical prototyping.

Student teams design and build working, physical prototypes to validate their solutions. By working in teams they develop leadership skills and group dynamics; dealing with scheduling conflicts, meeting weekly deliverables and deadlines; and communication among team members, project sponsors, and course instructors.

Teams attend lectures given by experts from Industry and Academia on topics including industrial design, manufacturing, market research and marketing, intellectual property, company formation, codes and standards, and ethics.

At the end of the semester, student teams display and pitch their inventions and marketability to a panel of judges, invited guest, media, and their peers, while competing for cash prizes. This is an excellent opportunity for sponsors to see how their project was conceptualized by the teams at the expo.

Capstone Senior Design Projects

Biological systems engineering capstone senior design groups.

2010-2011 : Chadwick Wyler, Andrew Almendares and Kevin Kostlan

2012-2013: Cassy Gardner, Kara Johnson and Marie West

• Amperometric Glucose Biosensor

2013-2014: Ryan Kawakita and Mohammad Bakir

• Multiplexed amperometric Glucose Biosensor

2014-2015: Chris Roberts, Chris Staddick and Myles Donahue

2017-2018: Ben Arbaugh, Alex Hitomi and Alex Wyler

• Ultra High Pressure Pretreatment Bioreactor

2018-2019: Lucy Knowles, Jessica Marvin and Peter Russell

• Electricty via Exoelectrogens (EVE) Project (Microbial Fuel Cell for use on the UC Davis Student Farm)

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• Biological and Agricultural Engineering
• University of California
• Davis, CA 95616
• Email:  tjeoh at ucdavis.edu
• Phone: (530) 752-1020

What is a Capstone Project?

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Updated December 6, 2022 · 2 Min Read

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Are you ready to discover your college program?

If you are nearing the end of your undergraduate or graduate program, your advisor may be talking to you about your Capstone Project. His earnest expression and determined attitude may lead you to believe that this is an important event. What is a capstone experience and why do so many degree programs require it?

The Glossary of Educational Reform defines it this way: "It is a multi-faceted project that serves as a culminating academic and intellectual experience for students." Sometimes capstones are required of high school students, but they are usually mentioned in the context of post-secondary education. It is similar to a thesis, but usually results not only in a report, but in a product, a performance or in giving a presentation.

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What is Involved in a Capstone?

Capstone experiences may take many forms. Sometimes it is just a series of advanced courses and a comprehensive exam. Most often, though, schools intend for students to complete a project.

The first aspect of the capstone experience is to choose a premise or topic. EHow.com says the worst topics for capstones, as reported by college advisors in business,are those that require a lot of statistical analysis and that involve complex concepts that listeners find hard to grasp. Regardless of the subject, though, the best projects involve application of a principle, not just exploration of a proposition.

You will have to submit a proposal to your advisor or to a board of advisors. This proposal, which is approximately forty pages or more, will give an introduction to your project. Next, it will delineate the existing theories and state your hypothesis. The paper will give a review of the literature you intend to read in researching the proposal and detail your research methodology. It will also include alternate proposals in the event the one you present is not accepted.

Once your proposal is accepted, you will begin researching the subject. This may involve just reading literature on the subject and assimilating the findings, but it could also mean doing actual individual research. Capstone experiences are labor and time intensive. They are usually listed in the academic catalog as courses for which you receive credit and which last from a semester to a year.

Why Schools Assign Capstones

Although the projects do showcase your educational accomplishments, they are more about demonstrating that you know how to learn. They are intended to encourage students to use the critical thinking skills they have acquired through their degree programs to solve problems.

Schools also want to see their graduates develop and use public speaking skills. Writing proficiency plays a great part in the assignments because the presentation must usually be accompanied by a portfolio that details the steps you took to reach your conclusion or to create your product. The projects come in the last part of your degree program, so they increase your motivation at a time when you may be dealing with "senior slump," and they force you to become engaged in your discipline.

The traditional definition for capstone is a final "crowning" and protective stone laid at the top of an exterior wall. That definition, applied to your education, portrays the capstone experience as the final crowning moment of your education. A Capstone Project is that stone, on the outside wall, seen by everyone, that shows you have completed the monumental task of earning your degree.

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Capstone Senior Projects

Upload a Project

Our goal is to seamlessly facilitate the student’s transition from Oregon State University to the engineering profession. All undergraduates in the School of Electrical Engineering and Computer Science complete a three-term course sequence (October-May) to expose students to the challenges of engineering design and project management. This career preparation experience includes open-ended design, project management, quality project artifacts (schematics, code, etc.) and documentation, and production of a final prototype in small team environments.

These projects culminate in the high-energy Engineering Expo in May where students present their Capstone Senior Project posters and demonstrate their prototypes. The annual event routinely attracts thousands of people, including industry representatives.

What about online students?

In addition to the bachelor's degree programs mentioned above, Oregon State University also offers a postbaccalaureate degree in computer science. This program's capstone project lasts for one-term instead of three.

Online students are also now able to enroll for the first time in the bachelor's degree  program, including a three-term capstone sequence.

We need you!

Common questions, how big of a project can be done (project scope).

Project scope is typically what you would assign one summer intern. Projects must be non-critical path. Ideally, projects represent a complete system or product that integrates analysis, simulation, and design as appropriate. Keep in mind, this is the first exposure many of the students will have had to this type of project environment. If you are unsure if your project idea is a good fit, we encourage you to contact us and schedule a call. If you prefer, just upload the project .

Can my project include students from more than one major (electrical, computer science, etc.)?

This can be done, but requires extra planning. Multidisciplinary projects provide great experiences for students. Upload your project idea as soon as possible.

Tell me more about the project selection process. What can I do to help ensure my project is picked by students?

When uploading project ideas , keep in mind the students "bid" on the projects (with the faculty keeping teams appropriately balanced). So do not underestimate the "coolness" of your project proposal. Your enthusiasm can be infectious!

Students can see your projects ahead of time and "apply" to your project. You can review these applications (at your discretion) and indicate your preferences to the course instructors.

When do I need to submit my project by?

Upload project ideas by Sept. 1 .

What does a sponsorship entail?

For those organizations who are able, consider a sponsored Capstone Senior Project. Companies with more than 500 employees are asked to consider a $2K sponsorship contribution. For businesses with less than 500 employees, consider a $500 contribution.

Organizations who sponsor two Capstone Senior Projects will want to consider INSPiRE Industrial Affiliates membership. INSPiRE membership includes two or more sponsored Capstone Senior Projects.

Each capstone project has at least one mentor. These mentors come from a wide array of backgrounds — including non-technical fields. Our program has had mentors from industry, national labs, non-profit and community organizations — anyone can be a mentor. The only requirement is that you care about your project, and your student team, and are willing to meet with the students for at least one hour per week.

Share your project ideas with our class.

Contact us . We would love to hear your project ideas!

Capstone Sponsors

Videos of past projects

Pedestrian tracking, aircraft tracking arm, robot comedy, navigation assistance for the vision impaired, engineering expo 2017, eclipse megamovie, iot mailbox.

Students enquires via e-mail [email protected] . See FAQ for more info.

CAPSTONE DESIGN PROJECT

BME/COE/ELE 70A/B: Managing Projects

This two-term course provides a training platform for systematic open-ended design process and project management. Student groups apply their acquired knowledge and engineering skills to develop and build a design project from concept to working prototype. The lecture component provides advice and information on the design process, project management, reliability, system components, documentation, safety, and program specific aspects. In the laboratory component, once a project topic is assigned, student groups plan, design, source components, build, test/debug, and analyze, under the supervision of a faculty lab coordinator and submit a final design project report.

• 3D PRINTER • The Department has a MakerBot Replicator+ 3D printer for those Capstone Design students that require custom parts.
• Oct. 9, 2018 ELE/COE70A/B Topics Selection Results
• Oct. 10, 2018 ELE/COE70A/B Topics Selection Results
• Oct. 12, 2018 ELE/COE70A/B Topics Selection Results
• Oct. 15, 2018 ELE/COE70A/B Topics Selection Results
• Oct. 16, 2018 ELE/COE70A/B Topics Selection Results
• Oct. 19, 2018 ELE/COE70A/B Topics Selection Results
• VIEW ELE/COE TOPICS 2021 EDP topics for ELE70A/B and COE70A/B.
• EDP GROUP AND CATEGORY VERIFICATION Each ELE or COE group is asked to please fill-out the form and verify their team members and the Category of Interest.
• 2018 OPEN HOUSE PHOTO ALBUM Photos of the students and their design projects.
• PROJECT FINAL REPORT SUBMISSION Ensure that all student numbers are deleted from your report before submitting it.
• ENGINEERING DAY (Capstone Open House) • Apr. 29, 1PM-5PM.
• Capstone Equipment Request Form Use this form to request equipment, if you need any to demonstrate your project during the Open House.
• ENG 303 Lab Availability The Electronics Lab in ENG 303 is available for supervised use during free hours.

Design Excellence Awards

• 2019 • 2018 • 2017 • 2016 • 2015 • 2014 • 2013 • 2012
• 2020 • 2019 • 2018 • 2017 • 2016 • 2015
• 2014 • 2013 • 2012 • 2011 • 2010 • 2009
• 2008 • 2007 • 2006 • 2005 • 2003 • 2001

Capstone Design Project Ideas

If you are keen on completing your capstone project in design than you have no choice but to develop great topics or ideas. The great thing is that coming up with unique ideas for your capstone project is possible all thanks to online resources http://www.capstonewritingservice.com/capstone-design-project-ideas/

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