University of Waterloo engineering to showcase student design

This week, the University of Waterloo will showcase fourth-year engineering student design projects in the annual Capstone Design Symposia.

Held during National Engineering Month, the symposia feature student innovation and design in 10 engineering disciplines ranging from chemical and geological engineering to mechatronics.

This year’s symposia highlights include:

A Thermal Energy Recycling Initiative (TERI) that aims to recycle energy from water following use in household appliances;
The design and build of an open-wheeled Formula-1-style race car;
Surgical instrumentation designs for shoulder joint replacement surgery;
A magnetic nanocomposite for wastewater treatment that removes industrial pollution;
An asymptomatic concussion detection device;
An intelligent suitcase that allows travellers to track their own luggage through a website interface;
An autonomous robot that can locate trapped people and assist in rescue and evacuation efforts using 3D mapping.

The symposia will culminate with a pitch presentation on April 4, where qualifying student teams will compete for $60,000 in funding from The Esch Foundation.

In addition to the awards, venture capitalists Chamath Palihapitiya and Brigette Lau of The Social + Capital Partnership will provide two electrical and computer engineering projects with funding of $40,000, accompanied by industry mentorship and a co-op opportunity in Silicon Valley, Waterloo or Toronto, commencing in the fall.

Capstone Design is a degree requirement for Waterloo engineers. The program has spawned groundbreaking ideas such as the MYO armband and Pebble smartwatch along with start-ups such as BufferBox, Intellijoint HIP, Thalmic Labs, and Athos.