2025 Mechatronics Engineering Capstone Designs

Boston Dynamics' robotic dog SPOT’s standard camera suite falls short when using its arm manipulator. Obtaining clear views of manipulations or reading gauges is difficult or impossible. We propose a quick-switch system, allowing operators to alternate control between SPOT and an aerial drone. The drone, always ready to deploy from SPOT’s back, offers improved camera angles and enhanced visibility during operations.

Recall is a computer vision system designed for the elderly and individuals with cognitive or visual impairments to help locate important household items. Using machine learning, Recall detects when objects are picked up and placed elsewhere, tracking their locations in real time. This data is seamlessly stored and accessible via the Recall mobile app, allowing users to check a list of their personal belongings and their last known locations. Recall enhances independence and reduces frustration by making lost items easier to find.

Wildfires are a major issue in Canada with approximately three million hectares of land burning annually. Traditional firefighting uses crewed aerial vehicles, which are expensive and require large water sources, limiting their deployment. Using data from national government databases, it was found that a large proportion of water bodies near wildfires are only accessible by smaller UAVs with shallow water capabilities. Enter BlazeGuard: a payload system to enable swarms of heavy-lift UAVs to continuously collect & transport water to a fire front & augment traditional methods.

With the rise of remote work, more people than ever are using a single home space for a variety of activities ranging from sleep and relaxation to work and hobbies. Illuden is a smart light fixture that adapts to these growing diverse needs. Offering ambient and task lighting with customizable control over light temperature, brightness, and direction, it allows users to create lighting environments that optimize productivity, well-being, and atmosphere.

Introducing Airborne, the future of indoor air quality monitoring. Particulate matter is the leading cause of premature death worldwide, yet most people remain unaware of their daily exposure. Airborne uses optical particle sensing to detect particulate matter in real time, providing accurate and accessible air quality data. With seamless wireless connectivity and a low-power design, users can track their exposure through a mobile app. Airborne empowers healthier indoor spaces with smarter air monitoring.

Focal Point is developing adaptive prescription eyewear that dynamically adjusts lens focal length. This innovative approach offers a versatile, cost-effective, and eco-friendly alternative to traditional glasses, and is especially beneficial for children with rapidly changing prescriptions and older adults with bifocal requirements. 

Rally and Rehab is a wearable sleeve device with embedded sensors that track racket swing information. The device wirelessly transmits data to a computer or smartphone and provides helpful and accessible swing information for use by a trainer or athlete. Users can access various analytics like swing speed, acceleration, swing type, and more. The sleeve has a lightweight, seamless design that does not interfere with play and is more affordable than existing training technology.

Our Capstone explores bicycle safety enhancement through an Arduino-based blind spot detection system. The prototype integrates a time-of-flight sensor with a microcontroller and compact display screen to monitor approaching vehicles. By processing distance measurements in real-time, the system alerts cyclists to potential hazards in their blind spot through clear visual warnings.

Our Capstone project will show the development of an autonomous ice resurfacer to address the limitations of current manual systems in professional hockey. Current ice-resurfacing methods are very costly, rely on skilled operators, and present operational challenges, including safety risks and environmental concerns. The proposed solution leverages autonomy to provide a cost-effective, efficient, and reliable alternative.

BrightSpot revolutionizes habit-building for those overwhelmed by clutter, including busy professionals, newly-independent students, or neurodivergent individuals. Unlike existing app-based solutions, our device uses computer vision and a laser projector to ‘spotlight’ misplaced objects in real-time, creating an experience independent from your phone. Tidy your space once, and Brightspot gives visual nudges when you enter the room, turning cleaning into bite-sized, manageable actions. Designed to tackle forgetfulness, Brightspot ensures clutter never piles up or slips your mind again.

ExoGrasp is a soft robotic glove designed to aid stroke patients with hand impairment by enhancing grip strength and dexterity. It utilizes pneumatically actuated artificial muscles to assist users in grasping and holding objects. Surface electromyography (sEMG) sensors detect user intent, enabling intuitive control through machine learning (ML) algorithms. By responding to natural muscle signals, ExoGrasp restores functional hand movements, improving independence and quality of life for users with limited hand mobility. The glove offers a non-invasive, adaptive solution for rehabilitation and daily use.

Manual roof inspections pose significant safety risks, with falls being the leading cause of fatalities in the construction and roof inspection industries. Our project aims to address this issue with a drone-based roof inspection system that captures high-resolution images for post-processing. The drone semi-autonomously navigates over a roof, taking images processed using computer vision and image processing algorithms. These images are then stitched together to reconstruct a detailed 3D surface model, enabling safer, faster, and more cost-effective roof assessments.

At KASA Labs, we're developing a groundbreaking method that uses microwaves to rapidly produce ceramic molds and cast metal. Our solution offers a fast, affordable, and safe way to bring investment casting in-house—eliminating the overhead of traditional foundry processes and revolutionizing metal prototyping.

We aim to prevent relay attack-based car thefts with an innovative, easy-to-use car key featuring an integrated Faraday cage. Users can activate or deactivate signal blocking with a simple click, ensuring security without hassle. By combining advanced shielding with user-friendly functionality, we provide a seamless solution to enhance vehicle security and peace of mind. Stay protected effortlessly with our smart, reliable car key innovation.

Food preservation has been a concern of human societies since antiquity. Yet developments in food preservation have stagnated in the face of a rising demand for them. Altregen is an edible food coating that consists of self-healing alternating layers on top of a nano-enhanced conventional polymer substrate. The synergy of these components results in the final coating being able to heal after experiencing physical damage, without compromising on water or oxygen permeability.

PillMate is an automated pill dispenser designed for hospital integration, streamlining medication delivery between nurses and patients. Medical staff can use the touchscreen to input pill types and schedules, ensuring precise, profile-based dispensing via a rotating arm mechanism. Multiple storage slots enhance capacity, while secure access controls maintain security. By automating the process, PillMate improves accuracy, efficiency, and reliability in medicine dispensing—reducing errors and enhancing patient care.

ENV-ISION is an autonomous boat trailering system designed to streamline the boat docking process. The system allows a user to initiate the start of the trailering sequence with the press of a button, which enables the boat to position itself, drive onto a trailer, and securely lock in place. It does it autonomously without the need for human intervention! Sponsored by ENVGO, our solution makes trailering easier, effortless, convenient, and most importantly, safe.

PinPoint is a modular, cost-effective targeting and payload delivery system that overlaps real-time projected payload landing locations onto a drone operator’s first-person view (FPV) feed. Combined with an integrated release mechanism, it enables precise deployment of payloads during high-speed flight without the need to hover or land. Ideal for applications such as munitions delivery and emergency supply drops, this system provides a reliable, low-cost alternative to existing military-grade targeting solutions, broadening access to precision aerial deployment across both commercial and humanitarian sectors.

Automates the scanning and checkout process through the shopping cart. Products are automatically identified and displayed on a mobile app using cameras, barcode scanners, and a scale. The app is also used to process payment when it is time to checkout.

Homey Helper is an innovative autonomous robot designed to organize and declutter household spaces, tackling the mental and physical challenges individuals face when it comes to maintaining a clean living space. The system can navigate, detect, and make context-based decisions for object organization through the integration of machine learning, computer vision, hardware and robotics.

We are building the world’s most advanced electric skateboard. Our board features a custom battery, suspension, and computer vision systems to maximize rider safety, comfort, and control. DeCruise is speedy, smooth, smart, and safe, delivering the best rider experience of any board on the market.

The smart glasses are a wearable device that assists the visually impaired by providing real-time information about their surroundings. The glasses' real-time guidance includes path navigation and hazard recognition. Using an integrated camera and an on-device machine learning model, the glasses identify the user's surroundings and guide the user with built-in navigation logic. The detected information is relayed through built-in speakers, offering intuitive audio feedback via simple commands and warnings.

Our project aims to improve go-kart safety by reducing the 10,000 annual injuries such as whiplash, burns, and bone fractures suffered during go-kart races with an affordable, lightweight add-on. Featuring Autonomous Emergency Braking (AEB) and Emergency Assisted Maneuvering, the system enhances crash detection, prevents collisions and helps drivers navigate hazards. It automatically detects dangers, applies brakes when needed, and assists with maneuvering in critical situations, ensuring a safer racing experience for all enthusiasts, especially new and inexperienced drivers.

Demeter Hydroponics is a self-sustaining hydroponics system with monitoring capability intended to produce fresh vegetables in environments where easy access to produce may be unavailable, such as Northern Canadian communities.

Tree canopies are an essential part of forest research that is often missed due to their inaccessibility. C.R.I.T.T.E.R. is a climbing robot that can carry scientific payloads to the tops of trees to help research teams understand those environments better. It consists of two spring-loaded grippers connected by a flexible robotic body, allowing it to navigate non-ideal environments. 

S.A.R.A Rover (Search and Rescue Autonomous Rover) is an autonomous rover that uses a 3D LiDAR and a bogie-rocker style of suspension to provide detail and information to the search and rescue operator about the dangerous environment which is needed in order to limit the amount of exposure to hazards. The need for this idea stems from the fact that search and rescue operators are overexposed to hazards when searching for survivors and no solution exists to help them search.

Our project leverages machine learning and advanced imaging techniques to detect and diagnose ocular conditions, focusing primarily on glaucoma. We have developed a fundus imaging kiosk system that, in conjunction with our model, captures eye images and provides a preliminary diagnosis. By analyzing these images, the system aims to enhance early detection, improve treatment outcomes, and make eye care more robust and accessible, particularly for underserved communities, offering a non-invasive and efficient approach to eye care.

Our Capstone project is creating wirelessly controlled, re-writable, tactile playing cards and a controller box that can run an expandable set of card games. The cards receive display data and power with a simple tap over NFC from the controller without any batteries. The cards are light and thin, similar to traditional playing cards. A wide variety of classic and modern card games can be played seamlessly, with standard cards or fully custom designs for the cards and limitless game logic hosted on the controller.

The Garbage Removal Optimization Bot is an autonomous robot designed to navigate urban areas, collect and compact trash, and deliver the compacted waste to a designated drop-off location. Built on a Clearpath Husky platform, it features a compactor on top and a front-mounted scooper. Equipped with a vision system to identify trash, the robot autonomously gathers waste and transports it efficiently. This project reduces the need for manual labor in litter collection, promoting cleaner, more sustainable, and efficient cities.

This project aims to develop an improved, multi-purpose robotic mechanism for humanoid robots. This idea originated at the University of Calgary, where researchers face challenges with neck and shoulder mechanisms. Our design builds on the existing neck system, which utilizes a spherical parallel manipulator. We aim to enhance its range of motion and load-bearing capacity, enabling its use in a humanoid robot's wrist, shoulder, and neck.

Our goal is to revolutionize the utility construction industry. As a first step, we have created Woodpeckr, a semi-autonomous robot designed to climb and drill wooden utility poles during the electrical line installation. The device consists of a three-wheel system that wraps around a pole for climbing and forms a platform on which tools can be mounted. On the platform, a 180-degree track positions a drill angularly, enabling through holes to be drilled at any angle while ensuring safety, accuracy, and efficiency. 

ADAPT is an adjustable ankle brace for ankle ligament injuries that provides a timely and complete recovery. The brace can be adjusted throughout the recovery process to provide the required degree of support based on the severity of the user’s injury. The integrated recovery exercises and metric tracking via a smartphone app aim to improve recovery times and eliminate recurring injuries. The app connectivity allows users to track their recovery progress and receive real-time, quantitative feedback.

Traditional medical casts make it difficult to maintain hygiene. Sweat and moisture become trapped against the skin, leading to irritation, chafing, and infection. Gradient is a novel manufacturing system that uses dynamic thermoforming technology to make casts more breathable and build them faster. We envision a future where the casting process is almost entirely automated, and skin complications from casts are a thing of the past–enabling healthcare professionals to focus on higher-priority care. Visit https://gradientbymorph.com/.

Manually preparing custom ethernet cables is labour-intensive, leading to fatigue and potential injuries. As demand for high-speed ethernet increases in AV setups, automation could improve efficiency and cable quality. Companies like PixFusion face challenges with off-the-shelf cables not matching exact lengths, leading to increased costs and delays. The Ethernet Crimpter automates dispensing, stripping, cutting, untwisting, crimping, and spooling, making the process efficient and safe. This user-friendly, safe automation helps create custom cables quickly, reducing strain, preventing errors, and supporting growth in the competitive AV industry.

An open-source robotics dev kit for $600.

PuttPilot is an innovative putting green designed to help golfers perfect their putting technique in an immersive, cost-effective way. Featuring a 45-motor actuator array, it creates precise contours that users can modify and interact with from a mobile app. The system enhances practice sessions with automatic ball return, ball dispensing, and advanced stat-tracking, offering a seamless experience for users.

Salico is making an automated harvester for sea asparagus. Sea asparagus is a salt-tolerant plant that is not only delicious and nutritious, but also has various environmental benefits. As a food, it’s rich in vitamins, minerals, and iodine. As a plant, it cleans water and helps capture carbon and desalinate it. The world is limited in its supply of clean, fresh water. Sea asparagus provides an answer to this problem. Salico aims to scale the farming operation by improving harvesting efficiency and speed.

Natural gas and oil disasters are some of the worst accidents known to humankind. Many pipeline accidents happen due to incomplete inspections or inaccessible areas being ignored. Our solution is an autonomous robot traversing and inspecting pipelines—with no human intervention needed. With our Smart Pipeline Inspection Detection Robot (SPIDR), we will help energy companies and governments reduce immense costs while, more importantly, safeguarding the surrounding ecosystems from the devastating impacts of oil and gas disasters.

RoboWatch is an autonomous mobile robot designed for intelligent monitoring in industrial environments. Powered by Vision-Language Models, it adapts to any monitoring task based on a simple user prompt, scanning for hazards, inefficiencies or any other specified conditions. With fully autonomous navigation, a scissor-lift camera system for dynamic visibility, and real-time reporting, RoboWatch provides seamless, on-demand oversight to keep facilities safe, efficient and informed.

Over 220 million people globally suffer from food allergies.

AllerSpecX is an innovative compact device designed to alleviate the stress and risks of not knowing whether specific allergens are in the food you eat. The AllerSpecX system combines multispectral sensing, a controlled zero-noise environment, and AI analysis to intelligently detect food allergens without contaminating or destroying your favorite meals. Through a user-friendly web interface, you’ll receive timely information about the presence and quantity of specified allergens, keeping you safe and informed.

Our Capstone is a Frisbee throwing machine with computer vision to track players and an advanced aiming mechanism for precise throws. Multi-disc storage and a stationary net for catching Frisbees enable solo practice sessions, helping players refine their skills anytime, anywhere.

Warehouses demand safer and more efficient operations, but manual processes cause safety risks, bottlenecks and high labor costs. Full automation overhauls of warehouses are costly, disruptive and often impractical. This project introduces a collaborative forklift robot to enhance warehouse operations. It reduces human error, minimizes safety risks in human-machine interactions and boosts productivity. By integrating seamlessly into existing processes without major overhauls, this solution offers a scalable approach to warehouse automation, improving efficiency while maintaining flexibility in traditional warehouse environments.

BikeVue is a revolutionary solution that brings cyclists the same safety features as car drivers, including blind spot monitoring, collision prevention, and enhanced visibility. By addressing the growing risks cyclists face on increasingly crowded roads, BikeVue empowers riders with the confidence and peace of mind they deserve. With its integrated approach and its focus on universal compatibility, BikeVue aims to transform cycling safety and ensure everyone can ride safely.

Voxel is a 3D Volumetric Display that aims to provide a more immersive experience when viewing complex 3D objects and systems without the use of specialized headsets. This display allows a 360-degree unimpeded viewing angle of a 3D rendering in real space. It will support rendering of static images and dynamic media.

Spectrum explores interactive new media art, integrating a spatial audio speaker installation and real-time generative computer graphics. A person has control over the installation’s audiovisual content through their hand gestures as extracted from a depth camera, providing a space for creative expression at the intersection of arts and technology.

Almost everyone frequents grocery stores. Despite this, they still rely heavily on manual labour. This dependence on human effort limits the efficiency of stores and increases costs. The most labour-intensive task is restocking the shelves overnight. The process is taxing on the body and wastes valuable time. Stock-E aims to remedy this by autonomously bringing items from the storeroom and stocking them. 

Our vision is a future where EV fires no longer threaten safety, property, or the environment. Introducing EV-TREx: Electric Vehicle Thermal Runaway Extinguisher. Our system detects and extinguishes lithium-ion battery fires before they spiral out of control. It monitors batteries in real time using optical fiber sensors and deep-learning diagnostics, identifying early signs of thermal runaway. Upon detection, it floods the affected battery module and warns passengers to evacuate the vehicle. Why wait for safety when you can have it today?

SkyMap is a cutting-edge precision drone payload system designed for high-fidelity scans of building exteriors, which is ideal for architectural surveying. By combining Stereo Vision with RTK GPS odometry, 3D point clouds and meshes with centimeter-level accuracy can be created, which can then be visualized in near real-time within a web-compatible VR environment for enhanced spatial analysis and decision-making.

Roofing is one of the deadliest jobs in North America, resulting in 11.7% of construction-related deaths. Meanwhile, rising demand for new residential homes and an aging workforce have led to labour shortages, increased costs, and project delays. Canopy Robotics is developing an autonomous shingle installation robot to enhance safety, reduce manual labour dependency, and improve efficiency. Our robot enables roofing contractors and homebuilders to complete more projects with fewer resources, while protecting roofers from working at deadly heights.