2026 Mechanical Engineering Capstone Designs

The Noctis Labyrinthus region of Mars, particularly the Recurring Slope Lineae, has yet to be explored and scientists believe that this harsh landscape may hold critical information about the red planet. The TerraTrekker is a robust exploratory robot that makes use of vibratory propulsion, enabling it to move through Mars’ unforgiving terrain and climate. The device can complete an expedition and remotely communicate the discovered environmental data to stakeholders.  

Tufting is an increasingly popular craft to make custom designed carpets using a handheld tufting gun, requiring time, dexterity, and artistic aptitude. Tuft Gun Maverick lowers the barrier for creating complex carpets by automatically tufting any design that the user inputs. A gantry system translates and rotates a modified tufting gun across the canvas following paths generated via image processing. The tufting needle can be disengaged from the fabric, allowing the machine to switch between multiple colours of yarn.

The worst part about playing tennis is picking up the tennis balls. Collecting tennis balls manually is a repetitive and time-consuming task that places physical strain on players and coaches. This is why we wanted to create a solution for players and coaches who want to save time and effort. Our tennis ball collector can autonomously collect tennis balls to shorten downtime during play and is affordable for more casual players and trainees.

Working with composite materials doesn’t have to be messy or inconsistent. This interactive dispenser serves as a laboratory aid for ME 533 – Non-Metallic and Composite Materials, allowing students to accurately combine UV-curable resin with a user-specified weight percentage of sand. Compared to manual mixing, the device eliminates human variability and enables repeatable composite fabrication, thereby providing students with reliable samples for mechanical testing and property analysis.  

LoadRunner: The automated material mover for the construction industry. Designed for job sites where skid steers and dump trucks can’t go, LoadRunner semi-autonomously transports up to 100 kg of material along a guided path with no operator input. By replacing manual wheelbarrow labour, LoadRunner reduces worker strain, improves safety, and increases productivity on residential and commercial sites. Using an inductive guidewire, electric drivetrain, and intelligent junction control, LoadRunner delivers reliable, repeatable material transport so that crews can focus on skilled work, not the load. 

Pillbot is designed for individuals who take daily medication. It serves as an all-in-one solution for pill management, offering automated tracking and personalized user profiles to help ensure consistent and accurate dosing. Our goal is to provide a cost-effective alternative to existing solutions on the market.

S.T.E.A.D.Y. - Stabilization Technology for Enhanced Aerial Dynamics - is a drone-mounted 6-DOF Delta Arm designed for high-precision aerial tasks. By combining rapid response times with advanced stabilization, it enables complex applications such as welding and 3D printing.

The project being developed is a physical quarter car model with a motor driven road bump simulator to show how vehicle suspensions behave to different road conditions. The goal is to develop a high functionality design to observe underdamped, crtically damped and overdamped behaviour.

As demand for low-carbon energy increases, small modular reactors (SMRs) have been proposed as a flexible, cost-effective solution, and the utilization of the waste heat produced by their operation offers even greater scope for energy-saving. This project undertakes a pre-feasibility study to determine the viability of utilizing waste heat from a hypothetical SMR near the K-W region to reduce the university’s dependence on natural gas.

TETRIX are educational robotics kits with over 300 pieces and 29 unique types of components, and they are used by the University of Waterloo in various learning activities. After use, these kits must be sorted through and counted by the IDEAS Clinic, costing valuable time and labor. The TETRIX counter is a semi-autonomous tool aimed at reducing the active human labor associated with this task.

As CubeSat missions grow more demanding, managing solar-driven thermal gradients becomes critical. This capstone project develops an additively manufactured 1U CubeSat chassis that passively redistributes solar heat to achieve a more uniform internal temperature field. By leveraging periodic lattice architectures, the structure spreads externally applied thermal loads while reducing overall mass compared to conventional solid designs. The project combines advanced lattice design with thermal simulation to demonstrate how geometry, instead of active systems, can enable smarter and more efficient thermal management for small satellites.

Lower back pain is the leading cause of physical disability, yet current spinal orthopaedic solutions fail to fully preserve natural motion, leading to implant wear and adjacent segment disease. VertaFlex addresses this gap with an MRI- and CT-compatible multi-axis spine loading system, enabling high-resolution imaging of cadaveric spines under realistic biomechanical loads to inform safer, longer-lasting implant designs and improve patient outcomes.

Sisyphus is a regeneratively cooled liquid rocket engine which burns ethanol and nitrous oxide to produce 8kN of thrust. It is designed to be rapidly reusable and cost effective as a test flight engine for the Waterloo Rocketry team. An additively manufactured copper combustion chamber, custom fluids and electrical ground support equipment and an easily replaceable ignitor enable multiple test firings or rocket flights in one day. This will enable the Waterloo Rocketry team to test advanced controls and recovery systems much more efficiently.

MECSEM is building a compact, affordable scanning electron microscope to bring electron microscopy into more classrooms and labs. Instead of relying on expensive off-the-shelf systems and software, we created our own electron optics simulation suite and then engineered the full instrument: vacuum platform, electronics, optics, and software. By owning the entire stack (excluding vacuum pumps), we are able to significantly reduce the cost of the product. Our prototype lays the groundwork for a commercializable instrument targeting ~$25k.

As the ubiquity of satellite constellations increases, so does the need for a safe, reliable, and economical means of decommissioning satellites at their end-of-life. Atmospyre is a novel approach to decommissioning large satellites without the need for controlled re-entry, unlocking savings exceeding 150k USD per satellite. It uses a controlled, energy-dense chemical reaction to ensure satellite ablation and draws on elements of battery and electronics design to create a space-ready solution.

The aim of this project is to develop a robust,​lightweight, affordable, and dynamically adaptive​ stabilization system capable of effectively mitigating​ speed wobbles in real-time without compromising​ board responsiveness.

The project focuses on developing KneeMatic, a sensorized lower-limb Anthropomorphic Test Device (ATD) that mimics human knee and soft tissue biomechanics with integrated distributed pressure and force sensing to enable safe, quantitative, and repeatable testing of lower-limb exoskeletons.

Tensile testing is fundamental for characterizing material properties, but current setup of Mark-10 tensile testers at the University of Waterloo Materials Lab is hampered by manual operation and the absence of an accurate strain measurement system. These limitations could affect accuracy, repeatability, and the educational value of lab experience. Group 20 aims to modernize the manual tensile testers by introducing a cost effective, fully non-invasive automation and strain measurement system to improve control and data accuracy while enabling additional functions for enhanced usability.

The project objective is to develop a Baja SAE suspension system designed to survive the rigors of off-road driving without failure. The project prioritizes strength, reliability, and longevity under harsh off-road conditions. By focusing on durability driven design decisions, the project aims to improve the team’s overall performance by ensuring the vehicle can consistently finish races.

Our project develops a robotic gripper tool designed to gently pick up and move young plant sprouts without causing damage. Using soft contact surfaces and built-in force sensing, the gripper carefully handles fragile seedlings during transfer and placement. The goal is to support automated vertical farming systems by showing how robots can safely work with delicate living plants in various growing environments.

This project, in partnership with PMG Technologies and Transport Canada, supports improvements to Side Impact Seat Assembly (SISA) test systems for evaluating occupant safety in lateral impacts. It replaces aluminum honeycomb absorbers with steady-state energy absorbers (SSEAs) using controlled material deformation. The new system offers cost-effective, predictable, and tunable deceleration pulses compliant with FMVSS 213a standards. Theoretical and experimental testing informed a final design, helping PMG enhance side-impact crash-management performance.

The UW Forming and Crash Lab receives material samples to perform optical strain imaging during tensile tests using the MTS Criterion machine. Currently, the lab technicians manually point two cameras at the sample, which takes up a large amount of engineering time, as well as having low reliability. Our team is designing an automated dual camera system for the lab that precisely positions the cameras based on a database of presets.

This project develops a NUWORP inspired solid-solid heat exchanger for the recycling of decommissioned wind turbine blades. The carbon fibre blade material is mixed with sand and heated using internally recovered thermal energy. The resin breaks down and the carbon rich material is converted into useful gases. Heat transfer performance is validated using ANSYS and MATLAB, composite behaviour is determined through testing, and the system is modelled on SOLIDWORKS and prototyped for the symposium. Our design prioritises low mechanical power input and maintainability.

Electricity time-of-day pricing corresponds to higher electricity prices during the day and lower electricity prices overnight. Additionally, electricity generation sources during daytime hours are most likely to leverage non-renewables to meet peak use. To combat these issues, the goal of the project is to load shift a household refrigerator to minimize the daytime electricity usage. To achieve this, the solution consists of a Phase Change Material and loop thermosiphons to store the daytime thermal energy from the fridge and subsequently recharge the PCM overnight. 

The HexTune is a non-invasive automatic guitar tuner. It easily connects to any six string guitar headstock and accurately retunes all the strings in seconds. The idea was born from on-stage musicians who frequently require different tunings for their instruments in between songs. 

Our project's goal is to create a portable fire suppression and containment system for lithium-ion battery failures in research laboratory environments. The system is intended to suppress battery fires, contain its heat, and filter out the toxic fumes emitted. The system includes a bucket of sand to dump on the fire to supress the flames and prevent it from spreading along with a filtration system designed to remove the toxic fumes from the air.

There is currently no commercially available infrared (IR) camera mounting system that is affordable and offers long-term, hands-off outdoor surface temperature monitoring. This system addresses that gap in existing technology by enabling automated thermal data collection over multiple days at customizable intervals. By making high-quality thermal data easier to collect in the field, it supports environmental research into the exergy destruction principle. This will result in the improvement of ecosystem monitoring, land-use analysis, and energy-based studies if proven.

The University of Waterloo Alternative Fuels Team (UWAFT) is reengineering a Cadillac Lyriq for the EcoCAR challenge. Beyond optimizing the vehicle's powertrain and sustainability, our team is designing and integrating a custom chairlift system. This project aims to bridge the gap between high-performance automotive innovation and accessibility, ensuring individuals with mobility challenges can seamlessly enter and exit the vehicle while meeting rigorous engineering and performance standards.

When designing and fabricating a unique carbon fiber part, a new mould is required for each design which adds to the material costs and production time, particularly for low-volume manufacturing. Carbon C.A.S.T (Composite Adaptive Surface Tooling) uses an array of reconfigurable pins to form an open-face surface mould of the part directly from CAD then reshapes the mould surface to replicate the custom geometry; eliminating the costs for moulds in low-volume carbon fiber production using the VARTM process.

Meet PreME — a smarter, safer car seat solution for premature infants. 1 in 10 infants are born premature, yet today’s car seats are designed and tested only for full-term infants, often leaving premature babies inadequately supported with potential airway obstruction and excess neck strain. PreME is an adjustable attachment that adapts to smaller infant size and weight, improving security and protection during travel. Crash tested with a custom, research-backed premature infant test dummy, PreME delivers data-driven safety — because every infant deserves a secure start. 

Open Parametric Flow Optimizer (OpenPFO) is a Python workflow that integrates with open-source geometry, meshing, and computational fluid dynamics (CFD) solvers to enable rapid design space exploration and optimization. It streamlines a highly repetitive process normally used to iterate designs using CFD results in a way that is easier, less costly, and more effective. The integration with open-source software produces an effective alternative to costly industry options, making it more suitable for smaller companies, researchers, and student design teams alike.

Small jewelry designers and hobbyists struggle between the expensive industrial equipment needed for the fabrication and sub-optimal process. This is a major barrier to entry for anyone interested in jewelry design. Celebrim is a compact desktop ring fabrication system that addresses this by combining precision, engraving, shaping and gemstones placement, created for rapid prototyping and cost control so jewelry designers can create high quality products with consistent results. Bring your creativity to life!

Sedentary work harms health, yet attempting to walk while working disrupts focus. Our project resolves this physiological conflict using a bio-adaptive control system. By integrating heart rate, Galvanic Skin Response, and eye-tracking data, our algorithm quantifies cognitive load in real time. It autonomously modulates treadmill speed and incline to maintain the user's optimal physiological state. This closed-loop system guarantees consistent physical activity without ever breaking concentration. The result is a workstation that dynamically balances the competing demands of cardiovascular health and professional productivity.

CareEase+ is a patient transfer assistive system designed to improve the safety and efficiency of both nurses and patients during lateral transfers in medical imaging environments. The system reduces physical strain on healthcare workers while improving comfort for bariatric and limited-mobility patients. CareEase+ incorporates a mechanically assisted transfer surface that enables smooth, controlled patient movement between stretchers and imaging tables, while remaining compatible with existing hospital equipment and clinical workflows.

It-CAES (Isothermal Compressed Air Energy Storage) is an energy storage method that compresses air isothermally (no heat internally generated) to maximize energy storage efficiency. There are currently no commercially available isothermal compressor/expander systems that exist for CAES. The It-CAES device is an isothermal dual air expander/compressor that can be utilized in CAES. Through the development of this device the path to a greener future is near.

PATHWAY is a 3D-printed hand trainer which delivers clinical rehabilitation for stroke patients in Low-Middle Income Countries (LMICs). It provides 100,000 cycles of guided finger extension countering severe spasticity with 30N force across full ADL ROM. Frugal, open-source and field-resilient, it empowers families to drive neuroplastic recovery from moderate to severe hand impairment due to stroke.

Val-e is an electronically actuated engine valvetrain that replaces the mechanical camshaft with direct electromagnetic control. By decoupling valve motion from fixed cam geometry, Val-e eliminates parasitic losses of traditional valve springs, and enables precise, software-defined control of valve timing, lift, and duration across the engine’s operating range. The result is an engine that can adapt its breathing in real time to speed, load, and operating conditions; improving efficiency, responsiveness, and performance. 

Battery fires are a major safety hazard, and ongoing research aims to understand how environmental factors affect batteries. Our project aims to develop a cost-effective solution for the thermal abuse testing of batteries, for the purpose of testing and causing thermal runaway. This device will be integrated with an existing industrial explosion-proof chamber.

Smouldering fires move through the sub-soil surface, slowly burning through tree roots and organic matter. These difficult-to-extinguish fires can burn through the winter, re-igniting wildfires in the spring. SmoulderSafe aims to provide advanced smouldering detection through ground-based sensing. This is done through a device that is implanted into the ground, providing continuous monitoring around critical sites.