Capstone Design Projects

Participation in Capstone Design Projects synthesizes theory learned in class, lab work, and real-world experience from co-op programs. Students are able to create design projects in areas that interest them. Capstone Design projects often lead to the creation of a marketable product and entrepreneurial opportunities for the graduating students.

Students own the ideas and devices they create for the design competition and there are several pitch competitions that follow the Capstone Design Event which act as a platform for students to compete for funding to commercialize their devices. 

Team 5 won the Palihapitiya Venture Creation Fund this year and was awarded $50,000 to finance their post-graduate start-up.

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About Capstone Design

We take the theory learned in the classroom and practical things we've done on coop [work terms], and put it together to develop an idea that's our own. - Alison Lee, 4th year nanotechnology engineering student.

Highlights from 2022 Capstone Design Projects

The winner of the Best Overall Project Bhattacharrya Award was Team 30 for Recycling Multilayer Film via Solvent Extraction.

When asked about the rewarding aspects of working on their Capstone Design Project, members of Team 30 commented,

Wow, where to begin? The whole experience was incredibly enriching, but if we had to choose just one aspect, it would have to be solving a real-world problem. We set out to tackle the growing issue of multilayer plastic packaging use, which cannot be recycled via traditional methods. Environmental sustainability has been increasingly in the spotlight, and we handle multilayer plastics every day. Being able to develop a novel process from the idea stage through to execution that can solve a highly applicable problem was very rewarding.

Team 24 partnered with Musqueam First Nation to electrify their vehicle fleet.

Team members reflected on their project,

The best part of the project so far has been identifying the concrete emissions that will be eliminated with the replacement of the vehicles. A lot of projects are theoretical and hard to picture in motion, but this allows us to see the impacts of our research.

Team 17 won the people's choice award for their Household Cannabis Oil Extractor.

The most rewarding part of this project was getting to apply our degree to a really fun part of the industry. Leveraging a traditional engineering degree in a new and upcoming field felt so fresh and really energized our work habits for the project. As for the future of our project, each of us truly believes in the product that we have created. There is no telling what the future holds, but the dream is to one day bring our product to market.

Members of Team 11 had fun at the event.

A member of Team 23 explains his design project to an event-goer.

Team 21 members introduce their high protein kombucha they created as their Capstone Design Project.

The Capstone Design Projects stimulate a lively discussion among event-goers.

A student poses in front of her Capstone Design Project.

Two students engaged in conversation about their projects.

Event-goers check out the Capstone Design Posters.

Excited students are happy to be part of the first in-person Capstone Design Event since the beginning of the pandemic in 2020.

A student explains his project to an event-goer.

This team is inspired to create a Capstone Design Project to create a means of artificial pollination.