March 18, 2022
As part of our FYDP/Capstone 2022 spotlights, we’re excited to introduce team Thundercats (team 43) from Mechanical Engineering: Mahin Masrur, Tyson Norris, Peter Hudlicka, Gurleen Kaloty, and Chris Iacobucci and their project “Origam-e”!
Can you explain your project in one sentence?
Origam-e is a compact, pedal-less electric bike with a novel folding mechanism which maximizes portability without sacrificing the performance of a full-sized e-bike.
What has been the best part of your project so far?
The best part of this project has been building relationships with our University of Waterloo professors and various industry mentors to brainstorm ideas and receive valuable feedback throughout our design process. We have also been able to partner with various sponsors who have been invaluable to the project. The team is currently working on detailed design of the e-bike with plans to build the first prototype by end of May. We invite anyone on campus to learn more about Origam-e at the UW Mechanical Engineering Capstone Symposium where we will be showcasing the team's latest work!
What is the biggest challenge you've faced during your project?
In terms of the biggest challenge of the project so far, we've had to continuously revisit the goals of the project and deal with the project increasing in scope, given the short timeframe of FYDP. Also, the uncertainty with COVID and remote learning has definitely been challenging. However, the team has coped with these challenges extremely well and we are really looking forward to the final phases of this project.
What's next for your team members once you're finished?
Following graduation, the team plans to continue working on the project to finish building the prototype and further develop Origam-e as a consumer product.