This year’s Nanotechnology Engineering Capstone Design Symposium took place on March 23 in Engineering 7’s meeting space. Twenty two teams of fourth year Nanotechnology Engineering students presented the results of their Capstone Design projects to industry representatives, potential employers, faculty, staff, family and friends. Each project gave the team members an opportunity to experience and actualize the concepts of project management, research and design taught in the Nanotechnology Engineering program.
These ambitious projects aimed to provide innovative solutions to a wide range of challenges facing humanity today, such as designing a wearable device to detect breast cancer, the development of a PBEasyTest to identify lead levels in water, and a biodegradable slow-release nitrogen fertilizer that minimizes harmful effects of nitrogen release into the environment.
The projects were a culmination of student group’s hard work, creative problem-solving skills and determination. The teams worked under the enthusiastic guidance and supervision of course instructors Jenn Coggan, Hany Aziz, and one faculty mentor who has expertise in their design problem.
The competition was fierce and the judges had the difficult task of narrowing it down to the following winning teams.
Award winners
Special congratulations go to the following teams that won awards for their excellent research and presentations at the Symposium:
First place
Team 2 Moonlight Haptics for their wearable device capable of mimicking vision through touch.
Team member Alex Wei reflected on his team’s win and his experience as a student in Nanotechnology Engineering at University of Waterloo,
We managed to win not only one, but two pitch competitions (Norman Esch Entrepreneurship Award for Capstone Design and Concept $5k Finals) in one day. That was probably the most exciting day and to really know that all of our work has paid off, made it the most rewarding experience I have ever felt. I think specifically for Nanotechnology Engineering at UW, the most beneficial aspect is the hands-on experience that we get. From general wet labs, to simulation work, to electrical circuit labs and of course access to the clean room, this wide variety of equipment and experience has really helped shape us to be ready for any kind of field that we want to pursue, which I think is very unique.
Team 2: Yahia Nassab, William Losin, Reese Martens, Alex Wei
Second place
Team 3 CortiSolve, for their wearable, non-invasive invasive cortisol biosensor to support accurate mental health diagnoses.
Team 3: Sarah Odinotski, Lisa Devlin, Jessie Christie, Simon Frew.
Third place
This year two teams tied for third place.
Team 20, for their design of an improved strain sensor for a virtual reality glove.
Team 20: Vyshna Krishnakumar, Logan Ingalls, Brendan Barber, Adam Powell.
Team 19 PrintID, for their creation of a RFID enabled ink jet-printed capacitive sensor tag for identity protection.
The People’s Choice Award went to Team 18 for their development of FlexStorage Batteries.
Team 18:Bryan Guilcamaigua, William Koester, Sean Rowe, and Michael Wood
Congratulations to all twenty two teams for rounding off your four years with the program with such innovate and unique projects!