The Michigan State University College of Engineering Design Day showcases projects that not only offer valuable results for businesses and on-the-job experience for students, but also provides higher education partnerships.
This year’s Design Day is from 8 a.m. to noon Friday in the MSU Engineering Building.
The event is the culmination of the senior-level capstone courses that are required for graduation from the College of Engineering. The 15-week courses allow students to apply all their knowledge and experiences gained during their engineering education at MSU.
Working in teams of four or five, seniors aim to solve real-world problems for big and small companies. At the end of each semester the teams make presentations at Design Day.
“Team members have to learn how to present their ideas to the client, defend their ideas and think on their feet, which is what is going to happen when they leave MSU and start their careers,” said Wayne Dyksen, professor of computer science and engineering and Design Day executive director.
Among this year’s projects:
- Technology embedded in eyeglasses that allows retail store employees to check product availability.
- Technology that will use drones to monitor power lines.
- The design of a “smart” walker that could help users avoid accidents.
The companies sponsoring capstone projects include MSU Federal Credit Union, Urban Science, Auto-Owners Insurance, Blackstone Technologies, Bosch, Dow Chemical Co., General Motors, MSU Innovation Center, Quicken Loans and Whirlpool.
With more than 880 students representing 198 teams, this is the largest Design Day since its inception in 1994.
For more information, please visit http://designday.egr.msu.edu/