Continuing a tradition that began in 1994, the Michigan State University College of Engineering will host its annual Design Day on Friday, Dec. 8, to celebrate innovation driven by Spartan engineering students.

Design Day is the premier academic event for the fall and spring semesters. It gives students the opportunity to share their latest technological advances and research with the MSU community and corporate partners.

This year’s fall semester event will include 694 students representing 132 teams and seven courses in the fields of computer science and mechanical, civil, electrical and environmental engineering. Spartan engineers are not only evaluated academically for these projects, but also professionally by potential employers.

Among this group are 435 graduating seniors on 75 teams that will present their final projects, including 67 sponsored by corporate and community partners. 

“The headliners of Design Day are our graduating seniors,” MSU College of Engineering Dean Leo Kempel said. “Their projects represent the capstone of their educational career. You will see that our graduating MSU engineers are ready to lead, create and innovate.”

The lineup of student-created, solution-based, visual, hands-on projects sponsored by the university, community and corporate partners include:

·      Meijer: Enhanced AI-powered web app shopping experience focused on meal preferences, recipes, dietary restrictions, allergies and shopping history

·      Consumers Energy: Plans for 78-acre, 200-plus employee Lansing gas and electric operations center with warehouse, truck wells, loading docks, covered storage, detention ponds and office space

·      TechSmith: AI-guided Automated Content Editor web application that simplifies video editing by enabling users to edit videos using everyday language

·      Union Pacific: Railroad switch alignment training software with online courses that train employees to identify the alignment of railroad switches quickly and accurately

·      MSU Electrical and Computer Engineering: Interactive robot capable of autonomously identifying and locating sounds for seamless communication in remote professional settings

·      Village of Alanson, Michigan: Hand-propelled ferry, offering a much-needed, reliable and safe way for people to access Sanctuary Island Park in this Lower Peninsula town of 800 residents

·      MSU College of Music: Sound-sensitized board and computer system with movable 3D notes that allows visually impaired people to experience music as it was written by composers

Other corporate sponsors of student-led projects for Design Day include Amazon, General Motors, GE, Stryker, Whirlpool, Magna, Lockheed Martin, United, Volkswagen, Whirlpool and Fraunhofer USA.

The College of Engineering awards 11 student projects. Each project is evaluated by a panel of corporate and faculty judges. The college’s Engineering Building will also host on Design Day a competition for 140 high school students.

Interviews, images and video opportunities for media:

·      MSU College of Engineering Dean Leo Kempel, other faculty and staff

·      Graduating engineering students and Design Day corporate/community partners

·      Photos and B-roll opportunities inside/outside College of Engineering Building, 428 South Shaw Lane, East Lansing, from 9 to 11:30 a.m. Friday, Dec. 8

·      Live shots/interviews before 9 a.m. available upon request

·      Parking passes are available for Lot 39 located between the Engineering Building and the International Center