Capstone Design Projects

Consider partnering with Penn State to sponsor a senior capstone design project. Projects are offered as part of the Learning Factory and provide practical hands-on experience to students in a number of engineering disciplines. We assemble interdisciplinary student teams to tackle problems/projects using knowledge acquired during their undergraduate education. Students are also tasked with building and utilizing quality communication and team-based skills to achieve their goals.

What are Senior Capstone Design Projects?

All Penn State biomedical engineering students are required to complete BME 450W: Biomedical Senior Design prior to graduation. Senior capstone design projects partner student teams with industry professionals in order to test and design solutions to real-world challenges in medicine, healthcare, biology, and engineering. Students apply theoretical information gained in the classroom with a solid basis of teamwork and communication skills to deliver powerful ideas with viable results. Projects are developed during the course of a semester and culminate each spring and fall during the College of Engineering Design Showcase.

Benefits to Sponsors:

• Uncovering fresh ideas and solutions to real problems
• Investigating low cost, low risk new ideas
• Creating corporate exposure opportunities throughout campus
• Improving engineering education at Penn State
• Interacting with bright, energetic, creative young minds
• Networking with other companies and Penn State faculty

International Capstone Design Projects

In 2015, the department offered global capstone design projects for the first time by partnering Penn State students with students from Shanghai Jiao Tong University (SJTU), China. Two student groups worked together to develop solutions for domestic and international industry sponsors.

The pioneering projects were recognized at both the Penn State and SJTU design showcases.

Past Project Highlights

• The Central Pennsylvania SCI Support Group (Spring 2015)
  Fork and Spoon Holder for a Person with Disability Lacking Finger Strength
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• TPC Innovation and Design (Spring 2015)
  Atraumatic Colonoscope for Treatment of C. diff
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• Liferiver (Spring 2015)
  Automated Dataflow System for DNA Amplification and Diagnostics
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• B. Braun (Spring 2014)
  Needleless Connector UV-C Disinfecting Devices
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