Mechanical Engineering Capstone
Mechanical Engineering Capstone Sequence
The Capstone Sequence is the primary culminating project of the mechanical engineering curriculum. Students carry out a formal design experience that takes you from design requirements to idea/design generation and on through prototyping and testing. The sequence is intended to provide experience in the design process and bring together and reinforce skills obtained in the analysis, modeling and measurement of engineering systems.
Students also continue to refine communication and teamwork skills and be introduced to concepts in project management that will be utilized to successfully complete the capstone projects. The courses also touch on other important aspects of real-world engineering practice.
Students must complete the following prerequisites prior to beginning any capstone sequence: MECHENG 3360, MECHENG 3671, and MECHENG 3870. Students are also required to enroll in the co-requisite MECHENG 4510 in the same term as capstone. These prerequisites will be strictly enforced and exceptions will not be made. All students are also required to complete MECHENG 4870 (Multidisciplinary Mechanical Engineering Laboratory) regardless of the capstone option chosen.
General Capstone Presentation (Prof. Marzette)
In the general capstone, students are able to participate in a diversity of projects including community and industry projects, instructor-suggested projects, and student conceived projects. Projects options may touch upon any fundamental area of mechanical engineering, and while some may be purely mechanical, others may involve mechatronics or other interdisciplinary work, topically speaking.
There are opportunities to partner with subject-matter experts external to the department who are interested in supporting student projects. Recent projects include an automated lawnmower, a robotic fish, a cookie extruder, a drone constraint device, and a mechanical regeneratively brake bike.
Students can begin the General Capstone Sequence in the Autumn or Spring semesters.
| Semester 1 | Semester 2 |
|---|---|
| Full Term | Full Term |
| MECHENG 4901.01 | MECHENG 4901.02 |
Student Design Competition Presentation
Students work on design projects arising from various student team competitions in engineering. The emphasis will be on automotive projects similar to Baja SAE, EcoCAR2, Buckeye Electric Motorcycle and Buckeye Bullet, among others. Note that these projects are tightly formulated to aid student teams in the design and manufacturing of specific components or systems for the vehicles. Some examples include advanced braking systems, high-performance composite structures and the creation of real-time vehicle telemetry. Student teams also document their designs so a record can be created for the various vehicle systems. Permission from the instructor is required to be enrolled in this capstone sequence.
Students can only begin the Student Design Competition Capstone Sequence in the Autumn semester.
| Semester 1 | Semester 2 |
|---|---|
| Full Term | Full Term |
| MECHENG 4902.01 | MECHENG 4902.02 |
Students will work in teams of three to four students for the entire two–semester sequence, where students are responsible for taking a product idea from the initial conceptualization stage to a functional prototype. The emphasis of this course is on product design, as compared to engineering design, and include lectures on the background and theory of user-centered product development, product architecture, and manufacturing. Students will be expected to complete extensive fieldwork and design research before beginning the project. Additionally, students will build several prototypes over the course of this two–semester sequence. Recent projects include a hose management system for firefighters, an enrichment device for Asian Elephants at the Cincinnati Zoo, and a rainwater collection system for urban farms.
Permission from the instructor is required to be enrolled in this capstone sequence.
MECHENG 5682.01 is a pre- or co-requisite for the first semester of this capstone.
| Semester 1 | Semester 2 |
|---|---|
| Full Term | Full Term |
| MECHENG 4906.01 | MECHENG 4906.02 |
Assistive Devices Presentation (OLD)
Assistive Devices capstone is currently not being offered for the 2023-2024 school year. We hope to be able to run this capstone option - please keep an eye on your email if this is posted to the course schedule for Autumn 2023.
Students will create assistive devices for people with disabilities. These devices will aid in the quality of life for many types of disabilities. These projects emphasize working with the customer and understanding the specific needs and wants of a variety of patients. Project teams of three to five students will be presented with an unmet need for an assistive device or technology, and will work through the entire product design process over the two-course sequence. This project will also be completed in collaboration with senior capstone students from the Department of Biomedical Engineering. Project teams will have faculty mentors from both the College of Engineering and the College of Medicine. The project will culminate with the creation of working prototypes that will be tested and used in a clinical setting.
Students can only begin the Assistive Devices Capstone Sequence in the Autumn semester.
| Semester 1 | Semester 2 |
|---|---|
| Full Term | Full Term |
| MECHENG 4905.01 | MECHENG 4905.02 |
Multidisciplinary Design Presentation
This capstone sequence is designed to prepare students with the engineering and professional skills and techniques needed to complete a real-world project using a design process. Students will learn a multidisciplinary design process, which includes defining the problem; conceptualizing solutions; designing a solution; building or modeling a prototype; and creating and implementing a validation plan. Students will demonstrate technical communication skills and professional practices in a multidisciplinary environment. Students will also learn project management and teamwork skills.
Teams of students (typically four to six students) from various engineering programs (i.e. CBE, CSE, ECE, Engineering Physics, FABE, ISE, etc.) and other disciplines (i.e. Business, Chemistry, Finance, Industrial Design, Psychology, etc.) work on these real-world projects, which represent those that might be encountered upon graduation and entering a professional working environment. The project topics range from product and process improvement to new product development, humanitarian and socially innovative product design. A faculty or staff advisor is assigned to each team and each sponsor supplies a liaison for the entire length of the project. Additional information can be found here.
Permission from the instructor is required to be enrolled in this capstone sequence. Students can only begin the Multidisciplinary Design Capstone Sequence in the Autumn semester.
| Semester 1 | Semester 2 |
|---|---|
| Full Term | Full Term |
| ENGR 5901.01 | ENGR 5901.02 |
MAE Capstone Survey
Are you a member of the community and have a project idea? Looking to partner? Tell us about it here: https://go.osu.edu/MAECapstoneSurvey.