Industry Sponsored Engineering Capstone Design
About Capstone Design Projects
Our engineering disciplines have a rich history of using industry developed and sponsored projects for student capstone design projects. The EEIC builds on this by being a conduit for industries who want to connect with Ohio State, by assisting them to link with appropriate programs and faculty.
Our engineering programs offer capstone design opportunities to engineering students as a requirement for graduation. The Engineering Education Innovation Center provides support for individual program capstone design projects and fosters the coordination of multidisciplinary capstone projects. One way the EEIC executes this support is by facilitating industry sponsorship of capstone design.
The EEIC collaborates with our engineering departments to support capstone projects specifically intended to be multidisciplinary. The multidisciplinary capstone design course option forms a three-quarter course sequence that features industry sponsored projects in a team setting, and is open to students across all engineering disciplines. The course integrates design skills and engineering practice with a focus on actual design challenges presented and supported by industry partners.
Course Structure
The multidisciplinary capstone design course option forms a three-quarter course sequence that features industry sponsored projects in a team setting, and is open to students across all engineering disciplines. The course integrates design skills and engineering practice with a focus on actual design challenges presented and supported by industry partners.
Students work in groups of 3 – 5 people, under the supervision of experienced faculty members. The sponsoring company provides the problem of interest, a statement of project deliverables and an engineer to act as the point of contact for the students. A nominal fee is assessed for industry participation.
- 1st Quarter:
- Introduction to Design and Professional Skills
- 2nd Quarter:
- Design and Build: Concept Development, Detailed Design and Prototype Fabrication
- 3rd Quarter:
- Testing, Statistical Experimentation and Final Report
Benefits of Capstone Design Projects
Benefits for Industry
- Gain outside expertise and fresh perspective on design solutions
- Evaluate potential employees by exposure to students during capstone project
- Acquire research resources for existing non-urgent long-term issues
- Gain access to additional resources and research facilities
Benefits for Students
- Gain experience by working on real industry problems
- Learn professional skills including communication, presentation, research and business etiquette
- Receive direct contact with industry professionals and faculty
- Learn theory and practical application of design process
- Gain hands-on experience in project design-build-test
Course Methodology
Exposing students to real world engineering design problems is the goal of Capstone design projects. The EEIC approach incorporates the following elements into the program of study, to provide the richest experience for our students.
Industrially Sponsored Projects
Students find this type of project more interesting and exciting, because they know that they are contributing to a real product and industry. Industry contributions of design reviews, information on previous efforts, and contribution of domain specific knowledge will considerably enrich the learning experience of the students.
Design-Build-Test with Physical Prototype
An important formative step in a designer’s education is to experience the complete design cycle, which includes building and testing prototypes, in addition to design.
Robust Design
The concept of robust design methods is one of the most important design trends since the 1980s. Concepts included in this section are:
- Measurement System Analysis
- Use of Statistical Methods
- Overview of Experiment Design
Professional Skills
Developing professional skills to improve students’ awareness of the engineering practice will enhance the overall competence for students. These skills include proficiency in:
- Communication
- Engineering Ethics
- Professional Presentations
- Professional Etiquette
- Project Management
Contact Us
For more information about Industry Sponsored Engineering Capstone Design Projects, contact:
Robert Rhoads, P.E.
Capstone Program Coordinator
Engineering Education Innovation Center
614-292-9340
rhoads.2@osu.edu
Engineering Education Innovation Center
Ohio State University
College of Engineering
2070 Neil Avenue
Columbus, Ohio 43210
