If you ever want to learn what our future technology pioneers are doing, go to the next Capstone Design Expo at Georgia Tech. The event will be held on April 24 beginning at 4:30 in the McCamish Pavilion.  Seniors from eight Georgia Tech schools spend an entire semester working on their projects, often partnering with industry and research sponsors to seek solutions to real-world challenges. The Capstone Design Expo is the culmination for many engineering students’ undergraduate careers.

The Capstone Design Expo has become one of the largest student-driven design expos in the U.S.  It is an opportunity for student teams to present team projects and ideas in front of industry investors and the general public.  These skills are vital to their ability to convey ideas to potential buyers, employers, and even consumers. By studying doctors’ schedules, for example, a team of industrial engineering majors helped the Emory Orthopaedics & Spine Center boost patient satisfaction and save money.

“Capstone Design allows engineering students to learn how to function on multidisciplinary teams to solve problems,” said Laurence Jacobs, associate dean for academic affairs. “It also challenges our students to think, not just learn. Through this course they collaborate, lead and participate in teams experiencing true hands-on activities.”

The Design Expo showcases the work of engineering and industrial design majors, but they’re not the only students present. Each year, hundreds of high school students also attend the event to learn from the work and find inspiration. 

“To see the culmination of the undergraduate studies of more than 400 graduating seniors through their hands-on/design/build capstone projects was truly inspiring,” said Craig Forest, an assistant professor in mechanical engineering. “From the invention studio to the makers club to capstone design, Georgia Tech undergraduates are showing us what they can do with the resources and incentives to pursue invention, innovation, and entrepreneurship.”