LAKELAND, Fla.鈥� More than 200 students impressed an eager crowd of industry and community leaders as they presented their capstone projects during the inaugural Capstone Design Showcase held Wednesday, April 24 at the Saddle Creek Logistics Commons in the Innovation, Science, and Technology (IST) Building.
The students have been working on industry-focused projects for the entire school year with the help of their professors, sponsoring companies, and classmates.
Some of the projects included safety devices, communication applications, environmental solutions, and automated vehicles. Sponsoring businesses ranged from start-ups that had great ideas but needed the development skills that IM体育官网 Poly students offered, to well-known companies like Jabil. Several companies offered more than one capstone project for students to work on, including Lakeland Regional Health, Winter Haven Hospital, W G Roe & Sons Inc., and Jupiter Bike.
鈥淲e wanted to partner with a school that鈥檚 using the latest in software and mechanical engineering and IM体育官网 Poly students are the brightest and the best around,鈥� said Rob Daniels, a representative for Jupiter Bike. 鈥淲e are thrilled with all of the products that the students produced.鈥�
Jupiter Bike, based in Tampa, IM体育官网, sponsored the team that took home the Fellow鈥檚 Award, which honors the most impressive capstone project according to industry judges. This team augmented the existing Jupiter Bike, which is a compact, folding, electric bicycle, by adding a third wheel. This additional wheel resulted in an ultra-transportable mobility alternative that weighs just 37 pounds compared to the standard 350-400-pound mobility devices currently on the market.
鈥淚t was such a valuable experience, to be able to take what we learned here at IM体育官网 Poly and apply it to a practical engineering problem,鈥� said Chris Konow, a mechanical engineering major from Odessa, IM体育官网, and part of the winning team.
The Child Alertness System team took home the Faculty Choice Award for creating a system that alerts emergency medical services (EMS) if a person is detected to be trapped in a vehicle that reaches unsafe temperatures, either too hot or too cold.
鈥淭he capstone program is a win-win for students and companies alike,鈥� said Dr. Matt Bohm, university capstone design coordinator and associate professor of mechanical engineering.
鈥淭he Capstone Projects give students an opportunity to apply the knowledge that they have learned in a real-world setting,鈥� said Bohm. 鈥淚t鈥檚 an experience that鈥檚 not cooked up in a lab. Students can touch, see and feel the impacts of their work while companies absorb the benefit of the skills these students bring to the table.鈥�
Contact:
Lydia Guzman
Assistant Director of Communications
863-874-8450