Each year, first-year School of Engineering students must participate in a design competition to demonstrate the concepts they’ve learned. The students work in groups to create solutions to topical issues and each project is judged by faculty and staff.
As the school year comes to an end, students at UBC Okanagan are completing projects and getting ready for final exams.
Students in the School of Engineering, whether in first or fourth year, are putting the final touches on either their engineering drawing designs or their capstone design projects.
First-year students will compete against each other in the final design competition while graduating students will showcase their final school projects at the Capstone Showcase and Competition. Both events take place Friday, April 12 and are open to the public.
Applied Science (APSC) 171 Final Design Competition
What: Engineering student drawing and design showcase
Who: First-year students, community judges and members of the public
When: Friday, April 12, from 10 am to 1 pm
Where: Engineering Management and Education Building, Richard S. Hallisey Atrium, 1137 Alumni Avenue, Kelowna
Nearly 400 first-year engineering students will unveil their design projects on Friday as they wrap up their first year at UBCO’s School of Engineering.
The design showcase is part of the APSC 171 Engineering Drawing and CAD/CAM course all first-year students take. Each year, the students are tasked with designing innovative ideas and devices that can confront real-world challenges head-on. This year’s theme centers around the critical issue of climate change, specifically focusing on the urgent need to address and mitigate wildfires.
Through a multidisciplinary approach, the students have researched innovative strategies that integrate key engineering principles of user-centred design, CAD and CAM programs and advanced manufacturing techniques.
The annual event draws media and community interest thanks to the novel design concepts developed by the students. In previous years, the students and Professor Ray Taheri garnered national and international headlines as they proposed retrofit options for donation bins that reduced the risk of fatalities and portable storage carts for homeless people.
This event is free and all are welcome.
Capstone Showcase and Competition
What: Fourth-year UBCO engineering students showcase year-end projects
Who: Students, faculty, staff, judges, members of the public
When: Friday, April 12, from 1 to 5 pm, open to the public at 3 pm
Where: KF Centre for Excellence, 5800 Lapointe Drive, Kelowna
The almost 300 graduating students in UBCO’s School of Engineering will have one final chance before exams to wow their professors.
To complete their degree, students work in groups on 48 specific projects and then present their findings at the capstone showcase. Each project is judged and the event concludes with winners in specific categories being announced.
The categories this year are advanced manufacturing, biocompatible systems, complex systems, infrastructure and sustainability. Within each of those, visitors will find projects encompassing ideas like a hydrogen freight locomotive fueling station design, concept designs for busy local intersections, Pickasaurus—a remote controlled fruit picker, a micro apartment including adaptable furniture designs and fatigue analysis on a mountain bike front triangle.
This event is free and open to the public at 3 pm. The day will wrap up with award presentations starting at about 4:40 pm.
