Capstone Design Projects Archives - Faculty of Engineering and Design

Matt Holmes isn’t your typical engineering grad. After earning a degree from �Ӱ�ԭ�� University’s program, he became an airport planner at Vancouver International Airport and a YouTube sensation.

Through his channel, , Holmes has built a global following teaching realistic city design using Minecraft — inspiring future architects and engineers one block at a time.

Holmes credits �Ӱ�ԭ�� for giving him the tools to turn a childhood curiosity into a thriving creative career. The university’s distinctive engineering program — and the opportunities it offered — gave him the knowledge, experience and confidence to transform his interest in building virtual cities into real-world impact.

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Students Tackle Real-World Issues Through Capstone & Studio Design Projects

cuthemeedtr5 — Tue, 18 Jun 2024 17:19:55 +0000

Students Tackle Real-World Issues Through Capstone & Studio Design Projects

April 16, 2025

Every June, a graduating class walks across the convocation stage degree in hand and a mind brimming with ideas.

For this year’s graduating Engineering and Design students, it wasn’t long ago that they presented and were evaluated on their fourth-year Capstone or studio design team projects. Groups solve tangible issues where creative problem-solving is required, such as rising Canadian housing prices, how to help wounds heal quicker and preventing dangerous crowd emergencies.

The post Students Tackle Real-World Issues Through Capstone & Studio Design Projects appeared first on Faculty of Engineering and Design.

Custom Fit: Creating AI-Powered Exoskeletons for Individual Mobility Needs

cuthemeedtr5 — Fri, 12 Apr 2024 16:03:38 +0000

Custom Fit: Creating AI-Powered Exoskeletons for Individual Mobility Needs

April 16, 2025

In Canada, about 13.7 per cent of individuals aged 15 and over report having mobility disabilities, requiring the use of assistive devices such as canes and wheelchairs to walk or climb stairs. Despite their widespread use, these traditional tools have limitations as they can cause physical strain, restrict terrain navigation, and pose daily accessibility challenges.

The post appeared first on Faculty of Engineering and Design.

�Ӱ�ԭ�� University Crash Dummy Team to Hold Vehicle-Cyclist Collision Test

cuthemeedtr5 — Thu, 28 Mar 2024 16:41:54 +0000

�Ӱ�ԭ�� University Crash Dummy Team to Hold Vehicle-Cyclist Collision Test

April 16, 2025

The �Ӱ�ԭ�� University Crash Dummy (CUCD) team will be performing a rear-end collision test between a motor vehicle and cyclist in co-ordination with the Ottawa Police Service Collision Investigation Unit.

The post appeared first on Faculty of Engineering and Design.

Building a Sustainable Career in Architectural Engineering

cuthemeedtr5 — Thu, 14 Mar 2024 15:10:16 +0000

Building a Sustainable Career in Architectural Engineering

April 16, 2025

Abi Kang had always liked math and science—but she was interested in architecture too. Through �Ӱ�ԭ��’s , she found a way to combine these passions into one degree.

The “Arch Eng” program exists to meet the growing need for engineers with expertise in heritage conservation and sustainable buildings, and is a joint collaboration between the Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering and the Azrieli School of Architecture and Urbanism.

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Training Pediatric Surgeons: AI-Powered Simulator to Help Medical Students Master Skills

cuthemeedtr5 — Tue, 05 Mar 2024 14:47:02 +0000

Training Pediatric Surgeons: AI-Powered Simulator to Help Medical Students Master Skills

April 16, 2025

Laparoscopic surgery, a procedure where long thin instruments are inserted into the abdomen through slits as tiny as two to three millimeters long, has quickly become the go-to approach when it comes to pediatric surgery – and for good reason.

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The Evolution of the Engineering Design Centre

cuthemeedtr5 — Mon, 11 Sep 2023 16:06:34 +0000

The Evolution of the Engineering Design Centre

April 16, 2025

This time last year, �Ӱ�ԭ�� University’s newest building came online with flurry of student activity.

The Engineering Design Centre (EDC) is more than just a three-storey, 25,000-square-foot facility, however. It is a physical representation of �Ӱ�ԭ��’s commitment to student innovation, where undergraduate Faculty of Engineering and Design (FED) students can advance their work and research in dedicated workspaces

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Prototypes For Humanity: Two �Ӱ�ԭ�� Industrial Design Projects Selected For Global Innovation Showcase In Dubai

cuthemeedtr5 — Fri, 17 Feb 2023 19:30:10 +0000

Prototypes For Humanity: Two �Ӱ�ԭ�� Industrial Design Projects Selected For Global Innovation Showcase In Dubai

April 16, 2025

The capstone projects from industrial design graduates Sammy Dietrich and Nate Wiersma were selected as the top 100 globally for the showcase at the inaugural Prototypes for Humanity event held in Dubai, United Arab Emirates this past November.

The post Prototypes For Humanity: Two �Ӱ�ԭ�� Industrial Design Projects Selected For Global Innovation Showcase In Dubai appeared first on Faculty of Engineering and Design.

Homecoming 2022: Celebrating Our Alumni – Ruzbeh Irani (BID/19 – Industrial Design, MDes/21)

cuthemeedtr5 — Wed, 21 Sep 2022 14:18:08 +0000

Homecoming 2022: Celebrating Our Alumni – Ruzbeh Irani (BID/19 – Industrial Design, MDes/21)

April 16, 2025

After obtaining his Bachelor of Industrial Design in 2019, Ruzbeh Irani continued his studies at �Ӱ�ԭ�� in the Master of Design program.

Ruzbeh Irani still remembers his first encounter with industrial design.

He was in Grade 11 and living in Toronto at the time. He and his father were building his room a closet and needed to install a stainless-steel bracket to the hinge—a slow-release latch that kept the door from slamming.

“Who thinks up these cool little mechanisms?” he asked his father, who said “designers.”

When he was looking online for post-secondary options, Irani came across �Ӱ�ԭ��’s industrial design program and that little closet bracket came to mind.

“I’ve always been interested in how things are manufactured,” he says. “I’ve watched How It’s Made since I was very young. I love engineering and I also love art, and I found that industrial design was the bridge between both.”

Irani went on to complete a Bachelor of Industrial Design (BID) with a specialization in industrial and product design in 2019. He loved learning to communicate his thoughts through sketching and to develop prototypes with 3D printers and in metal or wood shops on �Ӱ�ԭ��’s campus.

“Because industrial design is dealing with product design and industry, you can get into anything,” says Irani. “We got a taste of designing helmets, faucets, even forks. My final fourth-year project was a modular water distillation machine, so you can get exposure to a variety of product industries.”

His love for the program grew because of its interdisciplinary nature. It didn’t just focus on product design but also on physics, economics and psychology. This urged him to continue in the master’s of industrial design (MID) program to expand his knowledge in design research.

He worked with Prof. Chantal Trudel as a Biometric & Human Factors Design Researcher. Together with a team of graduate students, they researched the design of electronic payment terminals for Employment and Social Development Canada to be more accessible for people with disabilities.

He completed the MID in 2022 and soon joined IBM Consulting as an Associate Designer of experiential and mobile design solutions. He works on a variety of different projects at the 111-year-old company, and he says every day is a new, refreshing challenge. His current project takes a service design approach to develop a custom-made client relationship management system.

“Everyone at IBM is always open to helping,” he says. “IBMers have a growth mindset, so when problems occur, people are always motivated to help and break beyond the barriers.”

His studies prepared him for his career in a few ways. The BID taught Irani to take a high-level view of the entire design process—from first sketch to final manufactured products—with an emphasis on understanding the end user. The master’s program brought in effective interdisciplinary design research, to allow him to solve wicked problems that require finding solutions through different lenses.

“Coming from high school, your umbrella of knowledge is limited,” says Irani, “and then coming out of the program four years later, you know exactly how to prototype, build and manufacture a water bottle, a desk, a keyboard or even an entire experience. That’s cool. Now I can actually make something which can impact our future.”

By: Joseph Mathieu

The post Homecoming 2022: Celebrating Our Alumni – Ruzbeh Irani (BID/19 – Industrial Design, MDes/21) appeared first on Faculty of Engineering and Design.

�Ӱ�ԭ�� Industrial Design Students Win Big at 2022 ACIDO Rocket Competition

cuthemeedtr5 — Thu, 07 Jul 2022 18:35:25 +0000

�Ӱ�ԭ�� Industrial Design Students Win Big at 2022 ACIDO Rocket Competition

April 16, 2025