First-Year Design Expo

Campbell School of Engineering incorporates a hands-on, project-based approach to engineering education. Our First-Year Design Sequence, ENGR 120 and 121, includes four separate projects, culminating with an open-ended first-year design project. Students learn the complete engineering design process, including a variety of professional engineering design tools such as formal brainstorming techniques, decision matrices, morphological charts, Gantt charts and competitive benchmarking. Each team of 3-4 students develops a working prototype, detailed poster and presentation.

In our ENGR 121 – Foundations of Engineering Design II class, student teams use professional engineering design techniques to design and fabricate prototype solutions for problems they select.  The projects pan a wide range of topics and outcomes, but are always highly educational and relevant.

Past projects have included:

  • cooling backpack
  • urban beehive designs
  • solar cell-phone charger
  • motion-activated pet water fountain
  • robust kayak cart
  • non-tipping pool koozie
  • no-spill automobile cup holder
  • cell phone case for boats, with cooling/solar charging/moisture-proof features
  • solar-powered toolbox with electrical outlets
  • hand drill safety sleeve
  • logo-imprinting toaster
  • retractable car roof for rain protection when entering/exiting a vehicle

The First-Year Design Expo provides an opportunity for regional employers, industry representatives, parents and the larger campus community to view Campbell Engineering majors’ impressive first-year capstone projects.

Previous Design Expo Teams

Improved Floating Beverage Koozie The team declared that existing products on the market were low quality and couldn't be trusted to both keep the drink from spilling and protect it from splashed water.  They set out to do better.  The team designed and built a prototype that insulated the drink to keep it cool for hours, didn't spill even when a cannonball was done directly next to it, and kept any and all splashed water out of the drink. It even had integrated Bluetooth speakers!
The 'Hot Dog' Heat Insulation Vest for Dogs It can get very hot outside during the summer, presenting a risk of a dog being walked getting overheated. Using reflective fabric, pockets for removable freezer packs, and plenty of insulation, this dog vest protects the dog's body from heat from the sun and enables longer and more energetic walks in hot conditions. The team used an infrared camera to prove their design provided lower temperatures over time. It also has pockets for waste bags and includes a folding water bowl.
Battery Charging Truck Tool Box This team likes having toolboxes on their trucks, but would like to be able to charge batteries for handheld tools while on the go. They fitted solar panels, batteries, transformers, and all the wiring needed to achieve this. Inside the tool box are standard wall plugs that tool batteries can be plugged into to charge. Large batteries for energy storage mean that charging is possible even when the sun isn't out, and the batteries will charge whenever the sun is out, whether or not the truck is in motion or sitting still.