The best overall project, as determined by judges’ scores, was a training aid to help tennis players identify racket contact and improve swing and overall performance. 

The winning team’s name? The Racketeers, of course. The group consists of five mechanical engineering (ME) majors: Chris Armstrong, Ethan Henderson, Dareal Scott, Steven Ranger and Kevin King. They won $2,000.

The Capstone Design Expo is the culmination of many engineering majors’ undergraduate careers. Students studying mechanical engineering, biomedical engineering (BME), electrical and computer engineering (ECE) and industrial design (ID) team up to create projects, which then compete for awards. This Fall, more than 350 graduating seniors presented their work.

“Capstone Design allows engineering students to learn how to function on multidisciplinary teams to solve problems,” said Laurence Jacobs, a professor of civil and environmental engineering and 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.”

Another winning team was Vertibral Horizon, which was honored for best ME project. The team members (Luke Pollock, Matt Rothberg and Drew Bolduc of ME; Mike Glatzer and Matt Ho of BME) offered a project to reduce effort exerted by surgeons during a spinal corrective procedure.  

The design expo showcases the work of engineering 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 400 graduating seniors through their hands-on/design/build capstone projects was truly inspiring,” said Craig Forest, an assistant professor in ME. “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.”