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HOW DO CAPSTONE PROJECTS IN BIOMEDICAL ENGINEERING CONTRIBUTE TO ADVANCEMENTS IN THE FIELD

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Capstone projects are a key part of the biomedical engineering curriculum that allow students to work on developing real solutions to pressing healthcare problems. These projects give students the opportunity to apply the classroom knowledge and technical skills they have gained throughout their education to design, build, test, and present innovative medical technologies, devices, diagnostics, or systems.

The products of capstone projects have the potential to make meaningful contributions to advancing biomedical engineering research and development. Students work directly with industry partners, clinical collaborators, professors, and others to identify unmet needs and develop prototypes or proof-of-concept projects that can help address those needs. While still in development rather than fully commercialized solutions, these student projects open doors for further research and development by experienced engineers and medical experts.

Many capstone projects directly respond to design briefs provided by industry, startups, hospitals, or clinics. Working with real-world stakeholders ensures students are focusing their efforts on problems of true clinical significance. Industry partners in particular can provide guidance on what technical specifications or regulatory requirements would be needed to eventually translate a student project into a commercial product. Having clinically- and commercially-informed input during the design process helps increase the chances capstone projects move the field forward in a meaningful way.

Some past examples help illustrate the potential impact of capstone projects. One project developed a low-cost infant warmer for use in rural areas without reliable electricity. Field testing in a developing country led to refinements that enhanced the device’s usefulness and safety. That project provided a foundation for further engineering to produce a next-generation infant warmer now being commercialized. Another project created a prototype for a portable, non-invasive glucose monitor. The resulting device showed promise in early feasibility studies and attracted follow-on funding to support more comprehensive clinical trials.

While not all projects will have such direct paths to commercialization or wide adoption, many push the boundaries of biomedical engineering knowledge and spur further inquiry. Presenting their work at academic conferences allows student teams to share their innovations, methods, challenges encountered, and lessons learned with the broader research community. Their projects can inspire new ideas in other investigators or highlight technical barriers still to be overcome. Peer-reviewed publications of capstone findings additionally disseminate student contributions for others to build upon.

Some teams opt to pursue protection of their intellectual property through patent applications before graduation. While patents can take many years to mature, provisional filings at minimum establish earlier conception dates and public disclosures for student inventions. This lays the groundwork should their work attract sponsorship after graduation for more extensive engineering and clinical testing. A few student patents have indeed blossomed into new medical startups or been licensed by existing companies.

Perhaps the greatest contribution of capstone projects is in developing future biomedical engineering leaders. The experience of conceptualizing, prototyping, validating and presenting original research instills practical skills that serve students well in industrial or academic careers. They gain an appreciation for the multidisciplinary collaboration, project management, and rigorous evaluation needed to translate engineering ideas into real-world medical impact. Many capstone participants cite their projects as most influential in deciding their subsequent career paths in medicine, academia, or the medical device industry. Several have even gone on to lead their own successful startup ventures.

Through their applied, hands-on nature, capstone projects allow biomedical engineering students to generate innovative solutions that can potentially help advance healthcare. While not all projects result in commercial products, many push the boundaries of knowledge or provide foundations for future research. By developing technical and problem-solving skills, capstone work additionally cultivates the next generation of biomedical engineers poised to continue driving progress. The potential long-term contributions of these projects to both scientific understanding and improved patient care make capstone experiences a vital part of biomedical engineering education.

CAN YOU PROVIDE MORE EXAMPLES OF CARLETON ENGINEERING CAPSTONE PROJECTS

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Developing an Autonomous Industrial Vehicle: A team of mechanical engineering students developed an autonomous industrial vehicle that could navigate a warehouse environment without a human operator. The vehicle used sonar, lidar, cameras and gyroscopes for navigation and object detection. It was programmed to follow waypoints, avoid obstacles and operate safely around humans. This type of autonomous vehicle has applications in automating material handling in warehouses and distribution centers.

Augmented Reality Applications for Maintenance and Repair: An interdisciplinary team with members from mechanical, electrical and software engineering developed augmented reality applications to assist with equipment maintenance and repair tasks. Using a tablet or wearable display, the applications would overlay holograms displaying part diagrams, instructions and other information to guide users through complex procedures hands-free. They focused on developing for maintenance of industrial machines, vehicles and infrastructure. The goal was to improve worker efficiency, reduce errors and provide remote assistance capabilities.

Additive Manufacturing of Custom Prosthetics: A group of biomedical engineering students worked with clinicians to design and 3D print custom lower limb prosthetics for specific patients. They leveraged computer modeling, scans of patients’ residual limbs and additive manufacturing techniques to create lightweight prosthetics tailored for optimal fit and function. Designs incorporated features like flexure joints and pressure sensors to mimic natural biomechanics. The projects aimed to prove the feasibility of personalized prosthetics produced via additive manufacturing.

Smart Home Automation and Control System: An interdisciplinary team with computer, electrical and software engineering expertise developed a smart home automation and control system prototype. The open-source system integrated devices for functions like lighting, HVAC, appliance control, security and home automation. It used a central hub and app along with wired and wireless sensors/actuators. Advanced features included remote access/control, integrated voice assistants, energy monitoring and automation rules/profiles. The goal was to demonstrate a robust and customizable smart home platform.

Robot Path Planning and Obstacle Avoidance Algorithms: A computer engineering capstone focused on algorithms for robot path planning and navigation in unknown environments. They developed probabilistic and optimization-based approaches for obstacle detection/avoidance, shortest path calculation and resolution of dynamic or uncertain situations. Techniques included rapidly exploring random trees, A* search, neural networks and genetic algorithms. Results were tested in simulation and on a miniature ground robot navigating mock environments. The work contributed novel approaches applicable to areas like robotics, automation, logistics and autonomous vehicles.

Structural Health Monitoring System for Bridges: A civil engineering team designed and prototyped a low-cost structural health monitoring system for bridges. Sensors were embedded in a small bridge structure to continuously monitor and transmit data on factors like strain, stress, temperature, vibration and crack propagation. Data was analyzed using algorithms to detect anomalies or changes indicative of damage accumulation. Notifications were triggered to alert authorities if thresholds were exceeded. The goal was to demonstrate an affordable solution for remote ongoing assessment of critical infrastructure like bridges to predict maintenance needs and spot issues early.

As these examples show, Carleton engineering capstone projects regularly tackle real-world problems through innovative application of technical knowledge. They aim to prototype new systems, validate design concepts and engineering approaches, and push the boundaries of what’s possible through interdisciplinary collaboration and hands-on project work. The open-ended nature of capstone design challenges students to think creatively and develop comprehensive solutions that consider technical, practical and user-centered factors. This provides extremely valuable industry-aligned experience for students as they transition into engineering careers upon graduation.

HOW CAN STUDENTS CHOOSE THE APPROPRIATE PROJECT TYPE FOR THEIR CIVIL ENGINEERING CAPSTONE PROJECT?

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There are many different types of projects that civil engineering students can choose for their capstone experience. The best project will be one that aligns with their academic and career interests. It is important to choose a project that allows them to demonstrate and apply the technical skills they have learned throughout their civil engineering studies. At the same time, the project needs to be realistic in scope given the typical time constraints of a capstone project.

Students should start by reflecting on the different career paths and areas of civil engineering that most interest them, such as transportation, structural, environmental, construction, geotechnical or water resources engineering. This self-reflection will help narrow down the types of projects that would be most engaging and relevant. They should consider projects associated with local infrastructure, development or construction projects to ensure access to data, sites or stakeholders that could support project development.

Once they have identified potential focus areas, students can research example capstone projects done by previous students in those topic areas. Looking at past project summaries, reports and presentations is a good way to get ideas for the types of studies, design challenges, analysis or experiments that could be undertaken. This also provides examples of projects that were deemed appropriate and manageable in scope by faculty advisers. Speaking to their capstone coordinator and past project mentors can provide valuable insight into project feasibility.

Structural engineering capstone projects often involve the analysis, design, optimization or retrofit of a building, bridge or other structure. Example projects could include designing a new structural system for a building, retrofitting a bridge for increased load capacity, developing efficient foundation solutions, or exploring innovative construction materials. Transportation capstone projects commonly center around improving highway, roadway or transit infrastructure through design, traffic modeling, safety or materials studies. Environmental capstone projects frequently examine topics like water treatment system design, stormwater management plans, habitat restoration, air pollution modeling or renewable energy integration.

Construction management capstone projects regularly tackle challenges associated with project estimation, planning, scheduling, site layout, quality control or innovative construction techniques. Geotechnical engineering capstones may explore soil testing and characterization, slope stability analysis, retaining wall design, deep foundation alternatives or seismic soil-structure interaction. Water resources projects frequently study issues like watershed management, flood control solutions, irrigation system improvements, water distribution system optimization, or surface water quality modeling.

Once students identify 2-3 potential project focus areas, they should thoroughly explore the level of project scope, timeline, complexity and data/resource needs before committing. It’s important that the project aims are reasonable and can realistically be achieved independently over the typical capstone duration of one academic term or semester. Students should ensure they have access to any required project sites, data, modeling software or stakeholder contacts needed before the proposal stage.

Meeting with potential capstone advisors from industry or faculty is also recommended to get feedback on project ideas early. Advisors can help evaluate feasibility and provide guidance on focusing the objectives. Well-defined project goals and deliverables should be established upfront in the proposal for evaluation and approval. Regular advisor consultation and milestone tracking will help keep large projects on schedule. Smaller scale or more narrowly focused projects may be preferable for first-time student researchers.

By leveraging self-reflection, researching example projects, and working closely with advisors, civil engineering students can determine project options most suited to their skills and interests, while also setting realistic expectations for scope within the capstone timeline. Choosing a meaningful, well-planned and achievable project aligned with their engineering discipline will help them gain practical skills while satisfying their curiosity – culminating in a highlight of their undergraduate experience. With open communication and periodic evaluation, they can complete a successful capstone that demonstrates their design and problem-solving abilities.

REFERENCE STYLE FOR ENGINEERING RESEARCH EXPRESS

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The reference style used for reporting and citing sources in engineering research papers is typically the American National Standards Institute (ANSI) style as defined by the American National Standards Institute in the document ANSI/NISO Z39.29-2005 (R2010) – National Information Standards Organization) Standards for Papers Used in Research and Scholarship. This is the predominant referencing format used across most engineering fields in both the US and internationally.

Some key aspects of the ANSI reference style include:

  • References are listed numerically in the order they appear in the text. They are compiled at the end of the paper in a section titled “References”.
  • In the body of the text, the reference number is placed in superscript immediately following the cited information. For example: It has been shown that steel has a high strength-to-weight ratio.^1^
  • Reference entries have a hanging indent, with the first line of the entry flush with the left margin and subsequent lines indented. This makes entries easy to visually scan.
  • The main components of a reference always include the author(s) name(s), article/book title, journal/book title, volume number, page range or arthritis number, publisher, and year of publication. Omitting any of these core elements means the source cannot be properly attributed or found by the reader.
  • Author names are written in reverse order, with the surname followed by a comma then initials. For example: Smith, John A.
  • Journal articles must include the month or season of publication. Books and conference papers do not require this.
  • Webpages are referenced with the date accessed included, since webpages can change over time. Print journals/books do not require access dates.
  • DOIs (digital object identifiers) are included when referencing journal articles, to provide a persistent link to the source.
  • When referencing standards, reports or theses – the type is specified in square brackets after the title (e.g. [Standard]; [Report]; [Masters thesis]).
  • References are listed in alphabetical order based on the surnames of the first listed author. If multiple sources by the same author(s), they are ordered chronologically with the earliest year of publication first.
  • Authors’ names are listed using “et al.” when there are more than two authors. All authors are always listed in the reference list entry.

Some example references following the ANSI reference style include:

  1. Smith, John A., and Sara B. Johnson. “Effects of Alloying on the Tensile Properties of Aluminum.” Materials Science and Engineering A325, no. 1-2 (2002): 23-35. https://doi.org/10.1016/S0921-5093(01)01555-9.
  2. Doe, Jane, Michael Brown, Martin White, and David Black. Fatigue Testing of Steels Used in Structural Applications. ASTM STP 500. Philadelphia: ASTM, 2009.
  3. ASTM E8/E8M-16a, “Standard Test Methods for Tension Testing of Metallic Materials,” ASTM International, West Conshohocken, PA, 2016, www.astm.org, accessed date.
  4. Garcia, Francisco. Experimental characterisation of materials behaviour: An introduction. Les Ulis: EDP Sciences, 2010. ProQuest Ebook Central.
  5. Turnbull, Alexander, and Irina Hussainova, eds. New Materials for Next-Generation Commercial Transports [Report]. Washington, D.C.: The National Academies Press, 1996. https://www.nap.edu/catalog/5313/new-materials-for-next-generation-commercial-transports.
  6. Jackson, Mark. “Finite Element Modelling of Steel Structures.” PhD diss., University of Strathclyde, 2007. ProQuest Dissertations & Theses Global.

I hope this detailed response on the reference style used in engineering research papers following the ANSI standard is helpful. Please let me know if you need any clarification or have additional questions. Proper referencing is an essential part of engineering research integrity and allowing other researchers to effectively engage with your work.