Senior Design Project
The Project
Most college seniors spend their final semester worrying about the “real world.” But for ECE seniors, the real world is an integral part of their coursework. Each student must complete a team-driven capstone project in which they design and prototype a product, electronic device, or software system. Teams work with real world customers—industry figures, small businesses, government, non-profits, schools, artists, faculty, and staff.
The Process
After completing a written proposal and two design reviews, students work in the Senior Project Laboratory to produce prototypes of their products. Next is a final design review, after which they make adjustments based on customer feedback, and complete testing—all while staying on budget and meeting strict deadlines. Ultimately, each team presents its project before faculty, staff, and other students on ECE Day.
Following the presentations, prizes are given to standout presentations, and the P.T. Hsu Award is presented to the most innovative project.
Videos of the ECE Day 2009 presentations are available on YouTube on the BostonUniversityECE channel.
“My team is building a device to monitor human activity, such as motion and direction. We will be using various sensors-gyroscopes, an accelerometer, a digital compass, and a thermometer. After the sensors gather information, it’s transferred via bluetooth to a user’s smartphone. While the data can be viewed on the phone, it can also be transferred to a website, where it can be further analyzed. It’s called the “Intellimonitor,” and our team is the “The 5 Moniteers.” The project is intense—we’ve had all-nighters. At the same time, though, it’s worth it, because we get to see what it’s actually going to be like working as an engineer.”
- Michael Tirgardoon (ENG ‘09)