Freshmen Engineering Projects
Let us design a solution for you!
About half of the first-year students in the College of Engineering take a hands-on design course called Design Practicum (Inter Egr 170). As part of the course, students work in teams to find a solution and create a prototype to a problem presented by clients from our community. Some past projects have included a sensory playhouse and prosthetic legs for a cat.
We are always looking for new projects in the Madison area for our students. Please review the following information before requesting a project:
- Design Practicum is a hands-on freshmen engineering design course.
- Design Practicum (Inter Egr 170) only meets for one semester.
- The project should be an engineering problem and should have components that students can creatively design.
- Students need to be able to design, test, and present their project within 15 weeks.
- Clients need to provide funding to cover the costs of materials and fabrication. (Some exceptions are allowed in cases of extreme need and when we have available funds.)
- Project teams are comprised of about eight first-year engineering students.
- Students enjoy projects that make a difference in people’s lives.
- Clients need to be available to meet with students during the first or second week of the semester.
- Clients need to be available for students’ questions as they develop their project.
- Clients are asked to attend the preliminary presentation and final class in which students present their project.
- There is no guarantee of a “perfect” prototype
Projects can be requested anytime throughout the year. To ensure consideration for an upcoming semester, please submit your request by August for the fall semester and December for the spring semester. There is no guarantee your project will be selected. If your project is not chosen, it will remain on our list for the following semester. Please contact us if you wish to be removed.
Questions:
Dr. Tracy Jane Puccinelli
tjpuccinelli@bme.wisc.edu
BME Freshmen Engineering Projects