Capstone Design in Multidisciplinary Engineering

Capstone Design Course

All students enrolled in Multidisciplinary Engineering (MDE) have opportunities to learn about and practice engineering design through their coursework. Before they graduate, MDE students must demonstrate acquired skills and make use of their acquired knowledge through a major culminating design experience referred to as Capstone Design. This senior-year experience is the ultimate opportunity for students to provide evidence they are prepared for work in engineering practice!

MDE Capstone Design courses, as well as any pre-requisite course to an approved MDE Capstone course, must be successfully passed with a C- or better to meet graduation requirements. All students must take (and successfully complete) their Capstone Design course on Purdue's main campus in West Lafayette to be eligible to meet degree requirements. Courses eligible to meet the requirements for the MDE Capstone Design are limited, so verify this with your advisor. 

Capstone Design Challenge

A Capstone Design Challenge may include local or global contexts, specific industry partners/clients; draw upon local government and not-for-profit communities of need; be tied to some theme or current event; and/or be far reaching and imagine a future need. In general, here are some attributes of an MDE Capstone Design Challenge:

  • Design challenge is inherently multidisciplinary, meaning design success will require perspective taking from a wide variety of engineering and non-engineering domains. In practical terms, this also means that students can expect to work on diverse teams that contain a variety of MDE program concentration areas.
  • Design challenge is purposefully open-ended, meaning there in no one (single) “right answer” or solution to be designed. In practical terms this means that given a design scenario and certain constraints, students will need to successfully research to identify a central design need as well as users and key stakeholders to design with/for, specify design criteria, use math, science and engineering coursework to develop, analyze, test, iterate, improve upon and deliver their design concepts using physical, virtual, modeled and/or simulated artifacts and working prototypes.
  • Design challenge is complex. In practical terms, this means that students must invest significant time and energy at the individual level, to ensure that the design team is successful in delivering a substantial solution, well backed up with ample, robust evidence to support the suggested design solution.

2025

Pill Blox

 

2024

The Grip-inator
An assistive device to enhance autonomy and improve the lives of people with disabilities

Recorder Assistive Ad-On
Making recorders—one of the most popular starter instruments for children—easier to pay for children with muscle impairments and finger mobility issues.

Shower Feedback Loop
Solving the problem of household water over consumption with a shower feedback loop that doesn't release the water to users until it heats up.

Reimagining the Recycle Bin
Alleviating the excess waste left at football and basketball games by designing an improved recycling bin system to educate the user on the proper use as well as benefits of recycling.

 

2023

Sensory Headgear to Relieve Overstimulation
A line of hats that double as sensory headgear to be used by for people who want to self-regulate in overstimulating environments. The hats—some hand-knitted—feature noise cancellation, fidget buttons, removable ear flaps, a compression band, and more.

Backpack for the Unhoused
A low-cost way for the unhoused to charge their digital devices, which can serve as a lifeline to loved ones, food and shelter. The team worked with CityPak to design a solar power-generating add-on module.

Vape Disposal
A niche solution to address the need for the recycling of vapes, most of which end up in the landfill. The vape cartridge catcher provides vendors with a way to collect and recycle from repeat customers.

Greywater Filtration System
 

 

Stephen W. Pater Fund for Multidisciplinary Engineering Studies Capstone

In 2016, the Multidisciplinary Engineering Program received its first ever Purdue Alumni gift to help fund classroom-related efforts for instructing and magnifying the impact of the Multidisciplinary Capstone Design experience (prototyping costs, company visits to meet with experts, etc.). Through the generosity of Purdue alumnus Stephen W. Pater (BSAE ’65, MSAE ’66) a new endowment was created: the Stephen W. Pater Fund for Multidisciplinary Engineering Capstone. The gift allowed students to partner with Juno Lighting beginning with the 2017 cohort, and has paid forward in ways unimagined.

Last Updated: May 1, 2025