From robot obstacle courses to bringing the Alouette satellite home

This year, the Department of Mechanical Engineering proudly hosted its first-ever Mechanical Engineering Design Day, an event that marked a milestone for the department and provided a dynamic platform for students to showcase their ingenuity and hard work. Combining the final projects from three distinct design courses, the day was a vibrant celebration of the skills students had honed throughout the semester.

“It’s important to bring all three courses together in one event,” says Dan Romanyk, an associate professor in the department. “By doing this, students can reflect on how much they've learned—seeing what they've accomplished in earlier courses while also getting a glimpse of what lies ahead.”

Design Day featured projects from three pivotal courses in the mechanical engineering curriculum: MEC E 260: Mechanical Design I, MEC E 360: Mechanical Design II and MEC E 460: Design Project. The student’s final projects ranged from building robots that could navigate complex obstacle courses to designing sophisticated gear trains with practical applications. The day also showcased students working on industry-sponsored projects, collaborating with professors or external partners to solve real-world engineering challenges—from initial concept to detailed design.

One of the highlights of the day was the MEC E 260 timed robotics trial, where students from the introductory course put their team-built robots to the test. The atmosphere was electric, as students cheered on their peers, eagerly watching as their robots navigated the track, sorted spheres and turned the gears of a monolith. The event even drew family members, many of whom were amazed by the level of sophistication displayed by the students.

“Design Day was awesome. It was incredible to see how everything came together,” says a MEC E 260 student, reflecting on the day's events. “Our project worked! It was really fun!”

Throughout the event, students, faculty and staff celebrated the accomplishments of the design teams. The projects on display illustrated not only technical proficiency but also creativity, teamwork and problem-solving skills—key qualities that are essential for future engineers.

The success of the first-ever Mechanical Engineering Design Day was a testament to the dedication of the students, faculty and staff who worked tirelessly to make it happen. As the department looks ahead, the goal remains clear: to foster an environment where students can grow as innovators, engineers and problem-solvers, ready to take on the challenges of tomorrow. With the resounding success of the inaugural event, it’s clear that Mechanical Engineering Design Day will be an important tradition for years to come.