Florida Poly Seniors Present Industry Solutions in Virtual Capstone Design Showcase

While many events in the community have been canceled in the wake of the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic, one of Florida Polytechnic University's richest student traditions will continue in a virtual environment.

The annual Capstone Design Showcase, which features the hard work of seniors challenged to solve industry problems, has shifted from a one-day event to a three-day virtual presentation.

"I would love to see an in-person capstone showcase, but given the circumstances we have to adapt to the changing time," said Dr. Sravani Vadlamani, a capstone advisor and data science and business analytics professor. "I think this will be exciting and I am eager to see all of the hard work the students have done throughout the academic year."

The design showcase brings together students, community members, and industry professionals to exhibit and discuss the year's senior capstone projects. Every senior at the University must join a capstone design team and work to address real-world, interdisciplinary challenges proposed by industrial and research project sponsors.

"The projects are all about the practical application of the theoretical concepts they learned in the past four years," Vadlamani said. "They help students implement everything they learned and make them industry-ready."

This year's projects include constructing a planetary rover, designing a wearable locator for assisted living facility residents, optimizing an industrial bottling line, and creating a smart retractable dog leash.

"I think some students will be able to really show off their projects in a way they maybe wouldn't have been able to do in real life," Dr. Matt Bohm, director of industry engagement and capstone projects at Florida Poly, said of the new showcase platform.

Rather than being limited to a short presentation and question-and-answer session, Bohm said students have developed video presentations and added detailed supplementary information to their project pages. The virtual capstone design showcase went online Wednesday, April 22, and students interacted with judges through Friday, April 24.

"I think having it online gives us more of an opportunity to showcase everything we've learned," said Megan Morano, a business analytics major from Clearwater, Florida. "Instead of crunching it down to two minutes, we're able to showcase the entire process and the judges have time to think about things for three days and recognize everything the students have done."

Her team is working with Lakeland Regional Health to identify social determinants of discharged patients that indicate the likelihood they will be readmitted to the hospital.

The capstone presentation platform was developed in partnership with Bisk, an online learning company based in Tampa.

At the end of the showcase, the highest-scoring teams will be recognized as winners of Faculty's Choice Awards or Florida Poly Fellows Choice Awards.

The projects will continue to be available for viewing online after the showcase has ended.

"This is going to enable students to reach a broader audience and present richer content," Vadlamani said.

View the 2020 Capstone Design Showcase projects here https://www.behance.net/CapstoneShowcase2020

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About Florida Polytechnic University

Florida Polytechnic University is accredited by the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools Commission on Colleges and is a member of the State University System of Florida. It is the only state university dedicated exclusively to STEM and offers ABET accredited degrees. Florida Poly is a powerful economic engine within the state of Florida, blending applied research with industry partnerships to give students an academically rigorous education with real-world relevance. Connect with Florida Poly.