2020 Student Design Expo

The University of Prince Edward Island's Faculty of Sustainable Design Engineering (FSDE) annual Student Design Expo was not held in 2020 due to public health restrictions for COVID-19. However, before UPEI suspended in-person classes and labs, students were busy designing and creating solutions for industry and community partners. Here is the list of 2019-2020 partners and projects:

Senior Design Clinic (Year Four)

Canadian Space Agency, Ottawa ON
Payload and structure design for Spudnik-1 CubeSat

Cavendish Farms, New Annan PE
Optimization of primary clarifiers

Defence Research & Development Canada, Valcartier QC
Design and implementation of a radio frequency signal measurement system

MDS Coating Technologies, Slemon Park PE
Automated system for mixing and loading powder to 3D printer

NorCan Marine, Montague PE
Scaling Norcan 222 hull design and performance for fishing boat application

PEI Department of Agriculture & Land, Charlottetown PE
Yield monitoring system for potato harvesters

Thales Canada, Ottawa ON
Software tool to optimize fuel efficiency of BC ferries

Senior Design Clinic (Year Three)

Acadian Supreme, Wellington PE
Design improvements for cleaning lobster holding tanks

Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada, Charlottetown PE
Design of temperature-controlled containers for plant research trials

Canadian Space Agency, Ottawa ON
Design of ground station for Spudik-1 communications

Canadian Tire Corporation, Bolton ON
Lift assist device for heavy pails and buckets

Cavendish Farms, New Annan PE
System design improvements for water and energy recovery

Eastern Fabricators, Georgetown PE
Design of lobster claw/knuckle automated cutting system

Island Abbey Foods, Charlottetown PE
Automated process to measure gummy weight

Junior Design Clinic (Year Two) 

Atlantic Aqua Farms, Georgetown PE
Design a device to remove socking material and rope from backlines

Canadian Space Agency, Ottawa ON
Ground support equipment for SpudNik-1 CubeSat

Cavendish Farms Culinary Centre, Charlottetown PE
Design of specialty food product

Connie MacDonald, Charlottetown PE
Solution to urban noise pollution for a residential property

Habitat for Humanity PEI, Charlottetown PE
Home water usage audit and analysis

Nine Yards Studio, Charlottetown PE
Urban periscope design for a Charlottetown park

PEI Analytical Labs, Charlottetown PE 
Automation of rainmaker test apparatus

QEH Foundation, Charlottetown PE
Development of a coin and cash donation collector

StandardAero, Slemon Park PE
Fixture for blasting turbine blades

Stepscan Technologies, Charlottetown PE
Design of equipment for conducting sensor crosstalk testing

Upstreet Craft Brewing, Charlottetown PE
Design of system to dispose of spent grain

Western Hospital, Alberton PE
Dispenser design for incontinence pads 

Community Design Program (Year 1)  

Parks Canada, PEI National Park, PEI Locations
Solutions for Climate Change


“Engineers do not become proficient at design by reading text books or attending lectures,” says Dr. Nicholas Krouglicof, dean of the Faculty of Sustainable Design Engineering. “They do so by practicing design. At the FSDE we integrate real-world design problems into every semester of the four-year program. Through these projects students are immersed in a realistic engineering environment where they are expected to interact with external clients, develop design solutions, and conform to the best practices of the profession.”

an engineering student explaining robotics

Student design teams work with industry or community partners to find innovative, sustainable solutions for their unique challenges.