Final Year Projects

Information for Students

Dr Kral tries out the jetpack flight simulator designed, built and programmed by the Martin Aircraft Jetpack Team 2009.

The Final Year Project is a whole-year capstone course for Mechanical Engineering students.  Students work in small teams on projects provided by sponsors, typically from industry.  Recent sponsors include Hamilton Jet, SPARC, Springfree, Kiwirail, and Methanex. Sponsor feedback is overwhelmingly positive.

Sponsors provide relevant projects, a mentor, and a modest financial grant. The University provides an academic supervisor and the use of the department's laboratory, computing and technical staff.

Professional development in areas of leadership, team dynamics, interpersonal relationships, technical communications, and project management is learnt via active participation in an engineering project that is important to the sponsor.

The Taylor's Tanks team 2009 build a remote-controlled wall-climbing robot that climbs into wine fermentation tanks and welds stainless steel seams.

Students should expect to spend at least 10 hours per week on project work.  Groups typically meet weekly with their academic advisor and mentor.

Final grades are based on group and individual performance on aspects of the project including written reports for the sponsor, oral presentations, a final poster, engineering practice, communication, and project management.

Queries about Final Year Projects should be directed to Dr Dirk Pons, Director Final Year Projects.