Engineering Expo

The Engineering Expo is a showcase of all the projects that have been worked on by the different College of Engineering majors in that academic year.

It is a great opportunity for students to showcase their work and for companies to see what the students have been working on.

The Expo is typically held at the end of Spring term, and it is open to the public. Students can present their projects in a variety of formats, including posters, presentations, and demonstrations.

Faculty and Student Capstone Information Instructions, schedule, guidelines for the Engineering Expo.

Alternatives

We highly recommend that you attend the Expo. Sharing your work with a live audience is an important skill to develop. If you are unable to attend, there are a few alternatives that you can consider below.

If you can pitch our Capstone program at the same time—i.e., to get new projects for next year—that would be a great. You are the best ambassadors for our program!

Note

Everyone on the team must either attend the Expo or complete an alternative. If nobody on the team attends the in-person event, you could all do the same public presentation or infomercial, for example. If most of the team attends the in-person event, the other team members must still complete an alternative.

Have another idea? Reach our to your instructors.

Public Presentation

If you choose this option, you’ll need to identify a venue where you can share your work with an audience. This could be a classroom, library, or other community setting. Consider being a guest speaker at a local school, club, or even an OSU CS course where the audience will primarily be non-Capstone seniors.

Once you’ve found a venue, schedule your presentation and prepare to discuss your project. Make sure to document the event with photos or video. If presenting at OSU, consider providing audience members with a feedback link.

After completing your presentation, compile your materials into a document that includes:

• Date, time, and location of the event
• Name of the event/venue
• Links to photo or video documentation
• Any feedback received

Quality Infomercial

If you choose this option, you’ll create a professional 8-10 minute infomercial that showcases your project. This video should be polished enough to be shared with potential project partners, both technical and non-technical.

Your infomercial should include:

• The skills and unique strengths of your team
• Your favorite aspects of the project
• The outcomes of your year-long work (including a demo of final product functionality)
• Tools, platforms, and products you used (from development tools to hardware)
• Acknowledgement of your project partner (with their permission)

Focus on making your content engaging and professional. Consider using campus resources like the media services green screen and other production equipment to enhance quality.

Registration

If part of your team plans to attend the Expo, you must register your project in due time. Registration is typically open in early Spring term.

Check the Expo website or the Canvas assignment for the registration link.

Only one person (the team captain) needs to register the project.

You’ll need to provide some details, including:

• Team Project Name: You can choose a name for your project. This is the name that will be displayed on the Expo website and in the program. It does not have to be the same as your project name in the course.
• Capstone Project ID: Use the ID from your project in the course. This is the ID that will be used to identify your project in the Expo program. Your ID (team number) starts with “CS” and is followed by a period and a three-digit number (e.g., CS.045).
• Project Description: You could use an updated version of the project abstract from Fall. Note that this needs to be a public not-too-technical description of your project. It will be used on the Expo website.

For teams or individuals not attending the Expo, you do not need to register. However, you still need to notify your instructors of your alternative plans and submit your documentation by the deadline.

If you need special accommodations for the event (such as monitors, power sources, proximity to another team), please communicate it in the registration form.

Expo Poster

All teams must create a poster, whether or not they are attending the in-person event.

You have to follow a specific template for the poster. The template is available on the Expo website and in the Canvas assignment. You will have multiple opportunities to get feedback on your poster, including peer reviews and instructor feedback.

Note that this is a public event, so your poster should be accessible to a general audience. Avoid using technical jargon and make sure to include visuals that help explain your project. Feel free to use a QR code as well to link to your project website or demo.

Only once you received a final approval from your instructor (and you are attending in-person), can you send your poster for printing. Don’t miss the deadline for printing.

Expo Attendance

If you are attending the Expo, at least one team member must be present at your poster for the entire duration of the event. This is particularly important if you have hardware or a demo that needs to be monitored. Don’t forget this is a public event.

Have a pitch ready to explain your project to visitors. You should be able to explain your project in a few sentences, and then be prepared to answer questions. In addition to other students, industry representatives, and potential employers, there will also be high school students and their families (and potentially other members of the public) attending the Expo.

We recommend that you take turns so that everyone has a chance to check out other projects and network with potential employers.