Converting Single Disciplinary Capstone Projects To Interdisciplinary Experiences

This paper presents a plan for taking a single disciplinary mechanical engineering capstone project (designing and building a Mini Baja vehicle for operation over rough terrain and in deep water) and turning it into an interdisciplinary experience. An analysis is conducted on the potential benefits of including students with engineering management skills to assist with project management, and students with human factors engineering skills to design the vehicle cockpit layout including controls and displays. These contributions supplement the efforts of mechanical engineering students who design the frame, powertrain, brakes, suspension, steering, and flotation systems. One of the most important benefits involved with participating in a senior capstone design course is the opportunity to interact with students from other disciplines in a forum where the contributions of each are necessary to successfully complete the project. In addition, adoption of interdisciplinary capstone projects meets the requirements set forth in ABET EC2000. Capstone projects that currently involve students from only a single discipline could greatly benefit from adoption of an interdisciplinary program. However, there are barriers that prevent this from occurring as often as it should. The most significant of these problems include the following: varying levels of interest among different departments in participating in an interdisciplinary project; differences in senior capstone and individual study project requirements for different academic disciplines; and the challenges of fostering a climate of mutual respect and cooperation between students from different academic backgrounds.