Please review the <a href='../../lab/final/documentation.html' target="_self">Final Project Guidelines </a> ## Project Timeline - Week 1: Propose ideas, brainstorm - Week 5: Build a 3D model of the concept - Week 7: Complete a Minimum Viable Product (due March 27) - Week 9: MVP Design Reviews (April 1 and April 3) - Week 12: Integrated Project (April 29) - Week 14: Final Project ### Project ideas We encourage you to pursue a final project that advances your personal interests, whether they be serious or frivolous. We're generally supportive of team/pair projects, projects that dovetail with other research or coursework, etc., -- just ask us first. We suggest you spend some time searching prior students' final projects to get an idea of what works best. You may also want to consider entering a public design competition: * [James Dyson Award (USA eligible)](https://www.jamesdysonaward.org/) - Dates: 2025 entries Mar 12–Jul 17; national winners Sep 10; global winners Nov 5 - Global student award for original product/engineering designs; prototypes strongly encouraged and retained by the team. * [Collegiate Inventors Competition (NIHF)](https://www.invent.org/collegiate-inventors) - Dates: 2025 applications closed; event Oct 15–16; 2026 info expected spring 2026 - U.S. undergrads (and grads) pitch tested inventions to Hall of Fame inventors and USPTO judges for cash prizes and exposure. * [NASA Micro-g NExT](https://www.nasa.gov/learning-resources/micro-g-neutral-buoyancy-experiment-designteams/) - Dates: Recent cycle LOI Oct 8; proposal Oct 29 (varies yearly) - U.S. undergraduate teams design and build a real tool/device for space exploration and test it at NASA’s Neutral Buoyancy Lab. * [Create the Future Design Contest](https://contest.techbriefs.com/2025) - Dates: 2025 entries Mar 3–Jul 1 - Student-friendly global contest for innovative physical products across categories with emphasis on real-world feasibility. * [Core77 Design Awards (Student)](https://designawards.core77.com/) - Dates: 2025 final deadline Mar 25 (9:00 pm ET) - Celebrates student work across 20+ design categories, including plenty of prototype-ready physical products. * [IDEA — International Design Excellence Awards (Student, IDSA)](https://www.idsa.org/awards-recognitions/idea/) - Dates: 2025 entry closed (final deadline Mar 10); 2026 window typically Jan–Mar - Prestigious U.S.-based design awards with a dedicated student track for industrial/product concepts and prototypes. * [iF Design Student Award](https://ifdesign.com/en/if-design-student-award) - Dates: 2025 registration deadline Feb 5; jury Mar–Apr; awards Jun 20 - Global, student-only award (free to enter) rewarding innovative, impact-oriented concepts, including tangible prototypes. * [Red Dot Award: Design Concept — Next Gen](https://www.red-dot.org/design-concept/) - Dates: 2025 late submissions accepted until Apr 30 (registration now closed) - International platform to submit prototypes or “ready-for-market” product concepts in a student/young designer track. * [DIA — Design Intelligence Award](https://en.di-award.org/en) - Dates: 2025 call opened Jan 15; submission deadline May 31; finals Nov - Large, global design competition (free to enter) that welcomes student physical product concepts and prototypes. * [Stanford Center on Longevity Design Challenge](https://longevity.stanford.edu/design-challenge/) - Dates: 2024–25 finalists announced Jan 29; finals Apr 22; entries typically Sep–Nov each year - Open to university students worldwide (U.S. undergrads included) to design practical, often physical, solutions around an annual theme. ### MVP Design Reviews In lieu of usual labs during Week 9, we will host two separate two-hour design reviews, where we will be joined by guest design critics. Please plan to spend ~2-3 minutes presenting your MVP using your live demo as well as your web site. Our panel of experts will then have only a few minutes to provide feedback, so try to frame open questions in order to elicit a response from them. ## Final Presentations PS70 Final Presentations will be held in SC 102 on <b>Tuesday May 13th from 3:30-5pm</b>. Please feel free to invite friends and family. Refreshments will be provided. [Here are some photos](https://drive.google.com/drive/folders/1M5QVWG3C8wiwpNNJJ7rVxEgSCEu8z2n0?usp=sharing) from last semester's project fair. ### Presentation Format We will share our work in a "project fair" format, where everyone will have a chance to present their work to anyone who comes by. - Please have your class website open on a laptop (or other display). Be ready to demo your final project as best you can. Also, include any weekly assignments that you're proud of, especially kinetic sculptures. - Your grade is mostly based on your documentation and scope of work, but also on your presentation, to a lesser extent. Certain anonymous guest critics will be among the crowd, and they will have the chance to tell the teaching staff who they thought had the most impressive projects and presentations. - In addition to being required for the class, project fairs are a great opportunity to meet people and find future opportunities. Don't be shy! - Take some time to see the other projects in the class, but plan to spend most of the time by your work. ### Schedule - Before 2:30: Set up projects - 2:30 - 3:00: Lab cleanup - 3:30 - 5:00: Project Fair - 5:00 - 5:30: Pack up and clean - 5:30 - 6:00: Debrief and farewell ### Cleanup - Please put away all tools, unused components and anything else in your possession that belongs to the lab. - Please help clean up generally, even if it's not "your" mess. - Do not hide stuff where it doesn't belong. If you don't know where to put something, just ask. - After the project fair, please take your final project, and any weekly assignments you want to take with you. - You're also welcome to take minimal consumables you need to finish projects, etc. If you're unsure, please ask. - It's okay to leave projects in the lab for a few more days, but please label them with your name.