CONESTOGA COLLEGE
Capstone showcase encompasses student projects from nine applied management programs

Projects were on display from Applied Energy Management, Applied Electrical Motion and Control Management, Applied Energy Management - Renewable Energy, Applied Manufacturing Management - Automation, Applied Manufacturing Management - Design Integration 3D Printing, Applied Manufacturing Management - Design Integration, Applied Manufacturing Management - Welding, Business - Supply Chain and Operation for Commercial Trucking and Applied Manufacturing Management - Machining programs.

"I am always so excited to see the showcase and get an opportunity to engage with the students and their professors. These students bring energy, hopefulness, and creativity to their projects," said Kelly Stedman, program manager in the School of Trades & Apprenticeship.

"Students learn a lot by interacting with the community members that attend, especially when they are asked critical questions about their concepts and give them ideas for next steps. Some of these students have legitimate prototypes and business plans that would benefit businesses and communities locally and globally. We encourage our students to continue to develop their project ideas, improve and market them."

Capstone courses in the final semester of a program challenge students to draw on all the practical and theoretical skills developed over previous terms, and work together to address a simulation or production challenge, to design a solution or manage a large-case study project. 

The Farm Care AI team from the Applied Electrical Motion and Control Management program used image recognition to detect plant diseases early by analyzing leaf images. The system can be integrated with an irrigation system using a programable logic controller for timely, targeted intervention to reduce crop loss and improve farm productivity.

"It will be a cheaper option to analyze the health of the plant," said team member Jasmeet Singh.

Students in the Applied Energy Management - Renewable Energy program aimed to create solutions that benefit people and the planet.

The Microgrid Project for Dease Lake, B.C., proposed a sustainable microgrid powered by solar and biogas energy. Their goal was to reduce reliance on diesel generation, cut carbon emissions and improve energy security by harnessing local organic waste and solar potential.

"Having their own solar plant will improve their energy efficiency," said team member Athena Reji.

The first big hurdle for the group was the realization that it wasn't feasible to reach the province's power grid from the remote community in northern British Columbia that's far closer to Yukon than Vancouver.

"We thought it would be easy to connect to the grid," Reji said. "It was a challenge to find another way."

Another team explored biogas production through repurposing plentiful agricultural and dairy waste. They would like to see more farms incorporate biogas production to manage and make good use of manure and other farm waste as a renewable energy source - a common practice in other parts of the world and now being promoted in Canada through government grants and tax rebates.

"I think this will take off very soon," said team member Milan Acharya.

A team from Applied Manufacturing Management - Automation designed the QuickMeds Smart Pill Kiosk, which provides automated, around-the-clock access to emergency and over-the-counter medications. People select and pay for the products they want, then a robotic picker collects the items that are dispensed in a package. This type of medication vending machine, which can be easily modified and scalable for the operator - would be particularly beneficial for remote and underserved areas with little access to pharmacies.

"Public spaces, gas stations, everywhere," said team member Rushi Patel. "You can see these kind of machines anywhere." 

Conestoga's School of Trades & Apprenticeship is the centre of apprenticeship and skills training in Canada's Technology Triangle. A comprehensive array of programs is offered in the construction, motive power, industrial and service sectors in response to the needs of industry and growth in the local economy.