Aerospace Engineering + Physics
Make a model wind tunnel and test shapes
Build a small wind tunnel from a fan and straws and compare the drag of different shapes.
- Intermediate
- 1–2 weeks
- 500–1,000
606 projects · 13 streams · every class
Engineering projects 41
Design, build and test projects for every engineering branch, from mini projects to final-year capstones, with low-cost versions where possible.
41 Engineering projects
Biomedical Engineering + Health Technology
Build a heart-rate monitor with a light sensor
Detect your pulse from light passing through a fingertip and display beats per minute.
- Intermediate
- 1–2 weeks
- 500–1,000
Mechanical Engineering · Fluid Systems
Design a hydraulic arm from syringes
Build a three-joint arm moved by water-filled syringes that picks up and places an object.
- Easy
- 1–2 weeks
- 250–500
Civil Engineering · Structural Analysis
Compare the strength of beam cross-sections
Fold the same sheet of card into flat, tube, box and I shapes and measure how much each bends.
- Intermediate
- 2–7 days
- Under 250
Civil Engineering + Physics
Build and load-test a spaghetti bridge
Design a truss bridge from dry spaghetti and glue, then load it until it fails and compute its efficiency.
- Easy
- 2–7 days
- Under 250
Civil Engineering + Earth Science
Design an earthquake-resistant building model
Build a simple shake table and test how bracing and base isolation protect a model tower.
- Intermediate
- 1–2 weeks
- 250–500
Electrical Engineering + Physics
Build a simple electric motor and measure its speed
Wind a coil motor with a paper-clip cradle and test how turns and magnets change its speed.
- Easy
- 1 day
- Under 250
Electronics and Communication · Analog Circuits
Build a clap switch
Switch an LED or a low-voltage lamp on and off with a clap.
- Easy
- 2–7 days
- 250–500
Mechanical Engineering + Physics
Build a mousetrap car and maximise its distance
Power a car with one mousetrap spring and tune the lever and wheels for distance.
- Easy
- 2–7 days
- 250–500
Aerospace Engineering · Flight Mechanics
Design and fly a balsa glider
Build a glider and tune wing position and nose weight for the longest straight glide.
- Easy
- 2–7 days
- 250–500
Mechanical Engineering · Machines
Reduce friction in a simple machine
Measure the force to pull a load with sliding, rollers, wheels and lubricant, and compute efficiency.
- Easy
- 1 day
- Under 250
Automobile Engineering + Finance and Banking
Compare electric and petrol vehicle running costs
Build a five-year cost and emissions comparison for an electric and a petrol two-wheeler.
- Easy
- 2–7 days
- Free
Aerospace Engineering + Astronomy and Space
Simulate a satellite orbit
Integrate Newton's law of gravity to draw circular, elliptical and escape orbits.
- Intermediate
- 1–2 weeks
- Free
Industrial and Manufacturing + Operations, HR and Supply Chain
Analyse and reduce waiting time at the canteen
Time each step of the canteen queue, find the bottleneck and test one improvement.
- Intermediate
- 1–2 weeks
- Free
Civil Engineering + Robotics, IoT and Hardware
Build a model of a smart street light
Make street lights that switch on at dusk and brighten only when a vehicle passes.
- Intermediate
- 1–2 weeks
- 500–1,000
Mechanical Engineering · Machines
Design a gearbox and measure its speed ratios
Build a two-stage gear train and check the measured ratio against the tooth counts.
- Intermediate
- 1–2 weeks
- 250–500
Electrical Engineering + Physics
Build a wireless power transfer demo
Light an LED with no wire connection using two coils and an oscillator.
- Intermediate
- 2–7 days
- 250–500
Electronics and Communication + Data
Filter noise from an audio recording
Record speech with a hum, find the hum's frequency and remove it with a digital filter.
- Intermediate
- 1–2 weeks
- Free
Electronics and Communication · Sensors
Make a water-level indicator
Light LEDs at quarter, half and full tank and sound a buzzer when it is about to overflow.
- Easy
- 2–7 days
- Under 250
Electrical Engineering · Renewable Power
Design a solar-powered phone charger
Build a charger from a small solar panel, a regulator and a power bank module, and measure its output.
- Intermediate
- 1–2 weeks
- 1,000–2,500
Industrial and Manufacturing · Quality
Apply 5S to a workshop or lab
Reorganise a lab or workshop using the 5S method and measure the time saved finding tools.
- Easy
- 1–2 weeks
- Under 250
Industrial and Manufacturing · 3D Printing
Optimise a 3D print for strength and time
Print test bars with different infill and layer settings and find the best strength per minute.
- Intermediate
- 1–2 weeks
- 500–1,000
Electrical Engineering · Power Systems
Model a power grid with series and parallel loads
Show why power is transmitted at high voltage using long thin wires and small bulbs.
- Intermediate
- 2–7 days
- 500–1,000
Materials, Energy and Other Branches · Materials Testing
Test materials for strength with a home-made rig
Stretch wires and strips of different materials to breaking and compare their strength.
- Intermediate
- 1–2 weeks
- 250–500
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