About Cal Poly IME Senior Project Program
Partnering with industry to tackle real challenges through hands-on, data-driven student projects
The IME Senior Project is the capstone experience for Cal Poly Industrial & Manufacturing Engineering students. Every year, student teams work with organizations to develop practical solutions that deliver real impact—reducing costs, improving systems, and innovating across sectors. These projects reflect our “Learn by Doing” philosophy, combining applied research, design, and implementation for partners ranging from Fortune 100 companies to local nonprofits.
What is the IME Senior Project?
This senior design project represents the final step in a Cal Poly IME student’s undergraduate education. Each team collaborates with a real-world sponsor to address a specific challenge through engineering analysis, prototyping, and process improvement.
Project Phases:
- Phase 1 (Months 1–3): Define problem, conduct research, engage stakeholders, and set project scope and success metrics.
- Phase 2 (Months 4–6): Design and test solutions using simulation tools, feedback, and business case analysis.
- Phase 3 (Months 7–9): Implement solutions, finalize documentation, and present deliverables including functional prototypes and impact reports.
Project Highlights (Notable past projects)
Automated Tray Process — Medical Device Manufacturing
- Challenge: Reduce labor dependency and errors in manual tray packaging
- Solution: Designed semi-automated tray loader
- Impact: Increased efficiency by 40%
RFID + AI Forecasting — Retail Inventory Optimization
- Challenge: Improve demand forecasting accuracy
- Solution: Integrated RFID tracking with AI-based prediction model
- Impact: Improved forecast accuracy by 30%
AI Queue Management — Public Sector Services
- Challenge: Long customer wait times and poor staffing alignment
- Solution: Built predictive queue model using simulation + AI
- Impact: Reduced wait time by 25%
UAV Cattle Monitoring — Agriculture
- Challenge: Manual labor in livestock monitoring
- Solution: UAV and RFID system for remote cattle tracking
- Impact: Increased monitoring efficiency by 60%
Get Involved
Steps to Partner with Us
1. Define a Project: Identify a clear engineering or operational challenge.
2. Assign a Liaison: Choose a main point-of-contact to guide the project.
3. Collaborate with the Team: Meet regularly to provide feedback and direction.
4. Support Final Deliverables: Help students access facilities, data, or experts needed to complete the project.
Advisor
Dr. Mohamed Awwad
Faculty Coordinator,
IME Senior Project Program
mawwad@calpoly.edu
805-756-6243
Contact Form
Student Testimonials
