Collaboration Case Studies
Real-world research and design
Through industry-university research collaborations, and student design project sponsorships, our industry partners work with us to solve real-world challenges.
Industry-University Collaborations
At UBC Mechanical Engineering, our faculty members frequently work with local and international organizations in a wide range of sectors, to solve real-world problems and advance innovation. Here are some examples of our research partnerships with industry.
Affordable, Painless Microneedles
The Stoeber Lab worked with dermatological and pharmaceutical science researchers at UBC to develop a painless microneedle patch that will cost only 10 cents apiece.
Optimization of Wing Airflow Simulations
In collaboration with Virginia Tech, ANSYS Canada and the US Air Force, Dr. Ollivier-Gooch’s team is developing methods to compute more accurate and reliable results for complex aerodynamics problems.
Energy Reduction in Mechanical Pulping
The Advanced Fibre Processing Lab collaborated with fourteen pulp and paper industry partners and NSERC CRD to develop a 5-year, $4 million program to reduce total pulp and paper energy consumption by 20%.
Next-Generation HDPI in Diesel Engines
Dr. Pat Kirchen’s research group worked with Westport Innovation Inc. to improve their unique High Pressure Direct Injection device, which allows diesel engines to run on 90% natural gas with no loss in performance.
Industry-Student Projects
Companies and community groups who sponsor projects help senior students gain experience solving real-world design projects while getting help solving their technical problems or prototyping a new design.
Our undergraduate students complete a Capstone project in their final year, drawing together everything they’ve learned in their degree to solve a design problem under the mentorship of their project sponsor. Naval Architecture and Marine Engineering (NAME) MEng students complete a digital ship design project, guided by maritime industry mentors.
Read about more Capstone projects About NAME projects, internships, and industry
Sample Student Design Projects
CERC Air Handling System
A complete redesign package for the air handling system of the single cylinder research engine at UBC’s Clean Energy Research Centre (CERC).
Floating Wind Turbine Platform
A scale model OC4 floating wind turbine platform that maintains stability in extreme weather conditions.
ROV Sponge Sample Retrieval System
An add-on remotely operated underwater vehicle (ROV) gripper capable of harvesting fragile glass sponge samples from depths as great as 1000 feet below sea level.
LB Foster Rail Geometry Measurement
A sensor and algorithm package that measures various physical rail track and train parameters along a moving train.
Nestle Waters Foldover Detection System
A device that detects foldover malfunctions on a bottle labeling machine and halts production automatically, increasing productivity on the production line.
Plastic Bank Compactor Cart
A low cost, lightweight cart to transport and compact plastic waste for recycling into filament material for 3D printers.
Emergency Response Vessel Design
NAME MEng students, mentored by Robert Allan Ltd., designed an emergency response vessel for the BC coast as part of their capstone project.
Accessible Sailing Vessel Design
NAME MEng students, mentored by Ron Holland, designed an innovative Universal Design Sailing School Vessel that incorporates the latest accessibility features.