Senior Capstone Projects

Capstone Overview

During the senior year, all computer engineering students are required to take the Senior Computer Systems Project courses also known as the Senior "Capstone" Project. This course helps satisfy CE Major Degree Requirements in the Senior Elective Study Plan.

The Capstone Project gives Computer Engineering students the opportunity to put their education into practice. Students, working in small teams, design and engineer innovative hardware and software systems using techniques from robotics, distributed systems, circuit design, networking, and real-time systems to tackle problems and create a final "tangible" project.

Every year at the end of the final quarter the projects are presented at full-day, industry-supported events where student groups publicly present their projects and participate in a project demonstration and poster event.

Senior Project Courses

Student groups design a significant computer-based project. Groups work independently with interaction among groups via interface specifications and informal meetings.

Electrical and Computer Engineering 189A/B/C - Course Website

Instructor (2018-19): Dr. Yogananda Isukapalli (ECE 189A/B/C)

ECE 189A/B/C is a year-long capstone project course sequence in which Computer Engineering (CE) senior students design and implement an embedded computer system. Working in small groups of four to six, the teams draw on the strengths of each member, and projects are intended to be the culmination of the students' undergraduate education, incorporating both significant hardware and software components and, in some cases, mechanical components as well. CE Capstone Projects offer students real-world experience in the lifespan of developing an embedded system: identifying a problem, designing to required specifications, managing budgets and printed circuit board fabrication, and delivering their finished product on time.

CE capstone projects fall into several categories: (i) Student defined projects, in which students come up with the design idea on their own; (ii) Industry sponsored projects, in which an industry partner specifies a design challenge of interest to their organization; (iii) Research group projects, in which a research group at UCSB poses a design challenge; (iv) Student project competitions, in which students enter as contestants in an organized competition.

ECE 189 Senior Projects will be presented on the first Friday in June at the ECE 189 Capstone Project Presentation Event and the Engineering Design Expo (EDx).

Computer Science 189A/B - Course Website

Instructors (2018-19): Profs. Chandra Krintz (CMPSC 189A) and Tevfik Bultan (189B)

Throughout this two course sequence, student teams engage in all aspects of a engineering problem including design, prototype, testing, deployment, and public demonstration.  The course is based on a learn-by-doing approach in which teams employ cutting-edge software technologies, tools, and engineering practices to construct significant software applications and systems.

Unique to the UCSB CS Capstone is industry collaboration.  Top companies from around the country partner with and mentor student teams.  Industrial participants propose project ideas (that range from well-defined to wide open) from which student teams choose, as part of short, competitive “pitches”.  The series culminates in a public project presentation and demonstration by each team at Summit CS in March.

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