Real-World Projects and Prototypes

Approximately 30 percent of the Invention Studio’s financial support comes from the Technology Fee Fund, which students pay into along with their tuition. Another 15 percent or so comes from research funding and private support.

To cover the remainder of the facility’s equipment and operating costs — which average about $200,000 per semester — more than 30 industry sponsors step up through contributions to the Capstone Design course.



The course solicits these sponsors for real-world projects, for which they receive a report and a working prototype of the solution, which is often designed and fabricated in the Invention Studio.

For example, one Capstone Design Expo winner — a team called Nuttin’ But Trouble — redesigned an industrial pecan-cracking machine for the Harrel Nut Company that could save the company an estimated $7 million a year.

Another winning team created a lug nut starter for GM that is projected to save up to $1 million per plant per year, and the winning team from spring 2014 – sponsored by Smith and Nephew – devised a better way to insert screws into the metal rods that hold fractured femurs together.

"The moment [recruiters] see Invention Studio on a resume, they know this is the person to hire." – Academic Professional Amit Jariwala

Industry also benefits when it comes time to recruit, Forest says, noting that Georgia Tech is rated the No. 1 engineering school in the nation by industry recruiters.**

“At the beginning of the semester, about 10 percent of the students in the Capstone Design course already have jobs; the other 90 percent are looking for jobs,” Forest says. “We invite companies to participate, companies who want to recruit these students, so it’s a really great match.”

Academic Professional Amit Jariwala, who oversees Invention Studio operations for the Woodruff School of Mechanical Engineering, has noticed that recruiters also look favorably at undergraduate lab instructors (ULIs). “They want students who have been in the studio for their leadership, mentorship, and training experience, who have an awareness of what it is to take charge of a place,” he says. “The moment they see Invention Studio on a resume, they know this is the person to hire.”