Automation/Mechanical Engineering Projects for Undergraduates

What, exactly, are the requirements/guidelines besides "real life" and "low cost?"

You must have more information than that. Give the forum as much information as you can.

It is rather troubling that after three years of study, someone in that position seems unable to work something out in a key topic of study for himself/herself.

This is rather common and it all comes down to not being able to come up with an initial idea based on a real world need or concept.

For those of us who have worked in the industry and have experience before we take these courses we sometimes forget that it can be hard for some, especially if they have no practical experience and hence no real concept of what could do with improving.

https://cr4.globalspec.com/thread/118761/To-stop-or-not-to-stop-a-cnc-magazine-at-position-for-tool-change

The "low cost" requirement made me think of the many "social good" engineering projects that rely on ingenuity rather than expensive equipment. I Googled "social good engineering" and found some sites that might give you ideas.

I can offer two pieces of advice.

First, determine what sort of projects your advisor is interested in. I knew one fellow going for a Phd and he selected a topic in which his advisor had no interest. The topic went nowhere and the fellow never earned his Phd.

Second, check with some local businesses and see if one has a need that would be suitable for a project. Usually most companies have a surplus of small issues that they don't have time to address. Oregon State University has a program, MECOP, that places senior engineering students in local companies for six months to a year, similar to an internship, but paid by the company. Each student completes a capstone project during the time period, similar to what you are trying to do.

Thanks so much for your contributions.

You know is always hard when supervisors put you at the tight corner of choosing a project topic yourself. I have done projects before. During my National Diploma and Higher National Diploma. I have over 5 years experience working as maintenance engineer on Caterpillar engines.

But the problem now is that, my supervisor is a professor specializes in Industrial Engineering with first degree in Electrical/Electronic Engineering. He took us Industrial Engineering Courses and Automatic Control. I don't want to choose something not interesting to him. He gave us example of a student working on designing how to make a washing machine a closed loop control system. That is, the machine will not only based on time alone (open loop system). I mean a remotely controlled washing machine.

My own area of interest is plant and power. I specialize in plant and power with 5 years experience working on Caterpillar heavy duty generator sets.

In order to be very close to his area of interest, am considering any project combining mechanical motions with automation. So far, I ve been reading some journals and papers. D only one that catches my attention is "design and construction of Automatic White Board Cleaner". I need suggestions on other topics related to that, and that is the more reasons I need professional ideas.

Thanks so much for your contributions. We shall keep improving the world through Engineering.

The scope of an automatic white board cleaner might well fit within the allowable time-frame, but will probably seem disappointingly mundane, in scope, to your professor...

That should be considered as a fall-back choice, only if you start to run short on development time...

Consider asking him which previous projects he wished had been tried?... or done in a better manner?...