One of the most significant aspects of Lafayette’s Embedded Systems course is the comprehensive final project, which takes place over the final 7 weeks of the semester. This capstone project allows students to apply their knowledge of microcontrollers, sensor integration, motor control, and communication protocols to design, build, and implement a complete embedded system from the ground up.
Working in teams, students tackle a wide array of real-world challenges, moving through the full engineering design process—from initial concept and system architecture to prototyping, rigorous testing, and final implementation. This journey hones their problem-solving abilities, fosters collaboration, and provides invaluable hands-on experience in bringing a complex technical idea to life.
This website showcases the innovative results of that process. Each project page details the team’s objectives, technical approach, and the unique solutions they developed. Find more about their full project reports, demonstrations, and reflections on the challenges they overcame, after their final presentation on Monday, December 08, 2025.
Fall 2025 Student Projects
- Drawing Robot
A desktop-sized robotic system that uses stepper motors, a servo, and a color sensor to draw precise images on paper with common writing utensils, offering an affordable alternative to traditional printers. - Smart Watering Plant
An AI-enhanced automated plant pot that monitors soil humidity, temperature, and light levels, and intelligently waters plants while providing real-time data to users via a mobile app. - Hybrid Ultrasonic–Doppler Radar System
A sensor fusion system combining ultrasonic distance measurement with microwave Doppler motion detection, capable of sweeping 180° and outputting real-time radar-like visualizations. - Subscale Flight Data Acquisition System
A sensor-equipped RC aircraft that collects flight data such as acceleration, altitude, and orientation, enabling low-cost, safe prototyping and testing for aerospace applications. - Theremin – Motion-Controlled Musical Instrument
A contactless electronic instrument that uses ultrasonic sensors to detect hand movements for pitch and volume control, with an LCD interface for sound customization. - Personal Food Delivery Robot
A small-scale companion robot that responds to voice commands, avoids obstacles, and delivers snacks, designed for personal or assisted living use. - Search and Rescue Drone with Computer Vision
An autonomous drone capable of hovering, rotating, and using onboard computer vision to detect and navigate toward objects or faces in real-time. - Self-Correcting Robotic Vehicle
A remotely controlled car that uses I2Cand SPI communication to integrate sensor data (Ultrasonic, IR, and IMU sensors) and autonomously correct steering and avoid collisions. - SuperVNA – Low-Cost Vector Network Analyzer
A homemade one-port VNA using a Tayloe detector and resistive bridge to measure RF reflection coefficients up to 10MHz, inspired by the NanoVNA. - Simon M-Edition – Motion-Based Memory Game
An innovative twist on the classic Simon game, using a motion-sensing wireless controller with accelerometer and gyroscope inputs instead of traditional buttons. - Smart Safe with Multi-Factor Authentication
A secure lockbox featuring RFID and keypad authentication, tamper detection, event logging, and Bluetooth alerts, built around a Raspberry Pi Pico.