Engineering Capstone

For my senior capstone project, my team and I developed an end-to-end engineering solution to a real-world problem. We began with field and user research, using journey mapping to uncover user needs. We conducted benchmarking to identify gaps in existing solutions, then brainstormed, prototyped, tested, and iterated to develop a high-fidelity prototype ready for market consideration.

Our team addressed the issue of electric scooter theft. We discovered that many riders preferred bringing scooters indoors—despite safety restrictions—due to a lack of secure outdoor locking options, with bike racks proving unreliable after multiple thefts.

This video demonstrates our final prototype in action.

Problem Statement

University students’ electric scooters are being stolen despite attempts to secure them outdoors, causing financial and emotional burdens.

Design Considerations

After interviewing scooter riders to identify security concerns and preferred locking methods, and consulting with the university’s Facilities Department to understand policy requirements and campus constraints, we established the following key design needs.