40 Passion Project Ideas for High School Students: Engineering Edition
Engaging in engineering projects during high school serves as a gateway to a multitude of learning benefits. These projects are not just academic exercises but also catalysts for personal and intellectual growth.
Working on a project can help you foster creativity and innovation, gain practical knowledge, develop critical thinking and problem-solving skills, and make a real-world impact. That being said, choosing a topic to get started is not always easy. Pursuing a project also shows your curiosity and passion for a topic, making it a great addition to college applications.
Coming up with an idea is often the hardest part of projects. To help you, we have curated a list of 40 passion project ideas focused on various engineering streams. Most of these are proposed by our Veritas AI mentors from universities such as Harvard, Stanford, MIT, CMU, and more.
Passion Project Category #1: Biomedical Engineering
Biomedical engineering, which is the intersection of both biology and engineering, holds the potential to revolutionize healthcare. Ranging from wearable technology to prosthetics, this field has gained rapid momentum as of late, and it shows no signs of stopping. If you have a keen interest in engaging in national or international innovation challenges or STEM competitions, exploring this field is particularly advantageous, as it is at the forefront of medical innovation.
1. Wearable Health Devices
Dive into the world of wearable health devices such as watches and explore their potential in monitoring the parameters of a patient in real time.
2. Rehabilitation Robotic Exoskeleton
Design a wearable robotic exoskeleton to assist individuals with mobility impairments in rehabilitation exercises.
3. 3D-Printed Organ Models
Learn how to utilize 3D printing technology to create anatomically accurate organ models for medical training and surgical practice.
4. Personalized Medicine Dispenser
Create a device that dispenses medication based on an individual's fingerprint data, ensuring personalized and timely dosages.
Passion Project Category #2: Computer Engineering
If you’re interested in Computer Science, but also want to explore its applications in engineering, then the projects below are a good place to start. These projects would familiarize you with detection systems and help you understand how to integrate them with engineering concepts. With the increase in AI powered technology, understanding its application in engineering is an essential skill.
5. Face Detection
Develop a system that can detect an individual's face using OpenCV library on Python.
6. Gesture-Controlled Gaming System
Build a gaming system that responds to hand gestures, offering an interactive and immersive gaming experience.
7. Voice-Activated Home Automation
Implement a voice-controlled home automation system using natural language processing, enabling hands-free control of smart devices.
8. Real-Time Language Translation App
Create a mobile app that translates spoken language in real-time, facilitating communication between individuals who speak different languages.
Passion Project Category #3: Environmental Engineering
This field of engineering is dedicated to coming up with solutions aimed at preserving the environment. With the increased environmental challenges, this discipline plays a vital role in a sustainable future. Environmental engineering stands out from other engineering principles since it is focused on understanding and mitigating the environmental impact of human activities across various domains.
9. Aquaponics System for Sustainable Farming
Design an aquaponics system that combines fish farming with hydroponic plant cultivation, creating a sustainable and efficient food production method.
10. Pollution-Monitoring Drone
Customize a drone and equip it with sensors to monitor air and water pollution, providing valuable data for environmental research.
11. Waste-to-Energy Conversion
Explore methods such as pyrolysis to convert organic waste into energy, such as biogas or biofuel, contributing to waste management and renewable energy.
12. Vertical Garden for Urban Spaces
Create a vertical garden system that maximizes green space in urban environments, promoting sustainable urban development.
Passion Project Category #4: Civil Engineering
Civil engineering is a field that is crucial in creating a sustainable urban environment. With the rapid expansion of urban areas, it’s extremely important to make sure this expansion is environmentally friendly while being efficient at the same time.
13. Augmented Reality Construction Planning
Implement augmented reality technology to visualize construction plans on-site, aiding in accurate and efficient construction processes.
14. Smart Traffic Management System
Design a system that uses sensors and AI to optimize traffic flow, reducing congestion and improving overall transportation efficiency.
15. Earthquake-Resistant Building Materials
Research about innovative materials that would enhance a building's resilience to earthquakes, contributing to safer infrastructure.
16. Green Roof Installation
Install a green roof on a building to improve energy efficiency, reduce stormwater runoff, and create a sustainable urban environment.
Passion Project Category #5: Aerospace Engineering
A high school student like yourself may initially find the realm of aerospace engineering, which encompasses the creation of aircraft and spacecraft, to be daunting and highly advanced. Fortunately, there are plenty of projects at the high school level that you can start off with. If you have a basic understanding of aerodynamics and are interested in how these vehicles are developed, then this is a field you should definitely consider!
17. Solar-Powered UAV for Atmospheric Research
Develop a solar-powered unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) for collecting atmospheric data at high altitudes.
18. Mars Rover Simulation
Create a virtual simulation of a Mars rover, considering the challenges of navigation and communication in extraterrestrial environments.
19. Paper Airplane Rocket Launcher
Engineer a system that launches paper airplanes with controlled propulsion, exploring basic principles of aerospace engineering.
20. Balloon Satellite for Low Earth Orbit (LEO) Exploration
Design and launch a small-scale balloon satellite to explore the lower layers of Earth's atmosphere.
Passion Project Category #6: Electrical Engineering
Electrical engineering dives into the research and application of electronics and electromagnetism in various fields. As we grow more dependent on electrical advancements, research in this field becomes increasingly important, playing a pivotal role in driving innovations such as smart grids.
21. Smart Grid Technology
Develop a smart grid system that efficiently manages electricity distribution, integrating renewable energy sources and enhancing grid reliability.
22. Biometric Security System
Create a security system that uses biometric data (fingerprint, facial recognition) for access control and monitoring.
23. Gesture-Controlled Robotic Arm
Build a robotic arm that responds to hand gestures for tasks like picking up objects or performing simple assembly operations.
24. Automated Plant Watering System
Design a system that automatically waters plants at intervals of time depending on the type of plant, ensuring optimal conditions for growth.
Passion Project Category #7: Mechanical Engineering
This field of engineering revolves around the application of physics and material science principles in order to design and develop mechanical systems. If you aspire to spearhead innovations in areas such as transportation and motors, then mechanical engineering is the ideal field for you!
25. Electric Bike Conversion Kit
Develop a kit to convert traditional bicycles into electric bikes, promoting sustainable transportation solutions.
26. Hovercraft Design and Construction
Build a working model of a hovercraft, exploring principles of aerodynamics and fluid mechanics.
27. Wind Turbine Efficiency Enhancement
Investigate and implement modifications to improve the efficiency of small-scale wind turbines for renewable energy generation.
28. 3D-Printed Mechanical Clock
Create a fully functional mechanical clock using 3D-printed components, combining engineering precision with additive manufacturing.
Passion Project Category #8: Materials Engineering
Materials engineering is a field that dives into the identification and development of novel materials. As technology progresses, there is an increasing need for materials that possess specific characteristics to fulfill particular requirements, such as water-resistant and fire-resistant materials.
29. Graphene-Based Water Filtration System
Research and develop a water filtration system using graphene materials for enhanced purification.
30. Self-Healing Materials
Explore and design materials that have the ability to self-heal, potentially extending the lifespan of various products.
31. Recycled Plastic Building Blocks
Perform research on building blocks made from recycled plastic, and explore whether or not they are a sustainable alternative for construction materials.
32. Shape Memory Alloys in Biomedical Applications
Investigate the use of shape memory alloys in biomedical devices, such as stents or implants, for their unique properties.
Passion Project Category #9: Robotics
If you have a keen interest in both engineering and computer science, robotics presents an excellent research area with numerous practical applications. Unlike other topics discussed in this blog, robotics requires a hands-on approach, requiring careful consideration of your resources and time. You should also consider proposing these project ideas to your school, especially if it has a robotics lab, as it provides a secure environment for your work under the guidance of your teachers.
33. Navigation assistant for people with Disabilities
Develop an algorithm that would enable a robot to help people with disabilities navigate and interact with an unfamiliar environment.
34. Create a robot that performs a specific task
Design a robot that assists individuals with a daily task, such as picking up heavy objects or cleaning.
35. Automated Solar Panel Cleaning Robot
Create a robot that autonomously cleans solar panels, ensuring optimal energy absorption in solar power systems.
36. Underwater ROV for Ocean Exploration
Build a remotely operated vehicle (ROV) equipped with cameras and sensors for exploring underwater environments.
For more robotics project ideas, check out this blog post.
Passion Project Category #10: Renewable Energy
This field is similar to that of environmental energy, but is more focused on just one area of study within it, which is renewable energy resources, which offers a vast research domain with tangible and impactful real-world applications.
37. Piezoelectric Energy Harvesting Flooring
Implement flooring that harnesses energy from footsteps using piezoelectric materials, contributing to sustainable energy solutions.
38. Solar Water Desalination System
Develop a solar-powered desalination system for converting seawater into potable water, addressing water scarcity challenges.
39. Hydrogen Fuel Cell Vehicle Conversion
Convert a remote controlled car into one powered by a fuel cell instead of a battery, exploring clean energy alternatives for transportation.
40. Biomass Energy Generator
Create a biomass energy generator that converts organic waste into electricity, demonstrating the potential of biomass as a renewable energy source.
Embark on a journey of exploration and innovation with these diverse and challenging engineering projects. Note: Some project ideas mentioned above are inspired by Veritas AI student projects. To explore more student projects, visit Veritas AI for inspiration and guidance. You can apply to create your own project here!
If you’re looking to build unique projects in the field of AI/ML, consider applying to Veritas AI!
Veritas AI was founded by Harvard graduate students, and through the programs, you get a chance to learn the fundamentals of AI and computer science while collaborating on real-world projects. You can also work 1-1 with mentors from universities like Harvard, Stanford, MIT, and more to create unique, personalized projects. In the past year, we had over 1000 students learn data science and AI with us. You can apply here!