The Design Lab
The O.T. Swanson Multidisciplinary Design Laboratory or the MDL is truly the home of ‘engineering design’ at Rensselaer, where many hundreds of engineering seniors work in teams each year to address some of the world major problems ranging from alternative energy and sustainability, smart grid, and healthcare, to advanced materials. The MDL educates students many engineering disciplines (biomedical, electrical and computer systems, electric power, industrial, materials, mechanical, and aeronautical) on their multidisciplinary capstone design projects, which are typically funded by industry. In addition to technical aspects of engineering design, students learn about teamwork as well as written and oral communication skills.