Students Turn Ideas Into Action: BEST Technology Impact Award Winners

On April 25, graduating students from the Lassonde School of Engineering at York University presented their final-year capstone projects, marking the culmination of years of academic learning, interdisciplinary collaboration and hands-on innovation.

The event featured a wide range of projects that highlighted students’ technical expertise, creativity and problem-solving skills. From health technologies to advanced drone systems, the presentations demonstrated students’ ability to transform complex challenges into creative solutions.

BEST Technology Impact Award Winners

As part of the celebration, the Bergeron Entrepreneurs in Science and Technology (BEST) Program awarded two prestigious Technology Impact Prizes, recognizing student teams whose projects demonstrate exceptional innovation, meaningful social impact and strong potential for real-world implementation.

This year’s winning projects were Team 10’s Heart Attack Screening Tool and Team 11’s Phoenix. 

Team 10 – Heart Attack Screening Tool

This team developed an AI-powered stethoscope designed to detect early signs of heart attacks. Portable and user-friendly, the device has the potential to enhance preventative cardiac care by identifying risks before they become critical.  

Team members: Shaylin Ziaei (Software Engineering), Akmal Arafa (Computer Engineering), Andres Tinoco (Electrical Engineering), Behrouz Homam (Electrical Engineering), Adam Clarke (Mechanical Engineering), John Prabahar (Software Engineering) 

Team 11 – Phoenix

This project addressed the complexities of drone management by developing a unified platform for operating drone fleets across various controllers. The system aims to enhance operational efficiency for research, emergency response and fieldwork applications. 

Team members: Solaman Aryobi (Space Engineering), Jason Mbaki (Computer Engineering), Stanley Branin (Computer Engineering), Faraz Khalilian (Electrical Engineering), Isaiah Chun (Mechanical Engineering), Dave Patel (Software Engineering), Himmat Sidhu (Space Engineering).

Both projects show the creativity and teamwork of Lassonde students and reflect the BEST Program’s focus on innovation, entrepreneurship and real-world impact.

Congratulations to all Capstone Day participants—and a special shout-out to Teams 10 and 11 for their well-earned recognition!