Hundreds of University of Toronto engineering students showcased their projects on Friday that are designed to solve local issues and improve the lives of community members.

More than 250 first-year engineering students took park in the Praxis II Showcase. Groups of three to four students focused on 11 different problems, including helping passengers in submerged float planes evacuate more quickly, and helping patients with Huntington's disease shave without nicking themselves.

"It's an opportunity for students not to be reactive to clients or agendas but to actually engage authentically with clients," senior lecturer University of Toronto Jason Foster told CTVNews.ca on Friday. "They gain a better appreciation of Toronto … and at the same time gain a better understanding of how to work with others."

The course, which has been running for a number of years, challenges students to create a working prototype and present it to stakeholders.

In previous years, students have designed green bin prototypes that were presented to the City of Toronto. Foster says while those designs may not have had a direct influence on the new model that was recently unveiled by Toronto Mayor John Tory, students had "very meaningful" conversations with city staff about improving the bins.

"It's not that (the students) are going to change the world immediately," Foster said. "It's the idea that someone has engaged with the community directly."

One of the students who participated this year was first-year engineering student Michelle Samfira. Her group was one of eight teams that worked with the Huntington Society of Canada to engineer a special razor designed for those with muscle spasms.

"We wanted to give users independence and dignity while shaving," she said.

Samfira's group created the "Swizzle Shave." Its design takes inspiration from a hip joint – the handle is connected to a ball that rotates and absorbs the motion.

While the shaver has not been tested yet, Samfira says the experience of creating the razor has been a positive one.

"Overall, I became exposed to the fact that the stuff I’m learning can really benefit other people."