Bioimpedance sensing to characterization osteoarthritis knee-tissue alterations
Faculty Mentor: Todd Freeborn (Electrical and Computer Engineering)
Osteoarthritis is a common long-term condition and a leading cause of pain and difficulty moving in older adults. This project explores how wearable sensors and lab tools can help monitor joint health, track changes over time, and study how treatments might reduce pain.
In this project teachers will: 1) Learn about how knee tissues work and why they are important for movement. 2) Measure the electrical properties of knee tissues using lab instruments and wearable sensors. 3) Write simple computer code to create graphs that show patterns in the data. 4) Analyze and interpret the data to answer questions, like how the knee’s electrical properties change when it bends. This hands-on experience will give teachers insights into how science and technology can be used to study real-world health challenges.
Exploring Physiological Computing Through Modern Web Technologies
Faculty Mentor: Chris Crawford (Computer Science)
Physiological sensing refers to using technology to measure signals from the body, such as brain activity (EEG), heart activity (ECG/EKG), muscle activity (EMG), and sweat responses (GSR). In education, researchers have used these tools to study how students focus, how much mental effort they use, how stressed they feel, and how they experience learning. Some studies even explore ways to improve students’ learning experiences by using systems that adjust lessons based on how students are feeling and responding.
In this project teachers will 1) learn about electronic sensors and what parts of the body they can measure; 2) learn how to use NeuroBlock, a web-based platform for physiological computing education, to collect and display physiological data, 3) measure EEG signals using open-source electronics, and 4) analyze and interpret EEG data to answer a research question (e.g. How does EEG data change during different learning activities?).
Measuring the Maturity of Concrete Faculty
Mentor: Armen Amirkhanian (Civil Engineering)
Concrete is the most used material in the world. We build buildings, bridges, and pavements all over the world with this amazingly versatile material. However, time is money and fast construction benefits both the contractor and the general public as projects can open sooner and with less delays. Specifically with concrete pavements, getting onto the pavement as soon as possible is critical for completing projects quickly. It has been a challenge balancing the “early opening” of the pavement against the strength it has and the damage that might occur. However, by measuring the maturity of the pavement with cheap and disposable temperature sensors, we can have real-time data to know the exact minute that we can start driving on a new concrete pavement.
Teachers will 1) learn the basics of concrete materials and how to make small scale mixtures in the classroom; 2) learn how to read, interpret, and teach construction specifications and code; 3) measure the temperature of different concrete materials over time using cheap and “off-the-shelf” parts; 4) analyze and interpret the temperature data to make an informed decision of when a vehicle would be allowed onto a concrete pavement.
Capacitive sensing for breathing assessments with dielectric composites
Faculty Mentor: Amanda Koh (Chemical and Biological Engineering)
Dysfunctional breathing is a problem that many people experience due to illness, surgery, or injury. To help people with this condition, researchers are creating soft, flexible sensors that can be worn on the body. These sensors will help both patients and doctors measure muscle movements that show how well someone is controlling their breathing and how much air they can take in.
In this project, teachers will: 1) Learn about the materials used in sensors that detect changes in pressure. 2) Use lab equipment to measure how these materials respond to different pressures.
3) Use code in MATLAB to organize and display the data from the sensors. 4) Analyze the data to answer questions, such as how the material’s response changes when different amounts of pressure are applied.
Pose estimation of mobile robots using colored markers and webcams
Faculty Mentor: Vishesh Vikas (Mechanical Engineering)
In robotics, localization is figuring out where a robot is and how it’s positioned in its environment. This is important for robots to move safely, avoid obstacles, and plan paths. Many advanced systems use tools like GPS, special cameras, and sensors, but these can be expensive and tricky to set up. A simpler way uses regular webcams and colorful markers placed on the robot. These markers help track the robot’s movement on a flat surface, allowing us to calculate its position using basic math and the camera’s data.
In this project teachers will 1) learn how to use web cameras to collect data; 2) learn how soft robots are made and how they move; 3) write code to organize and visualize collected camera data; 4) analyze and interpret data to track robot movement.
Underwater robots for sensing and characterization of ocean environments
Faculty Mentor: Aijun Song (Electrical and Computer Engineering)
As people use the ocean more for businesses and environmental studies, there’s a growing need for underwater tools like sensors, self-driving underwater vehicles, and ways for machines to communicate underwater. One big challenge is making sure the communication is strong and reliable so we can collect and study important data about the ocean, like its temperature, currents, and pollution levels.
In this project, teachers will 1) learn about the sensors that underwater robots use to monitor
local water conditions; 2) write code to control underwater robotic hardware (motors for location and depth); 3) measure position, temperature, and depth of robotic hardware in
controlled lab conditions, 3) write code to organize and visualize collected underwater data; and 4) analyze and interpret data to answer a research question (e.g. how does the transmission speed of communication impact the reliability and accuracy of transmit data underwater?)