Tech
Mind Over Matter
In a successful experiment, students control a toy truck with their brain waves sent from a high tech headset.
The wireless radio frequency modules are embedded into the toy truck to receive information that originates from the headset.
After a full year of trial and error, $1,500 in unfunded expenses and skeptical parents, one team of College of Engineering and Computer Science students drew the largest crowds at the college鈥檚 annual Senior Design Day Showcase. Then came an NPR radio spot, a Fox News TV appearance and more.
鈥淭he biggest surprise is all of the media attention,鈥� says Michael Stobridge, 鈥�13, one of two electrical engineering students on the team, along with two computer engineering students.
Why all of the hubbub? It has a lot to do with a red toy monster truck that moves seemingly on its own. 鈥淎t first we thought we鈥檇 put on the headset, and just think 鈥榞o鈥� to make it move,鈥� laughs Chris Perez, 鈥�13, who was recently hired by Harris Corporation.
It ended up being more complex than that.
鈥淭he truck moves through the combined efforts of computer software and hardware components,鈥� says Perez. 鈥淭hey work together to direct a remote control by reading and interpreting EEG waves from the human mind as well as facial expressions.鈥�
A headset on Stobridge picks up concentrated brain waves from 14 sensor pads and sends the signals that move the truck. 鈥淲hen I left blink, the truck goes left; right blink makes it turn right,鈥� says Stobridge. 鈥淚 activate the part of my brain that senses pain to make the truck go forward, and I concentrate on the part of my brain that interprets language to make the car go backward.鈥�
Stobridge continues, 鈥淓arly on, I needed help activating the correct parts of my brain.鈥� For example,
to practice firing up the pain sensors, he stomped on a tack. Soon, he learned how to manufacture pain without the tack.
It鈥檚 complicated. Its microcontroller, motherboard, circuit board and software are custom-programmed. There were no instructions to follow. 鈥淓ven our parents were skeptical that this would work,鈥� says Perez.
What鈥檚 next? The team says it is feasible to create a mind-controlled wheelchair that works the same way one day. Soon. 鉁�
The toy Ford F-150 is large enough to carry the perfectly square 4-by-4 inch circuit board underneath the body.
Nicole Enterlein and Taylor Cheeley show off their winning product.
On Two Feet
Students consider strategic business objectives to solve problems of design, usage and production to protect women鈥檚 health.
A disposable urine funnel designed for women won the Center for Entrepreneurial Leadership鈥檚 Joust Business Plan Tournament. Winnings included $12,500 and a year as a client of the 激情快播 Business Incubation Program.
鈥淲inning the Joust is undoubtedly one of our greatest accomplishments,鈥� says Taylor Cheeley, chief operations officer. 鈥淚t validates that the Smartway Cup is a revolutionary product with serious market potential.鈥�
The Smartway Cup enables women to stand while urinating, eliminating unnecessary contact with contaminated surfaces. To date, approximately 5,000 pieces have been sold.
Unsanitary public restrooms expose women to more than 1,800 types of dangerous bacteria, parasites and viruses; studies have shown that female restrooms are seven times more contaminated with harmful pathogens than male restrooms.
Company CEO August Reign says, 鈥淔emale urine funnels are making such a global impact that universities, airports and restaurants in Europe, Asia and Africa are beginning to accommodate women by installing urinals.鈥�
鈥淲e started right here on 激情快播鈥檚 campus, selling our products near portable toilets during home football games,鈥� says Nicole Enterlein, Smartway鈥檚 marketing director.
鈥淜night Aide Pharmacy and Convenience Store was the first place to give us a real opportunity.鈥�
鈥淐urrently, we鈥檙e working with Steven Felkowitz, 鈥�79, this year鈥檚 Joust sponsor, to establish our first major contracts,鈥� says Cheeley. 鈥淲e anticipate statewide deals with Walgreens and CVS by 2014.鈥� 鉁�
Tech Writers
激情快播 recently launched an innovative program to connect students with discipline-specific writing experts.
鈥淭rained writing consultants, known as embedded tutors, were first utilized in the chemistry lab in Spring 2013,鈥� says Erin Saitta, Ph.D., 鈥�06, assistant director, Faculty Center for Teaching and Learning.
Embedded tutors help students develop critical thinking skills, learn problem-solving techniques and master deductive reasoning.
鈥淏eing able to work as a disciplinary tutor in the chemistry lab gave me hands-on experience in my field,鈥� says Adam Benzekri, a biomedical sciences and psychology senior.
鈥淭his experience allowed me to discover that I want to be a professor and help influence how fields of science are taught and perceived in terms of writing.鈥�
Students learn to write everything from scientific research papers to communications for nonscientific audiences. They also learn about a variety of topics, from writing ethics to correct verb tense to literature citations, symbols and abbreviations.
鈥淭hese tutors have undergone training to assist students with general writing techniques as well as writing specifically for chemistry,鈥� says Saitta. 鈥淲orking together, the Writing Across the Curriculum Program and the University Writing Center identify, train and guide these tutors.鈥�