SUNFEST - Summer Undergraduate Research in Sensor Technologies

University Of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia PA

Investigators

Abstract

TECHNICAL SUMMARY: The project offers research opportunities for a 10 week period to ten undergraduate students in order enhance their educational experiences and to provide them with the opportunity to advance frontiers of knowledge in sensor technologies. The students are paired with a faculty member and graduate student who will supervise and mentor the undergraduate researcher. Each project is related to sensor technologies, which acts as a common intellectual focus. The topics include sensor phenomena, materials, nano- and micro-technology and sensors, bio-inspired sensing, sensor systems for robotics. Students with various engineering backgrounds therefore have a choice of projects and also opportunities for multidisciplinary teamwork, as applicable. Students have the opportunity to select one of the following cutting-edge projects: (1)The Nanoaquarium that consists of a thin liquid layer sandwiched between two electron transparent silicon nitride membranes; (2) Colorimetric Photonic Crystal Microsphere Sensors whose goals is the development of an environmentally benign colorimetric sensor that can detect heavy metals and pathogens; (3) Fabrication and characterization of responsive materials for optical sensors; (4) Energy storage devices for distributed sensors; (5) Hospital ICU-in-a-Bag whose aim is to develop a low-cost portable test-bed for physiological control systems; (6) Wireless Sensor-Brain-Computer-Interface (SBCI) that will allow monitoring and reconstruct somatosensory functions; (7) Bio-sensors for mirco robots that will involve methods for interfacing synthetic biological systems with non-living components, thereby creating microbiorobotic sensors; (8) A non-tactile body contact sensor for legged robots; (9) Real-time planning for robots using RGB-D sensors what will involve real-time motion planning to allow humanoid robots to interact safely in complex environments; (10) Ultralow energy computations for at-sensor processing; (11) Software-based redundancy in sensor networks. NON-TECHNICAL SUMMARY: The project will engage a group of ten undergraduate students, who have little or no opportunities for STEM oriented research, with a meaningful research project in the area of sensor technologies. Under the careful mentorship of a faculty member, students will contribute to academically based discovery that may lead to better sensors and systems for medical, robotics, communications, environmental, energy and surveillance applications. This experience will serve as a strong motivator for the students, who do not traditionally do not go to graduate school, to consider going a graduate career in science and engineering. This will significantly increase the pool of a highly educated workforce in areas of strategic importance to the country. The program will also form an intellectual hub for other student involvement such as high school students from intercity high schools. The SUNFEST program will act as a catalyst for a broader involvement and supportive environment for underrepresented students.