SUNFEST - Summer Undergraduate Research in Sensor Technologies

该项目为10名本科生提供为期10周的研究机会，以增强他们的教育经验，并为他们提供推进传感器技术前沿知识的机会。学生与一名教师和一名研究生配对，他们将监督和指导本科生研究员。每个项目都与传感器技术有关，这是一个共同的知识焦点。主题包括传感器现象，材料，纳米和微米技术和传感器，生物感应，机器人传感器系统。因此，具有各种工程背景的学生可以选择项目，并有机会进行多学科团队合作。学生有机会选择以下尖端项目之一：（1）纳米水族馆，由夹在两个电子透明氮化硅膜之间的薄液体层组成;（2）比色光子晶体微球传感器，其目标是开发一种环境友好的比色传感器，可以检测重金属和病原体;（3）光学传感器的响应材料的制造和表征;（4）分布式传感器的能量储存装置;（5）医院ICU-其目的是为生理控制系统开发低成本便携式试验台;（6）无线传感器-大脑-计算机-接口（SBCI），它将允许监测和重建躯体感觉功能;（7）微型机器人的生物传感器，它将涉及将合成生物系统与非生命部件连接的方法，从而创建微生物机器人传感器;（8）腿式机器人的非触觉身体接触传感器;（9）使用RGB-D传感器的机器人的实时规划，包括实时运动规划，以使人形机器人能够在复杂环境中安全地交互;（10）传感器处理的超低能耗计算;（11）传感器网络中基于软件的冗余。非技术概要：该项目将吸引一组10名本科生，他们很少或根本没有机会进行STEM导向的研究，在传感器技术领域进行有意义的研究项目。在教师的精心指导下，学生将为学术发现做出贡献，这些发现可能会为医疗，机器人，通信，环境，能源和监控应用带来更好的传感器和系统。这种经验将作为一个强大的动力，为学生，谁不传统上不去研究生院，考虑去研究生职业生涯在科学和工程。 这将大大增加对国家具有战略重要性的领域中受过高等教育的劳动力的数量。该计划还将形成一个智力中心，供其他学生参与，如来自城际高中的高中生。该计划将作为一个催化剂，为代表性不足的学生更广泛的参与和支持性的环境。

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.