I-Corps L: Novel Instructional Wireless Sensor Network Kit for STEM+C Training

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Through the NSF Innovation Corps for Learning Program, (I-Corps L), this project will develop ways to achieve more widespread use of a teaching laboratory that helps undergraduate engineering students learn to design and program state-of-the-art sensors and smart devices. This project, developed at the University of Houston, is called the mySmart kit. The basic mySmart kit includes sensor nodes to measure temperature, light, noise, orientation, and acceleration. the kit combines integrated wireless capability with basic mobile apps that monitor the sensors. The kit can be used for applications such as monitoring the environment and home security. A variety of systems can be designed and built that utilize input from the wireless sensors to control devices such as lightning or heating and cooling systems wirelessly. The mySmart kit provides engineering students with hands-on experiences on smart sensor networks to develop and enhance their knowledge and understanding of the design principles and practices needed to create the next generation of smart devices.The basic mySmart kit is developed around the theme of creating a smart home. Basic competence is developed through twenty-two hands-on projects. The projects make use of the types of capabilities available to students in commonly-owned devices such as smartphones. These capabilities include embedded sensors such as microphones, accelerometers, cameras, and GPS. The projects also utilize connectivity such as cellular, Wi-Fi, and Bluetooth. In addition to engineering design principles, the smart home project covers a variety of STEM topics including mechanical design, materials, electrical circuits, networking, and computation. The mySmart kit is based on industrial wireless sensor network standards. The projects include the flexibility needed to ensure individualized learning and provide an intuitive, easy to use platform. Three critical capabilities allow students to develop their own prototype designs: sensing/ actuation, connectivity/communications and computing. In the I-Corps L program, the project team will interact with potential users of this technology to better understand the needs of various users of the kit, and will develop ideas for increasing the number programs that adopt these projects. Given the important role of smart devices in current and future technology, the project has the potential to help US engineering graduates continue to be leaders in developing innovative technology to meet societal needs.