SBIR Phase I: Engineering Principles Demonstrator

这个小企业创新研究阶段（SBIR）第一阶段项目将开发和演示一个低成本的、基于微机电系统（MEMS）芯片上实验的多学科工程原理演示器。该演示器旨在解决工程教育中更直接地将实验整合到工程教室和课程中的关键需求。MEMS技术可以有效地用于展示大多数物理现象，这些现象是工程专业学生必须理解并熟练应用的。与传统技术不同，传统技术需要单独的、繁琐的、经常被边缘化的实验课程，MEMS实验可以在与直接集成到讲座中一致的时间尺度上进行，它们本质上是安全的，也是环保的。演示软件可用于集成相关原理的解释，以及在产品中提供设计的实验和分析协助。本提案的主要创新是围绕使用MEMS技术向工程本科学生教授工程基础知识。所提出的演示广泛适用于各种工程课程。工科学生毕业后具备解决国家挑战的技能和知识，这将为以技术和知识为基础的经济社会带来潜在的优势。由于美国的经济及其生活水平建立在高科技创新的基础上，相对于其他技术导向较低的经济体，美国经济的收益预计将显著更高。该项目的成果预计将影响大量从美国工程学院毕业的学生，他们没有对物理现象的基本掌握，而这对于创新新的解决方案和产品至关重要。

This Small Business Innovation Research Phase (SBIR) Phase I project will develop and demonstrate a low cost, multi-disciplinary Engineering Principles Demonstrator based on Micro-Electro-Mechanical Systems (MEMS) on-chip experiments. The Demonstrator is designed to address a critical need in engineering education of more directly integrating experiments into engineering classrooms and curricula. MEMS technology can be effectively used to demonstrate most of the physical phenomena that engineering students must understand and become proficient at applying in their professions. Unlike conventional technology, which requires separate, cumbersome and often marginalized laboratory courses, MEMS experiments can be performed on a time scale consistent with direct integration into lectures, they are intrinsically safe, as well as environmentally efficient. The Demonstrator software can be used to integrate explanation of relevant principles as well as to provide designed experiments and analysis assistance within the product.The primary innovation in this proposal revolves around the use of MEMS technology to teach engineering fundamentals to undergraduate engineering students. The proposed demonstrator is broadly applicable across a variety of engineering curricula. The potential advantages to society with a technology- and knowledge-based economy follw from the quality of engineering students graduating with skills and knowledge to solve national challenges. With the economy of the United States and its standard of living predicated on high technology innovation, the benefits to the US economy would be expected to be significantly higher relative to other, less technologically oriented economies. The outcomes of this project is expected to impact a large number of students who graduate from US engineering schools without the fundamental grasp of physical phenomena which is critical for innovating new solutions and products.