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Overview
• Established as a formal course offering in 2009.
• EE elective design sequence taken during senior year.
• Students form groups of 2-4 and choose a project offered by faculty or industry sponsors.
• Each group is provided a technical adviser.
• Students establish a set of design specs and project plan, then proceed to design build their apparatus.
• Work on the projects begins in October and is completed by the following June.
• At the end of Spring quarter, each group demos their apparatus and gives a poster presentation and talk on their project.
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Projects
• Typically 4-6 projects (1-3 industry sponsored projects) completed each year.
• All projects are established in advance by instructor, in coordination with a sponsoring research group on campus or industry partner.
• Funding and technical support provided by sponsor. Industry projects typically supported by $6000 gift from sponsor.
• Technical adviser may come from sponsoring group or may be assigned by instructor.
• Project requirements
– Require knowledge/experience from a variety of areas of EE.
– Ideally, include implementation of both hardware and software.
– Goals can be reasonably met in a 9-month time frame.
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Course Structure
• Fall Quarter – Students select projects, come up with a project plan and design
specifications, and begin working on components (mostly hardware).
– Lectures: Project planning/management, Gantt charts, establishing design specs, prototyping, concept/design development, design reviews, intellectual property.
– Deliverables: Design reviews, 2 sets of preliminary design specs and project plans, prototype demo.
• Winter Quarter – Continued work on project, transition from planning to executing
– Monthly meetings w/ instructor
– Deliverables: Updated project plan and design spec, prototype demo.
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Course Structure (cont)
• Spring Quarter – Final specs and project plan due week 2 of quarter, final product judged
verses deliverables promised.
– Complete and assemble project.
– Branding / trademarks.
– Present project and demo products at ECE/CS Capstone presentation day at the end of the quarter.
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Past Project #1: ICARUS • Angularly resolved spectral characterization system • Sponsored by Solid State Lighting Services, Inc.
Completed System (spectrophotometer not shown)
LabView UI
Data Visualization
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Past Project #2: brightblu
• Plug and play home automation device that allows users to control their lights and appliances from their smartphone over Bluetooth
• Sponsored by Solid State Lighting Services, Inc.
Hardware
Phone App
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brightblu is now Zuli, Inc!
• Launched Zuli Smartplugs on Kickstarter in December, raised $175K
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Past Project #3: Rejuvalight
• Solar powered light with pay-as-you-go functionality for use in developing regions
• Sponsored by Unite to Light • Patent pending
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Current Project: IR Scout
• Tool enabling first responders to perform remote, thermal reconnaissance prior to entering a hazardous environment
• Joint EE/ME project • Sponsored by FLIR
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Project Sponsorship - Benefits
• Completion of a project of interest to the sponsor.
• Access to university resources.
• Great way to attract, pre-screen, and train entry level engineers.
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Establishing an Industry Sponsored Project
• Contact Ilan Ben-Yaacov ([email protected]), preferably by around June.
• I will work with you to define the scope of the project such that it meets all the criteria for the class.
• In early October, present the project idea to the class.
• Projects are selected and work begins by early October.
• Projects are completed by the following June.
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