Touching the Future
Aristotle wrote, “What we have to learn to do, we learn by doing.”
The Bren School takes this wisdom to heart by requiring students in every major to take at least three project classes.
One such class is the Senior Design Project, a culminating design experience that must be completed in the senior year of the Computer Science and Engineering (CSE) program.
Students begin projects in the fall by forming small groups and enlisting faculty mentors. The goal is to design and build a working device that makes use of hardware and software.
One such project created by Aaron Botello, Jorge De Paz, Nery Chapeton, Jose Gallegos and Jose D. Rincon, provides a glimpse of how simpler computer control could soon be at our fingertips.
Dubbed The Ray Project, the device recognizes and responds to touch and movement to help users more easily interact with technology.
"We wanted to build something that would be useful. We are trying to make people’s lives easier," Botello, a senior studying computer science & engineering, said.
The Ray Project uses an infrared camera to record where a finger is touching the screen. The team designed software that allows an attached computer to read the information.
Ian Harris, computer science & engineering program chair, says the assignment gives students a chance to apply classroom knowledge to the construction of devices similar to those utilized in everyday products such as MP3 players, video game systems, digital watches, microwaves and dishwashers.
Since students select and buy their own parts, the teams also face the real-world challenge of limited budgets.
"It is important that products such as cell phones contain cheap but effective parts so the finished model is as inexpensive as possible," Harris says. "This project is a good way to teach students about that concept."
In March of each year, the student’s completed projects are placed on display during the UCI Senior Design Expo, giving students a chance to demo their creations to the community.
— Jason Mednick, University Communications
