Friday, July 24 Describe your internship experience thus far.
- What was the most interesting moment? The most interesting moment was the realization that I was in the position to develop professional relationships that would benefit my students. My students would have many possibilities for career exposure and laboratory activities that simulate the methods of engineers. Some students will consider engineering fields for future employment as a result of this exposure.
- What was the biggest challenge? The ASSIST Center’s goal is to incorporate nanotechnology into a wearable device that sensors data in a self-powering device . One device which we used was the Arduino LiliyPad sensor. It has the ability to monitor many aspects such as temperature, light, and acceleration. It was necessary to program the Arduino to detect temperature for our project. The biggest challenge of my internship was learning the C++ code that was required to use the Arduino LilyPad sensor device. Having only had one computer class in college, I didn’t have the foundation to understand how to write code. I worked hard and asked others to help me translate a sample that was provided fom our instructor. I am still a little concerned about teaching my students this part of the lessons which I designed. But I have already planned for NCSU’s Ben Gillespie to come visit my classroom and present the concept to the students. I will continue to learn about the programming until he visits my class, so I can bette help my students.
- Describe what you saw and did: Did you see one aspect of a company or lab or did you visit different departments or sites? Did you work with a single mentor or multiple professionals? During the internship, we visited different textile departments in the engineering research arena, some of were associated with the Advanced Self-Powered Systems of Integrated Sensors and Technologies (ASSIST) Center. We also visited outside companies that are connected to the ASSIST Center which show applications of what we were learning. Our first tour was the Hunt Library. Its revolutionary design was created for students to use the lbrary for so many functions. There were lots of reading space in an assortment of very comfy chairs, rooms where students could study in groups, lecture spaces, technology rentals of electronic devices, including use of a 3-D printer, the book bot, computer rooms and Emerging Issues Commons, the iPearl Immersion Theater, a balcony study area overlooking Lake Raleigh and places where eating is allowed while studying. There is so much more to this library with the overarching theme: designed as a useful place to fulfill many needs. A second tour involved visiting two adjoining companies, run by friends who attended college together. Tthe first company designs the sensors, the second company designs the packaging for the sensors. A potential customer can bring an idea to the first company and have this idea created into a usable product in a circuit board. Sensors are created form the ground up: from circuit board assembly. The boards are tested and modified to satisfy the function, after being outsourced. The second company takes the circuit board and creates a packaging / or casing for the product. These covers have to fit the need of the customer. Designers consider size, shape, durability, number of buttons and functionality of the sensor. What I found most informative in both companies is the think tank idea: the employees brainstorm the best ways to design a product that will fit the customer’s needs. I saw college interns working there, some as young as rising sophomores in college. This is how they gain experience before they graduate.
- Other tours included the nanotechnology designed in the creation of materials for the sensors. We visited the clean room to see how the plates were designed for each function. The visit included the scanning and transmission electron microscopes where we saw atoms, observed the layers of a penny, etching on a microscale, and crystalline salt and sugar samples.
- The EPA Tour described the testing different concentrations of chemicals in the environment and the effects these chemicals have on individuals. Test subjects are connected to sensors which either on treadmills or bicycles while being exposed to chemicals. Heart rate, breathing rate and pulse are monitored throughout the tests. They also have smokechambers which tests the effects of pollutant rates inhaled on the body.
- Energy Harvesting Device: we connected parts of a “watch” together and monitored and compared the amount of energy produced in different samples. To make the data consistent, one student walked at a consistent rate which testing all the “watches” with a voltmeter.
- In one lesson, we built a circuit board from scratch, which lit up when connected properly. These pieces were tiny. It was important to place each piece correctly on the board and solder it properly.
- What was it like working with your mentor(s)? How did they open your eyes to a new industry or research? My mentor incorporated many professors from different departments of the ASSIST Center into our presentations, Little by little, we gained a total picture of how all the fields were tied together. The projects incorporated the collaboration of different fields to design functioning sensor devices.
- What is your biggest take away? I have a great resource in the NCSU professors from this experience. My students can be exposed to many different engineering fields and explore these options as possible careers . Professors and college students are willing to visit my classroom or provide tours of their facilities to share their expertise with my students. My students will learn the Engineering Design Process and will duplicate the actions of engineers. They will model the processes that facilitate higher order thinking and creativity as they complete activities designed with this goal in mind. I also have resources from my mentor to use in my classroom and a bank of resources which I can borrow as needed to complete engaging activities with my students. The opportunity to participate in present research is another plus in this experience. This type of research will make a difference in the lives of others medically, as it relates to the One-Health Concept and the ASSIST Center. The development of our own sensor devices offers insight into the challenges of accomplishing these tasks and the benefits that can be gained from their incorporation into the preventive health professions.