Program Activities
Each term based project may be a part of a larger research topic, giving members the opportunity to continue for multiple terms. Each term is a unit with a specific milestone to be achieved at the end.
- In the beginning of each term, teams of 3-4 students are formed. All teams generally meet weekly at their convenience. The term will kick-off with an introductory session, followed by a background study phase which will last about 2 months. Throughout the study phase, there will be guided studies, workshops, and guest speakers invited to team meetings.
- The team will then conduct conceptual design and refine it into a preliminary design.
- The final presentation and demo will be arranged during the summer to give students more time to complete and refine the design. Some students may choose to build prototypes in the summer as well.
Timeline
The Spring/Summer Term will be broken down into the following sections:
- Background study: March – April
- Independent background research
- Learn to read academic papers, some at a high level
- General research on the state of the industry
- Guided research
- Short lectures and primers by advisors
- Conceptual Design: May
- Trade studies, multiple design concepts
- High level brainstorming and design comparisons
- Preliminary Design: June
- Preparation for a more detailed design that shows how the goals will be achieved
- Conclusion and Proposal: July-August
- Organizing and presenting research and design in a clear and concise way
- Presentation and demonstration