Students Receive ECE Innovation Awards

The Electrical and Computer Engineering Innovation Award Competition challenges students to design and develop an innovative technology based on electrical and computer engineering, and to demonstrate the potential of the idea to address a practical business and/or social challenge. Each semester, ECE awards $10K each to two winning teams. The following teams received ECE Innovation Awards for the 2013 spring semester:
 

Sonic Destressing Vest
Hadi Hosseinzadegan: Ph.D. Candidate, Electrical and Computer Engineering
Marina Gaeta, Biology and Society
Eric Paul Beaudette, Fiber Science and Design

Sonic destressing vest is a piece of functional apparel that acts as an ultra-low power de-stressing device by mimicking the soothing effects of mother’s touch to reduce serum Cortisol levels. Elevated cortisol levels have been linked to a host of serious health problems including hypertension, heart disease, depression, and immune system compromise; these conditions are particularly problematic for individuals who already have risk factors for cardiovascular or immune diseases. Our prototype consists of a network of piezoelectric cells and cell-phone vibration motors that are built into a vest, making the device wearable and portable. The functional module stimulates the upper back and shoulders, applying mechanical, shear, and ultrasonic forces to massage the skin with different, user-controlled patterns. 

From the Cornell Chronicle: Relax! Slip on an electric vest to knead away stress

SPLAT
Ricky Panzer, Senior; Jeran Fox, M.Eng.; Benjamin Hennessy, Senior; Joseph Soltzberg, Sophomore; Scott Bergman, Senior; Benjamin Russo, first year MBA

Splat transforms your phone into the ultimate social gaming device, letting you play real-life video games. Instead of being tethered to your living room and TV screen, now you can play face-to-face, point and tag games while running around with your friends. While all of these provide value, there has been very little innovation in direct, face-to-face gaming. Splat connects to the smartphone via the audio jack, allowing the smart phone to transmit and receive infrared messages, enabling users to “tag” each other and send messages. In conjunction with smartphone technology, Splat can make games far more intricate and immersive. This is the merger of high-tech and face-to-face social gaming.