Prototyping Fund Showcase displays creative technology

Ever wonder what it would be like to experience a book that included not just text and images, but also tactile, audio, and olfactory components?  How about using an umbrella that harnesses energy from heavy rainfall using piezoelectric materials that can then be stored in batteries or supercapacitors?

Those projects and others were on display at the NYU Prototyping Fund Showcase, held in early December. The Prototyping Fund is a collaborative program offered by the Design Lab @ NYU Tandon MakerSpace, the Technology Management and Innovation Department, and New York City Future Manufacturing Collective (NYC-FMC). It awards teams of students up to $500 in the first round of funding and up to $2,000 in the second to be used to build hardware or software prototypes and connects them with the resources, tools, and mentors they need to bring their ideas to life and move to the next stage of product development, all while encouraging multidisciplinary collaboration between students at NYU. 

As evidenced by the December showcase, those funds had been put to good use. In addition to the book (by Kruthika Nandagudi Srinivasa) and umbrella (by Abdul Qureshi), other projects on display included:

• an engaging six-legged robot built using Model Predictive Control (MPC) and Simultaneous Localization and Mapping (SLAM) by Akanksha Murali
   
• a network of sensors and speakers built to detect forest fires and guide wildlife to safety by Vignesh Shanmugasundaram
   
• a cost-efficient and streamlined exoskeleton capable of providing 40 pounds of lifting force by Shengqi Shu
   
• a built-from-scratch, customized radio-controlled car by Evan Dworkin
   
• alternative game controllers for mapped learning interactions by Sara Jakubowicz
   
• a self-watering planter designed to optimize plant care by providing tailored hydration based on each plant's specific needs by Michael Forte
   
• an inexpensive, easy-to-use telescope by Wesley Nielsen Dick
   
• a modular synthesizer for people with vision disabilities or fine motor impairments by Izabella Rodrigues
   
• a word-based board game developed by Eli Kan
   
• an innovative telescopic mobility cane by Tyra Dane Hirooka
   
• a modular amplifier system, specifically designed for live performance manipulation by Trevor Van de Velde

The products were the end result of learning the ins and outs of prototyping and seeing firsthand the benefits of iteration. “The process of reframing a problem, deconstructing preconceived notions, and centering user experience and feedback in the design process is going to be useful in any sector our students end up in, from electrical engineering to business,” explains Design Lab Manager Molly Ritmiller. “Whether they end up continuing to work on their prototypes and taking them to market or not, the funding and months of hard work have provided them with formative and valuable learning experiences.”