TUFTS’
TOP 10 STUDENT INVENTIONS
Designing, building, and inventing are at the core of Tufts Engineering.Whether revolutionizing robot communication, advancing autonomous vehicles, or problem-solving patient-saving equipment during a pandemic, Tufts engineers don’t wait until after they graduate to innovate.
CLASS PROJECTS Swarmbots As part of their junior research project, Ashwin Swar ’20, Chris Markus ’20, Benny Roover ’20, and Danielle Blelloch ’20 set out to create one of the first fully autonomous passenger vehicles. These vehicles, known as swarmbots, were equipped with color sensors, a collision detection and pedestrian detection system, headlights, brake lights, and even turn signals. These swarmbots were able to successfully navigate a simulated city block. Visualizing a Robot’s Perspective of the World Want to learn what’s going on inside the mind of a robot? Working together with Professors Jivko Sinapov and James Schomolze, Amel Hassan ’20 and Faizan Muhammad ’20 used augmented reality software to project robots’ inside thoughts. This brought them one step closer to improving how robots communicate with humans.
SENIOR DESIGN PROJECTS Thread-Based Data Glove How do you make a data glove user-friendly and cost-effective? Using the resources of the Tufts Nanolab, Danny Bronshvayg ’20, Aaron Epstein ’20, Nadya Ganem ’20, and Ben Santaus ’20 achieved this goal by developing a thread-based sensor for each finger of their data glove, which can identify hand rotation and detection. Multichannel Micropipette You can find many Tufts engineers partnering with local startups to kick-start their senior design projects. Courtland Priest ’20 and Jordan Hindes ’20 prototyped a multichannel micropipette for the Tufts University Medical School. Through developing a standardized diagnostic technique, this multichannel micropipette will reduce error rates and develop a calibration standard for breast cancer diagnosis.
ILLUSTRATIONS BY MENGXIN LI
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Lopbot What can Tufts engineers invent with a budget of $400 and three months’ time? Human factors engineering major Janna Sokolow ’20 and her team created a vacuum impeller, motor, suction mechanism, and power system...all to build their very own autonomous, high-powered, high-volume, industrial shop vac!
