Scrapsort is a mechatronic system designed to sort recyclables at the edge. It aims to provide an efficient and inexpensive solution to the growing problem of waste. At the heart of Scrapsort lies an ultra-low-power microcontroller, the MAX78000, which includes a hardware accelerator for convolutional neural networks (CNNs). Scrapsort implements a lean machine learning model that can identify and categorize various recyclable materials, such as glass bottles and aluminum cans, while in motion on a conveyor belt.

Modern vehicles today are beginning to implement smartphone control as an alternative to car keys. However, auto manufacturers have no common standard in implementing smartphone control. Project Portunus creates a secure, plug-and-play implementation of smartphone control using Allthenticate’s suite of hardware and software encryption tools. The project utilizes a minimally based design using a Raspberry Pi to connect to the OBD II port and communicate with the vehicle via the CAN bus.

Opto3D is a integrated stereo camera and video output processing system meant to reduce the cost of existing real time 3D video processing systems. Existing systems rely on a large host computer to capture the image signal through a USB interface, process the data, then send to the monitor to view in 3D. The Opto3D camera system will bypass the need for a host computer, instead using an Nvidia Jetson TX1 to handle video processing, camera control, and video output.

The Geographic Envirnoment Module (GEM) is able to monitor surrounding conditions of agricultural lands through the use of multiple sensor nodes. These nodes are very low-power, communicate over LoRaWAN and are deployed in areas like farms and gardens, allowing humidity, temperature, soil moisture levels and other characteristics to be monitored. This data is then sent to the cloud where it is analyzed via machine learning techniques to predict long-term patterns and future information.

Cuda is a medical diagnostic device capable of detecting a life threatening condition called coagulopathy that occurs commonly in physical trauma patients. The device performs electrochemical analysis on a blood sample inserted by the user and returns the results upon test completion to a smartphone application over Bluetooth. This is an improvement over Aptitude’s current testing ecosystem that is only able to communicate test results via a simple 3 led interface.

AeRobot is a system designed to navigate and map a foreign area under high-interference or wireless obstructing areas. It integrates multiple functions on a remote-controlled robot, including LIDAR for local area mapping, live camera feed, a node deployment mechanism, and motors for effective navigation throughout an environment with low RF permeability. This robot deploys self-sufficient, low-cost battery-powered nodes which seamlessly connect over RF for data transmission and integrate a PIR sensor for proximity awareness.

Acoustic Detection Array (ADA) aims to detect and locate the source of large sonic impulses often indicative of poaching in the wild, blast fishing, and other loud sounds. This is done by deploying self-sufficient, low-cost battery-powered nodes with appropriate sensor equipment, that seamlessly connect over RF for data transmission. The use of multiple nodes allows the accurate and precise location detection of the origin of a high impulse acoustic sound.

With the burgeoning of the commercial space industry in recent years, many startups have embarked on a mission to rapidly develop the infrastructure and technology needed to advance humanity to the Moon, Mars, and beyond. To support this endeavor, NASA developed the Artemis space program with the goal of establishing a permanent human presence on the Moon. However, to live on the Moon, we must prepare to confront the challenges posed by the harsh lunar environment such as: a complete lack of food, water, and air, and harmful levels of radiation.

By the year 2050, the United Nations predicts that more than half of the world’s population will suffer from clean water scarcity, leaving billions with limited access to this basic necessity. A major part of this issue is the fact that over 96% of water on Earth’s surface is in consumable due to the presence of salt. Horizon is a completely passive solar desalination device that could bridge the gap between diminishing resources. Using only heat from the sun, membrane technology, and flowing water, it can reliably remove salt from seawater.

When infants and young children (0-6 years old) suffer from disabilities that make them unable to walk by themselves, it has serious side effects like limited spatial awareness, underdeveloped navigational abilities, and general impairment of psychological development. Currently, no product is specifically designed for helping them to alleviate these effects. This is where our project—GoNut—comes in. It is a cause-and-effect vehicle that can help them to build a connection between pushing buttons and feeling the associated motions, which is beneficial to their therapy processes.