The University of Washington (UW) Neural Engineering Tech Studio course (formerly known as the Center for Sensorimotor Neural Engineering [CSNE] Tech Sandbox competition) was created to give students an opportunity to be creative and innovative with neuro-technology. The course is designed to provide students with authentic experiences in translational engineering and to promote interactions with technology end users, industry members and outreach groups. In addition, the course strives to expose students to technology, software and other resources that may be useful in their academic and future careers. The ultimate goal for the Neural Engineering Tech Studio course is to help students develop skills and connections that will serve them long after graduation. In this UW course, teams of graduate and undergraduate students compete to create novel neural engineering technologies. Cutting-edge equipment, work space and a team budget are provided by the CSNE. During the final presentations, student teams demo their prototypes for a panel of industry judges. The event is open to the public, and this year’s projects include:
- An electromyogram (EMG)-driven orthosis for individuals with spinal cord injury
- A wearable device to assist people with prosopagnosia (face-blindness)
- A video game that tests people’s “bravery” by presenting them with scary situations (like heights, or spiders) and then recording their physiological responses
- A wearable anxiety monitor with an Android app that interacts with the environment to lower the user’s stress level. For more information, contact Dr. Lise Johnson, liseaj@uw.edu |