2024 Annual Senior Design Poster Session Showcases 7 Electrical Engineering Projects

Demonstrating their creativity and wide-ranging research interests, the Columbia Engineering Class of 2024 transformed this year's Senior Design Poster Session into a dynamic and eclectic showcase. Featured projects ranged from the "No Boom Box," an audio processing device engineered to streamline setups in introductory labs, to the "PowerCycle," a pedal-powered unit that converts kinetic energy into electrical power for charging devices. On May 9, in the bustling Mudd Building, students presented their innovative prototypes and designs to a captivated audience. These projects not only underscored the students’ technical skills but also their dedication to engineering solutions for real-world challenges.

1. No Boom Box

Students: Justin Andrew, Carson Garland, Matthew Modi, Mert Saygi

Theme/Goal: The project aims to simplify electronic setups in introductory labs by reducing the complexity and fragility of audio equipment.

Conclusion/Result: The design boasts a compact and durable audio processing box that integrates seamlessly into the lab environment, promising a user-friendly and reliable tool for students. Plans are underway to produce 20 units for lab use, ensuring that the box's practicality extends beyond just introductory courses.

2. ModMatic

Students: Christopher Ades, Nathan Kiesman, Shilpita Mitra-Behura

Theme/Goal: Designed to break down the barriers in musical education by enabling seamless construction of scales and chords within variable tuning systems.

Conclusion/Result: By utilizing innovative hardware and software integration, the ModMatic offers musicians a versatile tool for exploring different musical timbres and scales, enhancing musical creativity and experimentation.

3. Iron Man Smart Helmet Booster

Students: Tiku Akuro, Oumaima Fares, Stella Lessler, Evangelos Siokis

Theme/Goal: Improve communication and safety for outdoor sports enthusiasts through a smart helmet that functions without cell service.

Conclusion/Result: The helmet uses LoRa technology for long-range communication and includes emergency features for increased safety in remote locations, potentially revolutionizing communication in outdoor activities.

4. Analog Machine Learning

Students: Nolan Tremelling, Jackie Yang

Theme/Goal: Implement a multilayer perceptron in analog hardware for efficient on-chip object classification.

Conclusion/Result: Demonstrating low-power and efficient computation, the analog MLP successfully classifies basic shapes, offering a scalable model for larger machine learning applications in edge devices.

5. GrooveKit

Students: Quinn Booth, Noel Gomez

Theme/Goal: Simplify music production for beginners with an accessible drum sequencer.

Conclusion/Result: The GrooveKit allows users to easily create and modify drum sequences, teaching them fundamental music production skills in a user-friendly format.

6. Automatic Guitar Tuner

Students: Sean Stothers, Mandi Xu, Zichen Qian

Theme/Goal: Streamline guitar tuning with an automated system.

Conclusion/Result: This project reduces tuning time significantly by using a piezoelectric sensor and automated tension adjustments, making it a practical tool for musicians of all levels.

7. PowerCycle

Students: Shalauni Patel, Mahib Rahman, Zachary Verdi, Kamil Zajkowski

Theme/Goal: Harness and utilize kinetic energy from cycling to charge devices.

Conclusion/Result: The pedal-powered module successfully generates and stores electrical power, providing a sustainable energy source for mobile devices and promoting greener transportation methods.

These projects not only reflect the innovative spirit of Columbia's electrical engineering students but also their commitment to practical, impactful solutions that address real-world problems. The Senior Design Poster Session continues to be a platform for these young engineers to showcase their talent and potential in the field of electrical engineering.