Cyber-Physical Systems Engineering Hosts First Summer Program

The ECE-affiliated Cyber-Physical Systems Engineering Program at the Universities of Shady Grove recently concluded their inaugural “Jumpstart Your Engineering Career” program. The five-week summer program was open to high school and early-college students. Twenty-three students from Montgomery County Public Schools and Montgomery College participated in the program.

Students were divided into teams and tasked with identifying a challenge and inventing a prototype to solve that challenge using advanced technologies, included computer vision, artificial intelligence, front and backend development, and robotics. Teams competed in building a prototype, conducting research on the marketability of their device, defending their project to a panel of judges and conducting a three-minute presentation in front of an audience.

The winning team developed a device called Transplant (Translate for Plants) Automated Horticulture Maintenance System, which uses a sensor to determine when houseplants need water and signals automatic watering. A separate sensor determines whether or not a plant is getting enough sunlight and switches on a light if needed, and a camera system allows owners to monitor their plant remotely. Team members were Zaydan Remtulla, Monica Escalante Escobar, Abigail Zhang, and Sushma Katta.