Research Revealed

When you picture undergraduate research, you may envision students in white lab coats, elbow deep in bubbling test tubes and white boards filled with calculations. While this image may reign true for some, the opportunities for undergraduate research expand across programs and enable students to work on realworld projects that make real impacts in their communities and industry.

Sophomore biomedical engineering and computer science double major Sierra Andrews took her knowledge and passions to conduct undergraduate research through a 10-week summer program at Rehabilitation Engineering at Cleveland State University (RE@CSU), funded by the National Science Foundation Research Experience for Undergraduates program during summer 2022. The program immerses undergraduate students in research projects that aim to improve the lives of people with movement disabilities. This initiative was especially close to Andrews’ heart as she was injured in a car crash her senior year of high school that severed her spinal cord. Now someone who uses a wheelchair, Andrews is determined to make a difference in the lives of others.

“The research project I was selected for worked on bringing self-care robots into homes to help people with disabilities complete everyday tasks,” explained Andrews. “It focused on determining what changes needed to be made to the robots to ensure that they can be usable outside of a lab setting. I was particularly excited for this research as someone who is a part of the paraplegic community. People with any sort of paralysis commonly have difficulty doing everyday tasks, which is incredibly disheartening, and the possibility of helping create something that makes said tasks easier is an amazing opportunity and incredibly important to me.”

The everyday tasks Andrews’ group focused on included brushing teeth and eating. CSU developed a system that allows people to use their eye and head movements to select objects identified by computer vision software and have a robot interact with a selected object. Andrews’ group worked on transitioning this system from a controlled laboratory environment to a less predictable home environment. Andrews worked with another student to help design and test various tools the robot could potentially use in the future. She also conducted virtual interviews as well as visited participants’ homes to learn about their experiences with the robots. Her interview results were submitted to the principal investigator.

I was particularly excited for this research as someone who is a part of the paraplegic community. People with any sort of paralysis commonly have difficulty doing everyday tasks, which is incredibly disheartening, and the possibility of helping create something that makes said tasks easier is an amazing opportunity and incredibly important to me.

SIERRA ANDREWS, SOPHOMORE

“The biggest reward was talking to the participants in this study,” said Andrews. “All of them were incredibly pleasant to talk to and they all gave me bits of knowledge and glimpses into their lives that I wouldn’t have previously guessed.”

Andrews’ work was submitted to the principal investigator of the project and was presented at the Biomedical Engineering Society Conference in Texas in fall, which Andrews was able to attend with the rest of her team.

Not only did the program empower Andrews to apply what she learned in her classes, it also made her dreams of helping others a reality.

“As someone who has some form of paraplegia, working to help develop technology that makes people who live with a similar condition to mine better is an unreal experience. As a kid growing up my answer (and I’m sure many other’s answers) to the ‘what do you want to do when you grow up’ question was some form of ‘I want to help people,’ and to be actually doing that is a great feeling. It gave me so much joy and satisfaction to be able to help with this project.”

Sierra Andrews (front row, second from left) with her research group at the Biomedical Engineering Society Conference in Texas.

While students like Andrews traveled to conduct research, MSOE also offers opportunities to participate in Research Experience for Undergraduates (REU) right on campus. Funded by the National Science Foundation, MSOE REU is a unique 10-week summer program that involves a broad mix of students conducting research, often in the fields of additive manufacturing or fluid power. It provides students with the opportunity to explore their hypothesis, learn from their mistakes, overcome challenges, network in professional environments and even have their work published.

Efrem Dana ’22 participated in REU in summer 2021, right before his senior year at MSOE. The mechanical engineering student’s research examined the creation of three-dimensional pedagogical models of genetic mutations.

Efrem Dana ’22 presenting his research project at the 2022 National Science Foundation EEC Grantees Conference in Washington, D.C.

“The purpose of my research was to develop new material mixtures and determine their mechanical properties for use at the MSOE Rapid Prototyping Center, as well as provide valuable insight into beta materials for use in the additive manufacturing industry,” said Dana.

Dr. Subha Kumpaty, Mechanical Engineering Department, served as Dana’s advisor. Together they co-wrote the paper, “Characterization of Additively Manufactured Beta Materials,” which is being published in the ASME International Mechanical Engineering Congress.

“I have always wanted to write and make my work available for the public, and I’m glad it started with my research,” said Dana. “I honestly believe that my research idea could be implemented in other materials to increase material options for 3D printing. I also believe 3D printing is the future and having something to contribute toward this future makes me humble and happy.”

Dana had the chance to represent MSOE at the 2022 National Science Foundation EEC Grantees Conference in Washington, D.C. in October. He was one of ten students in the nation to represent their university and present their research at the conference. Being able to showcase these findings and connect with other professionals was a truly gratifying experience.

Efrem Dana ’22 conducting hardness testing on different materials for the Rapid Prototyping Center.

“My biggest reward was applying what I have learned in my classes into action and sharing my findings in different formal settings. I value the connections I made during REU and at the conferences I attended to present my work. I learned that since we (engineers) are working toward a sustainable future, additive manufacturing could be the future of the manufacturing industry for its ability to reduce material waste and more.”

For Dana, undergraduate research is a way to go beyond the classroom and delve deeper into the industry. “Conducting research gives students a chance to think critically and build analytical skills through hands-on learning. I enjoyed learning how far additive manufacturing has come. During its early stages, 3D printing was used for prototyping only, but today we can use it to print end-use products in different fields. I believe additive manufacturing could be the future of manufacturing.”

Whether it’s improving the lives of those with movement disabilities or advancing the world of additive manufacturing, both Andrews and Dana gained valuable experience that has the potential to impact the lives of others as well as mold the paths of their futures.

The REU program is one of many ways undergraduate students can get involved in research at MSOE. Currently an average of 5 to 10 students per year participate in the undergraduate research course sequence, which includes basic and applied types of original research that can be aligned with any discipline taught at MSOE as well as be interdisciplinary.

MSOE’s strategic plan calls for the university to develop a nationallyrecognized, application-oriented undergraduate research program. A task force of faculty representing each of MSOE’s academic departments studied and benchmarked current practices at other institutions. They also developed recommendations for a proposed curricular structure for implementing an undergraduate research program at MSOE. With MSOE’s upcoming transition to semesters, there will be more opportunities for undergraduate students to engage in research, including a greater number of courses dedicated to undergraduate research. MSOE worked to revamp the undergraduate course sequence and laid the groundwork for program expansion in the future.