1. William H. Robinson ISIS Vanderbilt University
SIPHER : Summer Internship Program in Hybrid and Embedded Software Research
William H. Robinson
ISIS
Vanderbilt University
NSF STC Review
September 6, 2004

2. Increasing Minority Graduates
“Minority students suffer from the absence of minority role models in the classroom. But too few minority students are encouraged and guided into graduate education so that they can ultimately become faculty members who can inspire and educate even more minority students.”
Dr. John Brooks Slaughter President and CEO Chief Operating Officer National Action Council for Minorities in Engineering (NACME)
NSF STC Review
May 15, 2019

3. NSF STC Review
May 15, 2019

4. SIPHER Mission
We will design the program to motivate the best undergraduate students from women and minority groups to go to graduate programs in CS and EE.
NSF STC Review
May 15, 2019

5. SIPHER Overview Ingredients:
Funding: NSF and cost sharing from university
Size: 7 students (full NSF stipend) 4 intern students (VU funding) and 2 faculty (50% summer support)
For faculty: summer school on how to teach new courses with provided courseware material
For students: research experience on project
Website:
NSF STC Review
May 15, 2019

6. Research Experience for Students
Participants:
7 students (4 females, 5 minorities) + 4 interns
All from HBCU’s
Schedule:
Study model-based design for embedded systems
Project first stage
Midterm-report
Project second stage
Final report (oral, paper, demo)
Other activities:
Visit to companies (Dell, Saturn) & NASA
NSF STC Review
May 15, 2019

7. Student Research Projects
Visual tracking of flying objects
Blimp/Vectron saucer, tracking camera connected to PC
LEGO robot navigation
Sensor-based navigation of LEGO’s, exploration and rescue
Maze solving robot
Robot learns/solves the maze, builds map, retraces path
Control of smart structures
Vibration sensing and damping using a piezo device
NSF STC Review
May 15, 2019

8. Course Development for Faculty
Participants:
2 faculty from Tennessee Tech University (CS,EE)
Schedule:
Bi-weekly meetings
Discussion on a fundamental course for embedded systems
Review of Content Authoring and Packaging Environment (CAPE)
NSF STC Review
May 15, 2019

9. Course Development for Faculty
Proposed course:
Modeling and Simulation of Embedded Systems
Intended audience:
Advanced undergrads from EE and CS program
Results:
Detailed course syllabus
Course material compiled, some of it electronic form
Course will be formally offered at Tennessee Tech next year
NSF STC Review
May 15, 2019

10. Summary
Need to encourage more minority students to pursue graduate education
Embedded systems research provides opportunities for active experimentation
SIPHER combines faculty and student components to promote embedded systems research
NSF STC Review
May 15, 2019