On April 12, 2023, University of Florida students, faculty, staff and alumni gathered at the Florida Capitol in Tallahassee for Gator Day.
The annual event provides an opportunity for UF faculty and students to present their research and engage in conversations with legislators and esteemed leaders from throughout the state of Florida. The event included presentations by distinguished speakers, a reception in the Capitol, and table displays with representatives from many of the colleges and programs at UF.
Faculty and students from the Herbert Wertheim College of Engineering showcased various research projects. Among them were two exciting IoT projects from the Warren B. Nelms Institute for the Connected World: AI & IoT Hands-On Learning System and Medicine and Illegal Substance Detection in Mail Packaging Using NQR Spectroscopy.
AI & IoT Hands-on Learning System
Presented by Rohan Reddy Kalavakonda,
Ph.D. Candidate, Electrical and Computer Engineering
The learning platform is powered by an ESP 32 microcontroller connected to several sensors and Input/Output devices. The platform enables students of various age groups to get hands- on learning experiences with IoT systems. The platform also lets the students explore and deploy AI- enabled IoT Edge devices. The learning system includes a set of experiments covering topics from microcontrollers to AI-powered smart-home devices.
MEDICINE AND ILLEGAL SUBSTANCE DETECTION IN MAIL PACKAGING USING NQR SPECTROSCOPY
Presented by Kelsey Horace-Herron, Ph.D. Candidate, Electrical and Computer Engineering
Counterfeit medicine is becoming a growing problem in developing countries and a danger to others worldwide. This device aims to detect fake medicine before it is distributed to consumers by using Nuclear Quadrupole Resonance (NQR). NQR is a noninvasive technique that can be used to detect drugs even in opaque packaging. In the future, the team hopes to develop a low-cost, handheld version of the device for consumer use at home.