Stephen Hawes ’17 (Mechanical Engineering) had started working with Arduino kits in an introductory computer science and engineering class taught by Professor Jeffrey Meunier. Arduino boards are small circuit boards that can be programmed to control things – like turning a light on and off – based on input received from sensors.
Hawes, who is pursuing a minor in computer science, says realizing that engineers could both design the physical aspects of an object, and program the electronics that make the invention work was a huge revelation for him. He took part in the IDEA Grant Program that is designed to provide undergraduates in any major a stipend of up to $4,000 to develop innovative, creative, and personally meaningful projects. His project was featured in a recent article in UConn Today.