student team

CU Boulder to lead operations for NASA black holes mission

Anonymous — Wed, 11 Jan 2017 07:00:00 +0000

CU Boulder to lead operations for NASA black holes mission Anonymous (not verified) Wed, 01/11/2017 - 00:00

�鶹��Ƶ students and professionals will operate an upcoming NASA mission that will investigate the mysterious aspects of some of the most extreme and exotic astronomical objects like stellar and supermassive black holes, neutron stars and pulsars.

Objects such as black holes can heat surrounding gases to more than a million degrees, causing high-energy emissions in the X-ray portion of the electromagnetic spectrum. The high-energy X-ray radiation from this gas can be polarized, which causes it to vibrate in a particular direction.

The NASA Imaging X-ray Polarimetry Explorer (IXPE) mission will fly three space telescopes with cameras capable of measuring the polarization of cosmic X-rays, allowing astronomers to answer fundamental questions about such turbulent environments.

The mission, slated for launch in 2020, is led by NASA’s Marshall Space Flight Center in Huntsville, Alabama. Students and professionals from CU Boulder’s Laboratory for Atmospheric and Space Physics (LASP) will perform mission operations through a contract with Ball Aerospace Technologies Corp. of Boulder, which is providing the spacecraft and mission integration.

The Italian Space Agency will contribute the polarization sensitive X-ray detectors, which were developed in Italy.

Students and professionals will operate the IXPE spacecraft from the LASP Space Technology Building on CU Boulder’s east campus, said Bill Possel, director of LASP’s Mission Operations and Data Systems division. The arrangement is similar to one in place between CU Boulder and Ball Aerospace in which LASP operates NASA’s wildly successful planet-hunting Kepler space telescope.

“We’re very excited to be part of this new mission,” Possel said. “Ball Aerospace is a fantastic partner and we have a long history of working mission operations for their NASA missions. Our students will play a major role in developing the operations procedures and eventually performing operations once the spacecraft is in orbit.”

LASP hires 10 to 15 undergraduates annually to train as satellite operators at the conclusion of their sophomore year. The students go through an intensive 10-week summer training program followed by practical and written tests leading to certification as satellite controllers by LASP.

Starting in the fall, the students will work 20 hours per week, including nights, holidays and during CU Boulder's winter and spring breaks. LASP currently provides operations for four NASA spacecraft (AIM, Kepler, QuikScat, and SORCE) and one CubeSat mission (MinXSS).

January 11, 2017 Original Article

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Top 16 in 2016

Anonymous — Thu, 15 Dec 2016 07:00:00 +0000

Top 16 in 2016 Anonymous (not verified) Thu, 12/15/2016 - 00:00

In 2016, we again celebrated a campus community that brings innovation and positive impacts to Colorado and the nation. We marked new discoveries, faculty achievements, Olympic medalists and a resurgent football program while welcoming high-profile visitors to campus and sending satellites throughout our solar system. Enjoy this recap of an outstanding year.

See the Top 16 list here

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Stolen backpack spawns creation of student venture Mµ tag

Anonymous — Mon, 12 Dec 2016 07:00:00 +0000

Stolen backpack spawns creation of student venture Mµ tag Anonymous (not verified) Mon, 12/12/2016 - 00:00

Catalyze CU grads invent tiny tracker for your valuables

For anyone who has lost a backpack or purse, Lang Mei feels your pain. After a thief stole his backpack from a coffee shop in Paris last year, the business administration senior began thinking about how to prevent that from happening again.

Mei had placed his bag on the floor next to the table leg. The next time he looked down, his bag was missing. Gone were his laptop, money, passport and school papers. Mei, who spoke little French, had a frustrating conversation with a French policeman who couldn’t speak English. Mei never got his bag or belongings back.

From that experience, informµ was born.

"Informµ is the simplest way to keeping belongings safe," said Mei, who is majoring in information management with a certificate in entrepreneurship at the Leeds School of Business. "Informµ is revolutionizing how we keep track of our most important things. By utilizing IoT technology, informµ eliminates the stress, expense and wasted time associated with losing your valuables."

The Internet of Things (IoT) is a system of interrelated computing devices that can transfer data over a network.

After returning to CU Boulder, Mei began working on a small tracking tag that could be attached to any item. Mei collaborated with Rishabh Berlia, an electrical and electronics engineering major who had a similar experience when he lost his backpack containing not just his end-of-semester lab report, but two of his friend’s lab reports. The two became informµ co-creators.

Mµ tag uses Bluetooth technology and an app to track belongings quickly. A tag smaller than a quarter links to a smart phone or a wearable device like an Apple Watch. When people move away from their belongings, with an adjustable range up to 100 feet, a notification pops up on their phones or devices and a map shows the location their property.

For example, if you are at a restaurant and are about to leave without your wallet, the quick notification function will notify you on your phone or wearable device right away. It informs you that you’re out of range of your belongings.

Mei and Berlia prepared for their project by participating in Catalyze CU, an eight-week summer startup accelerator designed for CU students, alumni and faculty. Catalyze CU combines mentorship and equity-free grants to help the most promising ideas and technologies succeed.

After gathering a team to work on the innovative tracking device, informµ was founded in September 2015 and officially registered in Colorado in 2016. Team members include Prayash Thapa, computer science, and Raza Qazi, PhD, electrical, computer and energy engineering.

Crowdfunding the next prototype

The informµ team developed a device that can help people keep track of their important items. They are trying to crowdfund the creation of their next prototype and to help move the project forward. Prototypes will be distributed within the community once they have the money to purchase enough components. Find out more by reading the informµ crowdfunding page.

Mµ tag features

Prevention: It solves the core problem of lost or forgotten items by preventing people from forgetting their belongings or having them stolen, rather than finding out later, often when it’s too late to recover them.
Battery saving: Using Bluetooth saves battery life, both on the phone and the tag.
Works even with application closed: Users are notified of the loss even if they accidently killed the app, a feature competitors don’t have.
Smart device with no false notifications: A learning algorithm is being developed that helps identify patterns in the way people interact with their belongings, ensuring a user is notified only when necessary.
Wearable advantage: Mµ tag integrates with wearable devices that are proven to be more effective than just mobile phone notifications, reducing the risk of missing the notification.
Form factor: Mµ tag is 70 percent smaller than some other products. It comes with a rechargeable and replaceable battery, which enables it to last longer than other products on the market.

December 12, 2016 Original Article

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Inventions to look for at ATLAS Expo Dec. 7

Anonymous — Fri, 02 Dec 2016 07:00:00 +0000

Inventions to look for at ATLAS Expo Dec. 7 Anonymous (not verified) Fri, 12/02/2016 - 00:00

ATLAS Expo is a showcase of more than 100 student projects in virtual reality, physical computing, mobile apps, human-computer interaction, design, information and communication technology for development, and more.

Taking place on Wednesday, Dec. 7, 5–6:30 p.m., this lively event is free and open to the public. Here are just a few examples of the kinds of projects visitors will have a chance to explore. (Many more here.)

	Chill Out Carly Students: Marla Bernstein and Carolyn Castanon Project: A teddy bear that offers encouraging and comforting words when hugged or squeezed. The furry friend is based on an MP3 Trigger Arduino board.
	Tesseract - A Virtual Reality Exploration and Puzzle Game Students: Rachel Robinson, Austin Holler, Cade Haley, Rebecca Robb Project: Escape a maze of odd structures and winding bridges by exploring every surface —floors, walls and ceilings—of the 3D environment where the rules of physics have been suspended. Having built the game in Unity, the team was able to experience and refine their project in ATLAS' brand new Mixed Reality Lab, using some of the best technology currently available.
	Tentacles of Light Students: Ariel Riggan and Sarah Wachter Project: A lamp that resembles a squid, providing fun and decorative lighting for children to enjoy. Wiggan and Wachter designed their lamp in Rhino and 3D printed it in the ATLAS BTU Lab.
	Low-Cost, Internet-Connected Water Quality Monitoring Unit Student: Fuji Robledo Project: A comprehensive monitoring system that records water quality data and transmits it to the cloud. With a pricetag less than one-fifth the cost of commercial systems, it has the potential to significantly improve water quality in Pakistan, where it is slated to be deployed, as well as elsewhere in the developing world.
	The Explanimated Textbook Student: Megan Leahy Project: An interactive textbook that outlines key functions of human physiology with dynamic content, including animations of biological processes, video and interactive graphics.
	Lampalarm Students: Mike Gough and Chandler Zastrow, Project: Using an Arduino and a variety of sensors and relays, Gough and Zastrow designed and coded the Lampalarm so it is switched on by any mobile phone alarm, so long as the phone is placed in a specific spot on the lamp. Snooze the alarm, and the light temporarily goes out.

If you go

What: ATLAS Expo: A showcase of student and faculty work in creative technology and design

Who: Free and open to the public

When: 5 to 6:30 p.m., Wednesday, Dec. 7

Where: Roser ATLAS building, 1125 18th St. Throughout the 1st floor and in the Black Box (Basement level 2).

December 2, 2016 Original Article

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Aerospace student team aims for deep space

Anonymous — Thu, 03 Nov 2016 14:15:46 +0000

Aerospace student team aims for deep space Anonymous (not verified) Thu, 11/03/2016 - 08:15

A CU Boulder student team has been named a finalist in NASA’s CubeQuest Challenge small satellite design and launch competition. The team received the news in a conference call with NASA, according to Alec Forsman, an aerospace graduate student and the team’s project manager.

“I was nervous. We had a really strong entry, but we knew the other teams would, too,” Forsman says.

The competition is focused on finding innovative solutions to deep space communications using small spacecraft. It has had multiple stages, with teams presenting increasingly detailed satellite design plans to NASA at each level. It’s a lot of work, but comes with a big prize at the end for the top three teams: a slot for their satellites on NASA’s unmanned Orion Exploration Mission-1, which is set to fly in 2018.

The team’s CubeSat, named CU Earth Escape Explorer (CU-E3), is being designed and built in a graduate projects class taught by aerospace engineering sciences professor Scott Palo.

“It’s an honor to get this far, and [it] shows the quality of our students and work. We have the chance to be one of the first deep space CubeSats, which is really exciting,” Palo says.

If they’re successful, the mission would take CU-E3 more than 2.5-million miles into space, to an eventual orbit more than ten times the distance from the Earth to the Moon. Most CubeSats stay much closer to home – orbiting only a few hundred miles above the earth – and Palo says being so far away presents the team with unique technological challenges.

“We can’t use the same antennas or positioning tools, because they only work when you’re close to the Earth. We’re creating novel designs that haven’t been done before, and we want to show that a small, less expensive satellite can be useful in deep space,” Palo says.

The contest just wrapped up its third round with the CU-E3 team placing third. As one of the top-five ranking entries, the team is receiving $30,000 to continue development. This is not the project’s first award from NASA; CU Boulder placed fourth and earned $30,000 in the second round. If they make the final cut, they will be in the running for additional awards worth up to $1.5 million.

With the earlier design stages of the competition now complete, Forsman says they’re moving into actual construction. “Our plans are finalized and we will start ordering flight hardware almost immediately."

They will be working fast. The satellite is is set to be delivered to NASA in December 2017.

November 3, 2016 Original Article

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Daily Camera: Student-led Qualify wins Boulder's Esprit Challenge

Anonymous — Wed, 26 Oct 2016 14:28:22 +0000

Daily Camera: Student-led Qualify wins Boulder's Esprit Challenge Anonymous (not verified) Wed, 10/26/2016 - 08:28

Matthew DuBois

Qualify, a Boulder startup, won the $10,000 Esprit Challenge prize for its college dating application.

The challenge, sponsored by the Boulder Chamber of Commerce, is an annual contest of Boulder entrepreneurs that started with 14 contestants who are whittled own to three finalists by the Tuesday night competition.

October 26, 2016 Daily Camera Full Article

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BizWest: CU New Venture Challenge finals set for April 7

Anonymous — Mon, 21 Mar 2016 19:52:18 +0000

BizWest: CU New Venture Challenge finals set for April 7 Anonymous (not verified) Mon, 03/21/2016 - 13:52 Joshua Lindenstein

BOULDER — The �鶹��Ƶ’s New Venture Challenge has set its championship finals for April 7, with judges representing local companies such as Foundry Group and Zayo Group.

The startup-pitch event caps off the university’s campuswide entrepreneurship contest, which is now in its eighth year. Five finalists from a field of 60 participating teams will vie for $20,000 in cash prizes, with the winner also receiving a year’s-worth of in-kind services from IBM-owned SoftLayer.

This year’s finals judges include Foundry Group managing director Jason Mendelson, Zayo Group vice president of people, culture and brand Rachael Donaldson, Philanthropiece founder and president Libby Cook, and Perkins Coie partner Kester Spindler.

March 21, 2016 Full Article

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Aerospace engineering students shoot for the moon and past it

Anonymous — Mon, 21 Mar 2016 19:05:42 +0000

Aerospace engineering students shoot for the moon and past it Anonymous (not verified) Mon, 03/21/2016 - 13:05

A CU-Boulder student team is shooting for the moon and beyond with a tiny satellite under development that has just taken another step closer to launch.

As one of the top five teams selected by NASA, the team of 10 graduate students will continue developing a small CubeSat satellite about the size of a shoebox called the CU Earth Escape Explorer (CU-E3) with a $30,000 award from NASA. Part of the Aerospace Engineering Science Graduate Projects Class, the satellite is being designed to fly on the unmanned Orion Exploration Mission-1 slated to launch in 2018.

The CU-E3 satellite is part of the NASA CubeQuest Challenge Deep Space Derby, a project focused on finding innovative solutions to deep space communications using small spacecraft, according to aerospace engineering sciences Professor Scott Palo, who teaches the graduate class building the CU-E3 satellite. Northrup-Grumman provided an initial $10,000 to support the project in 2015-2016.

The satellite is being designed for a communications mission that will travel more than 2.5 million miles into space and a chance at winning another $1.5 million from NASA.

“The Aerospace Engineering Sciences Graduate Project course allows us to engage students from disciplines across the the College of Engineering and Applied Science in exciting, real-world hands-on projects,” said Palo.

Blue Canyon Technologies (BCT), a rapidly growing small satellite company founded by CU-Boulder alumni, is partnering with the CU-E3 team to build the satellite body.

Three CubeSats that previously were developed in the graduate course have launched or will launch into orbit, says Palo. One operated in orbit for 28 months, the second was launched to the International Space Station in December 2015 for deployment into space in April and the third is slated to launch in 2017.

The CU-Boulder graduate students working on the small satellite are Abhinav Pandey, Alec Herr, Varun Joshi, Thomas Green, Anirudh Rajaseshan, Huikang Ma, Maurice Woods, Maheedhara Reddy, Alec Forsman and Elie Tianang.

The student effort will give a boost to the larger aerospace community by helping develop new communications technology that likely will play a role in the quest to put humans on Mars, says team member Thomas Green, a Boulder native who went to Fairview High School along with team member Huikang Ma.

“Projects like ours really distinguish CU-Boulder’s aerospace engineering sciences program from others,” said Ma. “This project is giving me hands-on experience with what we hope is a real NASA mission."

Lockheed Martin Space Systems of Littleton, Colorado, is the prime contractor for the Orion Multipurpose Crew Vehicle on which the winning satellites will ride.

“The CubeSat projects are great for those who want to learn about small satellite development and have the experience of designing, building and testing hardware that will fly in Space,” said Palo.

The CU-E3 satellite will reach an orbit of about 10 times the distance between Earth and the moon.

March 21, 2016 Original Article

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Mind matters: Learning about the brain

Anonymous — Wed, 09 Mar 2016 19:58:15 +0000

Mind matters: Learning about the brain Anonymous (not verified) Wed, 03/09/2016 - 12:58

“Whoa, I can’t see anything!” said a fourth-grader at Columbine Elementary School, as she tried to land a bean bag inside a hoop on the floor. “This is hard!”

Twenty-five energetic bodies took turns throwing bean bags at a target, first without vision-distorting goggles, then with them. The activity demonstrated neuroplasticity—the brain’s ability to change and adapt to new situations.

“We’re getting to the kids early,” said Michael Persinger, a junior who is studying integrated physiology, sociology and public health at CU-Boulder. “The brain is their most important organ, and by helping them learn more, we are hopefully guiding them down a better path.”

Persinger is one of 13 CU-Boulder students who are part of the Intermountain Neuroimaging Consortium (INC) Classroom Outreach. The program sends teams into local schools to teach kids about the brain. They provide lessons on sleep, nutrition for the brain, emotions, head injury and general brain structure.

“Many schools do not have psychology and neuroscience topics incorporated into their curricula, even though topics such as learning, memory and brain health are critically important to students’ academic success,” said Nicole Speer, INC Director of Operations and program manager for INC Classroom Outreach.

This semester alone, the program will reach more than 1,000 K-12 students throughout the metro area.

“A lot of students are not getting this information at home,” said Brenda Ortiz Torres, a junior and the student coordinator for INC Classroom Outreach. “We go into less privileged schools and demonstrate activities they can do to keep their brains healthier without buying anything.”

INC Classroom Outreach is an extension of a large-scale effort to increase public awareness of brain research. From March 13-18, INC will host Brain Awareness Week, which will include activities like those taught in the schools.

“Neuroscientists and psychologists are making enormous progress in understanding how our brains work and how we can get them to work better,” said Speer. “Brain Awareness Week enables scientists to share this progress with the larger community and generate excitement for neuroscience and psychology research.”

Brain Awareness Week begins with Community Brain Day, held at the Center for Innovation and Creativity (1777 Exposition Drive, 80309) on Sunday, March 13, from 2 to 4 p.m. This “get to know your brain day” will offer free hands-on activities and demonstrations for all ages.

Additional events—including lectures, guided meditation sessions and movement-based stress management workshops—will be held throughout the week. For a full schedule, visit the Intermountain Neuroimaging Consortium website.

March 9, 2016 Original Article

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