SJSU Research Guides: Rapid Prototyping Lab: Lab Info

Our Rapid Prototyping Lab has started a new program called, Student 2 Student (S2S). This program is geared towards creating student lead classes in various areas such as technologies, systems, and softwares. The goal was to develop a program that encourages innovation, creativity, and collaboration among students. We wanted to step outside of the traditional learning environment of a faculty or staff member lead lectures, and create something where students are the ones sharing their ideas and knowledge with their peers.

For the Fall 2020 semester our classes revolved around the Internet of Things (IoTs). We hosted introductory classes on: Git and GitHub, Architecture and Components of IoTs, and Building your own Smart Device. Recording and information on our presenters can be found below.

Introduction to Internet of Things: Architecture and Components

By: Rahul Katkat; Graduate student studying towards his M.S. in Electrical Engineering

What is the Internet of Things? What's the IoT buzz all about? How does IoT work? This lecture is going to answer all these questions along with the discussions of examples. It will briefly cover the IoT architecture, its components, and the dataflow with system examples. You will be introduced with an easy way to get started in IoT hardware and software development. And finally an overview on networking methodologies, question of security in IoT, and some of the recent topics such as use of NLP in IoT.

Introduction to Internet of Things: Git and GitHub

By: Anish Patel; Undergraduate student studying towards his B.S. In Software Engineering

What is GIT and GitHub? What does it help with? Why is it so widely used in the industry and what are the special functions it provides? In this lecture we answer these questions, take a look at the GitHub Structure, and see how it works. This session will also include important concepts of GitHub, for example: making a repository, creating a branch, etc. Finally, it will end with an explanation on how to install and set-up GitHub on Windows and a short demo.

Introduction to Internet of Things – Build your own Smart Device

By: Aswin Prasad; Graduate student studying towards his M.S. in Software Engineering

This session will serve as an Internet of things 101. It will go over how to build a smart device, and end with a demo on how to create your own smart home device using a Raspberry Pi computer.

Introduction to Circular Economy

By: Megha Chaudhry; Graduate student studying towards her M.S. in Industrial Design

For years, humans have been using Earth's finite resources, however, not only are we using the resources and extracting materials for our personal use but we are also generating waste double the number of materials we are extracting. The concept of Circular Economy throws light on one of the most vital, emerging issues of waste generation in the world and explains the new model developed to cater to this problem.

Introduction to Edge Computing and Demo

By: Rahul Katkat; Graduate student studying towards his M.S. in Electrical Engineering

What is Edge Computing? Why is it important? How does it work? The lecture will answer some of these basic questions and introduce concepts with simple examples. After glancing over the concepts, we will build a demo edge computing device using the ESP-32 SoC. We will build a small AI model for speech recognition to switch the light ON/OFF, and run it in real time on ESP-32. The demo will showcase different components required for building edge computing use-case and easy steps for getting started with it!

Introduction to Python, the Easiest way to Start Programming

By: Aswin Prasad; Graduate student studying towards his M.S. in Software Engineering

Most people have heard about programming and though it’s difficult to get going, some recent changes in the Python programming language have made it easy for almost everyone to start from scratch. In this session we will introduce Python programming language, give a brief overview of what can be accomplished, and end the session with various resources that will help you in growing your knowledge about the Python programming language.

How to Create a Heart Rate Monitors Using an Arduino
Ever wondered how your smartwatch measures the heart rate? We are going to do exactly that in this project. We are going to build a heart rate monitor using off-the-shelf components and Arduino. The sensor we will be using has both the heart rate and SpO2 measurement capabilities! We will be using the sensor for the heart rate measurement. Finally, we are going to display the heart rate on the OLED display wired to the Arduino. So, let's get into building it!

Rechargeable LED Lamp
This is a documentation on how to build a LED lamp. The lamp can be controlled by a switch and there is an internal lithium battery to store energy and use it later. There is an LED strip inside the lamp that illuminates to provide light. The outer case is made by using a 3d printer. This design is for illustration purposes only and can be modified as per need.

Design of Contactless Temperature Monitoring System using an Arduino
The aim of this project is to build an easy DIY contactless temperature monitoring system. This can be installed at the entry gates of any institution to monitor the temperature of persons entering the premises. In light of the recent pandemic, the system is useful to check the potential infected persons. In this project we are going to build the system using off-shelf components and an Arduino. The temperature of the surroundings and the person will be monitored and shown on the OLED screen.

Neopixel LED Board
The aim of this project is to demonstrate the capability of a neopixel LED board. The neopixel LED board or neopixel LEDs in the form of strips or rings can be used to make colorful patterns and can be added to your favourite objects such as backpack, skateboard, etc. We will use the 64 LED neopixel board with Arduino to demonstrate multiple color patterns on the board. This 64 LED board works only on 5V that means you can run it even on a small sized battery. Follow this tutorial to see how to make patterns with neopixels, make your own and attach it to your objects to make them colorful!

Laser Cutting

User Manual Glowforge - Laser Cutter [PDF]
This user manual provides in-depth information on safety, permitted and prohibited materials and risks, how to use the software, training, and maintenance
Prohibited Laser Cutter Materials [PDF]
This documents provides a list of materials we DO NOT allow to be cut on our Glowforge. Please note this is not an all inclusive list. If you'd like to use something not mentioned please feel free to send us an email at librarytechtraining@sjsu.edu for approvals.
Permitted Laser Cutter Materials [PDF]
This documents provides a list of materials we allow to cut on our Glowforge. Please note this is not an all inclusive list. If you'd like to use something not mentioned please feel free to send us an email at librarytechtraining@sjsu.edu.

Vinyl Cutting

User Manual Cameo - Vinyl Cutter [PDF]
This user manual provides in-depth information on setting up the Silhouette Studio software on your personal device, a how to guide on using the design software, shortcuts, training, and safety.

Electronics

Arduino Basics Tutorials [PDF]
Basic Arduino how-to for LED blinking, Fading LED, Reading Analog(Sensor) Voltage, Switch interfacing, Interfacing with temperature sensor, Interfacing with ultrasonic sensor, Interfacing with PIR sensor, Interfacing with DC motor, Servo motor interfacing, Interfacing with the LCD, and Interfacing with WiFi module ESP-8266.

Rapid Prototyping Lab

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