About our class

by Feliz Flores and Mary Ann Pelecio

The disabled are oftentimes left behind in the development of technological applications. The focus for this project is to provide the blind with the capability to write and edit files using inexpensive personal computers and open-source software. In this way, the blind could become productive, enhance his or her feeling of self worth, and eventually assume leadership roles in the community.

The braille system reads the text displayed on the monitor and presents the characters to the blind using a specially designed dynamic braille display for the blind's fingers to scan. Indicators are provided so that the position of the characters with respect to the whole file is given for the blind's fingers to scan. The dynamic braille display takes the place of the monitor. As with the non-blind, the keyboard is also the way that the blind communicates with the computer for instructions, editing and saving, and navigation within the computer. Access to the internet will be provided by text-based browsers within the Linux operating system. The project is constructed such that associations for the blind could avail of x486 and lower pentium computers to open new corridors for the blind.

by Anna Veronica Baterina, Jeric Macalintal, and Beverly Marquez

A longtime fad of dreamers and self-proclaimed oracles for the twenty-first century has been the advent of a computer controlled home, where the user exerts minimal effort to make sure their surroundings are comfortable, safe and convenient. In this project, control and automation of a room's functionality are centralized through a single terminal and several buses. All functions are carried out by electronic devices whose roles are maintained by a single in-room terminal. Such functions include feedback for vital project, a room's functionality, determined by the needs for temperature control and safety, applies temperature monitoring, air-conditioner switching control, feedback and timer, back-up battery monitoring, one intruder alarm, and a smoke alarm.

by Edgie Guevarra, Jr and Fatima Medina

In the acoustic laser (SASER), clean high power sound is produced.

by Carlos Ezequiel, Rogelio Naval, Jr and Jerwin Uy

We want to design an Automated Newtonian Telescope for tracking celestial bodies. It will be a low-cost alternative to the commercial Newtonian Telescopes, whose prices range from $134 to $4400. The telescope will have an altitude-azimuth mount, controlled by two stepper-motors. It will be equipped with a web camera and interfaced with a control circuit that connects to the parallel port of a personal computer. Movements will be controlled by a software program.

We will limit the study to simple image processing algorithms. The quality of the image taken by the program will depend on the resolution of the web camera. We will design a database that stores images of celestial bodies, including the spatial coordinates, time and date of capture.

by Jovilyn Fajardo and Rowena Predas

Specialized cardiac centers are few and not easily accessible to everyone. Many patients are lost while enroute to these centers. Still many more simply pass away because they are a considerable distance (or time) away from these centers.

The main purpose of this project, therefore, is to make use of technology to bring cardiac patients as close as about FIVE minutes away from cardiac specialists, wherever in the world they happen to be.

The system is provided with a digital stethoscope that gives the specialist a further insight into the other processes of the patient.

by Fatima de Lara and Ma Theresa Joy Rocamora

This study explores the application of the properties of polymers, specifically its use as an active bandage in the biomedical field. Applying high voltage across its surface causes the polymer to contract and expand, hence its viability as an electrostrictive actuator. Once the active bandage is available in the market, the voltage must be supplied at a regular interval in order to mimic the natural movement of human muscles.

This can be accomplished by creating a digital interface that would replace the mechanical high voltage amplifier. The digital interface is composed of an opto-isolator circuit and the high voltage amplifier. A computer program controls the amount of voltage that can be sent to the active bandage system. Additionally, the program also has a system to detect the feedback voltage from the active bandage system.

by Rexmund Soriano, Varsolo Sunio, and Anthony Cris Tiu

This project makes use of a low-cost scanner to produce images reconstructed in 3D space. The scanner takes a collection of images of an object by rotating around it, then displays them as one complete 3D image. This project is especially useful in medical imaging as this will enable the doctor to look at the pictures from any angle, and to zoom in or out a particular feature in the image.

by Maris Alano, Vernice Casareno, and Rachelle de la Rama

This project will focus on design and fabrication of an acoustic rain gauge system. Our system will be able to control a Sony recorder using a computer. To calibrate the rain gauge, we will use an automated tipping bucket. For the tipping bucket, we will use an infrared water level sensor to detect if the water level reaches the draining point. When the water is being drained, a buzzer will sound that will be heard by the recorder.