May 12, 2011 – PRNewswire — STMicroelectronics (NYSE: STM), micro electro mechanical systems (MEMS) supplier, and McGill University collaborated to create an undergraduate course that teaches the integration of multiple state-of-the-art sensors into embedded computer systems. Some 35 students have already completed the course, which started in January 2011.
The new course includes laboratory exercises and a final project that enables students to analyze and design systems that include the integration of data from multiple sensors. It was designed by Professor Zeljko Zilic of the Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering at McGill University and is based around ST’s iNEMO platform, which integrates ST’s most advanced accelerometers, gyroscopes and magnetometers, together with pressure and temperature sensors, to provide 3-axis sensing of linear, angular and magnetic motion, complemented with temperature and barometer/altitude readings.
The course integrates the curricula of computer, electrical and software engineering programs, just as occurs in real-world modern systems design, said Professor Zilic. "For example, smart phones now routinely employ multiple movement sensors to make more effective and intuitive user interfaces, navigation control and position detection and the same technology has unlimited applications in areas as diverse as robotics, factory automation and energy systems."
The course package could be implemented at other universities across North America.
The initial students’ final projects included a gaming application featuring ‘Hidden Markov Model Motion Detection,’ a gesture recognition system for image manipulation, and a tilt-compensated compass with free-fall detection for aircraft use. The next undergraduate course will start in September 2011. In addition, a two-day postgraduate workshop devoted to Integrated Sensor Systems, also based on the iNEMO, will be held at McGill University next week.
Similar collaborative industry/academia courses exist for nanotech, such as the NanoProfessor Program, recently implemented at the University of Calgary.
STMicroelectronics is a global leader serving customers across the spectrum of electronics applications with innovative semiconductor solutions. Further information on ST can be found at www.st.com.
McGill University is a public research university located in Montreal, Quebec, Canada. McGill consistently ranked as the top university in Canada. Learn more at http://www.mcgill.ca/
Follow Small Times on Twitter.com by clicking www.twitter.com/smalltimes. Or join our Facebook group