PRAIRIE VIEW, Texas (July 29, 2020) – Thousands of lives could be saved with the ability to detect a concealed weapon in .5999 seconds. Mathias Echi, a senior computer science student at Prairie View A&M University (PVAMU), working under the mentorship of Dr. Ahmed Ahmed, assistant professor in the Department of Computer Science, has developed a smart surveillance system that can do just that using the Internet of Things (IoT). The IoT is the billions of physical devices around the world that are connected to the internet.
Ahmed recently received funding from the National Science Foundation (NSF) to lead a new project to increase learning capabilities surrounding IoT at both PVAMU and other Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs). The funding will provide for the development of an Internet of Things Innovation Laboratory and IoT learning modules that will be integrated into computer science courses. There are also plans for IoT competitions with other HBCUs.
“IoT is considered a rising star in the sky of innovative and smart technologies,” said Ahmed. “IoT is everywhere in our daily lives, from homes to work. IoT is the future for all of us.”
Ahmed is working with Co-Principal Investigators Drs. Kiranmai Bellam and Yonggao Yang in PVAMU’s Roy G. Perry College of Engineering. The team received $399,931 for the project, “Targeted Infusion Project: Infusing Innovative IoT Technologies into the Computer Science Curriculum at Prairie View A&M University.”
The project is funded for three years, during which their foundational and practical approach will arm students with real-world and hands-on skills that will position them as experienced professionals when they transition into the job market.
“With IoT devices becoming increasingly ubiquitous, students, such as Echi, will be capable of applying the tremendous potential for innovative IoT applications across a wide variety of domains, including healthcare, agriculture, entertainment, environmental monitoring, and transportation,” said Ahmed.
As of this year, there are over 20 billion devices connected to the internet using easily accessible computer chips and wireless internet. These devices operate in real-time, accessing data that can be used for things as simple as turning on a lightbulb, using an app on a cell phone, or informing a farmer that his or her crops need water. PVAMU Graduate Student Suhlo Al Omari developed a device addressing the latter. It measures the moisture in the soil, and using a cell phone app, watering, could be started.
“Our faculty and students are at the core of developing the innovation ecosystem,” said Vice President for Research & Innovation Dr. Magesh Rajan. “The culture of entrepreneurship can take the discoveries and innovation from classrooms and laboratories to the real world where it will impact lives. The Division of Research & Innovation’s new I-CEED [Innovation-Commercialization-Entrepreneurship-Economic Development] initiative will serve faculty, students, and staff throughout the process of discovery and invention — inspiring an innovation ecosystem, commercialization, entrepreneurship, and economic development.”
Beginning this fall, the team will infuse two courses on IoT into the computer science curriculum, eventually developing eight modules that cover various aspects of IoT. Their novel approach is holistic, in that they are not merely integrating a single course, but all computer science courses will include at least three IoT experiential learning modules. Students will also have access to the Smart IoT Innovation Lab, where they will build prototype IoT apps and learn firsthand about privacy and security issues that must be addressed in the development process.
Next year, Prairie View will host IoT competitions with other HBCUs and Minority Serving Institutions (MSIs). Alabama State University, Tuskegee University, and Texas Southern University are among the schools that have committed to participate in the events. The NSF funding will provide expenses for a faculty member and four students to participate at each school.
Ahmed Ahmed, Ph.D.
“The rapid growth of IoT applications has increased the demand for experienced professionals with strong IoT hands-on skills,” said Ahmed. “This Targeted Infusion Project (TIP) will improve undergraduate computing education through enhanced courses and research opportunities. It will promote IoT research and learning experiences so that underrepresented students are funneled into STEM graduate schools and careers.”
In the age of Alexa, Google, Nest thermostats, surveillance cameras, and an app for everything, in less than one second, we can make real-time connections that have a global impact.
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By Karen B. Cotton