HUMAN ENGINEERING RESEARCH LABORATORIES
Summer Interns of 2004
Back Row (left to right): Jaideep Karnawat, Mike Masuga, A.J. Malkiewicz, Joe Ulerich, Scott Novich
Front Row (left to right): Sarah Wyszomierski, Katie Weber, Brooklynn Drake, Alexandra Jefferds, Dewey Black
This summer we had a great bunch of interns who worked diligently on a variety of projects, from wheelchair testing to wheelchair design, from Carpal Tunnel Syndrome to building more economically priced wheelchairs for India. The summer interns worked with faculty advisors and graduate students to make their projects come to life.
Below are intern responses when asked about their duties, experiences, and goals during their time at HERL. The pictures accompanying these responses are from Summer Intern Presentations, which allowed the summer students to present the projects they have been working on to the general lab and receive feedback from peers and faculty.
"I work with Emily Zipfel. My
tasks change daily, ranging from testing a wheelchair, writing a test report,
research, measuring, and machine shop work.
The focus of my project is improving the adult HERL/Alimco wheelchair and
eventually helping to start the pediatric HERL/Alimco wheelchair.
"I am working with Dr. Spaeth. I have been making some additions to the
Mini Datalogger’s operating system. My main summer project is to write, debug,
and integrate into the rest of the operating system a help module that contains
descriptions of functions that the MDL can do. I have also written a library of
easy-to-use input and output functions so I could complete the help module. I
want these functions available to future programmers who work on the operating
system, because there were no standard functions in the original.
"I work with Dr. Fitzgerald on the two studies regarding Service and
Hearing dogs. My main responsibilities mostly deal with computer and paper
work regarding study participant information.
I deal with data entry, questionnaire mailings, participant follow-ups
and chart verification. My favorite part of working here at HERL is probably the
laid-back attitude of everyone in the lab.
Everyone is helpful and easy to talk to, which makes for a much more
enjoyable work environment. My main goal for my duration
here at HERL is to take something significant away from this experience.
Hopefully, I'll take with me a better understanding of my career aspirations
following my time here at HERL. I hope that this experience in a research
setting will allow me to better understand exactly what I plan to do in my
professional field." - Michael Masuga
"As an intern at HERL, I work with Jon Pearlman, a graduate student, under
the supervision of Dr. Cooper. My daily tasks involve testing of electric
wheelchairs for ANSI standards, data processing and analysis, etc. Apart from
this, I spend my time in framing out some of the important design features for
an efficient electronic wheelchair for a developing country like India. For me,
my favorite part of working at HERL is the work itself. Learning while working is the only goal I have in mind while I am
at HERL.
After my experience here, I know I will take away some excellent memories of a
nice working environment." - Jaideep Karnawat
"I work primarily with Jeremy Puhlman, Emily Zipfel,
and Mark McCarthy out of the machine shop.
General daily tasks would include helping round the machine shop
and helping people with parts of their project that require machining. Along with this I am currently designing a new Smart Wheel
Calibration stand. I may also
help redesign the test dummies.
"I am working with Dr. Fitzgerald and Dr. Collins on The Dog Studies
research. My everyday tasks include: data entry, analyzing data, contacting research subjects, making brochures to mail to potential subjects, compiling
informational packets for research subjects, and assisting in various tasks. My
focus project is the Hearing and Service Dogs: An Alternative Assistive
Technology. My favorite part of working at HERL is that it is a new experience
for me. This is my first taste of doing research and I love what I'm learning
about the principles, ethics, process, and design of research. I've also enjoyed
the lecture series and have found the information presented to be interesting. I want to learn as much as I can about
the whole research process and get a paper, related to the research study I'm
assisting with, submitted to RESNA for review and possible publication." -
Brooklynn Drake
"I work under Dr. Alicia Koontz and with Nethra Tharakeshwarappa on the
Transfer Biomechanics project. We are setting up a study to investigate the
long-term effects that transferring from surface to surface has on people who
have paraplegia due to spinal cord injury. The set-up involves calibrating and
testing four separate systems that record the motions of the test subject and
the forces he exerts on the floor and a grab bar. The data that is collected
needs to be analyzed with a MatLab program I'm currently writing (finally, I'm
actually using something I learned in school). Working in the shop
is my favorite activity here. I
see my time at HERL this summer as a kind of orientation to the workplace. This
is the first steady job I've ever had, so it's a new experience commuting,
punching timecards and basically being on my own. At school, if you have a
problem, and you whine about it long enough, someone will eventually tell you
how to solve it. One of the things I immediately noticed about HERL is that no
one is going to give you the solution because it hasn't been fabricated yet. I'm
not complaining, but the simple fact of it all is that solving the problem is your job." -
Alexandra Jefferds
"I
divide my time between Paula Stankovic, Christine Heiner, and Mike Capp during
my workday at HERL. Unlike a lot of my co-workers, I'm not involved in any
testing or research, but was hired to help deal with the backlog of tasks
that have built up over time. I have done everything from entering data,
inventorying computers and their programs, creating spreadsheets, writing
newsletter articles, and filing numerous kinds of paperwork. Doing clerical work
for HERL has allowed me to put my obsessive compulsive tendencies to good use in
a laid-back and friendly research environment (which seems like an oxymoron, but
it's the truth!). Having just graduated high school, this is my very first
"real" job and so far I am proud of what I have accomplished. It was
entertaining to see people's reactions when I announced that, not only was I
not an prospective engineering major, but a (gasp) attending a tiny liberal arts
college in Ohio.
However, much to my relief,
the horror of my chosen liberal arts career path was fleeting and I was warmly welcomed into the folds of HERL.
Working here has made me wish I was better at math and science because I think
it would be an incredible experience to intern as an engineering student. When I leave HERL, I know I will have
vital job experience, but more importantly, I will also have cultivated a
newfound appreciation for science and admiration for those who use and/or work
to improve wheelchairs." - Samantha Goldstein
"I
work with Dr. Guo, Erica, Jeremy, and Steve on the SPAM project, a wheelchair
system equipped with sensors and software which helps visually-impaired people
perform navigational tasks. My main foci have been hardware design for the
electronics and sensor testing. I have enjoyed the variety of my tasks, which
include work in the machine shop and the electronics lab. I also found everyone
in the lab to be very laid-back and helpful - not the intimidating setting I had
expected! While at HERL, I hope to help finish designs and help fabricate the
electronics housing, mounting systems, and rear bumper for the second generation
of the project. I also plan to help finish the sensor testing so that this
version of the chair can be completed soon. It was refreshing and interesting to
finally see my coursework applied to actual projects. I now have a better idea
of the research process as well." - Sarah Wyszomierski
"I work under Dr. Boninger with Brad Impink and Jen Mercer. My everyday
tasks include program design in MatLAB, analyzing data, testing software, etc.
The focus of my study here at HERL is a study on Carpel Tunnel Syndrome in
wheelchair users. The focus is to measure the grayscale and cross sectional area
of a median nerve from an ultrasound. The hope is to use an ultrasound as an
effective and reliable tool for diagnosis of CTS. My favorite part of working at
HERL has been this opportunity to work alongside people from so many different
backgrounds. From PhDs to interns, from India to Pittsburgh, interacting and
thinking alongside such a variety of people has been a valuable experience in
itself. Not to mention, this is the first job I've ever worked where you aren't
exchanging manual labor for wages. I hope to establish a good rapport with my
coworkers and supervisors, gain experience (either hands-on or visual) in many
areas of bioengineering, and to contribute to a study that can some day benefit
those in need of medical services. Also, I'd really like to learn how to pop a
wheelie in a manual wheelchair (I tend to fall backward). I hope to take away
the confidence that this is a field I truly wish to pursue a career in, the
experience of working alongside some very intelligent and creative thinkers, and
the ability to manage a 9-5 workday." - A.J. Malkiewicz
"I work with Dr.
Ding on the Effectiveness of Tilt-in-Space and Recline project. It's my job to
get the entire study prepared for testing - so my everyday tasks have mainly
involved programming and improving data logging and analysis software,
calibrating sensors and testing them with the data logger, and finally, writing
a complete operations manual for the procedure. I have two favorite parts of
HERL. First - there are the great people I get to work with. Second - getting to
drive a wicked power wheelchair. My goal has been to explore first hand, a field
that involves medical technology to see if it's something I'm interested in
pursuing academically and maybe professionally. Other than that, I've mainly
been trying to learn as much as I can about whatever, be it the programming
(working here has definitely helped my programming skills) or working with the
data logger and sensors. Allow me to be a sap - but I will take away some good
memories and incredible learning experience (very unique as well) from HERL.
It's been a great summer." - Scott Novich
The Intern Program at HERL (Human Engineering Research Laboratories) provides an opportunity for undergraduates and high school students to experience the daily activities of a research environment. Internships are granted to those students who have an interest in Biomechanics, Bioengineering, Rehabilitation Sciences or other fields within these disciplines. Students are encouraged to offer their own ideas on projects and to work alongside professional researchers and engineers to complete the given tasks. Although most interns work in the summer months, there are openings nearly year round.
If you are interested in participating in this program, please contact Paula Stankovic at (412) 365-4850.