UNDERGRADUATE EDUCATIONAL INITIATIVES
Robotics and Artificial Intelligence Curriculum
A high quality robotics curricula will be developed for students at the University of Maryland and the University of Maryland Eastern Shore, integrating S3AM technologies into electives on artificial intelligence, robotics and automation, AI and engineering. These courses will provide students with the opportunity to apply real-world principles and methodologies in science and engineering to natural resource sustainability and aquaculture production using the S3AM platform.
Senior Capstone Design Courses
The S3AM platform will provide students with the opportunity to tackle the challenges of the aquaculture industry through senior capstone design courses focused on robotics and AI at University of Maryland, University of Maryland Eastern Shore, and Salisbury University. These senior capstones will nurture student innovation and entrepreneurship, and foster big-picture thinking in the aquaculture industry.
The design courses will culminate in an engineering design showcase that allows engineering and business majors to form teams, create and prototype a product or system, and work with researchers at HBIs like Hampton University or Tennessee State University, establishing the future sustainable success of the aquaculture industry.
Student Project Example: University of Maryland Eastern Shore - Design of Unmanned Underwater Vehicle: https://www.umesuuv.com/home
Summer Undergraduate Research Program (SURP)
Salisbury University will work with University of Maryland and University of Maryland Eastern Shore to develop a ten-week Summer Undergraduate Research program (SURP).
The SURP has two main goals—the first is to provide unique learning and research opportunities, particularly for minority and women students. The second is to develop student interest in graduate studies and future careers in the AI/robotics assisted aquaculture industry.
Hosted by UMD and SU, the SURP will recruit students from each of the three partnering schools. During the ten-week program, students will have opportunities to work with researchers at a “home lab” in one of the three institutions, as well as visiting the offsite labs at the different project partners.
Student research may focus on a variety of topics: from developing a low-cost S3AM drone platform, to image processing for oyster detection, water quality monitoring for shellfish farming or developing smart oyster harvesting tools.