Creative and Problem-Solving Student Innovations

Our Fall 2022 Student Innovation Project (SIP) Showcase was a success! On Tuesday, December 13, 2022, University of Advancing Technology (UAT) students gathered in the UAT Theater—and virtually—to impress faculty, staff, peers and the community with their innovations that help to provide entertainment, solve problems or fill a gap in the marketplace.

Art Direction Professor, Dapzury Valenzuela, not only hosted the event but also prepared the students for the big day. "I'm grateful for the opportunity to lead and guide aspiring technologists alongside all of our esteemed UAT faculty. These projects exemplify UAT's mission to innovate and help build our next-generation workforce."

"Both our UAT on-ground and online students presented projects that included an innovative job search app, a game mechanic that uses a second POV, a runner game concept that swaps characters, a co-op game where two players play as the same character, an app partnered with M5Stick, Arduino, and IFTTT to detect seizures and alert emergency contacts, a mobile app controlled tripod, a web comic that educates the elderly on scams, a multi-decoder, a self-cleaning keyboard tray, a vehicle security camera for your cup holder, a wearable device that tracks your sleep, and a game to help inmates build their social skills to earn basic items, just to name a few," shares Professor Valenzuela.

"Our Fall 2022 Student Innovation Project Showcase demonstrated the creative and problem-solving skills of our UAT students!" adds Professor Valenzuela.

I-Apply by Matthew Reynolds

Project Description: An innovative application that makes applying for jobs more efficient and more personal.

Degree Major: Business Technology

SIP URL: https://matreyno.wixsite.com/matreyno 

UATouch by Morgan Kitay & Jaryd Edson

Project Description: An app that showcases everything incoming and current students need to know about UAT, from navigating different routes, to searching for faculty information.

Degree Major: Game Art & Animation

SIP URL: https://www.imaginablecreationsmk.com/case-studies

Reform Rewards by Marissa Walsh

Project Description: Reform Rewards will help inmates improve their social skills while achieving basic need items.

Degree Major: Game Art & Animation

SIP URL: https://mariwalshvoices.wixsite.com/website/services

D.E.R.P. Dynamic Environmental Response Project by Kyle Smith

Project Description: D.E.R.P. offers users the experience of an ever-evolving environment.

Degree Major: Game Art & Animation (Online)

SIP URL: N/A

Weapon Procedural Generation by Logan Kirkes

Project Description: Allows weapons to transform in real time in video games.

Degree Major: Game Art & Animation (Online)

SIP URL: N/A

Hunted by Carter Wolf

Project Description: A game mechanic that utilizes a second-person point of view from an AI monster’s perspective to control and keep the player hidden.

Degree Major: Game Art & Animation and Game Design

SIP URL: https://carterwolf.wixsite.com/portfolio/barlog

Out of Body Experience by Justin Figuero

Project Description: A runner game concept that involves endlessly running through generated levels while completing quick time events to swap characters.

Degree Major: Game Programming

SIP URL: https://justinoner2017.wixsite.com/website

Attribute & Ability Manager by Killian Lane

Project Description: An innovative tool to help designers balance with more than just numbers.

Degree Major: Game Programming

SIP URL: N/A

Masuma by Natasha Hernandez

Project Description: Masuma is a game where two people play one character.

Degree Major: Game Design (Online)

SIP URL: N/A

VR Magnetism Movement Method by Don Smith

Project Description: N/A

Degree Major: Virtual Reality (Online)

SIP URL: N/A

Touch-Less by Mya Morgan

Project Description: Touch-Less is an innovative application that has partnered with M5Stick, Arduino and IFTTT to detect seizures and alert the chosen emergency contacts.

Degree Major: Robotics & Embedded Systems

SIP URL: https://sites.google.com/nau.edu/erg186-006/home

SEK Tron (Cyber Watch) by Jeffery Koss

Project Description: A source evaluation kit that uses smart technology to introduce plug-and-play through cartridges.

Degree Major: Robotics & Embedded Systems (Online)

SIP URL: N/A

P.E.C.S. Parasite Expandable Capabilities System by William Hardman

Project Description: A three-part system that adapts in a video rate defender with a new capability without permanently modifying or breaking any of its systems.

Degree Major: Digital Maker & Fabrication (Online)

SIP URL: N/A

Omni-Lift by Lucas Rattigan & Erich Van de Bogart

Project Description: A tripod that is controlled through a mobile application. Perfect for those who work in small crews or independently in the field for easier tripod usage.

Degree Major: Lucas—Digital Video & Erich—Advancing Computer Science

SIP URL: rattiganportfolio.com and https://erichvdb.weebly.com/

Hack Me Not by Brandon Amundson

Project Description: A simple web comic that educates the elderly what to watch for in classic “tech support” scams and teaches them basic features of a computer such as the run as box, command prompt and event logger.

Degree Major: Network Security

SIP URL: https://bmamundson.weebly.com/sip.html

CR4CK3RJ4CK by Jonathan Luna

Project Description: A multi-decoder built entirely from Python Coding capable of running through a command line.

Degree Major: Network Security

SIP URL: https://john4luna2.wixsite.com

STICKY: Self-Cleaning Keyboard Tray by Emily Parra

Project Description: A self-cleaning keyboard tray prototype that relies on CO2 pressurized air to clean between mechanical keyboard keys.

Degree Major: Network Security

SIP URL: https://imemilyp.weebly.com/sip.html

SnapBack Vehicle Protection Device by Elias Saldana

Project Description: A mounted camera placed inside of your vehicle cup holder to capture an image of someone seeing inside your car using a sensor.

Degree Major: Network Security (Online)

SIP URL: N/A

Auto-Deploy by Adalberto Ruiz

Project Description: Deploys projects on-the-fly in order to improve efficiency metrics for an organization or business.

Degree Major: Network Security

SIP URL: https://bestadalberto.weebly.com/

Quavo Admin Panel by Kevin Duong

Project Description: An admin web panel for health checks on company servers and notification centers.

Degree Major: Network Engineering

SIP URL: https://kdduongaz.wixsite.com/kevinduongboard/sip

AI Nurse by Jade Harrison

Project Description: A chatbot to guide people step-by-step on medical emergencies or injuries.

Degree Major: Artificial Intelligence

SIP URL: https://ejh7000.wixsite.com/jadeportfolio/sip-project

Blindly by Jesus Uribe

Project Description: Blindly is an easy-to-use wearable device that tracks your sleep and automatically opens your blinds when you awaken.

Degree Major: Human Computer Interaction

SIP URL: https://jesus37921.wixsite.com/sleeptrackingblinds

Voice Check by Jonah Chelsy

Project Description: Voice Check introduces the future of chatbot interaction with cutting-edge voice recognition. Voice Check is innovative in its text-independent speech classification that enables a chatbot to recognize a user.

Degree Major: Artificial Intelligence & Advancing Computer Science

SIP URL: https://jchelsy.weebly.com/sip.html

Drum Roll, Please!

After the showcase, the UAT community voteed on six winners for various awards. This semester's winners are:

🏆 Best SIP Pitch: Masuma by Natasha Hernandez

🏆 Most Market Viable Quavo: Admin Panel by Kevin Duong

🏆 Ingenuity Prize: Hunted by Carter Wolf

🏆 World Changer: Auto Deploy by Adalberto Ruiz

🏆 Best in Show: Blindly by Jesse Uribe

🏆 Viewers Choice: Hunted by Carter Wolf

Congratulations to the winners and to all students who can now claim their own exciting innovations in the wonderful world of technology!