MIT: Independent Activities Period: IAP

IAP 2017 Activities by Sponsor - Lincoln Laboratory

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Build a Small Radar System

Patrick Bell, Ken Kolodziej

Enrollment: Limited: Advance sign-up required
Sign-up by 01/06
Limited to 24 participants
Attendance: Participants must attend all sessions
Prereq: See Course Description

Are you interested in building and testing your own radar system?  MIT Lincoln Laboratory is offering a course focusing on the design, fabrication, and test of a laptop-based radar capable of forming Doppler, range and synthetic aperture radar (SAR) images. This course will appeal to anyone interested in the following: electronics, amateur radio, physics or electromagnetics. Teams of three will receive materials to build a radar and will be given instructions to watch pre-recorded lectures spanning topics from fundamentals of radar to SAR imaging.  Instructors will be on-hand to answer questions and debug any assembly issues.  You will bring your radar into the field and perform experiments such as measuring the speed of passing cars or plotting the range of moving targets.  A final SAR imaging contest will test your ability to form a detailed and creative SAR image of a target scene of your choice.  The best image wins!

Laptop running Windows, Mac OS or Linux.  Other versions of Unix have not been tested.  At least one available USB port.  Installation permissions may be necessary for Arduino microcontroller.  Matlab 2009b or later, Instrumentation Control Toolbox for Matlab is required.

*This work is supported by the Department of the Air Force under Air Force Contract No. FA8702-15-D-0001. Any opinions, findings and conclusions or recommendations expressed in this material are those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the views of the Department of the Air Force.

Sponsor(s): Lincoln Laboratory, Electrical Engineering and Computer Science
Contact: Ken Kolodziej, MIT Lincoln Laboratory, radar.course@ll.mit.edu


Radar Build and Debug Sessions

Jan/25 Wed 01:00PM-04:30PM NE-45 2nd Floor, MIT Beaver Works
Jan/30 Mon 01:00PM-04:30PM NE-45 2nd Floor, MIT Beaver Works
Feb/03 Fri 01:00PM-04:30PM NE-45 2nd Floor, MIT Beaver Works

In person meetings focus on distribution, fabrication, and debug of radars.  These will additionally be used for discussions surrounding data collections and student results.  See course description for computer requirements.

IMPORTANT:

Sessions will be held at Beaver Works @ 300 Technology Square, 2nd Floor


Free-Space Laser Communication

Jade Wang, David Caplan, Gavin Lund, Dave Geisler, Neal Spellmeyer, Rich Kaminsky

Enrollment: Limited: Advance sign-up required
Sign-up by 01/06
Limited to 20 participants
Attendance: Participants must attend all sessions
Prereq: Exposure to Matlab, physics, electronics, optics helpful

Free-space laser communication (lasercom) is poised to revolutionize space-based data transmission, by enabling links with higher data rates and longer ranges than are practically achievable with radio-frequency systems. MIT Lincoln Laboratory and NASA recently demonstrated a record-breaking high-data-rate lasercom link, from a spacecraft orbiting the moon to ground stations on Earth, in the Lunar Laser Communication Demonstration (LLCD).

Although we won’t be sending laser beams into space, this class will provide students with hands-on experience designing and building a basic lasercom system. The accompanying lectures will provide an overview of lasercom concepts, lasers and optical components, lasercom-relevant electronics, communication link design, and analog and digital modulation techniques. Students will learn to apply these principles by building their own free-space lasercom systems, and will work in teams to compete for a best-project award.    

To register, email iap-lasercom@mit.edu.  Include "2017 IAP Lasercom Course Registration Request" in subject line and provide a brief description of your MIT affiliation and interest in the course.

*This work is sponsored by the Department of the Air Force under Air Force Contract #FA8721-05-C-0002. Opinions, interpretations, conclusions and recommendations are those of the authors and are not necessarily endorsed by the United States Government.

Sponsor(s): Lincoln Laboratory, MIT-SUTD Collaboration
Contact: Jade Wang, MIT Lincoln Laboratory, iap-lasercom@mit.edu


Jan/10 Tue 11:00AM-04:00PM NE45-202, located at 300 Tech. Square
Jan/12 Thu 11:00AM-04:00PM NE45-202, located at 300 Tech. Square
Jan/17 Tue 11:00AM-04:00PM NE45-202, located at 300 Tech. Square
Jan/19 Thu 11:00AM-04:00PM NE45-202, located at 300 Tech. Square

time includes break for lunch


Hands-On Holography

Dr. Robert A. Freking, Dr. Joseph Vornehm, Gregory Balonek

Jan/09 Mon 01:00PM-04:00PM Beaverworks NE45-202, Bring laptop with MATLAB installed
Jan/11 Wed 01:00PM-04:00PM Beaverworks NE45-202, Bring laptop with MATLAB installed
Jan/13 Fri 01:00PM-04:00PM Beaverworks NE45-202, Bring laptop with MATLAB installed
Jan/18 Wed 01:00PM-04:00PM Beaverworks NE45-202, Bring laptop with MATLAB installed
Jan/20 Fri 01:00PM-04:00PM Beaverworks NE45-202, Bring laptop with MATLAB installed

Enrollment: Limited: Advance sign-up required
Sign-up by 01/06
Limited to 30 participants
Attendance: Participants must attend all sessions
Prereq: Laptop with MATLAB, MATLAB experience

Hands-On Holography, Misjudged as passé art or entertained only as an amusing physical paradox, holography critically encompasses all the essential principles governing propagating wave interactions across every domain of matter and energy.  Yet, surprisingly few in the applied sciences and engineering appreciate how to leverage holographic phenomena in real-world sensing applications.  This course will demystify holography by demonstrating how to gather and interpret  2-D, phase-preserving recordings to recover a hidden , encoded third dimension of information. Course topics progress from basic phenomenology on to specialized applications of holographic techniques in the physical and computational domains.  Participants will practice holography hands-on in the electromagnetic and audio domains through interactive laboratory exercises employing traditional film, computer-generated holography (CGH) and sonic recordings.  Measurement devices, supplies and MATLAB starter code will be provided. 

All participants must supply their own laptops with MATLAB installed.

*This work is sponsored by the Department of the Air Force under Air Force Contract FA8721-05-C-0002.  Opinions, interpretations, conclusions and recommendations are those of the author and are not necessarily endorsed by the United States Government.

Sponsor(s): Lincoln Laboratory, MIT-SUTD Collaboration
Contact: Dr. Robert A. Freking, MIT Lincoln Laboratory, holographycourse@ll.mit.edu


RACECAR: Rapid Autonomous Complex-Environment Competing Ackermann-Steering Robot

Sertac Karaman, Professor, Aero/Astro, Michael Boulet, Ken Gregson, Owen Guldner

Enrollment: Limited: Advance sign-up required
Sign-up by 01/02
Limited to 30 participants
Attendance: Participants must attend all sessions
Prereq: see description

Modern robots tend to operate at slow speeds in complex environments, limiting their utility in high-tempo applications. In this course you will push the boundaries of unmanned vehicle speed. Teams of 4-5 will develop dynamic autonomy software to race an RC car equipped with LIDAR, cameras, inertial sensors, and embedded processing around a large-scale, “real-world” course. Working from a baseline autonomy stack, teams will modify the software to increase platform velocity to the limits of stability. The course culminates with a timed competition to navigate the MIT tunnels. Classes will provide lectures on algorithms and lab time with instructor-assisted development. Must attend every class and plan on 6-10 hr/week of self-directed development.


Prereqs: Advanced undergraduates and graduates with some background in controls or robotics. Majors include AeroAstro, Mechanical, Ocean, and EECS. Students with a background in computer science with interest in robotics and controls may also effectively participate. Must have experience with software development. Past exposure to robotics algorithms and/or embedded programming will be useful. Email racecar-iap-course-subscribe@mit.edu with a brief description of your programming/robotics experience.


*This work is sponsored by the Dept. of the Air Force under Contract FA8721-05-C-0002.  Opinions, interpretations, conclusions and recommendations are those of the author and are not necessarily endorsed by the U.S. Government.

Sponsor(s): Electrical Engineering and Computer Science, Lincoln Laboratory, MIT-SUTD Collaboration
Contact: Owen Guldner, racecar-iap-course-subscribe@mit.edu


Jan/09 Mon 01:00PM-05:00PM 32-081
Jan/11 Wed 01:00PM-05:00PM 32-081
Jan/13 Fri 01:00PM-05:00PM 32-081
Jan/18 Wed 01:00PM-05:00PM 32-081
Jan/20 Fri 01:00PM-05:00PM 32-081

Students should be prepared to put in significant time outside of scheduled class hours (approx. 6-10 hours each week)


Software Radio

Thomas Royster, Devin Kelly, James Streitman, Mike McLarney, Dwight Hutchenson, Fred Block, Joseph Gaeddert

Jan/10 Tue 01:00PM-04:00PM Beaverworks NE45-202, bring your laptop
Jan/12 Thu 01:00PM-04:00PM Beaverworks NE45-202, bring your laptop
Jan/17 Tue 01:00PM-04:00PM Beaverworks NE45-202, bring your laptop
Jan/19 Thu 01:00PM-04:00PM Beaverworks NE45-202, bring your laptop

Enrollment: Limited: Advance sign-up required
Sign-up by 01/09
Limited to 10 participants
Attendance: Participants must attend all sessions
Prereq: Engineering Background or Interest

Software radio technology is having a tremendous impact not only in consumer devices but also in the areas of rapid prototyping and research and development.  MIT Lincoln Laboratory is offering a course to introduce students to software radio fundamentals and applications.  Students will gain hands-on experience with the USRP, RTL-SDR, and HackRF software radio platforms while learning theory and practice of digital signal processing and digital communications.  The course will consist of several projects, such as FM radio receivers, digital video transmission and reception, and spectrum sensing, highlighting the flexibility of software radios. 

* This work is sponsored by the Department of the Air Force under Air Force Contract FA8721-05-C-0002. Opinions, interpretations, conclusions and recommendations are those of the author and are not necessarily endorsed by the United States Government.

Sponsor(s): Lincoln Laboratory, MIT-SUTD Collaboration
Contact: Thomas Royster, MIT Lincoln Laboratory, troyster@ll.mit.edu


Technology Innovation Accelerator

Dr. Raoul Ouedraogo, Lincoln Laboratory Staff, William Kindred, Lincoln Laboratory Staff, Dr. Crystal Jackson, Lincoln Laboratory Staff, Sara James, Lincoln Laboratory Staff, Dr. Todd Thorsen, Lincoln Laboratory Staff, Dr. Eric Phelps, Lincoln Laboratory Staff, Dr. Chelsea Curran, Lincoln Laboratory Staff, Dr. Kevin Cohen, Lincoln Laboratory Staff

Jan/10 Tue 01:00PM-05:00PM Beaverworks NE45-202
Jan/12 Thu 01:00PM-05:00PM Beaverworks NE45-202
Jan/17 Tue 01:00PM-05:00PM Beaverworks NE45-202
Jan/19 Thu 01:00PM-05:00PM Beaverworks NE45-202

Enrollment: Limited: Advance sign-up required
Sign-up by 01/06
Limited to 24 participants
Attendance: Participants must attend all sessions
Prereq: none

Do your innovative ideas get the attention they deserve? Would you like to refine those ideas and pitch them to a panel of technology experts, “Shark Tank” Style? In this interactive technology innovation accelerator, you will have an opportunity to work with peers and experts to generate hundreds of new ideas to present, evaluate, refine, and ultimately transform into system concepts that solve relevant and challenging problems.

We will discuss techniques and tools for brainstorming and concept development, provide technical presentation skills training, and provide lectures on this year’s technology focus: all things security. Students will be assigned mentors from both industry and government labs. This is the perfect opportunity to practice innovation, to hone your skills for future innovative research and entrepreneurship, and to network. Students may also have opportunities for research funding, internships/full-time positions with participating companies/labs, and startups.

FY17 Technology Focus: Security (Physical & Cyber)

FY17 participating companies & labs:

• MIT Lincoln Laboratory

• MIT CSAIL

• SimSpace Corporation

• State Street Corporation

• Swissnex

(Full list by Dec. 15)


*This work is sponsored by the Department of the Air Force under Air Force Contract #FA8721-05-C-0002. Opinions, interpretations, conclusions and recommendations are those of the authors and are not necessarily endorsed by the United States Government. 

Sponsor(s): MIT-SUTD Collaboration, Lincoln Laboratory
Contact: Dr. Raoul Ouedraogo, raoul.ouedraogo@ll.mit.edu