My name is Samuel Aaron Cooper, and I am dual majoring in both Advanced Computer Science (ACS) and Robotics & Embedded Systems. I have always had an interest in all thing’s technology, from computer programming to electrical and mechanical engineering, from entertainment to more practical uses. Machines and technology have always inspired me in what all can and could be done with them. While the many incorporations of technology in general (As broad as it is) interests me, robotics, especially that which is used in human prosthetics interests me the most. The use of robotics technology to replace missing or damaged limbs, and maybe in the future repair or replace to an even further degree that more severe human conditions can be solved through prosthetics. Transhumanism, to put it shortly, is the idea/philosophy of improving or repairing the human body or/and mind through the use technology. While many science-fiction works show examples of this, the work that influenced me the most growing up (as well as my interest in robotics in general) is a movie & television series called “Ghost in the Shell”. This work of fiction showed a more urban or near future of technology, which robotics were advanced enough for more complex tasks in both civilian and military situations as well as human-robotic prosthetics advanced to the point that full body prosthetics are a common technology in the world and how both the society and economy around such technology has evolved. While such technologies are still many, many years ahead in technologies, it still helped to inspire my deep interest in the subject, such my choice in study and work reflects said interest. It is these such technologies I wish to help progress, so that we may someday get to the point that physical disabilities can be amended with robotic-prosthetics that get up to or even surpass human reactions.
Such my work and community contributions reflect those interests, I am currently working on a team to improve the robotics lab by adding smart home technologies as well as other features. One such feature that I am personally working on with other members of the team is a Swarm-Bot, a small mobile robot which will move around the lab and has several detachable functions that serve to keep the floors of the lab clean. This includes both programming the hardware as well as working on and implementing the electrical schematic. I am working on the mechanical side by doing the electrical work, soldering, and designing of the platform and chassis itself. This will help to create an environment that will inspire other students interested in robotics and technology to pursue a similar goal after seeing it in motion firsthand. However, this is still a working progress, but one that I am helping to contribute to. Another form of contribution would be through my internship with Hughes Engineering, while I can’t say much about the project itself due to signing an NDA, it involved working on a robotics project that included both programming and solder/circuit work to contribute to an end goal. To contribute to building/finishing the robotics project. While my time was short there, due to needing to leave the state for family issues, I was able to learn much from them as well as contribute as much as I could to their goals.
While both my jobs, internships, and majors reflect my interest in robotics, I also have a great interest in creating/finishing my own projects as well. Many of these projects are mainly entertainment but some also serve as a learning tool for others as well, one such project being the SIP I am currently working on titled “Sinfonia”. This program that I am currently working on seeks to teach users how to play the piano by mixing in rhythm game mechanics, such as to make the learning process more engaging and enjoyable. I love the music, especially the piano but I am not very good at it, thus gave me the inspiration to use what I have learned to program and create a tool/game to help people stay engaged and learn how to play the piano. I plan on working on this past graduation and fully improving on it until I can release it to the public. As for other contributions past graduation, I plan on finding work within the field of my major so I can continue to contribute with those fields of research then using the money earned from those jobs to fund my own projects. Aside from that I plan on contributing in both the work I find and my own projects towards the technology I seek to see in the future, even if it doesn’t become reality in my lifetime.