The SAC24 will have a range of workshops students can attend, which will include SumoBot, Arduino, Mandang, Introduction to Software Defined Radio, a hidden transmitter hunt (“Signal Safari”), a Project Showcase and two Professional Development workshops. Each workshop has limited seating. Therefore, students must sign up as soon as possible to attend any workshops.
List of Workshops:
- The Arduino Workshop will be focused on enhancing students’ skills in Arduino outside what they learn in the classroom to be able to apply it to real-life experiences and scenarios. Please download the Arduino IDE prior to the workshop so you can more quickly start programming at the workshop HERE.
- The Mangdang Workshop teaches students how to use an open-sourced system to control a robot to perform specific tasks. Through this workshop, one can see live how code can make a robot move.
- The Software Defined Radio (SDR) Workshop will use the RTL-SDR and present the integrated circuit configurations and the applications of the inexpensive SDR dongle that provides a practical understanding and experience in wireless technology. Freeware software will demonstrate analog and digital spectral analysis and voice and data reception. Technical topics will include in-phase and quadrature signals, up and down frequency conversion and filtering and external antenna construction. Demonstrated applications of the RTL-SDR will consist of broadcast, aeronautical, Amateur Radio and satellite reception. Registration for this event is now closed. Please download and install the software up to Step 6 in this set of instructions for the SDR.
- The Signal Safari Workshop involves radar tracking and is used in a variety of fields, including animal tracking in ecology research. In this workshop, you will build a directional Yagi antenna and connect it to your laptop with an SDR (software defined radio) dongle. Then, we will use radar tracking techniques to look for our very own Villanova Safari animals on campus. We will also look for overhead satellites and other radio transmissions in the area.
- The Drone Workshop will provide attendees a chance to program and actually fly drones in simple flying patterns using simple commands within the workshop area. Registration for this event is now closed.
- Project Showcase will be a chance to showcase your student project, be it a research or senior capstone project, in a relaxed setting. Further information on the format of the Showcase and the poster requirements can be found HERE.
- Student Engagement Workshop: Navigating the Career Jungle: Unleashing Your Success in Today’s Work Landscape A few Tips to Manage Professional Development & Career Security. Presented by Mr. Bala Prasanna, currently IEEE Region 1 Director (biography and abstract can be found HERE).
- Professional and Career Development Workshops include two separate workshops that students can attend to enhance their professional brand and connections with companies. The first workshop focuses on building one’s professional brand through resumes and a LinkedIn account (the slides for this workshop can be found HERE). The second workshop focuses on the interview process and how to create a relationship with the employer that you are interviewing with (the slides for this workshop can be found HERE). Both workshops will be run by individuals who work in Villanova’s Career Center.