Every summer, the Health Care Engineering Systems Center (HCESC) offers UIUC undergraduates the opportunity to apply for a Jump ARCHES summer internship. Students are paired with a PI who has received funding through Jump ARCHES and assist them with their work. Not only are students introduced to innovative projects in the healthcare engineering space, they also are able to perform hands on research as necessary. Seven interns were picked for this summer, including mechanical engineering student Kayleigh Hanlon who was paired with mechanical science and engineering associate professor Sameh Tawfick and Ph.D. candidate Jeongmin Kim. 

What project are you working on, who are you working with, and what is something you have learned so far from said project?  

The project I am working on this summer is “Motion Capture Enclosure for Pediatric Heart Simulator and Small-Scale Kinematics.” The PI for my project is Sameh Tawfick, and I am working with my mentor Jeongmin Kim. Something that I have learned during this internship is motion capture software and how to operate OptiTrack cameras.

What has been your favorite part of your internship experience so far?   

My favorite experience of this internship is being able to incorporate 3D animation with engineering. During my internship, I frequently conducted simulation tests in Blender to visualize object movement. These simulation tests encouraged me to learn new types of 3D software, such as Blender. Overall, I was reminded to stay creative and learn new engineering topics.

Why has this internship been important to you?

This internship has been important to me because it has taught me self-sufficiency. Each day, I had to plan out my own agenda and determine what aspect of my project needed improvement. Jump ARCHES has given me my first real glimpse of independent research.

How do you hope to use the knowledge that you have gained from this experience in your future endeavors?  

Jump ARCHES has encouraged me to learn about cutting edge technology and new advances in the biomedical industry. Prior to this internship, I had no knowledge of OptiTrack cameras and their tracking abilities. I was oblivious to the fact that their usage was very prevalent. However, after working with OptiTrack tracking software for 8 weeks, I have gained new insight on these cameras. I plan on utilizing this knowledge in my future career and exhibit confidence when working with this technology.