Testimonials
This summer at HERL was full of design and iteration, and I had the chance to learn a lot about the engineering and machining process along the way. But my favorite part was collaborating with the other interns. Bouncing ideas off each other and helping one another with our projects has been a very rewarding experience. I've made friends and improved my people skills in the process. Working alongside people who were just as curious and motivated pushed me to think differently and stay engaged. I'm leaving with new skills, good memories, and friendships I'll carry forward.
- Abraham Tay
During my internship I worked on mini RAMMP. I focused on the mechatronics side, creating the PCB, writing code, selecting components, and testing. I learned to solder, design a PCB, write Arduino libraries, use GitHub, and machine parts. I learned how to work as part of an engineering team. I was pushed to take on complex tasks that I had only imagined and completed them. The week before the VA Games, I dropped everything to design a belt cover and front caster motor mounts for RAMMP. With the chair assembled, I worked around limited measurements to deliver a design I'm proud of.
- Alex Chovan
This summer at HERL, I set out to build a Proof-of-concept data logger for power wheelchairs. This data logger works like a wheelchair 'smartwatch,' tracking movement and position. Most of my time was spent learning by doing. I debugged faulty sensors, wrote firmware to bring the sensors to life, and slowly turned scattered parts into a working system. Through this learning process, I leave with a real appreciation for hands-on engineering and the patience it takes to build something from the ground up.
- Anant Jayaraman
The summer started with lots of time in the machine shop, where we helped Jess prepare rugby wheelchairs for shipment to Armenia. Working side by side gave the interns a chance to get to know each other and made it easy to build friendships early on. My favorite part of the internship was the people I worked with. Even though we each had our own projects, we were always helping each other, sharing ideas, and making the days more enjoyable. There was never a dull moment in the intern cubicle.
- Ceci Morow
I’ve always had a passion for medicine but wondered what tools would make surgery more e>icient. Thanks to my 8 weeks at HERL, I began to understand what goes on behind the scenes with respect to engineering within medicine. Specifically, 3D printed dental surgical guides became a focus. There are many kinds, but they all aid a clinician in precise and predictable placement of implants in a patient. I learned how to use exoCAD to design guides, utilized the NextDent 5100 printer for production, and disseminate information to dental residents about this digital technology and related additive manufacturing techniques.
- Ji Yool Moon
During my time at HERL, I’ve had a lot of long workdays cooped up in the Biolab and pushed through many frustrating roadblocks in my Smartwheel project – it’s no small feat to rework an entire instrumented racing wheel in 10 weeks. During this last week, however, I’ve been taking the time to step back and appreciate all the work I’ve done – the PCB design, the firmware, the data post-processing, the documentation – and I just feel so proud of everything I’ve learned and made. As a little celebration, I got myself a very yummy grain bowl from Panera today, and took an extra-long lunch break soaking up the sun with my friends in Bakery Square.
- Sasha Roth
This summer at HERL gave me the opportunity to grow and develop my skills as an engineer in a safe yet challenging environment that forced me to learn if I wanted to make meaningful progression on my project which could only be done by reaching out to the amazing people here who have expertise in all areas of engineering, biomedical, science, and computing making them a valuable resource for all. This year my project was a system in a much larger, complex project which made me discuss any decisions with a team of people making my experience much more realistic.
- Jackson Rozelle
As someone who studied public health, I was initially caught off guard when I found out I was the only HERL intern that didn’t major in engineering. However, I learned through this internship that these two fields overlap more than what you would be expect. Involving community members, developing innovations that promote accessibility and equity, meeting people where they are: these are common goals that public health practitioners and engineers share. Beyond this realization, I got to expand my skillset as a researcher during my time at HERL. I got to analyze data using SPSS and R, write a manuscript, and present my research to community members. These experiences have been invaluable, and I’m excited to apply what I’ve learned as an incoming research coordinator at the VA!
- Matt Tang