The proposed project is also a test-bed for integration of practical research and innovative education methods. Implementation will focus on team projects in the Eng 477 course, the capstone design courses, and the summer research opportunity projects. Experience obtained with the first groups of students undertaking pilot projects in hazard detection will make it possible to fine-tune the multi-disciplinary interaction mechanisms. A possible final outcome of the educational element of the proposed project may be the creation of a multi-disciplinary technology-integration engineering design course.
Another key element of the proposed project is the exchange of ideas among the students and the advisors. This collaboration may generate a plethora of multi-disciplinary team project proposals to government funding agencies and industry sponsors. Hopefully, the winning proposals would not have to search far and away for interested students; rather, the proposed pilot projects will serve to recruit our best and most motivated students.