Throughout my diverse experiences in engineering, volunteering, fencing, art, and dog-raising, I have made various ideas for innovations that could help to improve the world.
For engineering, I am currently conducting research at the University of North Texas (UNT) in a power electronics and renewable energies lab under a professor of electrical engineering. I researched over the summer, earning a stipend for working 35+ hours a week for 10 weeks. I also applied for and was awarded a research grant. In this lab, I am currently working on a new family of multiport DC-DC converters, focusing on buck-boost converters, which will be able to improve the efficiency of solar panels and other forms of renewable energy. DC systems are more flexible, effective, less conversion levels than traditional battery-based AC renewable energy systems. Multiport DC-DC converters, specifically, have applications in smart grids and renewable energy, integrating various power sources, optimizing power distribution, and adapting to dynamic environments. And buck-boost converters excel in regulating voltage for diverse applications, offering versatility, efficiency, and reliability. This is why multiport DC-DC buck-boost converters are my field of research. Currently, we have designed the PCB board and recently received a prototype, after sending the model for fabrication. I will continue to work on this prototype by soldering in the components, and hopefully I will have a working model, along with some analyzable voltage waveforms and graphs to add to my poster, which I will be presenting at the next UNT Scholars Day Conference.
As for volunteering, I am on the board of ambassadors for the NiHao Foodbank Initiative, a group of Asian Americans against hunger in the DFW area. My experiences fundraising, asking for volunteers, and trying to coordinate with schools gave me the idea for an innovative mobile app which could revolutionize volunteering with food banks, by connecting volunteers with relevant opportunities based on skills/availability, providing real-time updates on urgent needs, and fostering community through gamification. Volunteers can indicate skills, receive training, and easily donate money or food. The app could also use feedback and ratings to maintain accountability and recognize contributions, ultimately enhancing the effectiveness of food distribution efforts.
I have also been fencing since I was nine and am now nationally ranked. I have received impressive results, such as top 8 at summer nationals and top 32 at junior Olympics. My sport is heavily connected to my field of study (electrical engineering), as fencing involves a lot of electrical wiring and conductive clothing, in order to see when someone has been hit. An innovation that I think would benefit this is improved video-replay systems. Currently, the video review system has no sound and the has a two-dimensional image becomes flat and two-dimensional, making it harder for the referee, if he is unsure about a point. Often times, there are no video systems at all until you reach top 16 at nationals, or are fencing outside of the US. This often results in incorrect calls and arguing/yelling coaches and parents. Another solution to this could be the use of sensors. In saber fencing, right of way is the most important thing. Special motion sensors could tell the ref who was beating who's blade, or who was going forward first, all important things which contribute to right of way.
I have always been interested in art. Recently on TikTok, there has been a trend of calling out creators for "cheating" art using AI generated art. I think a good innovation would be an application on your phone that instantly tells you when a piece of art is AI generated or plagiarized from somewhere. Integrity is very important, and the true creators of art should always be credited. Furthermore, maybe TikTok could improve their flagging abilities and be able to take down pages that purely use AI art or plagiarize off of genuine creators.
On of the biggest innovations I have worked on is one with my dog. We adopted a baby chichuahua named Peluche to be an emotional support animal for my sister. When she first saw him, she joked about him looking scruffy and having a weird name. Peluche is French for stuffed animal, something my sister thought couldn’t describe the skinny and seemingly stuffing-less puppy. He was a bit aggressive and constantly bared his teeth. But the biggest reason everyone wanted to return him was because he wasn’t potty-trained. I seem to be the only one who became deeply attached, finding his clumsy antics endearing. I gave him the nickname “Lu” and let him sleep on my bed each night. Dedicated to keeping him, I tried to potty-train him, but it was hard because I couldn’t constantly monitor him. After consulting various articles and videos to no avail, I remembered the vibrating collar my mom used to train our other dog, and I borrowed it to see if it could help me. After an initial test, I found it was useful, but only with constant surveillance, so I decided to modify the collar to make my own device. To find a way to detect when he peed, I researched different types of sensors, ultimately deciding on moisture sensors, a reliable detector of urine. I also added an alarm system to the collar, so I could hear when Lu was peeing and move him outside, to teach him the correct place to go. By the end of my endeavor, it was all integrated and sewn into an outfit for Lu to wear. Surprisingly, my family supported me and even decided to help me file for a patent. I learned that patent applications require a lot of writing– more than you’d think possible for a seemingly simple device. Getting the opportunity to draw my own diagrams, I drew four on my iPad, with no idea if I was doing it right. I remember my pride when the patent lawyer said my diagrams looked professionally made and ready for submission. The most tedious part was writing the descriptions for these diagrams, which had over 50 labeled points. My patent application remains under review, but it was a great introduction to a world of engineering and innovation. One in ten pets adopted from a shelter are returned in under six months. Hopefully an innovation such as this one can help to get rid of this statistic.
It is apparent that I have constantly considered ways of improvement for all of the different parts and experiences of my life. Some are merely ideas, but some I have been working on for a while. Hopefully I will be able to successfully have a few of these ideas come to fruition, along with any I come up with in the future, and truly make my impact on the world some day.