Florida Polytechnic Students’ Device Could Save Hospitals Thousands

LAKELAND, FL — Four Florida Polytechnic University students and their professor may have created a way to save hospitals across the country thousands of dollars during construction projects on their campuses. The re-engineered device is meant to measure dust, noise, vibration and other factors that can impact patient health and safety.

Dr. Harish Chintakunta, an assistant professor of electrical engineering, and four students, Eric Vickers, Joseph Prine, Ezequiel Juarez Garcia and Paul Luckey, began work to re-engineer the existing Skanska USA inSite monitor over the summer. The existing monitors made by Skanska cost about $6,000. Florida Poly’s design created in the student laboratory was built using only $300 in components, the school said in a media release.

“We introduce students during class time to a variety of sensors and principles,” Chintakunta said. “But finding the right specifications for a specific application and finding something within budget is a whole different task. I think the students gained significant experience in the latter.”

Skanska is an international construction company that was responsible for building Florida Poly’s iconic Innovation, Science and Technology building. Skanska’s inSite monitoring systems are used when the company undertakes hospital renovation projects. They are meant to measure levels of dust, air pressure and other variables that could pose health risks for patients and create damage to hospital equipment if they are not kept within set ranges.

“For Skanska and our team it was rewarding to come back to Florida Poly after building it and work with the students on this project,” said Chuck Jablon, senior vice president of Skanska USA Building. “The students were not only enthusiastic to meet this challenge, but also very engaged throughout the process.”

Florida Poly officials say the project is a demonstration of the hands-on approach the school takes with instruction. During the course of the project, the student team worked hand-in-hand with Skanska engineers.

“The students embarked on what they do best at a STEM-focused school like Florida Poly and they challenged the limits of science,” Jablon said.

Vickers, one of the students involved in the project, said the undertaking did more than reinforce classroom learning.

“We (gave) the industry partner a different perspective on a solution to their problem,” he said. “I think this strengthened the relationship between Skanska and the University and hopefully created more opportunities for research projects and internships.”

While a prototype has been created, the students have more work to do. The next step is for students to test the design in a construction environment. If it holds up to scrutiny, the next move will be to develop packaging to create a commercial product.

For more information about Lakeland’s Florida Polytechnic University, visit the school’s website.

Photo of Dr. Harish Chintakunta, Eric Vickers, Paul Luckey, Ezequiel Juarez Garcia courtesy of Florida Polytechnic. Student Joseph Prine is not pictured.