Smart and Secure Research Laboratory Project (S²L):

The course project is a study in sensors and security resulting in a partial subsystems design of a smart and secure research laboratory (S²Lab). S²Lab is a state-of-the-art laboratory to be implemented in the New Kingsbury Hall http://www.ceps.unh.edu and serve as a prototype for other buildings. A laboratory of this new type requires a multidisciplinary effort to be successful (see www.rdmag.com  - the 2003 Lab Design Handbook) The project might be implemented in the future in two different settings: (1) the renovated Kingsbury Hall at the University of New Hampshire (the construction starts in June 2003), and (2) the Emergency Management and Fire Marshall Office Building, Concord, New Hampshire (currently at the design phase). It is hoped that the study in this course could serve as a model for other similar facilities across the state and the country. Representatives from academia, industry, and government are invited to discuss the proposed project and make suggestions for students involved in the course.

S²Lab presentation in PowerPoint format

A concept of the S²Laboratory is to serve as a research center all sensor projects but to also serve as a secure lab test-bed as depicted in the figure shown below:

The proposed lab has several distinctive zones:

1.       The Denial Zone – the area surrounding the building or its section with a limited access. Students from all the CEPS Departments are encouraged in participating in projects pertinent to this layer, but especially students from Chemical Engineering, Chemistry, and Physics. We are interested in innovative concepts for denial of access to or occupation of an area by vehicles or personnel. These projects are conducted in cooperation with the Non-Lethal Technology Innovation Center.

2.       The Security Zone – this is a protective entry/exit zone, a gateway to the lab. Students from all the Departments are invited to participate in activities at this level. Project may involve biometrics, monitoring, smart cards etc. 

3.       The Lab Layout – this level represent a physical structure of the lab. Students from mechanical, chemical and civil engineering are especially welcome to conduct design studies of the lab layout.

4.       The Smart & Secure Network -  it is envisioned that walls, floors, and ceilings of the lab will be “smart” e.g. saturated with systems of sensors for detection of chemicals, vibration, shocks, temperature, weather conditions, fire, and others. Those sensors will be connected through either fiber optics of wireless network to allow monitoring of the lab and detect undesired conditions. This part of the project will be conducted in cooperation with industry. Especially computer science and electrical and computer engineering majors are encouraged to participate in designing and programming this class of networks.

5.       The Crypto Microelectronics – specific VLSI or FPGA designs are considered at this level to demonstrate security concepts. Only students from the Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering have sufficient background to be involved in these designs. This part of the project will be conducted in cooperation with industry and devices implemented either in the Design Automation Lab at UNH or fabricated through MOSIS (www.mosis.org ).

Project Opportunities:

The S²Lab projects can involve monitoring structure fatigue, monitoring the environment inside and outside the S²Lab and determining energy efficiency,detecting pollutants and harmful chemicals, and authenticating and tracking individuals inside and outside the lab. Projects of this new type require a multidisciplinary effort, from different Engineering and Physical Sciences majors.  The following is a chart listing major areas of potential research and the different CEPS areas that may cooperatively work together.

ECE-777 Home

ECE-UNH Home