懂色帝

Mr. Roboto

懂色帝鈥檚聽Entrepreneurship and Technology Innovation Center聽(ETIC), an idea and innovation hub within the聽College of Engineering and Computing Sciences, debuted the ETIC Research Robot for Student Engagement and Learning Activities () in 2019. As E.R.R.S.E.L.A.鈥檚聽functionality has grown, so has the need to build an additional robot with even more impressive performance.聽

Backed by a聽Voya Foundation education grant, 懂色帝鈥檚聽prototyping partnership with NASA, and聽collaborative research with the聽College of Osteopathic Medicine聽(NYITCOM), the vision for a new, advanced version of E.R.R.S.E.L.A. (known as E2) is coming to life.聽Electrical and computer engineering听蝉迟耻诲别苍迟听Alexander Impastato聽is co-managing its design as well as its mechanical and electrical systems.聽

Specifically, his work will enable E2 to have two arms functioning with the dexterity and precision of movement to be used in higher-level projects, such as assisting in remote-controlled robotic surgery. While E.R.R.S.E.L.A. could use only one arm to retract tissue during surgical procedures, E2 will be able to use both arms to assist in tissue retraction and suction. Also, by Impastato鈥檚 design, E2 will be given a sturdier base than its predecessor, so it can more easily finesse movement around a surgical suite. Given E2鈥檚 revised blueprint, the new robot will be more adaptable than its forebear for other functions and projects.

鈥淚 started showing up to the ETIC randomly when it was open,鈥� says Impastato of how he found himself working there in spring 2022. 鈥淚 was assigned to work on a NASA Java project called HeartBeatID. From there, I worked my way up to the E2 project.鈥�

NASA鈥檚 proposed HeartBeatID would use a person鈥檚 heart鈥檚 electrical signals as a new form of biometric authentication (instead of the more commonly used fingerprint or the basic ID card).  

The aspiring electrical engineer first discovered his interest in the field when he participated in his high school鈥檚 robotics club. As he participated in the club鈥檚 activities, he noticed the correlation between robotics and electrical engineering. Impastato鈥檚 experience has not been composed of all artificial intelligence mechanics, though鈥攈e has spent three semesters interning with rail transit construction company L.K. Comstock. 

During his extensive time with the company, Impastato learned the details involved with circuit design as he detailed and revised circuit drawings for New York City subway signal systems on train tracks. 

鈥淭he experience was all about implementing speed enforcement and autonomous computer driver control for trains on railroads,鈥� he says. 鈥淎pplying these skillsets to my campus project and career goals has taught me to think outside the box to solve a problem or achieve a goal.鈥�

Among those skillsets are designing vital and non-vital circuit relays (elements used for train control), track circuits, interlocking switches, and experience with programming software. All of which will prove invaluable as Impastato pursues his Fundamentals of Engineering certification, master鈥檚 degree, and future career.

Impastato says he is inspired by how engineering elements he鈥檚 learned at work and in class apply to real-world scenarios. As he builds and experiments in his laboratory classes at 懂色帝, he learned to wire circuits on breadboards鈥攁 device used to create circuits without the need for soldering (joining metals together)鈥攁nd then applied those same concepts to the E2 project to make certain motors run.

Along with E2, which he hopes will be completed by March or April 2023, Impastato is working on his senior design project called 鈥淎quabot.鈥� Upon its completion, this robot will be able to water plants autonomously.

鈥淒o not rush, do not be afraid to ask questions, and focus on one task at a time,鈥� Impastato offers to students who wish to follow a similar path in engineering. 鈥淭hroughout this path, there were times when I wanted to give up. However, these thoughts have taught me that this path is going to get me far in my career journey. In life, nothing that is rewarding is supposed to be easy.鈥�