Bob Z
- Research Program Mentor
PhD candidate at University of California Berkeley (UC Berkeley)
Expertise
Circuit design, circuit applications, electrical engineering, computer engineering
Bio
I am a graduate student studying electrical engineering. My research is on the design of communication circuits over electrical and fiber optic links. I began studying at UC Berkeley in 2014, where I earned my BS in electrical engineer and computer science (EECS) and am currently working toward PhD under Prof. Elad Alon and Prof. Bora Nikolic. As an undergraduate, I also did research with Prof. Kris Pister on low power wireless sensor radios. I have 3+ years of teaching experience in both massive (700+) introductory classes and smaller (~40) advanced classes and seminars. Why did I pursue research and engineering? I've always loved learned how systems work, whether I'm taking apart a remote control or analyzing engineering requirements for building LiDAR sensors or even looking at complex supply chains. I also love talking about all this stuff and getting people excited to solve the problems that face us now and in the future. I hope you do too.Project ideas
Amplifier Circuit Design
In this project, you will start from the basics of electrical circuits and build up core ideas in analog circuits design. You will study different applications of the humble amplifier, from audio amplification, to radio sensors and computation. This will culminate in a thesis-style report on the different applications and design techniques specific to those applications. Requirements: - High school physics (for intro. electrical circuits) and basic calculus (can you take a derivative?) are recommended. - Basic coding skills (Arduino coding) is recommended.
Microcontroller Exploration and Embedded Systems
Microcontrollers are the heart of modern technology. They live inside everything from giant servers to smart devices. In this project, you will gain exposure to microcontrollers and embedded systems. You will learn about the various hardware and components in the systems, programming models, applications, wireless protocols (Bluetooth, ZigBee, etc.), and more. The final product will be either (1) a complete design project using microcontrollers (robot car. smart lock, etc.) or (2) a thesis-style report describing an application case study. Requirements: - Exposure to basic coding skills is helpful. - May need to purchase materials ($50-100 for electronics, up to the student) - Excitement to learn about a broad technology application!
Electrical Engineering - Systems Exploration (data / energy)
Ever wonder clicking a button on your mouse turns into an action on the computer screen? How we start with wind turbines and arrive at your cell phone or computer battery? In this project, you will explore an application from top to bottom and understand the entire electronic ecosystem. You will get to see all the complex parts and systems involved and gain appreciation for the diverse skills. You will learn parts of the engineering process and about tradeoffs and decisions made. The final project will include a survey of the learnings as well as a more detailed case study about one segment of the stack. This is a great exploration for an aspiring electrical engineer! Requirements - High school algebra - High school physics preferred - Calculus optional