Researchers from all five of Lehigh’s colleges can enhance their research translation mindset through hands-on prototyping skills that can be applied across disciplines. Prototyping is more than just building—it’s a critical tool for ideating, visualizing, communicating, and testing complex research challenges in tangible ways, leading to iteration and improvements that better address end users' needs. And prototypes are more than just physical models – through the integration of electronics they can be interactive and responsive, incorporating data and metrics that tie back to research. Course Focus on Professional Skills: Communication, Project Management, Critical Thinking and Problem Solving, Collaboration and Networking, Resilience and Adaptability.

Key topics include:

  • Developing basic CAD and fabrication skills for creating prototypes for problem-solving, communication, testing, and iteration.
  • Learning basics of circuits and microcontrollers for creating interactive prototypes that incorporate data and metrics that tie back to research.
  • Creating testing protocols for effective feedback, leveraging the approaches described here: https://testingwithhumans.com/

By the end of the course, students will be able to develop, build, test, and refine simple interactive prototypes that incorporate data and metrics from research.

Remote Synchronous
Five every other Tuesday evenings (7:15pm-9:55pm) February 3 through March 31:
Tue, Feb 3: 7:15pm-9:55pm
Tue, Feb 17: 7:15pm-9:55pm
Tue, March 3: 7:15pm-9:55pm
Tue, March 17: 7:15pm-9:55pm
Tue, March 31: 7:15pm-9:55pm

Faculty: Kelly Zona oversees the Electronics Design Studio and the Freed Family Robotics Design Studio at the Design Labs, Wilbur Powerhouse.  She has spent over a decade working in makerspaces, teaching concepts in CAD/CAM, design and engineering, and electronics and programming.  In her consulting work, she also creates professional development modules for makerspaces around the world and specializes in the integration of fabrication and interactive electronics.  Previously, she was the lead developer and lead instructor for a digital fabrication and mechatronics course for the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA).  She holds a Master of Architecture from Cornell University and a Bachelor of Science from the State University of New York at Buffalo.