Welcome to the Website of the Vertically-Integrated Projects (VIP) Program
Contents:
The Vertically-Integrated Projects (VIP) Program is an undergraduate
education program that
operates in a research and development context. Undergraduate students
that join VIP teams
earn academic credit for their participation in design efforts that
assist faculty and graduate
students with research and development issues in their areas of
technical expertise. The teams
are: multidisciplinary - drawing students from across engineering and
around campus; vertically-integrated
- maintaining a mix of sophomores through PhD students each semester;
and longterm
- each undergraduate student may participate in a project for up to
three years and each
graduate student may participate for the duration of their graduate
career. The continuity,
technical depth, and disciplinary breadth of these teams are intended
to:
- Provide the time and context necessary for students to learn and
practice many different
professional skills, make substantial technical contributions to the
project, and experience
many different roles on a large design team.
- Support long-term interaction between the graduate and
undergraduate students on the team.
The graduate students mentor the undergraduates as they work on the
design projects
embedded in the graduate students' research
- Enable the completion of large-scale design projects that are of
significant benefit to faculty
members' research programs.
Teams are listed by name, with the registration section code and individual team meeting time listed in () after the team name. Additionally, a common VIP meeting is held Friday 3:00-4:30. Returning students with a time-conflict should discuss that conflict with the team's faculty advisor.
- Collaborative
Workforce Team (VP1, Wed 3:00-4:30): Design and test multimedia systems,
web-based applications, and human-computer interfaces to support the
distributed design and research teams that are the future of the global
engineering workforce.
- eDemocracy
Team (VP2, Tues, 11:00-12:30): Design and create devices, systems, processes and
policies for both secure, authenticated voting procedures and citizen
participation in government.
- eStadium
Team (VP3, Thurs, 3:00-4:30): Design and deploy smartphone apps/games, websites, wireless
networks, and sensor networks to gather and deliver game and venue information to football fans in the stadium on gameday.
- Intelligent
Tutoring System Team (VP4, Thurs 1:30-3:00)): Design, test and use systems to enhance
student learning in Tech courses by applying techniques that include
video and data mining, artificial intelligence, machine learning, and
human-computer interfaces.
- Computational
Structural Biology Team (VP6, Tues, 9:30-11:00):
Develop software and web-based tutorials to facilitate the
understanding of basic principles of macromolecular simulations and
their application to research problems in structural biology.
- eCampus
Team (VP7, Thurs, 3:00-4:30): Design, develop, and deploy mobile wireless applications for
the use of
visitors, students, faculty, staff and administrtaors on the Georgia
Tech ATL campus.
- Intelligent
Transportation System (VP8, Wed 2:00-3:30): Analyze the performance and energy
efficiency of existing transportation scheduling algorithms, and then
design and implement better ones, for the Tech Trolley and other
systems at and around Georgia Tech.
- Medical Devices for the Treatment of Diabetes:
(VP9, Wed, 9:30-11:00): This project combines materials processing, human factors
design, biological activity, and chemistry to create a solution for
the millions of people with diabetes.
- I-Natural (VPA, Tues 1:30-3:00):
Design, build, and test interfaces that enable humans to
naturally interact with robots (whether physical or virtual) in
performing activities of daily living.
- USLI Rocket Team (New for Fall 2011) (VPB, Thurs, 9:30-11:00):
Design, build and launch a reusable rocket with a scientific or engineering payload to one mile above ground level.
- Brain
Beats Team (New for Fall 2011) (VPC, Tues, 9:30-11:00): To understand the neural basis
underlying the human ability (or lack thereof) to keep "rhythmic time,"
i.e., a constant cadence.
- GTRI Robotics Team (New for Spring 2012) (VPD, Thurs, 1:30-3:00):
Development of critical technologies and prototype robotic/unmanned systems.
- Undergraduates: Please go to the VIP
Sign-up
Web
page to apply to join a VIP team.
- Grad Students: To join a VIP team, please contact that team's faculty adviser(s).
- Faculty: To start your own VIP team, please contact Ed Coyle.
The VIP program supports large, multidisciplinary teams that work on joint research and education projects.
Students from the following disciplines will be participating in Fall 2011: AE, BIO, BME, CEE, ChE,
CS, CM, ECE, ISyE, ME, Phys, and Public Policy. The current set of VIP courses and the policies established
for how they contribute to a student's degree are:
- For all students in the CoE and the CoC: The VIP courses are currently ECE 2811, 381X, 481X.
The first digit indicates the level: 2 = sophomore; 3 = junior; 4 = senior.
The last digit indicates the number of credits (X = 1 or 2). Each school in CoE and CoC whose faculty and students
participate in VIP determines how VIP credits count toward their students' degrees. In general, VIP credits will
at least count as free elective credits; see below for further information.
- For ECE Students: If a student takes six or more credits of VIP at the Junior (ECE 381X)
and Senior levels (ECE 481X), three can count as technical-elective credits and
three can count as free-elective credits. Until Dec 2011, many students who joined VIP as
juniors will be able to later do senior-design projects that are integrated into
their VIP team's project. Starting in Jan 2012, students may use their VIP participation
for Senior Design II if: (a) they register for the same VIP team in 4 successive semester
(semesters off for co-op allowed); (b) during these semesters
they take VIP for at least 1 - 2 - 2 - 2 credits;
(c) the last four credits are taken in their senior year; and
(d) satisfy all other senior design requirements, including completion of Senior Design I.
Please check with the ECE Undergraduate Affairs Office and the adviser of your VIP
team if you have questions or need further information.
- For ISyE Students: Up to 3 credits can be used as engineering or free
elective credit. After earning those 3 credits, another 4 can count as
Senior Design, subject to several constraints (see below), or as free
elective credit. Beyond those 7 credits, any additional VIP credits can be
used only as free elective credits. To use VIP credit for Senior Design, a
student should register for VIP in 4 successive semesters, for at least 1
- 2 - 2 - 2 credits in those semesters, with the last 4 credits being in
their senior year. At the end of the second semester, the student should
submit a proposal to ISyE's Senior Design coordinator for approval,
describing how the VIP project will fulfill the basic requirements of
Senior Design. If approved for Senior Design credit, the student will need
to submit interim and final reports and presentations to the Senior Design
coordinator at the end of the third and fourth semesters. The Senior
Design coordinator will assign the student's grade in consultation with
the student's VIP adviser. Please check with the ISyE undergrad office if
you have questions or need further information.
- For CoC Students: Starting with the Summer 2011 terms, VIP can count for Senior Capstone Credit (CS 4911) when:
(a) There are at least three credit hours in the same VIP project;
(b) At least two of those credit hours are ECE-481X VIP; and,
(c) All three VIP credits used for capstone credit are at the ECE-381X/481X level.
Additional VIP credits taken beyond those meeting the criteria above can count as free electives.
NOTE: VIP credits acquired via CS-designated VIP courses during or before Spring 2011
may also count toward capstone credit -- for details, please check with the CoC Undergraduate Office.
- For CoS Students: VIP courses have recently been created in Biology and Physics.
Please check with the undergraduate advising office in your
discipline to determine how participation in these VIP courses
will count toward your degree.
- For Students in Other Disciplines: Please check with the undergraduate advising office in your
discipline to determine how participation in VIP will count toward your degree.
- A Note on Registration for VIP: If you have a time conflict with the Friday, 3:00-4:30 VIP
lecture, a time-conflict permit can usually be issued for you. If you are returning to a VIP team
and have a time conflict with your team's meeting time, a time-confict permit can be created
for you. If you are a new VIP student and the meeting time of the team you want to join
conflicts with another course, then you must either choose another VIP team
or wait until the next semester.
Texas Instruments
Cisco Systems, Inc
National Instruments
GaTech OIT/RNOC
VIP at Georgia Tech is an effort of the Arbutus Center
R. Abler, E.J. Coyle, A. Kiopa, and J. Melkers,
“Team-based Software/System Development in a Vertically-Integrated, Project-Based Course,"
Proceedings of the 41'st Annual ASEE/IEEE Frontiers in Education Conference,
Rapid City, SD, Oct. 12-15, 2011.
M. Baxter, B. Byun, E.J. Coyle, T. Dang, T. Dwyer, I. Kim, C.-H. Lee, R. Llewallyn, and N. Sephus,
“On Project-Based Learning through the Vertically-Integrated Projects Program,"
Proceedings of the 41'st Annual ASEE/IEEE Frontiers in Education Conference,
Rapid City, SD, Oct. 12-15, 2011.
R. Abler, J.V. Krogmeier, A. Ault, J. Melkers, T. Clegg, and E.J.
Coyle, “Enabling and Evaluating Collaboration of Distributed Teams with
High Definition Collaboration Systems,” Proceedings of the 2010 ASEE
Annual Conference and Exposition, Louisville, KY, June 20-23, 2010.
E.J. Coyle, J.P. Allebach, and J. Garton Krueger, “The
Vertically-Integrated Projects (VIP) Program in ECE at Purdue: Fully
Integrating Undergraduate Education and Graduate Research,” Proceedings
of the 2006 ASEE Annual Conference and Exposition, Chicago, IL, June
18-21, 2006.