Newark, Calif. – June 11, 2020 – Two local DeVry University students Jaime Molinar and Lemuel Lann recently received 3rd place honors at the Institute of Electrical and Electronic Engineers (IEEE) SusTech 2020 virtual conference where industry, government, academia and students from around the world present their tech developments designed for environmental sustainability. The students, who will graduate in July, received their recognition for their Multi-use Wireless Charger that charges up to three devices at a time, including iPads, tablets, laptops and cell phones.
Molinar, Lann and two other seniors developed the Multi-use Wireless Charger as their senior project, a capstone course designed to introduce students to real-world experiences and a requirement for graduation. In March, the course was transitioned to remote learning due to the COVID-19 pandemic, but the students persevered and collaborated remotely to create a product that could help solve a need, while being environmentally friendly.
The wireless charger is designed to connect to the sun using an active tracker controlled by a computer program so the charger’s sensor leverage the brightest source of light at all times. It also has a built-in rechargeable backup power source, charged with a 24V battery or an optional solar tracker panel kit that can provide high performance for seamless on-the-go charging.
“Our senior class project was a collective effort, even when we had to do it all virtually,” said Molinar, the project’s team lead. “We felt there was a need to be able to wirelessly charge our laptops, just as you can do with mobile phones. After conducting research, we developed a plan to bring this concept to life. We were honored to present it at the IEEE conference, and to be recognized for our efforts.”
“Our senior projects help students use their knowledge and problem solving skills to create innovative solutions to real-world problems,” said Mostafa Mortezaie, Ph.D., professor and faculty chair, College of Engineering and Information Sciences at DeVry University. “We’re proud of these students for their accomplishment, for the challenges they overcame while working together remotely because of COVID-19. The use of wireless induction and the solar tracking features makes this product unique and a great companion for our consumer electronic devices.”
