Innovation at Brandeis
Blinkie
Brandeis University engages in research and scholarship that push the boundaries of knowledge, discover how the world works, and design innovations that improve society. In support of these endeavors, the university has developed an extremely active and supportive Office of Technology Licensing (OTL) to achieve a full range of competencies in licensing, business development and legal matters for transferring technologies created within Brandeis. Visit our website to get more information about innovation at Brandeis.
Innovation Courses in the Computer Science Department
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Robotics Lab
The Brandeis Autonomous Robotics Lab, led by Professor Pito Salas, is focused on teaching robotics theory and practice. Students and faculty work side by side on robotics projects large and small. The lab takes a "multi-cohort multi-semester" approach to teaching, which allows students to learn robotics while helping to build the lab's major project, the Campus Rover. The Campus Rover initiative investigates issues of indoor and outdoor navigation using inexpensive robot platforms.
Software Entrepreneurship introduces students to the fundamental concepts needed to transform an idea for a software application into a viable IT business. The focus of the course is on software-based IT enterprises and the specific challenges and opportunities they present. Learn the "Lean Startup" process in this course with a significant hands-on focus.
This summer, as part of the Justice Brandeis Semester, Professor Tim Hickey from the Brandeis Computer Science Department and Professor Grace Zimmerman from IBS are teaching App Development and Marketing. The courses will empower students to create applications that allow them to use computer science to create value in people's lives and give participants the experience of developing a real marketing campaign for their startup product.
Speakers from local companies are invited to give presentations to the class once a week, allowing students to expand their knowledge of the market while strengthening their professional networks. In addition to developing a deep understanding of what is involved in creating and marketing a mobile and web application, students will gain practice in oral and written presentation of their ideas, and in developing high tech products in small groups. While this is a new JBS program, it combines aspects of two JBS programs from other summers: Voice, Web, and Mobile Apps (2014-18) and Brand Marketing and Communication (2014 & 2015).
Examples from last year's Voice, Web and Mobile Apps JBS program included :
- CollegeInfo which allows you to ask complex questions about the Brandeis course schedule, such as which computer science courses are offered at 3 p.m. Mondays this semester. Students can also use it to build and view their schedule.
- HumanGainz allows your phone to serve as your personal trainer at the gym reminding you of which exercises are next in the workout you selected.
- SON is a next generation calendar app which incorporates social media so you can ask which of your friends are free at a particular day/time as well as handle all of the usual calendar operations.
- SeniorCenter matches seniors based on their interests in books, movies and TV series. It is designed to fight the isolation and depression common in seniors while allowing them to use their voice rather than click buttons on their computer or phone.
- SpeechFlow Presentation App controls your computer during a presentation entirely with your voice.
- DeisTransportApp will make a reservation on the BranVan and query arrival times and bus locations all by voice.
View videos of the JBS 2018 app presentations.
