{"680787":{"#nid":"680787","#data":{"type":"news","title":"New Lab Expanding Healthcare Access Through Novel Sensing Prototypes","body":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003EA new lab is working to expand access to practical sensing systems. These systems could benefit people struggling with addiction and alert people with limited healthcare access to potentially life-threatening medical issues.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EDevice prototypes like these usually require massive amounts of time and external resources to build, but thanks to the \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/www.uncommonsenselabs.com\/home\u0022\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EUncommon Sense Lab\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/a\u003E, they can now be conveniently developed on Georgia Tech\u2019s campus.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThe lab is housed in Georgia Tech\u2019s School of Interactive Computing and is managed by Assistant Professor \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/www.alexandertadams.com\/\u0022\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EAlexander Adams\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/a\u003E.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u201cOur overall goal is to give better access to healthcare,\u201d Adams said. \u201cWe\u2019re always looking at who we\u2019re doing this for, how we\u2019re getting it to them, how it addresses specific needs, and how to make it as financially accessible as possible.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u201cThere\u2019s always a space for high-end, high-precision equipment, but not everyone has access, and people are often afraid to get checked out because of the cost. If we can build something that doesn\u2019t necessarily give someone a perfect measurement of a condition, but it can tell them they should go to the doctor, that might be enough to save a life.\u201d\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThe lab provides resources to interdisciplinary researchers with backgrounds in computing, robotics, mechanical engineering, electrical engineering, and biomedical engineering to develop novel sensing and feedback system prototypes.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u201cWe render physical prototypes that would be difficult to build without a centralized location for these resources,\u201d said Adams, who is affiliated with the \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/research.gatech.edu\/robotics\u0022\u003EInstitute for Robotics and Intelligent Machines\u003C\/a\u003E and the \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/research.gatech.edu\/bio\u0022\u003EParker H. Petit Institute for Bioengineering and Bioscience\u003C\/a\u003E. \u201cWe give students access to the tools and knowledge to build things that would typically seem unreachable.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u201cThere\u2019s nowhere else on campus with this collective that can go end-to-end from mechanical engineering to biomedical engineering to electrical engineering to usability.\u201d\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EExamples of current prototypes being developed in the lab include a device that trains people with post-traumatic stress disorder to breathe in more regular patterns, and another that measures a person\u2019s heart rate when they vape.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u201cWe want to learn more about that behavior through these sensing devices, and then we\u2019ll look at figuring out how we can help people correct their breathing patterns or quit their addiction,\u201d Adams said.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThe Uncommon Sense Lab offers high-tech, state-of-the-art machinery, including:\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cul\u003E\u003Cli\u003E3D printers, including fused deposition modeling (FDM) printers for multi-material, high-precision prints\u003C\/li\u003E\u003Cli\u003EA laser cutter for producing printed circuit boards (PCBs)\u003C\/li\u003E\u003Cli\u003ESurface mount PCB manufacturing station with soldering tools, paste dispensers, and rework stations\u003C\/li\u003E\u003Cli\u003EOptical work benches for optical system design, including microscopes and fluidics workstations\u003C\/li\u003E\u003Cli\u003EResin materials for casting and molding prosthetics\u003C\/li\u003E\u003Cli\u003EVacuum chambers and pressure chambers\u003C\/li\u003E\u003Cli\u003ESaws, mills, lathes, and other mechanical tools for processing wood and soft metals\u003C\/li\u003E\u003Cli\u003ESaws, grinders, polishers, and other wet tools for glass, stone, and ceramics\u003C\/li\u003E\u003C\/ul\u003E\u003Cp\u003ESince he started at the \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/ic.gatech.edu\/\u0022\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003ESchool of Interactive Computing\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/a\u003E in 2022, Adams has envisioned the lab. The lab space in the Technology Square Research Building in Midtown was thoroughly renovated, including access control, a new ceiling grid, environmental controls, pressurized air, plumbing, and vacuum and air filtration systems.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u201cThis is the result of having built two labs at previous institutions, what I\u2019ve learned about my type of work and my field, and what the most useful things are to handle our diverse projects,\u201d he said.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u201cOne of the reasons I came to Georgia Tech was because they saw the value of being interdisciplinary in a computing world and having a full lab space instead of just an office.\u201d\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EAdams said the lab will accelerate the timelines of current projects for the researchers who use it and create more bandwidth for them to take on more projects.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u201cI want my students to have everything at hand instead of waiting every time we need to do something,\u201d he said. \u201cThis space is for someone who might have an idea for a remote diagnostic tool, but they\u2019re wondering how to build it, add computation, and test it. This is the solution for those wondering how they can do that without spending a year finding and organizing access to facilities or ordering various parts.\u201d\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EAdams said the lab is not a public space, but anyone interested in using it can make a written request for access. The work must be part of a collaboration, and faculty must provide funds to use resources. Access is contingent upon passing several safety courses and in-person training.\u003C\/p\u003E","summary":"","format":"limited_html"}],"field_subtitle":"","field_summary":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003ESchool of Interactive Computing\u0027s Alexander Adams created the Uncommon Sense Lab and works with students to design, fabricate, and implement new ubiquitous and wearable sensing systems.\u003C\/p\u003E","format":"limited_html"}],"field_summary_sentence":[{"value":"School of Interactive Computing\u0027s Alexander Adams created the Uncommon Sense Lab to design, fabricate, and implement new ubiquitous and wearable sensing systems."}],"uid":"32045","created_gmt":"2025-02-27 23:07:57","changed_gmt":"2025-03-26 01:18:35","author":"Ben Snedeker","boilerplate_text":"","field_publication":"","field_article_url":"","location":"Atlanta, GA","dateline":{"date":"2025-02-27T00:00:00-05:00","iso_date":"2025-02-27T00:00:00-05:00","tz":"America\/New_York"},"extras":[],"hg_media":{"676421":{"id":"676421","type":"image","title":"Assistant Professor Alex Adams (right) created the Uncommon Sense Lab to develop novel sensing systems for health.","body":null,"created":"1740706706","gmt_created":"2025-02-28 01:38:26","changed":"1740706706","gmt_changed":"2025-02-28 01:38:26","alt":"Assistant Professor Alex Adams (right) created the Uncommon Sense Lab to develop novel sensing systems for health.","file":{"fid":"260206","name":"The-Uncommon-Sense-Lab_86A7795-Enhanced-NR.jpg","image_path":"\/sites\/default\/files\/2025\/02\/27\/The-Uncommon-Sense-Lab_86A7795-Enhanced-NR.jpg","image_full_path":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/\/sites\/default\/files\/2025\/02\/27\/The-Uncommon-Sense-Lab_86A7795-Enhanced-NR.jpg","mime":"image\/jpeg","size":155672,"path_740":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/sites\/default\/files\/styles\/740xx_scale\/public\/2025\/02\/27\/The-Uncommon-Sense-Lab_86A7795-Enhanced-NR.jpg?itok=-DV4R9rQ"}},"676422":{"id":"676422","type":"image","title":"Assistant Professor Alex Adams (center) works with students to design, fabricate, and implement new ubiquitous and wearable sensing systems.","body":null,"created":"1740706744","gmt_created":"2025-02-28 01:39:04","changed":"1740706744","gmt_changed":"2025-02-28 01:39:04","alt":"Assistant Professor Alex Adams (center) works with students to design, fabricate, and implement new ubiquitous and wearable sensing systems.","file":{"fid":"260207","name":"The-Uncommon-Sense-Lab_86A7827-Enhanced-NR.jpg","image_path":"\/sites\/default\/files\/2025\/02\/27\/The-Uncommon-Sense-Lab_86A7827-Enhanced-NR.jpg","image_full_path":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/\/sites\/default\/files\/2025\/02\/27\/The-Uncommon-Sense-Lab_86A7827-Enhanced-NR.jpg","mime":"image\/jpeg","size":183097,"path_740":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/sites\/default\/files\/styles\/740xx_scale\/public\/2025\/02\/27\/The-Uncommon-Sense-Lab_86A7827-Enhanced-NR.jpg?itok=TyPUFDaQ"}}},"media_ids":["676421","676422"],"groups":[{"id":"47223","name":"College of Computing"},{"id":"66442","name":"MS HCI"},{"id":"1188","name":"Research Horizons"},{"id":"50876","name":"School of Interactive Computing"}],"categories":[{"id":"8862","name":"Student Research"}],"keywords":[{"id":"10199","name":"Daily Digest"},{"id":"181991","name":"Georgia Tech News Center"},{"id":"187915","name":"go-researchnews"},{"id":"190095","name":"digital health wearables"}],"core_research_areas":[{"id":"39501","name":"People and Technology"}],"news_room_topics":[{"id":"71881","name":"Science and Technology"}],"event_categories":[],"invited_audience":[],"affiliations":[],"classification":[],"areas_of_expertise":[],"news_and_recent_appearances":[],"phone":[],"contact":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003EBen Snedeker\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EComms. Mgr.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EGeorgia Tech College of Computing\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003Ealbert.snedeker@cc.gatech.edu\u003C\/p\u003E","format":"limited_html"}],"email":[],"slides":[],"orientation":[],"userdata":""}}}