Computer science student chosen for summer research fellowship

Sichun Ai, a sophomore majoring in computer science at Arizona State University, was selected for a prestigious Summer Undergraduate Research Fellowship that is enabling her to work this summer at the National Institute of Standards and Technology in Boulder, Colorado.

Ai is a student in the School for Computing, Informatics and Decision Systems Engineering, one of ASU’s Ira A. Fulton Schools of Engineering.

When Ai was nine, her family moved to Arizona from their home in Dandong, China. She later graduated from the international baccalaureate program at North High School in Phoenix.

“Throughout high school, my favorite subjects were math and science, and I even participated in the Joaquin Bustoz Math-Science Honors Program at ASU,” Ai said.

“When I came to ASU, I didn’t know much about computer science. I was just looking for something relevant to my interests, and the classes that excited me.”

Ai started doing research at the Center for Cognitive Ubiquitous Computing (CUbiC). CUbiC’s human-centered multimedia computing focuses on assistive, rehabilitative and health care applications.

Ai is continuing work on a project started by other CUbiC researchers.

“It’s a haptic wristband that helps stroke survivors self-rehabilitate,” Ai said. “When they wear it, it sends vibration cues and discretely serves as a reminder for movement. We’re hoping it will allow stroke survivors to make the rehabilitation process more personal and available for at-home settings.”

Through her summer fellowship in Colorado, Ai will be working on electro-optic sampling and state-of-the-art, high-speed oscilloscopes while implementing her programming skills, as well as adopting new ones.

“It’s different, which I’m excited about,” Ai said.

Ai, a student in Barrett, the Honors College, is considering the accelerated program that would allow her to finish a master’s degree in one year, following completion of her bachelor’s degree.