Its neutral color scheme has been swapped with brighter shades: lime, emerald green, and sundry shades of blue. There are new touch-screen computers, glass whiteboards, and ceiling lights. And a dividing wall has been demolished, creating a continuous, looping corridor in its place.

“It looks more modern, tech-wise,” said Annie Nguyen, a junior computer science major. “It’s aesthetically better and has more space for students.” 

Over the past three months, the third floor—home to Fordham’s computer and information science department at Rose Hill—has received a $5 million makeover. Half of it was funded by a state grant; the other half came from Fordham funds, said Marco Valera, vice president for facilities management.

Making Strides in STEM

The third-floor transformation was spurred by Fordham’s growth in the STEM field, said Xiaolan Zhang, the chair of the computer and information science department. Over the past decade, undergraduate enrollment in STEM has more than doubled. Graduate enrollment in STEM has septupled, according to Fordham’s Office of Institutional Research.

“When I started in this department, we had maybe eight or nine graduate students,” said Palma A. Sisca, the computer and information science department administrator. That was in 2011. “We have close to 300 now.”

And since 2008, the percentage of women among the total number of STEM majors has increased—a fact that has not been lost on the students. 

“Statistically [nationwide], women are underrepresented,” said Nguyen, a Clare Boothe Luce Scholarship for Women in Science recipient. “But in my classes at Fordham, it’s not as uneven as I thought it would be.” Almost half of her classmates are women, she estimated.

Accordingly, a new ladies restroom—complete with a full-length mirror—and an all-gender restroom have been built on the third floor.

But one of the most striking improvements took place in the labs and classrooms. In the old classrooms, students shared long desks along three tiers, Nguyen said. They now sit in individual tablet arm chairs on a single plane.

The old labs seated students around the perimeter of the room. Now, the desks are clustered together to encourage collaboration among their peers. They also feature brand-new, black touch-screen Dell computers. Instructors can project any computer display to the classroom’s new flat-screen TV, and share a student’s coding work with the whole class. And with the press of a button at the edge of the table, the computer sinks into a slot, leaving more space for students to conduct hands-on projects on the table surface.

Clearing Space for Robots and Drones

The department-wide renovations extend to the JMH’s Robotics and Computer Vision Laboratory, where students operate drones with little black propellers—small enough that they can fit in the palm of your hand—and moving robots with sensors. Picture a little red version of Wall-E. They conduct indoor experiments that could assist, for example, human responders in disaster recovery efforts.

Before the renovations, there simply wasn’t enough space. Only one student could effectively run an experiment with the robots. Because of the new additions—workstations with shelves, a storage room, and a ceiling suspension system that holds cables and equipment—there is room for at least three students to run robotics experiments at once, and space for even more students to conduct other work, said Damian Lyons, founder and director of the lab. 

“It’s laid out as a lab, as opposed to just an accidental collection of tables,” said Lyons.

Those aren’t the only changes. Additional spaces—a faculty breakroom and a space entirely devoted to tutors and their mentees—have been created. The conference room and faculty offices have been upgraded. And the entrance to John Mulcahy Hall—the doors, terrace, and railings—was renovated to improve ADA access.

“We are now also one of the crown jewels of the University,” Sisca said.

Alex Keyes, FCLC ’16, and Peng Tang, GSAS ’16, interned last summer at Adept Technologies, where they designed, built, and tested robotics software in the mobile robots division.

“It was fantastic. We had a lot of autonomy,” said Keyes, who graduated from Fordham last month with a BS in computer science. “I realized the skills I have been cultivating at Fordham can directly translate to having a job—which is something you don’t necessarily experience if you don’t have an internship.”

Keyes and Tang landed the spots at Adept thanks to work they’d been doing in Fordham’s Robotics and Computer Vision Laboratory, directed by Damian Lyons, PhD, the interim chair of the computer and information science department and associate vice president for academic affairs at Fordham.

Detecting Danger

In the lab, Keyes and Tang worked on improving an algorithm that allows a team of mobile robots to communicate and navigate indoor space together, spreading out quickly to explore an unknown area.

Programs like these can be applied to search-and-rescue missions, Lyons said, when robots are sent in to locate victims and determine which areas are safe for first responders.

“It’s a very challenging problem, and we’ve addressed different parts of it at different times,” he said, adding that the lab has received some funding from the Defense Threat Reduction Agency, part of the U.S. Department of Defense, to do similar work writing programs that allow robots to search for biohazards and weapons of mass destruction.

Lyons, who founded the lab in 2002, said working in robotics gives students several unique skills that are becoming more and more relevant.

“Cyberphysical systems are some of the most difficult types of systems to program, and this is exactly what robotics prepares you for,” he said. He also noted that with the increasing prevalence of robotics and cyberphysical systems comes a host of ethical issues that have yet to be worked out.

“You probably can’t buy an expensive car these days without it having a lot of robotic programming in it. … Eventually there won’t even be a steering wheel. But, of course, then who is at fault if that car causes an accident?” he asked.

“With the liberal arts and Jesuit educational background that Fordham provides, our students have a grounding not just in the technology but in the kinds of issues involved when the technology is deployed in society. I feel our students can be effective leaders in this area.”

Keyes and Tang were awarded the internships in spring 2015, when robotics technicians at Adept supervised the work the students were doing in the Fordham lab, which owns several of Adept’s robots for student research. Standing at about a foot and half tall, the bots move on four large all-terrain tires, and come equipped with programmable computers and various sensors that can measure distance. The Adept staff was impressed with the students’ work, and invited them to intern at the company’s research center in New Hampshire last summer.

Internship Supported by Science Council Alumnus

The relationship with Adept (now Omron Adept Technologies) —the largest U.S.-based manufacturer of industrial robots—was forged by Fordham alumnus Richard Juelis, FCRH ’70, an angel investor with a life science and technology background who sat on the company’s board for nine years. Adept provided living expenses and some of the funding for the internship, and Juelis provided the rest through a donation to Fordham.

“Any time you can do something hands-on in the industry, it’s great for students’ career development. When I was in school, there weren’t many internship opportunities, particularly in newer fields like robotics and computer science, ” said Juelis, who is a member of the Fordham Science Council—a group of alumni who support science education at the University. “And it’s a win-win, for Adept too, because they get interns who can help them develop new products.”

Juelis has sought to extend this type of exposure to younger students as well. “We also arranged for a visit to Fordham for students from my high school’s robotics program,” he said, “and hope to continue this in the future. ”

Real Responsibility, Relevant Experience

“Everyone has this idea of a software engineer as a very isolated thing—the nerd in the basement. That couldn’t be further from the truth. Everyone there knew who Peng and I were, and they were very open to talking to us about what they were working on or things we were working on. They made sure we were having a rich experience,” he said. “We had a lot of responsibility.”

The experience at Adept—and in the Robotics and Computer Vision Lab—has provided both students with concrete skills they will take with them into the job market.

Tang—who earned an MS in computer science at Fordham—started work as a systems engineer at Comcast in Philadelphia this month, working with big data sets. Even though the position is not in robotics, he feels he can draw on skills that are transferable.

“There’s a lot of fundamental stuff that I learned in robotics that will definitely be helpful for my job,” said Tang. “A lot of knowledge in computer science is universal.”

Lyons said the relationship with Adept has been very valuable not only in providing students with concrete, hands-on experience but also in allowing them to envision a career in robotics.

“We’d love to see the internship continue,” he said.

So, why not send in a team of robots first to map out the area?

That concept recently inspired three Fordham undergraduates to develop a computer program that enhances autonomous exploration of disaster sites by robots. The students, Rose Hill senior Alina Kenealy and Lincoln Center juniors Nicholas Primiano and Alex Keyes, presented their findings in February at SPIE, the international society for optics and photonics conference.

Damian Lyons, Ph.D., associate professor of computer and information sciences, mentors the students.

The team worked on writing algorithms that would enable computerized robots to quickly disburse throughout a site and work independently, while still coordinating as a team.

“First responders have an extremely dangerous job,” said Lyons. “They are going into a disaster area and they don’t know what is out there. Our objective is to have this team of robots very quickly go out and map this area to see where’s the unstable masonry, where are the holes in the floor, where are the potential victims, where are the clear paths—and do it all within a matter of minutes.”

As the SPIE conference attracts many graduate students, faculty researchers, and members of the defense industry, Lyons said it was a significant accomplishment for undergraduate research to be accepted.

“But it is a commitment we have made here, to enable undergraduates to see the excitement of the field rather than just sitting in a classroom. They took the ball and ran with it, and produced some tremendous results.”

“I didn’t think I could pull off a ‘boys’ thing,” said Crockett, 12, as she showed off a “taskbot” robot she designed and built with classmates Kyra McNanee and Nicollette Petnuch. “We sometimes had disagreements on how it was designed, but we ended up with something we all liked.”

“It was like a puzzle,” chimed in Petnuch.

The girls said their experience at the camp was more positive than the robotics lessons in their middle school. “[At school,] the boys ended up taking over the robot,” Crockett said. “Here, we got a chance to build things.”

The two-week technology camp was a collaboration between Fordham’s RETC—Center for Professional Development, Department of Computer and Information Sciences (CIS) and Yonkers public schools. It was funded, in part, by a $650,000 U.S. Department of Energy grant that was used to purchase the equipment. The purpose of the grant is to foster robotics research and education in the Bronx.

“The grant will be used in the local community to enhance math and science skills,” said Kraig DeMatteis, a technical and curriculum developer for RETC.

DeMatteis added that much of the grant will focus on helping K-12 educators integrate science probes, LEGO robotics and laptops into their curricula to encourage hands-on science and math learning.

This isn’t the first time Fordham offered a robotics curriculum to local students. RETC worked with children from the Bronx last summer, and plans are in underway to begin in-school programs this year in some South Bronx schools, DeMatteis said.

Theresa Lupo, senior professional developer at RETC, designed the camp’s curriculum.

“It gave the students an opportunity to experience technology that they may not have been exposed to in their schools,” Lupo said.

“Many of the students in the program really enjoy math, science and technology but may not know how their interests apply to college majors or careers,” she added. “Learning basic programming, visiting Fordham’s CIS robotics lab and planning, filming and editing their own videos allows them to try some of these different fields.”

Getting into the camp wasn’t easy. Students were required to submit an application, essay and reference letters from their teachers to the Yonkers Board of Education, Lupo said.

“Some of the students have shown great interest in, and enthusiasm about, real-world applications for robotics after visiting the CIS lab. We may have found a few CIS majors for Fordham’s class of 2017!” she said.

During the camp’s classroom portion, students worked with LEGO MINDSTORMS Education NXT robots. Once a week, they took day trips to places such as the Bronx Zoo and New York Botanical Gardens. On July 28, they saw a demonstration of sophisticated robots at Fordham’s Robotics and Computer Vision Laboratory.

The robots, which can be used outdoors and feature automated surveillance, are housed in the lab established in 2002 by Damian Lyons, Ph.D., associate professor of computer and information science and chair of the department; and Frank Hsu, Ph.D., Clavius Distinguished Professor and associate dean of the Graduate School of Arts and Sciences.

The demonstration, given by graduate assistant Raymond Kram, showed students how the robots use laser, arm, distance and depth-perception technology to complete tasks. Students were able to man the computer that fed commands to the robots.

Lyons said the goal was to have the students interact with the robots and “the physical universe—something we do every day.”

“This way, students build an appreciation for more analytic thinking. That’s what we’re trying to encourage,” Lyons said. “Also, we can expose these kids to what computer science actually is. Because there are computers everywhere, kids think they are experts. This camp allows us to get into the notion of getting into an algorithm.”

Lyons emphasized that his department plans to continue exposing local students to robotics.

“This is a long term plan,” he said. “This grant has allowed us to get some really good equipment. There’s a fair amount of it, so we can have reasonably sized classes.

“There is a thought to do some teacher training in this area. We are looking into federal funding so that we can work more closely with teachers and have our graduate students work with them in the math, science and technology disciplines.”

RETC hosted two “Bots in the Bronx” events in 2005, with more than 700 students showcasing software programs and robots. RETC also has a Robotics Professional Development Training Auxiliary Services for High Schools program implemented at six New York City schools, which aims to introduce robotics as an interdisciplinary project connecting math, science and literacy.

FIRST LEGO is an international program for children ages 9 to 14 (9 to 16 in Europe) that combines a hands-on, interactive robotics program with a sports-like atmosphere. Teams consist of up to 10 players with the focus on team building, problem solving, creativity and analytical thinking. Fordham’s 2005 events were the first-ever LEGO programs in the Bronx.

Damian Lyons, Ph.D., an associate professor of computer and information science and director of the robotics laboratory, and Frank Hsu, Ph.D., the Clavius Distinguished Professor and chair of the department of computer and information science at Fordham, are using the award money to develop a prototype robotic device that could be used to scope out potentially dangerous areas and help soldiers avoid sniper fire on military missions.

The military uses robotic machines to conduct automated surveillance, thwart ambushes, and locate tanks and mines. They have recently been used along the Afghanistan-Pakistan border to enter and explore suspected underground Al Qaeda chambers. These robotic surveillance devices use legs for transport and are extremely agile, but consume large amounts of energy.

According to the Fordham researchers, they are developing a prototype that incorporates the use of wheels and legs to minimize energy consumption. The machine, called a “rotopod,” is a tripod-like device with cameras mounted on adjustable legs and a rotating, off-centered weight on top.

Of the project’s “unconventional approach,” Lyons said, “Some of the best functioning robots are built in not-so-obvious ways.”

Moving in a spiral pattern by pivoting on its legs, while touching the ground multiple times per rotation, the rotopod would be able to follow one of a variety of non-repeating patterns, making it especially useful for military reconnaissance.

Lyons and Hsu co-founded Fordham’s Robotics and Computer Vision Laboratory in the summer of 2002, with much of the research falling into the main categories of robotics, automated surveillance and augmented reality.