Sears think[box] Embedded AI Microgrants

Sears think[box] Embedded AI Microgrants is sponsored by Case Western Reserve University. Supports students building AI-powered physical devices using sensors and cameras.

Embedded AI Microgrant | Sears think[box] | Case Western Reserve University The Embedded AI Microgrant supports students in building and deploying real-world AI systems on embedded hardware, bringing machine learning off the screen and into physical devices. Build AI-powered devices - using sensors, cameras, microphones, etc. Receive funding & hardware - and keep what you build!

Create a portfolio-ready project - great for resumes and applications Apply solo or with a small team - open to all undergrad & grad students Applications will be processed on a rolling basis while funding lasts. Priority will be given to applications submitted before September 13.

Applications Open: September 1 Priority Consideration: September 13, 11:59 PM Final Report Submission Deadline: December 4, 11:59 PM Optional Project Showcase: TBA Get matched to the right hardware tier and accessories Receive your hardware & funding once approved Build your project and document your process Keep what you build. Finish a working demo and the hardware is yours You'll join our Discord when you're accepted.

Ask questions, share progress, and swap advice with other project teams and think[box] staff throughout the project. Twice during the semester, we'll ask everyone to post a quick update to the group: Boot-Up Check: Let everyone know that your board is booted up and everything's working. Mid-way Progress Check: Post how the build is going and where you're stuck.

Other students and staff can help, and you'll see what everyone else is making. Projects can range from simple sensors to autonomous systems. Choose the level that's right for you and your project.

Hardware Best Choice For Example Projects ESP32-S3 Sensor & audio projects A good starting point if you're new to embedded AI Basic image classification Voice or keyword recognition Smart sensing and monitoring devices Vision & interactive projects.

A good choice for many projects Smart doorbell with face recognition Pet-tracking robot with object detection Automated medication verification Interactive art with pose estimation Lightweight local language models for simple interfaces Real-time & GPU-accelerated projects.

Real-time fall detection system for elderly care Industrial quality control with object counting Live video style transfer installation Search and rescue drone with person detection On-device language models for specialized applications Which tier is right for me? Most projects run great on the Raspberry Pi 5. It's the right call for the majority of vision, audio, and interactive builds.

Choose the ESP32-S3 if your project is lightweight: keyword spotting, simple classification, basic sensing, or if you need a very small, low-power package like a wearable; Choose the Jetson only if your project genuinely requires real-time GPU acceleration for tasks that a Pi 5 can't handle. Not sure? Start with the Pi 5, it does more than you'd expect.

Choose from these accessory kits and components to support your project’s hardware needs, or propose your own Bill of Materials.

Additionally, all projects will receive $50 think[box] materials credit to purchase project materials such as 3D printer filament, wood, acrylic, adhesive vinyl, etc. All ESP32-S3's come with a compatible camera Basic Starter Kit for ESP32 Seeed Studio XIAO Starter Kit Raspberry Pi 5 Accessories All Raspberry Pi 5s come with power cord, 64GB SD card, case with active cooling, and HDMI cord SunFounder AI Fusion Lab Kit Raspberry Pi Camera Module 3 Hiwonder TurboPi Raspberry Pi Robot Car ROS2 with Mecanum Wheels Mini External USB Stereo Speaker Or, propose your own Bill of Materials and receive up to $75 NVIDA Orin Jetson Nano Accessories All NVIDA Orin Jetson Nanos come with power cord, 128GB SD card, case with active cooling , and HDMI cord Arducam Camera Module V3 with Autofocus Or, propose your own Bill of Materials and receive up to $100 Open to all currently enrolled CWRU students.

No prior experience required. This program supports the development of experimental embedded AI prototypes for educational and exploratory purposes. These projects are intended to demonstrate concepts and technical feasibility.

As with all AI technologies, participants are encouraged to consider ethical implications such as fairness, privacy, safety, transparency, and potential misuse throughout the design process. https://case. edu/provost/initiatives/innovation/ai-education/ai-policies https://researchguides.

case. edu/artificialintelligence/ai-ethics