- Over the past 31 years, engineering students at UF have helped multiple industries develop niche, solutions-based products
- End-users range from the U.S. government, the vision-impaired and solar energy companies
- Graduates of the program have been hired by the companies for which they developed solutions
One project helps the blind navigate a cluttered world. Another secures communication on classified computers. Yet another revolutionizes energy infrastructure through solar technology.
These projects have one thing in common: They were created by students in the University of Florida’s Integrated Product & Process Design engineering program, or IPPD, and they are solving major industry problems.
IPPD is an experiential education program within the UF Department of Engineering Education, where multidisciplinary teams of senior-level undergraduate, Master of Science in Applied Data Science and Master of Science in AI Systems students work for two semesters to design, build and test products requested by industrial and research sponsors. Former IBM executive Heinz K. Fridrich founded the program 31 years ago, and many of the sponsored products are still in use and thriving.