Broadcom Foundation Supports Innovation Through University Research Competition

Wireless power transfer delivery for medical implants, music-based hand rehabilitation devices and home network slicing. Sound a little like an episode of Star Trek? They are actually just a few of the innovative research topics presented at Broadcom Foundation’s inaugural University Research Competition.

Broadcom Foundation invited 12 student finalists and their professors from universities receiving unrestricted research grants from the Foundation to present their work in a poster session during the opening reception of Broadcom’s annual Technical Conference June 6-7 in Irvine, Calif.

Competing for unrestricted cash awards totaling $17,500, the finalists discussed their projects and how the future application of their research would improve people’s lives and contribute to society at large. More than 400 attendees, included distinguished Broadcom engineers, judged the competition.

The winners include:

First Place: $10,000
Winner: Adrian Tang, University of California, Los Angeles
Project: A 144 Ghz High Resolution Sub-Carrier Successive Approximation Radar for Thz Security Screening
Adrian Tang was selected for his study of radars for low‐cost, low‐power and portable THz imaging systems which have many new applications in security screening, trace gas detection and biomedical imaging.

Second Place: $5,000
Winner: Benjamin Hershberg, Oregon State University
Project: Ring Amplifiers
Benjamin Hershberg was selected for his study of ring amplifiers that can process analog signals rapidly, accurately and efficiently, ultimately helping to make the next generation of devices smaller, lower powered and less expensive.

Third Place: $2,500
Winner: Youn Sung Park, University of Michigan
Project: Low-Power Embedded Memory for High-Performance DSP Applications
Youn Sung Park was selected for his study of reduced power consumption digital signal processors (DSP) which can increase battery life in portable devices, cutting energy bills for home networking and entertainment systems.

The 12 finalists were chosen from 10 universities comprising Oregon State University, Stanford University, Texas A&M University, Tsinghua University (China), University of Pavia (Italy), University of California – Davis, University of California – Irvine, University of California – Los Angeles, University of California – San Diego and University of Michigan.

Broadcom Foundation’s mission is to advance education in science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) by funding research, recognizing scholarship and increasing opportunity.

Check out photos from the competition on our Facebook page.