Froehlich Awarded NSF Grant for Research in Wearable Sensing and Visualization

Jon Froehlich, an assistant professor of computer science with an appointment in UMIACS, was awarded a $550,000 grant from the National Science Foundation to develop wearable technology that teaches kids about anatomy and physiology.

"BodyVis: Advancing New Science Learning and Inquiry Experiences via Custom Designed Wearable On-Body Sensing and Visualization," will help elementary school students learn about their own anatomy through sensors and interactive displays that are attached to the clothing they wear.

A life-sized pair of lungs on a shirt, for example, would light up to show how air flows in and out of a child's lungs in tandem with their breathing. The researchers will also document what children do and do not understand about their bodies via surveys, in-person interviews and more.

Froehlich is the principal investigator on the project; Tamara Clegg, an assistant professor in the College of Education and in Maryland’s iSchool is the co-principal investigator.

Leyla Norooz, who recently received a master’s degree from the iSchool and will be starting her doctorate there in September, is the lead student on the project.

Go here to see a video of the project.

To read more about the NSF grant, go here.