2025 Project Descriptions
Social Science Curriculum
In the My Streetscape Summer Research Institute, students are trained as youth community researchers by learning about social sciences research methods, such as surveys, interviews, and ethnography. In teams, students use what they have learned about these methods to design a social science research project to get community input on the engineering projects and technologies they are working on.
Students design data gathering tools, go on field trips where they go into the streetscape to engage with community members and gather data through conversations and observations, and analyze the data they collected before writing their final Research Reports. In the Research Reports, students share what their projects were, how they collected their original data, what they learned from community members, and how the findings informed their engineering project and technologies.
Additionally, the students create Photovoice Exhibits, another method for community engagement and way of communicating visually and through narratives what they learned in the engineering sessions and social science sessions and how they think interdisciplinary about their projects technologies.
NYC CLEARPATH
Faculty Advisors: Zoran Kostic & Andrew Smyth
Engineering Mentors: Pranav Milind Bidve, Raksha Chandrashekar, Boshra Khalili, Emma Sombers
Social Science Mentor: Jenny Fondren
To develop a pilot system in partnership with the 125th St. BID that automatically detects and logs sidewalk trash piles in real time, classifies them by type (general, recyclable, compostable), and geospatially maps their locations from overhead (second-floor) cameras. The system will:
- Automatically identify trash accumulations using on-device computer vision.
- Record and categorize each sighting (general waste, recyclables, fruit-vendor compost, etc.).
- Map these detections on a live dashboard, providing actionable data for BID staff and city managers.
- Integrate existing workflows such as BID staff photo-tagging via mobile devices for richer, multi-angle labeling.
- Scale to related use cases, like real-time mapping of street vendor activity, to support broader streetscape management.
Mentees
Bard High School Early College
Columbia Secondary School
Stuyvesant High School
Park East High School
PRIVACY IN A DATA-DRIVEN WORLD
Faculty Advisors: Rachel Cummings & Roxana Geambasu
Engineering Mentors: Giorgio Cavicchioli, Mark Chen, Tamalika Mukherjee, Apolline Weinstein
Social Science Mentor: Jenny Fondren
In today's interconnected world, our personal information flows through countless digital systems every day, from the apps on our phones to the sensors in our cities. This project introduces high school students to the critical concept of privacy in our increasingly data-driven society. Students will explore how their personal information is collected, used, and potentially misused across different technological contexts, developing both awareness and practical skills to navigate digital privacy challenges.
The project covers three key areas of modern privacy concerns. Students will first examine privacy in web and mobile technologies, learning how websites, social media platforms, and smartphone apps collect and monetize personal data. Next, they'll investigate smart cities and the Internet of Things, exploring how urban technologies like traffic sensors, surveillance cameras, and location tracking create new privacy considerations for entire communities. Finally, students will delve into emerging privacy research surrounding Large Language Models (LLMs) and artificial intelligence, understanding how AI systems process personal information and the unique challenges they present for individual privacy.
Mentees
Saint Ann’s School
Martin Van Buren High School
Loyola School
Forest Hills High School, Carl Sagan
SCALEDDOWN TESTBED
Faculty Advisors: Sharon Di
Engineering Mentor: Qi Gao
Social Science Mentor: Seon Britton
Testing and deploying new transportation technologies in urban areas pose significant challenges, including managing autonomous vehicles, adaptive traffic control systems, and traffic monitoring tools. These complexities stem from high vehicle volumes, diverse traffic participants—such as pedestrians, cyclists, and electric delivery bikes—and unpredictable elements like red-light violations and obstructions from legally and illegally parked vehicles or buildings. While simulations can address certain scenarios, relying solely on simulations is impractical and unsafe for unproven technologies. Additionally, real-world testing in controlled environments often incurs substantial financial and time costs.
To overcome these challenges, we are developing a scaled-down, real-world intersection network testbed. This testbed enables efficient and effective evaluation of technologies such as autonomous driving systems, adaptive traffic signals, and pedestrian warning systems.
Mentees
Curtis High School
Brooklyn Technical High School
Columbia Secondary School
VIRTUAL REALITY FOR OLDER PEDESTRIANS
Faculty Advisors: Sharon Di
Engineering Mentor: Yongjie Fu
Social Science Mentor: Seon Britton
This project aims to enhance the mobility and safety of older pedestrians at urban intersections through the application of virtual reality (VR) technology. Older adults often face challenges in navigating complex traffic environments, and this project seeks to address those challenges by simulating real-world intersections in a controlled virtual setting. The main objective is to design and implement VR-based assistance features that support decision-making and improve spatial awareness during street crossing.
We will develop interactive VR environments using Unity3D, replicating smart streetscape elements such as dynamic traffic signals, vehicle behavior, and pedestrian infrastructure. Through user-centered design and experimentation, we will evaluate the effectiveness of various assistance methods—such as visual cues, auditory alerts, and predictive guidance—in improving mobility and reducing potential safety risks for older pedestrians.
This project not only explores the technical development of VR tools but also contributes to the broader goal of creating age-friendly smart cities.
Mentees
Brooklyn Latin School
Riverdale Country School
Hunter College High School
PUBLIC SPACE VANDALISM
Faculty Advisors: Jason Hallstrom & Serena Hoermann
Engineering Mentor: Suvosree Chatterjee
This project will integrate computer engineering, social science, and urban design research to develop urban tech that addresses public space vandalism in the West Palm Beach, Florida testbed.
Students mentored by CS3 researchers will focus on increasing engagement in public spaces, detecting vandalism, and allowing communities to take ownership of cleanup. In addition to lab-based research, the program includes hands-on training on rapid prototyping, mobile application development, and community engagement with "Walking Wednesdays," during which students will engage with residents and the built environment.
Mentees
Suncoast Community High School
Florida Atlantic University High School
American High School
Suncoast Community High School
Alexander W Dreyfoos School Of The Arts