Research group name: Electromechanical Systems Group
Hometown, Country: Waikoloa, HI, USA
Academic History Prior to coming to MIT: B.S. in Electrical Engineering, University of Hawaii at Manoa
What brought you to MIT?
I decided to come to MIT because of the exciting research opportunities. Before coming, I knew that I wanted to work on energy management and efficiency, which are areas that Professor Leeb has also been working on. I also wanted to experience life outside of Hawaii and gain new experiences.
What problem are you trying to solve with your current research and what are some possible applications?
My current research is on Non-intrusive Load Monitoring (NILM). NILM is a sensing platform which measures power in a central point in an electrical network in order to provide real-time energy management and equipment diagnostics for a collection of electrical loads. I am mostly involved with creating a framework for accurately disaggregating the load events from the aggregate power stream, analyzing equipment for potential faults, and presenting useful information to end-users in real-time. Applications include providing users and operators real-time feedback about their energy usage and the health of electromechanical systems.
What interests you most about your research?
I am interested in my research because of the actual impact it can have on providing people with more awareness about their electrical systems. I like that the research is collaborative and that I get to work with people from different disciplines and learn new skills.
What are your future plans?
I am excited to continue working on this and other research projects. I have not decided on what to do after graduate school, but am keeping an open mind.