Hi, I'm Josh Pratt, a student at Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute.

I am studying Computer and Systems Engineering with a minor in Music.

Project Overviews

Use the "Projects" drop-down menu to navigate individual projects

As part of my Digital Signal Processing class this fall, I am taking on an independent exploratory project into Active Noise Reduction. I aim to significantly reduce noise in a confined environment using inverted noise feedback generated by the ADAU1701 MCU / DSP.


See more under "Projects" -> "Active Noise Reduction".


This spectrum analyzer was my semester-long project for Music and Technology 2 at RPI. It is based on designs from a YouTuber named PLATINUM and aims to successfully implement an Arduino to complete fast Fourier transforms and represent volumes of frequency bands over a cool-looking visual element. 

See more under "Projects" -> "Acrylic Spectrum Analyzer".


As part of the LESA Laboratory at RPI, I had the opportunity to do undergraduate research into lighting systems. I mostly worked on the SCULPT project, which is a lighting fixture meant to be used in a smart conference room. The lighting fixture acts as a spotlight without any moving parts by intelligently lighting up specific parts of its RGB LED array. 

See more under "Research -> LESA"

As part of the Electric Circuits class at RPI, I worked in a group of three on a semester-long project known as the "Omega Lab". We utilized a pressure sensor to determine when a threshold pressure in a system has been crossed, indicating depressurization. A servo would then turn and allow backup airflow into the system to temporarily repressurize while the leak in the system could be fixed. Possible applications include aircraft and spacecraft.

See more under "Projects -> Pressure Stabilization System"

As part of the Intro to Engineering Design (IED) course at RPI, I worked in a group of six to develop a vehicle alertness system, with implemented crash avoidance. This project implemented control of a vehicle braking system by sensing drowsiness of a driver through the steering wheel. Heartbeat sensors in the side of the steering wheel communicate with an arduino nano, which is able to detect when the user's heatrate has dropped abnormally - signifying drownsiness. The arduino controls an alarm system to awake the driver, as well as a distance sensor and automatic braking system to make sure the car does not run into anything in front of it while the driver is unresponsive. 

See more under "Projects -> Vehicle Alertness & Crash Avoidance System"

8x8x8 LED Matrix ( 2020 - 2021 )

The 8x8x8 LED matrix project is the most complex electrical project I have attempted. The goal of this project was to present it at the annual Maker Faire at my high school, however, the event was canceled due to Covid-19. This project began in December 2019 and was finished in December 2020. 

See more under "Projects" -> "LED Cube".

IoT Research ( 2021 - 2022 )

As part of Engineering Ambassadors, I am working with one professor and a team of undergraduate researchers to develop a 3 week IoT exploratory program for high schoolers. The program aims to teach Arduino skills and concepts about internet of things to high schoolers at a college level. The project will be presented in April of 2022. 

See more under "Projects" -> "IoT Research".

Over the summer of 2021, I spent a week or two putting together a subwoofer from an old speaker I took apart. The goal of this project was to repurpose an old driver housing, replace the driver and add some lighting on the back to make it look more interesting, and practice driving individually addressable RGB LEDs using Arduino.

See more under "Projects" -> "Custom Subwoofer Build"

I found this TV being thrown out on the street behind my house. It looked like it was in perfectly fine condition, so I figured I would try and fix it. I ended up replacing the backlighting and paying only $30 for a TV worth $400. 

See more under "Projects" -> "Fixing 55" TV"

After watching a YouTube video about flat panel speakers made using insulating boards and exciters, I decided to try and recreate the project for myself. This was mainly done out of curiosity, as many people online had claimed that these speakers sounded shockingly good for what they were. 

See more under "Projects" -> "DIY Flat Panel Speakers"

High School Science Fair ( 2015 - 2018 )

 

In high school, I completed 3 year-long honors science projects which I competed at the WRHS school fair with annually. These projects helped me develop time management, project development, project proposal,  and formal project presentation including creation of boards, literature reviews, and final papers.


The image on the left is from my high school's February 2019 science fair.