Launch Blue Announces Fall ‘24 UAccel Quick Start + I-Corps Cohort
Launch Blue is pleased to announce that 6 teams have been selected to participate in the 12-week Fall 2024 UAccel Quick Start + I-Corps program. This is the twelfth UAccel cohort Launch Blue has run.
UAccel Quick Start + I-Corps offers business development and an experiential learning opportunity to innovators in higher education interested in learning the best commercialization path for their technology. The goal of the program is to advance the technology toward commercialization, including preparations for Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) grant applications, the creation of a startup, or licensing of the technology. UAccel Quick Start is organized in partnership with the University of Kentucky Office of Technology Commercialization and Kentucky Commercialization Ventures.
UAccel Quick Start is the first phase of the two-phase program, the second phase is a regional Innovation Corps (I-Corps) program. The National Science Foundation’s Innovation Corps program is an immersive, entrepreneurial training program that facilitates the transformation of invention to impact. The University of Kentucky is a member of the NSF’s Mid-South I-Corps Hub and offers a regional I-Corps program through Launch Blue.
Candidates were selected through a competitive application and interview process. The final selections for the cohort were determined by a selection committee appointed by the organizing partners. Applications for the Spring 2025 UAccel Quick Start + I-Corps program will open in late Fall 2024.
The following teams are participating in the Fall 2024 program:
Douglas Long, Research Associate Senior/Exercise Physiology of Tech, University of Kentucky.
An automated solution to help investigators and researchers steer their research from idea, project implementation, to dissemination while ensuring compliance and safety to participants.
Hasan Poonawala, PhD, Assistant Professor, University of Kentucky Researcher in Autonomy, Robotics, and Control.
A method for a mobile robot to automatically compute a correct-by-design navigation controller online within the environment it is navigating.
Ke’La Porter, PhD, Assistant Professor, Athletic Training and Clinical Nutrition,
Sports Medicine Research Institute, University of Kentucky.
Nick Heebner, PhD, Associate Professor at University of Kentucky.
A perceptual-cognitive performance assessment device to be used in return to activity rehabilitation and performance training.
Madison Bates, Biomedical Engineering, University of Kentucky.
Sridhar Sunderam, PhD, Associate Professor; Director of Graduate Studies, Biomedical Engineering, University of Kentucky.
SensorE Exoskeleton (SEE) provides monitoring of hand function, quantitative measurements of both movement and grasp force, and real-time feedback to the wearer, allowing a patient to see improvements during their recovery and increase their ability to regain function in their impaired hand.
Nicholas Caporusso, PhD, Assistant Professor at the School of Computing and Analytics at Northern Kentucky University.
Nga Phan, Entrepreneurial Lead.
Research Assistants:
My Doan, Research Assistant at Northern Kentucky University.
Joseph Ampfer, Applied Software Engineering Major at Northern Kentucky University.
Cong Ha, Computer Science major at Northern Kentucky University.
Logan Hart, Public Administration Specialist at the Bluegrass Area Development District (BGADD).
Rita Ghimire, Northern Kentucky University student majoring in Computer Science with a minor in Mathematics.
Olivia Kennedy, Scientific researcher at Northern Kentucky University.
Oshan Maharjan, Research Assistant at Norther Kentucky University.
A digital platform that leverages LLMs to provide individuals with a conversational agent designed to behave like an “AI therapist” capable of complementing a human therapist in offering 24/7 counseling, addressing mental health concerns proactively, and supporting growth, education, and self-awareness.
Scott M. Berry, PhD, Associate Professor, Department of Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering, University of Kentucky.
Soroosh Torabi, PhD, Research Associate, Department of Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering, University of Kentucky.
Mohammad Dehghan Banadaki, PhD, Department of Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering, University of Kentucky.
A wastewater pathogen detection device, where wastewater is processed and analyzed using a cartridge at the point-of-sample collection.