UROP Research Mentor Project Submission Portal: Submission #1130 | Center for Undergraduate Research and Academic Engagement

Submission information

Submission Number: 1130

Submission ID: 20246

Submission UUID: 22e45949-bfdb-4981-aa93-cd7329e3c1df

Submission URI: /urop-research-mentor-project-submission-portal

Submission Update: /urop-research-mentor-project-submission-portal?token=utWLJvPo4Fv6VDKYOsU5R2ciLK0f81WcglgVVv9aZTk

Created: Wed, 08/13/2025 - 02:50 PM

Completed: Wed, 08/13/2025 - 02:50 PM

Changed: Fri, 08/22/2025 - 03:36 PM

Remote IP address: 128.186.121.239

Submitted by: Anonymous

Language: English

Is draft: No

Webform: UROP Project Proposal Portal

Submitted to: UROP Research Mentor Project Submission Portal

Research Mentor Information

Primary Research Mentor Name Te-Yen Wu

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Contact Email (FSU Email if affiliated) teyen.wu@fsu.edu

Position Title Faculty

FSU College (if applicable) Arts and Sciences

FSU Department or Non-FSU Organization Affiliation Computer Science

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Additional Research Mentor(s)

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Overall Project Details

Title of the Project Empowering Individuals to Source and Make from Secondhand Materials via Visual-Language Models

Project Keywords Visual-language models, AI-assisted making, Object recognition, Upcycling, Human-AI collaboration, Sustainable design

Are you currently looking for research assistants? Yes

Number of Research Assistants Needed 2

Relevant Research Assistant Major(s) Computer Science, Civil Engineering

Project Location: On FSU Main Campus

If the project location is off campus, does the research assistant(s) need to provide their own transportation? Yes

Please select the choice that most accurately describes your expectations for the research assistant(s): In-person

Approximately how many hours a week would the research assistant(s) need to work? 10

Roughly what time frame do you expect research assistant(s) to work? Flexible schedule (Combination of business and outside of business. TBD between student and research mentor.)

Overall Research Project Description This project explores how AI can help people creatively reuse secondhand materials. Using visual-language models, we aim to build a system that can identify discarded materials, suggest ways to repurpose them, and guide users step by step to make functional or creative objects.

As an undergraduate researcher, you’ll help develop AI tools, test material and defect recognition, and explore how people interact with AI-guided making. This is a hands-on opportunity to combine AI, design, and sustainability, while learning how technology can support creative problem-solving with everyday materials.

Research Tasks 1. Collect and document secondhand materials (photos, dimensions, conditions).
2. Test and evaluate visual-language models for material recognition.
3. Generate and refine AI-guided instructions for making projects.
4. Conduct user studies to observe how people interact with AI-guided making tools.
5. Assist in designing simple prototypes using repurposed materials.
6. Analyze data and summarize results in reports or presentations.

Skills that research assistant(s) may need: 1. Basic programming (Python preferred)
2. Familiarity with AI/ML concepts (especially computer vision or NLP)
3. Hands-on fabrication or DIY skills
4. Creativity and problem-solving for repurposing materials
5. Communication and teamwork for collaborative research

Mentoring Philosophy My mentoring philosophy is to cultivate students' passion, critical thinking, and self-learning capabilities in interdisciplinary research, and foster an inclusive, collaborative, and interactive environment where students can work and learn from each other, and enjoy the process of discovery and innovation. Throughout my career, I have mentored over 10 graduate students and 20 undergraduate students in interdisciplinary research. Most of them were capable of developing their passion, critical thinking, and research skills, eventually publishing papers in top conferences. Many of these students have gone on to pursue PhDs at prestigious universities, such as the University of Toronto, the University of Michigan, and Carnegie Mellon University, becoming independent researchers.

Please provide a link to your publications, a video clip, or a website for your research project (if applicable): https://teyenwu.com

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Are you interested in participating in the UROP Research Mentor Roundtable? No

Roundtable times and Zoom links N/A

UROP Program Elements

Mentor Handbook, FAQs, and Communication Yes

UROP Performance Evaluation Yes

Materials Grant Yes

UROP Poster Presentation Yes

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Year 2025

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