Lin’s invention was for a “Noise Reduction in Headphones” technology. The invention uses novel multiplexing circuitry and other techniques to manipulate the headphone as both a signal generator and receiver.

This eliminates the need for a microphone to produce the inverted signal for cancellation–so slightly modified headphones can potentially provide a noise-free environment.

Fourteen other inventions involving department faculty members were cited for their technological innovation at the reception.

The Comet Commander pinball machine “did” Vegas this year.

Last February, Prof. David Stewart and six students took their machine to the Professional & Amateur Pinball Association's world championships, where both players and designers were exposed to this tour de force of student projects.

The pinball machine was built during a one year, multidisciplinary design project sponsored by Lockheed Martin. The project combined students and faculty from the electrical engineering, computer science, and mechanical engineering departments.

More than 30 students were involved with building the machine, but only six stayed on after the two semesters of coursework were over to complete the machine for Vegas. Those six students were DeeDee Rosenfeld, Steve Neuendorffer, Melissa Moy, Jacek Grabowski, Daniel Medeiros and John Dowdal.
Comet Commander has since appeared in articles in the Baltimore Sun, the Las Vegas Sun, The Chronicle for Higher Education, Montgomery Business Gazette, and The Hyattsville Local News. It was also featured in television broadcasts by the Channel 13 Baltimore Live Morning Show, in "Coffee with WJZ-TV," and by Channel 15, Prince-Georges County, during the “PG-TV Evening News” show.

More information about the Pinball Machine Design Project can be found at http://www.ee.umd.edu/pinball.