First undergraduate research experience: Pulse oximeter design

All undergraduates (UG) who set aside research for faculties and professionals are not only missing interesting moments in their graduation, but also fail to grab the extra bit of information which will assist them in their career. Formal education is an integral part of learning but research experience gives hands on experience which class room coaching fail to deliver. These activities not only enhance technical skills but also develop vital life skills like team work, communication skills and problem solving ability. The style of project submission and reviewing gives the student an overview on industrial product development cycle. A Humanitarian Technologies lab established in our institution gave us ample opportunity to work with projects which benefit human life. In this paper we present the research work we carried out in pulse oximeter design and implementation, and thereby bring out the UG research experiences - benefits, challenges, knowledge developed, expertise acquired etc.