ACEP’s undergraduate “CyberPod” awarded the Nanook Award for the best undergrad disclosure with “PULSEtastic”

Formed at the Alaska Center for Energy and Power, the undergraduate “CyberPod” is a student-driven innovation team focused on solving real-world challenges in remote data transmission for Alaska. Adrian Burke, Petie Deveer, and Hailey Hodgins brought together expertise in computer engineering, computer science, and mathematics to blend technical research with practical application—designing systems that are both affordable and adaptable for use in rural and off-grid environments.

The team’s work reached a major milestone when their project, PULSEtastic, earned the prestigious Nanook Award for Best Undergraduate Disclosure through the FY25 Innovative Disclosures and Entrepreneurial Activities (IDEA) Awards.

Presented by the Office of Intellectual Property and Commercialization at the University of Alaska Fairbanks, the IDEA Awards have recognized visionary faculty, staff, and students since 2015 who transform university research into real-world solutions. The awards highlight the caliber of research happening at UAF and UAS and underscore the university’s commitment to moving ideas from the lab into the world.

David Park, Director of OIPC, describes the IDEA Awards as central to the university’s mission to drive social and economic impact through research:

“The IDEA Awards recognize the awesome ideas of UAF faculty, staff, and students, who are helping to build the culture of innovation at the university. Their research and work are greatly appreciated.”

For the CyberPod team, the recognition affirms both technical innovation and entrepreneurial initiative. They developed PULSEtastic, an open-source tool that formats sensor data streams for transmission over a long-range mesh network protocol. This allows for automated data collection over long distances, where cellular service isn’t available, empowering remote Alaska communities to establish live data feeds in new locations. By sharing this software on GitHub, the team ensured that the project can be integrated and expanded by future users.

PULSEtastic webpage: https://github.com/uaf-t3/PULSEtastic

PULSE/STARTRAM webpage: https://t3.uaf.edu/pulse-startram/

Winning the Nanook Award highlights not only an outstanding undergraduate disclosure, but a powerful example of student innovation advancing practical solutions for Alaska and beyond.