Digital Commons Network^™

Tagalong Trail, Sean Wahl, Jason Davis, Quinlan Stephens, Ryan Johnson, Vinh Vo

Mechanical Engineering

The Cal Poly mechanical engineering team working on the Path of Lights and Sounds for the Girl Scouts of California’s Central Coast has now completed their project. In the last quarter of their project, they were able to finalize their tile’s structural design while iterating through several electronics board designs. Through this iteration, they were able to create a final electronics board and designed a water-resistant enclosure to house the board. A new team member was added, allowing them to manufacture 28 tile structures and 30 electronics assemblies over the course of two and a half weeks. This proved to …

Saver: Surface Autonomous Vehicle For Emergency Rescue, Lucas Je Sandsor, Michelangelo Coltelli, Brian Wong, Sebastion Rivero, Kobe Hayashi

Mechanical Engineering

The design, fabrication, and testing of an unmanned surface vehicle for the NASA Micro-G NExT SAVER challenge. This device features a radio direction finding phase array to autonomously navigate to an emergency distress beacon to deliver emergency supplies.

Design And Fabrication Of A Force-Displacement Control Mechanism For Bone-Surgical Tool Testing, Kenneth Nwagu

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

This project focuses on the design and fabrication of an experimental setup for orthopedic-tool testing, tailored for a surgical instrumentation company. The multifaceted project encompasses a literature review, conceptual design, prototyping, and rigorous testing, resulting in a versatile control system capable of assessing various orthopedic tools, including bone drills, saws, burrs, and power handpieces.

Orthopedic surgical procedures (which include cutting and/or drilling into bone) often need to be performed on bones for faster recovery. The drilling and cutting process can cause an increase in temperature at the cutting site which can cause bone necrosis. The tools also need to be …

Novelty Ice Cream Assembly Prototype, Mason Sylvester, Logan Williamson, Alvaro Martinez, Adin Gilman-Cohen

Mechanical Engineering

Cool Beans USA is a novelty ice cream startup company founded by Keith Zachow. In the winter of 2022, our team began working with Mr. Zachow to develop a machine to automate parts of the production process for his product. This product consists of two hemispherical ice-cream cone shell halves filled with soft serve ice cream and pressed together. The assembled pods are around the size and shape of a small walnut and are intended to be sold in stores as a frozen finger food. At the time of project inception, this product was in its early stages and was …

Therapeutic Mechanical Horse, Cade M. Liberty, Aleya Dolorfino, Peter Philips, Zuzanna Dominik, Luke Watts

Mechanical Engineering

Jack's Helping Hand and its hippotherapy participants required a device to serve as an alternative to a live horseback riding experience that could also increase the range of riders. This would provide more clients with equine-assisted therapy that has proven to better the lives of people with both physical and mental disabilities. Horses can be unpredictable, tall, and sometimes anxiety-inducing, especially for new riders. Our group’s aim was to develop a mechanical horse that will be able to reduce these issues for equine therapy centers and the riders they help. When a rider gets to practice sitting on the horse …

Manual Material Handling Lift-Assist System For Occupational Exoskeleton, Erik Goes, Daniel Guthrie, Trevor Ward

Honors Capstones

It is no secret that lifting heavy objects is one of the premier causes of workplace injury, and the modern worker needs help to remain healthy. Workers need something they always have with them that makes their work safer as well as easier; our solution is an active lift-assist exoskeleton. The proposed exoskeleton design includes a military backpack exoskeleton frame, on which two actuators pull cables attached to end effectors that the operator will be holding. This system can adjust to conform to a wide variety of operator sizes, without restricting any of their range of motion. This leads to …

Mug For Veterans With Tremors, Eliot Daniel Briefer, Nicholas Michael Greco, Lucas Paul Martos-Repath, Tiernan Lif Kehoe

Mechanical Engineering

This Final Design Review Report outlines the senior design project completed by a team of mechanical engineering students attending California Polytechnic State University, San Luis Obispo for the McGuire Veterans Affairs Medical Center in Richmond, VA. The scope of the project was to design, build, and test a device for veterans with tremors that would allow them to enjoy their favorite drinks comfortably and easily, without worrying about spills. The final product must be lightweight, aesthetic, capable of handling various tremor types, and can be operated in multiple planes to allow the veterans full control over the device. This document …

Controlling Locomotion Of A Robotic Leg, Tai K. Mitchell, Connor Bush, Patrick Ward, Ben Spin

Mechanical Engineering

Dr. Xing and Professor Refvem are working to research and develop a quadruped robot that is capable of basic movements including walking, running, and jumping. As senior project group F-11, we are joining a team of engineers to assist in the development of the quadruped. Our team was tasked with creating a mathematical model, designing a control method, and implementing that control method for the quadruped's legs in Simulink. This will allow both current and future students to understand the response of the system and provide a building point for future researchers to create working quadrupedal robots. This report documents …

Design And Control Of A Peristaltic Pump To Simulate Left Atrial Pressure In A Conductive Silicone Model, Jeremy Collins

Mechanical Engineering Undergraduate Honors Theses

According to the CDC, atrial fibrillation is responsible for more than 454,000 hospitalizations and approximately 158,000 deaths per year. A common treatment for atrial fibrillation is catheter ablation, a process in which a long flexible tube is guided through the femoral artery and to the source of arrhythmia in the heart, where it measures the electrical potential at various locations and converts problematic heart tissue to scar tissue via ablation. This paper details the design and control of a low-cost ($400) peristaltic pump system using repetitive control to replicate blood pressure in the left atrium in a conductive silicone model …

Fluid Powered Vehicle Challenge: Team Soulenoid Cycle, Kellen Muir Giuliani, Jordan David Kochavi, Cayla Renee Quinn, Martin Reyes

Mechanical Engineering

The National Fluid Power Association is a trade association that unifies customers and manufacturers within the hydraulics industry. Extending their partnership to universities, the annual Fluid Powered Vehicle Competition challenges college teams to design, build, and test a fluid-powered vehicle with the goal of educating students about the hydraulics industry and building career connections. Soulenoid Cycle produced the next iteration of Cal Poly’s fluid powered vehicle for the 2021 competition.

This report summarizes research, ideation, component selection, initial and final design, manufacturing, and competition results conducted by Soulenoid Cycle. Relevant research includes successful current and past vehicles, the operation of …

Project G.H.O.S.T., Matthew Morell, Austin Conrad, Zackeris Gordon, Conan Estes

Mechanical Engineering

Project G.H.O.S.T aimed to produce a model transmission with a control system for high performance/racing electric vehicles to utilize the full capability of the electric motor at higher speed applications. Current electric vehicles have a large amount of torque and use a fixed gear ratio that compromises between both high and low speeds with performance peaking around 65 miles per hour. A typical electric motor used in this application has approximately 1800 ft-lbs of torque up to 5,000 rpm. Past approximately 5,000 rpm, the torque rapidly drops off and so does the overall vehicle performance. Though transmissions exist that could …

Design, Fabrication, And Testing Of A High-Speed, Low-Cost Atomic Force Microscope Housing And Distance Measurement System, Jonathan Menke

All Undergraduate Theses and Capstone Projects

Advances to the state-of-the-art in fields like biology and material science often stand on the foundation of improved imaging. Here a low-cost Atomic Force Microscope (AFM) housing and distance measurement system was designed, fabricated, and tested. The instrument was developed around an Optical Pickup Unit (OPU) and designed for use as part of a high-speed AFM system. A structure to align the OPU with the probe holder was designed to ensure the beam of the OPU is positioned above the probe in addition to accommodating space, manufacturability, and cost constraints by using cost effective components. The designs were fabricated and …

Electromagnetic Actuator For Camless Engines, Nicholas Olesh, Charlie Thomas Glenwright, Tim Wills De Tone, Darya Daniel Darvish

Mechanical Engineering

This document summarizes the research, objectives, project plan, and design for developing an electromagnetic actuator valve for use in a camless internal combustion engine. While electromagnetic valve actuators have not been implemented into a working product to date, there have been many attempts to research and develop working prototypes. Similar products have been developed, but they do not use purely electromagnetic actuation. This research is significant because it shows the challenge that must be overcome and outlines potential design solutions to the problem. The objectives section highlights the problem statement and what is aimed to be achieved in this project. …

Surface Autonomous Vehicle For Emergency Rescue, Max Emerick, Ryan Shields, Christopher Feickert, Raymond Impara

Mechanical Engineering

The goal of this document is to clearly define the problem parameters and project objectives and to clearly describe the design process, planned final design, and manufacturing and testing procedures for the senior design project of Team 26: SAVER -- the Surface Autonomous Vehicle for Emergency Rescue. This is both for the purpose of project planning and for clear communication between all parties involved in the project.

The objective of the SAVER project is to develop a proof of concept for an autonomous maritime search and rescue vehicle for aiding in man-overboard missions. To accomplish this goal, a list of …

Fluid Power Vehicle Challenge - The Incompressibles - Final Design Report, Nicholas Gholdoian, Russell Posin, David Vitt, Alex Knickerbocker, Kyle Franck, Julian Rodkiewicz

Mechanical Engineering

This report provides a comprehensive description of the research, analysis and design work that The Incompressibles have completed thus far in the senior project process. This document includes all the work that The Incompressibles have completed for the team’s Preliminary Design Review (PDR), Critical Design Review (CDR), the work leading up to the 2019 FPVC competiton and the competition results. This report includes the initial research that the team completed for the fluid power competition, first iterations of designs, final iterations of designs, manufacturing results and processes, and finally testing and results from competition. With a new design for the …

Cal Poly Supermileage Electric Vehicle Drivetrain And Motor Control Design, Clarisa Joy Howe, Christopher Joseph Mclaughlin, Erik Alvarado, Enyi Liang

Mechanical Engineering

The Cal Poly Supermileage Vehicle team is a multidisciplinary club that designs and builds high efficiency vehicles to compete internationally at Shell Eco-Marathon (SEM). Cal Poly Supermileage Club has been competing in the internal combustion engine (ICE) category of the competition since 2007. The club has decided it is time to expand their competition goals and enter their first battery electric prototype vehicle. To this end, a yearlong senior design project was presented to this team of engineers giving us the opportunity to design an electric powertrain with a custom motor controller. This system has been integrated into Ventus, the …

Remotely Controlled Industrial Robotic Arm And Simulation Of Automated Thermal Furnace, Prince Mehandi Ratta

Dissertations, Master's Theses and Master's Reports

The right execution of controllers ensures the correct analysis of information, generating efficient results and better optimizing the system. In this report, two controllers were designed. Firstly, a remotely controlled robotic arm, since there are no such type commercially available controllers. Moreover, robotic platforms are costly, so students and researchers are often unable to learn the concepts of programming industrial robots. This project makes a non-destructive, remotely-controlled robotic arm to better teach students and researchers about programming and control of robotic arms. Secondly, simulation of an automated thermal furnace for ArcelorMittal on SIMULINK, which is used for the annealing process …

3-Dimensional Automated Heat Flux Calibration Device, Victor Raul Chacon, David Madison Morrisset, Alex Michael Schnorr, Kevin Scott

Mechanical Engineering

This document aims to describe the problems in current radiant heat source heat flux calibration techniques and the approach our team took to solve them through automation. The following sections outline the basic premise of the problem we addressed and who our end product benefited. The proceeding sections addresses the research that we have performed regarding heat flux measurements and automation. This research includes current solutions – mostly partial solutions for problems that are similar but not exactly like ours. Following the background research, we define objectives, with specific details that outline how we evaluated different possible solutions, and how …

Laser Triangulation Sensor, Jake Finelt, Kian Gruszczynski, Greg Mclorg

Mechanical Engineering

Statement of Disclaimer: Since this project is a result of a class assignment, it has been graded and accepted as fulfillment of the course requirements. Acceptance does not imply technical accuracy or reliability. Any use of information in this report is done at the risk of the user. These risks may include catastrophic failure of the device or infringement of patent or copyright laws. California Polytechnic State University at San Luis Obispo and its staff cannot be held liable for any use or misuse of the project.

3d Printed Soft Robotic Hand, Zack Kisner, Chris Szigeti, David Leonardo

Mechanical Engineering Senior Theses

Soft robotics is an emerging industry, largely dominated by companies which hand mold their actuators. Our team set out to design an entirely 3D printed soft robotic hand, powered by a pneumatic control system which will prove both the capabilities of soft robots and those of 3D printing. Through research, computer aided design, finite element analysis, and experimental testing, a functioning actuator was created capable of a deflection of 2.17” at a maximum pressure input of 15 psi. The single actuator was expanded into a 4 finger gripper and the design was printed and assembled. The created prototype was ultimately …

The Effects Of A Reduced Force Aerial Bucket Control On Upper Extremity Muscular Demands As Assessed With Surface Electromyography, Casey D. Garces

Master's Theses (2009 -)

A common control for operating aerial bucket trucks for utility companies in North America is called a pistol grip control. Based upon many anecdotal reports of forearm muscle fatigue from workers using this control, Prof. Richard Marklin began an EPRI-sponsored study in 2016 using EMG to determine muscle fatigue of workers while they used the pistol grip. Muscle activity recorded by EMG is a measure of the magnitude of muscle force under controlled conditions. This study confirmed the reports of muscle fatigue in extensor digitorum communis (EDC) muscle in the right forearm. The next phase of the study was to …

Wheelieking Trainer Project Report, Harold Hall Iii, Nathaniel Fox, Thomas Niemisto

Biomedical Engineering

In this report we will detail the design and implementation process of the WheelieKing Trainer project, a device that helps people learn how to do wheelies on a bicycle by preventing backward falls. Formal project requirements are specified, followed by the ideation and iteration process to meet those requirements. The components and methods used to create the device are described in detail. The results of the development process and usage test results of the device are included. Appendices at the end of this report include references, supporting analyses, and project management and timeline details.

Small-Scale Intelligent Vehicle Design Platform, Christopher Grant, Jay Miley, Evan Phillips

Mechanical Engineering

Intelligent Vehicle Design is a growing field with the potential to save many lives by actively minimizing the impacts of human error. Though there are many ways to research intelligent vehicle control, full-scale implementations are expensive and dangerous and computer simulations have extremely steep learning curves. Researchers and students need an accessible, adaptable, and robust development platform to rapidly create and test autonomous control algorithms. While small-scale platforms are often designed from the ground up for specific projects, this requires analysis, design, and manufacture. The goal of this project is to develop a small-scale intelligent vehicle that can be configured …

X-Beam Alignment System, Whittaker Ian Hamill, Joseph Michael Falcao, Robert Kim-Yan Tam

Mechanical Engineering

The goal of the project was to design, build, and test an automated machine for Micro-Vu that will align a pair of rails to the necessary precision and affix said rails to Micro-Vu's X-Beam as to reduce manual labor and human error.

Magnetic Bearing For Bently Nevada Rk4 Rotor Kits, Sean Fowler, Garrett Olson

Mechanical Engineering

Active Magnetic Bearings (AMB) are contact free bearings that support loads by magnetic levitation. This is accomplished by generating magnetic forces with electric current through a series of electromagnets surrounding a suspended rotor mass. Along with a set of electromagnets, an AMB assembly also consists of power amplifiers for each electromagnet, a controller, and proximity sensors. The proximity sensors provide rotor position feedback to the control system, which modulates power to the amplifiers [4]. Magnetic bearings are used in several industrial applications today, including but not limited to compressors, turbines, pumps, motors, and generators. Advantages of their utility include very …

Cal Poly Supermileage Electronic Fuel Injection, Alexander Pink

Electrical Engineering

Cal Poly Supermileage is a student-run engineering club that builds prototype gasoline vehicles optimized maximum fuel-efficiency. To power their vehicles, the Supermileage team makes use of single-cylinder, 4-stroke, electronically fuel-injected (EFI) gasoline engines. This report details the development, iterative design & test cycles, and integration of an EFI system for the Supermileage club. This project develops an EFI system that interfaces to the most common types of sensors found in the low-power Supermileage-range of engines, including throttle-position sensors, manifold absolute pressure sensors, gear-tooth hall-effect sensors, variable-reluctance position sensors, engine coolant temperature sensors, intake air temperature sensors, and exhaust oxygen sensors. …

Final Design Report For An Automatic Diffraction Grating, Timothy Jung, Edlin Garcia, Kelly Rorden

Mechanical Engineering

The Automatic Diffraction Grating project explored using said technology to measure the angular separation between binary stars. This system would be a dramatic improvement from the current, fixed and manually adjusted diffraction gratings in use, increasing the capability of observatories to conduct autonomous studies of binary systems. Ideally, realizing such a system would be accomplished using a simple design and off the shelf parts, so that the project could easily replicated. The design of this system was approached with a broad look at the possible mechanisms that could be used to effectively construct an Automatic Diffraction Grating, as well as …

Telepresence: Design, Implementation And Study Of An Hmd-Controlled Avatar With A Mechatronic Approach, Darren Michael Chan

Master's Theses

Telepresence describes technologies that allow users to remotely experience the sensation of being present at an event without being physically present. An avatar exists to represent the user whilst in a remote location and is tasked to collect stimuli from its immediate surroundings to be delivered to the user for consumption. With the advent of recent developments in Virtual Reality technology, viz., head-mounted displays (HMDs), new possibilities have been enabled in the field of Telepresence. The main focus of this thesis is to develop a solution for visual Telepresence, where an HMD is used to control the direction of a …

Mechatronics Design Process With Energy Optimization For Industrial Machines, Aderiano Medeiros Da Silva

Dissertations (1934 -)

The need for designing industrial machines with higher energy efficiency, reliability, flexibility, and accuracy has increased to satisfy market demand for higher productivity at reduced costs in a sustainable manner. As machines become more complex, model-based design is essential to overcome the challenges in mechatronic system design. However, a well-designed mechanical system with a well-designed and tuned control system are not sufficient for machines to operate at high-performance conditions; this also heavily depends on trajectory planning and the appropriate selection of the motors controlling the axes of the machine. In this work, a model-based design approach to properly select motors …

Robotic Fingerspelling Hand For The Deaf-Blind, Jerry Vin

Master's Theses

Because communication has always been difficult for people who are deaf-blind, The Smith-Kettlewell Eye Research Institute (SKERI), in conjunction with the California Polytechnic State University Mechanical Engineering department, has commissioned the design, construction, testing, and programming of a robotic hand capable of performing basic fingerspelling to help bridge the communication gap. The hand parts were modeled using SolidWorks and fabricated using an Objet rapid prototyper. Its fingers are actuated by 11 Maxon motors, and its wrist is actuated by 2 Hitec servo motors. The motors are controlled by Texas Instruments L293D motor driver chips, ATtiny2313 slave microcontroller chips programmed to …