Engineering Commons^™

Making Space: How The Engd Makerspace Promotes Inclusion And Belonging, And Its Success In Doing So, Noah Crow

WWU Honors College Senior Projects

This project is a comprehensive overview of efforts made in the ENGD Makerspace to strengthen community, make the space welcoming and inclusive to all students, and combat techno-centric norms and stereotypes that keep people from learning and participating in makerspaces. It includes research conducted on WWU students’ feelings and experiences in the Makerspace, which found that women and non-Engineering-and-Design-major students have lower self-reported feelings of belonging and being part of the Makerspace, and concludes with proposals on how to continue work facilitating an inclusive environment and increasing sense of belonging and participation for women, trans students, and non-majors.

Exploring The Relationship Between Designing And Composing With An Analog Synthesizer, Felix Morrissey

Honors College

For my electrical engineering capstone, I designed and built a handheld analog synthesizer. This analog synthesizer is a musical instrument which uses electrical analog components to generate sounds with properties based on the user’s input. My goal when creating this device was to maximize its utility while remaining within the scope of the capstone project. After the synthesizer was built, I wrote and recorded several pieces of music which each utilized the synthesizer prominently. The aim of this process was to be able to explore the relationship between an instrument’s design and the quality of the music produced utilizing it. …

Architectural Hybrid (Physical-Digital) Prototyping In Design Processes With Digital Twin Technologies, Gulbahar Emir Isik, Henri Achten

Architecture and Planning Journal (APJ)

A digital twin is a simultaneous digital reflection of object processes and states. Digital twins are usually made of objects that exist in reality or which are very near completion in a design and production process. In our research, we investigate the potential of digital twin technology for early design. Key to the early application of digital twin in design is the role of information and simulation. Since design information is valuable for predicting the future of design, we assume that design will begin to change as digital twin technologies become more and more adaptable, as designers simultaneously have digital …

Creativity, Craftsmanship, And Connection: Large-Format Sculpture Design, Jacqueline L. Puga, Gordon Hoople

The STEAM Journal

Artistry is a concept that is not usually explored in engineering yet is an invaluable skill that touches everything from product design to systems thinking. This past summer I developed conceptual designs for a large format sculpture that required connecting engineering knowledge with artistic vision. The initial phase required constant inspiration and creativity. The first step was to look at previous sculptures showcased throughout the world, such as at venues like “Burning Man,” to understand the possibilities or limitations of the space provided. Sketching varied and numerous ideas was essential in our design process. Next, we took our favorite ideas …

Small Town To The World Wide Web: Designing A Website For A Local Business, Madison Cozzens

Honors Projects

The Raspberry and The Rose is a small business in Medina, OH, and had a multitude of visual communication issues that needed to be solved. But what's an online presence without a website? "Small Town to the World Wide Web: Designing a Website for a Local Business" focuses on fulfilling a local business's need for a strong online presence. It dives into how a user's experience on the website can impact brand loyalty, foot traffic, and overall perception of a business. The ultimate goal of this project is to provide insight into how a non-e-commerce website can impact a business.

The “Politics Of Inclusion/Exclusion” In Times Of The Pandemic, Florian Freitag

Journal of Themed Experience and Attractions Studies

As commercial enterprises that depend on attracting a maximum number of visitors in order to be economically successful, theme parks have generally been careful to avoid unpleasant, sensitive, or controversial themes (or aspects of a theme) that might offend or alienate potential customers. Due to official regulations concerning e.g. the wearing of masks in waiting lines and during rides, however, the pandemic cannot simply be “excluded” from the parks and remains constantly visually present, thus seriously undermining the companies’ efforts to keep the park grounds rigidly separated from the rest of the world. Particular operational decisions by some theme park …

Exploring The Psychological Consequences Of Distances In Virtual Reality, Gary D. Jacobs

Frameless

This presentation will examine common concepts of traveling between formalized spaces inside virtual reality (VR) experiences.

The common method for traveling in virtual reality is to click on an area or trigger and be transported to that location. These “teleportations”, however, remove the notion of distances from our virtual worlds. This is akin to a magic wand that eliminates the consequences of travel in VR. Often heralded as a boon for the virtual worlds we can create, wherein we can travel to far away lands without lag in time and without effort on the part of the participant. We posit …

Build Your Own Body Mod: Empowerment Through Prototyping And Design, Anaiss Arreola, Katherine R. Ganim

Journal of Science Education for Students with Disabilities

When you don’t have a hand, what could you have instead? This article introduces the impact of inviting youth with disabilities to learn tools and technology to design their own solutions and advocate for their own future. This approach to programming is rooted in a mindset of designing WITH, not FOR. Not only are design outcomes improved when users are incorporated into the process, but this approach has been shown to improve confidence in creating one’s own solutions. These programs include hands-on “design-your-own-body-mod” workshops, as well as a budding inclusive design consultancy led by youth with disabilities. Through this programming, …

Eventhub Application: Sharing Medium For Popup Stores / Events, Coby Hong

Liberal Arts and Engineering Studies

Creation of Full Stack web application using technologies MongoDB backend, REST API services, and React.JS front end. Web application centered around providing a news feed for local businesses and popup events to post / share their listings on. Users can log on with their Google account to traverse the website.

Architectural Design Process Management, Nesreen Alkassabany, Magdy Mousa

Architecture and Planning Journal (APJ)

Creating a new building can be seen as an unequivocal process which requires input from a variety of resources, using a range of abilities and skills to arrange and manage factors as well as resolving combative and quarrelsome issues. The performance of the design process in the building industry has a great influence on the success of subsequent processes in construction projects and also on the outcome of the quality of the final product. Despite its importance, relatively little significance has been given to the management of the design process. The research will dissect and analyze the process of building …

Architectural Education Environments: Where Teaching Ends And Learning Begins, Rana Elbakly, Mohamed Ibrahim

Architecture and Planning Journal (APJ)

Architecture is a fast changing domain. Nevertheless, architectural education in Egypt can often not keep pace with those fast changes. Namely, graduate students start to realize that there are practical experiences like dealing with clients, working in large teams and acquiring knowledge related to architectural software independently which they do not obtain in undergraduate years, but wish that they did! This raises the question of how far should the architecture educational process change from Teaching to Learning ?As a matter of fact, the educational process at any architectural department is defined to a very high extent by the physical attributes …

The Pedagogy Of Design And Technology At Xavier University Of Louisiana, New Orleans, Shayna Tova Blum

Faculty and Staff Publications

Abstract. Xavier University of Louisiana (XULA) is a Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics (STEM) university located in New Orleans, Louisiana. As a Historically Black University (HBCU), the university serves a diverse community of students in which many are first-generation, college graduates. Students enrolled in Design courses at XULA are studying in Bachelor of Science and Bachelor of Art programs and majoring in subjects such as Computer Science, Physics, Mass Communication, Art, Business, and Science. The interdisciplinary student environment offers a unique opportunity for collaboration and peer learning, whereby students are able to share diverse perspectives on a topic by relating …

Connecting Bridges Through Theatrical Design: An Examination Of “Asiri Nla” In Performance, Tochukwu J. Okeke

International Review of Humanities Studies

The theatre provides an avenue for the expression of very salient and topical issues about a people through the presentation of performances. These performances, which are often in form of plays, are always created by playwrights and that is why playwrights are said to be the watch dogs of the society because their works x-ray past and present situations while proffering solutions for the future. However, the theatre is a composite art which involves the collaboration of many creative artists: Playwright, Director, Stage Manager, Actor(s), Designer(s), amongst others. The designer(s) are the creative artists that interpret the play in visual …

Audio To Architecture: House Music As A Form Generator, Polina Timchenko

Architecture Undergraduate Honors Theses

Contemporary music undergoes similar process of creation to that of the design process through computation and variation. House music as a representation of contemporary culture has a layered structure that allows specific characteristics to identify it as house music. Song components can vary and mix in different orders that form new dynamic compositions. I am going to explore the idea that every house music component can be translated into geometry with the use of parametric design techniques.

3d Printing – An Insider’S Perspective, Siddharth Sah

The STEAM Journal

The 3D printing market globally is still at its infancy, - or some might argue that there isn’t really a market yet. The knowledge of 3D printing design is still largely limited to engineering design – not product design. At MakeWhale, we are constantly pushing the boundaries of the application of 3D printing technology to consumer products resulting in a beautiful mix of technology and art.

A Sound Idea: An Investigation Into Accessible Video Game Design For The Deaf And Hard Of Hearing, Luke James Brook

Theses: Doctorates and Masters

A widely accepted, and incorrect, assumption towards hearing accessibility in video games is that deaf and hard of hearing (DHH) users are those who encounter the least barriers and are generally well catered for. Rapid advancement in video game technology has seen video game sound evolve from simple blips generated by internal circuitry to fully realised digital audio used to convey critical information. To accommodate the DHH, this information needs to be conveyed in an alternative manner. However, evidence suggests existing accessible design solutions for the DHH lack specificity and are insufficient. Thus, the inability to hear, or hear well, …

Usability Simplified: A Basic Guide To Undertaking Effective Usability Testing, Garrison Reeves

Professional Writing and Information Design Capstone Projects

Usability can be complicated but I provide simple guidelines to effective usability. Every product has an intended purpose, and the scope and aim of usability testing is measuring if a product meets this purpose with regards to a user. Testing is used in many fields, but I intend to focus on user-centered interaction design and how to test when designing and developing such a product. I provide a simple head-start to usability testing based off of my research. Usability testing is a technique used for evaluating a product by testing the product on users who are part of the respective …

Design And Experimental Investigation Of An Oxy-Fuel Combustion System For Magnetohydrodynamic Power Extraction, Manuel Johannes Hernandez

Open Access Theses & Dissertations

A general consensus in the scientific and research community is the need to restrict carbon emissions in energy systems. Therefore, extensive research efforts are underway to develop the next generation of energy systems. In the field of power generation, researchers are actively investigating novel methods to produce electricity in a cleaner, efficient form. Recently, Oxy-Combustion for magnetohydrodynamic power extraction has generated significant interest, since the idea was proposed as a method for clean power generation in coal and natural gas power plants. Oxy-combustion technologies have been proposed to provide high enthalpy, electrically conductive flows for direct conversion of electricity. Direct …

Visualizing Population Density Based On Wifi Router Location And Network Usage, Tyler Deitz

Liberal Arts and Engineering Studies

This research paper introduces a prototype of a feature for Robert E. Kennedy’s maps web application. The feature visualizes population density based off wifi router location and network usage within the building. The significance of the feature is noted by documenting the library’s transition into a hub for student life and campus culture, which increases the space’s occupancy and visitor retention for a longer time. The feature is based off a Voronoi diagram map distribution which strongly affects its technical and visual implementation. The end product is user tested by Cal Poly students and received a 93.5% satisfaction rate.

Hand Operated Tabletop Letterpress Assembly Instructions 1.0, George Chiu, Brendan Domos, Spencer Herzog, Nathan Sandidge, Kevin Weinstein

Theses

A group of RIT Mechanical Engineering students spent the 2014-2015 academic year in their senior design class collaborating with the RIT Cary Graphic Arts Collection to design and fabricate a 21st century hand-operated platen press.

The press that was designed during this engineering exercise met several requirements:

• be under 30 lbs
• fit in a 24 inch square table top space
• be manufactured with a majority of components which could be purchased from a standard parts supplier
• be able to print with commonly manufactured ink rollers, ink, letterpress chases, spacing and furniture
• the platen and packing had to be adjustable to …

Social And Economic Sustainability, Jason Sargent, Khanjan Mehta, Katina Michael

Professor Katina Michael

But what about long-term stability in developing nations? For example, as we strive to mainstream alternate energy sources and make them accessible in resource poor communities [ ], how do we think beyond the technological and economic dimensions and ensure respect for social, political and environmental imperatives? Computers, including the tiny but powerful ones on cell phones can be game-changers, but they will not save lives directly. They cannot be eaten by a starving population. And then, they need to be serviced and maintained. Jason, along with Katina’s husband Michael, visited and taught Karen refugee students in camps and remote …

Interpreting, Stephanie Jo Kent

Doctoral Dissertations

What do community interpreting for the Deaf in western societies, conference interpreting for the European Parliament, and language brokering in international management have in common? Academic research and professional training have historically emphasized the linguistic and cognitive challenges of interpreting, neglecting or ignoring the social aspects that structure communication. All forms of interpreting are inherently social; they involve relationships among at least three people and two languages. The contexts explored here, American Sign Language/English interpreting and spoken language interpreting within the European Parliament, show that simultaneous interpreting involves attitudes, norms and values about intercultural communication that overemphasize information and discount …

Merging Creative Design And Cad Learning Activities In A Product Design Programme, Pearl O'Rourke, Colm O'Kane, Leslie Smith, Michael Ring

Conference Papers

Traditional learning and teaching methods for creativity differ from those used in a scientific context. Although the creative process can benefit from a certain level of prescription and structural constraint - with time allocated to research, problem definition, conceptualisation and idea development - flexibility and fluidity are necessary for creative innovation. In contrast, the more linear and rigid pedagogies associated with science and engineering education facilitate efficient learning of subjects such as those based on software packages, manufacturing and materials theory or mechanics. This paper describes the development of a project which aims to establish constructive links between the learning …

Using Design Hierarchy In Digital Logic To Illustrate The Scientific Method As A Human Invention, Douglas Deboer

Pro Rege

This paper was presented at the Christian Engineering Conference, Atlanta, Georgia, June 2013. It was then published in Proceedings of the 2013 Christian Engineering Conference, pp. 99–106. Permission to publish was granted by Steve VanderLeest, Conference Chair.

Towards A “Cloud Curriculum” In Art And Science?, Roger Malina

The STEAM Journal

Recently an email hit my desk from Paul Thomas in Australia with a proposal to work together on a “Cloud Curriculum for Art and Science”. I immediately agreed to collaborate. I don’t yet have a clue of what a cloud curriculum is, but what I do know is that we are ‘backing into the future’ in educational institutions and we desperately need a ‘cloud curriculum.’ We need to look over the ten year horizon. And in the emerging art-science field I doubt that the usual approach to curriculum development will work.

Steam...Now!, John Eger

The STEAM Journal

With America slowly awakening to the need to turn out creative and innovative workers who can join the 21^st century (its already 2012) workplace -- because they have the new thinking skills --we have to change the current emphasis on STEM, for Science, Technology, Engineering and Math to STEAM, by insuring that the whole brain is nurtured through the arts: thus STEAM.

Getting Real About The E In Steam, James Catterall

The STEAM Journal

STEM and STEAM are in the news. Researchers and educators in my field (cognition, art, and creativity) argue reasons for adding the A to STEM. While I visit this below, my focus is elsewhere. In this brief essay, I want to explore the meaning and importance of the E appearing in both STEM and STEAM. What’s engineering doing in this mix? And what are some reasons for affirming the arts when the role of engineering is clarified?

Best Source For Patent Drawing Rules & Regulations, Bernadette Marshall

Bernadette Marshall

It is with great pleasure that I announce something new from NBG-Drafting and Design. This is our first Newsletter - Special Edition; In this edition we will cover our preferred sources for patent drawing rules & regulations. Finding resources for information regarding patent drawing rules can be frustrating. Much of the information refers to out-of-date methods, like hand drawings using ink pens on board. It is hard to imaging creating any type of mechanical/technical drawings today without the use of CADD (software application for computer aided design and drafting). Most skilled patent draftspersons today are practicing in CADD.

Development Of The Control And Ignition Systems On A High Pressure Gas Turbine Combustor, Carlos Alejandro Valdez

Open Access Theses & Dissertations

The ignition and control systems of a laboratory scale high-pressure gas turbine combustor were developed in the present work. This work provides a detailed description of the design, development and testing of the remote control system developed for a High Pressure Gas Turbine Combustor (HPTC).

The combustor has the capability to operate at pressures up to 1.5 MPa and temperatures up to 2400 K. It is also designed for a maximum air and fuel flow rates of 81.93 g/s and 35.77 g/s respectively. The fuel used will be CH4 for the early experiments but it is designed to operate using …

Design Collaboration As A Tool For Developing Diversity In The Work Place, Rees E. E. Shad

Publications and Research

Without a doubt the modern workplace is one made up of numerous working professionals graced with an array of varied abilities who work in tandem to meet a common goal. In this article the author recounts his personal journey to embracing the collaborative process and how he has honed and developed the skill set into an important element of design curriculum in order to prepare students for this fundamental market paradigm.