Engineering Commons^™

Silicon Oil Drop Experiment, Jacob Lutz

Honors Theses

When designing models for quantum systems, researchers are often limited to computer models to develop a large pool of data. This has always been the case until the discovery was made that bouncing droplets of silicone oil can provide a decent representation of quantum mechanical particles. A system to model this representation was created. It is designed to run continuously for a large number of trials without the need for human interaction, as well as collect motion data from generated oil droplets. The droplet generator system is composed of a fluid reservoir, pump, piezoelectric buzzer, fluid chamber, and a nozzle …

Atmospheric Turbulence Distortion In Video: Restoration Utilizing Sparse Analysis, Benjamin J. Sanda

Dissertations

The removal of atmospheric turbulence (AT) distortion in long range imaging is one of the most challenging areas of research in imaging processing with an immediate need for solutions in several applications such as in military and transportation systems. AT exacerbates distortion due to non-linear geometric blur and scintillations in long-distance images and videos, severely reducing image quality and information interpretation. AT negatively impacts both human and computer vision systems, compromising visibility essential for accurate object identification and tracking.

In this dissertation, a novel sparse analysis framework is developed to address efficient AT blur and scintillation removal in video. Operating …

Objectively Determining The Language-Related Communication Challenges For In-Flight Operations, Fehime Utkan

Dissertations

Communication breakdowns between pilots and air traffic controllers (ATCs) have been identified as primary factors in fatal airplane accidents (Wu et. al., 2019; Bauh & Stolzer, 2018; Ritter, 1996; Eurocontrol, 2011). Although there are various aspects that have affected communication efficiency, language-related issues have been mostly associated with transmissions involved in serious incidents, especially in multicultural flight environments (Sexton & Helmrich, 2000). More than 2,000 people have died in accidents where miscommunication was a primary factor (Bauh & Stolzer, 2018; Patty, 2016). By the year of 2025, the air transportation system is projected to become more complex, and the volume …

A Framework To Support Automatic Certification For Self-Adaptive Systems, Ioannis Nearchou

Masters Theses

Presently, cyber-physical systems are increasingly being integrated into societies, from the economic sector to the nuclear energy sector. Cyber-physical systems are systems that combine physical, digital, human, and other components, which operate through physical means and software. When system errors occur, the consequences of malfunction could negatively impact human life. Academic studies have relied on the MAPE-K feedback loop model to develop various system components to satisfy the self-adaptive features, such that violation of the safety requirements can be minimized. Assurance of system requirement satisfaction is argued through an industrial standard form, called an assurance case, which is usually applied …

Flexible Capacitive Pressure Sensors And Triboelectric Energy Harvesters Using Laser-Assisted Patterning Process For Flexible Hybrid Electronic Applications, Valliammai Palaniappan

Masters Theses

This work focuses on the design, fabrication and characterization of novel flexible capacitive pressure sensors and triboelectric energy harvesters using laser-assisted patterning process for flexible hybrid electronic applications. Initially, the capacitive pressure sensor was developed by fabricating a set of polydimethylsiloxanes (PDMS) dielectric films with pyramid shaped micro-structures using a laser-assisted patterning process. The pressure sensor consists of two electrodes (top and bottom) that were fabricated by depositing silver (Ag) on flexible polyethylene terephthalate (PET) using additive screen-printing process. Finally, the pressure sensor was assembled by attaching the top and bottom Ag electrodes to the smooth side of pyramid shaped …

Optimized System For On-Route Charging Of Battery Electric Buses And High-Fidelity Modelling And Simulation Of In-Motion Wireless Power Transfer, Yogesh Bappasaheb Jagdale

Masters Theses

Electrifying cars, buses and trucks is an attractive means to reduce energy use and emissions, because it involves minimal restructuring of the transportation network. Transit buses drive fixed routes, minimizing driver range anxiety by properly sizing energy storage system but the major challenge to fully electrifying transit buses, is the amount of energy they consume in a day of driving. To enable a full day of operation, batteries need to be large, which is expensive and heavy. This work utilizes real-world transit bus data fed to a battery electric drive-train model to co-optimize charger locations, charger power levels, and vehicle …

Ece Senior Design Project - Cost-Effective Diy Electrometer, Benjamin Hahn

Honors Theses

An electrometer is a critical electrophysiology instrument used to generate minuscule currents for intracellular stimulation of biological neurons. An electrometer also enables simultaneous measurement of the neuron membrane voltage response. This device is necessary to perform accurate stimulation of neurons. However, the cost of commercial electrometers, around $5000, is prohibitive to many researchers, particularly at the high-school or introductory college level. A recent Western Michigan University graduate student, Lucas Essenburg, designed a basic electrometer for $210. His thesis proved that quality electrometers can be constructed for a fraction of the price of commercial-grade equipment.

This project focused on the improvement …

Cost-Effective Diy Electrometer, Emily R. Johnson

Honors Theses

An electrometer is a critical electrophysiology instrument used to generate minuscule currents for intracellular stimulation of biological neurons. An electrometer also enables simultaneous measurement of the neuron membrane voltage response. This device is necessary to perform accurate stimulation of neurons. However, the cost of commercial electrometers, around $5000, is prohibitive to many researchers, particularly at the high-school or introductory college level. A recent Western Michigan University graduate student, Lucas Essenburg, designed a basic electrometer for $210. His thesis proved that quality electrometers can be constructed for a fraction of the price of commercial-grade equipment.

This project focused on the improvement …

Sunseeker Display And Driver Controller, Alec Kwapis

Honors Theses

Digital dashboard displays with critical driver information are found in all modern vehicles. Examples of such information available to the driver include a speedometer, odometer, engine RPM, fuel gauge and more. The current 2016 Sunseeker solar car already has numerous displays that can show critical information to the driver, however, there are several problems that exist. Each display itself is less than two inches in size, the text on the screens is difficult to read, and the measurements have no units. Furthermore, these displays were made by a company that no longer exists, thus preventing the solar car team from …

Vehicle Velocity Prediction Using Artificial Neural Networks And Effect Of Real-World Signals On Prediction Window, Tushar Dnyaneshwar Gaikwad

Masters Theses

Prediction of vehicle velocity is essential since it can realize improvements in the fuel economy/energy efficiency, drivability, and safety. Many publications address velocity prediction problems, yet there is a need for the understanding effect of different signals for the prediction. There are numerous new sensor and signal technologies like vehicle-to-vehicle and vehicle-to-infrastructure communication that can be used to obtain comprehensive datasets. Several references considered deterministic and stochastic approaches that use the datasets as input to determine future operation predictions. These approaches include different traffic models and artificial neural networks such as Markov chain, nonlinear autoregressive model, Gaussian function, and recurrent …

Development System For Intelligent Surgical Box-Trainer Research, Janos Grantner

Faculty Research and Creative Activities Award (FRACAA)

Laparoscopic surgery, also referred to as minimally invasive surgery, describes the performance of surgical procedures with the assistance of a video camera and several thin surgical instruments. During the surgical procedure, small incisions of up to half an inch are made and plastic tubes called ports are placed through these incisions. The camera and the surgical instruments are then introduced through the ports which allow access to the inside of the patient. The video camera becomes a surgeon's eyes. Excellent eye-hand coordination capabilities are crucial to carry out laparoscopic surgery procedures. Gaining basic laparoscopic skills such as …