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Full-Text Articles in Engineering
A Markerless Augmented Reality System Using One-Shot Structured Light, Bingyao Huang
A Markerless Augmented Reality System Using One-Shot Structured Light, Bingyao Huang
Theses and Dissertations
Augmented reality (AR) is a technology that superimposes computer-generated 3D and/or 2D information on the user’s view of a surrounding environment in real-time, enhancing the user’s perception of the real world. Regardless of the field for which the application is applied, or its primary purpose in the scene, many AR pipelines share what might be thinned down to two specific goals, the first being range-finding the environment (whether this be in knowing a depth, precise 3D coordinates, or a camera pose estimation), and the second being registration and tracking of the 3D environment, such that an environment moving with respect …
Ehawk: Uav - Remote Launch Of Unmanned Aerial Vehicles Kite Based System, Matthew R. Rossett
Ehawk: Uav - Remote Launch Of Unmanned Aerial Vehicles Kite Based System, Matthew R. Rossett
Theses and Dissertations
Unmanned aerial vehicles, also known as UAVs or drones, are becoming favorable assets in multiple fields. Along with this new technology comes new improvements, including the EHAWK: UAV system, a proposed system to increase the range of UAVs by providing an alternate method for launching. The EHAWK: UAV is a kite based system for launching UAVs. The system uses a kite which acts as a sky anchor or fixed point in the sky. A tether is attached from the kite to the ground. A shuttle device then attached to the tether line. That shuttle carries the UAV up the line …
Lignin-Derived Thermosetting Vinyl Ester Resins For High Performance Applications, Daniel Rogers
Lignin-Derived Thermosetting Vinyl Ester Resins For High Performance Applications, Daniel Rogers
Theses and Dissertations
Vinyl ester (VE) resins are utilized to produce polymer matrix composites for use in a wide range of applications due to possessing relatively high moduli, strengths, and glass transition temperatures while maintaining low weight and cost. VE resins often contain high concentrations of a petroleum-based reactive diluent (RD), such as styrene. Many of the commonly used RDs have been designated as hazardous air pollutants, potential carcinogens, and volatile organic compounds. Renewable VE resins and RDs with similar performance to petroleum-based RDs are desired to potentially mitigate the aforementioned hazards as well as to facilitate the transition from petrochemical feedstocks to …
Compose: Compacted Object Sample Extraction A Framework For Semi-Supervised Learning In Nonstationary Environments, Karl Dyer
Theses and Dissertations
An increasing number of real-world applications are associated with streaming data drawn from drifting and nonstationary distributions. These applications demand new algorithms that can learn and adapt to such changes, also known as concept drift. Proper characterization of such data with existing approaches typically requires substantial amount of labeled instances, which may be difficult, expensive, or even impractical to obtain. In this thesis, compacted object sample extraction (COMPOSE) is introduced - a computational geometry-based framework to learn from nonstationary streaming data - where labels are unavailable (or presented very sporadically) after initialization. The feasibility and performance of the algorithm are …
Multiple Detector Wireless Fnirs Sensor To Detect Hemodynamic Activity, Sivaram Karra
Multiple Detector Wireless Fnirs Sensor To Detect Hemodynamic Activity, Sivaram Karra
Theses and Dissertations
An established, non-invasive and flexible technique, "functional Near Infra-Red Spectroscopy" (fNIRS), has opened new opportunities for the study of brain functionality. This powerful method uses the optical properties of a tissue at multiple near infra-red wavelengths to dynamically determine the levels of both oxygenated hemoglobin (HbO2) and deoxygenated hemoglobin (Hbr). Traditional techniques such as functional Magnetic Resonance Imaging (fMRI), Positron Emission Tomography (PET), Electroencephalography (EEG) and Event Related brain Potentials (ERP) have increased our understanding of brain functionality, however, the basic limitations of these technologies such as high cost of equipment, difficulty of operation and levels of radiation make access …
Particle Filtering For Eeg Source Localization And Constrained State Spaces, Bradley Ebinger
Particle Filtering For Eeg Source Localization And Constrained State Spaces, Bradley Ebinger
Theses and Dissertations
Particle Filters (PFs) have a unique ability to perform asymptotically optimal estimation for non-linear and non-Gaussian state-space models. However, the numerical nature of PFs cause them to have major weakness in two important areas: (1) handling constraints on the state, and (2) dealing with high-dimensional states. In the first area, handling constraints within the PF framework is crucial in dynamical systems, which are often required to satisfy constraints that arise from basic physical laws or other considerations. The current trend in constrained particle filtering is to enforce the constraints on all particles of the PF. We show that this approach …
Synthesis And Characterization Of Vanillyl Alcohol Based Thermosetting Epoxy Resins, Eric Hernandez
Synthesis And Characterization Of Vanillyl Alcohol Based Thermosetting Epoxy Resins, Eric Hernandez
Theses and Dissertations
Lignin is a natural and abundant renewable material composed of crosslinked phenylpropenyl units that when strategically depolymerized could potentially yield renewable bio-based aromatic building blocks for applications in high-performance thermosetting epoxy resins. Vanillyl alcohol, a lignin derived aromatic diol, is a potential platform chemical for the production of renewable bisphenols and epoxy thermosets. A new bio-based bisphenol (bisguaiacol) was synthesized via electrophilic aromatic condensation of vanillyl alcohol and guaiacol, from which diglycidyl ether of bisguaiacol (DGEBG) was prepared via epoxidation with epichlorohydrin.The thermomechanical properties of DGEBG blended with a commercial BPA-based epoxy resin and cured with a diamine were investigated …
Level Set Segmentation Using Non-Negative Matrix Factorization With Application To Brain Mri, Dimah Dera
Level Set Segmentation Using Non-Negative Matrix Factorization With Application To Brain Mri, Dimah Dera
Theses and Dissertations
We address the problem of image segmentation using a new deformable model based on the level set method (LSM) and non-negative matrix factorization (NMF). We describe the use of NMF to reduce the dimension of large images from thousands of pixels to a handful of "metapixels" or regions. In addition, the exact number of regions is discovered using the nuclear norm of the NMF factors. The proposed NMF-LSM characterizes the histogram of the image, calculated over the image blocks, as nonnegative combinations of basic histograms computed using NMF (V ~ W H). The matrix W represents the histograms of the …
A Mathematical Model Of A Control Systems Hypothesis Of N-Methyl-D-Aspartate-Receptor-Mediated Ethanol Dependence And Withdrawal Dynamics, Carlos Gutierrez
A Mathematical Model Of A Control Systems Hypothesis Of N-Methyl-D-Aspartate-Receptor-Mediated Ethanol Dependence And Withdrawal Dynamics, Carlos Gutierrez
Theses and Dissertations
The biochemical effects of ethanol on the human brain are manifested through many neurological pathways. Chronic exposure to the depressant has been shown to result in physical dependence. Subsequent cessation results in withdrawal symptoms such as seizures and both short- and long-term changes in neurological activity. One of the primary conduits implicated in the pathways of ethanol dependence and withdrawal is the detection of glutamate via N-methyl-D-aspartate (NMDA) receptors (NMDARs). Ethanol molecules inhibit these receptors, and consequent NMDA-induced glutamatergic changes can result in dependence on ethanol in order to sustain normal brain function. This study considers the relocation control of …
Minimizing Average Handling Time In Contact Centers By Introducing A New Process: Rowan Support Desk Case Study, Niusha Jafari
Minimizing Average Handling Time In Contact Centers By Introducing A New Process: Rowan Support Desk Case Study, Niusha Jafari
Theses and Dissertations
Quality of a call center performance is an important factor in insuring customer satisfaction. Customers, the "callers", want their requests solved quickly, permanently and to their satisfaction. Often, there are staff constraints, budget or cost limitation, and the Service Level Agreement (SLA) which is resource availability to accomplish a task within a deadline. The purpose of this research is to analyze feasible approaches to minimize the long-lasting open requests and enhance a call center's performance. Multiple challenges that a call center often faces in handling requests are studied to identify key bottlenecks in the process of handling requests. Rowan University …
Laser Scanning Aggregates For Real-Time Property Identification, Andrew Branin
Laser Scanning Aggregates For Real-Time Property Identification, Andrew Branin
Theses and Dissertations
The strength of concrete and asphalt is provided by the aggregate stone within it, and as such maintaining a high standard for these materials is crucial in ensuring that these materials meet their projected design lives. One key factor to consider for an aggregate's long-term strength is its mineralogy, which can affect the strength and long-term performance of these materials. Conventional chemical testing techniques and petrographic examination methods presently exist which can be used to identify and/or quantify problematic minerals, however these tests are typically costly, time consuming, and/or require significant sample preparation and a controlled lab environment. The purpose …
Event-Based Hydrologic Model Calibration Using Nexrad In A Data-Poor Region Of Southern New Jersey, Christopher Siegel
Event-Based Hydrologic Model Calibration Using Nexrad In A Data-Poor Region Of Southern New Jersey, Christopher Siegel
Theses and Dissertations
Proper calibration of hydrologic models requires both reliable observed stream flow and precipitation data. Southern New Jersey has a notable lack of observed precipitation data, in particular, at the event scale; therefore model calibration represents a significant challenge. From a design standpoint this has not been a major concern as hydrologic models have been driven using design storms and are not calibrated. However, the need for research and impact analyses in the face of climate change (changes in extreme precipitation and sea-level rise in particular) and expected population growth in the region requires calibrated models, and reliable observed precipitation data …
Verification Of The Dissipated Energy Based Fatigue Model Using Field Data, Thomas Redles
Verification Of The Dissipated Energy Based Fatigue Model Using Field Data, Thomas Redles
Theses and Dissertations
Damage can be limited to the top layer in perpetual pavements through the use of a very thick surface layer or a binder-rich intermediate layer. To achieve this goal, tensile strains at the bottom of the top hot-mix asphalt (HMA) layer must be limited to below a certain value known as the fatigue endurance limit (FEL). In this thesis, a method for estimating the allowable strain in the asphalt layers of flexible airfield pavements is proposed based on the concept that HMA fatigue failure is associated with a significant reduction in HMA layer modulus, usually taken as 50 percent. Falling …
Integrating The Curriculum Using A Small-Scale Hybrid Power Train, Mariaeugenia Salas Acosta
Integrating The Curriculum Using A Small-Scale Hybrid Power Train, Mariaeugenia Salas Acosta
Theses and Dissertations
The project, a bench-scale hybrid electric powertrain system, is designed, analyzed and fabricated by students in six modules, starting in their sophomore year and culminating in their final semester as seniors. This complex project has been selected in order to integrate the core mechanical engineering courses: Mechanical Design, Thermodynamics, System Dynamics and Control, and Fluid Mechanics. A bench-scale hybrid-electric vehicle powertrain has sufficient complexity to involve all Mechanical Engineering disciplines and the simplicity to be built by students over the course of five semesters. The work is designed to test two hypotheses: 1) A long-term design project that integrates knowledge …