Engineering Commons^™

Sabr: Development Of A Neuromorphic Balancing Robot, Alec Yen, Yaw Mensah, Mark Dean

EURēCA: Exhibition of Undergraduate Research and Creative Achievement

We discuss the development of a self-adjusted balancing robot (SABR) using a neuromorphic computing framework for control. Implementations of two-wheeled balancing robots have been achieved using traditional algorithms, often in the form of proportional-integral-derivative (PID) control. We aim to achieve the same task using a neuromorphic architecture, which offers potential for higher power efficiency than conventional processing techniques. We utilize evolutionary optimization (EO) and the second iteration of Dynamic Adaptive Neural Network Arrays (DANNA2) developed by the Laboratory of Tennesseans Exploring Neural Networks (TENNLab). For the purpose of comparison, a traditional balancing robot was first designed using PID control; the …

Study Level Recovery Processes Of Thorium And Several Rare Earth Elements From Monazite Ore, Makayla Hyde, Jaclyn Choate

EURēCA: Exhibition of Undergraduate Research and Creative Achievement

Monazite ore is composed of several minerals including several rare earth element (REE) and thorium phosphates. Many past research projects have looked at the extraction of REE from monazite ore but have discarded the thorium phosphate compound as waste. Since thorium could be a possible fuel for state-of-the-art future nuclear reactors, this research focuses on a way to recover thorium from the monazite ore. The overall purpose of this research is to develop a conceptual recovery process that recovers thorium dioxide from monazite ore. In some parts of the world where uranium sources are limited; then, thorium could be used …

Tuned Mass Damper, Ruichen Guo

EURēCA: Exhibition of Undergraduate Research and Creative Achievement

Abstract

My research aims to design a tuned mass damper for a model structure. In the real world, tuned mass dampers are designed to limit the motion of the building when it is subjected to an external excitation, such as an earthquake or hurricane. The design of the mass damper involves determining the mass, stiffness of the spring, and the dimensions of the mass. Once the tuned mass damper is fabricated, I will conduct experimental testing to identify the effectiveness of the tuned mass damper to control the response of a four-story model building. I expect that the mass damper, …

Identification Of Emergent Collaborative Behaviors In Multi-Agent Systems, Bryson Howell

EURēCA: Exhibition of Undergraduate Research and Creative Achievement

Identification of Emergent Collaborative Behaviors in Multi-Agent Systems

Bryson Howell

Multi-Agent Reinforcement Learning (MARL) has been used to allow groups of autonomous agents to perform complex cooperative tasks. When MARL methods such as the Multi-Agent Deep Deterministic Policy Gradient (MADDPG) algorithm [1] are used to train teams of agents in cooperative tasks, it has been observed that the actions of individual agents are significantly influenced by the actions of their teammates [2]. Additionally, prior work has shown that teams of agents trained independently of one another under identical conditions display a variety of behaviors [3]. Since these teams have been …

Protein Engineering Potential Inhibitor Of Detrimental Immune Responses, Nathaniel L. Blalock, Eric T. Boder, Liang Fang

EURēCA: Exhibition of Undergraduate Research and Creative Achievement

On the surface of immune cells, class II major histocompatibility complex proteins (MHCII) present antigenic peptides for CD4+ T cell recognition, which initiate a variety of antigen-specific immune responses such as antibody response or cytotoxic T cell activation. In people with with auto-immune diseases including but not limited to type 1 diabetes, multiple sclerosis, and rheumatoid arthritis, detrimental immune responses occur after the presentation of antigenic peptides. A single-chain, minimal MHCII (scm-MHCII) has been designed to retain its function as an antigen-presenting protein with a simplified structure that can be easily produced and manipulated in a laboratory by recombinant microbial …

High Resolution Validation Of Next Generation Turbulent Flow Models Using Neutron Beams, Laser Fluorescence, And Cryogenic Helium, Landen G Mcdonald

EURēCA: Exhibition of Undergraduate Research and Creative Achievement

Turbulent fluid flow is an incredibly unpredictable subject that continues to confound scientists and engineers. All of the empirical data that has been the basis of conventional turbulent computational fluid dynamics (CFD) models for decades only extends to roughly the equivalent turbulence created when Michael Phelps swims in a pool. The problem is that this data is then extrapolated out many orders of magnitude in order to design cruise ships, airplanes, and rockets which operate in significantly more turbulent flow regimes. This creates an incredible degree of uncertainty in the design process that demands over-engineering and increased expenditures.

The development …

Synthesis And Characterization Of A-Site And B-Site Disordered High-Entropy Perovskites, Quinton Wright

EURēCA: Exhibition of Undergraduate Research and Creative Achievement

Entropy-stabilized oxides are a new class of ceramic material inspired by high-entropy alloys. In entropy-stabilized oxides, many metallic elements in approximately equal amounts occupy one lattice site. The large number of atom types present in the crystal results in a high degree of disorder in the material. The purpose of this study was to determine if a single-phase samples of two entropy-stabilized oxides could be successfully created through solid-state synthesis. The first of these materials - (Gd0.2La0.2Nd0.2Sm0.2Y0.2)MnO3 - has has 5 A-site elements creating a high degree of disorder. The second of these materials - La(Co0.2Cr0.2Fe0.2Mn0.2Ni0.2)O3 - has 5 B-site …

Understanding Conformational Regulation Of The Integrin I-Domain For Design Of Chimeric Protein Switches, Niall Phelan Terry, Liang Fang, J Vincent Price, Eric T. Boder Dr.

EURēCA: Exhibition of Undergraduate Research and Creative Achievement

Within all complex biological processes intricate proteins are expressed to complete every niche and necessary task. Many express multiple allosterically regulated conformational states, with protein function regulated by effector molecules and other ligands. One such protein is the LFA-1 surface integrin protein and its inserted domain, the I-domain. We Isolated the I-domain for investigation of determining binding properties and understanding conformational regulations of affinity changes to its target ligand ICAM-1, for further use in chimeric protein switch design. A large change in binding affinity was found through the deletion of a sub-sequence of amino acids in I-domain known as the …

Elucidating Growth Coupling Of Metabolites In E. Coli And Characterizing Modularity., Preston N. Nicely

EURēCA: Exhibition of Undergraduate Research and Creative Achievement

This project seeks to increase the efficiency of rapid engineering strain design by elucidating the functionality of a modular cell. The modular cell theory insinuates that there exists a baseline cellular framework from which cellular products can be produced by inserting a designed production module into the cell. In this study, recombinant gene cloning techniques were used to design metabolite production modules that focused on increasing the production, titer, and yield of ethanol and lactate within Escherichia coli (E. coli). An auxotrophic chassis cell was created by ModCell2 and multi-objective strain design to determine the genes necessary for deletion. The …

System Fault Tolerancing And Self-Reported Usability Of A Closed-Loop Robotic System For Reading Comprehension Skill Development In Children Who Are Deaf Or Hard Of Hearing, Miroslava I. Migovich

EURēCA: Exhibition of Undergraduate Research and Creative Achievement

Children who are deaf or hard of hearing often suffer from low literacy and reading comprehension rates [1]. Over the past 50 years, research had concluded that literacy rates for these children rarely pass a fourth-grade level [2]. However, little research has been done regarding interventions for reading comprehension skill development [3]. Our long-term study seeks to incorporate social robotics and reading comprehension development to provide an option for in-home and in-school reading focused interventions. In the current study, we present an initial validation of a closed-loop social robotic system for reading comprehension testing. Results suggest our robot-based system is …

Developing A Method For Testing Tackiness Of Bituminous Tack Coats, Collin M. Pekol Mr.

EURēCA: Exhibition of Undergraduate Research and Creative Achievement

In the construction of roads, asphalt is paved in individual layers. To ensure that these layers behave as a single, cohesive unit, a bituminous tack coat is applied between layers. It is critical that this tack coat is adhesive when the hot mix asphalt is applied and non-adhesive otherwise. As of present, there is no standard method for testing the adhesion of bituminous tack coats. A procedure was developed such that a sample tack coat of ~1 mm thickness was allowed to adhere to a temperature-controlled lower plate. After a set time, the upper geometry was lowered until a set …

The Comparison Of Verbalized Feedback In Human To Computer Interfacing Versus Human To Human Interaction, Kea Francis

EURēCA: Exhibition of Undergraduate Research and Creative Achievement

The project evaluates response to social robots for purposeful tasks. The study uses a social robot, Rapiro, along with a smartphone that serves as a visual interface for the robot system. My role was to design a program on a Raspberry Pi that allows simultaneous control of Rapiro’s actions and a response from a phone application. The phone app is downloaded to an Android phone and designed using MIT App Inventor software. This allows pre-programmed and real-time control of the robot. The user inputs what they want the robot to say through the terminal of the Raspberry Pi. Through serial …

Improving Sheet Molding Compound, Zebulon G. Mcreynolds

EURēCA: Exhibition of Undergraduate Research and Creative Achievement

Zebulon McReynolds

An important attribute of the compression molding process is the requirement of (Sheet Molding Compound) SMC. The fibers, commonly glass or carbon fibers, are impregnated with thermoset resin and collected in continuous form on a conveyor belt. The SMC charge is rolled between rollers to wet out the fibers with resin. The SMC charge is then compression molded to a desired part reflecting the designed mold. The part could be an automotive part or any other industrial applicable part. Compression molding with fibers and polymers is the largest component of most of the manufacturing industries in the world. …

Analyzing Memcapacitive Capabilities Of Lipid And Polymer Bilayers For Use In Smart Materials, Megan Pitz

EURēCA: Exhibition of Undergraduate Research and Creative Achievement

Neuromorphic engineering involves designing artificial neural systems that mimic the way neuron circuits in the brain process information and make computations. It took the fourth most powerful computer in the world (with 705,024 processor cores and 1.4 million GB of RAM) 40 minutes to simulate just one second of human brain activity. This shows a clear difference of energy use in the human brain versus modern computers; neuromorphic engineering could be how we mimic the computing power of the brain to create energy-efficient, neuron-based computers. Memristors and memcapacitors are proposed circuit elements with memory components. Memristors have been extensively studied …

Molecular Dynamics Simulations Of Hydrogen Diffusion And Retention Behavior Near Sub-Surface Defects In Tungsten: Towards Predicting Tritium Retention In The Iter Divertor, Emily Nicole Hutchins

EURēCA: Exhibition of Undergraduate Research and Creative Achievement

Molecular Dynamics Simulations of hydrogen diffusion and retention behavior near subsurface defects in tungsten: Towards predicting tritium retention in the ITER divertor

Plasma-facing components within fusion reactors will be exposed to massive particle and thermal loads, which will pose serious material challenges. The plasma-facing component of interest in this project is the divertor, a device that allows for the online removal of the helium reaction product from the deuterium – tritium plasma. The ITER divertor will be constructed from tungsten, which is also a prime candidate for use in future demonstration fusion reactors, because of its superior mechanical properties and …

X-Means Clustering Implementing The Gap Statistic For Multiple Positron Emission Particle Tracking, Matthew Herald

EURēCA: Exhibition of Undergraduate Research and Creative Achievement

The most efficient and accurate method for clustering Coincidence Lines (CL) for Positron Emission Particle Tracking (PEPT) is undetermined. A number of methods have been created to perform this task. A novel clustering method featuring x-means is presented using an automated k-value estimator for k-means clustering. Gap statistic is used to select the best k-value. Geant4 Application for Tomographic Emission is used to simulate particles of 50 µCi and the detection and electronic chain associated with the Siemens Inveon Pre-Clinical Scanner. The simulation produces an array of coincident lines (CL) in a format consistent with scanner output. The CL are …

Device Characterization Of Solar Inverters, Katelyn Alexandria Bolinsky

EURēCA: Exhibition of Undergraduate Research and Creative Achievement

Solar energy is one of the most significant research thrusts in the modern era. Solar inverters are devices used to convert the DC energy of sunlight into AC energy that can be used on the power grid. Typically, they contain silicon; however, new substances such as silicon carbide and gallium nitride are being tested. These materials could increase the efficiency of solar energy, decrease the overall cost, and are potentially more durable than silicon. In order to determine if these new substances can actually benefit the solar industry, they need to be characterized for different attributes with different parameters. As …

Laser Ablation Synthesis Of Energetic Graphitic Coated Aluminum Nanoparticles, Camille E. Bergin

EURēCA: Exhibition of Undergraduate Research and Creative Achievement

This poster presents a research initiative in collaboration with the US Army Research Lab (ARL) to synthesize carbon-coated aluminum (Al) nanoparticles (NPs) as energetic materials via laser ablation in organic solutions. Nanomaterials have gained widespread attention recently from an array of scientists and engineers for their desired physical and chemical properties believed to be a product of their high ratio of surface area to volume, thus making them favorable for a wide variety of applications. Specifically, here Al NPs are favored for their energetic characteristics and usually employed as solid-state propellants. However, it is challenging and unsafe to preserve pristine …

Evaluation Of Foldable Tractor Roll-Over Protective Structures (Rops) Clearance, Luke Martin

EURēCA: Exhibition of Undergraduate Research and Creative Achievement

Tractor rollovers are a leading cause of death in the agricultural industry. While rollovers continue to happen, Roll-Over Protective Structures (ROPS) have shown great ability to prevent or reduce the casualties and injuries associated with rollover events. Foldable ROPS provide a practical solution to various issues faced by tractor operators. However, a ROPS is not meant to be used in the folded down position, as they are commonly used.

This study determined the operator protection provided by ROPS in the extended and the folded positions relative to the applicable engineering standards. To accomplish this, six different sized tractors with different …

Squeaver, Cole Stonebrook, Matthew Frana, Samuel Tabor

EURēCA: Exhibition of Undergraduate Research and Creative Achievement

Overhanging limbs pose a threat to many homeowners with trees in their yard. If these limbs fall, property damage and personal injury are a major possibility. Currently the two methods used to cut and remove these limbs are hiring a tree service to use a boom truck to lift an arborist up to the limb or having a tree climber cut and lower the limb. Both methods are unsafe and expensive. Our design will be a tree-trimming device that can be rented from an equipment rental facility and operated by the homeowner. The machine will have the capability to extend …

A Mobile Canoe-Mounted, Geo-Referenced, 3-D Water Quality Analyzer, Alex Shpik, Alysse Ness, Ryan Vernich

EURēCA: Exhibition of Undergraduate Research and Creative Achievement

Water quality analysis is vital to ensure the health of water sources, as well as identifying pollutants and modeling how they affect a river system. Current methods of collecting water samples consist of stationary samplers that measure changes in water quality at only one location over time. We have designed a mobile, canoe-mounted, water quality analyzing system that will enable researchers to efficiently collect a large number of water quality samples with an associated GPS location and depth for each data point. While the canoe travels in parallel swaths bank to bank, the unit will alternately collect samples from 3 …

Interactive Debriefing Application (Ida), Quentin Eastridge, Erik Vass

EURēCA: Exhibition of Undergraduate Research and Creative Achievement

Health Information Technology & Simulation Lab (HITS Lab) is an interprofessional effort aimed at enhancing consumer and professional health education through the advancement of health information technology. The HITS Lab brings together expertise from multiple disciplines to promote active simulated learning and the development and testing of new health technology. The lab’s latest development is the Interactive Debriefing Application (IDA). This tablet application will engage students as they observe medical simulations. The IDA will transform students from passive to active observers as they engage with what they are seeing in the simulation. The application will also enhance the face-to-face debriefing …

Design Of A Mobile Shade And Cooling Structure For Grazing Dairy Herds, William Barbour, Ellen Moore, Jay Mcmillan

EURēCA: Exhibition of Undergraduate Research and Creative Achievement

The U.S. organic dairy industry has experienced significant growth in recent years: over 10% growth annually since 2009 and 14.5% from 2010 to 2011; total market share is approximately 5% in the United States. The USDA places certain requirements on diary products that are certified organic, some of which are aimed at grazing practices. One challenge farmers must overcome to comply is keeping the cows in optimum conditions in a free-range grazing scenario; poor conditions such as excessive heat can decrease milk production and pose an economic burden on the dairy. The proposed system intends to control environmental conditions for …

Synthesis Of Ptcuco Ternary Alloy Using Laser Ablation Synthesis In Solution-Galvanic Replacement Reaction (Lasis-Grr), Kangmin Cheng

EURēCA: Exhibition of Undergraduate Research and Creative Achievement

Laser ablation synthesis in solution in tandem with galvanic replacement reaction (LASiS-GRR) is a newly-developed, facile and environmental friendly synthesis technique for manufacturing a variety of complex nanostructures including hydroxides, metal/metal oxides nanocomposites (NCs), metal-metal nanoalloys (NAs), core-shell nanostructures, etc. This synthetic technique incorporates both “top-down” pulsed laser ablation synthesis in solution approach (LASiS) and the “bottom-up” chemical reduction method (CRM). The setup houses a Q-switched Nd:YAG pulsed laser (1064 nm) with the laser beam focused at a metal target in liquid medium inside a sealed stainless steel reactor cell. The cell is mounted with a gas inlet/outlet, viewing windows, …

Using Ab Initio Simulations To Examine The Flexoelectric Effect In Perovskites, Austin B. Plymill

EURēCA: Exhibition of Undergraduate Research and Creative Achievement

Flexoelectricity is a property that dielectric materials exhibit where they produce polarization when subject to an inhomogeneous deformation. In the past, this effect has been largely ignored, as its effect in bulk materials has been much less significant than the related effect of piezoelectricity, the polarization of material due to uniform deformation. Interest in flexoelectricity has been increasing in recent years due to the development of nanotechnologies. Flexoelectricity is proportional to the strain gradient a material is subjected to making the flexoelectric effect immense on the nanoscale. Additionally, the flexoelectric effect scales with the dielectric constant making it have a …

Red Bird Water Kiosk Pavilion _ Clean Water Clean Life, Garrett Keyes Nelli

EURēCA: Exhibition of Undergraduate Research and Creative Achievement

Architecture has the power to strengthen community bonds, support a healthy life style and enrich individual lives. The Red Bird Water Kiosk seeks to achieve all three of these on the site of the Red Bird Mission campus, located deep in the Appalachian Mountains of Clay County, Kentucky. This is an area where most live below the poverty line, and about 64 percent of water sources are contaminated. As a result, lack of clean water has forced many locals to turn to unhealthy living standards. Because of these conditions, the county ranks as one of the poorest in the nation, …

Adaptation And Robustness In A Chemotaxis Network, Beini Chen, Steve Abel

EURēCA: Exhibition of Undergraduate Research and Creative Achievement

Adaptation is a behavior of biological systems in which a sustained change in input signal leads to a transient output response that returns to the pre--‐stimulated output level. Cells use adaptation to maintain sensitivity to the changes in their environment and to remain in homeostasis while the input signal is perturbed. Signaling networks in both prokaryotic and eukaryotic cells demonstrate adaptation, which is a common feature of chemotaxis, a signal transduction process that enables cells to sense chemical gradients in their extracellular environment and to adjust their movement in response. In the case of Escherichia coli, the bacteria swim in …

Subsurface Infiltration Vaults: Puttin' Water In It's Place, Ryan Benton Miles, Thomas James Lakas Jr, Matt Ellison, Callie Naomi Jernigan

EURēCA: Exhibition of Undergraduate Research and Creative Achievement

Recent EPA regulations require the infiltration of the first inch of rainfall from each storm event occurring on all new development sites. Subsurface infiltration vaults are an effective strategy for increasing residential stormwater infiltration according to those regulations. These vaults are an alternative to common Best Management Practices (BMP) such as rain gardens and green roofs. The vaults are corrugated plastic arches with front and side walls extending from the arch to the soil surface. These arches will be placed in a trench and covered with gravel and cement. This design improves upon existing subsurface vault designs by enhancing applicability …

Effects Of System Size And Network Topology On The Bistability Of Cell Signaling Networks, Beini Chen

EURēCA: Exhibition of Undergraduate Research and Creative Achievement

No abstract provided.

Students At The University Of Tennessee Utilize Ethanol For Advanced Vehicle Technology Competition, Karson Nichole Stone

EURēCA: Exhibition of Undergraduate Research and Creative Achievement

No abstract provided.