Engineering Commons^™

Arkansas Tech University Modular Robotics Training System, Andrew L. Hilsdon, Jacob L. Crawford, Luke C. Hartman, Samuel E. Allen, Anthony W. Knudson, Kyle B. Mcmillan

ATU Research Symposium

Arkansas Tech University Modular Robotic Training System (ATUM RTS) project aims to combine two existing systems: The Georgia Tech Robotarium and the Micromouse maze-solving competition. The goal of ATUM RTS is to incorporate the challenge and excitement of maze-solving robots with the cloud-based learning system of the Robotarium. We intend to develop an automatic maze table with future remote capabilities to further student learning and engagement. By being able to create custom mazes with ATUM RTS, students will have access to a resource that will allow them to practically apply what they are learning in the classroom. The ATUM RTS …

Adventure Course - Hocking Hills Retreat Center, Donavan Yelle, Valerie Froylan, Nathaniel Nargang, Samantha Paterson

Scholar Week 2016 - present

Hocking Hills Retreat Center located in Logan, Ohio tasked a senior engineering design group with the creation of a high and low ropes adventure course. The goal of this course is to increase the number of visitors to the retreat center. The course was designed to feature a kid’s area; a teamwork section; and beginner, intermediate, and expert courses. All course elements range from ten to thirty feet in elevation to allow for a variety of difficulty levels. The course has been modeled using both AutoCAD and Revit software. Additionally, structural analysis was performed to ensure the safety and strength …

Applications Of Supercapacitors In Robotic Systems, Charles Davis, Zachary Giese, Joseph Gober, Samuel Grisham, Avery Mahan

ATU Research Symposium

This project explores the utilization of a bespoke supercapacitor system to energize and propel a robot across various challenging courses. The custom supercapacitor setup serves as the primary power source, providing rapid charging capabilities and high energy density. The research investigates the integration of this innovative power solution into the robot's design, aiming to optimize its performance and endurance in competitive environments.

Advisync: A Dynamic Academic Course Scheduler, Spencer M. Anderson, Wilson Escobar, Devin Scott Sandlin, Nathan Patrick Doyle

ATU Research Symposium

Academic advising at universities can be a tedious and disorganized process for both students and advisors. Each advisor may have several dozen advisees to manage each semester, and each individual student has unique sets of classes they need to take to graduate. This might lead to scheduling errors. These errors can put the student behind in their degree, thus extending the time it takes for them to graduate past financial aid periods and delay their entry into the workforce. To address this issue, we create AdviSync. It is a tool for both students and advisors that aims to provide a …

Filar Micrometer For Amateur Astronomers, Will Anderson, Conner Moore, Paige Panush

Scholar Week 2016 - present

A filar micrometer that measures double stars orbiting each other is being developed. Most filar micrometers are solely for professional use, making them expensive. Therefore, we are designing a filar micrometer that will be cost effective for amateur astronomers. A 3D printer and polylactic acid (PLA) material are the tools being used to implement the design.

Pyroscan: Wildfire Behavior Prediction System, Derek H. Thompson, Parker A. Padgett, Timothy C. Johnson

ATU Research Symposium

During a wildfire, it is of the utmost importance to be updated about all information of the wildfire. Wind speed, wind direction and dry grass often works as fuel for the fire allowing it to spread in multiple directions. These different factors are often issues for any firefighting organization that is trying to help fight the fire. An uncontrolled wildfire is often a threat to wildlife, property, and worse, human and animal lives. In our paper, we propose an artificial intelligence (AI) powered fire tracking and prediction application utilizing Unmanned Aerial Vehicles (UAV) to inform fire fighters regarding the probability …

Efficient, Affordable, And Accessible (Eaa) House Design, Jack Holohan, Matthew Carpenter, Faith Dalton, Payton Tindal

Scholar Week 2016 - present

Recent trends in the housing market, along with household income disparities, underscore the need for efficient, affordable, and accessible (EAA) housing for middle to lower-middle-income families. The EAA House Design project presents an alternative solution through a detailed set of construction documents encompassing architectural, electrical, mechanical, structural, plumbing, and interior design. Revit software was used to plan, design, and manage the project. The completed project will be submitted for the National Council of Examiners for Engineering and Surveying (NCEES) Engineering Education Award.

Promoting Electric Propulsion (Pep) For Small Craft, Robert Manatt, Brad Fletcher, Hector Campos, Johnathon Poindexter, Quinn Reynolds

ATU Research Symposium

The Promoting Electric Propulsion (PEP) For Small Craft event is a competition held every year by the American Society of Naval Engineers (ASNE) and the United States Coast Guard (USCG), and this coming year’s event is being held in Virginia Beach. It is aimed at inspiring students from universities all over the country and allowing them to design innovative fully electrically propelled boats, present their designs and builds, and race them against each other to show off their finished projects. Using fully electric propulsion systems for marine use can be challenging, but if done right they can provide a clean, …

Pipe Conveyor System For Cylindrical Steel Pipe, Josiah Paynter, Hannah Harris, Sam Bowden, Nicolas Fuentes

Scholar Week 2016 - present

The Peddinghaus Pipe Conveyor Senior Engineering Design Team was given the task of equipping an existing conveyor system with the ability to convey cylindrical steel pipe down the system while keeping the pipe in line with the datum and passline planes and restricting axial rotation. A metal prototype was constructed out of 0.25” mild steel that can store safely underneath the existing conveyor when not in use and extend when needed to constrain the pipes. Three pneumatic cylinders to actuate the main arm of the prototype were equipped with a polyurethane-coated roller to hold the pipe against both the conveyor …

Aisc Structural Steel Bridge Competition, Isaac Baker, Michael Byrne, Andrew Coble, Holden Devore

Scholar Week 2016 - present

The American Institute of Steel Construction (AISC) hosts an annual competition in which students compete to design and fabricate a structural steel bridge. This year, four senior civil engineering majors are representing Olivet Nazarene University (ONU) to fulfill their capstone project requirement for the engineering department. The purpose of this project is to develop relationships between students and professionals while acquiring critical thinking skills. Through sponsor engagement, ONU’s team has developed a 3 ft-wide bridge that spans 20 ft and successfully holds up to 2,500 lbs of live load and 50 lbs of lateral load. The steel bridge is fabricated …

Ambulatory Electrocardiographic Monitoring, Genesis V. Garay, Arath Sanchez

ATU Research Symposium

•Cardiovascular disease (CVD) is the world's leading cause of death, especially prevalent in low- and middle-income countries. Up to 80% of premature heart attacks and strokes are preventable. •Current ambulatory electrocardiographic (ECG) monitors, while effective in diagnosing heart rhythm issues, are often cost-prohibitive and have limitations like short monitoring periods, user-initiated recording, and offline data analysis. •This poster summarizes the foundation of the creation of a monitoring system that attempts to address these issues.

League Of Learning: Deep Learning For Soccer Action Video Classification, Musfikur Rahaman

ATU Research Symposium

The field of sports video analysis using deep learning is rapidly advancing. Proper classification and analysis of sports videos are essential to manage the growing sports media content. It offers numerous benefits for the media, advertising, analytics, and education sectors. Soccer, also known as football, worldwide, is among the most popular sports. This research study used a deep learning-based approach for soccer action detection. Deep learning has become a popular machine learning technique, especially for image and video classification. We have used the SoccerAct dataset, which consists of ten soccer actions like corner, foul, freekick, goal kick, long pass, on …

Analyzing The Impact Of Socioeconomic Factors On Cancer Clinical Trials Accessibility In The U.S. Using Machine Learning, Krysta L. Ray, Hiromi Honda

ATU Research Symposium

While cancer impacts all segments of the United States population, specific groups experience a disproportionate burden of the disease due to social, environmental, and economic disadvantages. This research examines the correlation between socioeconomic factors and the accessibility of cancer clinical trials across U.S. counties, employing a comprehensive dataset, County-Level Socioeconomic and Cancer Clinical Trial Data from Noah Ripper, and advanced machine-learning techniques. Our findings, derived from regression analysis and machine learning models like gradient boosting, highlight significant disparities in trial availability linked to socioeconomic indicators, including poverty rates, population estimates, median income, incidence rates, and mortality rates. Many regression models …

Processing And Testing Commodity And Engineering Cfrtp Composites, Delia M. Derner, Kristine Osorio

Research & Creative Achievement Day

Commodity thermoplastic polymers provide good load transfer to and protection of the reinforcing fibers.  However, their mechanical properties are inferior to high-performance thermoplastic polymer composites.  Findings of preliminary research conducted at WSU showed that continuous fiber reinforced (CFR) commodity polymers such as PETG and PP have better Izod impact resistance than their high-performance CFR counterparts.  Further investigation of these findings is conducted in this research project.  Quasi-isotropic laminates of GF/PETG and GF/PET-am are fabricated and tested in drop weight impact.  The results will be compared with previously determined results of high-performance CF/PPS, CF/PA12 and GF/PPS.  The samples are fabricated using …

Hybrid Pv-Teg System, Anna-Marie Pesaresi, Paige Woolheater, Chance Eoff, Nicholas Colburn

ATU Research Symposium

This research is focused on an innovative approach to improving the efficiency of a well- established renewable energy source. Solar cells are becoming more prominent as the power industry is shifting towards using more clean energy sources. Photovoltaic (PV) solar cells can only absorb a portion of the irradiance spectrum. The portion that is not absorbed raises the temperature of the system. The efficiency of PV cells drastically decreases as the temperature of the module rises and more energy is lost in the form of heat waste. Thermoelectric generator (TEG), when combined with PV cell, thrives off of the PV …

Multi-Rotor Hexicopter, Corbin G. Beard, Payton Riddle, John Washburn, Nate Burckhartzmeyer, Alejandro Gamez

ATU Research Symposium

The Multi-Rotor Hexicopter is an original design for an eighteen motor, hydrogen fuel cell powered drone. After initial success with the hydrogen fuel cell powered drone created by previous students, our goal was take their success and create a much larger drone that could be controlled both from the ground and in the air. Our design was based on a drone created by the company Lift Aircraft. The drone is separated into four components that were designed in Autodesk Inventor. The bottom, known as the sled, is used for the storage of the two hydrogen fuel tanks. The second section, …

Low-Velocity Drop Weight Impact And Compression After Impact Properties Of Symmetric Quasi-Isotropic Cfrtp Composites, Youyi Zhou, Kyungbin Min

Research & Creative Achievement Day

Low-velocity impact properties and residual compression strength after impact performance are used to evaluate composite materials for many applications. In this research, low-velocity drop-weight impact and compression after impact performance of four continuous fiber reinforcement thermoplastic (CFRTP) composites are investigated. Quasi-isotropic samples of GF/PP, CF-PA12, CF-PA6, GF-PA6 were fabricated and tested according to ASTM standards. Three energy levels of 10, 15, and 20 J/mm, were employed in this research. Results indicate that GF/PP exhibits the highest damage resistance and rebound-ability, evidenced by its minimal indentation and damage area, the highest significant damage threshold force, and the highest ratio of impact …

Ergo Carbon Workspace, Ethan C. Atkinson, Joshua N. Hanner, Rachel A. Henderson, Anders Nielsen, Mohamed A. Salat

Research & Creative Achievement Day

The goal of the Ergo Carbon Workspace is to create a monitor stand that is both lightweight and easily transportable, catering to the needs of modern workspaces. Constructed from carbon fiber, epoxy resin, and a honeycomb core, this design emphasizes portability without sacrificing durability. Incorporating aerospace-grade honeycomb core as well as braided carbon fiber epoxy struts bolsters structural integrity while maintaining a lightweight part. The Ergo Carbon Workspace design facilitates effortless assembly and disassembly, simplifying transportation and packaging. Through the utilization of composite materials, the stand achieves an optimal balance of strength and portability. Ergo Carbon Workspace will also incorporate …

Enhancing Disease Detection In South Asian Freshwater Fish Aquaculture Through Convolutional Neural Networks, Hayin Tamut, Musfikur Rahaman, Dr. Robin Ghosh

ATU Research Symposium

Aquaculture expansion necessitates innovative disease detection methods for sustainable production. This study investigates the efficacy of Convolutional Neural Networks (CNNs) in classifying diseases affecting South Asian freshwater fish species. The dataset comprises 1747 images representing 7 class, healthy specimens and various diseases: bacterial, fungal, parasitic, and viral. The CNN architecture includes convolutional layers for feature extraction, max-pooling layers for down sampling, dense layers for classification, and dropout layers for regularization. Training employs categorical cross-entropy loss and the Adam optimizer over 30 epochs, monitoring both training and validation performance. Results indicate promising accuracy levels, with the model achieving 92.14% and test …

Anomaly Detection With Spiking Neural Networks (Snn), Shruti Bhandari, Vyshnavi Gogineni

ATU Research Symposium

Abstract:

Anomaly detection, the identification of rare or unusual patterns that deviate from normal behavior, is a fundamental task with wide-ranging applications across various domains. Traditional machine learning techniques often struggle to effectively capture the complex temporal dynamics present in real-world data streams. Spiking Neural Networks (SNNs), inspired by the spiking nature of biological neurons, offer a promising approach by inherently modeling temporal information through precise spike timing. In this study, we investigate the use of Spiking Neural Networks (SNNs) for detecting anomalies or unusual patterns in data. We propose an SNN model that can learn what constitutes normal …

Predictive Ai Applications For Sar Cases In The Us Coast Guard, Joshua Nelson

Cybersecurity Undergraduate Research Showcase

This paper explores the potential integration of predictive analytics AI into the United States Coast Guard's (USCG) Search and Rescue Optimal Planning System (SAROPS) for deep sea and nearshore search and rescue (SAR) operations. It begins by elucidating the concept of predictive analytics AI and its relevance in military applications, particularly in enhancing SAR procedures. The current state of SAROPS and its challenges, including complexity and accuracy issues, are outlined. By integrating predictive analytics AI into SAROPS, the paper argues for streamlined operations, reduced training burdens, and improved accuracy in locating drowning personnel. Drawing on insights from military AI applications …

Proposed Charlotte To Atlanta High-Speed Passenger Rail Line: An Economic, Infrastructural, And Developmental Analysis In The Upstate Of South Carolina, Ian C. Macurda, Kimberly Whitehead

SC Upstate Research Symposium

This research paper is an in-depth analysis of the high-speed passenger rail line proposed between Charlotte, NC and Atlanta, GA and its impact on the economy, infrastructure, and future development of the Upstate of South Carolina. Currently, passenger rail service between Charlotte and Atlanta is offered on Amtrak at late hours throughout the night on its long-distance passenger rail line The Crescent from New York City, NY to New Orleans, LA. The train is often delayed and is operating at a deficit for Amtrak, like most of their long-distance routes. Traffic on Interstate 85 through the Upstate is another issue …

A Case Study Of The Crashoverride Malware, Its Effects And Possible Countermeasures, Samuel Rector

Cybersecurity Undergraduate Research Showcase

CRASHOVERRIDE is a modular malware tailor-made for electric grid Industrial Control System (ICS) equipment and was deployed by a group named ELECTRUM in a Ukrainian substation. The malware would launch a protocol exploit to flip breakers and would then wipe the system of ICS files. Finally, it would execute a Denial Of Service (DOS) attack on protective relays. In effect, months of damage and thousands out of power. However, due to oversights the malware only caused a brief power outage. Though the implications of the malware are cause for researching and implementing countermeasures against others to come. The CISA recommends …

Localized Collocation Meshless Method For Modeling Transdermal Pharmacokinetics In Multiphase Skin Structures, Eduardo Divo

Math Department Colloquium Series

The human skin has a complicated structure with many multi-scale, biophysical effects impacting the propagation of skin-injected substances, such as partitioning, metabolic reactions, adsorption and elimination. An extended version of Fick’s second law governing the process of the compound diffusion in various skin layer is employed in the current work by considering the conservation of mass of the substance and the metabolic reaction of the substance in viable skin. Additionally, a model assuming linear coupling between the substance concentrations that are bound and unbound with blood was developed. Using such a model, a set of coupled partial differential equations are …

Watercave: Virtual Reality For Engaging The Next Generation In Wastewater Management, Leeza Duller

Graduate Student and Postdoctoral Fellow Symposium

Within the next five to ten years, a significant portion of water and wastewater personnel are expected to retire, posing a substantial challenge for the utilities industry. The potential shortage of experienced workers poses inherent risks to the continuity of water services. WaterCAVE emerges as one of several tools designed to address this impending issue by engaging and inspiring the next generation to consider careers in the wastewater industry. This virtual reality (VR) simulation utilizes a ten-sided immersive display and was designed using Unity's 3D real-time development platform. Students from various educational levels, ranging from Pre-K to 12, are invited …

Performance Assessment Of Microencapsulated Phase Change Materials With Low To High Thermoregulation Range In Asphalt Binder, Anil Kumar Baditha, Ayyaz Fareed

Graduate Student and Postdoctoral Fellow Symposium

Asphalt pavements face significant challenges due to low temperature cracking and rutting caused by extreme temperature fluctuations and traffic loading. These issues result in higher maintenance costs and reduced service life of the pavements. To address this, researchers explored the use of Microencapsulated Phase Change Materials (MPCMs) to induce thermoregulation in asphalt pavements. However, the existing research focused on high-temperature performance of binders, highlighting the need of research on evaluating the low-temperature performance. Therefore, the study aims to evaluate the impact of incorporating MPCMs on low to high temperature performance of binders. Three types of MPCMs were incorporated into asphalt …

Use Of Waste Plastics In Asphalt Mixes: Addressing The Variability Of Source, Venkatsushanth Revelli, Anil Kumar Baditha

Graduate Student and Postdoctoral Fellow Symposium

Use of waste plastics in asphalt mixtures suffers from a serious problem of significant variability with global sources; preventing proper guidelines for field applications. The aim of this study is to address the variability in source of waste plastic and its impact on asphalt mixture design. The study was designed to provide a selection criterion to evaluate the suitability of waste polyethylene (PE) for asphalt pavements. PE obtained from five sources was used as a replacement for asphalt binder. Dry mixing of plastics with asphalt and aggregate was performed at the dosage levels of 3%, 6%, and 9%. The changes …

Revolutionizing Feature Selection: A Breakthrough Approach For Enhanced Accuracy And Reduced Dimensions, With Implications For Early Medical Diagnostics, Shabia Shabir Khan, Majid Shafi Kawoosa, Bonny Bannerjee, Subhash C. Chauhan, Sheema Khan

Research Symposium

Background: The system's performance may be impacted by the high-dimensional feature dataset, attributed to redundant, non-informative, or irrelevant features, commonly referred to as noise. To mitigate inefficiency and suboptimal performance, our goal is to identify the optimal and minimal set of features capable of representing the entire dataset. Consequently, the Feature Selector (Fs) serves as an operator, transforming an m-dimensional feature set into an n-dimensional feature set. This process aims to generate a filtered dataset with reduced dimensions, enhancing the algorithm's efficiency.

Methods: This paper introduces an innovative feature selection approach utilizing a genetic algorithm with an ensemble crossover operation …

Oral Administration Of Ph-Responsive Polymeric Nanoparticles Based On Zein And Their Therapeutic Potential On Cancer., Bruno Alejandro Valades-Aguilar, José Raúl Rangel-López, Jennifer Citlally Leos-Rivera, Moisés Armides Franco-Molina, María Cristina Rodríguez-Padilla, Diana Ginette Zárate-Triviño

Research Symposium

Background: Zein is a water-insoluble protein extracted from the endosperm of corn seeds, this polymer is an attractive matrix to encapsulate hydrophilic compounds because of its high proportion of hydrophobic amino acids, making it a potential smart delivery material for several treatments in the biopharmaceutical industry. nanoparticles have been used as drug delivery systems for the improvement of oral bioavailability; however, the strategies of nanoparticle obtention need the addition of stabilizers. in this study, a modified method to obtain zein nanoparticles was developed.

Methods: Zein nanoparticles (ZNps) were made by a thermal treatment and precipitated into ovalbumin at a ratio …

The Effect Of A Constitutive Formulation On Limb Flexion-Induced Stresses In The Human Femoropopliteal Artery: A Patient-Specific Study, Ali Ahmadi, Anastasia Desyatova

UNO Student Research and Creative Activity Fair

The Effect of a Constitutive Formulation on Limb Flexion-Induced Stresses in the Human Femoropopliteal Artery: a Patient-Specific Study

Peripheral arterial disease (PAD) involves the development of atherosclerotic lesions that restrict the flow of blood to tissues downstream. The femoropopliteal artery (FPA) experiences complex mechanical deformations during daily activities, potentially contributing to the prevalence of PAD and unfavorable treatment outcomes. These deformations generate significant intramural stresses and strains, resulting in arterial injury, disease progression, and restenosis following treatment. Computational modeling offers a way to improve the repair of the FPA; however, the accuracy of these simulations relies on the selection of …