Engineering Commons^™

The Automated Wheelchair, Jonathan Doksa Kamba Ngoyi

Honors College Theses

Automation refers to the use of technology to execute tasks through programmed instructions and automated control mechanisms to ensure accurate execution. This minimizes human involvement and encompasses various fields, including business process automation. A notable form of automation is assistive technology, which refers to any device or software that enhances individuals' learning, communication, or overall functionality. This can range from advanced tools like computers to simpler aids like walking sticks. Assistive technology aims to promote inclusivity and participation, particularly among individuals with disabilities, the elderly, and those with non-communicable diseases.

The Automated Airport Wheelchair is a culmination of prior projects …

Implementation Of Static Rfid Landmarks In Slam For Planogram Compliance, Brennan L. Drake

Honors College Theses

Autonomous robotic systems are becoming increasingly prevalent in everyday life and exhibit robust solutions in a wide range of applications. They face many obstacles with the foremost of which being SLAM, or Simultaneous Localization and Mapping, that encompasses both creation of the map of an unknown environment and localization of the robot in said environment. In this experiment, researchers propose the use of RFID tags in a semi-dynamic commercial environment to provide concrete landmarks for localization and mapping in pursuit of increased locational certainty. With this obtained, the ultimate goal of the research is to construct a robotics platform for …

Analysis Of Dual-Element Antenna Configurations, Grant J. Evans

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Dual-dipole antennas have been extensively researched previously for their bandwidth enhancing effect on Yagi type antennas. In this thesis, dual-dipole antennas are fabricated and measured. These experimental measurement results are verified with simulated values. First, a standard dual-dipole antenna is investigated and found that the high magnitude, opposite current directions on the dipole arms are the reasoning behind the creation of a high gain mode. This pattern is similar to a Yagi antenna. Next, a dual-band implementation of the dual-dipole antenna is shown, with two distinct resonances in a lower band and an upper band. Both bandwidths exhibit a dipole …

Enhancing Traffic Safety In Unpredicted Environments With Integration Of Adas Features With Sensor Fusion In Intelligent Electric Vehicle Platform With Implementation Of Environmental Mapping Technology, David S. Obando Ortegon

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

A major objective on society is to reduce the number of accidents and fatalities on the road for drivers, and pedestrians. Therefore, the automotive engineering field is working on this problem through the development and integration of safety technologies such as advanced driving assistance systems. For this reason, this work was intended to develop and evaluate the performance of different ADAS features and IV technologies under unexpected scenarios. This by the development of safety algorithms applied to the intelligent electric vehicle designed and built in this work, through the use of ADAS sensors based on sensor fusion. Evaluation of AEB, …

Predicting Jamming Systems Frequency Hopping Sequences Using Artificial Neural Networks, Charles Strickland

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

This work proposes a neural network architecture that was designed to predict and reverse engineer frequency hopping jamming systems. The neural network was initially optimized for use with a 12th order linear shift feedback register maximum length sequence utilizing a minimal polynomial as the characteristic polynomial. This neural network was then scaled to accommodate 7 different sequences, of orders 6 through 12. The neural network was trained for these sequences using training data that is 10 times the length of the sequence. This information is then used to generate a hopping sequence that reduces the jamming interference to 0 with …

Methods On Implementing Radar And Antenna Solutions To Defense And Biomedical Problems, Jalexis E. Vanga Guzman

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Growing developments in antenna and radio frequency systems have created a strong incentive for researchers to study and apply electromagnetic (EM)-based solutions to modern defense and biomedical problems. The ability to transmit and receive EM waves using antenna systems has not only increased global connectivity, but also increased the need for innovation in antenna size reduction and development of radar systems.

Size reduction techniques have been extensively studied for antennas after the development of electrically small antennas (ESAs) which follow Chu’s limit. ESAs allow the implementation of antennas with much smaller foot-size than traditional full-sized designed while keeping the same …

Design And Fabrication Of A Force-Displacement Control Mechanism For Bone-Surgical Tool Testing, Kenneth Nwagu

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

This project focuses on the design and fabrication of an experimental setup for orthopedic-tool testing, tailored for a surgical instrumentation company. The multifaceted project encompasses a literature review, conceptual design, prototyping, and rigorous testing, resulting in a versatile control system capable of assessing various orthopedic tools, including bone drills, saws, burrs, and power handpieces.

Orthopedic surgical procedures (which include cutting and/or drilling into bone) often need to be performed on bones for faster recovery. The drilling and cutting process can cause an increase in temperature at the cutting site which can cause bone necrosis. The tools also need to be …

Development And Optimization Of Classification Neural Networks For Disaster-Assessment Using Unmanned Aerial Vehicle Systems, Maria Isabel Gonzalez Bocanegra

Honors College Theses

This research focuses on increasing the classification accuracy of convolutional neural networks in an autonomous network of unmanned aerial vehicles for transportation disaster management. The autonomous network of UAVs will allow first responders to optimize their rescue plans by providing relevant information on inaccessible roads. The research seeks to explore different methods to optimize the architecture of convolutional networks for the multiclass classification of disaster-damaged roads.

Cloud-Based Machine Learning And Sentiment Analysis, Emmanuel C. Opara

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The role of a Data Scientist is becoming increasingly ubiquitous as companies and institutions see the need to gain additional insights and information from data to make better decisions to improve the quality-of-service delivery to customers. This thesis document contains three aspects of data science projects aimed at improving tools and techniques used in analyzing and evaluating data. The first research study involved the use of a standard cybersecurity dataset and cloud-based auto-machine learning algorithms were applied to detect vulnerabilities in the network traffic data. The performance of the algorithms was measured and compared using standard evaluation metrics. The second …

License Plate Image Quality Enhancement Utilizing Super Resolution Generative Adversarial Networks, Mark Moelter

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

This thesis focuses primarily on enhancing the image quality of blurred license plates through the use of Super-Resolution Generative Adversarial Networks (SRGANs) [1]. We propose a synthetic dataset with SRGAN model to promote blurred image quality enhancement, and allow for model evaluation on a multitude of image input and output size combinations. SRGAN is mainly used for low-resolution image enhancement, but by heavily blurring the input images, the model is tested on its ability to blindly deblur and upsample images to the desired super-resolution (SR) size. The model enhances the image quality to nearly that of the reference images. The …

Pneumonia Radiograph Diagnosis Utilizing Deep Learning Network, Wesley O'Quinn

Honors College Theses

Pneumonia is a life-threatening respiratory disease caused by bacterial infection. The goal of this study is to develop an algorithm using Convolutional Neural Networks (CNNs) to detect visual signals for pneumonia in medical images and make a diagnosis. Although Pneumonia is prevalent, detection and diagnosis are challenging. The deep learning network AlexNet was utilized through transfer learning. A dataset consisting of 11,318 images was used for training, and a preliminary diagnosis accuracy of 72% was achieved.

Analysis Of Miniaturized, Circularly Polarized Antennas For Bidirectional Propagation, Mason C. Moore

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Size reduction is necessary to fit the recent demand for small sized communication systems in consumer electronics. Wireless communication systems rely on antennas for long range transmission of signals, so size reduced antennas have been sought after in recent years. Also, not many antennas are designed for use in bidirectional scenarios like subways, tunnels, bridges, etc. Three sized reduced antennas with circular polarization are presented for use in bidirectional communication systems. An electrically small pattern reconfigurable array, an electrically small two-sided printed cross dipole, and a size reduced printed wideband antenna are introduced within this thesis. All antennas’ results are …

In-Situ Process Monitoring For Metal Additive Manufacturing (Am) Through Acoustic Technique, Md Shahjahan Hossain

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Additive Manufacturing (AM) is currently a widely used technology in different industries such as aerospace, medical, and consumer products. Previously it was mainly used for prototyping of the products, but now it is equally valuable for commercial product manufacturing. More profound understanding is still needed to track and identify defects during the AM process to ensure higher quality products with less material waste. Nondestructive testing becomes an essential form of testing for AM parts, where AE is one of the most used methods for in situ process monitoring. The Acoustic Emission (AE) approach has gained a reputation in nondestructive testing …

Quality Assurance Of Lightweight Structures Via Phase-Based Motion Estimation, Ikenna E. Ifekaonwu

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

In recent years, lightweight structures have become mature and adopted in various applications. The importance of quality assurance cannot be overemphasized hence extensive research has been conducted to assess the quality of lightweight structures. This study investigates a novel process that exploits motion magnification to investigate the damage characteristics of lightweight mission-critical parts. The goal is to assure the structural integrity of 3D printed structures and composite structures by determining the inherent defects present in the part by exploiting their vibration characteristics. The minuscule vibration of the structure was recorded with the aid of a high-speed digital camera, and the …

Development Of A Mathematical Model For Galvanic Cells, Joshua C. Johnson

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

It is possible to utilize principles of equilibrium thermodynamics to model the voltage a battery renders as it powers a load in time and discharges. Similarly, consideration of the internal chemistry inside a battery, or galvanic cell, enables modeling thereof. This paper builds upon these principles and presents a derivation of the Nernst equation that utilizes this result to model discharge curves in time for different types of batteries. The Nernst equation relates chemical activity of the reagents inside a battery to the open circuit voltage rendered by the system. By combining the Nernst equation with Faraday's laws of electrolysis, …

Improved Signal Performance For Smartphones, Devin A. Ferrell

Honors College Theses

The research project “Improved Signal Performance for Smartphones” involves collecting and analyzing data from a smartphone’s available connections and making the information available in a simple application interface. Due to the data collection/analysis and iOS system framework, several ethical and professional issues will be encountered ranging from individual privacy to company standards/guidelines. These conflicts are addressed, and solutions are provided, along with researching into similar situations that others have reported. By making comparisons between this project and similar approaches, professional and ethical areas of concern can be addressed early into development, or completely avoided. The research project course was properly …

Accurate Range-Based Indoor Localization Using Pso-Kalman Filter Fusion, Paul Bupe Jr

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Accurate indoor localization often depends on infrastructure support for distance estimation in range-based techniques. One can also trade off accuracy to reduce infrastructure investment by using relative positions of other nodes, as in range-free localization. Even for range-based methods where accurate Ultra-WideBand (UWB) signals are used, non line-of-sight (NLOS) conditions pose significant difficulty in accurate indoor localization. Existing solutions rely on additional measurements from sensors and typically correct the noise using a Kalman filter (KF). Solutions can also be customized to specific environments through extensive profiling. In this work, a range-based indoor localization algorithm called PSO - Kalman Filter Fusion …

Design, Construction, Energy Modeling, And Navigation Of A Six-Wheeled Differential Drive Robot To Deliver Medical Supplies Inside Hospitals, Makhluk Hossain Prio

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Differential drive mobile robots have been the most ubiquitous kind of robots for the last few decades. As each of the wheels of a differential drive mobile robot can be controlled, it provides additional flexibility to the end-users in creating new applications. These applications include personal assistance, security, warehouse and distribution applications, ocean and space exploration, etc. In a clinic or hospital, the delivery of medicines and patients’ records are frequently needed activities. Medical personnel often find these activities repetitive and time-consuming. Our research was to design, construct, produce an energy model, and develop a navigation control method for a …

Thermal Performance Of Sierpinski Carpet Fractal Fins At Various Angles Of Inclination In A Natural Convection Environment, Haidar Jamil Khalil

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

As technology advances, higher performance cooling systems are desired to meet numerous thermal management challenges. Extended surfaces, also known as heat sinks or fins, are commonly used to passively dissipate unwanted heat from mechanical and electrical systems. Fractal fins in accordance with the first four iterations (including a base iteration) of the Sierpinski carpet, manufactured from AL-5052, were studied along seven different inclinations from 0° (orientated perpendicular to the direction of gravity) to 90° (orientated parallel to the direction of gravity), in iterations of 15°. The purpose of study was to investigate the thermal performance of the first four fractal …

Smart Distributed Generation System Event Classification Using Recurrent Neural Network-Based Long Short-Term Memory, Shuva Das

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

High penetration of distributed generation (DG) sources into a decentralized power system causes several disturbances, making the monitoring and operation control of the system complicated. Moreover, because of being passive, modern DG systems are unable to detect and inform about these disturbances related to power quality in an intelligent approach. This paper proposed an intelligent and novel technique, capable of making real-time decisions on the occurrence of different DG events such as islanding, capacitor switching, unsymmetrical faults, load switching, and loss of parallel feeder and distinguishing these events from the normal mode of operation. This event classification technique was designed …

Control Of Voltage-Source Converters Considering Virtual Inertia Dynamics, Tri Nguyen

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Controlling power-electronic converters in power systems has significantly gained more attention due to the rapid penetration of alternative energy sources. This growth in the depth of penetration also poses a threat to the frequency stability of modern power systems. Photovoltaic and wind power systems utilizing power-electronic converters without physical rotating masses, unlike traditional power generations, provide low inertia, resulting in frequency instability. Different research has developed the control aspects of power-electronic converters, offering many control strategies for different operation modes and enhancing the inertia of converter-based systems. The precise control algorithm that can improve the inertial response of converter-based systems …

Phase-Locked Loop Control In Low-Inertia Grid-Connected Voltage-Source Converters, Ifechukwude Gideon Odogwu

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

As the integration of renewable energy on the grid increases, the number of voltage-source converters (VSC) installed also does. VSC controls both switch turn-on and turn-off, allowing a dc voltage source to be switched between phases. For the converter to accurately synchronize with the grid, a phase-locked loop (PLL) is used for the frequency measurements of the grid. However, the implementation of PLL with measurement delay introduces harmonics, noise, high frequency, and voltage oscillation to the system due to its dynamics. The dynamics introduced to the grid can be ignored under stiff grid conditions, but power from renewable sources decreases …

Evolution Of Two-Element Directive Antennas, Tyler J. Mcpherson

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The classic Yagi antenna is often utilized to provide directional radiation. Many facets of the Yagi antenna can be improved. This thesis focuses on the evolution of the two-element directive antennas, such as the Yagi antenna, in three ways. First, the inter-element spacing is reduced beyond those previously mentioned in literature. Next, an electrically-small version of the two-element Yagi with extremely close inter-element spacing is explored with a linear polarized and a circularly polarized configuration. Finally, further analysis of a wideband, circularly polarized, two-element, directive antenna with standard interelement spacing is performed.

Analysis Of Antenna Designs For The Maximum Power Transmission, Lauryn P. Smith

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Since Nikola Tesla discovered wireless power transmission, it has become a very interesting topic of study in the antennas and wireless propagation community. Various aspects and applications for wireless power transmission are studied today, a few of which are investigated in this work. First, various antenna geometries are analyzed for radiative near-field wireless power transfer in terms of electrical field strength. It is determined that the meander antenna is ideal for maximum power transfer in its radiative near-field region, contrary to its far-field behavior. Next, in the application of radio frequency identification, a directive, UHF RFID tag antenna is designed …

An Optimization Approach Based On The Interior-Point Methodology For The Tertiary Control Of Modernized Microgrids, Isaiah D. Woodruff

Honors College Theses

With the rise in popularity of the modernized microgrids (MMGs), the addition of a controller to maximize economic efficiency while considering environmental impact is crucial. Tertiary control is at the highest control level, considering economic concerns related to the optimal operation of the microgrid and using a sampling time from minutes to hours; tertiary controls manage the flow of power between the microgrid and the connected grid. In MMGs' tertiary controls, the use of optimization algorithms to minimize an objective function with equality and inequality constraints allows for powerful control over the system. In this paper, the interior-point algorithm is …

Reinforcement Learning, Intelligent Control And Their Applications In Connected And Autonomous Vehicles, Adedapo O. Odekunle

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Reinforcement learning (RL) has attracted large attention over the past few years. Recently, we developed a data-driven algorithm to solve predictive cruise control (PCC) and games output regulation problems. This work integrates our recent contributions to the application of RL in game theory, output regulation problems, robust control, small-gain theory and PCC. The algorithm was developed for $H_\infty$ adaptive optimal output regulation of uncertain linear systems, and uncertain partially linear systems to reject disturbance and also force the output of the systems to asymptotically track a reference. In the PCC problem, we determined the reference velocity for each autonomous vehicle …

Analysis Of Human Emf Exposure In 5g Cellular Systems, Imtiaz Nasim

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Increasing concerns of communications at a frequency spectrum higher than 6 GHz have gained international alarm that suggests more research is needed before it is deployed successfully. In this context, in the first part of this thesis, we investigated the human electromagnetic field (EMF) exposure in indoor and outdoor environments from fifth-generation (5G) downlink communications and compared its impacts with the present cellular technologies considering the features that the 5G will likely adopt. The second part focuses on mitigation of human exposure for both indoor and outdoor environments with two different methods adopted. Our simulation results suggest that while the …

Danger-Aware Resource Management In V2x Network, Tsigigenet Dessalgn

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

IEEE 802.11p is one of the key technologies that enable dedicated short-range communications (DSRC) in intelligent transportation system (ITS) for safety on the road. The main challenge in vehicular communication is the large amount of data to be processed. As vehicle density and velocity increases, the data to be transmitted also increases. We proposed a protocol that reduces the number of data to be transmitted at every second according to the level of danger that the transmitter vehicle experiences. The proposed protocol measures inter-vehicle distance, as the representative of the danger of a vehicle, to determine the priority for transmission. …

Modeling Of Magnetic Resonance Wireless Electric Vehicle Charging, Erhuvwu Ayisire

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Due to the fast-growing market for an electric vehicle, it is necessary that the drawbacks involved in electric vehicle technology should be overcome, therefore introducing a wireless charging technique which is more convenient as battery cost, recharge time and weight has been removed. Different wireless charging techniques for electric vehicles are discussed. This research work investigates the feasibility of wireless power transfer for Electric Vehicles by electromagnetic resonance coupling. Wireless power transfer (WPT) for Electric Vehicles by magnetic resonance coupling is of high priority due to its efficiency, high power transmission, and more considerable charging distance. Simulation results show the …

Employing H.264 Coarse And Medium Grain Scalable Video To Optimize Video Playback Over Passive Optical Networks, David Moore

Honors College Theses

In this work, we propose the use of Coarse Grain Scalable (CGS) and Medium Grain Scalable (MGS) H.264/AVC video to optimize video playback on passive optical networks (PONs) by investigating network performance metrics such as data delay, video delay, and video delay jitter. Video playback is improved by sequentially dropping layers of scalable video. Dropping just a single CGS enhancement layer results in improvements of up to 57% for both data and video delay. However, video delay jitter benefits the most with an improvement ranging from 47% to 87%. Surprisingly, dropping subsequent CGS enhancement layers does not significantly improve the …