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Full-Text Articles in Engineering

Mexico Engineering Study Abroad: Assessing The Effectiveness Of International Experiences On Teaching Global Engineering Skills, Joshua Benjamin Draper Dec 2007

Mexico Engineering Study Abroad: Assessing The Effectiveness Of International Experiences On Teaching Global Engineering Skills, Joshua Benjamin Draper

Theses and Dissertations

Globalization is a rapidly increasing trend in many industries, including civil engineering. This paper defines the skills engineers will need in an increasingly international industry. It also describes an engineering study abroad program designed to teach some of those skills to students and presents a survey used as an assessment tool to evaluate the effectiveness of the program. The program, called Mexico Engineering Study Abroad (MESA), is taught at Brigham Young University (BYU) in Provo, UT. MESA is a project-based extended field trip format class that couples hydrologic modeling with cultural awareness as students work together with Mexican students on …


Three Enabling Technologies For Vision-Based, Forest-Fire Perimeter Surveillance Using Multiple Unmanned Aerial Systems, Ryan S. Holt Jun 2007

Three Enabling Technologies For Vision-Based, Forest-Fire Perimeter Surveillance Using Multiple Unmanned Aerial Systems, Ryan S. Holt

Theses and Dissertations

The ability to gather and process information regarding the condition of forest fires is essential to cost-effective, safe, and efficient fire fighting. Advances in sensory and autopilot technology have made miniature unmanned aerial systems (UASs) an important tool in the acquisition of information. This thesis addresses some of the challenges faced when employing UASs for forest-fire perimeter surveillance; namely, perimeter tracking, cooperative perimeter surveillance, and path planning. Solutions to the first two issues are presented and a method for understanding path planning within the context of a forest-fire environment is demonstrated. Both simulation and hardware results are provided for each …


Multi-Stable Compliant Rolling-Contact Elements, Peter Andrew Halverson May 2007

Multi-Stable Compliant Rolling-Contact Elements, Peter Andrew Halverson

Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this research is the development of design concepts and models of large-angle, compliant, multistable, revolute joints. This research presents evidence of the capability of these models and concepts by presenting a case study in which the miniaturization of revolute joints are examined. Previous attempts at multistable revolute joints can be categorized into two categories: compliant and non-compliant mechanisms. Non-compliant multistable revolute joints are typified by a combination of pin-in-slot joints, springs, and detents. Due to factors inherit in design, noncompliant joints often succumb to friction, wear, and undesirable motion, that leads to a decline in performance. Compliant …


Applications Of Search Theory To Coordinated Searching By Unmanned Aerial Vehicles, Steven R. Hansen Apr 2007

Applications Of Search Theory To Coordinated Searching By Unmanned Aerial Vehicles, Steven R. Hansen

Theses and Dissertations

Concepts in optimal search theory have been used in human-based aerial search since World War II. This thesis addresses the technical and theoretical issues necessary to apply this crucial theory to search path planning for Small Unmanned Aerial Vehicles (SUAVs). A typical search often requires that more than one target be located. Accordingly, a method is presented to locate multiple targets in three dimensions, as well as to differentiate between them. However, significant error can be present when locating targets from an airborne platform, and the idea of target quality is also introduced as a way to describe the reliability …


Statnamic Lateral Loading Testing Of Full-Scale 15 And 9 Group Piles In Clay, Rick Davon Broderick Mar 2007

Statnamic Lateral Loading Testing Of Full-Scale 15 And 9 Group Piles In Clay, Rick Davon Broderick

Theses and Dissertations

Studies of seismic and impact loading on foundation piles is an important and a focused interest in the engineering world today. Because of seismic and other natural events are unpredictable, uncontrollable and potentially unsafe it is a vital study to understand the behavior and relationship structures in motion have on there foundation. Statnamic Loading has become a popular method of studying this relationship in a controlled environment. Two groups of 9 and 15 driven hollow pipe piles were tested in saturated clay at the Salt Lake City Airport in July of 2002. The 9-pile group (3x3 configuration) was separated at …