Electrical and Computer Engineering Commons^™

Detecting Alzheimer's Disease Using Artificial Neural Networks, Sally Lee, Mia Keegan

Electrical Engineering

This project aims to use artificial neural networks (ANN) in order to detect Alzheimer’s disease. More specifically, convolutional neural networks (CNN) will be utilized as this is the most common ANN and has been used in many different image processing applications. The purpose of using artificial neural networks as a detect method is so that an intelligent way for image and signal analysis can be used. A software that implements CNN will be developed so that users in medical settings can utilize this software to detect Alzheimer’s in patients. The input for this software will be the patient’s MRI scans. …

Smart Table Top, Conner Sima, Nathan R. Jaggers, Jacob Barnes

Electrical Engineering

Dungeons and Dragons 5th Edition (D&D) is a tabletop role playing game (TTRPG) with complicated mechanics and a seemingly overwhelming amount of information. D&D players are often looking for ways to more effectively track information and products that enhance their game experience. One such product is a custom miniature; players use these to track their character’s location and for the enjoyment of creating a physical representation of their imagination. Virtual Tabletops (VTT’s) were developed to make the entire experience digital. The digital nature of VTT’s make all of the game’s rules and mechanics accessible at the click of the mouse; …

Smartphone Detector, Ryan Coldiron

Electrical Engineering

There is a wide variety of times when it is unacceptable to be using a smartphone, and this device could help to minimize when people are using their devices. People have become more and more reliant on their various pieces of technology such as their smartphones, and are often using them when they should be paying attention in class, attending an important meeting, watching a movie, or should just be present to their other surroundings. A device that could detect the use of smartphones at these inopportune times would be something that would benefit a wide variety of people.

The …

Smartphone Control Of Rc Cars, Weston R. Fitzgerald

Electrical Engineering

The smartphone-controlled RC (remote-controlled) car is an inexpensive remote-controlled car designed to be fast and portable. Instead of manufacturing, packaging, and shipping a separate controller, the remote control is implemented in a phone application, which saves time and money in both the design process and the manufacturing process. Utilizing the user’s smartphone is more cost-effective since mobile devices are a common recurrence, and packaging fewer devices results in overall better portability of the product.

This smartphone-controlled car is speedy and intuitive to learn for typical smartphone users. The user can change the car’s speed and direction wirelessly using their phone; …

Hvac Hardware Modeling Using Programmable Automatic Controller, Panthil Ketan Patel, Lumanti Tuladhar

Electrical Engineering

The primary purpose of this project is to use the donated programmable logic controllers (PLC) from Schneider Electric to develop experiments for a future lab class at Cal Poly. Our goal as the first group working on this project is to develop an experiment where the PLC can control the HVAC system based on temperature and humidity sensors and user inputs to maintain a desired consistent temperature. The PLC will be controlled using Unity Pro XLS/Control Expert software for simulations. The overall purpose of the experiments will be to demonstrate the potential of the PLC to minimize manual intervention while …

Integrating Fire Responses To Combat Wildfires, Jonathan Leonard Badal

Electrical Engineering

Each year wildfires cause significant loss of property, worsen people’s health, and destroy multiple ecosystems. On average, a wildfire season costs anywhere from 7.6-62.8 billion dollars due to fire containment, repair, and restoration [1]. It can take decades to recover from the crippling loss of land and take even longer to fully restore it. However, with the implementation of a robust early detection system, these losses can be significantly reduced. The current process for identifying wildfires involves visual identification, phone call alerts, and media tools primarily driven by park rangers and public reporting. Unfortunately, this system is not preventative and …

Investigating The Capacitive Properties Of All-Inorganic Lead Halides Perovskite Solar Cells Using Energy Band Diagrams, Zahraa Ismail, Eman Farouk Sawires, Fathy Zaki Amer, Sameh Osama Abdellatif Dr

Electrical Engineering

Capacitance response of perovskite solar cells (PSCs) can be oppressed to deduce underlying physical mechanisms, both in the materials at external interfaces and in bulk materials. Accordingly, this paper investigates the Capacitance-Voltage (C-V) characteristic curves of cesium lead halides (CsPbX3: X = I, Br, or Cl) used as an active layer in PSCs. The SCAPS-1D simulator was used to harness the actual device (CsPbX3: X = I Br, or Cl) with material parameters from previous experimental work. The energy-band diagrams, J-V curves, and C-V curves of the three PSC structures were constructed and compared to carry out and investigate their …

Study The C-V Behavior Of Cesium-Lead Halides Perovskite Solar Cells Under Various Simulation Parameters, Zahraa Ismail, Eman Farouk Sawires, Fathy Zaki Amer, Sameh O. Abdellatif Dr

Electrical Engineering

Capacitance response of perovskite solar cells (PSCs) can be oppressed to deduce underlying physical mechanisms, both in the materials at external interfaces and in bulk materials. Accordingly, this paper investigates the Capacitance-Voltage (C-V) characteristic curves of cesium lead halides (CsPbX3: X = I, Br, or Cl) used as an active layer in PSCs. The SCAPS-1D simulator harnessed the actual device (CsPbX3: X = I Br, or Cl) with material parameters from previous experimental work. Three main simulation parameters were investigated: the thickness of the active layer, the doping, and the defects impacts.

Pilltank, Lucas Chang, Hayden Tam, Aaron Teh, Krista Round

Electrical Engineering

Imagine an elderly family member, going through their daily routine of taking their pills. They find their pill box; however, they are having trouble identifying all the pills in there. Is there a name on the tablet? Can they read what it says? Do they just trust that the medication in their box is correct? How can they properly take care of themselves if they can not even confirm that what they are taking is the right medication? To combat this issue that many face, we present PillTank.

To decrease the risk of consuming the wrong medication, PillTank identifies the …

Wildfire Early Detection System (Weds), Mason Mciver, Vincent Liang, Jeanreno Racines

Electrical Engineering

With climate change causing an increase in temperature over the past several decades, wildfires have been burning hotter and moving quicker leaving a trail of destruction in their path. Detecting a wildfire early allows firefighters to respond efficiently and effectively to ensure containment. With the rise of advanced computer vision and algorithms, autonomous systems can be used to monitor and report any fire activity. Having multiple devices spread out across a large area will allow first responders to map out the fire location and track the fire. By utilizing smart technologies, property damage can be minimized and residents living in …

Polyone Smartphone, Joshua Zalmanowitz, Chi Nguyen, Gerome Cacho, Chris Lim

Electrical Engineering

The Poly One Smartphone is a student designed smartphone built to explore the implementation of 5G, provide a hardware solution to ensure personal information security and privacy, and provide longer battery life. The key features of this smartphone include but are not limited to a main cpu, some form of network connectivity in the form of Wi-fi or Cellular Data, calling functionality, a rechargeable battery that works with common power connection protocols, and compatibility with popular applications.

Design And Development Of Laboratory Single-Axis Pv Module Tracker, Helen A. Rice, Delaney Berger, Avishek Maitra

Electrical Engineering

Solar energy is an integral part of the renewable energy industry. Advanced solar farms actively track solar movement and update solar panel angles to maximize the system’s output power. Cal Poly boasts its own Solar Farm that features a single-axis tracking system. Single-axis tracking aims to get panels as close to perpendicular as possible given the panel arrangements and given the time of year. Single-axis tracking is a more robust measurement and tracking option. Single-axis tracking systems usually only have East-West panel arc movement, following the sun’s rotation. Dual-axis trackers have both East-West and North-South panel arc movements. Dual-axis systems …

Hvac Fan Control Using Modicon M580, Anthony Tyler, Kevin Shipp

Electrical Engineering

This project is the start of a lab experiment for the Cal Poly San Luis Obispo Electrical Engineering department’s new lab focusing on Programmable Logic Controller's (PLCs). The primary focus is to create a lab where students control a Heating, Ventilation, and Air conditioning (HVAC) system controlled by the Modicon M580 PLC, donated by Schneider Electric. The experiment contains a heat source, which the PLC monitors with a temperature sensor, and a cooling source with multiple fans. Students will learn to use function block diagrams to program the PLC, controlling fan output and regulating the system temperature. The experiment specifications …

Wildland Fire Location Management System (Wflms), Robert G. Goldie, Jack A. Gallegos

Electrical Engineering

Wildland firefighters work in complex, dangerous environments where effective communication is key to developing situational awareness. Currently, the only communication firefighters have is with Very High Frequency (VHF) 160 MHz band analog radios. While digital radio protocols could potentially allow location data and commands to be sent to field crews, the technology is primarily for voice communication. This project presents a new system that frees up voice channels and uses LoRa transceivers for robust communication. The system allows for emergency and location reports to be sent to a dispatcher via an airborne repeater. The entire system is software-defined, so it …

Sweep-N-Go 3.0, Maria Cortelyou Pieroni

Electrical Engineering

This project improves the current performance of the Sweep-N-Go LabVIEW program used in Cal Poly electrical engineering laboratories. Sweep-N-Go expedites the laboratory data collection process through automated testing. The new version of the program (Sweep-N-Go Version 3.0) reduces user debugging time, improves sustainability, increases efficiency, and considers all new lab bench equipment. Sweep-N-Go Version 3.0 includes an enhanced Graphical User Interface (GUI) to optimize user-efficiency and user-friendliness according to student survey feedback. To further achieve usability, this program has been well documented online, outlining LabVIEW functions, such as how to open the program in LabVIEW, how to run an executable …

Post-Quantum Encryption Benchmark, Jordan David Churi

Electrical Engineering

Recent advancements in quantum computing bring the weaknesses in modern RSA encryption to the foreground. Shor's algorithm, though not implementable on today's quantum computers, shows that RSA asymmetric key encryption is not secure for the coming future. This flaw in the security has prompted the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) to start a search for a new post-quantum encryption algorithm that will be resistant to future quantum computers. There are several implementations of preforming this encryption scheme. One promising technique is using lattices in an application called ring Learning with Errors (rLWE). Several algorithms have been submitted to …

Pulsed Electric Field System Development For Algae Biofuel Extraction, Juan David Gonzalez Aguayo, Aspyn Bessler

Electrical Engineering

The search for sustainable alternatives to fossil fuels proves necessary due to the effects fossil fuels have on Earth’s environment. These alternatives must have a minimum ecological footprint and cause no long-term harm to the environment. An environmentally friendly fuel is necessary to usher in a generation of renewable green energy.

The production of algae refined biofuels becomes a possible solution to this growing issue. Algae absorb CO2from the atmosphere during their reproduction and growth cycles, yielding a positive environmental impact. As the biofuel is refined and becomes suitable for use, the combustion of the finished fuel generates an equal …

Dc Treasure Box, Michael A. Derrenbacher

Electrical Engineering

An all in one DC resource would enable electronics students to prototype circuits for labs and projects without the need for the lab equipment present on campus. The labs on campus can be physically far, closed, or overcrowded, preventing students from accessing the equipment. Roughly 75% of upper division electrical engineering students do not own power supplies, with even fewer students owning a source measurement unit (SMU). There is a significant need for a product capable of providing standard lab equipment functionality. The functionally this project provides are positive and negative DC power supplies, 4-Quadrant SMU, analog inputs and outputs, …

Free Space Optical Communication, Anuj Gohil

Electrical Engineering

Communication is key to day to day activities for all companies and people. Wireless communication has made us expect more from our tools. Radio Frequency has been the preferred medium for a couple decades, but there is a need for faster secure communication. Free Space Optical Communication is an alternate wireless communication system which uses optics to create a link. It utilizes low-power and converts an analog signal into digital pulses which are transmitted across space to a receiver. Its only caveat is its vulnerability under atmospheric obstacles. The goal of this project is to create a free space optical …

Test Bench Design For The Fontana Gaf Facility, Dalton Paul Wunderlich

Electrical Engineering

This senior design project consists of designing and building a test bench set up in the GAF facility located in Fontana CA. The project creates an area where testing of different configurations of equipment takes place before implementing the equipment on the production line. Having this isolated environment allows the engineers and technicians to follow several design build test iterations on new systems. The design has the versatility to handle different equipment set ups and test a large quantity of diverse situations. The test bench implements Allen Bradley ControLogix, PLC-5, multiple Powerflex drives and multiple Kinetix servo drives simultaneously. The …

Portable High-Definition Audio Spectrum Analyzer, Alex Zahn, Jamie Corr

Electrical Engineering

The Portable High-definition Audio Spectrum Analyzer (PHASA) allows the user to visualize the audio frequency spectrum of an incoming line-level stereo audio signal. Upon pressing the touch screen spectrum graph, the PHASA displays the corresponding frequency and volume levels as well as crosshairs at the touched location. The PHASA features multiple left/right channel display modes— Left channel only, right channel only, both channels simultaneously, and the average between the two channels. The PHASA features multiple resolution display modes (standard-resolution and high-resolution) and multiple dynamics display modes (standard dynamics, averaging, and peak/hold). The PHASA accepts input audio via a 1/4" TRS …

Electric Upgrades - Supercapacitor Electric Bicycle, John Chen, Wilson Fletcher, Spencer Esparza

Electrical Engineering

Supercapacitors provide high current capabilities compared to conventional lithium-ion batteries, allowing for fast charging and discharging of electrical energy. This project seeks to test the benefits of supercapacitors in an electric bicycle unit in order to gain higher regenerative energy. The main components of the bicycle are its regenerative motor, supercapacitor array, and motor controller. Developing the project will provide data on the feasibility of using alternative battery storage and charging.

Solid State Drive, Shaun A. Steele

Electrical Engineering

This project documents the design and implementation of a solid state drive (SSD). SSDs are a non-volatile memory storage device that competes with hard disk drives. SSDs rely on flash memory, a type of non-volatile memory that is electrically erased and programmed. The appeal of SSDs lies in the fact that they allow a fast, reliable, and durable memory storage device. The goal of this project is to have a working external SSD built from scratch.

Wireless Window Blinds, Cooper Laone, Niraj Morar, Zachary Malig, Jake Phillips

Electrical Engineering

The Internet of Things asserts that there exists a global need for all objects to connect easily and accessibly. Today, smartphones, tablets, laptops and smart watches makeup just a few of the interconnected devices by the greater population. As a result a growing need for wireless connection between personal devices like phones, and computers to everyday appliances exists. This idea extends directly to households, businesses and buildings, where a growing need for smart home or smart-business appliances has taken root. Many companies like Nest, ADT and Apple make products for automated home security and in home media control. The Wireless …

Formula Sae Power Distribution Controller, Daniel Baron

Electrical Engineering

The Power Distribution Controller senior project aims to replace the current Power Distribution Module (PDM) on Cal Poly’s Formula SAE internal combustion vehicle with a more advanced, configurable, and reliable system. The Power Distribution Controller is a MOSFET based system that can be controlled through either controller area network or a parallel interface to distribute and control power from the vehicle’s battery to the several electrical devices on the car. The Power Distribution Controller also collects output voltage and current data, and communicates this data to the vehicle’s data logger. This will allow engineers to troubleshoot electrical problems on the …

Water Leak Detection System, Ryan T. Hanson

Electrical Engineering

The water supply shortage has increased in recent years due to overpopulation, climate change and obsolete water facilities, where deteriorated pipes cause most of the water leaks. The problem is not the size of the leak, but the time it takes to detect it. This paper presents the implementation of a system installed in the hydraulic facilities of a residence, to detect water leaks. The system consists of a water sensor installed by a water reservoir of interest, a microprocessor to interpret the data and evaluate whether it is a water leak or not, an SMS alert message, and an …

Data Fusion With 9 Degrees Of Freedom Inertial Measurement Unit To Determine Object’S Orientation, Long Dinh Tran

Electrical Engineering

Data fusion is a technique to integrate different types of data to a single unit to provide a more reliable representation of tracking measurement. Today, data fusion can be found in many applications such as tracking and surveillance system as well as on mobile applications. In this project, 9 Degrees of Freedom (DOF) Inertial Measurement Unit (IMU) composed of 3-axis Magnetometer, 3-axis Accelerometer, and 3-axis Gyroscope are processed to yield the object’s rotations in 3 dimensions. While the magnetometer (compass) is used to determine the heading angle, accelerometer is used to determine tilt axis, gyroscope can be process to calculate …

Tilt-Rotor Drone, Benjamin Stone, Zachary Crandall

Electrical Engineering

A drone is defined a "an unmanned aircraft that can fly autonomously[2]." In the year 2016, there exist many applications for small scale drones. Drones, having had primarily military applications, now have use in hobby robotics, photography, and even in surveying. But drones have not yet been perfected and still have room for much improvement. Several problems with drones come in the form of battery life, stability, and size. Large drones can fit many sensors and probes, but are heavy and have less flight time. For autonomous drones, stability can be an issue even though there exist many stable drones. …

Cal Poly Supermileage Electronic Fuel Injection, Alexander Pink

Electrical Engineering

Cal Poly Supermileage is a student-run engineering club that builds prototype gasoline vehicles optimized maximum fuel-efficiency. To power their vehicles, the Supermileage team makes use of single-cylinder, 4-stroke, electronically fuel-injected (EFI) gasoline engines. This report details the development, iterative design & test cycles, and integration of an EFI system for the Supermileage club. This project develops an EFI system that interfaces to the most common types of sensors found in the low-power Supermileage-range of engines, including throttle-position sensors, manifold absolute pressure sensors, gear-tooth hall-effect sensors, variable-reluctance position sensors, engine coolant temperature sensors, intake air temperature sensors, and exhaust oxygen sensors. …

Mohat Tool To Illustrate Diode And Transistor Modes Of Operation Using Ltspice, Getu D. Engdaw

Electrical Engineering

This project develops a tool to identify the modes of operation of diodes and transistors in a circuit. The MoHAT tool receives schematics or circuit files generated from LTspice, and it determines the state of each diode and transistor. This tool illustrates diodes, BJT and MOS regions of operations using text or graphics accordingly. The tool also suggests necessary adjustments to switch from one mode of operation to another upon users request. Furthermore, the tool specifies if a transistor functions in amplification region. The MoHAT tool compares the nodal voltages of an element and determines the mode of operation.