Evaluating The Effectiveness Of Game-Based Virtual Reality In Satellite Ground Control Operations Education And Training,
2024
Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University
Evaluating The Effectiveness Of Game-Based Virtual Reality In Satellite Ground Control Operations Education And Training, Lana Laskey, Joseph R. Keebler, Paul M. Cairns, Geovanny Lopez
International Journal of Aviation, Aeronautics, and Aerospace
There is increased global demand for satellite amenities such as navigation, communications, weather reporting, disaster management, agricultural operations, or humanitarian assistance. The growing demand for satellite technology amplifies the need for highly trained satellite operators. Traditional simulation training methods typically utilize two-dimensional computer displays. However, training approaches involving game-based instruction and immersive virtual reality have shown benefits when integrated with complex disciplines and may provide an advanced training alternative for satellite operators. Game-based instruction enhances user motivation and cognitive engagement, while immersive virtual reality promotes user presence and prolonged cognitive engagement. The combination of these two training methods, noted as …
Control Of Flow Instabilities With Acoustic Metamaterials,
2024
University of Rhode Island
Control Of Flow Instabilities With Acoustic Metamaterials, Jensen E. Mctighe
Open Access Master's Theses
Acoustic metamaterials (AMs) have been proposed for uses in flow control, as they offer a passive control method and can be engineered independently, without needing complex fluid structure interactions simulations. For example, AMs embedded into flat plate surfaces have been demonstrated to delay (or speed up) the onset of laminar-to-turbulent boundary layer transition by attenuating (or strengthening) Tollmein-Schlicting waves through numerical simulation. However, as of present, no experimental research has been conducted to study or demonstrate the behaviors of AMs designed to interact with flow structures. An experiment was performed in which an AM was embedded into a flat plate …
A Bi-Invariant Approach To Approximate Motion Synthesis Of Planar Four-Bar Linkage,
2024
University of Dayton
A Bi-Invariant Approach To Approximate Motion Synthesis Of Planar Four-Bar Linkage, Tianze Xu, David H. Myszka, Andrew P. Murray
Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering Faculty Publications
This paper presents a planar four-bar approximate motion synthesis technique that uses only pole locations. Synthesis for rigid-body guidance determines the linkage dimensions that guide a body in a desired manner. The desired motion is specified with task positions including a location and orientation angle. Approximation motion synthesis is necessary when an exact match to the task positions cannot be obtained. A linkage that achieves the task positions as closely as possible becomes desired. Structural error refers to the deviations between the task positions and the linkage's generated positions. A challenge in approximate motion synthesis is that structural error involves …
Characterization Of Upper Extremity Kinematics Using Virtual Reality Movement Tasks And Wearable Imu Technology,
2024
University of Dayton
Characterization Of Upper Extremity Kinematics Using Virtual Reality Movement Tasks And Wearable Imu Technology, Skyler A. Barclay, Lanna N. Klausing, Tessa M. Hill, Allison L. Kinney, Timothy Reissman, Megan E. Reissman
Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering Faculty Publications
Task-specific training has been shown to be an effective neuromotor rehabilitation intervention, however, this repetitive approach is not always very engaging. Virtual reality (VR) systems are becoming increasingly popular in therapy due to their ability to encourage movement through customizable and immersive environments. Additionally, VR can allow for a standardization of tasks that is often lacking in upper extremity research. Here, 16 healthy participants performed upper extremity movement tasks synced to music, using a commercially available VR game known as Beat Saber. VR tasks were customized to characterize participants' joint angles with respect to each task's specified cardinal direction (inward, …
Materials Testing For Large Format 3d Printing,
2024
The University of Akron
Materials Testing For Large Format 3d Printing, William Jenkins
Williams Honors College, Honors Research Projects
An ABS Carbon Fiber blend was printed into single walled hexagons at a variety of settings on a Cincinnati BAAM large format 3D printer. These hexagons were then cut down into sheets and had tensile and flexural test samples cut out of them, in order for materials testing to be performed. Tensile strength, tensile strain, young’s modulus, flexural strength, deflection and elastic modulus were all determined. A desktop CNC machine and a planer were purchased for the manufacturing of these samples, and an efficient cutting procedure was designed and optimized. After all data collection concluded, this data was thoroughly analyzed, …
Space Force - Inspection,
2024
The University of Akron
Space Force - Inspection, Romualdo Cipro
Williams Honors College, Honors Research Projects
Our project deals with a common problem that is encountered with satellites in earth orbit or beyond. It is very common in space for there to be small collisions between satellites and foreign space debris, and it takes a lot of time and money to send a person out to repair the damage caused by the collision. Our goal is to develop a way to perform these repairs autonomously. We plan to develop a way to scan a satellite or spacecraft hull for damage using a robot and then repair the damage while still maintaining the material specifications required for …
Space Force Spacecraft Hull Inspection: Creation Of A Process To Inspect, Compare, And Fault Detect On The Surface Of A Spacecraft Hull,
2024
The University of Akron
Space Force Spacecraft Hull Inspection: Creation Of A Process To Inspect, Compare, And Fault Detect On The Surface Of A Spacecraft Hull, Ethan Rainsburg
Williams Honors College, Honors Research Projects
The Space Force Inspection design project aims to create a system for scanning the hull of a spacecraft, identifying any damage by cross-checking the new scan with a previous scan, and fixing any identified damage picked up by the scan. This project contains key objectives such as defining testable parameters for any given scanner, creating a repeatable process for comparing scans, and automating the process using open-source code and software. The ideal outcome for this project is to have the fully automated system implemented to a robot that is being designed and manufactured by a sister team. Some of the …
Uav To Carry Heavy Loads,
2024
The University of Akron
Uav To Carry Heavy Loads, Jacob Cannon, Robert Connor Downs, Anthony Orlando
Williams Honors College, Honors Research Projects
Our senior design project aims to develop an innovative Unmanned Aerial Vehicle (UAV) capable of carrying heavy payloads up to 50 lbs. This UAV will address the growing demand for efficient and autonomous cargo transportation, unlocking new possibilities in logistics and remote deliveries. The primary goal is to design, build, and test a robust UAV platform equipped with advanced propulsion systems, stabilizing mechanisms, and a secure payload attachment system. The heavy-lift UAV will be capable of transporting payloads in challenging environments, enhancing its versatility for various industries, including emergency response, disaster relief, and commercial logistics. For the extent of this …
Ambient Temperature Strength Degradation Of A Ceramic Matrix Composite Due To Solid Particle Erosion,
2024
The University of Akron
Ambient Temperature Strength Degradation Of A Ceramic Matrix Composite Due To Solid Particle Erosion, Jonathan Clawson
Williams Honors College, Honors Research Projects
Solid particle erosion (SPE) is an issue for aircraft exposed to hard, fine particles, such as sand or dust, that can be ingested into the engine at a high velocity without reaching their melting point, resulting in material removal. SPE can be attributed to the intake of particulate debris from the runway or from airborne particulates. The cumulative mass loss from SPE damage affects the structural integrity and performance of the engine; however, its effects on ceramic matrix composites (CMCs), that are being employed in the aerospace industry, are not well understood in literature. The limited SPE research studies that …
Design Of An Experimental Solid Rocket Motor,
2024
The University of Akron
Design Of An Experimental Solid Rocket Motor, Johnathan Bettes, Andrew Fuller
Williams Honors College, Honors Research Projects
This project utilizes mechanical and chemical principles to characterize propellant grains and to manufacture a custom nozzle to create experimental Solid Rocket Motors (SRMs) with a propellant called Angry Listerine. For the propellant grains, one major non-chemical factor that determines its thrust performance is the grain geometry, or the core of the grains for which hot gases flow through the propellant and out of the nozzle to further react with exposed chemical surfaces. The two kinds of grain geometries analyzed and tested in this report are called MoonBurner, an offset circular core, and Finocyl, a gear-shaped core. The nozzle for …
A Review Of Dielectric Barrier Discharge Cold Atmospheric Plasma For Surface Sterilization And Decontamination,
2024
Missouri University of Science and Technology
A Review Of Dielectric Barrier Discharge Cold Atmospheric Plasma For Surface Sterilization And Decontamination, Kolawole Adesina, Ta Chun Lin, Yue-Wern Huang, Marek Locmelis, Daoru Frank Han
Biological Sciences Faculty Research & Creative Works
Numerous investigations have shown that non-equilibrium discharges at atmospheric pressure, also known as "cold atmospheric plasma" (CAP) are efficient to remove biological contaminants from surfaces of a variety of materials. Recently, CAP has quickly advanced as a technique for microbial cleaning, wound healing, and cancer therapy due to the chemical and biologically active radicals it produces, known collectively as reactive oxygen and nitrogen species (RONS). This article reviews studies pertaining to one of the atmospheric plasma sources known as Dielectric Barrier Discharge (DBD) which has been widely used to treat materials with microbes for sterilization, disinfection, and decontamination purposes. To …
Bioprinting With Adipose Stem Cells And Hydrogel Modified With Bioactive Glass,
2024
Missouri University of Science and Technology
Bioprinting With Adipose Stem Cells And Hydrogel Modified With Bioactive Glass, Krishna C.R. Kolan, Apurv Saxena, Bradley A. Bromet, Lesa B. Steen, August T. Bindbeutel, Julie A. Semon, Delbert E. Day, Ming C. Leu
Biological Sciences Faculty Research & Creative Works
Bioprinting research is focused on utilizing growth factors and multiple cell types to create clinically relevant three-dimensional (3D) tissue models using hydrogels. Rheological and biological challenges are two main factors that limit the creation of extrudable bioactive hydrogels. In this study, we investigate incorporation of fast dissolving and bioactive borate glass in different weight to volume percentages (0.075 to 0.6%) to alginate-gelatin (1:1) hydrogel to improve rheological properties and enable bioprinting with bioactive glass. The addition of glass improved the stiffness of the hydrogel. Human adipose-derived mesenchymal stem cells (ASCs) were uniformly mixed in this bioink at 1 x 106 …
Magnetic Separation Of Lunar Regolith Simulants With Applications To In Situ Resource Utilization On The Moon,
2024
Missouri University of Science and Technology
Magnetic Separation Of Lunar Regolith Simulants With Applications To In Situ Resource Utilization On The Moon, Peter Bachle, Jeffrey Smith, Fateme Rezaei, David Bayless, William Schonberg, Daoru Han
Chemical and Biochemical Engineering Faculty Research & Creative Works
The development of in situ resource utilization (ISRU) for metal extraction is imperative as a steppingstone for habitation construction in lunar and non-terrestrial environments. Separation of minerals by chemical composition is important to optimize metal and oxygen liberation from lunar ore. To this effect, devices capable of separating aluminum bearing minerals from iron-bearing minerals from the lunar regolith simulants have been developed. Twenty-eight different simulants have been used in this study. A dual-belt separator was designed to reduce middling. Para-magnetic minerals were reliably separated using a neodymium N52-magnet-separator system. Effective separation of aluminum-bearing minerals from iron-bearing minerals was greater than …
Efficient Connectivity Management And Path Planning For Iot And Uav Networks,
2024
Virginia Commonwealth University
Efficient Connectivity Management And Path Planning For Iot And Uav Networks, Amirahmad Chapnevis
Theses and Dissertations
This dissertation explores how to better manage resources in mobile networks, especially for enhancing the performance of Unmanned Aerial Vehicles (UAV)-supported IoT networks. We explored ways to set up a flexible communication architecture that can handle large IoT deployments by making good use of mobile core network resources like bearers and data paths. We developed strategies that meet the needs of IoT networks and enhance network performance. We also developed and tested a system that combines traffic from several mobile devices that use the same user identity and network resources within the core mobile network. We used everyday smartphones, SIM …
Initial Solution Improvements To A Tethered Robotic Path Planner Using Random Geometric Graph Configurations And Biased Sampling,
2024
Michigan Technological University
Initial Solution Improvements To A Tethered Robotic Path Planner Using Random Geometric Graph Configurations And Biased Sampling, Austen J. Goddu
Dissertations, Master's Theses and Master's Reports
With NASA's ongoing efforts to establish a presence on the lunar surface to eventually move on to exploring mars, the development of intelligent robotic systems is more important than ever. The ability of robotics to explore hazardous and extreme terrain, coupled with long communication times from earth places an ever increasing need on more robust and efficient autonomy. Tethered robotics offer unique advantages to explore scientific targets both on the lunar and martian surfaces, capable of using their tether as a physical or metaphorical lifeline to allow the exploration of slopes, extreme dark regions, or areas in which wireless communication …
Sensor Tasking Strategies For Space-Based Observers In The Cislunar Environment,
2024
Missouri University of Science and Technology
Sensor Tasking Strategies For Space-Based Observers In The Cislunar Environment, Smriti Nandan Paul, Roshan Thomas Eapen, Puneet Singla
Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering Faculty Research & Creative Works
The cislunar space environment has witnessed an increase in activities, and future projections indicate significant growth in object population. Consequently, it becomes crucial to monitor these objects for space domain awareness (SDA) purposes. As the number of objects surpasses the available observers, meticulous sensor tasking becomes essential. This paper focuses on designing and exploring strategies for observing and keeping custody of known objects in cislunar space. Optical space-based telescopes, combined with lunar ground-based telescope, are employed for sensor tasking of cislunar objects residing in valuable orbits. The proposed research aims to address the following key points: (1) examination of the …
Development And Characterization Of An Ion Source To Simulate Low Earth Orbit Plasma Environment In A Vacuum Chamber,
2024
Missouri University of Science and Technology
Development And Characterization Of An Ion Source To Simulate Low Earth Orbit Plasma Environment In A Vacuum Chamber, Emmanuel Kofi Asuako Wie-Addo, Scott Lucas, Daoru Han
Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering Faculty Research & Creative Works
A magnetic filter-type plasma source has been installed and characterized in a 10 ft long x 6ft diameter vacuum chamber. The plasma source was characterized with a fleet of diagnostic probes including an in-house cylindrical Langmuir probe. This resulted in the measurement of key plasma parameters such as electron number density, electron temperature, plasma potential, Debye length, ion current density, streaming ion energy, ion number density, and streaming ion velocity. By varying the flow rates, discharge current, and distance, single points measurements were taken at three locations downstream of the plasma source to establish an optimum operating condition to simulate …
Development Of A High-Pressure Infiltration Process For Phenol–Formaldehyde Matrix Composites,
2024
Missouri University of Science and Technology
Development Of A High-Pressure Infiltration Process For Phenol–Formaldehyde Matrix Composites, Samuel Weiler, Patrick Schwartzkopf, Henry Haffner, K. Chandrashekhara
Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering Faculty Research & Creative Works
Phenol–formaldehyde (phenolic) thermosets are known for excellent heat and chemical resistance, high flame retardance, and good mechanical performance. However, phenolics are also known for their high brittleness, and tendency to form voids, due to a condensation reaction forming water during curing. These voids can decrease the mechanical performance of the resultant phenolic composite and introduce undesirable performance characteristics. This work aims to develop a technique that uses high-pressure infiltration to obtain dense phenolic matrix composites, with commercially available resin and fiber reinforcement. The high-pressure system developed in this work is compared to a conventional low-pressure resin infusion technique, and the …
Investigating Bistable Dynamics Of Coupled Oscillators With Similarities To Neural Activity In Epilepsy,
2024
Missouri University of Science and Technology
Investigating Bistable Dynamics Of Coupled Oscillators With Similarities To Neural Activity In Epilepsy, Nilay Kant, Ranjan Mukherjee
Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering Faculty Research & Creative Works
The dynamics of an oscillator, which exhibits a stable equilibrium and a stable limit cycle, is investigated. We refer to it as a bistable oscillator unit (BOU) and show that two coupled BOUs (CBOUs) exhibit dynamics analogous to neural activity patterns in epilepsy, including healthy, localized, and fully spread epileptic states. By treating each CBOU as an independent system influenced by the state of the other, we establish local input-to-state stability near the equilibrium and the limit cycle and estimate the ultimate bounds of the trajectories. Our analysis identifies the domain of the initial conditions and estimates the coupling parameter …
Modeling Human Strategy For Flattening Wrinkled Cloth Using Neural Networks,
2024
Missouri University of Science and Technology
Modeling Human Strategy For Flattening Wrinkled Cloth Using Neural Networks, Nilay Kant, Ashrut Aryal, Rajiv Ranganathan, Ranjan Mukherjee, Charles Owen
Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering Faculty Research & Creative Works
This paper explores a novel approach to model strategies for flattening wrinkled cloth learning from humans. A human participant study was conducted where the participants were presented with various wrinkle types and tasked with flattening the cloth using the fewest actions possible. A camera and Aruco marker were used to capture images of the cloth and finger movements, respectively. The human strategies for flattening the cloth were modeled using a supervised regression neural network, where the cloth images served as input and the human actions as output. Before training the neural network, a series of image processing techniques were applied, …
