Electrical and Electronics Commons^™

Urban Environment Navigation With Real-Time Data Utilizing Computer Vision, Inertial, And Gps Sensors, Johnathan L. Rohde

Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this research was to obtain a navigation solution that used real data, in a degraded or denied global positioning system (GPS) environment, from low cost commercial o the shelf sensors. The sensors that were integrated together were a commercial inertial measurement unit (IMU), monocular camera computer vision algorithm, and GPS. Furthermore, the monocular camera computer vision algorithm had to be robust enough to handle any camera orientation that was presented to it. This research develops a visual odometry 2-D zero velocity measurement that is derived by both the features points that are extracted from a monocular camera …

Energy Harvesting & Recapture From Human Subjects: Dual-Stage Mems Cantilever Energy Harvester, Nicholas P. Sullivan

Theses and Dissertations

Recent thermal energy harvesting research has advanced alternative non-Seebeck devices and shifted attention towards applications with low temperature differentials near ambient. This research effort takes a simulation-based approach to improve the performance of a modified dual-stage MEMS cantilever energy harvester. The device employs a bimetal and a piezoelectric transducer to harvest energy from a 10° C temperature differential. The proposed application for the device is as a wearable energy harvester, capable of generating power from the human body using skin temperature (average 33° C) as the hot side and ambient air (23° C) as the cold side. A bimetal thickness …

Characterizing Multiple Wireless Sensor Networks For Large-Scale Radio Tomography, Tan Van

Theses and Dissertations

Radio Tomographic Imaging (RTI) is an emerging Device-Free Passive Localization (DFPL) technology that uses a collection of cheap wireless transceivers to form a Wireless Sensor Network (WSN). Unlike device-based active localization, DFPL does not require a target of interest to be wearing any kind of device. The basic concept of RTI utilizes the changes in Received Signal Strength (RSS) between the links of each transceiver to create an attenuation image of the area. This image can then be used for target detection, tracking, and localization. Each transceiver in the WSN must transmit sequentially to prevent collisions. This is not a …

Dense Point-Cloud Representation Of A Scene Using Monocular Vision, Yakov Diskin, Vijayan K. Asari

Electrical and Computer Engineering Faculty Publications

We present a three-dimensional (3-D) reconstruction system designed to support various autonomous navigation applications. The system presented focuses on the 3-D reconstruction of a scene using only a single moving camera. Utilizing video frames captured at different points in time allows us to determine the depths of a scene. In this way, the system can be used to construct a point-cloud model of its unknown surroundings.

We present the step-by-step methodology and analysis used in developing the 3-D reconstruction technique.

We present a reconstruction framework that generates a primitive point cloud, which is computed based on feature matching and depth …

Investigation Of Electromagnetic Velocities And Negative Refraction In A Chiral Metamaterial With Second-Order Material Dispersion Using Spectral Analyses And Dispersive Models, Monish Ranjan Chatterjee, Tarig A. Algadey

Electrical and Computer Engineering Faculty Publications

In recent years, considerable research has been carried out relative to the electromagnetic (EM) propagation and refraction characteristics in metamaterials with emphasis on the origins of negative refractive index.

Negative refractive index may be introduced in metamaterials via different methods; one such is the condition whereby the Poynting vector of the EM wave is in opposition to the group velocity in the material. Alternatively, negative refractive index also occurs when the group and phase velocities in the medium are in opposition. The latter phenomenon has been extensively investigated in the literature, including recent work involving chiral metamaterials with material dispersion …

Three-Phase Generation Using Reactive Networks, Tattiana Karina Coleman Davenport

Master's Theses

Household appliances utilize single-phase motors to perform everyday jobs whether it is to run a fan in an air conditioner or the compressor in a refrigerator. With the movement of the world going “green” and trying to make everything more efficient, it is a logical step to start with the items that we use every day. This can be done by replacing single-phase motors with three-phase motors in household appliances. Three-phase motors are 14% more efficient than single-phase motors when running at full load and typically cost less over a large range of sizes [1]. One major downside of incorporating …

Verification And Validation Of Monte Carlo N-Particle 6 For Computing Gamma Protection Factors, William J. Erwin

Theses and Dissertations

This thesis examined the suitability of a particle simulator known as "Monte Carlo n-Particle 6" (MCNP6) to determine how well U.S. Army vehicles shield their occupants from gamma radiation. MCNP6 compared favorably to three alternate modeling approaches and another particle simulator. In a validation experiment, MCNP6 was found to produce a gamma protection factor within 5% of the experimental result with 95% confidence. Further evaluations validated MCNP6's ability to produce reliable results with simplified or approximated inputs, model different sources, and position those sources in different shielding geometries. MCNP6 is suitable for evaluating gamma protection of Army vehicles and further …

Experimental Characterization And Correlation Analysis Of Indoor Channels At 15 Ghz, Xin Zhou, Zhangdui Zhong, Bei Zhang, Ruisi He, Ke Guan, Qi Wang, David W. Matolak

Faculty Publications

The indoor radio channels at 15 GHz are investigated based on measurements. The large- and small-scale fading behaviors as well as the delay dispersion characteristics are discussed. It is found that the large-scale fading, Ricean -factor, and delay spread can be described by log-normal distributions. Furthermore, both autocorrelation and cross correlation properties of the above parameters are analyzed and modeled. These parameters characterize fading and delay behaviors as well as their mutual dependency and can be used as empirical values for future wireless system design and simulation in 15 GHz short-range indoor channels.

Integration Of Antenna Array With Multicrystalline Silicon Solar Cell, Oisin O'Conchubhair, Patrick Mcevoy, Max Ammann

Articles

The integration of a low-profile antenna array with a multicrystalline silicon solar cell capable of powering a low-power wireless sensor at 2.45 GHz is reported. Lattice bus bars on the cell are exploited to minimize antenna shadows from low-profile antennas and transmission lines for a higher output power. The dual inverted-F array improves gain, and beam switching enables the array to sweep a wider coverage angle with larger beamwidths compared to other solar integrated antennas.

A Low-Cost Loop Measurement Tool For Dc-Dc Converters, Shouee B. Lin

Master's Theses

Loop measurements are very important in evaluating dynamic performance of DC-DC converters. In this thesis, a small loop measurement tool as a low-cost alternative to a network analyzer is proposed. The tool is particularly useful when a network analyzer is not always available for use, for example when engineers are working on-site with customers or when a network analyzer is not affordable due to their relatively high cost. The design, simulation, and hardware implementation of the inexpensive loop measurement tool will be presented in this thesis. Results from computer simulation and hardware prototype demonstrate the ability of the proposed tool …

Secure Transmission Of Static And Dynamic Images Via Chaotic Encryption In Acousto-Optic Hybrid Feedback With Profiled Light Beams, Monish Ranjan Chatterjee, Fares S. Almehmadi

Electrical and Computer Engineering Faculty Publications

Secure information encryption via acousto-optic (AO) chaos with profiled optical beams indicates substantially better performance in terms of system robustness. This paper examines encryption of static and time-varying (video) images onto AO chaotic carriers using Gaussian-profile beams with diffracted data numerically generated using transfer functions. The use of profiled beams leads to considerable improvement in the encrypted signal.

While static image encryption exhibits parameter tolerances within about ±10% for uniform optical beams, profiled beams reduce the tolerance to less than 1%, thereby vastly improving both the overall security of the transmitted information as well as the quality of the image …

Digitally Controlled Zero-Voltage-Switching Quasi-Resonant Buck Converter, Brian R. Luc

Master's Theses

ABSTRACT

Digitally-Controlled Two-Phase Zero-Voltage-Switching Quasi-Resonant Buck Converter

Brian Luc

This thesis entails the design, construction, and performance analysis of a digitally-controlled two-phase Zero-Voltage Switching Quasi-Resonant (ZVS-QR) buck converter. The converter is aimed to address the issues associated with powering CPUs operating at lower voltage and high current. To evaluate its performance, the Two-Phase ZVS-QR buck converter is compared against a traditional Two-Phase buck converter. The design procedure required to implement both converters through utilizing the characterization curve and formulas derived from their circuit configurations will be presented. Computer simulation of the Two-Phase ZVS-QR buck converter is provided to exhibit its …

Optical Properties Of Strain-Engineered Multilayer Si/Sige Nanostructures, Selina Akter Mala

Dissertations

The long carrier radiative lifetimes in indirect band gap semiconductors such as crystalline Si (c-Si) and Ge impede the development of efficient light-emitting devices and lasers. Multilayer Si/SiGe nanostructures are considered to be the strong candidates for efficient and high-speed optoelectronic devices integrated into CMOS platforms. Since c-Si and Ge have a considerable lattice mismatch of ~ 4.2%, Si/Si_1-xGe_x(x < 0.5) nanostructures in the form of nano-layers (NLs) or cluster multilayers (CMs) modify the band structure and create non-uniform strain distribution. Engineering of Si/Si_1-xGe_xnanostructures with the predicted composition and interface abruptness, which controls spatial separation between electrons and holes and carrier radiative recombination rate, is critical in producing the desired fast and efficient photoluminescence …

Petri Net Models Of Microgrids With Distributed Generators, Xiaoyu Lu

Theses

This thesis introduces some basic concepts and control methods about a microgrid. Then, two hot issues are investigated. One is how to control multiple distributed generators; and another is how to model both discrete event and continuous behaviors of a microgrid. To address these two issues, this thesis work applies Petri nets to both modeling and control of a microgrid. Ordinary Petri nets, hybrid Petri nets, and finite capacity Petri nets, are introduced with their examples targeted at modeling the behavior of a microgrid. Coordination control of multiple distributed generators based on a Petri net model is proposed. Compared with …

Computer Aided Analysis Of Skin Lesions, Sukanya Panja

Theses

Effective screening to detect the skin cancer accurately in the early stage is essential for reducing the mortality of skin cancer. Surface features, such as texture and pigmentation area from the surface, epi-illumination images of the skin lesions have been well correlated to detect skin cancer. An increase in the lesion's subsurface blood volume has been correlated to early diagnosis of malignant melanoma. A method for estimating the optimal features is obtained. The optimal features help in accurately classify the skin lesion in various grades. To make the process faster these optimal features are clustered. The optimal clusters are obtained …

An Embedded System Supporting Dynamic Partial Reconfiguration Of Hardware Resources For Morphological Image Processing, Gyana Ranjan Sahu

Theses

Processors for high-performance computing applications are generally designed with a focus on high clock rates, parallelism of operations and high communication bandwidth, often at the expense of large power consumption. However, the emphasis of many embedded systems and untethered devices is on minimal hardware requirements and reduced power consumption. With the incessant growth of computational needs for embedded applications, which contradict chip power and area needs, the burden is put on the hardware designers to come up with designs that optimize power and area requirements.

This thesis investigates the efficient design of an embedded system for morphological image processing applications …

Reliability Study Of Zr And Al Incorporated Hf Based High-K Dielectric Deposited By Advanced Processing, Md Nasir Uddin Bhuyian

Dissertations

Hafnium-based high-x dielectric materials have been successfully used in the industry as a key replacement for SiO₂ based gate dielectrics in order to continue CMOS device scaling to the 22-nm technology node. Further scaling according to the device roadmap requires the development of oxides with higher x values in order to scale the equivalent oxide thickness (EOT) to 0.7 nm or below while achieving low defect densities. In addition, next generation devices need to meet challenges like improved channel mobility, reduced gate leakage current, good control on threshold voltage, lower interface state density, and good reliability. In order to …

Electron-Beam Patterning Of Teflon Af For Surface Plasmon Resonance Sensing, Mansoor A. Sultan

Theses and Dissertations--Electrical and Computer Engineering

Variable pressure electron beam etching and lithography for Teflon AF has been demonstrated. The relation between dose and etching depth is tested under high vacuum and water vapor. High resolution structures as small as 75 nm half-pitch have been resolved. Several simulation tools were tested for surface plasmon excitation. Grating based dual mode surface plasmon excitation has been shown numerically and experimentally.

Resource Allocation And Load-Shedding Policies Based On Markov Decision Processes For Renewable Energy Generation And Storage, Edwards Jimenez

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

In modern power systems, renewable energy has become an increasingly popular form of energy generation as a result of all the rules and regulations that are being implemented towards achieving clean energy worldwide. However, clean energy can have drawbacks in several forms. Wind energy, for example can introduce intermittency. In this thesis, we discuss a method to deal with this intermittency. In particular, by shedding some specific amount of load we can avoid a total system breakdown of the entire power plant. The load shedding method discussed in this thesis utilizes a Markov Decision Process with backward policy iteration. This …

Design Of Novel Devices And Circuits For Electrostatic Discharge Protection Applications In Advanced Semiconductor Technologies, Zhixin Wang

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Electrostatic Discharge (ESD), as a subset of Electrical Overstress (EOS), was reported to be in charge of more than 35% of failure in integrated circuits (ICs). Especially in the manufacturing process, the silicon wafer turns out to be a functional ICs after numerous physical, chemical and mechanical processes, each of which expose the sensitive and fragile ICs to ESD environment. In normal end-user applications, ESD from human and machine handling, surge and spike signals in the power supply, and wrong supplying signals, will probably cause severe damage to the ICs and even the whole systems. Generally, ESD protections are evaluated …