Mechanical Engineering Commons^™

Pollinators Exhibit For Paso Robles Children’S Museum, Isabelle Moll, Matthew Moore, Joseph Hovanesian, Evan Stock, Matthew Wiecking

Mechanical Engineering

This report documents the design and development of an interactive pollination exhibit created for the Paso Robles Children’s Museum as part of the Mechanical Engineering Senior Project program. The goal of the project was to design a durable, safe, and engaging educational exhibit that introduces children to the role of pollinators in local ecosystems and agriculture through hands-on play. The final design features a triple-track system with rolling bee elements and a central pollen ball pathway that demonstrates how pollinators move between flowers and return resources to the hive. The exhibit incorporates visual feedback and locally inspired design elements to …

Baja Sae Gear Testing, Selina Bayles, Lucia Giacalone, Claire Cornelsen, Sarah Talbert

Mechanical Engineering

The Baja SAE Gear Testing project outlined a test stand and procedure to update the S-N curve currently used by the Baja SAE team. Currently the Cal Poly Baja SAE geartrain team uses a S-N curve to design custom gears, but this S-N curve does not accurately reflect the gears uses and their fatigue life. This project outlines the exploration of a dyno set up to allow for future testing of different categories of short life cycle gears to collect data and generate a new S-N curve and, ultimately, update the design of the gears. This team created a dyno …

Cathy's Trike, Jameson Stengel, Victor Robles, Asher Becker

Mechanical Engineering

Cathy Hoenig needs a better way to safely steer her trike since she recently had her arm amputated at the elbow. Right now, the standard steering setup doesn’t work for her because it’s designed for someone with two arms. The main issue is that because she can't hold the steering bar with both hands, she loses control and stability while riding, which takes away from her freedom and independence. We’re looking to design some kind of support or adaptive steering system that’ll let her feel safe and confident on her trike again. Our goal is to create a solution that …

Bonderson Workbench, Han Xu, Aidan Robleto, Sean Murphy, Victor Duran

Mechanical Engineering

This project redesigns the existing creative workbenches in Cal Poly's Bonderson High Bay to improve mobility and functionality for students and staff in the Mechanical Engineering Department.

Fsae Bespoke Brake Calipers For Hub Motor Architecture, Connor William Vaughan, Liam Upton Walsh, Bradley Brian Kern

Mechanical Engineering

Brakes are the most critical safety system on any performance vehicle, and as Cal Poly Racing transitions their Formula SAE car from a single rear motor to a four-in-wheel motor setup with regenerative braking, the team identified an opportunity to develop a bespoke brake caliper tailored to their specific needs. This document outlines the research, design, manufacturing, and validation of custom front brake calipers designed to improve upon commercial motorcycle calipers in key areas such as serviceability, mounting rigidity, thermal behavior, mass, and hub motor integration. The resulting design is a two-piece, four-piston, radially-mounted aluminum caliper featuring titanium pistons, toolless …

Cvj Torque Loss Dynamometer, Malaika Sriram, Coleman Brown, Zachary Norris, Logan Mast, Chris Mattis

Mechanical Engineering

This report details the design and results of a dynamometer testing rig built to measure torque losses in constant velocity joints (CVJs) for Cal Poly Racing's Baja SAE team. The rig spins a flywheel connected to articulable CVJs up to 800 RPM using a motor, then decouples it and measures the spin-down rate from 800 to 100 RPM to calculate angular acceleration and torque loss. The data collected from this dyno will be used to inform freewheel packaging for future Baja car development.

Design And Development Of A 12-Degree-Of-Freedom Quadruped Robot, Kai De La Cruz

Master's Theses

This thesis presents the design, analysis, and experimental validation of a 12-degree-of-freedom (DOF) quadruped robot developed as a research platform for legged locomotion and control. The system builds upon the Cal Poly Legged Robotics Group’s prior 8-DOF quadruped, addressing key limitations in manipulability, load distribution, and mechanical robustness by introducing a 3-DOF leg architecture.

The mechanical design emphasizes lightweight construction, structural integrity, and modularity to support future research extensions. Static and dynamic loading models were developed to inform component sizing and material selection. A carbon-fiber chassis and redesigned leg assemblies were fabricated and validated through finite element analysis and physical …

Elevating The Underrepresented And Marginalized Using Experiences In Stem (Lumens): A Stem Diversity And Inclusion Initiative, Robert Cobb Jr, Paula E. Faulkner, Deiadra Modlin, Obinna Chiekezi, Victoria Cobbold, Madison Beaudoin

Journal of Research Initiatives

The study offered a 5-week summer immersion program to address the shortage of students from underrepresented populations enrolling in degree programs and seeking careers in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM). The study also addressed the importance of offering summer immersion programs to close the achievement gap. A quantitative descriptive design was used to gather data from participants related to STEM lessons during the program. Gender, grade level, and race served as the demographic variables. The study included 21 secondary students in grades 9–12. Pre- and post-tests assessed participants' knowledge gain regarding STEM lessons. Data analyzed with SPSS version 29 …

Development Of An Automated Platform For Cell Biology Experiments, Dipendra Nepal

Shelby Hall Graduate Research Forum Posters

Cell biology experiments involve repetitive tasks such as pipetting, sample preparation, and imaging, which are typically performed manually. These manual processes can introduce variability, reduce efficiency, and increase the cost of biomedical research. To address these challenges, our lab is developing a modular robotic platform, iEye™, to automate key steps in cell biology workflows [1]. The system is designed as self-contained modules, allowing flexible development and integration of different functionalities. In this work, we focus on a sample preparation module that integrates a 6-degree-of-freedom robotic arm, a motorized stage, and a pneumatic pipetter. This module is being developed to automate …

Understanding Human Arm Stiffness Modulation In Overground Phri: The Roles Of Kinematics, Perturbation, And Trunk Sway, Mohsen Mohammadi Beirami, Sambad Regmi, Devin Michael Burns, Yun Seong Song

Psychological Science Faculty Research & Creative Works

This study examines human arm kinematics during overground physical human-robot interaction (pHRI). Previous work showed humans adjust arm stiffness with changing trajectory uncertainty, but the roles of arm kinematics and muscle activation remained unclear. Building on a preliminary study, we analyzed arm movements with more participants (10 individuals) to achieve more reliable findings and examined two potential influences that arose in the preliminary study: the robot's perturbation effect (a brief hand push) and left-to-right trunk sway. Using a linear mixed-effects model, we evaluated the effects of participant, block, and trajectory condition on arm angles. Results showed minimal kinematic contribution to …

Bridging 2d And 3d Computational Modeling Of Vacuum Arc Remelting: Capturing Rotating Arc Dynamics In Axisymmetric Simulations, Zilong Zhang, Elaheh Dorari, Ramesh Minisandram, Shakarjee Krishnamoorthi, Lang Yuan

Faculty Publications

Computational modeling of the Vacuum Arc Remelting (VAR) process has been developed to provide a deeper physical and metallurgical understanding and assist in the manufacture of defect-free ingots. While fully 3D, time-resolved arc models capture arc–melt interactions with high fidelity, their high computational cost makes 2D steady arc models still the preferred option in industrial applications. In this study, a multi-physics VAR model, which accounts for magnetohydrodynamics, heat transfer, fluid dynamics, and melting/solidification, was established in ANSYS Fluent for Alloy 718 in 3D with a rotating arc. It was validated against measured melt pool morphology. A new 2D axisymmetric oscillating …

Informing Consumer Product Sound Quality Analysis Using Generative Adversarial Networks, Daniel Jeffery Lesko, Vinh Nguyen

Michigan Tech Publications

Sound quality attributes have been proven important predictors of customer satisfaction with consumer goods and appliances. The results of several studies indicate that level-based, tonal, and temporal aspects of sound influence the perceived quality of consumer products. The current state-of-the-art of inferring consumer satisfaction with sound attributes is based on the jury test methodology. However, product engineers often find the models generated from these studies incomplete, resulting in products that fail to meet consumer expectations. Therefore, this study aims to utilize generative data-driven approaches to create a range of acceptable sound quality attributes given consumer satisfaction requirements. A baseline sound …

Balancing Carbon Emissions In Façade Of Residential Buildings Through Bim-Lca: A Comparative Analysis Of Insulation Materials, Mehran Alipour

Journal of Sustainable Construction Materials and Technologies

Thermal insulation materials play a significant role in balancing buildings' total carbon emissions. Balancing involves applying the optimized amount of insulation materials to avoid excessive emissions in either the operational or embodied phases. Due to the wide range of insulation materials and variations of their specifications, it is vital to analyse them individually. The focus of this study is to optimize the amount of insulation materials in the facades of Residential Buildings (RB) to balance the amount of Operational Carbon Emissions (OCE) and Embodied Carbon Emissions (ECE) by applying the Building Information Modelling-Life Cycle Assessment (BIM-LCA) integration method. The Life …

A Pathfinder Lunar Construction Mission Concept Using Regolith Filled Bags, Cameron S. Dickinson, Fu Nan Shi, Ketan Vasudeva, Rudranarayan M. Mukherjee, Joshua Blanchard, Steve Dubrule, Paul Van Susante, Et Al.

Michigan Tech Publications

Two challenges that have a permanent presence on the Moon are solar and cosmic radiation, as well as the large surface temperature variation between lunar day and night. To address these problems, we propose a lunar pathfinder mission concept that uses robotic systems to investigate whether regolith-filled bags can be used as a versatile construction medium for lunar surface structures and sensors to obtain data on the lunar regolith. The primary objectives of this mission are as follows: evaluation of the surface and subsurface regolith as fill material, lunar excavation using a robotic manipulator equipped with a bucket scoop, bag …

Integrating Sustainable Material Procurement In Construction Waste Management: A Systematic Review With Narrative Synthesis For The Libyan Construction Sector, Ramzi Fouzi Hamad Abdullah, Safaa N Saud Al-Humairi, Zunirah Binti Mohd Talib

Journal of Sustainable Construction Materials and Technologies

Integrating sustainable material procurement with construction waste management is essential to reduce construction and demolition waste in Libya, where current practices remain largely reactive and disposal-oriented. This narrative review aims to develop a conceptual framework linking procurement decisions to waste-generation pathways in Libyan construction projects, clarifying how proactive, sustainability-driven purchasing can serve as a primary driver of waste prevention. Using a PRISMA-guided systematic search of Web of Science, Scopus, and IEEE Xplore for 2001–2026, and a bibliometric analysis via VOSviewer, 956 high-quality studies were synthesized to map global knowledge and to expose the paucity of integrated SMP–CWM studies in developing …

Sound Insulation Performance Of Sustainable Lc3 Mortars With Barite And Waste Rubber Aggregates, Begüm Söyek Abay, Leyla Tanaçan

Journal of Sustainable Construction Materials and Technologies

This study investigates the potential of limestone calcined clay cement (LC3) as a sustainable binder for developing a single-layer composite material incorporating barite and rubber aggregates, hypothesized to achieve enhanced sound insulation performance compared to conventional multi-layered wall systems. Mortars were prepared using LC3 with 55% clinker, 30% metakaolin, 15% limestone, substituting 45% of cement clinker. Hybrid mixtures of barite and rubber aggregates (barite-to-rubber volume ratios of 2:1 and 1:2) were tested at aggregate-to-binder ratios of 2.0, 2.75, and 3.5 to evaluate their combined mass and damping effects on acoustic performance. Experiments were conducted to determine physical, mechanical, and acoustic …

From Lime To Geopolymers: Emerging Trends And Advances In Sustainable Soil Stabilization, Favour Chukwuebuka Egwu, Amin Eisazadeh

Journal of Sustainable Construction Materials and Technologies

Soil stabilization remains a critical challenge in geotechnical engineering, particularly for weak and expansive soils that compromise the safety and serviceability of infrastructure. Traditional stabilizers such as lime and cement have been widely applied; however, their limitations in terms of long-term durability, carbon footprint, and performance under aggressive environmental conditions necessitate alternative approaches. In recent years, geopolymer-based stabilizers derived from industrial by-products such as fly ash (FA), slag, and bottom ash (BA) have emerged as promising substitutes. This review critically examines the comparative performance of lime and geopolymer stabilization with respect to strength development, durability, compressibility, environmental impact, and economic …

Investigating The Behavior Of Self-Compacting Concrete Containing Scms And Recycled Fine Aggregates, Sachin Tiwari, Mahakavi P

Journal of Sustainable Construction Materials and Technologies

This study addresses the unresolved gap in quantifying how recycled fine aggregates (RFA) and metakaolin (MK) interact synergistically in self-compacting concrete (SCC), a relationship that previous works have studied only in isolation or without mechanistic justification. Twenty-five SCC mixtures containing MK (0–25%) and RFA (0–100%) were evaluated to generate a unified understanding of fresh behaviour, strength development, pore refinement, interfacial transition zone (ITZ) characteristics, and sustainability indicators. Results show that RFA alone increases water demand and reduces strength, while MK compensates for these losses by densifying the matrix and improving ITZ bonding, as confirmed through SEM analysis. An optimum synergy …

Rapid Single-Cell Measurement Of Transient Transmembrane Water Flow Under Osmotic Gradient, Hong Jiang, Jinnawat Jongkhumkrong, Y. J. Chao, Qian Wang, Guiren Wang

Faculty Publications

Aquaporins (AQPs) are critical for transmembrane water transport in response to osmotic gradients, but their gating and regulatory mechanisms remain poorly understood. A central challenge is the lack of methods to measure water flow across AQPs from individual cells with the spatiotemporal resolution and sensitivity equivalent to patch-clamp recordings of ion fluxes—a limitation stemming from the electrically silent nature of water flow. Here, we present a novel optical technique—Flow-Induced Fluorescence Increase Velocimetry (FIFIV) based on Laser-Induced Fluorescence Photobleaching Anemometry (LIFPA)—that enables direct, real-time monitoring of cytoplasmic flow induced by transmembrane water transport under osmotic pressure gradients. Using small molecular fluorescent …

Mae Enewsbrief Oct-Dec 2025, Department Of Mechanical And Aerospace Engineering, Michigan Technological University

Department of Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering eNewsBrief

No abstract provided.