Digital Commons Network^™

Automatic Cat Caretaker, Connor Mcclenathan, Ryan Anderson, Andrew Tate

Williams Honors College, Honors Research Projects

This project will involve developing and constructing a self-cleaning litter box with feeding and watering functions attached. The machine will have a user interface for setting both the feeding and watering times, as well as how much to fill the food and water bowls at the same time. The project will involve the use of motors for the cleaning, feeding, and watering functions, sensors to detect when to perform those functions, and a microcontroller to process all the data and to tell the motors when to perform their respective functions. This project's goal is to make the task of caring …

Trace Flight Computer, Zachary Stratton, Vandad Mossavand Varkaneh, Nicholas Ely

Williams Honors College, Honors Research Projects

In the world of collegiate rocketry, there are currently no commercial-off-the-shelf flight computers capable of being fitted to liquid engine rockets with thrust vectoring control. Currently, amateur rocketeers utilize unreliable Arduino-based systems or expensive drone computers. The objective of this project is to design a flight computer capable of data collection and filtering, telemetry transmission, and real-time controls of critical safety systems using readily available commercial-off-the-shelf components to allow rocketeers to complete their designs within a reasonable budget. The system will collect data from two IMUs, a barometric altimeter, and a magnetometer, then filter the collected data using custom Kalman …

Cochlear Electrode Insertion Training Model, Sarah Powell, Kaelyn E. Kraley, Nathan J. Smith

Williams Honors College, Honors Research Projects

Cochlear implant surgery is a delicate procedure performed by Otolaryngologists (ENTs) to implant an electronic device into the inner ear to provide a sense of sound for people who are profoundly deaf or hard of hearing. The current practices of training involve cadavers and 3D-printed models. Cadavers are commonly used but are expensive, single-use, and do not provide visual and haptic feedback, which are essential for medical students. 3D printed models are less commonly used and are hard to fabricate and not as realistic. If medical students are not properly trained for this delicate procedure, then risks are significantly increased …

Autonomous Landscape Exploration Rover Using Imaging Surface Navigation (Alexis), Noah Jones, Dominic Salupo

Williams Honors College, Honors Research Projects

The objective is to develop a small-form-factor rover prototype that can be used to prove out a novel traversal method for use on extraterrestrial surfaces. The novel traversal method being proposed is LIDAR/CV-enhanced navigation, provided by a detachable flight vehicle that can communicate with the rover. On planets with thin atmospheres, cold gas thrusters or similar may be needed, but for the scope of this project more traditional flight/propulsion methods will be used.

All-In-One Security System, Nathaniel Rohr, Elizabeth M. Daniels, Kyle H. Sturgin, Jonathan R. Carozza

Williams Honors College, Honors Research Projects

The proposed All-in-One Security system is a security system capable of automatically or manually arming and disarming the building it is installed in. When armed, the system rolls down the window shades and locks the front door. When disarmed, the system unlocks the front door and rolls up the window shades. The system will have a keypad by the front door for arming and disarming the system. Additionally, there will be a smartphone app that can arm and disarm the system via bluetooth.

Vector Estimation For Continuous Tracking Of Observed Radio Signals (V.E.C.T.O.R.) Lunar Navigation System, Dimitry Melnikov, Evan Bartel, Andrew Burrier, Goran Gjorgievski

Williams Honors College, Honors Research Projects

NASA's Artemis program requires precise navigation capabilities to establish the first sustained presence on the lunar surface. However, as launches bring necessary orbital infrastructure, the Artemis program will face a critical period during which reliable lunar navigation is not possible. To address this challenge, the V.E.C.T.O.R. system tracks assets, such as rovers and astronauts, as User Terminals relative to a pre-existing cell tower, or Base Station. To do so, the system leverages existing Base Station hardware to calculate the location of User Terminals in conjunction with existing communications infrastructure.

Non-Line-Of-Sight Classification In Urban Areas Based On Machine Learning Algorithms, Mohamed Ali Ezzelarab, Mohamed Abdelazim Mohamed, Eman Abdelhalim, Ashraf Abosekeen

Mansoura Engineering Journal

Non-Line-Of-Sight (NLOS) and multipath errors are significant causes of poor accuracy in Global Navigation Satellite Systems (GNSS). These errors occur when satellite signals are diffracted or reflected by obstacles instead of traveling directly along the Line-Of-Sight (LOS), particularly in urban environments. Such diffracted or reflected signals can reach GNSS receivers, skewing pseudorange measurements and posing challenges to accurate GNSS positioning. This study introduces an innovative approach using supervised Machine Learning (ML) models to detect and mitigate NLOS error. To develop and validate these models, GNSS data collected during the smartLoc project from Frankfurt and Berlin in Germany were leveraged, representing …

Enhancing Channel Data Savings And Information Transfer Efficiency In Ultrasound Imaging, Sai Konda, Hicham Chaoui

Electrical & Computer Engineering Faculty Publications

Ultrasound is a popular imaging technique mainly due to its non-invasive nature. And so, it is being used in a variety of applications. Due to plane wave imaging technique in ultrasound, frame rate of ultrasound imaging has the potential for being very high. Due to which, many channel data frames are being generated within a few seconds. As a result, tasks such as storing data frames and transferring them from front end ultrasonic system to processing computers are presenting significant challenges. Our current research work minimized these issues. We proposed and implemented: (a) Data encoding technique - We combined every …

Reinforcement Learning For Adversarial Environments: Multi-Agent Hide And Seek With Multi-Modal Sensing, Christian Alejandro Carrizales

Browse all Theses and Dissertations

The development of intelligent and competitive agents in AI versus AI adversarial environments was explored through the utilization of reinforcement learning techniques with sensing modalities. A Hide-and-Seek simulation environment was developed using the Unity game engine along with the ML-Agents Toolkit. An engagement test campaign with a set of performance metrics was designed. Four AI versus AI adversarial scenarios were considered using the Proximal Policy Optimization (PPO) and Soft Actor-Critic (SAC) multi-agent reinforcement learning algorithms. Furthermore, the impact of sensing modalities on competing agents’ learning performance was investigated by varying the sensing capabilities of the hider and seeker, respectively. Experiments …

Mobile Weather Satellite Receiver, Luke Datsko, Sam Watts, Jason Do, Adam Bechtler

Williams Honors College, Honors Research Projects

The "Mobile Weather Satellite Receiver" project aims to create a portable, user-friendly device that receives and displays weather information from geostationary satellites, addressing the limitations of traditional weather sources like the Internet and weather radio, particularly in remote areas. This device will collect and demodulate satellite data, including imagery and Emergency Managers Weather Information Network (EMWIN) forecasts, to provide users with detailed local forecasts and real-time alerts.

Designed with a user-centric approach, the system includes a satellite dish, Software Defined Radio (SDR), a Raspberry Pi, and a custom software interface for ease of use. Its portability and ability to function …

A Novel Real-Time Threshold Algorithm For Closed-Loop Epilepsy Detection And Stimulation System, Liang Hung Wang, Zhen Nan Zhang, Chao Xin Xie, Hao Jiang, Tao Yang, Qi Peng Ran, Ming Hui Fan, I. Chun Kuo, Zne Jung Lee, Jian Bo Chen, Tsung Yi Chen, Shih Lun Chen, Patricia Angela R. Abu

Department of Information Systems & Computer Science Faculty Publications

Epilepsy, as a common brain disease, causes great pain and stress to patients around the world. At present, the main treatment methods are drug, surgical, and electrical stimulation therapies. Electrical stimulation has recently emerged as an alternative treatment for reducing symptomatic seizures. This study proposes a novel closed-loop epilepsy detection system and stimulation control chip. A time-domain detection algorithm based on amplitude, slope, line length, and signal energy characteristics is introduced. A new threshold calculation method is proposed; that is, the threshold is updated by means of the mean and standard deviation of four consecutive eigenvalues through parameter combination. Once …

Hardware Trojan Detection In A Segmented Mixed-Signal Circuit Via Leakage Current, Christopher James Otey

Browse all Theses and Dissertations

As computers and integrated circuits become more commonplace, the risk of a Hardware Trojan attack becomes more worrisome. Trojans can exploit design flaws or be inserted between essential components to leak information, change the circuit function, or destroy the circuit altogether. Several methods of trojan detection and prevention have been introduced, however few can handle combined analog and digital circuits, known as mixed-signal circuits. This thesis demonstrates a Hardware Trojan detection method implemented in an Analog-to-Digital Converter (ADC), which is a mixed-signal circuit. The detection method involves splitting the circuit into segments with approximately equal leakage currents (a large part …

Quantized Average Agreement Algorithms With Error Correction For Digraphs, Shuaib A. Mughal

Honors Undergraduate Theses

Multi-agent systems have become more and more prevalent as technology increasingly gets integrated into our daily lives. Some of these technological systems are large in size; for example, the smart grid where multiple devices are used to monitor and control different aspects of the energy grid. Another example is a team of autonomous systems deployed for a specific task. When these systems are spatially distributed, an important component of distributed algorithms is the ability for the agents to reach consensus on the global state of the system. Reaching agreement enables the spatially distributed agent make decisions or determine the next …

Snake Optimization Algorithm For Fractional Order Controller In Three-Area Load Frequency Regulation, Shubra Goel, Omveer Singh

ASEAN Journal on Science and Technology for Development

The transition toward renewable energy-dominated power systems have accentuated the intricacies of frequency control, necessitating advanced regulatory mechanisms. This investigation articulates a tri-zonal frequency stabilization approach, employing a hybridized controller that synergizes Fuzzy Fractional-Order PI and Tilt-Integral-Derivative methodologies. The uniqueness of this approach is further amplified by the deployment of the Snake Optimization algorithm for precise parameter tuning. Set within a conventional grid topology integrated with assorted renewable energy sources, the study evaluates the controller’s adaptability and resilience through a series of comprehensive scenario-based analyses.

Surface Morphology And Moisture Adsorption/Desorption Characteristics Of Hybrid-Dielectric Moisture Sensors, Ronak Ali

Theses and Dissertations--Electrical and Computer Engineering

Relative humidity sensors are used for high-humidity measurement. Moisture sensors, or dew point sensors are used for low-humidity measurement (< 1 ppm_v). The dissertation contains two parts of studies. In the first part, the effect of surface morphology on the response speed of moisture sensors is studied. Moisture sensors using α-Al₂O₃ films as porous dielectric materials deposited by anodic spark deposition are studied. In this part of the study, a variety of small pores have been studied to investigate the response speed of moisture sensors. Three different surface morphologies have been studied using scanning electron microscopy. One …

Measurement Of Moisture Levels In Oils And Lubricants Using A Novel Moisture Sensor, Aaron Swartz

Theses and Dissertations--Electrical and Computer Engineering

It is very challenging to measure moisture levels in oils. There is not a good method to measure it. Using the novel moisture sensor, we tried various methods to measure the moisture levels in oils. The initial trials are to immerse the sensor chip into the oils to see any sensor reading changes with the change of moisture levels in oils. It was observed that the sensor reading was unstable. The idea for immersion of the sensor chip into the oils failed. The last idea is to heat the oil to let all moisture evaporate fully. Before heating, the dew …

Mathematical-Programming Modeling Of Power-Electronics-Based Microgrid Systems, Jack A. Robey

Theses and Dissertations--Electrical and Computer Engineering

The emergence of power-electronics-based microgrid systems is driven by the shift to cleaner energy, transportation electrification, renewable integration, grid modernization through smart grid advancements, and growing demand for energy-efficient solutions. For utilities, these systems present unique opportunities for enhancing grid resilience, improving load management, and enabling distributed energy resource integration. This work presents a modeling and simulation approach for microgrid systems that uses mathematical programming to represent power flow and capture the system dynamics. By solving an optimization problem at each time step, the method enables evaluation of power distribution and system performance under a range of operating conditions, without …

Lifecycle Carbon Footprint And Sustainability Evaluation Of Dram-Based Processing In Memory Computing Architectures, Samrat Pravin Patel

Theses and Dissertations--Electrical and Computer Engineering

The use of computing technologies has significantly enhanced several aspects of our day-to-day lives. But it has still revealed significant environmental concerns, primarily related to greenhouse gas emissions and energy consumption. Initially, the primary environmental problems associated with computing were energy consumption during device operation. However, with the rapid advancement of technology and increasing computational demands, attention has shifted towards the embodied carbon footprint. This term refers to the total greenhouse gas emissions throughout a product’s lifecycle from the extraction of raw materials to end-of-life processing. It has become increasingly significant in the context of manufacturing integrated circuits (ICs), such …

Multi-Objective Design Optimization Of Power Converters For Electric Aircraft Propulsion, Ben Luckett

Theses and Dissertations--Electrical and Computer Engineering

As global focus shifts to the electrification of the aviation sector, the need for high efficiency, lightweight, and reliable electric aircraft propulsion power converter systems has become apparent. These goals can be somewhat conflicting with each other, and a single multi-domain-optimized solution is not guaranteed. The search for a design which presents satisfactory merits becomes a drudge through various trade-off studies which can expend vast quantities of manpower and time. As a remedy to this, design automation allows the process to be computer-assisted. This dissertation presents the core fundamentals for a general multi-objective design optimization framework intended for the design …

From Tpu To Qpu: Bridging Fidelity Gaps Across Next-Generation Computing Systems, Mohammad Walid M. Charrwi

Dissertations and Theses

Modern computing systems continue to advance rapidly, enabling unprecedented computational capabilities across diverse domains. Among these powerful architectures are AI accelerators such as Tensor Processing Units (TPUs) and quantum computing systems utilizing Quantum Processing Units (QPUs) stand out as trans-formative technologies. Despite their potential, these systems share significant challenges related to hardware infidelity, manifested as error-induced degradation in computational accuracy and reliability. This thesis explicitly addresses cost-effective methods to screen-out defective AI accelerators across next-generation computing architectures and boost quantum circuit output fidelity through hierarchical circuit optimization using advanced machine learning methodologies.

This thesis first proposes a cost-effective testing methodology …

Renewable Energy Integration In Nyc Subway: Solar Panels (Under Railroads And At The Subway's Edge) & Vertical Axis Wind Turbines (Vawts) Near Tracks, Pengdwinde Olivier Saba

Dissertations and Theses

As urban populations continue to expand, the demands on public transit systems in densely populated regions like New York City are escalating. Multiple cities face the dual challenge of increasing ridership and the imperative to minimize their environmental footprints.According to Law 97 in NYC, the goal is to reduce emissions by 40% and to reach net zero by 2050. An innovative solution will need to be integrated into the NYC environment, such as the subway system, where there are a potential unuse space, building rooftop, since we know that spaces in New York City are very critical, such as these …

Metasurfaces And Their Applications In Photonic Devices, Shuwei Guo

Dissertations and Theses

Metasurfaces are flat artificial optical elements composed of dielectric and/or metallic nanostructures. They can manipulate light in unprecedented ways by altering amplitude, phase, and polarization at subwavelength scales. The ability of these two-dimensional elements to perform multiple optical functions within compact optical systems—while offering high functionality, small form factors, and easy integration into optoelectronic devices—has sparked significant interest across various fields and industries. These applications span imaging, sensing, nonlinear and quantum optics, optical computing, automotive technology, augmented and virtual reality, and more.

In this dissertation, we explore and design new multifunctional metasurfaces with a focus on manipulating spectral responses. First, …

Design, Fabrication, & Laboratory Testing Of A Strain Gage Instrumentation System For Marine Applications, Salem C. Homrighausen

UNF Graduate Theses and Dissertations

A strain gage-based instrumentation system was designed and fabricated to measure the moment present at the base of a mock, diesel-engine snorkel for a submerged vehicle designed to operate in the surf zone. Afterwards, a lab experiment was designed and executed to determine the accuracy of the instrument and a 2-dimensional, matrix-vector equation was formulated to relate pairs of voltages, Vx and Vy, to moments, Mx and My for the experiment. Three versions of this model were built. The first model was created using traditional statics equations governing strain, stress, moment, force. The second and third models were built directly …

Waveforms For Next Generation Non-Stationary Channels, Zhibin Zou

Electronic Theses & Dissertations (2024 - present)

Waveform design aims to achieve orthogonality among data signals/symbols across all available Degrees of Freedom (DoF) to avoid interference while transmitted over the channel. Precoding involves the decomposition of the channel matrix into orthogonal components for the purpose of constructing a precoding matrix that is then combined with the data signal to achieve orthogonality in the spatial dimension. On the other hand, modulation uses orthogonal carriers in a certain signal space to carry data symbols with minimal interference from other symbols. However, it is widely evident that next Generation (xG) wireless systems will experience very high mobility, density and time-varying …

Batteryless Nfc-Enabled Wireless Sensor Node: Design, Optimization, And Implementation, Rishin Patra

Dissertations, Master's Theses and Master's Reports

This thesis presents the design, construction, and testing of a batteryless Near-field communication (NFC) powered wireless sensor node intended for maintenance free, short range Internet of Things (IoT) applications. The work focuses on harvesting energy from a 13.56 MHz NFC field to power a very low-power sensing platform capa- ble of measuring temperature, pressure, and humidity without the use of batteries or wired power. The motivation behind this approach is the growing need for reliable, sustainable, and low-maintenance sensing systems that can operate in environments where battery replacement is impractical, undesirable, or environmentally costly. The prototype is built around a …

Plasmon-Assisted On-Chip Integration Of Quantum Emitter For Scalable Quantum Networking, Samprity Saha

Theses and Dissertations

In recent decades, quantum theory has sparked a revolutionary outlook on our long-standing perception of information processing and communication technologies. Photon-based quantum systems, relying on single photons governed by quantum mechanics, hold immense promise for quantum networks due to their resilience against decoherence and fast propagation speeds. However, challenges persist in realizing practical quantum networks, including the need for scalable, robust, and cost-effective quantum light. To address these challenges with classical photonic concepts, this thesis focuses on a plasmon-assisted approach for on-chip integration of single-photon sources. The study aims to develop a scalable solution for integrating quantum emitters on-chip, leveraging …

Work In Progress: Using Internships As Means For Indirect Assessment Of Abet Criteria 3 “1-7” Student Outcomes, Robert Bass

Electrical and Computer Engineering Faculty Publications and Presentations

The Electrical & Computer Engineering (ECE) Department at Portland State University (PSU) has developed a Power Engineering Internship (PEI) program that provides engineering career development pathways within the electric utility industry. The PEI is supported by several U.S. Department of Energy grants that aim to develop quality career opportunities and develop a future electric utility workforce that represents the nation’s diverse populations. The PSU ECE Department intends to use surveys of internship participants as assessment tools for its ABET accreditation process, in particular, the ABET Criteria 3 Student Outcomes (SOs). SOs relate to the knowledge, skills, and behaviors that students …

3d Printing Metal Horn Antennas Using Periodic And Aperiodic Perforated Designs For Directed Energy Applications, Alexis Valencia

Open Access Theses & Dissertations

In the past decade, Additive Manufacturing (AM) has proven to be groundbreaking yet reliable technology. Not only has it revolutionized the way we approach problems in research, design, and production but it has enabled burgeoning discoveries and methods due to the technologyâ??s efficiency, speed, and low manufacturing cost. One area that benefits greatly from this includes radio frequency (RF) devices like horn antennas. At the moment, most horn antennas produced by conventional manufacturing are expensive, heavy, and limited in customization, yet they are necessary for various systems like satellite communication, radar, radio astronomy, and more. 3D printing technology would alleviate …

A Comprehensive Exploration Of 6g Wireless Communication Technologies, Md Nurul Absar Siddiky, Muhammad Enayetur Rahman, Md. Shahriar Uzzal, H. M. Dipu Kabir

Electrical & Computer Engineering Faculty Publications

As the telecommunications landscape braces for the post-5G era, this paper embarks on delineating the foundational pillars and pioneering visions that define the trajectory toward 6G wireless communication systems. Recognizing the insatiable demand for higher data rates, enhanced connectivity, and broader network coverage, we unravel the evolution from the existing 5G infrastructure to the nascent 6G framework, setting the stage for transformative advancements anticipated in the 2030s. Our discourse navigates through the intricate architecture of 6G, highlighting the paradigm shifts toward superconvergence, non-IP-based networking protocols, and information-centric networks, all underpinned by a robust 360-degree cybersecurity and privacy-by-engineering design. Delving into …

Safe Data-Enabled Control Of Human-In-The-Loop Robotic Manipulator Systems, Ritirupa Dey, Avimanyu Sahoo, Vignesh Narayanan

Publications

Safe control of human-in-the-loop (HIL) robotic manipulators is critical for applications such as assistive robotics, teleoperation in hazardous environments, and collaborative manufacturing. However, this remains challenging due to the lack of a unified framework that simultaneously addresses safety constraints, external disturbances, unmodeled dynamics, and dynamic role switching in the HIL setting. In this paper, we propose a novel NN-driven HIL control framework in which human–robot dyadic interaction occurs through the haptic channel. Using Lyapunov stability analysis, we theoretically show that the proposed NN-based controller ensures accurate joint trajectory tracking, compensates for system uncertainties, and adapts to human inputs modeled as …