Digital Commons Network^™

Mass - Modular Acoustic Suppression System, Julia Megargle, Michael A. Milner, Lucas Kaemmererer, Jonathan Corvera, Gabriel Choi, Emmi Cayer

Mechanical Engineering

The Modular Acoustic Suppression System (MASS) is a mass tuned damper that reverberates a membrane atop a cavity to absorb select acoustic frequencies produced by the Environmental Control and Life Support Systems (ECLSS) within NASA's Artemis Human Lander. The height of the reverberation chamber is adjusted to mitigate a range of varying tonal frequencies within the human lander.

Cardiac Twitch Force Measurement System, Tara Hoffman, Sebastian Carrascal Gómez, Julian Macdonald

Biomedical Engineering

The goal of this project is to develop a low-cost and accurate force measurement system and method of measurement to be used in the testing of grown cardiac tissue samples. The primary stakeholder in this project is Dr. Luke Perreault, a biomedical engineering professor at California Polytechnic State University San Luis Obispo who is studying grown cardiac tissue rings, and any of his student lab personnel. Other stakeholders include other researchers in the tissue engineering field who require a similar form of testing to the methods developed in this project.

This document will introduce the identified problem and background as …

Autonomous Vision-Based Litter Collection Rover, Dante Michael Benedetti, Benjamin Scott Tavares, Nathan Heil

Electrical Engineering

This report documents the design, implementation, and testing of an autonomous litter-collection rover developed as a Senior Project Design Lab (EE 460/463/464) at California Polytechnic State University. The rover integrates autonomy, computer vision, embedded real-time control, mecanum-wheel omnidirectional mobility, and a two-degree-of-freedom robotic arm to detect, approach, and collect small ground-level litter such as bottles, wrappers, and paper fragments.

The system uses a two-layer compute architecture: an NVIDIA Jetson Orin Nano running ROS 2 for perception, SLAM, and path planning, paired with an STM32L4A6ZG microcontroller for real-time motor control and odometry. The robot is built on a multi-level aluminum frame …

Elevate Grill, Brady Alexander

Electrical Engineering

The Elevate Grill Senior Project is a Santa Maria style grill with an electrical lifting/lowering mechanism and temperature sensor feedback. The grill allows for a dynamically controlled cooking surface, able to be automatically set or manually set by the user. The grill’s user interface informs the user about the temperature in different zones on the grill and alerts the user when the target temperature is hit. Additionally, the user can program preset temperature ranges and apply them to the grill’s control system. The system incorporates safe failure modes in the event of a power outage and also allows the user …

Pcb Design For Place Cells Vlsi Chip, Gavin Reaksecker, Alex Krier, Joshua Lin

Electrical Engineering

This project presents the design and implementation of a 2 layer test-bench printed circuit board (PCB) for evaluating the functionality of a custom 40-pin VLSI integrated circuit. The objective is to create a reliable and portable platform capable of supplying configurable bias voltages, generating variable input signals, and monitoring both analog and digital outputs. The board integrates adjustable bias networks using potentiometers, digital and analog buffering stages, and optional battery supply operation. The VLSI device under test is mounted in dual-in-line (DIP) sockets to enable rapid replacement and repeated characterization. Dedicated test points are incorporated throughout the PCB to facilitate …

Solving Linearly Constrained Quadratic Programs Using Field Programmable Analog Arrays, Tyler Wynn, Alonzo Arroyo

Electrical Engineering

This paper presents a field-programmable analog array (FPAA) implementation for solving linearly constrained quadratic programs (LCQPs) directly in the analog domain. The solver is based on a continuous-time primal-dual control architecture with integral action, anti-windup compensation, and a piecewise-linear nonlinearity for enforcing affine inequality constraints. A switched-capacitor implementation using three AN231E04 FPAAs is developed, and coefficient scaling methods are introduced to keep internal and output signals within the voltage limits of the hardware. A global scaling factor is used to reduce internal signal excursions, while solution-space scaling is shown to modify the implemented optimization coefficients and alter the local closed-loop …

Autonomous Rover Solar And Battery Management System: Team B, Karla Jazmin Lira Gonzalez, Paige Ambriz, Kunj Shah, Elhom Delasa Sheykhi

Electrical Engineering

This project focused on the software and printed circuit board (PCB) integration for Poly1Rover’s battery management system (BMS). Poly1Rover is a student organization dedicated to building a low-cost autonomous rover designed to operate on Mars. Since solar availability, temperature, and other conditions on Mars vary, the rover requires a reliable battery management system that accurately monitors battery health and status. This team’s work included the communication and control side of the BMS. The subsystem was designed around the Renesas ISL94202 battery monitor and the MSP430 controller. Battery information was read from the ISL94202 registers through I2C communication, converted from raw …

Camless Valve Engine, Berkeley Burbank, James Thomas Daniel, Haydn Fischer, Nicos Katigbak, John Holden Kleiner, Martin Raabe

Mechanical Engineering Senior Theses

This project focuses on the design and validation of a camless engine valve system as an  alternative to traditional camshaft-based valvetrain architectures. Conventional engines rely on  fixed camshaft profiles that limit performance and efficiency across varying operating  conditions. The goal of this work is to replace both the camshaft and throttle body with a  pneumatically actuated system capable of independently controlling valve timing, lift, and  duration in real time. By removing the mechanical constraints of a camshaft, the system has the  potential to optimize engine operation across all RPM ranges, improving efficiency and overall  performance without requiring major changes to …

Hospital Bed Tray Table, Ava Mikeska, Sara Chamness, Samantha Kenney, Kaitlyn Ould

Mechanical Engineering

This project documents the design and development of a collapsible hospital bed tray table created through the Mechanical Engineering Senior Project program at Cal Poly, San Luis Obispo. The goal of the project was to reduce the floor space occupied by existing overbed tray tables while preserving the functionality, stability, and durability expected by patients, visitors, and healthcare staff.

The final design modifies a commercially available overbed tray table by incorporating a folding tabletop hinge mechanism and a telescoping base. The hinge allows the tabletop to lock in both the upright and stowed positions, while the telescoping base retracts to …

Smart Sleeve, Evan Abalos, Bright Jung, Owen Bowling, Wyatt Eberhart

Mechanical Engineering

Quantifying human arm muscle activity is essential for understanding human movements and helping individuals who suffer from motor or neurological impairments such as stroke or traumatic brain injuries. Today, these individuals, as well as clinicians, researchers, and athletes, face many challenges when using the traditional surface electromyography (sEMG) systems to monitor muscle activities, including complex setup, restricted mobility, discomfort, inconsistent placement of electrodes, and lack of accuracy. Therefore, a comfortable EMG sleeve device that accurately measures arm movement without interfering with daily tasks is needed, which the team will be designing, manufacturing, and testing as their senior project. In addition, …

Mobile Transfer Assist (Mta) Device, Ashley Homuth, Garrett Schnack, Will Bruner, Jacob Flores

Mechanical Engineering

The Mobile Transfer Assist (MTA) device was developed to assist caregivers with seated-to-seated transfers while reducing physical strain. The device uses a manually operated hand winch and pulley system to raise a user into a semi-standing position, allowing safe transfer between locations. The final design emphasizes portability, affordability, ease of use, and user safety through a modular frame, transfer sling, knee supports, and locking caster wheels. A verification prototype was fabricated and tested, demonstrating successful operation and compliance with project requirements established by VTC Santa Maria.

Semi-Automated Wine Case Palletizer, Ashley A. Corona, Joshan Darji, Russell Williams, Brett Beaudoin

Mechanical Engineering

The Semi-Automated Wine Case Palletizer project was sponsored by Saucelito Canyon Winery to reduce the physical demands of manually palletizing wine cases during bottling operations.

Using customer requirements developed through sponsor meetings and observations, the team designed, manufactured, and tested a semi-automated palletizing system consisting of a rotating carousel platform, pneumatic scissor-lift assembly, airbag jack, and forklift-compatible base. The design allows operators to maintain an ergonomic working height while accessing all pallet locations from a single position.

Engineering analyses, including finite element, fatigue, and buckling analyses, verified the structural integrity of the design. Prototype testing confirmed successful operation of the …

Integration Of Robotic Arm And Conveyor With Programmable Logic Controller, Drake A. Small

Master's Theses

To meet new curriculum demands brought on by Cal Poly's upcoming switch to semesters, a new, cross-disciplinary lab module was developed for EE 435 (Industrial Power Control and Automation). The module emphasizes career-applicable skills, preparing students for the field of controls engineering within the manufacturing industry. These skills include robotic control, computer networking and configuration, and embedded systems. The work focused on integrating a collaborative robot arm to pick-and-place boxes on a conveyor. A myCobot 320 Pi and an Ultimation Powered Roller MDR Conveyor were integrated with the existing PLC system using Modbus RTU and EtherNet/IP communication protocols, respectively. A …

Trust And Pre-Employment Background Checks When Onboarding And Maintaining Information Security And Cybersecurity Staff, Stanley Mierzwa

Center for Cybersecurity

The realm of trust is broad and can include many facets that are difficult to capture and catalog. In relation to the work roles of information security and cybersecurity, the intersection of trust in human resource management is critical and an evolving area within most modern organizations, in almost any sector, and of any size. A foundational element of trust is fundamental to effective mission and work roles in information security and cybersecurity, as well as to every employee tasked with contributing to the security of an organization’s assets. This chapter will include sections on the role trust can and …

Stock Market Analysis And Volatility Behavior During The Covid-19 Pandemic, Manoj Venkatachalaiah, Soon Leong Yeap, Salman Ahmed Lnu, Sangwhan Cha

Harrisburg University Other Works

This report outlines the structural design, cloud implementation, and analytical findings of a scalable Big Data architecture deployed on Google Cloud Platform (GCP). The primary objective is to investigate the macroeconomic and microeconomic disruption caused by the COVID-19 pandemic on global equities, focusing on two dominant digital business models: online retail/cloud computing (Amazon, Inc. - AMZN) and subscription-based digital streaming entertainment (Netflix, Inc. - NFLX). Through a serverless orchestration pipeline leveraging GCP Cloud Run, automated workflows fetched and blended high-velocity epidemiological metrics alongside daily financial asset layers. Data transformations and parallel analytical calculations were executed utilizing Apache Beam pipelines inside …

The Effects Of Carbon-Fiber Plates And Peba-Based Midsole Foam In Running Shoes On Lower-Limb Joint Kinetics And Kinematics In Recreational Female Runners, Jordan M. Allen

Master's Theses

The recent increase in long-distance running participation and the rapid advancement in footwear technology have created a need for research on injury prevention in this growing population of recreational runners. When “super shoes” were first introduced to the running scene, they caught the attention of runners worldwide with the rapid improvement in marathon performance [1]. Today, every major running brand offers its own version of a super shoe, each incorporating a carbon-fiber plate and PEBA-based midsole foam. While previous studies have shown the performance benefits of these shoes, a gap remains in the literature regarding how they impact knee, hip, …

Reinforced Concrete Design Fundamentals, Belen Stephanie Martinez Espinoza, Estevan Jacob Perez

Architectural Engineering

Hispanic workers make up a large and growing portion of the construction workforce in the United States; particularly in California, the percentage of construction workers who are Hispanic is estimated to be about 55% as of 2021 (Elkins). Many of these workers are Spanish-speaking, yet there is still a gap between technical engineering design and what is understood and applied in the field. One major reason for this gap is the lack of clear bilingual resources. To bridge the gap, a 48-page bilingual booklet titled Reinforced Concrete Design Fundamentals (Fundamentos del Diseño de Concreto Reforzado in Spanish) was created. This …

Tanzania Mbesese Initiative 2026, June Ezzell, Sam Liebman, Noah Beyer, Kate Hamilton, Luke Vollert, Kylee Borgen, Cody Balazs, Meg Mclaughlin

Architectural Engineering

The Tanzania Mbesese Initiative 2026 Senior Project supports a multi-year design-build effort to establish the Same Polytechnic College in Same, Tanzania. This community faces high poverty levels and limited access to higher education, necessitating sustainable infrastructure to support tertiary education. To prepare for the upcoming July phase of construction, an eight-student Architectural Engineering team designed three practical and resilient structures: a Shade Structure, a Water Collection Structure, and a Reusable Scaffolding system. The final design applied structural analysis, modeling, and hand-tool fabrication practice to balance material efficiency with long-term structural durability. The deliverables provide comprehensive construction documentation, complete material takeoffs, …

Design And Implementation Of A Honeycomb Damping System For The 2026 Eeri Seismic Design Competition, Vera Nguyen, Lauryn Wojcik

Architectural Engineering

The authors of this report were a part of the 2026 Earthquake Engineering Research Institute (EERI) chapter at California Polytechnic State University, San Luis Obispo. In July 2026, they will travel to Portland, Oregon with 12 students to compete in the Undergraduate Seismic Design Competition hosted by EERI. The competition required teams to develop a comprehensive structural design proposal that included computer-based modeling and analysis, construction of three physical models, and the preparation of both a technical poster and oral presentation for a proposed high-rise building located in Portland, Oregon. Cal Poly’s “Illahee Tower” was designed with an emphasis on …

Effects Of Overcorrection On Mitigating Uncontrolled Tipping During Incisor Retraction Using Clear Aligners: Finite Element Analysis And In Vitro Experiment, Jianing Wang, Niko Burger, Bo Wang, Linxia Gu, Pengfei Dong

Biomedical Engineering Faculty Research and Publications

Uncontrolled tipping during incisor retraction with clear aligners continues to limit orthodontic treatment. Different countermeasures have been proposed to improve the predictability of aligners, such as power ridges and attachments, while their efficacy requires further investigation. This work investigated the biomechanics of the overcorrection in reducing the tipping angle and moment during incisor retraction with a clear aligner, through in vitro experiments and finite element analysis (FEA). Specifically, the influence of overcorrection angle (1 deg), retraction distance (0.15 mm), and the combination of both were assessed through in vitro experiments and the finite element simulation. Further computational simulations were conducted …

Computational Insights Into Nucleosome Dynamics In Epigenetics Using Molecular Dynamics Simulations, Rutika Patel

Dissertations, Theses, and Capstone Projects

Nucleosome core particles (NCP) are the building blocks that form a highly organized and compact chromatin structure. Nucleosomes package DNA in the nucleus of eukaryotic cells. The NCP consists of about 147 base pairs of DNA wrapped around the histone octamer, with 1.65 superhelical turns in a left-handed manner. The histone octamer is composed of two copies of H3, H4, H2A, and H2B. Together with histone H1 and linker DNA, they further assemble into a higher-order chromatin structure. The nucleosome complex is stabilized by electrostatic interactions between positively charged histone residues and the negatively charged DNA backbone. To effectively access …

Evaluation Of Laser Doppler Flowmetry And Transillumination Laser Speckle Contrast Imaging To Measure Blood Flow Change In Ischemia Mouse Hindlimb Models, Simon Park

Master's Theses

Peripheral Artery Disease (PAD), caused by plaque buildup and narrowing of the arteries, reduces blood flow to the extremities. Promoting collateral arteriogenesis can help redirect blood flow. However, simple growth of collaterals may not be enough to reverse PAD. Instead, the ability for the collaterals to vasodilate and control blood flow is important, meaning assessing collateral function is important for the arteriogenesis assesment. Although microscopy techniques can measure vasodilation, contrast limitations in larger vessels such as collaterals make blood flow measurements difficult. Techniques such as ultrasound or magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) can measure blood flow but have limitations with cost …

Early Dementia Tracking Utilizing Virtual Reality, Gabriel Deguzman, Manuel Hernandez, Ryan Iglesias, Jose Ornelas

General Engineering

This project aims to create a simulation in virtual reality that replicates an activity that older adults are familiar with and presents an objective for the user to complete. The simulation will monitor the user’s cognitive functions based on their performance. The functionality of the designed program includes, but is not limited to: continuous tracking of cognitive behavior, skipped steps, and completion times. The program will take in relevant data and provide results on the monitored tasks and give the user a conclusion for further action. The application of this simulation will not be used as a medical device or …

Multi-Ton Bin Transport Device, Cole Kramer, Ruth Stirrup, Fabian Ruiz, Daniel Ramirez

Mechanical Engineering

This project sought to solve a problem at the Water Resource Recovery Facility in San Luis Obispo with the transportation of multi-ton bins on-site. Their current solutions prove ineffective, as they damage their equipment and the concrete pad, as well as pose major safety risks to the operators moving these bins. The Facility requires the bin transport design to be low-cost, effective, and without risk of damage to the bins or surroundings, while maintaining the integrity of the bins. This project presents a conceptual design that is similar to a scissor lift, integrated into a trailer which will connect to …

Skip The Grid: Bringing Photovoltaic Energy To The Navajo And Hopi Nations, Emily Edmondson

Construction Management

Skip the Grid is an interdisciplinary service-learning initiative that provides off-grid solar energy systems to households within the Navajo and Hopi Nations that lack access to electricity. In March 2026, students from five academic disciplines at California Polytechnic State University partnered with industry professionals and community organizations to complete the fifth annual installation trip. The project's purpose was to improve quality of life by providing reliable access to lighting, refrigeration, and small-scale electrical power in underserved communities where traditional grid expansion is extremely costly. Preparation for the project included fundraising, procurement, technical training, and coordination among multiple stakeholders. Participants were …

2026 Annual V.E.S.T Hackathon: Improving Gender Inclusivity Of Glove Fitting, Makena E. Fix

Construction Management

Safety gloves are an essential part of field personnel's personal protective equipment (PPE). Gloves protect against cuts, burns, chemicals, and other hazards. Properly fitting gloves reduce the risk of injury by enabling the suitable use of task-specific protection. The 2026 Verifying Everyone’s Safety Together (V.E.S.T) Hackathon was hosted to identify ways in which gloves fit workers differently, and evaluated six different glove types, ranging from woven cut rated to firefighting gloves. To understand experiences faced by workers with their PPE, firefighters were interviewed and discussions were held at the Hackathon. The collaborative event brought industry members and students together to …

Skip The Grid: Bringing Solar Energy To The Navajo Nation, Makaela L. Zavala

Construction Management

Skip the Grid is an interdisciplinary service project in which California Polytechnic State University (Cal Poly) students partner with Heart of America and SOLV Energy to install off-grid solar systems for families in the Navajo Nation and Hopi Reservation. The project aims to address energy inequity by providing reliable electricity for lighting, refrigeration, and essential daily needs. This paper focuses on the communications and logistics planning required to support a large-scale service project involving over twenty students and multiple partner organizations. The methodology included coordinating travel, organizing team assignments, managing documentation, and maintaining communication throughout the trip. The project resulted …

City Farm Slo Sheep Pen Improvements, Oscar Rocha

Construction Management

City Farm SLO is a non-profit that focuses on educating under-served and at-risk youth on health, success, and environmental responsibilities. The organization’s mission is accomplished while connecting many people from different backgrounds, which include diverse ethnic, racial, and socio-economic backgrounds. City Farm SLO promotes hands-on learning, providing opportunities for Cal Poly Construction Management students to build on the farm. This senior project consists of the construction of a 50 cubic yards sheep hill, vehicle access gates, side entry gate, front catch pen, and back corral fencing. Outside of the field construction, there was extensive planning to coordinate with the farm’s …

Skip The Grid: Installing Solar Systems In The Navajo Nation, Joey Massey

Construction Management

Skip the Grid is a student led interdisciplinary project that aims to bring sustainable solar energy to families in the Navajo Nation who lack reliable power at home. The 2026 Skip the Grid trip was the fifth consecutive year of the joint effort between California Polytechnic State University (Cal Poly) students across multiple departments, Heart of America (HOA), SOLV Energy, and Nextpower. Over the three working days the 5 teams installed Goal Zero Solar Systems in 50 homes on both the Navajo Nation and Hopi Reservation. These systems brough power, light, and refrigeration to families, enhancing their quality of life …

Ada Concrete Walkway Improvements At The Gala Pride And Diversity Center, Jonathan A. Mintz, Manuel Gonzalez

Construction Management

This paper presents the planning, design, and construction of an accessible concrete walkway completed for the GALA Pride and Diversity Center in San Luis Obispo, California. The project addressed an accessibility gap between the center's front entrance and rear parking lot through a combination of site preparation, concrete work, retaining wall construction, and supporting improvements. Construction was managed around the active events schedule while staying within the constraints of a nonprofit budget. Challenges encountered during the project included scope changes, material selection decisions, and client coordination. The completed walkway provides a safe and stable path for all visitors and directly …