Digital Commons Network^™

3d Automated Surgeon’S Hand Motion Assessment Using A Cascade Fuzzy Supervisor During Intelligent Box-Trainer System Skills Training In A Multi-Thread Video Processing, Fatemeh Rashidi Fathabadi

Dissertations

For certain surgical procedures, Minimally Invasive Surgery (MIS) has become more advantageous than traditional open surgery. Therefore, mastery of laparoscopic skills is an essential component of surgical training and requires considerable time and effort. The Fundamentals of Laparoscopic Surgery (FLS) program has been developed as a tool to improve and assess fundamental surgical skills. In fact, using a low-cost Box-Trainer or a simulator, laparoscopic surgeons are required to train using a set of structured tasks that can be objectively used to assess their laparoscopic skills, which must be mastered before carrying out real-life laparoscopic procedures. These tasks include peg transfer, …

Creating Advanced Processes Through Utilizing Renewable Eutectics For Gas Capture And Separation, Ahmad Mohammad Rasheed Al-Bodour

Dissertations

Global efforts to reduce emissions of environmentally harmful gases have intensified, with carbon dioxide (CO2) being identified as the most significant greenhouse gas and a key target for reduction strategies. Carbon dioxide (CO2) has the highest potential of threatening the environment. It is recognized as one of the greenhouse gases which has the potential of negative effects on the human being, atmosphere, and the environment. Even though CO2 gas has negative effects but at the same time it has high potential to be exploited in beneficial ways. For instance, CO2 is used in the energy field to produce the so-called …

Modeling A Hydropower Plant Powerhouse Based On Hebgen Dam, James Savella, Paul De La Cruz

Electrical Engineering

The United States Department of Energy (DOE) Water Power Technologies Office (WPTO) invited California Polytechnic State University (Cal Poly) to participate in the 2024 Hydropower Collegiate Competition (HCC) to research and design ways to convert non-powered dams (NPDs) to hydropower plants to contribute to a clean energy future. The Cal Poly HCC Electrical Engineering team used information gathered for the competition to create a simulated hydropower plant model of Hebgen Dam, in Montana, using a salient pole synchronous generator and a PID governor for an Electrical Engineering Senior Project. The simulated hydropower plant model allows a user to control the …

Cal Poly Gen 2 Battlebot Electrical System, Kelvin C. Villago

Electrical Engineering

BattleBots is a popular robot combat sport where engineers from all over the world design and construct a robot with the aim to disable or impair the opposing robot. The Cal Poly Gen 2 BattleBot aims to complete a robot from scratch with hopes to compete in the official competition. This report focuses on the electronic design behind the robot, specifically the printed circuit board (PCB) and component selection. The design process of this project involved choosing specific motors and microcontrollers based on cost, efficiency, and benefits with the end goal of a complete printed circuit board (PCB). Brushed motors …

Drone Swarm Search And Rescue, Rushabh Shah, Christopher Short, Anderson Macmillan, Wyatt Colburn

Electrical Engineering

Drone swarms offer the potential to drastically reduce search times and improve the effectiveness of search and rescue operations. This senior project explores the development of a drone swarm system for search and rescue missions, focusing on two key challenges: (1) precise localization of each drone within the swarm relative to one another and (2) accurate localization of a target beacon relative to the drones. The project utilizes Real Time Kinematic (RTK) processing to enhance the accuracy of drone localization, achieving centimeter-level precision. Target localization is achieved through a triangulation-based approach using Received Signal Strength Indication (RSSI) data from a …

Solid State Thermoelectric Generator For Remote Applications, Patrick Jackson, Drew Thomas, Bennett Pearce

Electrical Engineering

This paper proposes a device that utilizes thermoelectric generators (TEGs) for energy generation from solid biomass combustion, with a focus on addressing the low power electricity needs of off-grid dwellings and remote cabins in Alaska. The feasibility of a device utilizing TEG technology to convert waste heat from wood stoves into electrical power is explored, with the goal of offering a continuous and weather-independent energy source. Potential customers and stakeholders were consulted to build requirements for the system, including power output, size, ease of use, safety features, and cost considerations. The design utilizes passive water cooling to provide a temperature …

A Comparative Study Of The Npm, Pypi, Maven, And Rubygems Open-Source Communities, Saurav Gupta

Master's Theses

Open-source software (OSS) ecosystems, defined as environments composed of package managers and programming languages (e.g., NPM for JavaScript), are essential for software development and foster collaboration and innovation. Although their significance is acknowledged, understanding what makes OSS communities healthy and sustainable requires further exploration. This thesis quantitatively assesses the health of OSS projects and communities within the NPM, PyPI, Maven, and RubyGems ecosystems. We explore five research questions addressing project standards, community responsiveness, contribution distribution, contributor retention, and newcomer integration strategies. Our analysis shows varied documentation practices, insider engagement levels, and contribution patterns. Our findings highlight both strengths and different …

Design And Implementation Of A Vision-Based Deep-Learning Protocol For Kinematic Feature Extraction With Application To Stroke Rehabilitation, Juan Diego Luna Inga

Master's Theses

Stroke is a leading cause of long-term disability, affecting thousands of individuals annually and significantly impairing their mobility, independence, and quality of life. Traditional methods for assessing motor impairments are often costly and invasive, creating substantial barriers to effective rehabilitation. This thesis explores the use of DeepLabCut (DLC), a deep-learning-based pose estimation tool, to extract clinically meaningful kinematic features from video data of stroke survivors with upper-extremity (UE) impairments.

To conduct this investigation, a specialized protocol was developed to tailor DLC for analyzing movements characteristic of UE impairments in stroke survivors. This protocol was validated through comparative analysis using peak …

Smart Cushion Device For Elderly Aging In Place, Anna Dion, Nate Colley, Leonardo Bravo

Biomedical Engineering

Our task at hand is to develop a consumer-focused solution for improving elder care to provide additional peace of mind for seniors and caregivers using technology to extend independent living. We intend to create a device that will improve the quality of life of elderly individuals living alone by encouraging periodical movement throughout the day, along with monitoring pressure distribution and alerting when pressure concentration is potentially harmful. It will also alert users to the presence of moisture which can arise from spills or incontinence. The key stakeholders of this project include elderly adults over the age of 65 who …

Development Of A Sms Rollout Plan And Evaluation, Gabriel Dadi, Hala Nassereddine, Farshid Taherpour, Salena Pham

Kentucky Transportation Center Research Report

Many state transportation agencies have introduced safety management systems (SMSs) to improve employee safety and health programs. These systems let employees quickly access safety and health policies, procedures, training, responsibilities, resources, and incident reporting tools, often electronically. Instituting a SMS is a critical step in adopting a proactive, data-driven approach to organizational safety. The Kentucky Transportation Cabinet Secretary’s Office of Safety (SOS) worked with Kentucky Transportation Center (KTC) to acquire, adapt, and rollout the Boosting Occupational Outcomes in Transportation Safety (BOOTS) system, a new SMS. Researchers assisted KYTC by conducting pre-rollout focus groups, helping to bring the system online, providing …

Using Knowledge Of Human Factors To Strengthen Highway Design, Chris Van Dyke, Jeff Jasper, Jill Asher, Steve Waddle

Kentucky Transportation Center Research Report

Transportation practitioners recognize that leveraging knowledge of human factors in road design is critical for delivering safe mobility to the full spectrum of multimodal road users (motorists, pedestrians, micromobility users, transit users). Understanding how psychology, cognition, and behavioral tendencies shape the ways in which different road users interact with one another and the road environment itself is critical for creating design solutions that promote safe and efficient movement. NCHRP Report 600 (Human Factors Guidelines for Road Systems) provides guidance on integrating knowledge of human factors into design practice. While the report is a valuable resource, it appears to …

Cost Modeling Of Provision C.3 Green Stormwater Infrastructure Requirements For Residential Development In Concord, California, James Henry Mizutani

Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering: Dissertations, Theses, and Student Research

To assist the city of Concord in achieving its housing goals as presented in its general plan, while still meeting the stormwater discharge requirements laid out in the city’s municipal discharge permit, I worked with local developers and consultants to create a spreadsheet modeling tool that allows housing developers to estimate the total cost of green stormwater infrastructure needed to comply with local regulations.

This report contains a summary of the conditions leading to the necessity of this tool, the steps the tool takes that go beyond existing models, a description of how the model operates, instructions on how to …

High-Power Microwave Antenna Design, Luke C. Chase

Electrical Engineering

High-power microwave antennas are essential for defense industry radar systems, cyber warfare, and power transmission. The US Department of Defense a SBIR proposal specifying the need for a high-power phased-array microwave antenna for the US Air Force.

Vivaldi antennas, invented in 1978 by Peter Gibson, have been widely adopted for radar applications due to their high bandwidth and gain performance. Considerable amounts of research exists on designing Vivaldis for different applications ranging from radar to communications. Using antenna theory and past research, a new Vivaldi antenna was designed to meet the requirements mandated by the DoD research contract.

This project …

Exploration Of Software Defined Radios To Increase Capabilities Of Affordable Mesh Networks, Liam K. Mccarthy

Electrical Engineering

Project OWL is developing a LoRa mesh network “DuckLinks” for emergency communications, and the current LoRa protocol the Clusterduck Protocol is based on is severely limited in data rate. OWL plans to use Raspberry Pi computers to develop the next phase of Duck radios, which greatly opens the computing potential and flexibility of the system the Ducks run on. Using LimeSDR and GNU Radio, an open source SDR programming environment, this project seeks to develop a simple SDR-based packet transmission system that allows for communication with Duck radios as well as the use of a different modulation scheme for higher …

Prosthetic Forearm Controller, Claire Tylutki, Kevin Lopatka, Sofia Zaletel, Hardit Singh

Electrical Engineering

The EMG controlled prosthetic arm project represents a significant advancement in upper limb prosthetics, leveraging cutting-edge technology to address critical user needs. With over two million individuals in the United States living with limb loss, a substantial portion being upper limb amputees, the demand for accessible and functional prosthetic solutions is pressing. This project focuses largely on refining prosthetic limb control through the integration of electromyography (EMG) signal processing and control. Using surface electrodes, this project employs non-invasive means of data collection combined with modern digital signal processing methods to implement faster and more accurate control. The control system also …

Battery Energy Storage System, Alec C. Maclean, Kaylen H. Schwartz, Kyle A. Begley

Electrical Engineering

The project is a continuation of part 1 of the “Reliability Measurement for Grid-Connected Solar System” project. The goal is to continue where the previous design failed. This project will configure an ITECH IT-6000C and Tabuchi Battery Energy Storage System (BESS) to the small-scale microgrid at the Cal Poly, San Luis Obispo EE Department. Initially, a system was designed to connect an ITECH IT-M3633 as a PV solar source emulator to the Tabuchi BESS within a grid-connected microgrid system in Room 20-102 at Cal Poly. A Photovoltaic Thevenin equivalent model was developed for the ITECH IT-M3633, but this setup failed …

Hatt-Flow: Hierarchical Attention-Flow Mechanism For Group-Activity Scene Graph Generation In Videos, Naga Venkata Sai Raviteja Chappa, Pha Nguyen, Thi Hoang Ngan Le, Page Daniel Dobbs, Khoa Luu

Electrical Engineering and Computer Science Faculty Publications and Presentations

Group-activity scene graph (GASG) generation is a challenging task in computer vision, aiming to anticipate and describe relationships between subjects and objects in video sequences. Traditional video scene graph generation (VidSGG) methods focus on retrospective analysis, limiting their predictive capabilities. To enrich the scene-understanding capabilities, we introduced a GASG dataset extending the JRDB dataset with nuanced annotations involving appearance, interaction, position, relationship, and situation attributes. This work also introduces an innovative approach, a Hierarchical Attention–Flow (HAtt-Flow) mechanism, rooted in flow network theory to enhance GASG performance. Flow–attention incorporates flow conservation principles, fostering competition …

Communication Challenges In Underwater Wireless Networks: Mac Protocols And Software Solutions, Dmitrii Dugaev

Dissertations, Theses, and Capstone Projects

Underwater wireless networks (UWNs) represent a diverse and intriguing research domain, encompassing a wide array of scientific and industrial applications. This dissertation delves into the communication challenges at the Medium Access Control (MAC) layer within UWNs, stemming from the distinctive signal propagation conditions and the harshness of the deployment environment. The manuscript provides comprehensive coverage of key aspects of UWNs, including potential applications, communication protocols, methodologies employed in such networks, and existing software solutions that facilitate simulation, emulation, and real testbed scenarios for underwater research endeavors. Furthermore, this research introduces innovative software and communication solutions designed to facilitate the seamless …

Failure Analysis Of Abutment-Loaded Underground Coal Mine Stoppings During Explosion, Kutay E. Karadeniz, Dogukan Guner, Taghi Sherizadeh

Mining Engineering Faculty Research & Creative Works

Underground Mine Structures Like Mine Seals or Built-In-Place (BIP) Refuge Alternatives (RA) Are Exposed to Specific Loadings Like Explosions Because of overlying and Underlying Strata Conditions. Previous Studies Worked on the Vertical Loading Response of Structures Like Abutments from Panel Extraction But Not the Explosion Resistance Upon Being Subjected to These Vertical Strata Loads. in This Study, Two Steel-Reinforced Concrete Wall Designs as Seal and RA Applications Are Simulated to Examine the Performance and Failure Analysis under Abutment-Loading Conditions during an Explosion for a Coal Mine Model using Dynamic Analysis by a Distinct Element Code (3DEC). the Available Abutment Monitoring …

Work In Progress: Exploring The Impact Of International Experiences On The Development Of Students’ Entrepreneurial Mindset, Olgha Bassam Qaqish, Marcia Poole, William Pennock, Erick S. Vasquez-Guardado, Fahmidah Ummul Ashraf

Chemical and Materials Engineering Faculty Publications

International experiences, including collaborative online international learning (COIL) experiences that naturally increase accessibility, are of interest to many undergraduate students. These experiences provide educators a unique opportunity to develop a student's entrepreneurial mindset (EM). Additionally, hands-on experiences aligned with the National Academy of Engineering’s (NAE) grand challenge themes (Sustainability, Security, Health, and Joy of Living) support connections between the experience, disciplinary knowledge, multicultural awareness, and EM. Through this Work-in-Progress (WiP) study, we seek to answer: 1) How do international experiences influence undergraduate science and engineering students’ EM, and 2) How does the international experience modality (i.e., study abroad or COIL) …

Prosthetic Aid For Lifting (Pal), Emma Caringella, Cameron Yartz, Dawn Veditz

Biomedical Engineering

Approximately 1.7 million people in the United States use a limb prosthetic [1]. For these individuals, their prosthetic often enables them to engage in their choice of physical activities. Many prosthetic companies design prosthetic limbs for use in specific athletic activities such as weightlifting. These devices are not designed for everyday wear or a large variety of tasks but enable the person to interact with free weights and workout machines. According to an email conversation between the team and Bob Radocy, Founder of Therapeutic Recreational Services (TRS Inc.) and upper limb amputee, while he could not reveal how many people …

Echoes Of Nature: Using Biodata Sonification To Model Electrical Communication In Plants, Penelope Anna Alioshin

Electrical Engineering

The use of biodata sonification as a tool to visualize biological data is a response to recent developments in the intersection of art and technology. This project explores the intersection by converting the electrical impulses given off by plants into audio signals. By processing and amplifying the voltage difference between two electrodes on a plant, its communication is quantified. The goal is to use this communication model as a tool to increase ecological awareness as well as improve machine learning models. A deeper understanding of non-human communication systems, specifically those that employ superposition decision matrices, could help to drastically increase …

X-Band Wireless Power Transfer System Using A Focused Array Lens, Jason Alexander Kunz, Tyler S. Bury, Oscar Damian Gonzalez, Jaime Garcia

Electrical Engineering

Wireless power beaming from space and energy harvesting were once stories of science fiction, until now. Wireless power transmission (WPT) is a field continually in development to provide energy in situations where energy transfer through wires is impractical or unfeasible. This engineering discipline abandons the use of wire technology for the energy transfer between the power source and a distant device. While various forms of WPT exist, our project focuses on transmission through means of radio frequency (RF), utilizing electromagnetic waves to power devices. Furthermore, WPT technology primarily assists in the elimination of a physical connection between devices, and it …

A 4-Switch Buck-Boost Dc/Dc Converter For Electric Vehicle Applications, Andrew Hudak, Ashley Schiller

Electrical Engineering

In this project, we develop a four switch buck-boost DC/DC converter that is to be integrated into a microgrid-inspired power distribution architecture for electric vehicles. The overall architecture includes DC/DC and DC/AC converters for bi-directional energy transfer between the DC and AC ports along with a communications port to control each energy interface. There is also the onboard battery and the internal combustion engine power exchange being done with DC/DC converters and AC/DC inverters to connect to the centralized DC bus. Hardware prototypes using an Arduino and Raspberry Pi for the 500 W DC/DC and DC/AC converters have been previously …

Software Defined Radio Applicability Investigation For Owl Integrations Inc., Daniel J. Gharib

Electrical Engineering

OWL Integrations Inc. is developing a LoRa mesh network using “Duck” radios to communicate using the LoRa modulation technique. This mesh network is intended for emergency communications in situations where Internet or cellular access is unavailable, such as disaster relief or warzones. The goal of this project is to investigate the feasibility of using the CaribouLite SDR as a potential base for a SDR-based “Duck”. This feasibility testing will be performed by integrating the CaribouLite with a Raspberry Pi single-board computer and investigating its compatibility and functionality for the purposes of a communication device

Formula Sae Vehicle Dynamics Controller, Luke Edward Bosworth

Electrical Engineering

Throughout the history of motorsports, engineers have continuously pushed the boundaries of speed and control in the pursuit of enhancing vehicle performance on the track. Today’s top performing motor-vehicles leverage electric motors to the deliver instantaneous torque to the vehicle’s tires. While these electric motors can deliver a lot of power very efficiently, the delivery must be well controlled to get the most performance out of the tires. The Formula SAE Vehicle Dynamics Controller (VDC) senior project integrates vehicle modeling, state estimation, and yaw moment controls into a small- scale Formula-one style electric vehicle, improving vehicle performance and laying the …

Multi-Hop And Automated Testing Of Wide-Area Network Radio Systems, Zachary C. Numa, Joseph S. Nuccio

Electrical Engineering

Requests for low-power and versatile wide-area Internet-of-Things (IoT) networks are becoming more prevalent with upcoming research in low-data rate ad-hoc mesh networks. Connections to terrestrial satellites have proven promising methods for increasing range capabilities for wide area networks (WAN). As research in communication with IoT networks and satellites progresses, reliable multi-hop mesh networks for Earth-based communication are still necessary to develop the base for satellite communication. These multi-hop communication mesh networks are being developed to allow communication where Line-of-Sight (LOS) from A to B is incapable due to environmental barriers. Hence, communication is possible without LOS by providing an intermediate …

2-Bit Schiffman Phase Shifter, Tavita Dayton, Enrique Ruiz

Electrical Engineering

Phase shifters are found in microwave/RF applications such as defense or wireless communications for their ability to control the relative phase of a system which allows for alignment of signals to obtain constructive interference. Typical phase shifters are chip level (digital and analog) which require a DC bias therefore restricting PCB use unless allowance for air gaps. The paper analyzes a passive and low-profile 2-bit phase shifter using the Schiffman architecture, which outputs a near-constant 90 degree shift over a wide band of frequencies. The design process initially confirmed a proper 90 degree phase shift over the desired WiFi band, …

Autonomous Apple Harvester Robot, Jack Ryan Cline, Tyus Green, Devon Woolston

Electrical Engineering

As agricultural demands rise and manual labor costs increase, there has become a dire need to automate apple harvesting. However, the precision and speed necessary for cost-efficient apple harvesting pose a significant challenge for robotic automation. To maintain cost-effective production, a harvester must be able to operate fast enough and long enough to compete with human labor. It must also be able to navigate and traverse apple orchards autonomously and pick apples without damaging the fruit or tree. This project presents an apple harvesting robot that uses a Mask R-CNN vision system with an RGB-D camera to detect the location …

Accessible Real-Time Eye-Gaze Tracking For Neurocognitive Health Assessments, A Multimodal Web-Based Approach, Daniel C. Tisdale

Master's Theses

We introduce a novel integration of real-time, predictive eye-gaze tracking models into a multimodal dialogue system tailored for remote health assessments. This system is designed to be highly accessible requiring only a conventional webcam for video input along with minimal cursor interaction and utilizes engaging gaze-based tasks that can be performed directly in a web browser. We have crafted dynamic subsystems that capture high-quality data efficiently and maintain quality through instances of user attrition and incomplete calls. Additionally, these subsystems are designed with the foresight to allow for future re-analysis using improved predictive models, as well as enable the creation …