Digital Commons Network^™

Decentralized Machine Learning On Blockchain: Developing A Federated Learning Based System, Nikhil Sridhar

Master's Theses

Traditional Machine Learning (ML) methods usually rely on a central server to per-
form ML tasks. However, these methods have problems like security risks, data
storage issues, and high computational demands. Federated Learning (FL), on the
other hand, spreads out the ML process. It trains models on local devices and then
combines them centrally. While FL improves computing and customization, it still
faces the same challenges as centralized ML in security and data storage.

This thesis introduces a new approach combining Federated Learning and Decen-
tralized Machine Learning (DML), which operates on an Ethereum Virtual Machine
(EVM) compatible blockchain. The …

Deep Ocean Vehicle Applications And Modifications, Nichole "Nikki" T. Arm

Master's Theses

This project had two primary goals: (1) to explore opportunities to further a deep-ocean vehicle’s reach using alternative pressure spheres, and (2) to implement an existing deep-ocean vehicle (lander) in active scientific research.

I gained a greater understanding of the limitations and design choices made for existing pressure spheres using Finite Element Analysis (FEA). My simplified FEA model predicted sphere failure for the existing 30% Fiber Glass 70% Nylon injection molded spheres at an external pressure of 3,954psi or 2,690m ocean-depth (only a 7.38% error compared to the tested minimum failure depth), so I determined it a valid model. I …

Discourse Analysis In Engineering: Investigating Patterns In Brainstorming Conversations, Aimee Chiem

Master's Theses

Brainstorming is a critical part of the engineering design process and can have a significant impact on the outcomes of the overall project. While research has studied the outcomes of brainstorming and the ideas that teams generate, the role that language and conversation play in these activities is still relatively underexplored. Observing the different ways people use specific types of discourse can reveal how conversations can affect brainstorming itself. To that end, this research aims to answer the following questions:

1) What are the different kinds of discursive moves that students make during engineering brainstorming activities?

2) What patterns or …

Evaluation Of Facilitation On Translocation Outcomes For San Joaquin Antelope Squirrel In The Carrizo Plain, California, Patrick R. Anderson

Master's Theses

In arid and semi-arid environments, burrowing mammals play a key role in increasing landscape heterogeneity through facilitative species interactions. The loss of burrowing mammal populations can consequently lead to negative effects cascading through the ecosystem. It is critical to understand these facilitative interactions for conservation and management. Understanding facilitative interactions may improve wildlife management tools, like translocation, which is often not very successful. To investigate the importance of burrow facilitation on San Joaquin antelope squirrel (Ammospermophilus nelsoni; SJAS) translocation success, I designed a natural experiment with a burrowing facilitator, the giant kangaroo rat (Dipodomys ingens; GKR). I …

Launch Vibration Attenuation For In-Space Assembly Cargo, Jered Bell

Master's Theses

This thesis investigates the implementation of a passive isolator with a pressurized air cushion for spacecraft payloads in mission architectures implementing in-space assembly technologies. A pressurized air bed capable of briefly surviving the space environment for cargo delivery was prototyped and experimentally evaluated for launch vehicle vibration dynamics resulting in a 72%, 93%, and 88% reduction in experienced GRMS loads for the X-Axis, Y-Axis, and Z-Axis, respectively. A preliminary Total Mass Loss evaluation of the Low-Density Polyethylene Film utilized for the air bed resulted in a mass loss of 0.7%, indicating that commercial off-the-shelf films might require minimal modification for …

An Imc Plan For The Blue Dolphin Company, A Local Nonprofit, Allison Evelyn Campbell

Journalism

Alan Godley's journey into marine preservation began as a dock boy, a role that brought him face-to-face with the environmental impact of boat cleaning practices. Witnessing the washing of harsh chemicals into the ocean and waterways fueled his environmental consciousness. Years later, he founded the Blue Dolphin Company in 1989, an “organization focused on furthering the awareness of whales and dolphins, and all marine life … [supporting] the rehabilitation and release of marine mammals and other wildlife”. Over the three decades, Mr. Godley has operated this nonprofit and small business, leveraging educational initiatives to inform people of all ages about …

Band Motor Crankshaft For Hydrogen Combustion Engine, Lincoln Hofer, Jacqueline Mendoza Cortes, Austin Rhee, Roze Raymond

Mechanical Engineering

This report outlines the steps in which a group of four mechanical engineers at California Polytechnic State University California, San Luis Obispo, addressed an issue brought up by Professor Roger Benham from the Materials Department. The task included developing an automated and modular testing platform for a revolutionary concept crankshaft prototype – meant for a hydrogen combustion engine - developed and produced by the sponsor: Roger Benham. A testing platform is necessary to measure the performance of the shaft design created to eventually implement this subsystem into a complete hydrogen engine design. Values being tested include geometric validation, maximum static …

Interactive Water Vortex Exhibit, Simon Way, Emily Laing, Roqaya Naseri, Makenzie Kan

Mechanical Engineering

The San Luis Obispo Children’s Museum requested an interactive water vortex exhibit to both engage and entertain inquisitive guests, ages two to eight. The goal was to design and manufacture an exhibit that would educate its users on the fluid mechanics behind water vortices. They activate the mechanics by spinning a wheel, which is perceived as the catalyst to manipulate the flow of water to successfully create a whirlpool. Our team has created an interactive display that will enlighten young minds, providing the museum with an educational exhibit which shares a concept not currently taught by any other. Our project …

Sustainable Packaging For Sundae School, Emiko L. Visscher

Graphic Communication

Sundae School is a relatively new and creative brand producing cannabis products and smoke wear clothing. Sundae School has made an impression within the market due to their strong brand identity that translates through their packaging and design choices. I have decided to create two versions of an alternative package design for their line of Mochi gummy edibles. Their current packaging is purposeful, but I plan to design focused around minimizing packaging waste and utilizing sustainable packaging materials while keeping their brand identity at the forefront.

Defining Her Future Conference Application, Michaela Stauber

Graphic Communication

The Women and Business club hosts the Defining Her Future Conference every year in order to empower young women and aid in their professional development. The conference has many opportunities for students to connect with professionals and learn from inspiring women but it does not currently have an application to enrich the experience. An application with all current conference information would minimize waste, provide conference information and logistics, and allow participants to network.

Rentbuddy: The All-In-One College Housing App, Anais Gomez

Graphic Communication

Finding housing is nearly impossible for Cal Poly students living in San Luis Obispo due to unreliable, untrustworthy, and outdated online resources. How might we create an easy-to-access mobile application that provides a reliable and trustworthy platform for Cal Poly students to find potential roommates and off-campus housing? This project introduces RentBuddy, a digital solution to the off-campus housing crisis in San Luis Obispo County.

A Taste Of Home, Mia Schneider

Graphic Communication

The focus of my GrC 462 project is to preserve and celebrate my family's cherished recipes passed down through generations by transforming a collection of notecards into a comprehensive Holiday cookbook.

This cookbook will serve as a modern and lasting alternative to the fragile notecards, providing a tangible and shareable heirloom for future generations to enjoy and carry forward the rich culinary traditions of my family.

Clueless: Revolutionizing Sustainable Fashion And Combating Overconsumption, Tanya Ravichandran

Graphic Communication

“Clueless” revolutionizes sustainable fashion by combating wardrobe overconsumption and the industry’s carbon footprint, using AI to suggest personalized outfits from existing wardrobes tailored to weather and wear history. It enhances user engagement through features like outfit ‘shuffle’ and provides insights into wardrobe utilization and carbon impact.

It’s more than an app; it’s a step towards a greener wardrobe and a healthier planet.

Creating A Reusable Bag Service For Instacart, Marissa Hageman

Graphic Communication

This senior project is focused on sustainability, specifically in the sector of plastic waste. It looks into an existing brand and program, Instacart, and explores ways to increase Instacart's sustainable efforts which can, in turn, change how grocery stores and other delivery services run their operations. For this project, a new service for Instacart is created where they can reduce, and hopefully eliminate, their contribution to excess plastic waste within the grocery industry and in our planet.

The Integration Of Interactive Packaging Within Firestone Brewery Ipa Beverage Cans, Lauren Nicole Gibson

Graphic Communication

The use of interactive packaging to pair music with india pale ale would enhance and the customer experience.

The Ux Fest Slo Website Redesigned For Better Comprehension, Isabel A. Pascua

Graphic Communication

UX Fest SLO is a student organization that strives to help Cal Poly students learn and foster their UX skills by providing accessible UX learning opportunities. UX Fest SLO is known to be a successful organization that allows students to learn and grow in their craft; however, the number of students that benefit from this organization is not as high as the club would like.

One of the reasons why UX Fest SLO may not see this growth in numbers is due to a poorly designed website. Users are unable understand what the club is all about when they look …

Burnsbucha - Kombucha Beverage Brand Identity, Shelby Burns

Graphic Communication

PROJECT SCOPE

When you compare wineries to Kombucha companies, there is a significant opportunity in the market for more Kombucha brands. This project aims to establish comprehensive design guidelines, determine the most environmentally friendly printing method for packaging, create initial packaging concepts that incorporate labeling for those with visual impairments, and create initial packaging concepts, including the completion of the beverage product itself.

PROJECT OBJECTIVE

The result of this project is to design the brand identity, logo, label, and packaging for a fictional kombucha beverage company.

OPPORTUNITY STATEMENT

I would like to take advantage of creating the brand identity: logo, …

Electronic Note-String Detector, Gavin Garcia-Rossi, Tommy Smail

Electrical Engineering

As the virtual space has become a dominant part of everyone’s day-to-day lives, many normal face-to-face interactions and services have not yet been facilitated by adapting technology. One of these prevailing areas is music lessons. Over Zoom meetings, or other virtual platforms, it is tremendously challenging to teach students. These challenges include recognizing student mistakes audibly and visually, and being able to give confident feedback on the incorrect notes played by learning musicians. Without having to delve into improving the complex systems that would be required to improve audio, video, and connection quality of these connections, we have another solution …

Road Embedded Traffic Actuated Turbine (Retat), Derek Terry Cedillo, Jairo Fernandez Garcia, Alejandro Samaniego, Yosef Towfique

Mechanical Engineering

The Road Embedded Traffic Actuated Turbine (RETAT) project aims to revolutionize sustainable energy solutions by harnessing the power of passing vehicles to generate electricity. This Final Design Review (FDR) encapsulates the evolution of the project, from conceptualization to the tangible realization of the Verification Prototype created by a team of mechanical engineering students. The RETAT boasts an innovative design, incorporating square steel tubing and a unique linear-to-rotational energy conversion mechanism. This report provides a comprehensive overview of the design, implementation, and testing phases, highlighting achievements, challenges, and areas for refinement. As the RETAT project strives to contribute to a cleaner, …

Tagalong Trail, Sean Wahl, Jason Davis, Quinlan Stephens, Ryan Johnson, Vinh Vo

Mechanical Engineering

The Cal Poly mechanical engineering team working on the Path of Lights and Sounds for the Girl Scouts of California’s Central Coast has now completed their project. In the last quarter of their project, they were able to finalize their tile’s structural design while iterating through several electronics board designs. Through this iteration, they were able to create a final electronics board and designed a water-resistant enclosure to house the board. A new team member was added, allowing them to manufacture 28 tile structures and 30 electronics assemblies over the course of two and a half weeks. This proved to …

Integrated Actuator, David Hefter, Mathew Smith, Amanda Westmoreland, Akanksha Maddi

Mechanical Engineering

This Final Design Review document outlines the senior project design that we, a team of four mechanical engineering students at California Polytechnic State University, are developing for Charlie Refvem, a lecturer in the mechanical engineering department. The final design has undergone significant modifications since the Critical Design Review, such as a redesigned vertical shaft, material changes, and the incorporation of belt tensioners. These redesigns are thoroughly discussed in the context of testing and assembly error resolution.

The document outlines the detailed steps for the production and testing of the design verification prototype. This includes the procurement and manufacturing of components, …

Python Manual: A Learning Guide For Structural Engineering Students, Aaron Dewey, Kennedy Gomez, Meileen Yee

Architectural Engineering

This Python programming manual is a resource to assist architectural, civil, or structural engineering students as they learn to create scripts to solve various structural analysis and dynamics problems. Beyond providing guidance on Python libraries that enable numerical and symbolic mathematics (NumPy, SciPy, SymPy), the manual also focuses on the creation of tabular and plot outputs useful to communicate results through technical reports (Pandas, Matplotlib).

The content of this document was developed based on detailed review of curriculum for three architectural engineering computing courses typically offered to upper class students at Cal Poly, San Luis Obispo as well as surveys …

Evaluation Of Structural Retrofit Of A Hillside Home, Cameron C. R. Cunningham

Architectural Engineering

On November 24, 2021 after months of initial planning, the project owner received approval from the San Luis Obispo Planning and Building Department for initial work on a residential remodeling submission. This approval including a grading permit and other initial site work to begin renovation of the owner’s hillside residential property.

Transitions Metal Health Association Youth Treatment Program Facility Upgrades, Nicolas Fregulia

Construction Management

The Transitions Mental Health Association (TMHA) Youth Treatment Program in San Luis Obispo is a vital resource dedicated to supporting the mental health and well-being of young individuals in the community. TMHA recently purchased a new property that requires several updates before opening. Three California Polytechnic State University Construction Management students collaborated an estimate, schedule, design and construction of a parking lot, walking path, and a new tortoise enclosure. The team split up the roles evenly into two phases preconstruction and construction, where preconstruction includes estimate, schedule, design, and logistics. The purpose of this is to review phase one of …

Disrupting Childhood Trauma With Holistic Health Practices In Low Ses Elementary Schools, Unna G. Burns, Ketzia Kogan, Sarah M. Wingerden, Hannah Meck

Psychology and Child Development

It is evident that adverse childhood experiences (ACE) are a large challenge to tackle in the U.S., with 61% of adults reporting that they’ve experienced one ACE and 16% reporting four or more ACEs by age 18 (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, 2019). ACE score items include, but are not limited to experiencing verbal, physical, sexual abuse, physical and/or emotional neglect, having a mentally ill family member, witnessing violence in the home towards a parent, and/or having a family member in prison. Such experiences serve as a public health threat that, without early intervention, bring about long-term effects biologically, …

Docai, Riley Badnin, Justin Brunings

Computer Science and Software Engineering

DocAI presents a user-friendly platform for recording, transcribing, summarizing, and classifying doctor-patient consultations. The application utilizes AssemblyAI for conversational transcription, and the user interface allows users to either live-record consultations or upload an existing MP3 file. The classification process, powered by 'ml-classify-text,' organizes the consultation transcription into SOAP (Subjective, Objective, Assessment, and Plan) format – a widely used method of documentation for healthcare providers. The result of this development is a simple yet effective interface that effectively plays the role of a medical scribe. However, the application is still facing challenges of inconsistent summarization from the AssemblyAI backend. Future work …

United States Army Corps Of Engineers Info Session At California Polytechnic State University San Luis Obispo, Gabriel L. Vesneski

Construction Management

Gabriel Vesneski facilitated an Info Session on Thursday, November 2, at California Polytechnic State University, San Luis Obispo for the United States Army Corps of Engineers Sacramento District Civil Works. Three guest speakers from the Sacramento District Civil Works office presented their educational background, experience as employees for the Corps of Engineers, occupational benefits, and finally opened a question-and-answer forum for the students attending the Info Session. Upon completion of the Info Session, a survey was provided for attendees, in order to track interest in employment or internship opportunities provided by the United States Army Corps of Engineers. Finally, there …

Highlighting The Key Differences In Project Management When Using Mass Timber: Case Study, Kevin Krueger

Construction Management

Mass Timber or Cross Laminated Timber (CLT) is structurally engineered wood designed to be used as the structural components of a building. As the Construction Industry shifts toward using more renewable materials, mass timber becomes more relevant. This paper presents a comprehensive case study focusing on the construction process innovations implemented in a recent mass timber project located in San Francisco. The project involves the construction of a secure facility for a prominent biotechnology company. This research aims to learn the innovative techniques and strategies that contributed to the successful completion of this unique project. Key stakeholders, including the project …

Artificial Intelligence Integration In Construction: A Cal Poly Curriculum Assessment, Carter James Hahn

Construction Management

In a rapidly evolving industry where AI enhances efficiency and safety, questions are being raised on whether it should be introduced in the classroom. This research project is with the intention of understanding if and how artificial intelligence should be incorporated into Cal Poly’s construction management curriculum. The research combines a literature review establishing AI's relevance in construction project management with a survey-based methodology to gauge industry perspectives. Today, the global construction market witnesses a surge in AI adoption in its planning, construction, and O&M phases. In turn, the industry has benefited from its application in mitigation of risks, improved …

The Impact Of Language And Culture On Productivity: A Recommendation To Implement An Innovative Spanish Language Track, Jordan J. Price

Construction Management

Productivity is a popular focus of construction research because of its efforts to overcome a multitude of project related challenges. This research explores the intersection of language barriers, cultural differences, and productivity in the construction industry with a focus on the impact of bilingual management. It evaluates the impact of these factors on productivity and its beneficial relationship to multilingual management on diverse construction crews. The impending retirement of 40% of the construction labor force calls for proactive initiatives to manage the demographic shift shown by the growing composition of Hispanics in the workforce. The influence of language barriers on …