Digital Commons Network^™

Headlamp/Bike Light Damping System, Ethan Reece Clark, Alec Stonehouse, Omeed Ostry, Mitchel Anderson

Mechanical Engineering

The task for this project is to design a headlamp and/or bike light that absorbs the impact shocks from the user’s actions. The user that the system is being designed for may be riding a bike or running on a trail in the evening or early in the morning where the light needs to be stabilized and their path must be illuminated. This report presents the final design chosen after months of prototyping and design iteration. It encompasses the system design, design verification through testing, implementation, future recommendations, and lessons learned throughout the process. The chosen design utilizes a fully …

Weed Robot, Kaela Stern, Lewis Kanagy, Claire Franz, Carlos Rodriguez Orozco, Jackie Chen, Sachi Hiji, Ayush Kakkanat, William Ta

Mechanical Engineering

Team Weed Scouts has completed our work on a weed-cutting robot for the Girl Scouts of California’s Central Coast. The final robot build provides a solid foundation that can be built and improved upon by future teams. We have completed the robot base and structure, including the chassis, drivetrain, and robot shell. We also completed manufacturing a weed storage bin and canvas cover for the robot. Additionally, we have built a weed scooper, the mechanism that cuts weeds and transports them into a storage compartment. The electronics and programming for remote control of the robot are also implemented. After some …

Flexible Water Cooling, Joshua Terlaje, Andrew Lin, Nicholas Morales, Tanner Parrott

Mechanical Engineering

The goal of this project is to develop and deploy a water-cooling system to reduce the danger of heat exhaustion among communities of farmworkers. Currently, it is difficult to keep chilled water available throughout the workday when using portable water coolers. The idea uses a refrigeration system to chill the water supply by using the power take-off (PTO) on farm equipment and a corresponding generator to get around this restriction.

The project places a strong premium on keeping the chilled water supply at a maximum temperature of 59°F to ensure compliance with the California Department of Industrial Relations' requirements. Each …

In-Situ Mechanical Tester, Andrrew Murach, Gustavo Marquez, Kosimo Tonn, Jake Vormbaum

Mechanical Engineering

Over the course of the 2022-23 Cal Poly SLO school year, a small tensile tester device was developed specifically for Dr. Long Wang to test thin film materials under a microscope and generate accurate force versus displacement graphs. A tensile tester was manufactured using purchased and machined components, electronics were consolidated in a separate box and connected, and a program and user interface were written to control the motion, provide custom inputs, and organize useful data for the researcher. Tests were conducted to compare the performance of the device to universal tensile testers available in the Composites lab. The device …

Metamaterial-Based Soft Actuators, Savannah June Cheney, Nathan Kessenich, Marco Leen, Merek Mcgill

Mechanical Engineering

For this project the team was tasked with designing a soft actuator that incorporated aspects of mechanical metamaterials. The team’s goal was to demonstrate the feasibility of structural metamaterials in the field of soft robotics and demonstrate a novel response with a final assembly. Also included in the team's discussion are the manufacturing steps, protype tests & results, and suggested future next steps. Following the previous report (critical design review) the team chose to follow the path of designing a continuum robot with metamaterials incorporated into the design. A continuum robot consists of a soft cylindrical body with rigid evenly …

Zero-Waste Ocean Floor Hydrophone Mooring, Chloe Schofield, German Jack Ellsworth, Jathun Somasundaram, Evan Brown

Mechanical Engineering

Maddie Schroth-Glanz, from the Statistics Department of Cal Poly, requires a system that assists in the deployment and retrieval of a marine hydrophone used to record ocean mammal vocalization patterns, specifically in large whales. This report discusses the final design, including changes to the design after the Critical Design Review, and the tests that were done to ensure the final design achieves the specifications of the project. We will discuss everything from material purchases to manufacturing and assembly for all subsystems of the project, and then discuss how our testing justified the design choices we made. Finally, the report will …

Therapeutic Mechanical Horse Project, Broghan Martin, Carson Roff, Zach Barnisham, Lydia Barnes

Mechanical Engineering

This project team created a simple mechanical model of a horse that disabled children could ride on to feel more comfortable partaking in equine therapy. This project was sponsored by Jack’s Helping Hand as part of their equine therapy program. The team went through the entire design process of researching, ideating, prototyping, and testing to create the final product. Finite element analysis of the structural members of the horse was performed. The forces used in that model were later validated through testing of the strength of those same members after manufacturing. In the end, a self-actuating single degree of freedom …

Bespoke Bicycle Enclosure, Thomas Link, Kyle Mcafee, Marc Monier, Hunter Walden

Mechanical Engineering

Brian Higgins is an American veteran with retinitis pigmentosa who relies on cycling for transportation. The motivation for this project is to design and manufacture a refined prototype bicycle attachment to support him while biking in the rain and cold. The attachment will serve to enclose him for optimal protection from inclement weather, while maintaining sufficient mobility for daily cycling. Mr. Higgins’ bicycle is equipped with an attached sensor system which assists his visual impairment by using an ultrasonic sensor. Therefore, the attachment cannot adversely affect the function of the sensor system. The project timeline is set at approximately 7 …

Disc Golf Throwing Robot, Nevada S. Schultz, Sydney M. Lewis, Erick Edmundo Daza, Rachel Alysse Greenberg, Peter M. Kean

Mechanical Engineering

Disc golf companies need better methods to test disc flight. The scope of this project is to create a disc throwing robot that can throw a disc golf driver 450-500 feet, with control over the speed, spin, and release angle. Research shows that multiple disc-throwing products exist; however, none meet the full requirements of this project. The Cal Poly senior project design team created a proof-of-concept machine. This prototype started as a two-wheel mechanism. Eventually, a third wheel was added, allowing for complete control over disc spin. The three-wheel prototype reached 62 mph when perfectly calibrated. The prototype is accurate, …

The Effect Of Adding Mango To A Breakfast Meal On Glycemic And Satiety Responses And Next Meal Energy Consumption, Natalie R. Ramos

Master's Theses

Spikes in blood glucose (BG) result in adverse health consequences in people with and without diabetes. This study aimed to compare the BG and satiety responses of adding mango or sugar to a high glycemic load (HGL) breakfast. A randomized, controlled trial (cross-over design) was conducted with 18 participants. Participants consumed cornflakes and almond milk (Control), control plus 34gm added sugar (ASug), or added mango (AMango) with 34gm carbohydrate. BG was determined at fasting, 15, 30, 60, 90, 120min postprandial; satiety was rated with a visual analog scale at each time point. At 120min, subjects consumed a snack of hummus …

Branding And Designing A Website Mockup For A New Curly Hair Brand, Sophie Isabelle Shif

Graphic Communication

For this project I created a fictitious curly hair brand named Twirl. Twirl’s mission is to make curly hair care fun and easy. I started by making a logo and creating branding guidelines. Next I designed some labels and put them on packaging mockups. I wanted this project to have a UX/UI element so I made a landing page wireframe and then converted it into a mockup that incorporated the branding guidelines and packaging mockup. Throughout the design process I kept the brand’s mission in mind, and prioritized the user’s experience with the products and website.

Multi-Process Print Artwork With Integrated Electronics, Justin M. Pioletti

Graphic Communication

"Multi-Process Print Artwork with Integrated Electronics" explores the production of screen, block, and digital printing, and incorporates capacitive sensing to generate interactivity. The primary function of the art is to serve as promotional material for the student media group ".wavzine." Moreover, the multi-print production is intended to demonstrate the inherent, tangible benefits of various printing methods. This is important to consider as the print industry continues to move towards digital homogeneity.

Valve Efficiency Testing Device, Jake Robert Rydberg, Andrew Keith Willardson, Jake Ben Jezier, Emily Marie Wannenmacher

Mechanical Engineering

This document serves as the official Final Design Review (FDR) for the mechanical engineering team on the Valve Efficiency Testing Device project for the Phillips 66 Rodeo Refinery. The team attends California Polytechnic State University, San Luis Obispo. The project involved designing and building a valve efficiency testing device. The goal was to create a finished test device that can be used in the Phillips 66 Rodeo Refinery machine shop to test reciprocating compressor valves before they are installed. The purpose of this document is to describe the manufacturing and design verification activities that have been completed since Critical Design …

Graduate Internship Report - Cal Poly Bull Test, Kayla Marie Dubowsky

Agricultural Education: Graduate Internship Reports

The Cal Poly Bull Test has a long-standing history on the university campus. The program has continued to grow and improve since it was founded in 1956 and with these improvements to the program, the marketing and curriculum need to adapt as well. For this internship, I worked in partnership with Dr. McFarlane on three main projects focusing on rebranding, curriculum development, and the creation of marketing materials. The rebranding consisted of the creation of a new logo and an updated brand guide. The curriculum development consisted of the creation of a marketing module for the enterprise-class that focuses on …

Aged 539 Internship Report: Cal Poly Rodeo Media, Marina Levine

Agricultural Education: Graduate Internship Reports

Cal Poly Rodeo is one of the oldest, largest, and winningest college rodeo programs in the country. While completing my Masters in Agricultural Education, I held the position of Assistant Coach for Cal Poly Rodeo and served as head of media and marketing. The program’s social media rivals that of a professional sports media page. This year, I strived to take it to the next level. Throughout the year, I filmed, edited, and produced videos introducing our freshmen, highlighting our seniors and graduate students, and promoting our events such as the Break-A-Wave and Poly Royal. I also spent time in …

Aged 539/580 Final Report, Quintin Mcwhorter

Agricultural Education: Graduate Internship Reports

This report details the role of an assistant coach and responsibilities associated with managing the rodeo facility, which was comprised of daily and weekly tasks, as well as improvement projects.

Cal Poly Rodeo Team Event Planning Handbook, Paula W. Cooper

Agricultural Education: Graduate Internship Reports

As an aspiring leader in Agricultural Education and a dedicated member of the Cal Poly Rodeo team, I was presented with the unique opportunity to organize a fundraiser for Jack's Helping Hand, a non-profit organization aiding children with cancer and special needs. This remarkable experience, coupled with my ongoing academic pursuits, sparked an idea for my master's project: creating a comprehensive handbook for future event planners of the rodeo team.

Cal Poly Rodeo | Improving Speed And Consistency Of Student Athletes: Goat Tying, Taylour Q. Latham

Agricultural Education: Graduate Internship Reports

Cal Poly Rodeo is an amazing program for student athletes competing in the National Intercollegiate Rodeo Association (NIRA). These athletes are expected to obtain a 2.0 GPA in 12 or more units, while being active in practices, and rodeo activities. Mandatory goat tying practice is held every Tuesday and Thursday at 6:00 AM. During this time athlete performance is observed and recorded on Tuesdays, and broken down on Thursdays to implement areas where they can improve. The purpose of these practices is to give the athletes feedback from another point of view, and take those points into their own practices …

Mbesese Build 2023, Ben Stewart, Matthew Chung, Ian Mcconnell

Architectural Engineering

In collaboration with the Mbesese Initiative for Sustainable Developments, the senior project group from California Polytechnic State University of San Luis Obispo, researched, designed, and created construction documents for the Same Polytechnic College project in the town of Same, Tanzania. This project aims to combat poverty in the Kilimanjaro Region of Tanzania by providing education and infrastructure development. In 2023, the senior project group focused on completing a communal and educational space and addressing clean water scarcity through a rainwater collection system on the site of the future college.

The Design And Construction Of A Radio Telescope, Avery Elizabeth Bunting, Kira Hope Tolman

Architectural Engineering

Two architectural engineering students and an electrical engineering student worked together to design and build a radio telescope that is capable of using hydrogen line astronomy to map the galaxy. The telescope is made entirely out of aluminum, which, combined with small deflection limits, made for an iterative design process that focused primarily on constructability and supporting the desired outcomes of the electrical side.

The Development Of Sexual Health Educational Canvas Modules For Cal Poly Students, Alexa J. Asson, Dillan Chiewpanich, Amanda Hodges, Tanya Patil

Biological Sciences

Purpose: Sexual health education continues to be a taboo topic underrepresented in young adult health education. Many high school students do not receive the sexual health education they need. One study found that 34% of girls and 42% of boys left high school without education on birth control methods (Wong et al., 2019). Furthermore, students entering college have varying, often inadequate, levels of sexual health knowledge. After examining sexual health data at California Polytechnic State University (Cal Poly), the Cal Poly Sexual and Reproductive Health (SRH) Lab found that students engage in risky sexual behaviors. For example, nearly one quarter …

The Importance Of Implementing Safety Programs For Spanish-Only Workers In Mep, Izak J. Lozano

Construction Management

Hispanics make up 30% of the construction workers, the highest percentage of any non-Hispanic minority group. Unfortunately, evidence also suggests Hispanic and Latino workers with limited to no English language skills are not receiving an adequate amount of safety training which is a growing concern. A lack of safety training and language barriers on the jobsite are seen as the cause for Hispanic workers having 41.6% higher injuries and non-fatal injuries in construction as compared to non-Hispanics in 2020. Three contractors were interviewed about their safety training programs for Spanish-only workers to find what strategies were found to be effective. …

Understanding The Legal Impacts Of Integrated Project Delivery And Building Information Modeling, Samuel Chris Wong

Construction Management

This research paper aims to understand the legal ramifications of using integrated project delivery (IPD) and Building information Modeling (BIM) regarding shared risk and reward between parties and impacts of contract law. Using IPD and BIM allows for projects to be more collaborative and work through issues quickly. However, shared design can lead to legal issues that may cause problems if not resolved or accounted for at the beginning of the project. This paper serves as research to further understand the legal consequences of integrating IPD and BIM into construction projects in the United States. There are some differences to …

Integration Of Autonomous Equipment In The Heavy Civil Industry, Jack Ryan Gutierrez

Construction Management

The heavy civil industry plays a pivotal role in shaping the infrastructure landscape, with construction equipment serving as the backbone of any project. In an industry that is constantly looking for ways to improve efficiency, productivity, and safety, autonomous construction equipment has emerged as an innovative solution to help improve these factors on a heavy civil project. The purpose of this paper is to present an in-depth look at the current state of new technology involving autonomous construction equipment, and how prevalent it is in today's heavy civil industry. Qualitative interviews that were completed with a project manager, superintendent, and …

The Torii Project, Edward Anthony Sanchez Pascua

Construction Management

This is a summary of the Torii Project: how the project came to be, and the process behind the preconstruction of installing the structure. A Torii is a Japanese gate structure in Japanese Shinto practices, as the structure is a frame for a significant space. The project was initially started by the Japanese Student Association, and has grown over time become an interdisciplinary design build project involving architects, civil engineers, landscape architects and construction management majors. The design came from Cal Poly Architecture Alumni Amir Hossler who has studied the construction of Toriis in Japan and was the main source …

Storage Shed Construction For Local Charity, Veda Maisie Guillermo

Construction Management

This paper presents a project of the successful construction of a storage shed for Taproot Charities, a non-profit organization based in Templeton, California that aims to support young women furthering their education in Uganda. The project aimed to provide a storage solution for the organization's supplies and materials. The planning phase considered the available donated materials to determine the shed's dimensions and design features. This paper highlights the methods and materials used to build a storage shed and emphasizes the importance of communication during the construction process. During the construction process there were several weather-related project schedule setbacks which were …

Advising Communication In Finance, Jordan J. Schumann

Communication Studies

Communication is an important factor in relationships. When it comes to financial advising and the advisors’ relationship with their clients, it is no different. However, the driving factor of what makes a client choose one advisor over another remains in question. As such a question builds: what does an advisor do to maintain a client and promote gaining new ones? This study examines the experiences current advisors have had in their respective careers. To examine this topic, communication theories (Social Cognitive Theory, Source Credibility Theory, and Uncertainty Reduction Theory) are called upon to inform the outcomes of advisors' experiences. The …

Investigating Cost-Effective And Time-Efficient Ways To Speed Up Transit, Joe Yin Jo Tam

City and Regional Planning

With the emphasis on cities worldwide prioritizing more environmentally friendly forms of transportation, along with a new focus on equity to ensure that underserved and disadvantaged communities are served equitably and receive services that enable economic opportunity, access to recreation opportunities, and social services, equitable and sustainable forms of transportation are required. This study explores potential methods for enhancing and strengthening transit as a reliable and sustainable means of transportation. This study evaluates cost-effective methods for achieving significant gains in improving transit reliability and speed.

Bike Share: A Discussion And Case Study Analysis Including Recommendations For Cal Poly And The City Of San Luis Obispo, Gabrielle N. Delavallade

City and Regional Planning

Since 2015, micromobility has swiftly expanded to new cities across the United States. Micromobility is defined as a category of transportation services that are shared-use, lightweight, and personal use such as electric scooters (escooters), shared bicycles, and electric bicycles (e-bikes). Micromobility vehicles can be person powered, electrically powered, or a combination of the two (CRCOG, 2022; BTS, 2022). One form of micromobility that is gaining popularity is known as bicycle share. In 2020, the North American Bikeshare and Scootershare Association (NABSA) 2020 State of the Industry Report found that an estimated 83.4 million trips were taken in North America alone …

The Development Of Sexual Health Educational Canvas Modules For Cal Poly Students, Alexa Jordan Asson, Dillan Isabella Chiewpanich, Amanda Hodges, Tanya Patil

Kinesiology and Public Health

Purpose: Sexual health education continues to be a taboo topic underrepresented in young adult health education. Many high school students do not receive the sexual health education they need. One study found that 34% of girls and 42% of boys left high school without education on birth control methods (Wong et al., 2019). Furthermore, students entering college have varying, often inadequate, levels of sexual health knowledge. After examining sexual health data at California Polytechnic State University (Cal Poly), the Cal Poly Sexual and Reproductive Health (SRH) Lab found that students engage in risky sexual behaviors. For example, nearly one quarter …