Digital Commons Network^™

Analyzing Perceptions Of Music From A Songwriting Perspective, Jackson Stephen Reynosa

Communication Studies

This study seeks to understand listeners’ perceptions of music from a generational and songwriting approach. A total of 123 participants aged 18 and older took part in an open-ended survey design that measured their subjective music preferences. Four different sections tested participants’ music taste, music tied to generations, an original song made by the researcher, and songwriting in a holistic sense. It was found that participants exercised individualism and authenticity in their responses throughout. By using the Uses and Gratifications Theory, it is explainable that people listened and sought out music for their own unique reasons. By applying Mood Management …

Composite Liftwalker For Shurouq, Daniel Martinez, Robert Boyd, Vikram Thridandam, Madeline Faase

Mechanical Engineering

The following document describes the scope of our project and the methods we have deployed in designing and manufacturing a personalized composite LiftWalker for a young woman in Egypt named Shurouq. Our objective is to design a lightweight and durable LiftWalker to improve upon the current product of our project sponsor, Charlie Gutierrez. To accommodate Shurouq’s physical disabilities as well as the limits of transporting the device to her by plane, our team will need to alter the current product’s dimensions, materials, and structure. Through researching similar products and interviewing potential customers, we have compiled engineering specifications to guide the …

Inverted Fluorescence Microscope, Makenzie Lyn Kamei, Enoch Wright Nicholson, Eduardo Reyna Miranda Jr., Trevor John Brown

Mechanical Engineering

The Inverted Fluorescence Microscope senior project team at Cal Poly, San Luis Obispo designed, assembled, and tested a proof-of-concept inverted fluorescence microscope for the university’s Microfabrication Laboratory. Administrators of the laboratory wished to use fluorescence for research and experiments involving cell growth and flow visualization on the micro-scale, and did not have the budget to purchase one of the costly commercially available options. The scope of this design challenge was to produce a low-cost inverted fluorescence microscope employing available optical components and additional readily sourced parts to expand the use of fluorescence microscopy accessible to undergraduate students in the Microfabrication …

Sharpening Images Using Guidestars At The Hale Telescope, Jordan Alura Rupp, Jonah Kai Silva, Samantha Ahn Tran, Josh David Robinson

Mechanical Engineering

The SIGHT Senior Project team at Cal Poly San Luis Obispo designed and prototyped the Science Cryostat subsystem of the Sharpening Images using Guidestars for the Hale Telescope (SIGHT) Adaptive Optics system. SIGHT will improve the capabilities of astronomical observations and measurements at the Hale Telescopes using adaptive optics. SIGHT will consist of a Laser Guidestar (LGS) subsystem which focuses a UV laser into Earth’s high atmosphere, adjacent to a science target the Hale Telescope is observing. The LGS subsystem calculates how the laser light has been distorted by temperature and pressure differences as the light travels through the atmosphere. …

Thermal Energy Storage For Load Shifting, Jordan Benton Lopez Corley, Weston Cruz Montgomery, Taylor Glenn Harms

Mechanical Engineering

The following document accounts for the progress made in the prototype development of our design solution since the Critical Design Review, and our group’s response to recent world events which greatly impacted planned activities. Our design challenge is to develop a thermal energy storage system which will sequester the energy from a photovoltaic (PV) array during the day and allow for its dispersal at night in the form of near boiling water. Looking at our user’s needs, we broke our design solution into four components: water heating, storage, distribution, and controls. Research of all components was conducted to ascertain which …

Modular Cable Buoy, James J. Marinas, Gabriela Vargas, Anthony Catello, Joseph Heald

Mechanical Engineering

Cable terminations are often the least reliable and most expensive components of a maritime system. These cables are suspended in water by a buoy to reduce wear at the terminations. The Naval Information Warfare Center requires a modular auxiliary float with tunable buoyancy that can be placed along such cable. Our system must be able to be deployed, adjusted, and retrieved quickly and easily during operational use. This report focuses on our team’s final design concept and includes all analysis to justify our design direction along with safety, maintenance, and repair considerations. The report further elaborates on cost analysis, manufacture …

Adaptive Exercise Equipment, Jake Ryan Walejko, Spencer Goodman, Kalina Burns, Journey Martinson

Mechanical Engineering

This document outlines the senior design project carried out by a team of mechanical engineering students at California Polytechnic State University, San Luis Obispo. The task is to design adapted exercise equipment for the non-profit organization, Achievement House. The objective of this Final Design Review is to document the final design, manufacturing plan, design verification plan, and project management plan. In addition, this document includes previously presented information on the project background, objectives, and concept design. The background and objective sections document various forms of customer research and include the project goals developed by the athletes and fitness instructors of …

California Solar Regatta - Hull Team: Up A Creek, Torrey Duncan, Sean Neuman, Kyle Krietzman, Andrew Offhaus

Mechanical Engineering

The SMUD Solar Regatta competition tasks students with developing a solar-powered watercraft to compete in various events on a fresh water lake. Cal Poly has created two mechanical engineering senior project groups to coordinate the design of a boat for the Solar Regatta competition. Up a Creek, the boat construction team, has created the following Final Design Review document to highlight the group’s progress on the project over the year. This document captures the design process from the background research, project objectives, and early concepts to the final design, manufacturing processes, and planned testing procedures. Unfortunately, the COVID-19 pandemic halted …

Importance Of Safety In Public Parks For Crime Prevention, Camille Frace

City and Regional Planning

The goal of this portfolio is research based education regarding the importance of safety in parks for crime prevention. By exploring the growing importance between safety, public parks, and crime prevention, learning about all factors incorporated and supporting the subject are both keys in understanding the relationship as a whole. The urban and built environments, crime statistics and perceptions, safety audits, design, conditions, and various other factors contribute to the overall picture of safety.

Outdoor Learning Environments, Elizabeth Farin

City and Regional Planning

Outdoor Learning Environments have the ability to enhance the campus socially, educationally, psychologically, and environmentally. They can provide a defined, outdoor environment that students feel comfortable using and learning in. Outdoor Learning Environments create the space and opportunity to bring individuals and professors together to work on an interdisciplinary project. These spaces provide an area for students to relax and rewind during a stressful day. Outdoor Learning Environments have an enormous potential to achieve University-wide social and learning objectives.

This project examines the potential for Outdoor Learning on University campuses. Through analyzing existing outdoor spaces both at Cal Poly and …

Mindfulness For Stress Reduction: Qualitative Analysis Of Perceptions From College Students And Mindfulness Instructors, Beth Marie Merlo

Master's Theses

Although mindfulness interventions with college students have yield positive results, many students are not continuing to engage after the interventions. This may be because very little research has been done to investigate the health behavior beliefs of college students in regard to mindfulness for stress reduction. The purpose of this investigation was to identify the most influential components of the Integrated Behavioral Model (IBM) that potentially assist with predicting college student participation in mindfulness activities for stress reduction. Interviews, informed by the IBM, were conducted with 20 current college students and 5 current mindfulness instructors working with college students. The …

Analysis And Optimization Of Colorimetric Nanosensors For Rapid Detection Of Microbes In Water, Ruby A. Lang

Master's Theses

Access to safe water is a basic human right recognized by the United Nations General Assembly in 2010 (WHO, 2020). However, a least 2.2 billion people globally still are without safely managed water services meaning they use a drinking water source that can be contaminated with faeces (WHO, 2020). With such a pressing global health issue, it is clear that improvement to water systems is important and required in the Agenda 2030 Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). However, to improve water systems and prove they are safe water sources, water quality testing must occur. A solution to this issue is the …

Pier Portal, Alec W. Hardy

Master's Theses

The Pier Portal marine monitoring system is an internet controlled underwater camera that will enable students, researchers, and the general public the ability to monitor underwater marine life and ocean conditions. Installed at Cal Poly’s Center for Coastal Marine Science pier at Avila Beach, California, the camera can be commanded in real-time to raise or lower to any position between the top of the pier and the bottom of the ocean floor, while providing a live-stream video to the operator and general public. This thesis effort focused on the integration of the various subsystem components through software, and the development …

Surface Autonomous Vehicle For Emergency Rescue, Max Emerick, Ryan Shields, Christopher Feickert, Raymond Impara

Mechanical Engineering

The goal of this document is to clearly define the problem parameters and project objectives and to clearly describe the design process, planned final design, and manufacturing and testing procedures for the senior design project of Team 26: SAVER -- the Surface Autonomous Vehicle for Emergency Rescue. This is both for the purpose of project planning and for clear communication between all parties involved in the project.

The objective of the SAVER project is to develop a proof of concept for an autonomous maritime search and rescue vehicle for aiding in man-overboard missions. To accomplish this goal, a list of …

Graduate Internship Report- Pioneer Valley High School, Natalie Baldwin

Agricultural Education: Graduate Internship Reports

This internship and project report includes validation documents required in meeting the quality criteria for secondary-level programs of instruction in agriculture. The supporting material includes information to receive state and local funding, outline the goals and objectives of the program, along with an overview of Pioneer Valley High School, the agriculture program and the community.

Chiedza Stewardship Center, Robert Wayne Garland

Architectural Engineering

Journeyman International (JI) is a non-profit organization that supports humanitarian projects in countries all around the world by pairing design professionals and overseeing the design and construction of the projects. The Chiedza Stewardship Center is the first phase of a project supported by East African Power and Foundations for Farming. The project is planned to include 200 hectares of a solar farm, 50 homesteads, and a community center including a stewardship center. This project and this report focus on the structural design of the stewardship center. This stewardship center will allow Foundations for Farming to be able to teach local …

Lilypaaaad - Structural Design, Katelyn Smith

Architectural Engineering

This report tells the story of the structural design process of the LilyPAAAAD tower. The highlights of this process include precedent studies, 2-D structural analysis studies, hand calculations, and drawings. Precedent studies gave insight into unknown possibilities and helped discover how other engineers achieved their design goals. Projects like Sendai Mediatheque and the HSBC Tower are innovative solutions to unique design criteria. 2-D structural studies revealed how the braced frame and outrigger systems worked. By changing member stiffness and studying the load path, the members that contributed the most to resisting the load could be identified. Hand calculations were essential …

Wine History Project Pavilion, Douglas Mcarthur

Architectural Engineering

The Wine History Pavilion Project is a continuing endeavor of Cal Poly students working on an exhibitive, traveling structure for the San Luis Obispo community. The project started during the 2019 Fall Quarter in the interdisciplinary Integrated Project Delivery (IPD) Studio and has progressed to the detailed design stage for its eventual fabrication and installation. This report discusses the detailed design stage that 4th year Architectural Engineering student, Douglas McArthur, worked on.

Vertical Veins: Digital Commons Reflection, Ryan J. Millward, Nicole L. O'Connor

Architectural Engineering

The SOM High Rise Studio was a collaboration between 3^rd year Architecture students and primarily 4^th year Architectural Engineering students. The studio consisted of 20 weeks, with consistent check points marked by SOM partner reviews. The overall aim of the collaboratory nature of the studio was to expose each discipline to the decision-making process of the other to better facilitate understanding of the overall system and narrative of the high-rise tower.

Each quarter had a distinct goal that was the focus of submittals and reviews. Winter Quarter was primarily focused on the form finding aspect of our design …

The Aloe: High Rise Schematic Design And Analysis, Tony Duc Nguyen, Lilliann Lan Lai

Architectural Engineering

The authors of this document are architectural engineering (ARCE) undergraduate students from California Polytechnic State University, San Luis Obispo (Cal Poly). They joined the 2020 Skyscraper Collaboratory as part of the ARCE course 415: Interdisciplinary Capstone Project. This course emphasizes the analysis and evaluation of interdisciplinary challenges associated with integrating the design and construction processes to deliver a project with respect to the design, quality, and performance expectations for a client or presented criteria. The course was taught in collaboration with industry partners and associates from the global architectural, urban planning, and engineering firm Skidmore, Owings & Merrill (SOM). Instruction …

Same Polytechnic College - Phase Zero, Amber Sutherland, Hester Lui, Nicole O'Connor

Architectural Engineering

The Same Polytechnic College, located in Same (Sah-may), Tanzania, is an on-going project that has been worked on by approximately 600 Cal Poly students over the past decade. The college is being designed for the Mbesese Initiative for Sustainable Development (MISD), a nonprofit organization working towards alleviating poverty in rural East Africa through the expansion of access to education. As an interdisciplinary team of architectural engineering, architecture, and landscape architecture students, the master plan of the college was refined and the design of “Phase Zero” was created as the first step towards the organization’s goal.

Analysis Of High Rise Structures, Elitsa P. Vutova

Architectural Engineering

The design of a high rise tower involves many moving parts and is best done in collaboration with all construction disciplines. This report examines the basic steps and principles followed and discovered along the collaborative design process between Architectural and Architectural Engineering students of two high rise building systems. The report will look at physical model tests and digital model analyses. It will also follow the design of two high rise towers proposed for San Francisco, CA: The Crystal and the HOODOO. The tower design includes a study of possible lateral loading systems, a dual core and outrigger system analysis …

Piazza Di Ulivo: Arce Patio Redesign, Sophia Kim-Oanh Ha, David Colman

Architectural Engineering

Piazza de Ulivo was Phase 1 of a multi-quarter initiative to redesign and bring life to a patio space adjacent to Engineering West (Building 21) in Spring of 2020. Located within the central courtyard of Engineering West (Hasslein Garden), the patio space previously contained a senior project pergola that collapsed and has been removed. The remaining elements from this previous structure were an inverted moment frame consisting of five concrete columns and beams joining them. Additionally, a wooden bench with concrete pedestals remained under the shade of the existing olive tree. Desire within the Architectural Engineering (ARCE) department for the …

Addressing Reentry Experiences In California During Covid-19, Emily R. Cook

Social Sciences

I will first provide a literature review surrounding the topic of reentry and recidivism. Next, I will describe the projects that I completed related to reentry and reintegration in California including: participating in various parts of an educational reentry simulation, analyzing student responses to participation in this simulation, organizing a care package drive to assist those recently released, and creating a resource website compiling updates on the COVID- 19 crisis inside of the California incarceration system. I conclude by reflecting on my senior project experience.

A Screenplay For Bystander Intervention For Sexual Harassment Scenarios For College Students, Shanti Herzog

Journalism

This project was developed to describe the drafting of a screenplay for an interactive, virtual reality sexual harassment training module for students of the California Polytechnic University, San Luis Obispo. The research began with the examination of the prevalent and persisting issue of sexual harassment within college campus communities, and how to present college students with the tools to intervene as bystanders, thus encouraging them to intervene when encountering sexual harassment scenarios. The resulting screenplay was written to provide college students at Cal Poly with strategies to identify and take action when encountering sexual harassment, especially in small group gatherings …

Sandy Feet, Garrett E. Herbst, Jacqueline Chuang, Jerin T. Brust, Parker S. Duncan

General Engineering

Sgt. Brady is a former armed forces member with a transtibial amputation. He walks on sand frequently for work and leisure, but experiences severe pain and inconvenience because his current prosthesis is not meant for use on sand. Sand Foot V2 is a prosthesis that allows Sgt. Brady to walk on sand for long periods of time without issue.

Mountain Arm, Conner Magnuson, Amanda Lingle, Jordan Ambrose, Marco Lopez

General Engineering

QL+ Challenger, US Navy Veteran, and transhumeral amputee Cassie Perando needed a way to backpack comfortably and independently while wearing a transhumeral prosthesis, as this is something that she enjoys doing often. The current prosthesis she wears causes pinching while wearing a backpack. To eliminate this issue, we decided to design and create a dynamic, pin-lock socket. This design decision allowed for a comfortable fit for Cassie that will not interfere with the backpack straps. As a secondary suspension system, we designed a sports bra with straps that attach to her opposing side and connect to the front and the …

Autonomous Butter Robot, David Chau, Michael Hegglin

Computer Engineering

Don’t you wish your butter would come to you? Well now it can with the patented Michael and David butter robot! Based on an idea from a TV show, our team set out to see if a similar robot was possible to make in real life. The objective was simple. Can we make a small table sized robot that can bring a person butter using image detection software? With that question in mind we set out buying our components. We wanted to keep it small, so we looked up devices that could do simple image processing and from there we …

Otter Debugger, Keefe Johnson

Computer Engineering

This project is a debugger and programmer for the OTTER CPU, the implementation of the RISC-V ISA used by Cal Poly to teach computer architecture and assembly language in CPE 233/333 and usually implemented on the Basys3 FPGA development board. With this tool, students can quickly program their OTTER with a new/revised RISC-V program binary without resynthesizing the entire FPGA design. They can then use the debugger from a PC to pause/continue/single-step execution and set breakpoints, while inspecting and modifying register and memory contents. This enables real-time debugging of OTTER projects involving custom hardware such as a keyboard and VGA …

The Effect Of An Educational Workshop On High School Future Farmers Of America Parliamentary Procedure Leadership Development Teams, Brooke Gilstrap, Alyssa Snow

Agricultural Education and Communication

Within the California Future Farmers of America Association (FFA), there are a variety of Leadership Development Events (LDE’s) including the Parliamentary Procedure contest. Within this contest students sharpen their knowledge through reviewing Robert's Rules of Order and applying this knowledge to an exam as well as a live demonstration. Through this contest, students also improve upon their public speaking skills and research agricultural education and industry issues. Students compete in several invitational contests before entering the sectional, regional, and state levels of competition where their advanced knowledge comes into play with a wider audience. Over the span of California, there …