Digital Commons Network^™

Developing An Inclusive Computational Platform For Aerospace Education Using Nasa’S Emtg, Tia Bajaj

College of Engineering Summer Undergraduate Research Program

This project will establish comprehensive guidelines and a strategic action plan for developing an inclusive and accessible computing platform that integrates NASA's Evolutionary Mission Trajectory Generator (EMTG) software with PolySpace, Cal Poly’s in-house space mission design toolkit. Employing Universal Design for Learning (UDL) principles, the project will ensure equitable access and participation for diverse undergraduate aerospace engineering students, emphasizing inclusion for women and underrepresented groups in aerospace. Inclusivity will be promoted by creating detailed guidelines for remote software interfaces and visualization layers specifically designed for diverse learning styles and accessibility needs. A blueprint for an inclusive curriculum module will also …

Hands-On Microgrid Education: Using Programmable Dc-Dc Converters To Teach Power & Energy Systems, Alejandra Zuniga

College of Engineering Summer Undergraduate Research Program

This project will develop an analog computing circuit that can accelerate power system simulations used for grid interconnection studies. The project will leverage analog computing to create a specialized circuit capable of simulating large-scale power networks with detailed models of power electronics-based loads, such as those found in data centers and manufacturing plants. A software application programming interface will be developed to integrate this circuit with a desktop computer, where simulations can be run by the user. The project team will also work with industry partners and utilities to evaluate the feasibility of the proposed technology for conducting real-world grid …

Analysis Of Student Inclusivity In Computing Education: Eeg-Based Prediction Of Student Belonging, Alec Odell

College of Engineering Summer Undergraduate Research Program

This project focuses on the use of Natural Language Processing (NLP) techniques to analyze text stimuli used in cognitive research. Specifically, the project involves analyzing text that presents different types of mindsets, such as growth and fixed mindsets, to understand their impact on cognitive state. Students will apply various NLP methods, such as tokenization, text classification, and sentiment analysis, to analyze the language used in different types of mindset stimuli. The goal is to understand how text-based stimuli can influence cognitive responses and to extract meaningful features from the text that can be used to predict outcomes like engagement or …

Hybrid Machine Learning--Finite Element Solvers For Solid And Fluid Mechanics, Victor Alcantara-Arias, Spandan Suthar

College of Engineering Summer Undergraduate Research Program

The goal of this project is to develop a new class of hybrid solvers for partial differential equations (PDEs) encountered in solid and fluid mechanics that blend traditional finite element methods (FEM) with modern machine learning algorithms. While FEM solvers are well developed, they can be computationally expensive for realistic problems. Machine learning algorithms have emerged as possible new solutions to cut down the computational cost associated with expensive FEM simulations, but these are typically not interpretable. Previous work on this topic resulted in a class of fully interpretable machine learning solvers for PDEs that had two primary drawbacks: (i) …

System Characterization Of A Distributed Pressure Sensor Array, Bryan C. Hasselman

Master's Theses

This thesis contributes to ongoing research on bluff body aerodynamics at California Polytechnic State University, San Luis Obispo, by introducing a novel technique for the dynamic characterization of a commercially available digital MEMS pressure sensor. The experimental approach combines a new characterization method with comparisons to traditional techniques, offering a comprehensive evaluation of the sensor’s dynamic performance. Both non-parametric and parametric system identification methods are employed to assess the sensor’s frequency response. This thesis supports further investigations into unsteady aerodynamic forces and provides a cost-effective, hands-on platform for students to gain practical experience with instrumentation, system identification, and frequency-domain analysis.

Executive Committee - Agenda, 09/30/2025, Academic Senate

Academic Senate Agendas

No abstract provided.

Academic Senate Retreat - Agenda, 09/12/2025, Academic Senate

Academic Senate Agendas

No abstract provided.

Impact Of Composite Materials Research On Underrepresented Communities, Neil Mahesh Bedagkar, Ramanan Sritharan, Wyatt Barnes

Mechanical Engineering

This research assesses how advancements in composites material research affect communities from lower socioeconomic backgrounds, using a dual track strategy to quantitatively and qualitatively examine their impact. A keyword-based classification algorithm was applied to a sample of research papers from ScienceDirect spanning the last 24 years to quantify which engineering industries benefit most from this research. The findings indicate that the construction industry benefits the most, followed by the automotive, defense, renewable energy, and biomedical sectors. A broader qualitative analysis of the social implications of these industries was also conducted to provide context. Each sector were found to have either …

Executive Committee - Minutes, 09/04/2025, Academic Senate

Academic Senate Minutes

No abstract provided.

Performance Of Reinforced Concrete Wall With Discrete Frp Boundary Element Retrofit, Katelyn Lowry, Roger Biddle, Peter Laursen, Anahid A. Behrouzi, Cole Mcdaniel

Architectural Engineering

This paper presents experimental results for a lightly reinforced concrete (LRC) shear wall retrofitted with discrete fiber-reinforced polymer (FRP) strips at the boundary zones. The performance of this wall was evaluated through cyclic lateral load testing and compared with a wall retrofitted with continuous FRP at the boundary zones (Duong et al., 2024). Test results showed that the wall retrofitted with discrete strips exhibited a flexural tensile failure characterized by wide flexural cracks confined between FRP strips and rebar fracture at high drifts, while maintaining displacement compatibility and axial load capacity beyond strength degradation. Compared to the continuous FRP retrofit, …

Optimizing Object Detection For Remote Monitoring With Owl Ducklink Radios, Colin Ren-Jin Babian

Electrical Engineering

This project develops an AI powered object detection system integrated with OWL DuckLink radios to enable real time remote monitoring. The system benchmarks multiple AI accelerators using a Raspberry Pi 5 to determine their efficiency in low power, long range communication environments. By evaluating the Raspberry Pi 5 CPU (7.62W, 14.5 camera FPS, 3.8 inference FPS), Raspberry Pi AI Camera with Sony IMX500 (6.45W, 30 camera FPS, 9.2 inference FPS), and Raspberry Pi AI Hat with Hailo-8L chipset (7.80W, 30 camera FPS, >30 inference FPS), this project identifies the most effective combination of hardware and software for edge AI applications. …

Restoration Of 6-Axis Industrial-Grade Robotic Arms, Bryce Andrew Paulson, Warren Douglas Howard

Electrical Engineering

The Staubli TX60 and TX60CR are industrial-grade, six-axis robotic arms originally designed to perform complex automation tasks in manufacturing environments. Following their retirement from active industrial use, both units were restored to full operational status. As part of this project, they were reprogrammed to execute a pick-and-place routine using kids shape-sorting toys that mirrors typical workflows found in factory settings. The six degrees of freedom afforded by each robot enable a wide range of motion, making them well-suited for tasks such as material handling, product sorting, and repetitive operations typically carried out by human workers. Each model is equipped with …

Building A Novel Question-Answering System Using Retrieval-Augmented Generation For The California Fair Political Practices Commission, Saanvi Dua

Master's Theses

The California Fair Political Practices Commission (FPPC) receives a high volume of inquiries via email from public officials, the general public, and other agencies, which currently requires staff to manually search through informational documents and manuals to provide timely responses. This process is both labor- and time-intensive.

To address this challenge, we design a question-answering (QA) system that drafts responses to emailed questions by retrieving relevant information from the FPPC’s manuals using a retrieval-augmented generation (RAG) framework. Although the current implementation focuses on a single manual, the system is designed to be adaptable to the broader set of FPPC documents. …

Using Hydraulic Simulations To Determine The Effects Of Tidal Behavior And Riparian Restoration On Chorro Creek, Jonathan L. Maas

Master's Theses

This thesis examines how tidal backwater effects and riparian restoration influence flooding in the Chorro Creek watershed, a major tributary to the Morro Bay Estuary on California’s Central Coast. Restoration efforts, including levee removal, floodplain reconnection, and revegetation have attempted to improve ecological function and reduce sediment transport. However, recent flood events suggest that these changes may also affect local hydraulics in ways not fully anticipated, particularly under the influence of tides and sea level rise. To analyze these dynamics, a two-dimensional HEC-RAS model was developed using LiDAR terrain, historical imagery, and field data collected from pressure and ultrasonic gauges. …

Exopg Maturation And Owl Interface, Duncan Michael Louden

Electrical Engineering

The maturation of the ExOPG buoy generator consists of an interface to facilitate remote data acquisition of an existing battery charge controller. This module telemeters battery controller data including voltage, temperature, and state of battery charge. The data is transmitted to a communication system and is able to be viewed by humans on a 24/7 basis for continuous operation and human usage. The module works seamlessly as an addition to the existing ExOPG generator, and it does not interfere with any existing and planned components of the generator. The module is highly efficient and draws minimal power from the existing …

Experimental Study Of Gas-Dynamic Heating In Hartmann-Sprenger Tubes For Rocket Engine Ignition, Jacob T. Huff

Master's Theses

Ignition systems for chemical rocket engines typically rely on hypergolic propellants or auxiliary electrical hardware to supply the energy required to initiate combustion. The resonance igniter is a simple and robust alternative to these conventional methods, capable of inducing autoignition of non-hypergolic propellants without an external ignition source. At the core of this concept is the Hartmann-Sprenger Tube (HST), a device in which a high-velocity jet of gas impinges on a resonance cavity. This interaction establishes self-sustaining gas oscillations within the cavity that heat the propellants to their autoignition temperature. To facilitate the development of a functional resonance igniter at …

Enhancing Non-Player Character Dialogue In Video Gages: An Evaluation Of Large Language Model-Generated Responses, Lam P. Quach

Master's Theses

As video games increasingly emphasize narrative depth and player immersion, the quality of Non-Player Character (NPC) dialogue has become crucial for creating engaging gaming experiences. This thesis investigates the potential of Large Language Models (LLMs) to generate high-quality NPC dialogue by comprehensively evaluating four state-of-the-art models: Gemma 3 27B, Mistral 7B, QWEN 2.5, and LLAMA 3.1. The study employs a mixed-methods approach, combining human evaluation (N=50 participants) with AI-based assessment across five key benchmarks: coherence, personality expression, engagement, style/tone appropriateness, and overall quality. Participants evaluated 32 dialogue samples (8 per model) generated for a fantasy game context featuring two distinct …

Sparse-Data Orbit Estimation In Low Earth Orbit Using The Markov Chain Monte Carlo Ensemble Gaussian Mixture Filter, Nicholas J. Oden

Master's Theses

The number of space objects (SOs) in low Earth orbit (LEO) continues to increase rapidly, creating challenges for the current ground-based tracking network, which cannot accommodate the projected growth in SOs. Catalog maintenance relies on frequent observations for reliable reacquisition, with Two-Line Element (TLE) sets typically generated daily to mitigate rapid error growth from poor TLE accuracy. This constraint limits the ability to track more objects with existing infrastructure. This work evaluates the Markov Chain Monte Carlo Ensemble Gaussian Mixture Filter (MCMC EnGMF), a nonlinear, non-Gaussian filter well-suited for sparse tracking scenarios where higher post-update accuracy is needed to reduce …

Adjoint Enhanced Panel Methods, Christopher Sheehan

Master's Theses

This thesis describes the development, implementation, and validation of an adjoint-enhanced panel method for two-dimensional airfoil analysis. While conventional panel methods are computationally efficient for flow analysis, they typically rely on relatively computationally expensive finite differencing for gradient calculation in design optimization or sensitivity studies, a limitation addressed by employing the discrete adjoint method. The core of this work involves integrating the discrete adjoint method with a Hess-Smith panel code utilizing Class-Shape Transformation (CST) for airfoil parameterization, which requires the analytical derivation of sensitivities for panel geometry, boundary conditions, and the aerodynamic influence matrix with respect to the CST design …

Mentoring In The Undergraduate Classroom And Beyond: Creating A Feminist Praxis, Satarupa Dasgupta

Feminist Pedagogy

In the following critical commentary, it is discussed how mentoring--- in the classroom and in academia---can be a feminist practice that comprises an essential part of being a feminist educator. Mentorship encompasses a process in which the mentor disseminates knowledge as well as psychosocial support that are perceived by the mentee as essential for professional or personal development (Sedlacek et al., 2007). Mentorship has been specifically found to fulfill professional needs for women, while enhancing their self-worth and sense of competence, and providing instances of role modeling and social affirmation (Meschitti & Lawton Smith, 2017).

Measurements Of Spinal Posture During Common Strawberry Picking Positions Using Inertial Measurement Units, Madeline E. Everson

Master's Theses

Physically demanding professions, such as agriculture, put people at an increased

risk for experiencing back pain. This is due to the awkward and harmful postures sustained

throughout their workday. While studies have been done demonstrating that back pain is

prevalent amongst this community, most do not collect motion capture (MoCap) data,

leaving the specifics of the kinematics, such as the amount of time spent in harmful

postures, unknown. Unfortunately, MoCap data is typically limited to that of a lab or

facility where the cameras are housed. Therefore, this study aimed to mitigate the

inaccessibility of traditional MoCap by validating that …

Owl Integrations Soil Monitor, Derek Chau, Armaan Kahlon

Electrical Engineering

This paper examines the design process and results concerning the OWL Integrations soil monitor. Disaster relief relies heavily on digital communications, especially in environments where conventional methods (e.g. Wi-Fi, cellular, fiber optics) are unusable. To help emergency services assess disaster-stricken areas, a soil monitoring system was developed using LilyGo T-Beams (ESP32), programmed with specialized firmware known as the ClusterDuck Protocol to collect data pertaining to moisture and temperature. The project is sponsored by OWL Integrations, with help from the Cal Poly Electrical Engineering (EE) Department. Results show positive prospects, with the product able to make 4 km transmissions, operate for …

Integration And Testing Of A Quadruped Robot With Ros2, Jeremy S. West

Master's Theses

The Cal Poly Legged Robotics Group has been developing research and teaching platforms for agile legged robotics since 2020. These platforms are expected to provide students with opportunities to develop complete legged-robot systems from low-level control to advanced robotics tasks such as motion planning and decision making. However, the current prototyped quadruped robot lacked the software and sensing capabilities for high-level quadrupedal gaits and advanced robotic research.

To address these challenges, this project developed Switch, a robotic platform that builds upon the previous BRUCE platform with significant hardware and software upgrades. Switch features a modular design that allows individual software …

Development Of A Control System For An 8-Dof Quadrupedal Robotic Research Platform, Jack Butler

Master's Theses

Quadrupedal robots offer a versatile locomotion option that can extend the operating space of a robot into uneven terrains. However, controlling these systems presents significant challenges due to nonlinearities introduced by various factors.

In this thesis, model-predictive control (MPC) is applied to an 8-DOF legged robot developed by Cal Poly’s Legged Robotics group. The MPC framework employs a lumped rigid-body model that treats the robot as a single rigid body with forces applied directly at the foot contact points. The controller is developed within the ROS2 environment, with integration of state estimation and gait-pattern generation, to provide maximum modularity and …

Owl Solar-Powered Link: Duck Radio Mesh For Autonomous Monitoring, Jaden Tran, Shane Williams

Electrical Engineering

The Solar Duck Sensor Node transforms a standard DuckLink into a fully self-sustaining environmental monitor. A compact solar panel / power bank module plugs into the power ports of both the DuckLink and the Raspberry Pi Zero 2 W, keeping them charged through day-night cycles. The Pi Zero 2 W will perform local processing of sensor data. Sensor output will come from the Raspberry Pi AI Camera and its object detection capabilities. This output will be distilled into metadata and advertised over BLE. The DuckLink captures these packets, encapsulates them into LoRa payloads, and forwards them across the ClusterDuck mesh …

Executive Committee - Minutes, 08/01/2025, Academic Senate

Academic Senate Minutes

No abstract provided.

Using Livestreaming Technology To Answer Novel Questions About The Behavior And Physiological Ecology Of The Prairie Rattlesnake (Crotalus Viridis), Max C. Roberts

Master's Theses

Recent advances in remote monitoring technology are opening up new opportunities for developing innovative natural history and biological research methodologies. In particular, the emergence of livestreaming camera technology has made recording remote video of wild and secretive animals much easier and made it possible to collect data at extremely fine temporal resolutions. In 2024, Project RattleCam launched a livestreaming camera at a Prairie Rattlesnake (Crotalus viridis) den in Colorado. The goal of this work was to study Prairie Rattlesnake behavior 24-7 throughout the species’ active season with minimal human disturbance. Additionally, I used this system to study the …

Investigating Rattlesnake Social Networks And Improving Their Public Image Through Unobtrusive Technologies And Community Science, Owen M. Bachhuber

Master's Theses

While technology is often blamed for humans’ increasing disconnect with nature, it can also serve as a tool to facilitate empathy and conservation action for wildlife. Snakes are among the most feared animals on the planet, though their understudied social interactions provide opportunities to make scientific discoveries and change public perceptions. Project RattleCam was founded as a camera trap project in 2021 and launched the first off-grid livestream on a den of wild Prairie Rattlesnakes (Crotalus viridis) in 2024. Both camera types captured hundreds of Prairie Rattlesnakes gathering in the summer as they prepared to give birth to pups before …

Executive Committee - Agenda, 08/01/2025, Academic Senate

Academic Senate Agendas

No abstract provided.

Drug Delivery, Disulfide Crosslinked Hydrogel Coating For Polydimethylsiloxane (Pdms) Implant Materials, Paul A. Contos, Paul Anthony Contos

Master's Theses

Though polydimethylsiloxane (PDMS) is often used in medical devices due to its desirable mechanical properties and biocompatibility, its surface is often prone to bacterial adhesion. This is especially a problem for catheters, where bacteria can adhere and form biofilms that can in turn result in Urinary Tract Infections (UTI). In order to deter the presence of UTI causing bacteria on PDMS catheters, methods were developed to formulate a disulfide crosslinked hydrogel coating and create a methodology to allow adhesion to a PDMS substrate. The hydrogel coating discussed in this paper will be synthesized by chemically crosslinking stimuli-responsive vesicles, that carry …