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Fault Box Modeling Of Dip Slip Faults: A Framework For Fault Box Design And Future Studies, Hailey Pressnell

Master's Theses

The behavior of soils during surface fault rupture is a serious concern in the planning and design of infrastructure that may be located within or near a fault zone. Challenges associated with developing mitigation measures for surface fault rupture include the uncertainty of fault rupture and the variability of fault behavior. Current analytical procedures define surface fault rupture according to the type of fault movement (strike slip, normal or reverse), the amount of displacement on the fault, and the mechanics of the material overlying the fault. The purpose of this thesis is to reconfirm analytical solutions and gain a better …

Leaning Pine Arboretum Gazebo, Carson C. Henry

Construction Management

The Leaning Pine Arboretum gazebo provides an aesthetic relaxation space for visitors to the arboretum as well as being a functional structure for faculty as a future event space. This gazebo replaces an existing one, revitalizing the space in conjunction with the arboretum’s planned growth over the coming years. There were many challenges throughout the construction process including permitting issues, design complexities, and coordination with architects and engineers. Persevering through these taught a great deal about project management, the construction industry, and the importance of teamwork. The structure is a total rejuvenation of the prior structure; it is now stronger, …

Combining Direct Black Hole Mass Measurements And Spatially Resolved Stellar Kinematics To Calibrate The Mbh–Σ⋆ Relation Of Active Galaxies, Nico Winkel, Vardha N. Bennert, Raymond P. Remigio, Tommaso Treu, Knud Jahnke, Vivian U, Aaron J. Barth, Matthew Malkan, Bernd Husemann, Xuheng Ding

Physics

The origin of the tight scaling relation between the mass of supermassive black holes (SMBHs; MBH) and their host-galaxy properties remains unclear. Active galactic nuclei (AGNs) probe phases of ongoing SMBH growth and offer the only opportunity to measure MBH beyond the local Universe. However, determining an AGN's host galaxy's stellar velocity dispersion, σ⋆, and its galaxy dynamical mass, Mdyn, is complicated by AGN contamination, aperture effects, and different host-galaxy morphologies. We select a sample of AGNs for which MBH has been independently determined to high accuracy by state-of-the-art techniques: dynamical modeling of the reverberation …

Anchoring Athlete Safety: A Case Study Of The Minor Athlete Abuse Prevention Policies Of Usa Gymnastics, Daniel Ray Raney

Experience Industry Management

In response to the unprecedented scrutiny following the Larry Nassar case, USA Gymnastics initiated comprehensive policy reforms aimed at strengthening the safeguarding framework for its minor athletes. The purpose of this study was to examine the organization's current minor athlete abuse prevention policies and evaluate their effectiveness. A case study was conducted on USA Gymnastics through a tool created by the researcher with data collected from USA Gymnastics Safe Sport Policy, the US Center for Safe Sport, and USA Gymnastics governing structure. While USA Gymnastics has created a formidable policy to protect its minor athletes, significant gaps still remain. The …

Measuring Gait Of Total Knee Arthroplasty Patients Pre-Op And Post-Op Using A Smartphone, Celeste A. Thai

Master's Theses

Motion capture technology is a tool often used in orthopedic applications, including measuring gait dysfunctions. However, gait analysis research focused on total knee arthroplasty (TKA) patients is limited, especially using motion capture systems. This may be due to a multitude of factors, such as inaccessibility to gait labs to the general public, difficulty of travel post-surgery, and overall costs of care and maintenance of motion lab equipment. New emerging novel methods use wearable devices such as smartphones and inertial measurement devices (IMUs) to perform gait assessment and are becoming favorable due to their increasingly ubiquitous nature. One such method using …

Host Response To Implantation Of A Poly N-Isopropylarylamide Injectable Cell Therapy Vehicle, Cole Matthew Burk

Master's Theses

There is a need to develop novel and effective therapies targeting end-stage peripheral arterial occlusive disease (PAOD). Inducing collateral arteriogenesis is a possible novel treatment that produces a natural bypass for blood flow, a promising solution to the long-term issues seen with current treatments. Regenerative therapies, and progenitor cells specifically, have demonstrated great promise in repair after injury and disease. While most progenitor or stem cells have poor efficacy in this context, muscle progenitor cells, or myoblasts, have encouraging results. Myoblasts enhance arteriogenesis and secrete cytokines or chemokines that recruit monocytes to injury sites. Implanting these adherent cells in a …

Design And Testing Of A Prototype Prosthesis For Pediatric Upper-Limb Transradial Amputees To Provide Adjustable Size And Modular Characteristics, Paul Heli

Master's Theses

This study was conducted to develop a financially accessible body-powered upper-limb prosthetic socket that can be adjusted to maintain fit and function for a growing child with a transradial amputation. The main objectives of the study were to design, manufacture, and test a device that was comfortable, functional, affordable, and adjustable. The socket was designed to be comfortable using global variables controlling the computer-aided design (CAD) model size with user-specific measurements. Comfort was also incorporated using shape-forming of the socket for specific residual limb features. The device was designed to perform the two main functions of suspension, or attachment to …

Development Of A Pressure Sensing System Coupled With Deployable Machine Learning Models For Assessing Residual Limb Fit In Lower Limb Prosthetics, Maxwell D. Lewter

Master's Theses

Lower limb amputations pose significant challenges for patients, with over 150,000 cases annually in the U.S., leading to a high demand for effective prosthetics. However, only 43% of lower limb prosthetic users report satisfaction, primarily due to issues with socket fit, which is critical for comfort, stability, and preventing injury. This study presents a deployable sensing system for potentially real-time monitoring of prosthetic socket fit by using pressure sensors and convolutional neural networks (CNNs) to analyze the pressure distribution within the socket. A novel CNN architecture, utilizing both dilated and strided convolutions, is proposed to effectively capture spatial-temporal patterns in …

Open-Source Cubesat Flight Board, Braydon M. Burkhardt

Electrical Engineering

The Helmsman Flight Board is an open-source main flight computer and electrical power system for educational and entry-level CubeSats. The board incorporates commercial off-the-shelf (COTS) components in conjunction with simplified monitoring and management circuitry, supporting easy adoption, modifiability, and affordability while crucially enabling the emerging aerospace industry’s rapid ‘design-build-test’ methodology in student satellite teams. Its design includes essential CubeSat subsystems such as battery management, command and data handling, attitude determination, on-board processing, and is built to support real-time embedded operating systems. Key features include an Arm Cortex-M7 based STM32, radiation-resistant memory for OS storage, bulk Flash memory, real-time clock, two …

Pokémon Go: Fostering Community In Location-Based Augmented Reality, Miranda Ward

Communication Studies

While most modern video games are played from the comfort of one's own home, Pokémon GO (2016) is a game that requires people to leave their homes and interact with other people in the real world. Pokémon GO contains community-building mechanics that reward players for interacting with each other and catching Pokémon. Due to this, players use third-party applications to organize meetups, particularly through Campfire, which is an app owned by the same company who created the game, Niantic. Uses and Gratifications Theory can be applied to understand why players choose to play Pokémon GO and what needs the game …

Rover Chassis & Suspension, Nikki Zainer, Aung Bhone Zaw, Joelle Romero, Colin Thompson

Mechanical Engineering

The Mars rover project is part of the University Rover Challenge (URC), a robotics competition organized by the Mars Society that tasks student teams with designing and building the next generation of Mars rovers. Cal Poly Human Space Technology and Research (CP-HSTAR) has inherited a rover developed by a previous senior design team.

This report documents the progress made in refining the rover’s structure, highlighting key specifications, and detailing design improvements aimed at enhancing the suspension’s structural integrity, improving wheel traction, increasing modularity, and developing an enclosed chassis for electronic components.

This report includes a detailed breakdown of the rover’s …

The Integration And Validation Of A Class 3b Laser For Stereo Particle Imaging Velocimetry, Jensen Lam

Master's Theses

Particle Imaging Velocimetry (PIV) is a laser flow diagnostic measurement technique used to measure spatial and temporal velocity fields. In an effort to promote experimental aerodynamic research, specifically an entry point for students to learn Particle Imaging Velocimetry, an in-house Class 3B laser PIV system was developed and its experimental results were verified with a Class 4 laser. Both systems were integrated on the Cal Poly Water Tunnel Laboratory. The work emphasizes the application of lasers controlled by a micro-controller to perform microsecond-based pulses and integrating a newly-developed device with an old system consisting of software, cameras, and synchronizers. The …

Design, Manufacturing, And Assembly Of Modular Snake-Like Robotic Arm, Alongside Design And Implementation Of System’S Digital-Twin, Scott Brown

Master's Theses

A unique modular snake-like robotic arm, also referred to as MA\RS – the Modular Arm \ Robotic System - was designed, manufactured, assembled, simulated, and programmed to create a modular robot which could move to a desired end position given the number of links, the position of the end link and the duration of motion. This robotic arm serves as the start of research into a modular space robotic system to be used in low-gravity environments. As such, this project focused on developing the initial design of the robot and its digital twin. The system’s modularity allows for changes to …

Quantifying The Mechanisms Behind Carbon Sequestration And Soil Health Following Compost Application In A Rangeland Chronosequence, Grace Damaschino

Master's Theses

Compost application to rangelands has the potential to sequester carbon (C) and add essential plant nutrients to the soil. The California Department of Food and Agriculture's (CDFA) Healthy Soils Project (HSP) provides financial support to farmers and landowners to implement innovative practices that promote soil health. The CDFA is currently recommending compost application rates of 6-10 tons per acre; however, previous research suggests that degraded soils may require a larger dose of compost to overcome limitations, therefore this recommendation might not meet soil health or soil carbon sequestration objectives. This study examines the compost rate effects on soil health, while …

Aged 539- Internship In Agriculture Education - Waterford High School, Jennifer Pierce

Agricultural Education: Graduate Internship Reports

This report explores the development and implementation of an agricultural education program plan aimed at enhancing student engagement, community involvement, and career readiness. Drawing from established models of program planning and needs assessment, the report focuses on the integration of instructional strategies, supervised agricultural experiences (SAEs) and FFA involvement to foster comprehensive student development. The plan outlines key goals such as increasing student enrollment, improving curriculum alignment with industry standards, and expanding partnerships with local agricultural stakeholders. Strategies include curriculum enhancement, teacher professional development, and the use of data-driven decision-making. The report also emphasizes the importance of evaluation and continuous …

Zero-G Exercise Equipment, Charisse Biglete, Jake Brajevich, James Monroe, Ethan Siahpush

Mechanical Engineering

In a micro-gravitational environment, the body undergoes less loading than that found on Earth. This leads to muscular atrophy, Osteoporosis, decreases in protein synthesis, and various other undesirable outcomes. To prevent this, astronauts undergo a strict exercise regime to maintain their health. The current exercise equipment available for spacecraft is large, heavy, complicated to use, costly, and unsafe. There is a definite need for the re-engineering of the exercise equipment to be used by astronauts while in microgravity environments to rectify these issues.

Beyond The Box: Delivering A New Look To Ohayo Korea, Beatrice Diaz

Graphic Communication

Ohayo Korea, a newly established business in South Korea, specializes in providing buying, packing, consolidation, and forwarding services for international customers seeking exclusive South Korean products or bulk shipments for business purposes. Despite offering valuable services, The business faces significant challenges in establishing visibility and trust in the marketplace. Currently, the business relies primarily on word-of-mouth and minimal social media presence, which restricts its reach and credibility among potential customers. In a highly competitive market, these constraints hinder Ohayo Korea’s ability to stand out and communicate its unique offerings effectively.

To address these challenges, a cohesive brand identity that resonates …

The Role Of Graphics And Packaging In Brand Protection, Charlotte Smith

Graphic Communication

This project was focused on how packaging and graphics can be utilized to help minimize the occurrence and risks of counterfeit products in the pharmaceutical industry. During this project, a brand protection plan for a fictional pharmaceutical product was formulated that focused on both developing packaging that is difficult to counterfeit and fostering consumer education. This plan involved covert, semi-covert and overt anti-counterfeiting features which were implemented in the packaging. An educational website was also created for users and distributors in order to enable the end users to identify if that product is genuine. The project objective was to better …

Restoration Of The Cantilever Deck Structure, Calvin P. Vigeant, Roger G. Biddle, Calvin S. Morgan

Architectural Engineering

The Restoration of the Cantilever Deck Structure is an inter-disciplinary project seeking to provide public safety, the continuity of a historic structure, and contribute to the life of the Poly Canyon Experimental Structures Laboratory. This project brought together architectural engineering students Roger Biddle and Calvin Vigeant and construction management student Calvin Morgan for a year long journey of Learn by Doing. The structure is visually stunning and gives the impression of a ship cresting a wave, featuring two prominent steel masts and large tapered wood beams. The deck is perched on a steep hillside site over a seasonal creek that …

Counting Catalan: An Experimental Evaluation Of The Mixing Time For The Triangulation Markov Chain, Roy Gotlieb

Master's Theses

Monte Carlo Markov chains (MCMCs) are used in many areas as a way to model a system’s behavior. By running a probabilistic simulation on a system’s state space, we can estimate properties of the system that could be untenable to directly compute. It is of interest to determine how quickly a Markov chain mixes\textemdash that is, settles into its stationary distribution. One such chain is induced by taking a binary search tree and performing a rotation or flip on one of its edges. We know that this chain eventually settles into the uniform distribution, but the time complexity bounds on …

Low-Cost Vehicle Controller Testing System, Kevin R. Jung

Electrical Engineering

This project aims to create a system to facilitate easier evaluation of PCBs designed for low-voltage vehicle applications with an emphasis on accessibility for student teams in collegiate design series' such as Formula SAE. Student teams or smaller vehicle electronics manufacturers often need to verify designs and validate functionality during both development and manufacturing. An inexpensive, small, and portable, yet capable, system for taking measurements and simulating inputs would allow designers to put their boards into vehicle-representative conditions and environments without needing to connect to actual vehicle hardware. Additionally, while systems exist off-the-shelf that could fulfill the requirements needed by …

Hitch Cart “Landing Gear”, Rebekah White, Jose Raygoza, Randy Hernandez, Brandon Leon

Mechanical Engineering

This report aims to allow our sponsor, to review our design process of the Hitch Cart Landing Gear Prototype. In the design overview section of this report, we discuss the primary design modifications we made to the wheel mechanism of the existing hitch cart prototype, including the addition of the ACME screws and the folding brackets. This allows our sponsor to see the intended improvements made to the past prototype and understand the primary goal of our project. Then, in the implementation section, we cover the entire manufacturing process to allow our sponsor to understand what manufacturing steps must be …

Pseudo Gps For Romi, Emmanuel Baez, Owen Guinane, Gabriel Coria, Conor Schott

Mechanical Engineering

The Pseudo-GPS system for Romi robots addresses the need for precise real-time location tracking in Cal Poly's Mechatronics lab. This project, developed by Emmanuel Baez, Gabriel Coria, Owen Guinane, and Conor Schott, under the guidance of instructor Charlie Refvem, provides a proof-of-concept system to enhance the Romi robots' geolocation capabilities for advanced robotic algorithms.

The proposed system uses a Raspberry Pi 4 equipped with a Pi camera module and ArUco markers to track the position and orientation of Romi robots within a lab environment. Custom 3D-printed stands secure markers on the robots, and a designated origin marker defines the coordinate …

Power At Sea Oscillating Water Column, Nate Hempstead, Max Wong, Ned Eyre Eyre, Luke Wierl

Mechanical Engineering

Current Autonomous Underwater Vehicles (AUVs) are predominantly powered by batteries or other energy sources that require frequent maintenance and human intervention. To increase the deployment times and efficiencies of AUVs, there is a need to develop improved wave energy conversion systems that harness renewable energy from waves and tides for power generation and storage. This approach aims to reduce or eliminate the need for manual maintenance or battery replacements, while also minimizing the environmental impact on marine wildlife and the surrounding ecosystem.

Expandable And Retractable Wheel Design, Ethan Fortenberry, Emily Cottrell, Keegan Martin, Benjamin Mcconnell

Mechanical Engineering

Our sponsor, Jeremy Goren, wants to see his patented expandable wheel design come to life. He requires a functional final product actuated by linear actuators and with a continuous, circular outer shell. The overall design can be broken up into 2 parts: the inner hub and outer shell. The wheel's shell will consist of a 12-piece outer shell that guides the 6 inner shell pieces. The outer shell pieces will be connected via a UBracket. The hub will consist of 3 identical parts that will hold 2 linear actuators each. The pieces will be bolted together to create 1 singular …

Piston Crown Design, Kurt L. Lippmann, Liam T. Janssen, Alex Rangel, Larry J. Davis

Mechanical Engineering

This project investigates the effects of dimpling a piston crown, and its impact on engine combustion dynamics. Through computational methods, the effects of piston crown dimpling on flow characteristics were evaluated. Theoretical results were verified with experimental methods. Experimental methods included characterization of exhaust gas content, engine horsepower and torque, and exhaust opacity.

Investigation Of Social Networks Upon Academic Performance And Mental Health, Rachel Izenson

Master's Theses

It has been shown that computing students have a statistically significantly lower overall sense of belongingness compared to other science students. A sense of community is important for many reasons. For example, there are studies that show that a student's sense of belonging correlates with improved academic performance. Our research aims to analyze the sense of belonging among computing students at Cal Poly San Luis Obispo through a network science lens. We surveyed for their sense of belonging, as well as their social network, to understand how friendships impact one's sense of belonging. When student responses were split by gender, …

Tanzania Design Build 2024, Elli S. Berger, Samantha M. Maher, Victoria J. Maestas

Architectural Engineering

In 2007 David Lambert, a Cal Poly ARCE alumnus, was inspired to build a school in Tanzania after spending time in Kenya completing his senior project. With the support of multiple Cal Poly faculty members, he assembled a team to launch what would become his master’s program project. Since no existing organizations could support their efforts, the team founded their own initiative, the Mbeses Initiative for Sustainable Design (MISD). The Cal Poly team shared their design ideas with multiple volunteer groups in Tanzania and eventually connected with Fr. Setonga who helped the initiative gain traction. A few years later, the …

Cutting Mechanisms And Control Systems Required For Precision Cutting With An Autonomous Lettuce Harvester, Aidan V. Fischer

Master's Theses

43% of California’s vast land is consumed for agricultural production to feed the United States and other nations Lettuce production alone brought in over $3 billion in 2022 in California. Most of the lettuce today is still harvested by hand using large groups of seasonal laborers; however, this has become increasingly difficult with an immigrant labor shortage. The objective of this study was to design a low-cost autonomous lettuce harvester prototype and evaluate the performance of the harvester capable of harvesting romaine lettuce preciously on a raised bed.

The harvester is equipped with an electrohydraulic control system that is used …

Real-Time Network Simulations For Ml/Dl Ddos Detection Using Docker, Luis D. Garcia

Master's Theses

As the integration of artificial intelligence (AI) within cybersecurity continues to

grow, machine learning (ML) and deep learning (DL) models are increasingly used to

detect cyber attacks. However, these models are rarely evaluated in real-time attack

scenarios to see how subtle changes from the real networking environment can affect

their predictions. To address this issue, we propose a scalable, platform-independent

Docker testbed specifically designed for simulating real-time Distributed Denial of

Service (DDoS) attack scenarios that allows researchers to deploy and evaluate their

pre-trained, ML and DL detection models. Our framework is simple to configure

and can run across Intel and …