Digital Commons Network^™

3d Printing Scoliosis Braces, Zak Neddo, Jaylan Mo

College of Engineering Summer Undergraduate Research Program

As 3D printing technology continues to transform the healthcare industry, the need for FDA-compliant additive manufacturing facilities in public universities has become increasingly important. While private companies and medical research institutions have successfully integrated 3D printing for medical device prototyping and surgical planning, public universities—including Cal Poly—lack the dedicated infrastructure needed to support FDA-regulated medical manufacturing and research. This project aims to bridge that gap by researching, designing, and implementing a dedicated FDA-compliant section within Cal Poly’s multi-purpose 3D Printing Facility. Over the course of eight weeks, student researchers will study FDA regulations, design an optimized facility layout, and implement …

Deep Learning In Eye-Tracking Biomarkers For Anomaly Detection, Jay Rajesh

College of Engineering Summer Undergraduate Research Program

This research project proposes the development of a novel, data-driven framework for detecting concussions using machine learning (ML) and deep learning (DL) models applied to high-resolution eye-tracking data. Unlike traditional concussion assessments that rely on subjective evaluations, this work seeks to identify objective, quantifiable biomarkers derived from ocular dynamics—such as saccadic velocity, smooth pursuit accuracy, and pupillary response—captured through advanced eye-tracking technology. The project will explore state-of-the-art feature extraction techniques and predictive modeling approaches to uncover subtle neuro-ocular signatures associated with mild traumatic brain injury. By combining principles from biomedical signal processing, artificial intelligence, and neurophysiology, this work advances current …

Designing For Maintainability, Kyle Marshall

College of Engineering Summer Undergraduate Research Program

This research focuses on creating an experiment to measure performance of an aircraft propeller on a specially designed stand. Results from the wind tunnel experiments measuring thrust, rotation speed and torque will enable students to create a database of propeller characteristics for use in aircraft design projects. Students in aerospace engineering are regularly assigned design projects powered by turboprop or propeller driven engines. There is not an easy way to verify design performance other than simplistic calculations or extrapolation of open-source wind tunnel data, and not a lot of data is available. Being able to correlate actual test data from …

A Biomimetic Fe Model Of The Human Foot For Kinematic And Footwear Analysis, Brady K. Nakamura

College of Engineering Summer Undergraduate Research Program

The idea of the present proposal is to develop a biomimetic foot model and validate the model accuracy in predicting plantar stresses on the foot, using insole pressure sensors. The incidences of foot pain can often be coupled with uncomfortable footwear and prolonged usage of a shoe may be associated with long-term musculoskeletal disorders in the lower limb. While multiple studies have tracked the progression of knee osteoarthritis (OA) or midfoot OA and have studied the effect of orthotic treatment on the foot pain across individuals [1], there are few biomimetic models of the foot that can study and associate …

Relational Algebra Interpreter, Sydney Lynch

College of Engineering Summer Undergraduate Research Program

We would like to build a compiler for relational algebra that converts it to SQL. This compiler will be used in database labs to give the students hands-on experience to write relational algebra code. Current relational algebra compilers that are open source are not very good and are hard for the students to use.

Refurbishing And Deploying Oceanographic Equipment, Matthew Moore

College of Engineering Summer Undergraduate Research Program

In this SURP project, a student will help catalog, refurbish, test, and then deploy oceanographic equipment into Morro Bay and nearby coastal regions. In 2024, the Talke lab inherited approximately $300-400k of oceanographic equipment (sticker price) that was originally bought between 2000-2020. Instruments include multiple pressure gauges, velocity instruments, salinity-temperature-turbidity gauges, particle sizers, and a sonar for making bathymetric measurements. Help is needed to check (“talk to”) these instruments, determine which still work, and then field deploy them into the central coast., For some instruments, additional hardware (batteries, cables) and communication adapters may be needed. Because instrument software is often …

Orbital Mechanics And Ai, Daniella Luciani, Cliodhna Mcguigan

College of Engineering Summer Undergraduate Research Program

Traditional orbital mechanics courses typically start with simpler problems that can be solved on paper, gradually progressing to more complex problems that require computational tools. In the AERO department, we have traditionally used MATLAB for these computational tasks. However, the industry is increasingly shifting toward platforms like Python for coding these types of problems. Additionally, with the rapid rise of AI, tools like ChatGPT are now at the forefront of code generation. To stay ahead, students need to learn how to generate code using AI and assess whether the generated code is functioning as expected. This SURP will have students …

Light-Activated Self-Folding Of Polystyrene-Based Shape Memory Polymers: A Comparison Of Laser Induced Graphene And Marker Patterns, Amelia Lodwick

College of Engineering Summer Undergraduate Research Program

Shape memory polymers (SMPs) are a class of stimuli-responsive materials capable of undergoing programmable shape transformations upon thermal activation. Among various heating methods, light-induced activation provides a contact-free, spatially selective, and controllable approach for triggering self-folding behavior, making it particularly valuable for applications in soft robotics, aerospace structures, and biomedical devices. Despite the growing interest in SMPs, a systematic investigation into the influence of photothermal patterning materials, light intensity, and heat distribution on self-folding behavior remains limited. This research aims to explore the self-folding response of a commercially available SMP by employing photothermal materials such as carbon black and laser-induced …

Evaluating The Effectiveness Of Ultrasound-Hot Plate And Flacktek Mixing In Nanocomposite Panel Fabrication, Jacky Liang, Wyatt Barnes

College of Engineering Summer Undergraduate Research Program

Nanomaterials have found widespread applications, particularly carbon nanotubes (CNTs) in structural applications, which have gained significant traction over the past few decades [1] [2]. Numerous experimental [3] [4] [5] [6] [7] [8] [9] [10] and analytical studies [11] have demonstrated that incorporating CNTs into an epoxy matrix can significantly enhance the mechanical properties of the composite. This study evaluates and compares the effectiveness of nanocomposite panels fabricated using two different fabrication techniques: ultra-sonication combined with a hot plate process, and the FlackTek mixer. The primary objective of the research is to investigate the impact of these processing methods on the …

Exploring Epic’S Effect On Student Confidence And Interest In Stem, Alejandra Zuñiga

College of Engineering Summer Undergraduate Research Program

Obtaining diverse representation in STEM fields is an ongoing challenge. Black and Hispanic workers remain underrepresented in the STEM workforce, and women continue to have low numbers in jobs within computing and engineering fields (Pew Research Center). Diverse representation in engineering is not only important to ensure equity but also serves as a benefit to the field itself as it brings diverse ideas and opinions. Achieving diverse representation in STEM can be aided with targeted STEM education programs that introduce all students (including those from historically marginalized backgrounds) to the world of STEM.

Additive Manufacturing Of Multi-Material Aircraft Sandwich Structures, Dhriti Mandalam Surendranath Kumar, Cody Van Dyck

College of Engineering Summer Undergraduate Research Program

This SURP proposal is centered around the exploration of the application of 3D printing composite part processing techniques to produce multi-material sandwich structures for high performance applications such as civilian and military aircraft. These processing techniques have the potential to significantly reduce the costs and the environmental impact of existing conventional autoclave composite processing techniques. The exploration of new ‘out-of-autoclave’ composite part processing techniques may help to reduce processing costs and the environmental impact of processing, as well as broaden the engineering applications of cellular core materials beyond their existing engineering applications. 3D printing directly onto sandwich core materials will …

Motivation And Engagement In Outreach Activities, Aurora Geisen

College of Engineering Summer Undergraduate Research Program

If the four elements of motivation and engagement are present in engineering outreach activities, does this affect the desire to become an engineer? Four elements: Autonomy, Purpose, Community, Mastery.

If the four elements of motivation and engagement are present/increased, and thereby motivation and engagement increase, do more students attending an engineering outreach event want to become engineers? If yes, then those activities where the four elements are increased/present should show an increase in students who are engaged and motivated to become engineers. If no, then the design of activities is not a major deciding factor in whether a student wants …

How Students’ Geographical Area Influences Their Level Of Interest In Engineering After Participating In The Epic Program, Cristina Ruiz

College of Engineering Summer Undergraduate Research Program

The purpose of this study was to look at how a student’s location can shape their interest in engineering after taking part in the EPIC program. My research question asked: How do students’ geographical area influences their level of interest in engineering after participating in EPIC? To answer this, I compared students from different income groups: higher, middle, and lower, which was determined by using ZIP code data tied to average income and education levels. I also did a closer look at students from the Santa Maria region. Many of these students were connected to the Migrant Education Program, which …

Hands-On Vs. Critical-Thinking Labs And Engineering Pathways: A Gender-Comparative Analysis, Stacey Rodas Duarte

College of Engineering Summer Undergraduate Research Program

The purpose of this study is to compare short-term changes in students’ interest in engineering following two instructional formats: a hands-on lab activity (metal casting) and a critical thinking based lecture/lab (bmed). Using pre and post lab surveys, we evaluated changes in student engagement, confidence, and perceptions of engineering as a potential career. We also examined whether these patterns varied by gender among middle and high school students.

Making Lab Manuals For Optimizing Student Engagement And Learning, Carlos Perez, Andrea Bautista Rocha

College of Engineering Summer Undergraduate Research Program

Through the Engineering Possibilities in College (EPIC) program, high school students explore various engineering majors offered at Cal Poly. Survey reports filled out by students reflect areas of growth for the program and the engineering labs that they participate in. We expanded on this feedback by creating an effective lab manual based on the student feedback, aiming to optimize student engagement and learning.

Impact Of Lab Design & Prior Engineering Exposure On Epic Outcomes, Ari Nagle, Tim Pontes, Lena Roberts

College of Engineering Summer Undergraduate Research Program

Prove that the Engineering Possibilities in College Camp has positively influenced student interest in engineering with the goal of encouraging more students to pursue careers in the field.

Understanding The State Of Neuroinclusive Teaching, Jovita Maria Joseph

College of Engineering Summer Undergraduate Research Program

We build on prior work by others and by the PI investigating the needs and the state of support for neurodiverse students in STEM at the college level—beginning with the state of support at Cal Poly. Key questions we explore include institutional and peer support and belonging; neuroinclusive course design and the efficacy of syllabi; and the impact of low- versus high-stakes assessments on neurodiverse students. The project consists of three pillars: (1) theory—situating our research with respect to prior work; (2) empirical analysis—learning from the previous survey refining our research questions, and designing further experiments; and (3) institutional research—gathering …

Hpc Configuration And Automated System Administration, Matty Witt, Deep Singh, Christopher Imirian

College of Engineering Summer Undergraduate Research Program

With the exponential growth in the use of computing, there is a growing need for undergraduate students to enter the workforce with experience with more complicated computing architectures. The CFD research group in the Aerospace Engineering Department received an HPC system and related computing hardware through the Air Force Research Lab. This system consists of three components: (1) a cluster compute engine with 256 CPU cores, 3.2 TB of RAM, 4 Tesla A100 GPUs, and 200 Gbps InfiniBand network backplane; (2) a high performance storage platform with 540 TB of raw storage, 200 Gbps InfiniBand network, and BeeGFS parallel cluster …

Integrating Mobility Dynamics Into Facility Location Modeling And Optimization, Daniel Hopkins

College of Engineering Summer Undergraduate Research Program

Facility location optimization is a foundational area in operations research and data analytics that is concerned with determining the optimal placement of facilities to serve a spatially distributed demand. However, traditional facility location decision is often approached from a centralized perspective, where the facility planner dictates the allocation of customers to facilities. In this setting, it is typically assumed that customers patronize the nearest facility, and their preferences are not explicitly modeled. This traditional decision-making framework may not accurately reflect real-world dynamics where customers may choose facilities based on a variety of factors beyond proximity. Thus, this project aims to …

Supporting Migrant Education Program Students, Yaneli Cruz

College of Engineering Summer Undergraduate Research Program

This project explored the impact of the EPIC engineering camp on Migrant Education Program (MEP) participants, a group often academically disadvantaged due to frequent moves, limited resources, and lack of encouragement to pursue higher education. Because no new IRB-approved data could be collected during camp, pre- and post-camp surveys that students had already completed were analyzed. I converted the data into CSV files, built SQL tables, and wrote a Python script to automate the process of filtering and comparing MEP students, Session 1, with non-MEP peers. Results showed that 28% of MEP students started camp unsure about engineering, but 11% …

Hand-Tracking And Extended Reality Interfa, Alexander Bloomer, Alberto Cornejo

College of Engineering Summer Undergraduate Research Program

This project explores the use of Extended Reality (XR) technologies to enhance human- robot interaction in industrial contexts. Building upon prior research in affective and cognitive state recognition during human-cobot collaboration, this study investigates how natural hand and head gestures, captured through Meta Quest passthrough mode, can be used to communicate human intent to a Universal Robotics e-Series collaborative robot. The XR system provides users with an immersive, real-world visual interface while tracking motion and position in real time. The captured gestures are interpreted through a custom software pipeline that integrates machine learning models and rule-based logic to trigger adaptive …

Romance In Games, Camila Yermin

College of Engineering Summer Undergraduate Research Program

“Romance” is a common genre of books, especially among women, but in games it has a complex reputation: often relegated to visual novels or side mechanics in life simulations or role-playing games. These games rely on heavily scripted interactions, pre-written scenes, or represent relationships as a simple binary in code. This project aims to use cutting-edge embodied agent research and drama management research to build more inclusive, robust, satisfying, and interactive romance game mechanics. The project will likely be in 2D and use the Godot game engine, though the students involved will have the freedom to influence the design decisions …

Tvac Testing With Stella, Emily Lieber, Roshan Jaiswal

College of Engineering Summer Undergraduate Research Program

Thermal Vacuum Chamber (TVAC) testing is a staple in testing for spacecraft components and parts. Prior to flying in space, each spacecraft must show that their system will be able to perform while experiencing a large temperature swing from -100 to 100 C. In the fall of 2023, the AERO department’s new Thermal Vacuum Chamber (TVAC) was completed and ready to begin system checkout and testing. Over the past 1.5 years, the TVAC system has undergone short-duration tests to refine operational procedures and build general knowledge of the system. Starting this summer, the system will begin its first long-duration tests. …

Deepseek, Chatgpt, Or Gemini? A Multi-Method Investigation Of Neural And Behavioral User Experience (Ux), Keziah Gopalla

College of Engineering Summer Undergraduate Research Program

As artificial intelligence tools become integral to everyday tasks, understanding how users interact with these systems is essential for improving user experience and system design. This research aims to investigate and compare the interface usability and emotional responses elicited by three prominent AI tools—ChatGPT, DeepSeek, and Google Gemini—using the Emotiv Insight EEG headset. By combining usability testing with emotional biometrics, this study offers a novel approach to evaluating conversational AI systems. The study will capture both subjective usability metrics and objective emotional markers such as arousal, valence, and engagement. Participants will complete standardized tasks using each AI tool, while their …

Acoustic-Based Quality Monitoring In Fused Deposition Modeling (Fdm) 3d Printing, Madeleine Howard

College of Engineering Summer Undergraduate Research Program

This project investigates the use of acoustic signals captured during Fused Deposition Modeling (FDM) 3D printing to predict part quality and detect process anomalies. Traditional quality monitoring in FDM often relies on visual inspection or post-process evaluation, which can be slow and inconsistent. This research explores a low-cost, non-contact alternative using microphones and accelerometers to capture real-time audio and vibration signatures of the printing process. By applying signal processing and machine learning techniques to these acoustic signals, the project aims to classify part quality and identify defects such as under-extrusion, layer misalignment, or nozzle clogging. The outcomes have potential applications …

Building A Smart Transportation Network To Prevent Multi-Vehicle Collisions During Sudden Slowdowns, Leo Huang, Patrick Zhao

College of Engineering Summer Undergraduate Research Program

This proposed SURP project aims to design and evaluate a smart transportation network capable of preventing multiple-vehicle collisions due to sudden slowdowns in traffic. This project will simulate abrupt braking scenarios and implement adaptive vehicle-to-vehicle (V2V) communication protocols. By enhancing real-time awareness and responsiveness among vehicles, the system will reduce pileup risks and improve road safety.

Performance Dashboard Design For Radiologists: Highlighting What Matters & Fostering Improvement, Trevor Knotts, Jemma Simpson, Coleman Hawkins

College of Engineering Summer Undergraduate Research Program

TurboRad has developed a system with proven results that streamlines radiology report creation and improves radiologist productivity. A study performed in 2023 found that “the advanced macro-button toolbar system has great correlation for both lower report completion times and increased wRVU productivity. The benefits of the toolbar system are most evident in the simpler XR reports. Though they are simpler to read and complete reports, the greater quantity of XR reports contributes to a greater overall wRVU completion rate throughout the day as radiologists can spend more time on more complex examinations and reports” (Chow, Speece, & Holtzman, 2024). Since …

Sal-E: Responsive Space Pathfinder Mission, Adrian Serniak, Kayla Wong

College of Engineering Summer Undergraduate Research Program

The main objective of the SAL-E mission is to grow the Cal Poly CubeSat Lab’s (PolySat) capabilities in rapid spacecraft design and testing, as well as to provide the current generation of students with the opportunity to design, test, integrate, and communicate with a satellite. This summer we will mainly be focusing on aspects of spacecraft test and integration, as we prepare for our satellite handoff in the Fall. Specifically, we will be conducting satellite assembly, Thermal Vacuum Chamber (TVAC) Testing, Vibrations Testing, and software validation and testing on the flight unit satellite. Students participating in this multidisciplinary SURP will …

Engaging Students In Materials Engineering Through A Marble-Based Property Ranking Game, Nathan Cloughley, Alyssa Felix

College of Engineering Summer Undergraduate Research Program

This SURP proposal is centered on the design and development of a Materials Marbles Game, an educational tool designed to introduce students to materials science and materials selection through tactile interaction and hands-on experimentation. The game will incorporate measurement of key material properties—such as mechanical, thermal, electrical, and mass density—using spherical marbles made from different materials. These measurements will then be used to construct a physical Material Property Chart (Ashby-Cebon plot) on a game board, fostering a hands-on, embodied understanding of how different materials behave. The game will also illustrate the thought process behind materials selection, a critical aspect of …

Sustainability Literacy In Ceng, The Knowledge-Attitude Disconnect In Sustainability Education: Evidence From Ceng Students, Myron Chen, Rohit Kota

College of Engineering Summer Undergraduate Research Program

Higher education institutions are increasingly incorporating the concept of sustainability into the curricula, but the evaluation of students' level of sustainability knowledge is underdeveloped. The proposed research focuses on Cal Poly's efforts to integrate sustainability principles within the engineering curricula and the impact on students' knowledge. By analyzing existing data collected on the sustainability literacy of Cal Poly’s engineering students, this project aims to enhance teaching strategies and align them with the sustainability goals of both the College and the University. This initiative builds on work initiated last summer and seeks to better prepare engineering students to become future contributors …