Digital Commons Network^™

Wireless Communication In Autonomous Vehicles, Kaylie Bao, Nicholas Andrews, Mark Negus

Electrical Engineering

This project focuses on developing and testing a vehicle-to-everything (V2X) communication system using Dedicated Short Range Communications (DSRC) based on the IEEE 802.11p standard. The system uses the NXP i.MX 8XLite V2X Evaluation Kit, which includes the SAF5400 modem for wireless communication in the 5.9 GHz band.

The main goal of this project was to establish reliable communication between two V2X evaluation boards and to verify that custom, user-defined data could be transmitted between them. Through iterative testing, we were able to successfully send and receive custom 802.11 frames using the provided command-line tools and achieve consistent communication between nodes. …

Vlsi Spike Encoder For Spiking Neural Networks With 4-Bit Sar Adc, Jack Marshall, Wyatt Tack, Cameron Young, Ryken Thompson

Electrical Engineering

A spike encoder forms the interface between sampled data, such as image data or a sensor signal, and a spiking neural network by converting numerical input samples into discrete spike events. Unlike conventional artificial neural networks, spiking neural networks use spare, even-driven computation instead of continuous-valued activations. This makes them attractive for low-power embedded systems, biomedical electronics, and other edge applications where energy consumption, physical area, and thermal limits are important design constraints.

This project develops a modular spike encoder architecture for spiking neural networks with selectable support for temporal, rate, multi-spike, and delta encoding. Prior work has shown that …

Lora Radio Propagation & Antenna Design For Freight Trains, Cesar Chavez, Marlon Jennson Hernandez

Electrical Engineering

Freight-train environments present significant challenges for wireless communication due to large metallic structures, varying cargo types, and changing antenna orientations that can degrade radio-frequency propagation. This project evaluated the performance of LoRa-based communication links intended for End-of-Train (EOT) and Head-of-Train (HOT) systems operating at 915 MHz. Field testing was conducted to characterize antenna performance using metrics including received signal strength indicator (RSSI), signal-to-noise ratio (SNR), and communication range. Experimental results showed that antenna polarization and directivity significantly affect communication performance in freight-train environments. Directional antennas provided improved signal strength when properly aligned but experienced performance degradation as antenna orientation changed. …

Cal Poly Mars Rover Battery Management System, Lawrence Nichols, Caleb Michael King, Thomas Anh Khoa To, Angel Soto

Electrical Engineering

The exploration of space has consistently been one of the most expensive endeavors humanities has undertaken in its journey to expand ever further. The PolyRover project aims to not only cheapen that expense through student-based research but also provide a better bang for buck as more unmanned ground vehicles (UGVs) can be utilized on planets in concert. In order to do so, the rovers need a robust, yet compact battery management system that can fit within the wheel well. Our system will consist of six commercially-available 18650 batteries in series, organized in a hexagonal fashion around the motor. The BMS …

Lora Networking Hardware Reference Designs For Terrestrial And Low-Earth-Orbit Communications, Kevin Nottberg

Master's Theses

The work presented here demonstrates a highly robust and tested LoRa networking hardware reference design to meet the needs of the embedded networking company OWL Integrations. The hardware presented integrated a unique combination of features and design choices. The detailing of its unique design is potentially of use to others for use in fielded battery powered terrestrial sensor networking hardware utilizing LoRa. Also, the terrestrial hardware presented is shown to have the capability to support command and control (C2) LoRa links in low-earth orbit beyond terrestrial systems. The design presented has a more U.S. centric component bill-of-materials (BOM), with the …

Hvac Ductwork Lab Series - New Curriculum, Dean Cavanna

Construction Management

This senior project developed an HVAC Ductwork Lab Series to support Cal Poly Construction Management’s new mechanical coursework during the semester conversion. The main goal is to connect classroom instruction with practical fieldwork. The project addresses the need for applied learning materials that help students understand how duct design, fabrication, installation, and support affect system performance. The curriculum was created through a sequence of planning, model development, video-supported instruction, student handout design, and instructor guide preparation. The final lab series includes three activities: SimScale airflow modeling of a straight duct, direct 90-degree elbow, and curved 90-degree elbow; fabrication and connection …

Analysis And Design Of Auger Cast Piles With Isolation Casing, Zachary Lindsay

Master's Theses

This research addresses the analysis and design of double cased piles. Bay Area Rapid Transit (BART) runs a large rail system both above and below ground that connects the entire Bay Area. BART requires that all new constructions avoid transmitting axial load to their tunnels from adjacent piles. If piles fall within the zone of influence, builders must install double cased piles. Double casing is where there is an extra casing around the pile, with an air gap between them. The air gap prevents load from transferring to the outer casing. The length of this casing is called the isolation …

Short Arc Angles-Only Initial Orbit Determination For Reliable Reacquisition Of Low Earth Orbit Objects, Isabella Rackemann

Master's Theses

Low Earth orbit (LEO) is becoming increasingly congested, furthering the need for accurate tracking and catalog maintenance. Initial orbit determination (IOD) is the first step in this process, providing a preliminary estimate of an object’s state given observations. When it comes to LEO optical observations, a large portion of them are inherently short in duration. Angles-only IOD methods struggle with this data, often producing highly inaccurate solutions that limit reacquisition capabilities. This study expands on prior short arc IOD research, testing seven classical and assumed circular orbit (ACO)-modified angles-only IOD algorithms on real LEO observational data spanning 0-4 degrees of …

Experimental Methods For Cryogenic Rare Event Detection: Cuore And Cupid, Alessandro Libenson

Physics

This senior project was written with the primary purpose of serving as a introductory guide for undergraduate students learning about the experimental methods used in the CUORE and CUPID Collaborations. In particular, this project is geared towards getting students in Dr. Gutierrez's research group at Cal Poly up to speed on what CUORE and CUPID actually do. I wrote this as an undergraduate aiming to help future undergraduates. For Cal Poly students, I would suggest the following prerequisites before reading this paper: Electronics and Instrumentation, Quantum Laboratory 1, and the equivalent of the coding/analysis class. It is also important to …

Kinetic Sculpture For The San Luis Obispo Botanical Garden, Yotam Barr, Reynaldo Farias, Natalie Krueger, Priscilla Puei Ci Lam

General Engineering

Flower Power designed, fabricated, tested, and installed a wind-driven metal lavender and bee sculpture for the San Luis Obispo Botanical Garden Children's Garden. The project provides a colorful kinetic installation that complements the existing poppy sculpture while remaining child-safe, durable outdoors, manufacturable with campus resources, and low cost to the sponsor. The final sculpture consists of a steel main stem installed in a sleeve-style concrete foundation, three green branch clusters, independently rotating purple lavender bud assemblies, decorative leaves, and a bee. The sculpture was fabricated from steel tube, sheet metal, bearings, printed ASA components, paint, and foundation materials. The installed …

25₵ Per Minute, Tashi Manchip

Intertidal

No abstract provided.

The Temple In Me, Luca Shahar

Intertidal

No abstract provided.

Chasing Mavericks, Hannah Hochheiser

Intertidal

No abstract provided.

Rising Swan, Adrianne Brabant

Intertidal

No abstract provided.

Untitled, Vern Swansen

Intertidal

No abstract provided.

Moonrise, Krista Speicher Sarraf

Intertidal

No abstract provided.

Jacob Wrestles With An Angel, Lillie Turinsky

Intertidal

No abstract provided.

Calm For Now, Elizabeth Perhach

Intertidal

No abstract provided.

A Family History, Sofia Joyner

Intertidal

No abstract provided.

New Old Things, Emily Middleton

Intertidal

No abstract provided.

Big Eyes, Diana Boboc

Intertidal

No abstract provided.

Post-Credit Scene, Kaylin Alder

Intertidal

No abstract provided.

Science-Related Rhetoric And Action By United States Presidents From 1977-2017, Amanda E. Shea

Interdisciplinary Studies

Presidential rhetoric and executive action have played an important role in shaping how scientific issues are presented to the American public. This project examined how United States presidents from Jimmy Carter through Barack Obama (1977–2017) employed science-related rhetoric and policy regarding climate science and reproductive health. Findings suggest that reproductive health remained a partisan issue throughout the study period, while climate science shifted from a largely bipartisan concern to a more partisan one over time. The results also indicate that presidential rhetoric and executive action were not always aligned, with several administrations using science-related rhetoric more extensively than corresponding policy.

Mars Mini Rover Sample Retrieval Robotic Claw, Cami Chambers, Ani Lachikian, Alexa Ramirez, Alex Power

Mechanical Engineering

This project involves several key stakeholders, including the Poly1 Rover Club, Professor Rich Murray, and NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory (JPL). The primary objective is to develop an improved robotic claw capable of retrieving sample tubes left by the Perseverance Rover on the Martian surface. In tackling this challenge, the design must account for the harsh Mars climate while integrating cameras and electrical components, durable structure, and a rotational component to the Mini-Rover claw without incorporating an additional motor, sample storage unit, structural aspects or unnecessary weight. The current Mini-Rover consists of a four-degree-of-freedom robotic arm with joints often referred to …

Design For Repairability Demo, Wyatt Barnes, Andrew Petersen, Aaron Schiff, Ethan Dickson

Mechanical Engineering

Design for repairability is a growing focus in modern product development due to the widespread production of cheap electronic appliances with short service lives. When these appliances break, their low cost means they often end up in landfills, instead of being repaired. If these products were designed specifically with repairability in mind, they would hopefully be easier to repair by the everyday consumer. Currently, the Cal Poly Mechanical Engineering curriculum covers design for manufacturability, design for accessibility, and design for cost, but not design for repairability. To teach an effective technical elective class on this topic, Cal Poly engineering professors …

Sensory, Light, And Sound Box, Galilea Andrea Portillo, Hannah Elizabeth Henderson, Marcus Kiyoshi Kanenaga

Mechanical Engineering

The Sensory, Light, and Sound Box senior project outlined an adaptable, mobile sensory environment designed to improve cognitive and visual processing skills for students with Cerebral Visual Impairment (CVI) at the Oceano Education Center. Currently, the market lacks accessible solutions tailored to these non-verbal, low-mobility students, making traditional classrooms overwhelming. This project outlines the modification of an existing static layout into a functional, three-sided wooden over-bed frame that accommodates a standard hospital bed. Our team manufactured a structurally stable verification prototype under a $500 budget, integrating slow-closing outward-hinged walls for safety, dual Bluetooth speakers, and a synchronized LED projector that …

Cathy’S Catcher, Marlee Scott, Regen Worsley, Alessandra Valenzano, Aviv Ben Zeev

Mechanical Engineering

Deep-sea fishing presents significant challenges for individuals with upper-limb differences, particularly when using prosthetic devices that are not designed for recreational fishing activities. This project developed a custom prosthetic fishing rod attachment for a user who had lost her forearm and desired a safe, comfortable, and independent method of fishing. Through interviews with the sponsor and an iterative design process, a lightweight aluminum attachment was created to interface directly with the user's existing prosthetic quick-connect system.

The design process included concept generation, CAD modeling, rapid prototyping with 3D-printed models, manufacturing, and user-centered refinement. The final design consists of a welded …

Elevate Grill, Tanner Bachmann, Lance Anderson, Caden Huang, Jonathan Li, Brady Alexander

Mechanical Engineering

Santa Maria-style grills are a defining cooking tool of California’s Central Coast and are valued for their open fire cooking method and adjustable grate height. While this design provides direct control over cooking conditions, maintaining a consistent cooking temperature requires frequent manual adjustment of the grate position. This process relies heavily on operator experience and continuous attention, making temperature consistency difficult to maintain in a commercial kitchen environment. The Elevate Grill project was developed for Mike Ahrens and Wren Provisions to address this challenge while preserving the traditional Santa Maria grilling experience. The system uses temperature feedback from multiple thermocouples …

Stakblocks, Micah Satoshi Inoshita, Ava Rose Doerschlag, Cody J. Ellis, Zach M. Lawton, Fernando M. Nalin, Nicholas Humphrey, Aiden Reed Anderson, Sara Maya Suratkal

Mechanical Engineering

Researchers developing sustainable building materials from agricultural waste need a faster way to prototype and evaluate small-scale samples under controlled temperature and pressure before scaling to production. Sponsored by Professor Pete Schwartz of Cal Poly San Luis Obispo, whose work focuses on sustainable technology for developing communities, this project aims to create a prototype testing device for researchers studying agricultural-waste bricks, with the University of Malawi as a potential future testing partner. The final product is intended to inform improved future designs rather than serve as a production-ready device, ultimately supporting the development of affordable, sustainable building materials for communities …

Toro Cover For Bob Packer, Bailey Smolinski, Brandon Petty, Arturo Ramirez, Kathryn Proctor

Mechanical Engineering

Small pools, spas, and hot tubs are common in residential homes, yet small pool owners face persistent tradeoffs between critical features such as weight, ease of use, and appearance in pool covers currently available on the market. Most products optimize a single attribute at the expense of others. For example, solar covers are energy efficient but structurally weak, safety meshes are cost-saving but intensive to install, and retractable covers are automated but expensive. Beyond these tradeoffs, existing solutions often demand multiple people to install, take time and effort, occupy valuable deck space, and sacrifice the surrounding aesthetic. Therefore, small pool …