Digital Commons Network^™

Exploring The Extreme Mass Ratio Of Massive Binary Stars In M17, Erin Abraham, Saida Caballero-Nieves

Discovery Day - Daytona Beach

Over 90% of massive stars have one or more companions. The binary systems we have observed tend to skew to near-equal masses between the primary and the companion stars. We have not been able to resolve many extreme mass-ratio binaries, leading us to pursue different detection methods.

We present an analysis of seven massive stars in the young, active star-forming region M17 (d = 1.7 kpc) using data from VLT SPHERE. SPHERE is uniquely capable of probing the lower end of the binary mass-ratio due to its ground-breaking extreme adaptive optics and coronagraphic capabilities which allow us to achieve greater …

Optimizing Wind Turbine Blades Using Fiber-Reinforced Composites, Rayan A. Akeel

Discovery Day - Daytona Beach

This project explores how fiber-reinforced materials can improve wind turbine blade performance by making them lighter and more durable. It will examine different fiber types, their fabrication methods, and their impact on efficiency and strength.

Isolation Of Essential Oils From Oregano Leaves Via Steam Distillation And Extraction, Alyssa Brasko, Madison Fauntleroy, Sophia Bordone

Discovery Day - Daytona Beach

Organum vulgare, also known as Oregano, is a fragrant herb in the mint family widely used in culinary and medical applications. The essential oil of oregano contains various compounds, with carvacrol and thymol being the primary constituents responsible for the herb’s distinctive aroma and antimicrobial properties. Carvacrol, a chemical compound found in oregano oils, has a molecular formula of C₁₀H₁₄O, with carvacrol presenting a phenolic structure that contributes to its biological activity. Additionally, the compound has three double bonds giving the compound four units of unsaturation. Due to its properties, oregano oil has historically been used …

A Structured Approach To Requirements Gathering, Kevin Wooldridge

Discovery Day - Daytona Beach

Requirements gathering is a fundamental step in the systems engineering lifecycle, shaping the success of space missions. This research focuses on refining the requirements development process through a structured methodology, using Project COMET—a University Nanosatellite Program (UNP) mission—as a case study. While Project COMET encompasses various design and operational challenges, this study is centered specifically on improving requirement identification, analysis, and validation for small satellite development. The research employs a three-stage workshop-based approach. The first stage involves functional decomposition, breaking down mission objectives into system-level needs and identifying key constraints. The second stage explores structured problem-framing techniques to enhance requirement …

Umerical Validation Of Uam Propeller Noise And Impact Of Ground-Effect, Michael Marques Goncalves

Discovery Day - Daytona Beach

Aeroacoustics plays a crucial role in advancing propulsion technologies for both conventional and emerging aerial systems. This research focuses on rotor noise characterization in hover and ground effect using high-fidelity numerical simulations and theoretical analyses, aiming to develop effective noise mitigation strategies and improve predictive methodologies, particularly for eVTOL applications. While limited to a single rotor configuration, the study provides a foundational understanding of aeroacoustic behavior in multirotor systems within Urban Air Mobility (UAM). As part of NASA’s University Leadership Initiative (ULI), this work integrates computational and experimental approaches to validate numerical methods for rotor noise prediction. High fidelity computational …

Mathematical Modeling Of Space Operations: Optimizing Satellite Network Resilence, Mohammad Tasrif Khan

Discovery Day - Daytona Beach

With growing interdependence among satellite networks, the threat of cyber attacks on satellites can have grave consequences. To make satellite networks resilient to cyber intrusions, a solid mathematical umbrella that encompasses orbital mechanics, linear algebra, graph theory, game theory, and optimization is necessary. The paper proposes a new approach for modeling and mitigating cybersecurity threats to space operations, with a specific focus on satellite network robustness improvement. Using the principles of orbital mechanics, the research models the trajectories of satellites and their effect on the dynamic spread of cyber threats along links between on-board satellites. These insights are grounded in …

End-Effector Stabilization Of A Robotic Arm Using Model Predictive Control, Jasmine Nakladov

Discovery Day - Daytona Beach

As robots become increasingly capable of navigating difficult terrains, their ability to perform tasks requiring precise manipulation while maintaining mobility has continued to be an area of interest. One of the most common configurations of such robots is the combination of a quadrupedal base with a mounted manipulator arm that can perform complex tasks. However, stable manipulation becomes a challenge with this configuration due to disturbances introduced by the robot’s gait. Inspired by “chicken-head” stabilization, this project aims to investigate the effectiveness of Model Predictive Control (MPC) in maintaining a stable end-effector of a robotic arm mounted on a quadruped …

Impact Of Respiratory Muscle Training And Nitrate Therapy On Exercise Tolerance In Hypoxia, Danielle Norris

Discovery Day - Daytona Beach

This investigation explores the combined effects of respiratory muscle training (RMT) and dietary nitrate supplementation on exercise performance at sea level and at simulated altitudes. The study aims to understand the correlation between exercise intolerance, acute mountain sickness (AMS), and the redistribution of blood flow from skeletal muscles to respiratory muscles during high-intensity exercises and at high altitudes. We will test the effects of RMT and dietary nitrate supplementation on muscle tissue oxygenation, vascular endothelial function, and exercise tolerance. The study has two main objectives: First, we will assess the effects of six weeks of RMT on muscle tissue oxygenation …

Mapping Inundation Extent In Middle St. Johns Lakes Floodplains Using Sar Data: Investigating Stage-Area Hysteresis In Flood Dynamics, Keenan Hubbard

Discovery Day - Daytona Beach

Flooding dynamics in floodplains can be complex, with hysteresis potentially influencing the temporal relationship between river gage readings and the extent of floodwaters. This study uses Sentinel-1 SAR imagery to map floods in the Lake floodplains in the Middle St. John's River and investigates the potential presence of hysteresis during flood events. SAR scenes, each corresponding to analogous river gage readings, are analyzed—from a receding flood and from a rising flood. By comparing the resulting flood maps, we evaluate how the flooded area differs at each stage of the flood event. This research aims to contribute to flood monitoring systems …

Effect Of Vehicular Electrification On Air Quality In Florida, Shreya Sapkota Dhakal

Discovery Day - Daytona Beach

Vehicular emissions from fuel-based passenger cars emit an array of gases and particles that are detrimental for human health and the environment. In that regard, electric vehicles (EVs) present a viable, sustainable solution. This study investigates the impact of electrification of passenger cars on air quality in Florida, in five major urban counties namely Miami-Dade, Duval, Hillsborough, Orange, and Leon. Between 2018 and 2022, these counties experienced a significant increase of 217.68% ± 52.11% in EV adoption, coupled with a 11.56% ± 6.23% decrease in fuel-based vehicle usage. Herein, we characterize five pollutants primarily generated from fuel-based passenger vehicles- carbon …

Analyzing Safety Performance In Distracted Driving Behavior, Paulo Carreon, Nolan J. Metz

Discovery Day - Daytona Beach

With advances in technology throughout the course of time, distracted driving is at an all-time high in the United States. Even with high numbers, distraction is likely under reported because the behavior is difficult to detect during crash investigation, and police reports likely understate its incidents. Transportation safety is facing new challenges on the roadways. According to NHTSA’s newest analysis of 2021 fatal crash data, fatalities in distraction-affected crashes increased by 12% from 2020 to 2021, a total of 8.2% of all fatalities reported. Driving safely is always the priority and requires a wide range of skills. Drivers’ performances can …

Homomorphic Encryption-Based Federated Learning For Cavs, Jessica Christa Wira Hadipoernomo

Discovery Day - Daytona Beach

The rise of Connected and Autonomous Vehicles (CAVs) has led to a rapid increase in privacy-sensitive driving data, requiring secure and efficient learning frameworks. Federated Learning (FL) enables collaborative model training without sharing raw data. However, FL remains vulnerable to inference attacks, model poisoning, and data breaches, requiring additional privacy safeguards. Among various privacy-enhancing mechanisms, Homomorphic Encryption (HE) stands out as a promising solution, enabling computations on encrypted data while ensuring confidentiality throughout the FL process. This research provides a comprehensive review of HE-based FL for CAVs, covering HE schemes, optimization techniques, practical limitations, and hybrid privacy-enhancing approaches. Additionally, we …

Modeling A Potential Secondary Catastrophic Disruption Of The Veritas Asteroid Family, Jarrett Dieterle

Discovery Day - Daytona Beach

The Veritas asteroid family is a collection of asteroidal bodies found in the outer region of the main asteroid belt. The family's age has been estimated to be around 8 million years, and it was formed after the catastrophic breakup of a parent asteroid. After this breakup, the dust formed into apparent bands that are seen at infrared wavelengths at which Infrared Astronomical Satellite (IRAS). From the data extracted from IRAS mapped the sky. The dust bands are a fine structure component of the cloud that can be extracted using Fouier-filtering techniques. The filtered data shows peaks located at about …

Examining The Implications Of Incorporating Ai As A Teammate In Aviation: Trends, Challenges, And Future Directions, Aarohi Srivastava, Hunter Ackermann

Discovery Day - Daytona Beach

In the aviation industry, the incorporation of automation has caused a shift in humans’ roles from operators to observers. The increasing use of artificial intelligence (AI) in this field marks another significant shift from simply using it as an informative tool to using it as an active partner in flight operations. To increase safety and efficiency, studying human-AI interaction provides critical insight on how to optimize the relationship between dynamic team members. This paper discusses the current literature on incorporating AI as a teammate in aviation. A literature review of relevant topics was conducted and analyzed for common themes. Results …

Transcription Methodology For Soteria Simulator Scenarios, Joseph O'Brien, Inga Agustsdottir

Discovery Day - Daytona Beach

Understanding resilient performance in routine operations depends upon exploring new data sources to capture positive performance. The NASA SOTERIA test bed was used to conduct seventy-two simulated descent and approach sequences, into Charlotte Douglas International Airport, using six different scenarios with twelve flight crews. Audio and video recordings of the flights were captured. Processing of the audio content for further analysis was conducted. Transcription of the recorded audio involved a multi-step process using both human and automated transcription to prepare the data for further analysis. The methodology described in this paper applies to recording and processing of any audio data, …

Project S-Tax - Creation Of A System Taxonomy For Space Vehicles And Operations, Christine Portanova, Jarod Knauer

Discovery Day - Daytona Beach

Due to the rapidly changing space vehicle industry and the explosive growth in technology, access to space has been made more prevalent than ever. Currently, collaborative efforts exist to organize information about space systems, instruments, and technologies. Coupled with the quick pace from industry stakeholders, this innovative period has created a gap in knowledge of the classifications of space vehicles. This project aims to develop a comprehensive overview of space vehicles, organized in a taxonomy style. We seek to fill these knowledge gaps through subject matter expert consultation, the development of a systematic literature review, and the integration and consolidation …

Using Discrete Event Simulation To Optimize Flight Dispatch Routes, Joshua B. Mcgurn

Discovery Day - Daytona Beach

While flight is among the most important methods of travel over long distances, it is also among the most subject to delays; thus, much effort has been put into ensuring airport operations run smoothly. Though there have been many attempts to streamline operations within the airport itself, less attention has been given to optimizing aircraft movement and dispatching on ramps, taxiways, and runways. Part of the reason for this is the randomness and complexity of aircraft movement, making standard modeling techniques difficult and ineffective. This research has utilized discrete event simulation software (SIMIO) to model the ramp and runway operations …

Uncrewed Aerial Applications Of Precision Agriculture, Sriram Rajamani

Discovery Day - Daytona Beach

This capstone project will encompass the use of uncrewed aerial vehicles to detect pathogens and diseases at an early stage and taking corrective measures avoiding losses. Precision agriculture integrates technology to promote sustainable farming, with crop monitoring providing agricultural researchers and engineers reliable insights into crop health and damage. The purpose of this research is to show efficient crop health monitoring with the use of autonomous technology, in this case an uncrewed aircraft with an RGB (red-green-blue) camera as the payload. To tell whether plants are infected with such diseases, physical discrepancies like holes can be shown easily from the …

Learning Rock Pushability On Rough Planetary Terrain, Gulsum Tuba Cibuk Girgin, Emre Girgin

Discovery Day - Daytona Beach

Obstacle avoidance is a critical aspect of autonomous mobile robot navigation, particularly in dynamic and static environments. However, traditional avoidance strategies often increase travel time or render traversal impossible, which is problematic in scenarios requiring repeated navigation, such as planetary sample return missions, post-disaster search and rescue, or hazardous environments like nuclear power plants. A more efficient alternative is to manipulate and remove easily displaceable obstacles. Manual intervention, such as astronaut-led operations, is time-consuming, diverts focus from primary tasks, and can be hazardous. Autonomous robotic manipulation offers a solution but introduces challenges in determining whether an obstacle is relocatable based …

Meta-Learned Keypoint Recovery For Vio In Space Robotics, Emre Girgin

Discovery Day - Daytona Beach

This project proposes a robust framework for enhancing visual-inertial odometry (VIO) in autonomous space surface robots operating in challenging conditions, such as the Moon's dimly lit terrain or Martian dust storms. In such environments, traditional vision-based systems encounter difficulties due to the presence of poor visual features. The proposed system integrates few-shot meta-learning with keypoint detection, enabling real-time adaptation to sparse or obscured visual inputs. This approach leverages minimal training data to identify geometrically consistent landmarks and restore missing keypoints when sensor performance is compromised. The approach is integrated within a tightly coupled inertial-vision framework, which combines probabilistic IMU pre-integration …

Requirements Elicitation For Machine Learning Applications: A Research Preview, Timothy Elvira

Discovery Day - Daytona Beach

The development of software systems is preceded by an important first phase, requirements elicitation, wherein developers establish the intended functionality of a system to be developed in a series of interviews with a customer. These requirements can often be raw, requiring refinement in an iterative process. Traditional software requirements are of the form ‘The system shall…’, where each requirement is written to be clear, concise, consistent, complete, testable, and traceable through development. Because ML is stochastic, or uncertain, in the face of unseen data, ML behavior cannot be precisely defined. As such, it is posited that software requirements specific to …

Quadcopter Uav Control Systems Using A Robust Nonlinear Framework, E.O. Ijoga

Discovery Day - Daytona Beach

This work presents a robust nonlinear control framework for a Tilt - Rotor Quadcopter (TRQ) system, addressing challenges associated with model uncertainties and external disturbances. The proposed nonlinear control strategy is shown to achieve reliable trajectory tracking performance in the presence of external disturbances. The control method is based on the robust integral of the sign of the error (RISE) control method, which is modified to address the control challenges inherent in TRQ dynamic model. To the best of the authors’ knowledge, this is the first result that applies a RISE-based nonlinear control method to a TRQ system. A challenge …

How Low Can You Go: How Low Can You Go: Exploring The Extreme Mass Ratio Of Binary Massive Exploring The Extreme Mass Ratio Of Binary Massive Stars, Erin Abraham

Discovery Day - Daytona Beach

We present an analysis of seven massive stars in the young, active star-forming region M17 using data from the SPHERE instrument on VLT. Using SPHERE’s simultaneous dual-band imaging and integral field spectrograph, we detected potential companions for all seven target stars and measured the position angle, angular separation, and contrast magnitude for each potential companion. The potential companions had contrast ratios ranging from 5 to 13 mag in the infrared

Double Star Detection Software - False Positive Elimination, Lindsay Spence

Discovery Day - Daytona Beach

A double star, also known as a binary star, is a system in which two stars orbit around a shared center of mass. According to NASA, more than half of all stars in the sky belong to such multi star systems. Detecting binary stars is essential for understanding stellar evolution and the broader universe. Astronomers use satellites and ground-based telescopes to collect data used to discover binary stars. This research poster focuses on the Observed Minus Calculated (O-C) Method, which is primarily used for stars that vary in brightness over time. The method works by comparing observed brightness variations to …

Hypersonic Propulsion System Design, Gus Gatti, Nico Guido

Discovery Day - Daytona Beach

A propulsion system featuring two mixed-flow low-bypass turbofan engines (LBTF) and one ramjet engine was designed to satisfy a specified mission, which included a supersonic cruise at Mach 2.5 and a hypersonic dash at Mach 5 under ramjet power. A preliminary constraint and mission analysis was performed to determine each of the engine's performance characteristics and define the thermal cycle. Subsonic and supersonic inlets were designed, and the diffuser flow health was validated using Sovran and Klomp plots for both engines. Nozzles were designed for both engines, and viscous, angularity, and pressure losses were considered. Compressor and turbine stages were …

China Airlines Flight 006, A Case Study Using The Hfacs Framework, Gavin Weinheimer, Brain Zhou

Discovery Day - Daytona Beach

The Human Factors Analysis and Classification System (HFACS) is an accident analysis framework that helps accident investigators to systematically process information. The HFACS framework focuses on human errors both on the frontline IE pilots, flight attendants and maintenance personnel; and higher up in the organizational chain with management all the way up to the chief pilot and CEO. Using this framework the China Airlines flight 006 incident will be analyzed to better understand not just what happened but why the flight crew was unprepared for the engine failure and how to avoid possible future incidents of this nature. Findings of …

Identifying Factors Contributing To Spatial Disorientation (Sd) In Fatal Aviation Cases, Alexander Van Baelan, Belinda Tello, Katherine Campbell

Discovery Day - Daytona Beach

Spatial Disorientation (SD) is a critical issue in aviation safety, contributing to numerous fatal accidents. Pilots experiencing SD lose their ability to perceive position, motion, and altitude, often leading to catastrophic outcomes. This study investigates the risk factors most associated with fatal SD events, focusing on environmental, personnel, and aircraft-related factors. The analysis uses a dataset from the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB), covering 2,708 fatal accidents from 2008 to 2021. The research examines event characteristics, accident events, and flight phases to identify patterns in SD fatalities. Based on the analyzed data, environmental factors, particularly adverse weather and low visibility, …

Investigation Of Laplace Tidal Equations, Ian Donnelly

Discovery Day - Daytona Beach

We consider the general tidal forces on Earth, which leads to the tidal potential. This leads to the governing equations used in a shallow-water model to predict tides, the so-called "Laplace Tidal Equations" for tidal flow described as a barotropic two-dimensional sheet flow. We numerically simulate these Laplace Tidal Equations by solving PDEs in Python.

Internal Fluid Dynamics Of Oil And Gas Reservoirs, Christopher Miller

Discovery Day - Daytona Beach

This project aims to explore the mathematical principles governing the fluid dynamics of underground oil and gas reservoirs. Within the field of petroleum engineering there are many different variables and factors that change the way fluid within petroleum reservoirs behaves. Mathematical models can be developed using what we know about fluid dynamics and other areas of study to predict how fluids within reservoirs behave, making research like this very important to industry applications.

Genetic Association Of Alzheimer's Markers, Annelise Beauchamp

Discovery Day - Daytona Beach

This project will investigate the relationship between genetic variants and susceptibility to Late Onset Alzheimer’s. By leveraging publicly available datasets that show statistically significant associations between genetic markers and disease occurrence, this project will contribute to a deeper understanding of how specific genetic factors contribute to a disease.