Engineering Commons^™

Low-Power Sensor Design And Fusion To Edge Devices For High-Speed Object Detection And Enhanced Soldier Situational Awareness, Scott Patrick Wood

Theses and Dissertations

Threat detection and physiological monitoring of soldiers from fused sensor data collected in real time is currently limited to running deep neural networks with substantial computing needs. The lack of data acquisition from sensor readings and efficient detection of novel enemy signatures motivates the need for a low-power, low-cost, wireless multisensor fusion computing system. We propose the current trends in Internet of Things to deploy a chargeable, wireless multi-channel acquisition system that can be interfaced to a high speed, Single Board Computer (SBC) such as the NVIDIA Jetson Orin capable of running object detection models, such as YOLOv7-tiny to enable …

Development Of A Smart Power Lab For Advanced Power Electronic Research, Joseph Lentz

Theses and Dissertations

In the pursuit of enhancing power systems efficiency, reliability, and sustainability, the establishmentof advanced research laboratories plays a pivotal role. This thesis dives into the development and integration of a cutting-edge power laboratory aimed at fostering innovation across three key domains: Electromagnetic Interference (EMI) analysis, Microgrid studies, and Energy Storage exploration. The first section focuses on the creation of an EMI laboratory tailored for the comprehensive evaluation of both radiated and conducted emissions. EMI poses significant challenges in modern electronic systems, necessitating meticulous analysis and mitigation strategies. By meticulously designing and equipping an EMI lab, researchers can gain insights into …

Growth And Studies Of Novel Quantum Materials, Niloufar Yavarishad

Theses and Dissertations

By harnessing the extraordinary properties of quantum materials, researchers are not just conducting experiments but shaping the future of technology. Quantum materials enable the development of smaller, faster, and more efficient electronic components, potentially surpassing the physical limits of silicon-based devices. This dissertation will delve into quantum materials' electrical, optical, and thermal characteristics, specifically focusing on cadmium arsenide (Cd3As2) crystalline platelets. This topological semimetal, which is a three-dimensional analog of graphene, has potential in applications such as infrared light detection and thermoelectricity. The study also explores the possible uses of a heterojunction formed by combining bismuth selenide (Bi2Se3), a topological …

Enhancing Interactions Among Dipole Excitations Using Surface Plasmon Polaritons: Quantum Entanglement And Classical Interactions, Jay Berres

Theses and Dissertations

The interaction of light with matter at the nano-scale continues to be an important research area for the application of nano-optical devices in wide ranging areas such as biosensing, light harnessing, and optical communications, to name a few. An important aspect of this is the interaction among dipole excitations (which includes classical dipole emitters, and dipole approximations of atoms, molecules, and other quantum objects), mediated by the device medium where they are located. Since the dimensions of these devices, by design, are at the nano-scale, the size of the dipole-dipole interaction space is much less than the wavelength of light …

Design And Implementation Of Truly Random Number Generation Using Memristors For In-Memory Computing, Nick Felker

Theses and Dissertations

This paper proposes a new security module based on non-volatile memory. The module uses a memristor-based true random number generator to generate random numbers which can be used for cryptography. The module is implemented in software using a modified RISC-V instruction set architecture. The paper evaluates the performance of the module using the RISC-V simulator Gem5. The results show that the module can generate random numbers at a rate of 63 microseconds per number, which is faster than the standard C library’s random number generator. The module can also be used to scramble strings of characters and generate hashes of …

Matrix Processing With Photonic Analog Computing, James Michael Garofolo

Theses and Dissertations

In the digital age, a wide variety of engineering problems have been solved, to a great deal of success, by digital computing techniques. The flexibility of software and relatively low cost of digital computing hardware make it an ideal starting point for solving a majority of tasks, and the numerical stability of software solutions make it highly appealing as the major workhorse for computational tasks. Despite this, many problems are actually suboptimally solved by digital methods, leading to systems with high latency, low throughput, power hungry parallel processing units and an excess of memory for discretizing sensor inputs. Computational photonic …

Shape Memory Alloy Capsule Micropump For Drug Delivery Applications, Youssef Mohamed Kotb

Theses and Dissertations

Implantable drug delivery devices have many benefits over traditional drug administration techniques and have attracted a lot of attention in recent years. By delivering the medication directly to the tissue, they enable the use of larger localized concentrations, enhancing the efficacy of the treatment. Passive-release drug delivery systems, one of the various ways to provide medication, are great inventions. However, they cannot dispense the medication on demand since they are nonprogrammable. Therefore, active actuators are more advantageous in delivery applications. Smart material actuators, however, have greatly increased in popularity for manufacturing wearable and implantable micropumps due to their high energy …

Federated Learning Based Autoencoder Ensemble System For Malware Detection On Internet Of Things Devices, Steven Edward Arroyo

Theses and Dissertations

New technologies are being introduced at a rate faster than ever before and smaller in size. Due to the size of these devices, security is often difficult to implement. The existing solution is a firewall-segmented “IoT Network” that only limits the effect of these infected devices on other parts of the network. We propose a lightweight unsupervised hybrid-cloud ensemble anomaly detection system for malware detection. We perform transfer learning using a generalized model trained on multiple IoT device sources to learn network traffic on new devices with minimal computational resources. We further extend our proposed system to utilize federated learning …

Physical Effects On The Worst-Case Delay Analysis And Signal Integrity Of Buses And Spirals, Mahmoud Mahany

Theses and Dissertations

Physical effects have a significant impact on the IC design which will be investigated in this thesis. Moving toward advanced technology nodes, magnetic effects become more dominant than capacitive effects. As the dimensions of the devices go down and the interconnect manipulates the circuit behavior more and more. Cross talking and voltage drops are affecting the design heavily, however - going to the full electromagnetic point of view - current return path (CRP) adds significant parasitics to the performance of the chip. Neglecting the CRP gives wrong intuition and simulation of the designs, especially that the environment and surroundings can …

Back To The Future: A Case For The Resurgence Of Approximation Theory For Enabling Data Driven “Intelligence”, Michael Dominic Ciocco

Theses and Dissertations

Artificial Intelligence (AI) has exploded into mainstream consciousness with commercial investments exceeding $90 billion in the last year alone. Inasmuch as consumer-facing applications such ChatGPT offer astounding access to algorithms that were hitherto restricted to academic research labs, public focus of attention on AI has created an avalanche of misinformation. The nexus of investor-driven hype, “surprising” inaccuracies in the answers provided by AI models – now anthropomorphically labeled as “hallucinations”, and impending legislation by well-meaning and concerned governments has resulted in a crisis of confidence in the science of AI. The primary driver for AI’s recent growth is the convergence …

Study Of Accidental Sliding-Mode Control, April Mary Miller

Theses and Dissertations

The objective of this paper is to examine the Quanser SRV-02 motor servo for the presence of an accidental sliding mode. The SRV-02 is used by undergraduate students to learn basic concepts in controls engineering and will display unexpected sliding mode behavior when its in the “out of box” configuration. To gain a strong background understanding in characteristics of sliding mode, a review of literature on sliding-mode control and sliding mode behavior is completed. Next, a theoretical analysis of the SRV-02 motor servo during the sliding mode is developed. An effort is made to find a Lyapunov function that proves …

Brain-Inspired Continual Learning: Rethinking The Role Of Features In The Stability-Plasticity Dilemma, Hikmat Khan

Theses and Dissertations

Continual learning (CL) enables deep learning models to learn new tasks sequentially while preserving performance on previously learned tasks, akin to the human's ability to accumulate knowledge over time. However, existing approaches to CL face the challenge of catastrophic forgetting, which occurs when a model's performance on previously learned tasks declines after learning the new task. In this dissertation, we focus on the crucial role of input data features in determining the robustness of CL models to mitigate catastrophic forgetting. We propose a framework to create CL-robustified versions of standard datasets using a pre-trained Oracle CL model. Our experiments show …

Model-Based And Model-Free Control Approaches In Subgrids: A Conceptual Review Of Control Strategies In Microgrids, Omobolade H. Abioye

Theses and Dissertations

Increased reliance on the power grid and concerns over climate change issues have resulted in the rapid adoption of renewable energy technologies. Consequently, it is necessary to consider how renewable energy resources are combined and controlled. The microgrid serves as the control center for distributed energy resources. This thesis paper introduces the microgrid elements and framework, its control strategies highlighting frequency and voltage control, and the prospects of artificial intelligence for control, considering two significant approaches. Key components of sub grids like the energy management system (EMS) and energy storage systems (ESSs) are discussed, and lastly, the …

Fair Fault-Tolerant Approach For Access Point Failures In Networked Control System Greenhouses, Mohammed Ali Yaslam Ba Humaish

Theses and Dissertations

Greenhouse Networked Control Systems (NCS) are popular applications in modern agriculture due to their ability to monitor and control various environmental factors that can affect crop growth and quality. However, designing and operating a greenhouse in the context of NCS could be challenging due to the need for highly available and cost-efficient systems. This thesis presents a design methodology for greenhouse NCS that addresses these challenges, offering a framework to optimize crop productivity, minimize costs, and improve system availability and reliability. It contributes several innovations to the field of greenhouse NCS design. For example, it recommends using the 2.4GHz frequency …

Development Of An Electromagnetic System For Wireless Magnetic Manipulation Of Soft Capsule Endoscope For Drug Delivery Applications, Nada Ashraf Hussein Mahmoud

Theses and Dissertations

Wireless capsule endoscopy (WCE) is a remarkable diagnostic device that examines the gastrointestinal (GI) tract. The WCE is a small capsule integrated with a camera that is used to visualize the inner mucosa of the GI tract. WCE has been proven to be the most effective method to diagnose GI diseases and GI cancers. The procedure reduces the discomfort and risk compared to conventional endoscopy methods. However, current WCEs lack the ability to take a biopsy or deliver a drug to a specific location. Those therapeutic functions can be introduced by wirelessly controlled WCEs. This thesis introduces an electromagnetic system …

Photoluminescence Of Beryllium-Related Defects In Gallium Nitride, Mykhailo Vorobiov, Mykhailo Vorobiov

Theses and Dissertations

This study explores the potential of beryllium (Be) as an alternative dopant to magnesium (Mg) for achieving higher hole concentrations in gallium nitride (GaN). Despite Mg prominence as an acceptor in optoelectronic and high-power devices, its deep acceptor level at 0.22 eV above the valence band limits its effectiveness. By examining Be, this research aims to pave the way to overcoming these limitations and extend the findings to aluminum nitride and aluminum gallium nitride (AlGaN) alloy. Key contributions of this work include. i)Identification of three Be-related luminescence bands in GaN through photoluminescence spectroscopy, improving the understanding needed for further material …

Explore Security And Machine Learning Applications In Next Generation Wireless Networks, Haolin Tang

Theses and Dissertations

Next-generation (NextG) or Beyond-Fifth-Generation (B5G) wireless networks have become a prominent focus in academic and industry circles. This is driven by the increasing demand for cutting-edge applications such as mobile health, self-driving cars, the metaverse, digital twins, virtual reality, and more. These diverse applications typically require high communication network performance, including spectrum utilization, data speed, and latency. New technologies are emerging to meet the communication requirements of various applications. Intelligent Reflecting Surface (IRS) and Artificial Intelligence (AI) are two representatives that have been demonstrated as promising and powerful technologies in NextG communications. While new technologies significantly enhance communication performance, they …

Energy Efficient Spintronic Devices For Non-Volatile Memory And Hardware Ai, Walid Al Misba

Theses and Dissertations

Nanomagnetic devices have emerged as a promising alternative to conventional complementary metal-oxide-semiconductor (CMOS) devices due to their low energy dissipation and inherent non-volatility. However, the widespread adoption of these devices requires high-density, high-speed, reliable, scalable, and energy-efficient technologies. This thesis investigates the use of nanomagnetic memory devices as both conventional Boolean memory and multistate memory for hardware AI applications.

Magnetic tunnel junctions (MTJs) are nanomagnetic memory devices that can be switched reliably and energy-efficiently using stress-mediated switching. However, realistic material inhomogeneity and scalability pose challenges for stress-mediated switching of MTJs scaled to lateral dimensions below 50 nm. We demonstrate that …

Functional Monitoring For Run-Time Assurance Of A Real-Time Cyber Physical System, Matthew W. Gelber

Theses and Dissertations

As cyber-physical systems (CPS) become more integrated into everyday life, the security of these systems must also be considered during their development due to their ever-increasing importance. With the growth of physical components in the system, more autonomous control requirements, and increased dependence on proper functionality, verifying system safety and correct operation becomes increasingly difficult. CPS have become more complex through the combination of additional hardware and the resulting interconnected software in many layers, each requiring unique security solutions. One example of such a safety-critical CPS embedded system is the Flight Control System (FCS) of an Unmanned Aerial System (UAS). …

Nano-Patterned Si Structures For Optical Filters And Electro-Mechanical Relays: Fabrication, Characterization, Prospects, And Limitations, Md Ataul Mamun

Theses and Dissertations

Nanofabrication technology, especially nanopatterning, is a rapidly advancing field that has already resulted in creating novel devices and holds promise for producing even more with unmatched performance. These techniques also allow us to gain insight into physical phenomena at the micro- and nanoscale. The ultimate performance of nanofabricated devices and their compatibility with existing Si-based CMOS technology hinge upon the careful selection of materials and precise design, coordinated with meticulous pattern transfer. In this work, we applied nanopatterning techniques on silicon to create optical filters for the shortwave infrared (SWIR) region and nanoelectromechanical system (NEMS) relay-based logic gates. Additionally, these …

Modeling And Mitigating Power Grid Vulnerabilities: A Comprehensive Analysis Of Renewable Energy Integration, Cascading Failures, And Microgrid Resilience, Saikat Das

Theses and Dissertations

In modern power systems, rapid integration of renewable energy and the emergence of microgrid technology emphasize the necessity for a comprehensive understanding of vulnerabilities and robust defense mechanisms. The research begins with an exploration of power grid vulnerabilities to cascading failure amidst the increasing integration of renewable energy sources. A novel power balance technique is employed for cascading failure analysis and power grid vulnerability measurement. Simulation results indicate that the growing penetration of renewable energy has a proportionally higher impact on grid vulnerability to cascading failures. After a certain level of renewable energy penetration, some systems may deteriorate rapidly, necessitating …

Efficient Connectivity Management And Path Planning For Iot And Uav Networks, Amirahmad Chapnevis

Theses and Dissertations

This dissertation explores how to better manage resources in mobile networks, especially for enhancing the performance of Unmanned Aerial Vehicles (UAV)-supported IoT networks. We explored ways to set up a flexible communication architecture that can handle large IoT deployments by making good use of mobile core network resources like bearers and data paths. We developed strategies that meet the needs of IoT networks and enhance network performance. We also developed and tested a system that combines traffic from several mobile devices that use the same user identity and network resources within the core mobile network. We used everyday smartphones, SIM …