Engineering Commons^™

Low Cost Vehicular Autonomy Using Radar And Gps, Nathan Jessurun, Ryan Gordon, Danielle Fredette

The Research and Scholarship Symposium (2013-2019)

This presentation describes a subset of the systems devised for this year's autonomous golf cart senior design project. Our goal is to explore the possibilities of low cost autonomy using only radar and GPS for environmental sensing and navigation. Although autonomous and semi-autonomous ground vehicles are a relatively new reality, prototypes have been a subject of engineering research for decades, often utilizing an array of sensors and sensor fusion techniques. State of the art autonomous ground vehicle prototypes typically use a combination of LIDAR and other distance sensors (such as radar or sonar) as well as cameras and GPS, sometimes …

3d Printed Pla Scaffolds To Promote Healing Of Large Bone Defects, Jacob W. Cole, Tiera Martinelli, Mitchell T. Ryan, Sarah G. Seman, Daniel Sidle, Stephen R. Smith, Rocco J. Rotello, Timothy L. Norman

The Research and Scholarship Symposium (2013-2019)

One challenge modern medicine faces is the ability to repair large bone defects and stimulate healing. Small defects typically heal naturally, but large bone defects do not and current solutions are to replace the missing tissue with biologically inert materials such as titanium. This limits the amount of bone healing as the defect is not repaired but rather replaced. The focus of our research is to develop a method of using 3D printing to create biodegradable scaffolds which promote bone in-growth and replacement. To accomplish this we used poly lactic acid (PLA) filament and a desktop 3D printer. To promote …

Human Following Using Kinect V2, Nate J. Titus, Tori M. Handley, Josiah D. Watson

The Research and Scholarship Symposium (2013-2019)

With the emergence of continuously improving imaging and image processing technologies comes the challenge of applying those technologies to create robots that can make navigational decisions based on visual inputs. In this project, a human-following robot is designed and implemented using the Microsoft Kinect v2 system for PC. This system feeds the robot both color and depth information from the environment in front of it, allowing it to navigate obstacles and follow a specific user. The Kinect is used to find the user’s location with respect to the robot, based primarily on what the user is wearing and where the …

Gradel, Emily R. Wolf, Christopher D. Brauns Ii, Timothy G. Smith Ii, Emmett Z. Budd

The Research and Scholarship Symposium (2013-2019)

A major problem facing Computer Science faculty members at Cedarville University is grading student assignments. Specifically, grading programming assignments can be a repetitive, time-consuming process which makes it prime for automation. Professors need a web application that takes student code, compiles it, and compares the output to what the professors provides as correct. Gradel, a senior design project, allows students to submit their code online and receive instant feedback based on professor-designed test cases. Furthermore, professors need to be able to keep track of what grades students earn on their projects, which is functionality Gradel provides. In addition to allowing …

Augmented Reality Technician Assistance Program, Jackson W. Volante, Kidron R. Filbrun, Jeffrey T. Deane, Andrew T. Carr, Nathan A. Harold, Daniel J. Eckley

The Research and Scholarship Symposium (2013-2019)

The Augmented Reality Technician Assistance Program is a proof-of-concept project for allowing a remote expert to communicate with and assist a field technician in completing procedures with which the technician may be unfamiliar. For example, an expert in Navy aircraft maintenance could advise an Air Force flight mechanic about performing repairs or maintenance on Navy aircraft. The end goal of our Cedarville computer science capstone project is to create an experimental prototype to deliver to the Air Force Research Laboratory. In our prototype the expert uses a Microsoft Surface Pro tablet to communicate via marked up still images with a …

An Electrochemical Analysis Of Fretting Corrosion In Metal-On-Metal Hip Implants Subjected To High Impaction Loads, Joe Morin, Timothy L. Norman, Thomas K. Fehring

The Research and Scholarship Symposium (2013-2019)

The metal-on-metal total hip arthroplasty, a procedure where the hip joint is replaced by a femoral prosthesis with a metal femoral head and a metal socket, has been a popular option for patients requiring a hip joint replacement. Metal on metal hip implants have been a successful implant design until recently where there has been an increased number of failures of this type of implant due to fretting corrosion, believed to be caused from the use of large femoral heads. Fretting corrosion in hip implants results from cyclic micromotion at the taper-trunnion interface; this interface motion removes the protective oxidation …

3d Printing Of Biodegradable Scaffolds For Tissue Engineering Applications, Joe Morin, Michael Pickett, Amy Abraham, Tiera Martinelli

The Research and Scholarship Symposium (2013-2019)

With the recent improvements in three dimensional (3D) printing technologies, the potential for tissue engineering and regenerative medicine have significantly improved. One key idea in tissue engineering is to specifically design scaffolds to aid in the healing process by being incorporated into the body’s own tissue. The overall goal of this project is to investigate 3D printable scaffold design to access suitability for tissue replacement. This was accomplished by analyzing the effect of the material used to create the scaffolds, pore size, and pore shape on mechanical stiffness and cell culturability. Based on published literature, it was determined that, depending …

Cusigns: A Dynamic Solution For Digital Signage, Jonathan Easterday, Wesley Kelly, Todd Landis, Nicole D. Perez

The Research and Scholarship Symposium (2013-2019)

Cedarville University has computer monitors located throughout campus in order to show advertisements and important information to students, faculty, and staff. The slides shown on these displays are scheduled using Concerto: web-based software which manages digital signage. Though the Concerto software is currently used to manage digital signage, Cedarville University’s IT department desires features which Concerto does not provide, including the ability to play videos, a better slide randomization algorithm, emergency broadcasting features, and an intuitive user interface. We have created a new solution for digital signage called CUSigns with the goal of providing the existing functionality of Concerto while …

2017 Symposium Overview, Cedarville University

The Research and Scholarship Symposium (2013-2019)

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Spinal Implant Design And Subsidence: Finite Element Analysis, Samuel G. Stanaford, Timothy L. Norman

The Research and Scholarship Symposium (2013-2019)

Artificial disc replacement and intervertebral fusion devices are alternatives to pain and spinal instability when disc failure occurs. Understanding the mechanical performance of these devices can be achieved by long term clinical studies, costly experimental studies or through numeral analysis using finite elements. This study was conducted to study the subsidence, or vertical motion of the artificial disc or fusion device into adjacent vertebral body segments. Specifically, the effect of implant size, shape and sagittal profile was studied using a finite element model of the L4/L5 human spine using ABAQUS finite element software. Results compared the stress state and subsidence …

Ac Power Monitoring System Provides Individual Circuit Energy Consumption Data, Jared L. Newman, Grayson H. Dearing, Luke M. Tomlinson, Frederick G. Harmon

The Research and Scholarship Symposium (2013-2019)

Motivated by high energy costs, people and organizations want to cut back on their energy consumption. However, the only feedback consumers typically receive is a monthly bill listing their total electricity usage (in kWh). Some companies have begun developing systems that allow households and organizations to monitor their energy usage for individual circuits. Available systems are expensive so a CU engineering senior design team has designed, fabricated, and tested a system for use at Cedarville University. The AC power monitoring system has the ability to measure energy consumption for each individual circuit in the breaker panel, store the data, and …

Spinal Implant Design And Subsidence, Schuyler E. Price, Lorrin Schoeneweis, Hannah Steele, Matthew Shomper, Timothy L. Norman

The Research and Scholarship Symposium (2013-2019)

A spinal implant may be used in people who have diseased or injured intervertebral discs pushing against their spinal cord and nerves, causing them loss of sensation due to nerve impingement. Patients who have not found relief through non-surgical means may require a discectomy, which removes the disc and relieves the pressure. There are several ways to then fill the resulting gap which include fusion devices, artificial disc replacement (ADR) devices, or bone grafts. Our study focused on the first two mechanical options.

Subsidence, or the vertical movement of the device into the adjacent vertebral bodies, is an often reported …

2016 Symposium Overview, Cedarville University

The Research and Scholarship Symposium (2013-2019)

Click the "Download" button in the top right corner to view the abstract booklet.

Finite Element Analysis (Fea) Of The Taper-Trunnion Interface In A Metal On Metal Hip Implant, Kyle M. Bradley, Timothy L. Norman, Thomas K. Fehring

The Research and Scholarship Symposium (2013-2019)

Metal on metal total hip replacements are a common procedure in which the hip joint is replaced with a metal stem, a metal femoral head and a metal socket, usually made of titanium or cobalt chromium. The stem has a tapered region (trunnion) where the femoral head is impacted onto. This creates what is known as the taper-trunnion interface within a hip implant. However, these hip implants seem to be very susceptible to fretting corrosion, where the corrosive fluid environment of the body accelerates the process of wear between two contact surfaces. Previous research has suggested that the design parameters …

Wearable Computing With Google Glass, Aaron P. Countryman, Nathan T. Hale, Ian W. Mcquaid

The Research and Scholarship Symposium (2013-2019)

This presentation reports on the results of student research and development in the area of mobile computing for Android devices. Specifically, it discusses students' experience implementing mobile applications on Android smartphones and Google's wearable Glass device. Individual technologies addressed in the presentation are head-mounted computing and displays, voice recognition and control, wireless communication, augmented reality, telepresence, and user interface development. This project was developed in cooperation with the Air Force Research Labs at Wright-Patterson Air Force Base.

Design Of Tkr Tibial Insert For Bowlegged Gait, Michael R. Gardner, Nathan A. Hanbury, Joel D. Hutchison, Dana C. Madsen, Joel D. Slabach, Kyle M. Bradley, Timothy L. Norman, J. D. Blaha

The Research and Scholarship Symposium (2013-2019)

One of the causes associated with total knee replacement (TKR) surgery is abnormal gait. In these gait cases, however, the TKR does not solve the ultimate issue because abnormal gait still occurs, and similar excessive forces still occur on the knee. It is likely that the TKR will experience accelerated wear, and the individual may have to undergo a second TKR sometime in the future. For our purposes, bowleggedness is either the external rotation of the hip or excessive varus of the knee. It was hypothesized that the inability to internally rotate the hip increases adduction moment and medial compartment …

Cilia Have A Significant Role In Regulating Cell Size In Response To Fluid Flow Induced Shear Stress In A Flow Chamber, Ryan M. Hecklinger, Schuyler E. Price, Matthew B. Welkie Jr., Timothy L. Norman, Elisha R. Injeti

The Research and Scholarship Symposium (2013-2019)

Cilia are hair-like protrusions on the apical surface of cells. Their function is to relay mechanical signals like shear stress from extracellular into intracellular environment and thereby maintain cellular homeostasis. Ciliary dysfunctions include polycystic kidney disease and new therapeutic interventions based on ciliary function are under investigation. The current study evaluates the use of a custom designed fluid flow chamber’s ability to study the role of cilia in regulating cell size in response to shear stress.

A fluid flow chamber that continually maintains laminar flow at different flow rates and temperature was designed. Endothelial wild type cells (ETWT) that have …

2015 Symposium Overview, Cedarville University

The Research and Scholarship Symposium (2013-2019)

Click the "Download" button in the top right corner to view the abstract booklet.

Gui Interfacing Of Dicom Images Including 3d Model Creation, Matthew C. Pack, Nathan R. Paddock, Erich P. Schroeder, Michael R. Tapia

The Research and Scholarship Symposium (2013-2019)

The purpose of this project is to create a simple method for viewing DICOM images taken during a medical scan such as CT or MRI. To perform this, Matlab programming was used to create a graphical user interface. This interface shows the user the image and attached information with subsequent images accessible via a slider bar. Furthermore, the user has the option to view a three-dimensional model of the object scanned which can then be rotated and viewed at multiple angles. This modeling was achieved using custom edge detection algorithms which locate and exclude exterior edges to allow viewing of …

Using Computational Fluid Dynamics To Predict Drag On A Boat Hull, John Howland, Zhaohui (George) Qin, Timothy B. Dewhurst

The Research and Scholarship Symposium (2013-2019)

For many years Cedarville University’s Solar Boat team has been designing and creating boat hulls. One of the key elements in designing a hull is to decrease the amount of drag or resistance the boat has when moving through the water. Previous mechanical engineering seniors at Cedarville University have attempted to use computational fluid dynamics or CFD to predict the drag on the Solar Boat hull with software called Fluent produced by Ansys. However, they have been unsuccessful due to the complexity when trying to model two phases of flow, e.g. air and water. The project however, was successful in …

The Scholarly Role Of Faculty Advisors In Student Engineering Competition Projects, Gerald M. Brown, Timothy B. Dewhurst

The Research and Scholarship Symposium (2013-2019)

Engineering faculty advisors at Cedarville University work closely with senior engineering students on the Solar Boat team to improve the boat’s performance each year and continue the team’s legacy of 7 wins in the last 10 years at the Solar Splash Competition. The faculty-student relationships are at times similar to that of a mentor and apprentice, and at other times similar to that of an engineering manager and a team of engineers. This mentor/manager approach allows us to maintain technical continuity from year to year between student teams, develop and maintain an increasingly sophisticated team knowledge base, coach the students …

Taper-Trunion Interface Stresses In Metal On Metal Hip Implants, Timothy L. Norman, Scott Gardner, Andrew Orton, Sharon Grafton, Thomas Fehring

The Research and Scholarship Symposium (2013-2019)

Metal on metal (MoM) total hip arthroplasty describes a hip joint replacement where a metal (cobalt chromium) femoral head articulates against a metal socket. This implant scenario has generally been successful until recently when larger (> 36 mm) metal heads have become more popular as a means to reduce the incidence of hip joint dislocation. Today, the number of clinical failures (described by fretting corrosion and a need for revision surgery) of MoM total hip arthroplasty is occurring at unacceptable rates. The objective of our research was to investigate the effect of horizontal lever arm (HLA), a geometric variable that …

Interact With Speciknee: A Software Tool For Design Of Simple Four-Bar Prosthesic Knee Joints, Thomas J. Thompson, Erkai L. Watson

The Research and Scholarship Symposium (2013-2019)

This poster and interactive demonstration presents an educational computer design tool which could enable prosthetists and mechanical designers to tailor the motion of low-cost, four-bar prosthetic knees to the sizes and needs of individual amputees. In designing a prosthetic knee joint, it is important to control the position of the lower leg in three angles of flexion and to control its center of rotation in the standing position. In 2010 [1] this problem was analyzed using vector methods, and an algorithm was written which produced curves displaying pivot locations which solve the problem exactly. Since then, a software tool called …

2014 Symposium Overview, Cedarville University

The Research and Scholarship Symposium (2013-2019)

Click the "Download" button in the top right corner to view the abstract booklet.

Using Image Processing To Enhance Vehicle Safety, Malia Amling, Martin Klein

The Research and Scholarship Symposium (2013-2019)

No abstract provided.

A Low-Cost Implementation Of Vehicular Platooning Using Pic Microcontroller And Diversified Sensors, Malia Amling

The Research and Scholarship Symposium (2013-2019)

No abstract provided.