Engineering Commons^™

Technological Integration To Enhance Jobsite Safety, Luke Barragan

Construction Management

The content derived in this paper portrays the effect that technology has on safety and how it may be enhanced and altered in the built environment. Ensuring safety on the jobsite is the most important aspect of concluding a successful project. Alongside safety on the jobsite is technology, both of which work coherently together to ensure proper construction. Technology has advanced tremendously in the built environment and it is difficult for all aspects of the project to be up to date universally. Safety lacks the technological integration that is found in the design and preconstruction phases of a project. There …

An Analysis Of Construction Estimating Software, Guilianna M. Lozano

Construction Management

There are various components that go into building a construction project. And regardless of the size of the project, construction projects have become increasingly expensive with cost escalations on the rise. The cost element of each construction project is critical to the success of the overall project. In today’s current industry, numerous resources are available that strive to assist the built environment with managing construction costs. Currently, construction firms are maintaining a competitive edge by using the technology that has been made available. The basis of this research, conducted using a quantitative survey, was to provide data that indicated which …

Construction Management Students Using Technology In The Field, Anthony D. Bongi

Construction Management

This research paper examines the affect technology has had on the desire for college graduates to pursue a career in the field. The idea of college graduates entering directly into a field leadership position was contemplated and discussed. Historically, soft skills such as leadership and communication have been the predominate attributes of any worker expected to run construction in the field. While the importance of these skills hasn’t changed, the importance of technological skills has increased to be considered alongside soft skills. Through an anonymous survey of industry professionals with 10+ years of experience as well as interviews of two …

Effects Of Cal Poly Construction Management Software Curriculum On Graduate Employment Choices, Andrew Holland

Construction Management

As technology continues to advance at an accelerated pace, the construction industry struggles to keep up with these rapid changes. Understanding and adopting new technologies, specifically software, are key to the future of the construction industry. Studies have shown that the slow adoption of software in the industry has more to do with a lack of training than the limitations of the software. New hires out of universities with experience and training in these software are the linchpin to adapting this industry to new technology. The Construction Management Department at Cal Poly is renowned for putting out new hires with …

Dripline: A Distributed Experiment Control System, Eric Gonzalez, Ben Laroque, Noah Oblath

STAR Program Research Presentations

Project 8 is a nuclear physics experiment which seeks to measure the mass of neutrinos. The experiment requires the use of various pieces of hardware which need to be controlled, and from this need, a software system named Dripline is being developed. Because most researchers have some knowledge in Python and it is easier to understand the syntax of Python as opposed to C++, a Python application programming interface (API) is being created to allow any researcher working with Dripline ease of use. As development progresses, features may be added or removed as needed which requires constant testing, debugging, and …

Implementation Of Industry Technology Into The Construction Management Department, Kristen D. Forster

Construction Management

With technology being one of the fastest growing items in the construction industry it is important to keep on top of what is utilized most commonly. To fully prepare graduates for the work force, the Construction Management Department at Cal Poly, San Luis Obispo needs to focus efforts on supplying students with the most commonly used industry technologies. Utilizing these programs in the current curriculum will ensure that graduates from the Construction Management Department are prepared to take on the work force with the most relevant software under their belts. Students who understand how to use these industry sanctioned technologies …

Implementation Of Industry Technology Into The Construction Management Department, Kristen D. Forster

Construction Management

With technology being one of the fastest growing items in the construction industry it is important to keep on top of what is utilized most commonly. To fully prepare graduates for the work force, the Construction Management Department at Cal Poly, San Luis Obispo needs to focus efforts on supplying students with the most commonly used industry technologies. Utilizing these programs in the current curriculum will ensure that graduates from the Construction Management Department are prepared to take on the work force with the most relevant software under their belts. Students who understand how to use these industry sanctioned technologies …

Astrobee: Air Sampling Device And Zero Robotics Game, Bryce Van Ross

STAR Program Research Presentations

Astrobee is a free-flying, 1'x1'x1' cuboid robot that is planned to be onboard the International Space Station (ISS) by February 2019. Astrobee will be the successor of the current ISS free-flyer, SPHERES. Free-flying robots possess a range of potential. They can facilitate work for astronauts aboard the ISS by performing rudimentary tasks and housekeeping (e.g., record-keeping, sensor analysis, etc.) efficiently. Free-flyers also act as innovative testbeds for guest scientists to perform zero-gravity control theory research. In recent years, SPHERES has hosted annual Zero Robotics (ZR) programming competitions in collaboration with MIT, challenging middle and high school students to write code …

Bridging The Gap Between Technology Usage In The Construction Industry And In The Classroom, Marco Maffioli

Construction Management

As construction begins to advance more and more every day, technology is one of the most volatile aspects due to its ever changing nature. Technology, and all the software’s that encompass it, is the future of this industry and if we want to keep improving and growing as an industry we need to better align our future new hires with the most prevalent technology and that starts in the classroom. Specifically, the Construction Management Department at Cal Poly, San Luis Obispo, one of the most advanced in Nation, still struggles to align with the expectations and reality of the CM …

A Survey Of Addictive Software Design, Chauncey J. Neyman

Computer Science and Software Engineering

The average smartphone owner checks their phone more than 150 times per day. As of 2015, 62% of smartphone users had used their phone to look up information about a health condition, while 57% had used their phone to do online banking. Mobile platforms have become the dominant medium of human-computer interaction. So how have these devices established themselves as our go to connection to the Internet? The answer lies in addictive design. Software designers have become well versed in creating software that captivates us at a primal level. In this article, we survey addictive software design strategies, their bases …

Djukebox: A Mobile Application Senior Project, Alexander M. Mitchell

Computer Science and Software Engineering

I’m going to discuss the process used to research, design, and develop a mobile application to handle song requests from patrons to disc jockeys. The research phase was completed in the first half of the project, during CSC-491, along with much of the design. The rest of the design and all of the development was completed during CSC-492. Once development began there were times when reverting back to the design phase was needed, which became apparent as more was learned about the mobile platform chosen for development, Android, and the backend server utilized, Google Firebase. Ultimately the project was purely …

Poly Drop, Zachary T. Scott, Lilly J. Paul

Computer Engineering

Poly Drop is a software interface to control an Open Drop digital micro-fluidics system. We obtained a hardware system from Gaudi labs. Our task was to create a Graphical User Interface that made the control of the device easier and more automated for better testing. We created software that had 3 parts: a control GUI, arduino code to control the hardware, and Image Analysis that gives the user information such as location and color of liquid drops as they move across the electrode grid of the Open Drop system. The GUI was developed using Java Swing. The communication between the …

Evergreen: A Senior Project, Ashley Grover

Computer Engineering

No abstract provided.

Technology Adoption By California Central Coast Contractors, Nicholas A. English

Construction Management

Technology is trending in Construction, but it is unclear if smaller contractors have kept up with these trends like larger national companies have. This survey of San Luis Obispo County specialty and general contractors queried technology adoption, specific software use, estimator age, and opinions of various estimating attributes. It found that the majority of contractors use traditional estimating and quantity takeoff methods, the majority of contractors are 31 years old or older, and that local estimators value experience and knowledge as opposed to computer expertise. Local contractors recognize the value technology can provide, but have not adopted it in a …

Tournament Wizard: Simple And Lightweight Software For Running Fencing Tournaments, John Ryan Daley

Computer Science and Software Engineering

Many sports use technology to assist in officiating and administration. Fencing tournament organizers use specialized software to help determine how their matches occur, and to help them administer a tournament. However, the software most commonly used to run these tournaments has some significant limitations, and is not well-suited for use with small events. As a former President of Cal Poly’s Fencing Club, I have had a chance to interact with one popular application for running fencing tournaments a number of times, and made note of its shortcomings. These included issues with operating system compatibility, license transference, and amount of space …

Inventory Tracking Software Improvement Project, Jacky Leung

Industrial and Manufacturing Engineering

FanimeCon’s Convention Operations department required standardized processes and controls for their inventory tracking software. On top of the current web application, new controls were put into place for checkout limitations. To allow for a continuous improvement effort, processes became standardized with a new graphical user interface where user input is recorded. These will provide processing times for further study in proposing redesigned layouts and more efficient processes.

Repay – Revamping The Reimbursement Process, Esha Joshi

Computer Science and Software Engineering

Repay is a streamlined service for interviewees to be repaid by companies. It plays off the idea that many graduating college seniors endure when looking for a job: there is not a hassle-free process for interviewees to be repaid for expenses when traveling to and from an interview. The goal of this senior project was to develop a cross-platform application (iOS and web) with the hopes of improving the reimbursement process for both future employees and company HR representatives. Research suggests that a more simplistic process will allow candidates to receive their money quickly and enhance the overall image of …

Campusbookshare, Aditya Varkhedi

Computer Science and Software Engineering

Every few months, students in the US and abroad face the expensive and time consuming task of buying textbooks for the classes they are enrolled in. Despite the advent of the internet and social networking websites the ability for peer to peer textbook exchange is still limited. There are few if any dedicated websites for general purpose peer to peer textbook transfer for every university and college.

The project I have created for my Senior Project is a peer to peer solution for buying and selling textbooks on US college campuses. The underlying idea is to create an authentication system …

Roborodentia Robot, Jordan Dykstra, Anibal Hernandez, Robert Prosser

Computer Engineering

This report provides details on the design and implementation of a robot for the Spring 2015 Roborodentia competition. The system is described from a software perspective, a hardware perspective, and a mechanical design perspective.

Skyrim Survival Needs Modification, Sheng-Han Chen

Computer Engineering

A survival needs system implemented within Skyrim's modification framework using Bethesda Softwork's Skyrim Creation Kit.

Drip Hydraulics Program, Garret Blocher

BioResource and Agricultural Engineering

This senior project report lays out the production of drip hydraulics software composed in Microsoft Excel and backed by coding in Visual Basic for Applications. The program performs 2 main functions useful in the design of irrigation systems. The first is based on performing single hose computations under three different circumstances. It can solve for the average emitter flow rate given the hose inlet pressure, the inlet pressure given the average emitter flow rate, and can model hose pressures and flow rates while flushing. The second function is to place a manifold in the hydraulically optimum location on a slope. …

Badge Web Application, Ryan Green

Computer Engineering

This project includes the imagining, design, build, and test of a web application that creates and tracks a user’s progress on completing tasks that an administrator has created for the user. The goal of this project is to have a functioning webpage that is robust and scalable to support many users and many tasks. The application will be developed for use on all modern web browsers, and will have a persistent server to access from any platform. This project was designed to be an exercise in building a modern web application, and as such is written using many different languages, …

A Software Development Kit For Camera-Based Gesture Interaction, Devlin Cronin

Master's Theses

Human-Computer Interaction is a rapidly expanding field, in which new implementations of ideas are consistently being released. In recent years, much of the concentration in this field has been on gesture-based control, either touch-based or camera-based. Even though camera-based gesture recognition was previously seen more in science fiction than in reality, this method of interaction is rising in popularity. There are a number of devices readily available to the average consumer that are designed to support this type of input, including the popular Microsoft Kinect and Leap Motion devices.

Despite this rise in availability and popularity, development for these devices …

Space Vehicle Testing, Charlotte Ann Belsick

Master's Theses

Requirement verification and validation is a critical component of building and delivering space vehicles with testing as the preferred method. This Master’s Project presents the space vehicle test process from planning through test design and execution. It starts with an overview of the requirements, validation, and verification. The four different verification methods are explained including examples as to what can go wrong if the verification is done incorrectly. Since the focus of this project is on test, test verification is emphasized. The philosophy behind testing, including the “why” and the methods, is presented. The different levels of testing, the test …

The New Bicycle Model: Introducing Software Considerations Early Into The Systems Engineering Design And Integration Process, Nathaniel Dinglasan Angat

Master's Theses

Lockheed Martin Space Systems Company, Sunnyvale, California is in the business of designing and engineering satellites for commercial and government customers. This task is by no means a trivial endeavor but Lockheed MartinSunnyvale has many decades of experience in Systems Engineering. Training in systems engineering is a long process whose training tools must be kept up-to-date and appropriate as new advances in technology evolve along-side with the processes that develop these ever-evolving solutions. For many years new systems engineers have been introduced to the Bicycle Model as a paradigm for designing and developing complex systems that are composed of diverse …

La Traducción Del Software De Mindbody Al Español, Molly Kathryn Mcfarland

World Languages and Cultures

This project entails the translation of the business management software of MINDBODY to Spanish to facilitate international communication and commerce for the company. This translation is meant to better equip MINDBODY with the tools necessary to engage in bilingual international commerce. Translation of this software demo is intended to aid the company’s Spanish speaking clientele and prospective clients by breaking down many of the language barriers they currently face with the software in English, and also to promote the recognition of the growing need for bilingualism in the rapidly changing world, both within and outside the realm of business.

The …