Engineering Commons^™

Multi-Degree Of Freedom Telemanipulation In An Unstructured Environment, Diego Ramirez

Theses

Two approaches to 6-degrees-of-freedom telemanipulation that will accommodate different needs and skills of potential users with congenital amputation, arthrogryposis, muscular dystrophy and cerebral palsy were developed. One method uses scalable movements (i.e. position and orientation), and the second employs isometric forces and torques without movement. The scalable position approach employs a 6-degress-of-freedom electromechanical stylus whose joint orientations are used by the controlling computer to determine the position and orientation of the robot's end effector via inverse kinematics or by one-to-one matching of the stylus joint angles with those of the manipulator. The isometric method uses the measured forces and torques …

Numerical Analysis Of The Operation Of A Water Cannon, Teymuraz G. Bitadze

Theses

This study was designed to investigate the operational process of a launcher for generation of high speed water projectiles, and it involved the optimization of the geometry of a launcher body. The objective of the optimization of the internal geometry was to increase the effective momentum of the projectile while the optimization of the external geometry resulted in the reduction of the mass of the launcher.

In the course of the optimization of the internal geometry the exit velocity variation was determined, and used to compute an effective projectile momentum, which actually affects a workpiece. In this research, it was …

Burmester Curve And Numerical Motion Generation Of Grashof Mechanisms With Perimeter And Transmission Angle Optimization In Mathcad, Peter J. Martin

Theses

An infinite number of planar four-bar mechanism solutions exist for a series of prescribed rigid-body positions. Given a set of Burmester curves or numerically-generated fixed and moving pivot curves, sorting through the limitless number of possible mechanism solutions to find one that ensures full link rotatibility, satisfies compactness criteria and produces feasible transmission angles can be a daunting task. In this work, two algorithms are developed and presented by which the user can select optimum planar four-bar motion generators (optimum with respect to Grashof criteria, mechanism perimeter criteria and transmission angle criteria) from a set of all mechanism solutions produced …

Determining Continual Improvement Process Methods Within Quality Management Systems, Diane M. Bové

Theses

Institutionalized standards require organizations to actively define and implement quality management systems, which includes active participation in continual improvement efforts. Interpretations and practices vary on implementation methodology.

Traditional views of quality do not integrate the technical disciplines into a defined science which would support a standardized approach for continual improvement implementation.

In order to optimize improvement efforts, a conceptual hypothesis is proposed to integrate quality through combining and collaborating implementation efforts of engineering, control, assurance, improvement and costs. The purpose of this thesis is to establish a roadmap to assist in choosing effective quality improvement methodologies and toolsets that assist …

Channel-Predictive Link Layer Arq Protocols In Wireless Networks, Huseyin Dogukan Cavdar

Theses

Communication performance over a wireless channel should be considered according to two main parameters: energy and throughput. The reliable data transfer is a key to these goals. The reliable node-to-node data transfer is performed by link layer protocols. One prominent approach is Automatic Repeat Request (ARQ) protocol. The traditional ARQ protocols attempt to recover the erroneously transmitted frames by retransmitting those frames, regardless of the channel state. Since this channel state unaware behaviour may cause unnecessary retransmissions, traditional ARQ protocols are expected to be energy inefficient. Some ideas have been proposed such as stochastic learning automaton based ARQ, and channel …

A Dynamic Supine Stander For Subjects With Disabilities Leading To Prolonged Immobility, Luis Alberto Espina

Theses

Bone tissue needs to be exposed to loading in order to stimulate the osteogenic response of the body. Disabilities that lead to prolonged immobility will result in a decrease of the osteogenic processes and an increase in resorption of bone by osteoclast cells. This disuse modeling can lead to osteopenia, osteoporosis, and subsequent non-traumatic fractures. These disabilities are varied in nature and duration, and can include load bearing bone fracture, excessive obesity, spinal cord injury, and cerebral palsy.

The following describes the concept and design of a novel dynamic supine stander that will provide loads simulating ambulation to the lower …

A Kinematic Analysis Of Sign Language, Chemuttaai C. Koech

Theses

Signed languages develop among deaf populations and employ manual communication instead of voiced communication. Stokoe attributes classify individual signs in American Sign Language (ASL) and include handshape, hand location, movement, orientation, and facial expression. Signed and oral languages are not mutually understood, and many deaf individuals live in linguistic isolation. This research addresses computer translation between signing and speech, investigating sign duration in sentence context versus in isolation and identifying kinematic sign markers. To date, there has been little study of continuous signing kinematics; it was previously unknown if kinematic markers existed.

Kinematic data were collected from a proficient signer …

Jet Assisted Fluidization Of Nanoparticle Agglomerates, Ayokunle O. Omosebi

Theses

Fluidization serves as a primary operation used to disperse, handle and process nanoparticles, but due to the complications involved with achieving homogenous fluidization of the agglomerates of nanoparticles, several methods have been developed to assist their conventional mode of fluidization.

In this work, the conventional mode of fluidization was coupled with secondary gas flow emerging from a micro jet nozzle. The effect of the jet on the fluidization behavior of various APF and ABF nanopowders was studied and compared with the pure conventional fluidization mode. Generally, experiments were conducted to find the optimal operation of the jet by varying parameters …

Inverse Solid-Liquid Fluidization Of Aerogel Granules And Its Application In Removing Oil From Water, Gaurav Babubhai Patel

Theses

Fluidization is a very well known unit operation used in the chemical industry for various purposes. Inverse solid-liquid fluidization, where the solid particles to be fluidized are less dense than the fluid, is one of the several different kinds of fluidization being studied for its potential in industrial applications. The present work focuses on finding the hydrodynamic characteristics (minimum fluidization velocity, bed expansion and pressure drop) of an inverse fluidized bed of aerogel granules and using this system to remove oil from an oil-water mixture. The solid particles employed for this study are low density (100 kg/m³) surface …

Implementation Of Stereo Correspondence Algorithms For Multi-Baseline Vision System, Navaneetha Shivram

Theses

The purpose of this study is to determine the impact of varying camera baselines on correspondence and depth estimation. As the baseline increases the resolution of depth increases but finding correspondences is very tedious. On the other hand when cameras are placed close to each other and thereby reducing the baseline distance points in the images are easily matched however depth resolution deteriorates. This problem is solved by using a multi-camera system is used in which the cameras are spaced close to each other along a straight line. Calculating the correspondence along successive camera pairs is relatively easy. These respondences …

Non-Repudiation Secure File Transfer Protocol (Nrsftp), Jerry Chen

Theses

Non Repudiation Secure File Transfer Protocol (NRSFTP) is designed to resolve three main concerns for today's electronic file transfer methodology. The three main concerns are Non-Repudiation, Secure, and Non-Real Time file transfer. Non-repudiation is to assure the receiver that the sender of the document is not an imposter. Secure document transfer is to assure the sender that only the intended receiver will be able to read the document. Non-real-time file transfer is to provide convenient and low cost transportability of the encrypted data from one party to another. With the above three concerns addressed, the NRSFTP protocol can be widely …

Inverse Dynamic Modeling For Characterization Of Spasticity, Katharine Markel Swift

Theses

Spasticity affects subjects with cerebral palsy, stroke, multiple sclerosis, and traumatic brain injury. The need to develop a deeper understanding of spasticity is driven by the existing limited understanding and the lack of satisfactory interventions for this disabling phenomenon.

An inverse model is implemented to describe the motion in the pendulum knee drop test. Inverse kinematic modeling is implemented to investigate the pathophysiology of spasticity.

Using the equilibrium point hypothesis as a conceptual framework to explain disabled and non-disabled neuromuscular control, it has been demonstrated that the equilibrium point of the passive knee is dynamic and exhibits a pseudo-exponential trajectory …

On Mitigating Distributed Denial Of Service Attacks, Zhiqiang Gao

Dissertations

Denial of service (DoS) attacks and distributed denial of service (DDoS) attacks are probably the most ferocious threats in the Internet, resulting in tremendous economic and social implications/impacts on our daily lives that are increasingly depending on the wellbeing of the Internet. How to mitigate these attacks effectively and efficiently has become an active research area. The critical issues here include 1) IP spoofing, i.e., forged source lIP addresses are routinely employed to conceal the identities of the attack sources and deter the efforts of detection, defense, and tracing; 2) the distributed nature, that is, hundreds or thousands of compromised …

Unified Architecture Of Mobile Ad Hoc Network Security (Mans) System, Li Ling

Dissertations

In this dissertation, a unified architecture of Mobile Ad-hoc Network Security (MANS) system is proposed, under which IDS agent, authentication, recovery policy and other policies can be defined formally and explicitly, and are enforced by a uniform architecture. A new authentication model for high-value transactions in cluster-based MANET is also designed in MANS system. This model is motivated by previous works but try to use their beauties and avoid their shortcomings, by using threshold sharing of the certificate signing key within each cluster to distribute the certificate services, and using certificate chain and certificate repository to achieve better scalability, less …

Constitutive Modeling Of The Thermo-Mechanics Associated With Crystallizable Shape Memory Polymers, Gautam Barot

Dissertations

This research addresses issues central to material modeling and process simulations. Here, issues related for developing constitutive model for crystallizable shape memory polymers are addressed in details. Shape memory polymers are novel material that can be easily formed into complex shapes, retaining memory of their original shape even after undergoing large deformations. The temporary shape is stable and return to the original shape is triggered by a suitable mechanism such heating the polymer above a transition temperature. Crystallizable shape memory polymers are called crystallizable because the temporary shape is fixed by a crystalline phase, while return to the original shape …

Characterization Of Hypertension Through Multivariate Analysis Utilizing Linear And Nonlinear Methods, Diane L. Donnelly

Dissertations

Analysis of blood pressure by nonlinear methods is vastly underutilized in current research. As such, 24-hour ambulatory blood pressure data from a small cohort of borderline hypertensive and normotensive subjects were analyzed using linear and nonlinear methods. Data were collected and provided by researchers from Columbia University. The cohort size was twelve subjects, consisting of two groups of six each. Although disease state was known, group membership for individual subjects was not. Therefore, one aspect of this research was to separate the cohort, a-priori, into two distinct, evenly sized groups, based solely on analysis results. Separation was accomplished by the …

Automatic Modulation Classification Of Communication Signals, Zaihe Yu

Dissertations

The automatic modulation recognition (AMR) plays an important role in various civilian and military applications. Most of the existing AMR algorithms assume that the input signal is only of analog modulation or is only of digital modulation. In blind environments, however, it is impossible to know in advance if the received communication signal is analogue modulated or digitally modulated. Furthermore, it is noted that the applications of the currently existing AMR algorithms designed for handling both analog and digital communication signals are rather restricted in practice. Motivated by this, an AMR algorithm that is able to discriminate between analog communication …

Analytical Model For Staging Emergency Evacuations, Vivek V. Korikanthimath

Dissertations

Disaster response in areas of high population density is centered on the efficient evacuation of people and possibly goods. Developing evacuation plans suitable for different levels of urgency based on the intensity of threat is a challenging task. In case of densely populated cities (e.g., New York, Los Angeles), the level of threat is enhanced by the congestion of their transportation systems, and the decision to evacuate a region simultaneously or by dividing it into multiple stages (or zones) affects the required evacuation time and associated delays.

The evolution of the traffic conditions on the evacuation route can vary significantly …

Evaluation Of Environmental Carrying Capacity And Application Of The Sustainability Target Method, Chatpet Yossapol

Dissertations

The environmental carrying capacity (CC) is defined as the capacity of the earth to absorb or tolerate potentially stressful burdens imparted at various scales and locations, that is, to accommodate the ecological stresses without showing permanent damage. The CC can be used as a reference dataset for Life Cycle Assessment (LCA) purposes and as a baseline for other environmental studies.

In this research, a set of impact-oriented U.S. CC is developed for both input- and output-related impacts. CC for eight common impact categories is evaluated: resource depletion, global warming, ozone depletion, acidification, eutrophication, photochemical ozone formation, human toxicity, and eco-toxicity. …

The Impact Of Abiotic And Biogenic Mn Oxide Coatings On Contaminant Mobility, Bioavailability, And Attenuation, Thipnakarin Boonfueng

Dissertations

Abiotic and biogenic manganese oxide coatings significantly impact the mobility and bioavailability of metals in soils and sediments. While sorption to discrete Mn oxides has been investigated in a number of studies, coatings have not received as much attention. Abiotic nanocrystalline (hydrous manganese oxide (HMO)) and crystalline Mn oxides (bimessite and pyrolusite) coated on montmorillonite were studied for formation, structure, stability, and surface properties. Coatings dominated the clay surface characteristics where the surface charge behaved similar to that of the discrete oxide and the local structure was consistent with the pure oxide phase. Furthermore, in sorption studies, Zn and Pb …

A Wireless Method For Monitoring Medication Compliance, Jeffrey Scott Jonas

Theses

There are many devices on the market to help remind patients to take their pills, but most require observation by a caregiver to assure medication compliance. This project demonstrates three modes to detect pill removal from a pillbox: a switch under the pills, a reflective type photointerrupter and a transmissive "electric eye" photosensor. Each mode exhibited blind spots or other failures to detect pill presence, but by combining modes with complementary characteristics, the accuracy of pill detection is greatly increased.

Two methods of caregiver notification are demonstrated: text messages transmitted via an attached cellular phone, or the status is collected …

Fpga-Based Implementation Of Parallel Graph Partitioning, Mohammad Kharashgeh

Theses

Graph partitioning is a very important application that can be found in numerous areas, from finite element methods to data processing and VLSI circuit design. Many algorithms have been developed to solve this problem. Of special interest is multilevel graph partitioning that provides a very efficient solution. This method can also be parallelized and implemented on various multiprocessor architectures. Unfortunately, the target of such implementations is often unavailable high-end multiprocessor systems. Here a parallel version of this method for an in-house developed multiprocessor system is implemented on an FPGA. The system designed provides a cost-effective solution.

The design is based …

Characterization Of Thermally Diffused Bordie Layers On Aisi 1018 Steel : Residual Stresses (By Synchrotron Radiation) And Microhardness, Joel A. Payne

Theses

Boronization is a thermal diffusion process in which needle like boride layers are formed at the surface of the metallic substrate. The boride coatings formed by the diffusion process have high hardness and strong ware and corrosion resistance. In order for coatings of this nature to be industrially successful, their service life should be long and characterization should be extensive. Measuring the residual stresses of the coatings caters to each of these aspects.

In this study, AISI 1018 steel samples were boronized by a powder-pack process for four hours at 850°C in an argon atmosphere. Characterization techniques included coating thickness, …

Submicron Patterning Using Laser Interference Lithography, Luigi Pollara Verdoni

Theses

In this thesis, the theory, fabrication protocol, and initial results of an alternative nanopatterning technique called Interferometric Lithography (IL) are presented. Comprised of the identical process attributes of traditional projection photolithography, IL mirrors the wafer preparation and development procedures of our existing clean room capabilities. The main departure is solely in means of pattern delineation. IL is a "mask less" technique that employs the interference fringe pattern of two coherent beams, and can therefore be generated with a commercial laser. Due to its simplicity, Interferometric Lithography provides an attractive supplement to existing methods of nano-patterning.

Utilizing a 325 nm HeCd …

Dem Simulated Floor Pressure Induced By A Granular Column, Shawn A. Chester

Theses

At the end of the 19th century, H. A. Janssen discovered that the bottom floor pressure in a cylindrical container of granular material asymptotes exponentially to a value less than the weight of the material i.e., the pressure becomes independent of the fill height of the column. This phenomenon is investigated using discrete element simulations of inelastic, frictional spheres in a cylindrical vessel having a particle-to-cylinder diameter ratio at approximately 13.3 or 26.6, with varying bed heights in both cases. The axial pressure profile and the load experienced by a piston that is supporting the granular column are computed. In …

Individual Cell Pressure Control In An Air Mattress For The Prevention Of The Pressure Sores, Kapilchandra Anand

Theses

Many kinds of pressure-relieving mattresses have been developed to prevent pressure sores in patients with spinal cord injuries (SCIs) and obesity. Current technology uses alternating air pressure mattress, foam and low pressure mattress for reducing the incidence of pressure sores in SCI and obesity patients. These mattresses do not have control of pressure in individual air chambers. They are open loop system and they do not receive any feedback from the system. They have at the most control of two different pressures. The purpose of this study is to improve the current assistive technology in reducing pressure sores and to …

In-Vitro Characterization Of Boronized Titanium Alloy By Means Of Corrosion And Electrochemical Impedance Spectroscopy Methods In Simulated Body Fluids, David Anthony Panus

Theses

Titanium and titanium alloys are becoming the backbone of medical implants and prosthetics. Titanium alloys are used because of its high biocompatibility and similarity to bone. However, titanium and titanium alloys have a low wear resistance. Titanium and titanium alloys are susceptible to particle erosion, which can cause inflammation, infection, and even implant rejection. Boronizing titanium alloy improves titanium's wear resistance and also improves corrosion resistance.

The target of this research was to characterize the corrosion characteristics of both unboronized and boronized titanium using both electrochemical corrosion methods and Electrochemical Impedance Spectroscopy (ELS) in simulated body fluid. Using electrochemical methods …

Fabrication Of Hydroxyapatite-Biodegradable Polymer Scaffolds By Electrospinning For Potential Bone Tissue Application, Satomi Suzuki

Theses

The purpose of this study is to determine the potential of combining hydroxyapatite (HA) and polymers to form synthetic composite materials used for bone tissue engineering applications. In this study, ceramic-biodegradable polymer composites are fabricated by electrospinning method. The biodegradable polymers used are poly(L-lactic acid) (PLLA), and poly(lactide-co-glycolide) (PLGA). Two types of HA-polymer solutions are first prepared to achieve HA weight percentage of 0, 10, and 25%of the total combined weight of HA and PLLA, and HA and PLGA. The solutions are electrospun to form nanofibrous mats incorporated with HA powder. A biomimetic process was also conducted as a …

Fabrication And Characterization Of Back Illuminated Cmos Photodiode Array, Amitra Banerjee

Theses

With the rapid development in low-cost CMOS technology, silicon photodiodes are currently recognized as promising choice for the imager core. In this research, the arrays of back illuminated photodiodes were designed, fabricated and demonstrated with CMOS imager fabrication process on silicon wafers. The main purpose of this work was to improve the contribution of these arrays on the imaging systems before committing their design on the chips.

In this CMOS process, first the n-well, p-well, n+and p+ regions were simulated and fabricated by several implantation processes. The n-well region was implanted by phosphorus at an energy of 170 keV and …

Advanced Methods In Automatic Modulation Classification For Emerging Technologies, Hong Li

Dissertations

Modulation classification (MC) is of large importance in both military and commercial communication applications. It is a challenging problem, especially in non-cooperative wireless environments, where channel fading and no prior knowledge on the incoming signal are major factors that deteriorate the reception performance. Although the average likelihood ratio test method can provide an optimal solution to the MC problem with unknown parameters, it suffers from high computational complexity and in some cases mathematical intractability. Instead, in this research, an array-based quasi-hybrid likelihood ratio test (qHLRT) algorithm is proposed, which depicts two major advantages. First, it is simple yet accurate enough …