Engineering Commons^™

Human Intention Prediction Using Cnn And Lstm Networks In Physical Human–Robot Interactions, Khosro Ghorbani Zadeh

Miners Solving for Tomorrow Research Conference

Advances in robotics and artificial intelligence have increased expectations for interactive robots in eldercare and assistive applications. A key challenge in creating safe and effective systems is accurately recognizing human intent and translating it into meaningful commands for robots to follow. Traditional physics-based models often fail to fully represent human force interactions due to their dynamic nature, while neural networks provide a promising alternative for predicting force-movement intentions. Multi-layer perceptrons (MLPs) show potential, however, they struggle with temporal dependencies and generalization. Long Short-Term Memory (LSTM) networks and Convolutional Neural Networks (CNNs) help address these limitations. This study compares these architectures …

Ai-Driven Frameworks For Mitigating Rockfall Hazards, Unstable Ground Condition And Improving Safety In Underground Mine Through Thermal Imaging, Akhrorbek Narmatov

Miners Solving for Tomorrow Research Conference

Scaling, the removal of loose rocks from excavation walls to prevent rockfalls is a critical safety procedure in underground mining operations. Approximately a quarter of fatal mining accidents are due to rockfalls. Detecting unstable rocks during scaling and assessing ground stability remain challenging due to limited visibility, dust, and environmental conditions.

Excavation disturbs the in-situ stress state, causing stress redistribution, fracture propagation, and the formation of discontinuities that lead to loose rock blocks. Ventilation airflow affects heat transfer at exposed surfaces, amplifying temperature contrasts between intact rock and fractured blocks associated with instability.

Current practices rely on manual inspection, requiring …

Toward Sustainable 3d Printable Cementitious Materials: Low-Carbon Design With Fiber Reinforcement, Nima Mahmoudzadeh Vaziri

Miners Solving for Tomorrow Research Conference

3D printing of cementitious materials, as an emerging construction technology, faces challenges in both mechanical performance and sustainability. Conventional mixture designs rely on high cement contents, leading to increased CO2 emissions, while printed elements often exhibit brittle behavior with limited crack resistance and reduced post-cracking performance. This study investigates the development of low-carbon 3D printed cementitious composites using environmentally friendly supplementary cementitious materials (SCMs) and fillers, combined with fiber reinforcement to enhance mechanical performance. Locally available SCMs and fillers were incorporated to significantly reduce cement content (>40%) and improve sustainability. Fiber reinforcement was introduced to mitigate brittleness and enhance …

Breath-Based Detection Of Liver Cancer Biomarkers Using An Swcnt-Fet Nanobiosensor: Quantumatk, Mohamed Mohieb Rashdan

Thesis/ Dissertation Defenses

There are still no tests to detect liver cancer in the early stages because it is a slow-growing and invasive type.

This study describes the use of a single-walled carbon nanotube-based field-effect transistor (SWCNT-FET) whose ability to detect hexanal, a volatile organic compound (VOC) found to be elevated in liver cancer, has been demonstrated through direct measurements from exhaled breath. The device is designed using QuantumATK with the semi-empirical Extended Hückel Hamiltonian framework in non-equilibrium Green’s function (NEGF) which shows realistic contact physics by using metallic SWCNT electrodes instead of common metal films. Through the analysis of two zigzag channels …

Scenario-Based Pareto Analysis For Multi-Objective Optimization Of Process Parameters To Improve Life Cycle Impacts: Case Study Of Ge Production, Dennis Dadzie

Miners Solving for Tomorrow Research Conference

Growing demand for critical minerals increases the need for clear evidence on the environmental burdens of their production. Life‑cycle assessment (LCA) quantifies impacts, but it does not by itself show how to navigate competing environmental performance improvement goals. We examine 63 process configurations for single‑crystal germanium made via chlorinated distillation using five indicators: global warming potential (GWP), water consumption (WC), fine particulate matter (FPM), terrestrial acidification (TA), and cumulative energy demand (CED). Across scenarios, WC is negatively correlated with GWP, weakly related to FPM, TA, and CED, while the other four indicators are strongly positively correlated. Pareto analysis highlights a …

Assessing Radon And Radon Progeny Deposition On Simulated Lung Filter System: Effects Of Cigarette And E-Cigarette Use Based On The Icrp Model, Manuela Isabel Arenas Alvarez

Miners Solving for Tomorrow Research Conference

This project investigates the potential interaction between radon exposure and e-cigarette aerosols, focusing on how radon progeny deposit in the lungs under combined conditions. An experimental system was developed to simulate regional lung deposition based on the International Commission on Radiological Protection (ICRP) model. The setup uses a filter-based design and a custom modular atomizer to generate stable aerosols, with four commercial plastic filters evaluated. Initial results demonstrate reproducible filtration behavior and a total deposition pattern matching ICRP predictions within 21% error. Ongoing work aims to improve agreement with regional deposition curves and enable combined radon–aerosol exposure experiments. This platform …

Preventive Maintenance Scheduling Using Artificial Intelligence And Decision Support Agent, Samiksha Aryal

Miners Solving for Tomorrow Research Conference

Preventive Maintenance models have traditionally relied on a time-based maintenance model, which uses fixed statistical distribution to represent the time-to-failure (TTF). The requirement of data-driven models and automated decision-making systems have become essential for modern manufacturing systems. The use of fixed statistical distribution limits the ability of existing models in producing solutions in real-time. Our model overcomes these limitations by implementing an empirical distribution to represent TTF. The empirical distribution is generated using a neural network which eliminates noise from the raw maintenance log. Renewal Reward Theorem (RRT) is implemented to efficiently provide maintenance threshold in real time. The use …

Robustness Of Fuzzy Artmap To Adversarial Attacks And Progressive Adversarial Training For Streaming Learning, Shane Cairns

Miners Solving for Tomorrow Research Conference

Incremental learners deployed on streaming data must remain robust to evolving adversarial perturbations, yet most adversarial-robustness studies assume offline multi-epoch training with repeated access to historical data. We investigate adversarial robustness in Fuzzy ARTMAP, a prototype-based Adaptive Resonance Theory model that supports single-pass learning without replay. We propose WB-Softmax, a differentiable relaxation that aggregates category-level activations into class-level scores for gradient-based attacks. WB-Softmax PGD achieves 89–100% attack success on vanilla models, exceeding transfer and query-based baselines. We then study adversarial training under true streaming constraints by comparing offline versus online adversarial example generation and standard versus selective updates. Offline adversarial …

Assessing The Effects Of Scale-Dependent Representation Of River Networks On Hydrologic Prediction, Hari Dhital

Miners Solving for Tomorrow Research Conference

Accurate hydrologic prediction at relevant spatial scales is essential for flood risk management. This study explores how spatial scale affects model parameters and simulation outcomes in the Hillslope Link Model (HLM). This was motivated by HLM implementation within the Next Generation Water Resources Modeling (NextGen) framework for the U.S. National Water Model. Since NextGen alters HLM's spatial scale from hillslopes to catchments, we assess how this change affects runoff generation and routing. We implement HLM at both scales using identical, predetermined parameters without calibration to isolate spatial discretization effects. Using approximately ten years of precipitation and streamflow data from watersheds …

Evaluation Of National Water Model Long-Range Streamflow Forecasts In Missouri, Sujan Maharjan

Miners Solving for Tomorrow Research Conference

Long-range river stage forecasts are increasingly used to support barge scheduling along the Missouri and Mississippi River navigation corridor. The reliability of these forecasts over extended lead times remains uncertain, particularly in regulated systems influenced by upstream dam operations. This study evaluates the lead-time-dependent performance of National Water Model long-range forecasts at eleven U.S. Geological Survey stations from Rulo to Thebes during 2019–2024. Results show that forecast skill does not decline smoothly with time but exhibits station-specific dips at lead times corresponding to hydraulic travel from major control structures. These periods coincide withstage bias and dispersion, indicating elevated operational uncertainty. …

Evaluation Of Channel Routing Module In The Nextgen National Water Model, Md Saiduzzaman

Miners Solving for Tomorrow Research Conference

The Next Generation Water Resources Modeling (NextGen) framework has a modular structure that enables the integration of multiple hydrologic models with channel routing processes. Within NextGen, the T-Route model performs channel routing using vector-based river networks and supports a hybrid routing approach within a single watershed. This study evaluates the hydraulic diffusive wave routing method implemented in T-Route and compares its performance with the operational Muskingum-Cunge routing used in the National Water Model. The primary objective is to assess the operational capability of streamflow data assimilation across different routing methods using an extensive network of streamflow observations. The routing models …

Controlled Gelation Of Co₂-Resistant Polymer Systems For Improved Conformance In Co₂-Eor, Maryam Sharifi Paroushi

Miners Solving for Tomorrow Research Conference

This presentation introduces a CO₂-resistant hydrogel developed to control fluid movement and improve CO₂ injection performance in subsurface reservoirs for Enhanced Oil Recovery (EOR) and Carbon Capture and Storage (CCS). Conventional polymer gels often lose strength in CO₂-rich environments, resulting in weak plugging, early breakdown, and ineffective flow control. To address this limitation, a sulfonated HPAM-based gel system crosslinked with chromium was developed. The effects of polymer concentration, molecular weight, crosslinker ratio, ionic strength, and pH were investigated to better understand gelation behavior and performance. The formulation exhibited controlled gelation, strong resistance to temperature and CO₂, and minimal shrinkage over …

Empirical Evaluation Of Policy-Based Reinforcement Learning For Dynamic Service Control In An M/M/1 Queue, Joseph Walton

Miners Solving for Tomorrow Research Conference

While reinforcement learning has been increasingly applied to stochastic control, limited work examines policy-based methods in queuing environments modeled as semi-Markov decision processes (SMDP). This study investigates how policy-based reinforcement learning (RL) algorithms perform when applied to service rate control in an M/M/1 queue, a common queuing model for manufacturing and service systems. The problem is formulated as an SMDP in which decisions occur at each new service, allowing an agent to select different service rates from a finite set of speeds, aiming to minimize an objective function that manages system congestion and energy costs. Three policy-based reinforcement learning algorithms, …

Structural Analysis On Iron Phosphate Glasses After Dechlorination Of Mixed Chloride Waste Forms, Lucas Greiner

Miners Solving for Tomorrow Research Conference

Molten salt reactors (MSRs) require durable waste forms for immobilizing halide-rich salts. This study examines iron phosphate glasses derived from a simple salt mixture (SSM), focusing on the effect of Fe₂O₃ additions (2.5–10 wt%) on structure and phase stability. Intermediates were processed at 300–600 °C and vitrified at 1050 °C. Raman spectroscopy and HPLC show that increasing iron content depolymerizes the phosphate network, shifting from Q² toward Q¹ species and reducing chain length. XRD confirms amorphous behavior for ≤7.5 wt% Fe₂O₃, while 10 wt% shows crystallization, with KFeP₂O₇ observed in samples processed at 400 °C. Despite reduced connectivity, iron enhances …

Triple Active Bridge Implementation And Control, Nehemiah Milton

Miners Solving for Tomorrow Research Conference

The Triple Active Bridge (TAB) is a three-port power converter that allows power flow in both directions with galvanic isolation. This has a wide range of applications, like high-frequency DC-DC conversion, electric vehicles, microgrids and renewable energy systems. To control the TAB during operation, two phase shift parameters between the bridges are adjusted. In this presentation, I will showcase the software and simulation optimizations which extend previous work by reproducing hardware results which align with simulations. I will also go over the knowledge I’ve gained and the skills acquired through this project.

The Stability Study Of Dna-Polymer Hybrids For Nanotechnology Applications, Ethan Kuehn, Milan Jebaraj

Miners Solving for Tomorrow Research Conference

DNA nanostructures have garnered increasing interest in their application as drug delivery vehicles. However, DNA is susceptible to degradation under physiological conditions. To remedy this, we have devised a novel method to coat DNA nanostructures with the polysaccharide chitosan (a natural derivative of chitin). Chitosan binds to DNA electrostatically and inhibits nuclease activity that would normally degrade DNA in a physiological environment. We used both agarose gel electrophoresis (AGE) and atomic force microscopy (AFM) to determine the stability of DNA before and after immersion in a simulated biological environment. Physiological conditions were mimicked by incubating the DNA in cell culture …

Effects Of Pfas On Willow And Poplar Growth, Jamie Koester

Miners Solving for Tomorrow Research Conference

Per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) are being evaluated for uptake and distribution in vascular plants, with unique findings for PFAS concentrations within different plant tissue. This work investigates the effects of PFAS on willow and poplar growth in an attempt to extrapolate findings to other tree species. These findings allow for an understanding of the consequences PFAS has on agriculture and the food chain. As PFAS are persistent the need for sustainable and safe remediation techniques to protect human health and the environment are critically needed.

Analysis Of Autonomous Vehicle Survivability To 5g Communication Errors, Sydney Clark

Miners Solving for Tomorrow Research Conference

Autonomous vehicles rely on low-latency, high-reliability data exchange for real-time perception and control. Disruptions such as packet loss, latency variation, protocol-level errors, and malicious interference can pose significant safety risks to both passengers and surrounding environments. This project aims to evaluate, quantify, and predict the survivability of autonomous vehicle systems to communication errors, with focus on 5G network environments. The impact of these communication impairments on vehicle stability and control will be investigated through high-fidelity cyber-physical simulation of the vehicle and its surrounding environment. Experiments designed to capture varying network conditions will be used to assess a broad range of …

A Wearable Mxene-Based Sweat Sensor For Real-Time Monitoring Of Inflammatory Biomarkers, Ariel Pilger

Miners Solving for Tomorrow Research Conference

Many conventional biosensing approaches rely on invasive sampling or bulky benchtop instrumentation, limiting their use in continuous and portable applications. This project focuses on the development of wearable sweat-based biosensors that enable non-invasive, continuous, and portable monitoring of physical, chemical, and biological markers. The system will be designed to target markers present in sweat and transduce the biochemical interactions into measurable electrical signals. These signals will be processed through integrated electronics to produce clear, interpretable outputs for users and medical professionals. Supporting circuitry including filters, amplifiers, and an independent power supply will be implemented as necessary to ensure signal accuracy, …

A Speed-Adjusted Centipawn Metric For Chess Cheating Detection, Benjamin Sullins, Benjamin Biehl

Miners Solving for Tomorrow Research Conference

The proliferation of chess engines has compromised the integrity of online play through both manual assistance and automated bots. This research proposes Si, a novel metric designed to quantify unnatural play by integrating move latency, the relative strength of the selected move, and the density of high-quality alternatives available in a given position. By fitting Si  values to theoretical probability distributions across specific Elo ratings and time controls, we establish a statistical baseline for human performance. Discrepancies between an individual's Si  profile and these established distributions provide a robust framework for identifying artificially inflated play, offering a potential method for …

Biosensors For Biomedicine, Drake O'Leary

Miners Solving for Tomorrow Research Conference

This project investigated the use of engineered bacterial reporter systems to detect cellular stress responses associated with antibiotic activity. While constructs were successfully introduced and tested against known antibiotics, the reporter consistently produced a blue signal across conditions, limiting the ability to distinguish specific stress responses. This suggests issues such as leaky expression, insufficient regulatory control, or lack of specificity in the reporter design. Although results were inconclusive, this work highlights key challenges in developing reliable biosensors and provides a foundation for future optimization. Improving signal specificity and reducing background expression will be critical for enabling accurate characterization of antibiotic …

Ballistic Trajectories From Triangular Libration Points To Moon, Collin Gentry

Miners Solving for Tomorrow Research Conference

As stable points in the Earth-Moon system, the triangular libration points, L4 and L5, have many advantageous properties for space exploration. Ballistic trajectories at varying delta-Vs and impulse angles are computed and propagated from the libration points, and trajectories that arrive at the lunar surface are investigated. Preliminary conclusions are drawn about the accessibility of the lunar surface from the triangular libration points, and the implications for mission design are discussed. These trajectories present an alternative means of accessing the Moon, expanding the viability of the triangular points for missions and offering additional options for the use of cisular space.

Ai Adoption Tensions For Organ Procurement Organizations, Joely Grace Hall

Miners Solving for Tomorrow Research Conference

Artificial intelligence (AI) has the potential to improve efficiency in healthcare, yet its adoption remains limited, with only 22% of healthcare organizations having implemented domain-specific AI tools. Adoption may be especially complex in specialized domains such as organ transplantation, where ethical, legal, and operational challenges are dominant. This study examined factors influencing AI acceptance within Organ Procurement Organizations (OPOs), focusing on technological, organizational, and environmental contexts.

Semi-structured interviews with 16 OPO executives from 10 OPOs revealed key tensions shaping AI adoption. We identified five tensions that are holding back OPO leaders from AI adoption, (1) misconceptions, (2) training approach, (3) …

Recombinant Gelonin: Purification And Functional Validation For Electroporation-Assisted Delivery, Eleni Zivla, Giedrė Šilkūnienė, Andrei G. Pakhomov, Mantas Šilkūnas, Olga N. Pakhomova

Knowledge and Creativity Expo

Type I ribosome-inactivating proteins, such as gelonin, are enzymatically potent toxins but are effectively non-toxic under physiological conditions because they are unable to cross the plasma membrane[1]. Pulsed electric fields (PEF) overcome this delivery barrier by transiently permeabilizing the plasma membrane, allowing direct cytosolic entry. This enhances gelonin cytotoxicity by several thousand-fold, highlighting gelonin’s potential as an electrochemotherapy candidate[2]. Here, we present a recombinant gelonin (rGel) expression platform in E. coli with HPLC-based purification that enables reproducible protein production and structure-guided engineering.

The mature gelonin sequence (residues 47–297) was cloned into pET-32a(+) with an N-terminally fused Trx-6×His tag and TEV …

Reinforcement Learning - Driven Satellite Attitude Recovery: Unknown Faults, Simulation-To-Processor In Loop, Chinmay Mirji, Saeed A Ahmadi

Student Research Symposium (SRS)

Conventional attitude control algorithms often degrade when faced with actuator faults, sensor noise, or system uncertainties. This work presents a reinforcement-learning (RL) framework for satellite attitude recovery under unknown failures, focusing on real-time deployment through a processor-in-the-loop (PIL) setup. A continuous-control DDPG agent is trained in a high-fidelity Python/Basilisk simulation environment, where domain randomization captures variations in inertia, external torque, and actuator limitations to promote robust policy learning.

Demonstrating Sysml V2’S Utility With Syside And Syson For Systems Modeling, Quinn Galen

Student Research Symposium (SRS)

This study highlights the practical utility of SysML v2’s kernel language, a formal, text based foundation for consistent, cross tool model definitions, in Model Based Systems Engineering (MBSE), using Air Traffic Management (ATM) as an illustrative example. SysIDE, an open source textual editor, enables rapid model creation with the kernel’s concise syntax, allowing users to define system components and behaviors (e.g., ATM radar or flight path interactions) with real time validation. SysON, a web based graphical tool, complements this by facilitating collaborative visualization of system architectures. Using ATM as an example case, we can showcase how the kernel language enhances …

Conceptual Exploration Of Film Cooling Techniques In Hydrogen Gas Turbines, Wen Wu

Student Research Symposium (SRS)

Film cooling is a key heat transfer technique that protects gas turbine blades from extreme temperatures, allowing higher turbine inlet temperatures and greater thermal efficiency. It works by ejecting a thin layer of cooler air from the compressor through small holes onto the hot surface, creating a protective film layer that lowers surface temperature and reduces thermal stress on blades. This process is vital in power generation and propulsion systems that operate near material limits. With growing emphasis on sustainability, film cooling has gained new importance in hydrogen-fueled gas turbines. Hydrogen combustion creates water vaper and low-density exhaust gases, which …

Sprinkler Package Runoff Risk Tool For Center Pivot Irrigation Systems, Will Bowers

Spring Runoff Conference

Center pivots in Utah 

• 403,524 acres = 67% of sprinkler irrigated fields in the open in Utah 
• Considered one of the most effective sprinkler systems available with technological advancements over the years

Evaluating Alternative Water Conservation Scenarios For Alfalfa In The Great Salt Lake Basin Using Integrated Climate Model Projections, Saddy Pineda-Castellanos, Masoumeh Hashemi

Spring Runoff Conference

Elevation of Great Salt Lake North and South Arms (1903-2026)

An Estimation Of Crop Evapotranspiration Using Soil Water Balance In Vineyards, Tarique Aziz, Burdette Barker, Michael Caron, Michael Pace

Spring Runoff Conference

Breakout Session presentation given at the 2026 Spring Runoff Conference