Engineering Commons^™

Synchronized Bionic Hand: Harmonizing Robotics With Rhythm, Deven Ayambem , '24

Senior Theses, Projects, and Awards

This report explores the therapeutic potential of rhythmic movement to music, focusing specifically on the "wave dance" movements of the human hand. Utilizing a mechanical analog, the study models the hand as a system of five interconnected mass-spring-dampers to simulate the dynamic and kinematic responses of the hand's joints to rhythmic stimuli. Through a combined approach of MATLAB simulation and physical modeling with servo motors controlled by Arduino, the project aims to quantify and visualize the effects of rhythmic movements on joint dynamics. The simulation employs the mass-spring-damper system to represent each joint and uses an impulse response approach to …

Myoelectric Robotic Hand To Play Guitar, Oliver Garcia , '24

Senior Theses, Projects, and Awards

Around 5.6 million people in the US have had an amputation or were born with limb difference. Some of these people find prostheses to be useful devices that allow them to perform desired activities that would otherwise be difficult or impossible to carry out. One form of prosthetic that, as far as I have found, has not been developed, is one for fretting chords on a guitar. Such a prosthetic would require multiple degrees of freedom for each finger, fine motor control, as well as quick actuation and signal interpretation. Most general purpose robotic prostheses today are either far too …

Small Scale Wave Energy Convertor For Remote Applications, Rafael Torres Rodriguez, John Stephenson, Max Mailloux-Beauchemin, Brandon Nguyen, Ryan Chang

Mechanical Engineering Senior Theses

The following thesis showcases the yearlong culmination of a senior design project focused on the development of a small-scale wave energy generator intended to provide consistent and sustainable energy for remote marine environments. This project’s main customers include, but are not limited to, the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, the Atlantic White Shark Conservancy, and scuba diving sites worldwide. Based on these identified customers and their needs, a target power output of 50 watts was determined. Beyond this power requirement, the generator is required to resist corrosion, withstand rough marine conditions, and be modular as well as requiring low maintenance. …

Autonomous Humanoid Soccer Robot With Ml Applications, Zichen Huang, Wesley Tu

Computer Science and Engineering Senior Theses

As the sports industry increasingly incorporates technological advancements, robotics has found a unique application in the field of soccer, traditionally dominated by human players. This transition has sparked significant interest in examining the performance and dynamics of robots in athletic contexts. In this senior design project, we focus on the development of autonomous movement, ball control, and game strategy algorithms for the NAO humanoid to play soccer. Utilizing an array of sensors and actuators, the robot is designed to perform fundamental soccer skills such as dribbling and shooting. The robot is able to identify both the goal and the ball …

Wireless Power Transfer Using Cavity With Height Discontinuities, Linsheng Zhang

Electrical Engineering Theses and Dissertations

A novel device for efficient wireless power transfer (WPT) system is presented. The proposed WPT system utilizes modified microstrip antennas with height discontinuities (MAHDs) to achieve power transfer. Similar to the conventional WPT system using inductive devices, the power transmission relies on the magnetic field coupling in the near field region. However, the researcher can treat the isolated transmitter or receiver as a modified microstrip antenna, which resembles a capacitive device. Like a capacitive antenna, we can utilize the cavity model, which significantly simplifies field analysis, design and impedance matching process, reduces the overall space requirement, and potentially increases the …

Uav-X Communication: Empirical Characterization And Performance Optimization, Muhammad Hashir Syed

Electrical Engineering Theses and Dissertations

In emerging wireless networks, the scalability of deploying drones presents an opportunity to design extensive aerial networks. These networks could effectively monitor large agricultural fields from the air and soil for food production with efficient resource utilization. On the one hand, unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) have gained interest in agricultural aerial inspection due to their ubiquity and observation scale. On the other hand, agricultural internet-of-thing devices, including buried soil sensors, have gained interest in improving natural resource efficiency in crop production. In this work, we investigate the natural interaction of these two phenomena, where UAVs can be leveraged as flying …

Cyber Attacks Against Industrial Control Systems, Adam Kardorff

LSU Master's Theses

Industrial Control Systems (ICS) are the foundation of our critical infrastructure, and allow for the manufacturing of the products we need. These systems monitor and control power plants, water treatment plants, manufacturing plants, and much more. The security of these systems is crucial to our everyday lives and to the safety of those working with ICS. In this thesis we examined how an attacker can take control of these systems using a power plant simulator in the Applied Cybersecurity Lab at LSU. Running experiments on a live environment can be costly and dangerous, so using a simulated environment is the …

Testing Of Recycled Polypropylene As A Viable Structural Material (Quarter 2), Isabella Jimenez-Melendrez, Katherine Timbes, Jocelyn Embleton, Tauni Dela Cruz, Zyra Kingston, Emily Byrd, Jacob Stinger

Architectural Engineering

5.25 trillion plastic particles have been found in the oceans each year, 3 million water bottles are consumed each hour, and one million plastic bags are used each minute in the United States of America (Williams). The vast majority of conventional plastics such as polyethylene, polypropylene, polystyrene, and more, are non-biodegradable (Tokiwa). To make matters worse, 70% of this non-biodegradable plastic is discarded into landfills and inevitably makes its way into the environment (Williams,). Plastic products have become vital to the United States economy due to their many uses in the construction, packaging, transportation, and health care industries. However, this …

Personalized Quiz Maker: Novel Feature For Alby Learning Management System, Lys Kang , '24

Senior Theses, Projects, and Awards

This report details the development of a personalized quiz feature for the Alby learning management platform, designed to enhance student learning by generating quizzes tailored to individual performance data. The project involved creating an algorithm to analyze dynamic student data and identify areas for improvement and then using OpenAI's GPT-4 to generate the multiple choice quizzes with elaborative feedback. Developed as a serverless application with AWS tools, the feature operates independently from the main platform. Despite the absence of applicable professional standards and constraints like limited data availability, the project met its functional requirements, demonstrating the potential to improve educational …

Design & Implementation Of A More Precise Competition Timer In Ware Pool, Ben Freeman , '24, Benjamin Wesley , '24

Senior Theses, Projects, and Awards

This project represents the culmination of an effort to redesign the timing system for competitive swim meets to record a swimmer’s precise time to the thousandth of a second, eclipsing the current standard competition precision tenfold. This required a redesign of the traditional swimming pool timing system to account for minute variations in the size of the pool and the length of the pool’s lanes. The scope of this project includes designing a system for obtaining precise measurement of the lengths along Swarthmore’s Ware Pool, the use of statistical analysis to determine the conformation of the pool’s lengths to NCAA …

A Study Of The Effect Of Preparation Parameters On The Mechanical Properties Of Freeze-Dried Gelatin-Elastin-Hyaluronate Scaffolds, Mansour Qamash

Master's Theses (2009 -)

This thesis is dedicated to a detailed study of changes in the properties of Gelatin-Elastin-Hyaluronate (GEH) tissue engineering scaffold resulting from changes in preparation parameters. More specifically, utilizing a combination of foaming and freeze-drying techniques, this research investigates the effects of different parameters, including agitation speed, duration time, and chilling temperature on the scaffold’s structural integrity, porosity, and mechanical properties. The methodology involves a carefully calibrated process in which the scaffold matrix is initially prepared by incorporating 8% gelatin, 2% elastin, and 0.5% hyaluronate (w/v) into a homogenous aqueous solution, followed by controlled agitation and subsequent freezing at designated temperatures. …

Modeling Injury Severity Of Truck-Involved Crashes Under Covid-19 Regulatory Changes, William Mckenzie

Civil and Environmental Engineering Master's Project Reports

At the start of the pandemic the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration issued declaration No. 2020-002 which included a long list of goods given temporary emergency relief (deregulation) from national statutes 49 CFR Parts 390-399 of the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Regulations that oversee trucking. In particular, this granted emergency relief from Title 49 CFR § 395.3: maximum driving time for motor carriers or their drivers, regarded as hours-of-service (HOS), and subsequently further expanded to include short-haul trips, adverse driving conditions, break requirements, and sleeper berths. Regulations which play a crucial role in establishing the safe operation and management of …

Cal Poly's Old Powerhouse Analysis Assessing Stakeholder Preferences, Marissa D. Burns

Construction Management

This research paper delves into the historical and cultural relevance of Cal Poly’s Old Powerhouse, the college’s oldest architectural landmark, which has remained in a state of disuse since the 1990s. Employing meticulous survey methodology; perspectives from faculty, staff, alumni, students, and community members are gathered to illustrate the significance of the Old Powerhouse within the various stakeholders. The study refrains from imposing interpretation but rather seeks to capture the sentiments expressed by stakeholders, providing valuable insights into the building’s perceived value. By centering on the community opinions, the research will underscore the building’s potential and expand on the collected …

Simple Transit Braking System, Joshua Forde , '24

Senior Theses, Projects, and Awards

A prototype of an automatic braking system for a locomotive was designed and implemented for the purpose of adding an emergency fail safe for trains nationwide. An ultrasonic sensor detected environmental conditions in front of the train, while a connected relay communicated with a servo powered brake to change brake position. An O scale model train was mounted with an onboard sensor, microcontroller, and servo-powered brake to test the effectiveness of an automatic braking system for locomotives. A rubber-like material was used as the brake pad to slow and ideally stop the train on command. Arduino IDE was used to …

An Evaluation Of The Equitable Practices For Stem Education To Prepare All Students For The 21st Century, Elizabeth Simpson

Dissertations

We are almost a quarter of the way through the 21st Century, yet most education institutions do not provide STEM education for all students. Science, technology, engineering, and math (STEM) have been a special focus of both industry and federal education initiatives in recent years. STEM is a proven way of building student skills needed for the workforce of tomorrow. The purpose of this study is to determine why education decision-makers resist implementing STEM programs equitably for all students. The context of this inquiry is district and school-based leaders throughout the United States, from elementary to high school, who have …

Multifunctional Nanomaterial Analysis Using Inexpensive Techniques, Casey Jordan , '24

Senior Theses, Projects, and Awards

Designing methods to comprehensively understand nanomaterial interactions is of paramount importance as nanomaterials gain widespread use and their environmental impact becomes a concern. While current characterization methods are suitable for initial assessments, there is a need for comprehensive techniques to evaluate end-of-use scenarios and environmental effects. This report emphasizes the potential of electrochemistry as a versatile measurement tool for nanomaterial analysis. Two projects are presented, showcasing innovative analytical architectures to overcome the limitations of existing techniques. Project 1 integrates linear sweep stripping voltammetry (LSSV) and particle impact voltammetry (PIV) to achieve kinetic resolution and size analysis of silver nanoparticles (AgNPs) …

Segregation And Heat Treatment Response Of Cast Quench And Partition Steels, Mujeeb Hussain Shaik

Masters Theses

Quench and partition (Q&P) steels have emerged as promising alternatives to traditional quenching and tempering methods, offering a superior balance of strength and ductility due to their unique microstructure of martensite, and retained austenite. This literature review examines the development and optimization of Q&P steels, focusing on their mechanical properties, heat treatment processes, and applications in various industries. This study explores the application and effectiveness of the Quench and Partition (Q&P) heat treatment process on cast steels and examines segregation phenomena in cast medium Mn steels. Medium Mn steels were employed for various Q&P cycles on cast specimens to investigate …

Material Modeling Of An Ultraviolet Sensitive Resin At High Pressures And Rates, Truman Miller Russell

Master's Theses (2009 -)

A full understanding of the behavior of binder materials under shock loading is required for effective simulation of heterogeneous polymer-binder-explosives (PBX) and polymer-binder-surrogate (PBS) systems. An accurate simulation is critical for the ultimate goal of designing meso-scale heterogeneous PBS systems. The binder materials studied here is an ultraviolet sensitive resin (UV resin). The UV resin is manufactured by AnyCubic. It is a glassy thermoset polymer and is known to be similar to polymethyl methacrylate (PMMA) both in mechanical properties and in chemical makeup. This material was chosen as it can be additively manufactured, and it will present a lower impedance …

Investigating The Impacts Of Bin Variability On Particle Size Distributions In Multiphase Eulerian-Eulerian Simulations, Wilbert Alexander Cruz

Master's Theses (2009 -)

In this study, a 3D steady-state Eulerian-Eulerian simulation was developed to investigate flow performance in a dilute pneumatic conveying system. The investigation focused on two main objectives: (1) assessing the influence of bin selection on solution accuracy for representing the polydisperse mixture, and (2) exploring methods to simplify the modeling of polydisperse particles in the simulation by utilizing a mean diameter derived from the mixture’s particle size distribution. The system's geometry and initial boundary conditions featured a 10.6 m long, 150 mm diameter horizontal pipe with both gaseous and solid phases initially moving at 27 m/s . The steady-state simulation …

Elasto-Plastic Behavior Of Single-Story Single-Bay Orthogonal Steel Space Frame Under Angular Earthquake, Mohammad Hamayoun Stanikzai

Civil & Environmental Engineering Theses & Dissertations

A study of the elasto-plastic behavior of single-story single-bay orthogonal steel space frame under an angular earthquake ground motion is investigated. The building frame is subjected to a horizontal earthquake ground motion not aligned with the building’s principal axes. Such a frame can develop biaxial bending and torsion in its members. The governing differential equations of equilibrium for the typical biaxially loaded sway beam-column are presented and iteratively solved using a finite-difference scheme. The effects of warping and residual stresses are accounted for in the analysis. The equations are used to predict the quasi-static elasto-plastic response of the frame when …

Performing Information Extraction For Mission Engineering Applications, Samuel R. Koski

Engineering Management & Systems Engineering Theses & Dissertations

The process of extracting structured data from unstructured and semi-structured text is manual, time consuming and error prone. Current natural language processing approaches for automating this process are difficult to verify for non-trivial and context-sensitive corpora. Large Language Models (LLMs) like ChatGPT have become a subject of considerable interest, opening a promising avenue of exploration. However, there is limited evidence on the performance of LLMs for information extraction.

In this dissertation, an approach is proposed to evaluate the accuracy of Stanford OpenIE and OpenAI's ChatGPT for this purpose. This includes comparing Resource Description Framework (RDF) triples extracted by each of …

Understanding The Impact Of Emergent Conflict On Communication And Team Cognition: A Multilevel Study In Engineering Teams, Francisco Cima

Engineering Management & Systems Engineering Theses & Dissertations

The development of team cognition is crucial for fostering high-performing teams. In cognitive-intensive fields like engineering, effective communication serves as a primary precursor to team knowledge development, enabling group members to effectively retrieve and utilize each other's expertise. Despite the critical role of communication, there is a lack of empirical research examining how conflict situations, which are critical emerging factors inherent to teamwork, interact with communication processes to constrain team knowledge development and utilization. This study, rooted in information processing theory, investigates how emerging conflict shapes multilevel team knowledge structures by interacting with communication processes in engineering project teams. Prior …

Effect Of Lunar Magnetic Field And Lunar Regolith Simulant On The Growth And Bioactive Compounds Production Of Chlorella Vulgaris Microalgae, Jeries Philip Butros Abedrabbo

Mechanical & Aerospace Engineering Theses & Dissertations

Since humans last went to the moon on the Apollo missions, there has been a fascination with inhabiting and colonizing other planetary objects, starting with the Earth’s Moon, Mars, and recently Jupiter’s moon, Europa. However, there is still lack of knowledge and science behind many of the extraterrestrial environmental effects on biological organisms living on Earth. Therefore, there is a need to study how such environments would affect these organisms. Moreover, how can we attain sustainable living in such environments as well through self-providing life support systems (LSS), without the need to provide for additional necessities back and forth from …

Combine Effects Of Heavy Storm, Sea Level Rise, And Wind-Induced Surge On Flooding In A Low-Gradient Coastal Watershed In Eastern Virginia, Rutvik Rajendrabhai Patel

Civil & Environmental Engineering Theses & Dissertations

This dissertation examines and presents mechanisms of flooding in a low-gradient coastal watershed, located in Virginia Beach, Virginia, USA. The watershed comprises the North Landing River watershed and the West Neck Creek watershed, both characterized by a low topographic gradient. The analysis relied on examining simulations generated using one-dimensional and two-dimensional HEC-RAS models. These models were developed using a 1-m digital elevation model (DEM) obtained from the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS). To calibrate and validate the models, unsteady flows resulting from historical hurricanes (e.g., Matthew, Sandy, and Isabel), southern winds, and/or rising sea levels were utilized. Some flows were caused …

Advancing Data-Driven Decision Making For Transportation Safety: Emerging Trends, Statistical Modeling, And Causal Inference, Guocong Zhai

Civil & Environmental Engineering Theses & Dissertations

Despite recent advances in data-driven decision-making for transportation safety, there remain potential biases in the decision-making for emerging trends (i.e., shared mobility, safe systems, vehicle electrification, and equity) in transportation. In that case, this dissertation aims to facilitate robust and equitable data-driven decision-making in transportation safety, addressing the potential biases: 1) spatial and inherent correlations across different types of crashes, 2) measurement error biases of exposures, 3) confounding biases, and 4) disparity biases in transportation safety.

To be more specific, four research objectives are demonstrated below. Chapter 3 assessed the safety performance of taxi and ride-hailing services by a multivariate …

Broadband Dielectric Spectroscopic Detection Of Volatile Organic Compounds With Zinc Oxide And Metal-Organic Frameworks As Solid-State Sensor Materials, Papa Kojo Amoah

Electrical & Computer Engineering Theses & Dissertations

The industrial revolution drove technological progress but also increased the release of harmful pollutants, posing significant risks to human health and the environment. Volatile organic compounds (VOCs), which have various anthropogenic and natural sources, are particularly concerning due to their impact on public health, especially in urban areas. Addressing these adverse effects requires comprehensive strategies for mitigation as traditional gas sensing techniques have limitations and there is a need for innovative approaches to VOC detection.

VOCs encompass a diverse group of chemicals with high volatility, emitted from various human activities and natural sources. These compounds play a crucial role in …

A Variable Shape Metastructure Based On Controlled Bistable Structural Elements, Mehmet R. Simsek

Mechanical & Aerospace Engineering Theses & Dissertations

The so-called hybrid position feedback controller is an unstable-then-stable position feedback controller, which is a second-order single-degree-of-freedom system in nature. This hybrid controller takes advantage of the resonant mode of a bistable system about one equilibrium position, destabilizes the system, and dynamically induces snap-through between the two equilibria. In this dissertation, a new multi degree of freedom metastructure concept that utilizes the hybrid position feedback controller is introduced. An arbitrary number of bistable “segments” or “structural elements” are attached to each other in a serial (or parallel) manner to generate a “distributed” bistable structure – also referred to as a …

A Trustworthy Self-Sovereign Data And Identity Management Framework, Efat Fathalla

Electrical & Computer Engineering Theses & Dissertations

Data is a fundamental building block in the digital world, providing a basis for decision making and growth across numerous applications. In our modern world, we have become accustomed to collecting data on everything, including devices, machines, and people. The increased value of such data has led to aggressive harvesting mechanisms that prioritize data collection, storage, and pervasiveness while often disregarding security, privacy concerns, and compliance with regulations and standards. Such a pervasive attitude towards data has resulted in a loss of control, prompting concerns among individuals and mobilizing the scientific community towards advocating for data self-sovereignty.

Self-Sovereign Identity (SSI) …

Antibiotic Resistance In Urban Stormwater Runoff And Green Stormwater Infrastructure, Kassidy N. O'Malley

Dissertations (1934 -)

Antibiotic resistance in the environment poses significant risks to human health, especially through the transmission of antibiotic resistance genes (ARGs) and antibiotic-resistant bacteria (ARB) via pathways like food and water. Urban stormwater runoff has been identified as a significant contributor to the release and transport of ARGs in the environment but has remained under-researched. This dissertation aimed to address this gap by investigating the fate of ARGs in urban stormwater runoff to guide future stormwater management decisions. Two phases were completed; the first sought to investigate extracellular antibiotic resistance genes (eARGs) in stormwater runoff, and the second focused on quantifying …

Community College Engineering Degree Partnerships With 4-Year Universities, Jeffrey Mark Stear

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Increasing the number of STEM professionals and reducing inequities in STEM are national priorities. Community colleges are important to address these concerns because they represent a higher percentage of underrepresented minority (URM) and women students. However, students starting 4-year STEM degrees in community college have had a lower completion rate. Partnerships between community colleges and 4-year universities have the potential to improve success for community college students, but more research is necessary. The purpose of this ex post facto, quantitative, correlational study was to determine the relationships among participation in different types of partnerships between community colleges and 4-year universities, …