Reducing Error Rates In Intelligence, Surveillance, And Reconnaissance (Isr) Anomaly Detection Via Information Presentation Optimization, Donald Glen Church

Browse all Theses and Dissertations

In the ISR domain, time-critical decision-making and dealing with multiple information feeds places high demands on the human. When designing aids and tools, the decision maker must be taken into account. This research looks toward designing a decision aid based the personality type of the operator. The BFI is used to determine the impact of personality and decision aid type (graphical vs. textual) on performance. Results show Openness and Agreeableness to be the strongest single factors for decision aid impact on performance. A model was also developed to show how the human takes the information and relates it to a …

The Origin Of Korotkoff Sounds And The Accuracy Of Auscultatory Blood Pressure Measurements, Charles F. Babbs

Weldon School of Biomedical Engineering Faculty Publications

This study explores the hypothesis that the sharper, high frequency Korotkoff sounds come from resonant motion of the arterial wall, which begins after the artery transitions from a buckled state to an expanding state. The motion of one mass, two nonlinear springs, and one damper, driven by transmural pressure under the cuff, are used to model and compute the Korotkoff sounds according to principles of classical Newtonian physics. The natural resonance of this spring-mass-damper system provides a concise, yet rigorous, explanation for the origin of Korotkoff sounds. Fundamentally, wall stretching in expansion requires more force than wall bending in buckling. …

Civil Engineering/ Graduate Students/ Johnston & Jeffryes/ University Of Minnesota/ 2012, Lisa Johnston, Jon Jeffryes

Data Information Literacy Case Study Directory

From the University of Minnesota, this case study describes the seven modules that comprise their data information literacy program for students in Civil Engineering. The modules include: data management, organization and documentation, data access and ownership, data sharing and re-use, and preservation. Materials include a book chapter describing the case study, the syllabus for the program, a template for developing a data management plan and the evaluation forms that were used.

Eco-Design Integration Into New Product Development Processes: Comparison Between Lca Software And Cad-Integrated Tools, Maria I. Hernandez Dalmau

Purdue Polytechnic Masters Theses

The constant growth of environmental concerns and in order to satisfy the increasing population demands, designers have started to integrate eco-design parameters in early design stages. The technological development that happened in the last decade has started to integrate LCA methods within CAD tools, allowing non-geometric data to be integrated in a typical geometrical model. The main research interest of this thesis is focused on the evaluation of the use of these emerging CAD tools, as tools capable to evaluate the futures environmental impacts of products and processes. This thesis studies through three comparative case studies if SolidWorks Sustainability as …

Quantifying Benefits Of Signal Timing Maintenance And Optimization Using Both Travel Time And Travel Time Reliability Measures, Howell Li, Steven M. Lavrenz, Christopher M. Day, Amanda Stevens, Darcy M. Bullock

Lyles School of Civil Engineering Faculty Publications

No abstract provided.

High-Resolution Controller Data Performance Measures For Optimizing Diverging Diamond Interchanges And Outcome Assessment With Drone Video, Alexander M. Hainen, Amanda L. Stevens, Christopher M. Day, Howell Li, Jamie Mackey, Matt Luker, Mark Taylor, James R. Sturdevant, Darcy M. Bullock

Lyles School of Civil Engineering Faculty Publications

No abstract provided.

Polymer Interactions With Nucleic Acids Under Various Physiological Conditions, Matthew S. Obrzut

Williams Honors College, Honors Research Projects

The goal of this project is to improve our understanding of nucleic acid interactions with cationic polymers with the theory that the polymers could protect the nucleic acids from degradation caused by biological enzymes. We seek to understand what the limitations of the cationic polymers are which, in this case, is mainly polymer-DNA compatibility. This experiment utilized peptide-dextran hybrid polymers with differing functionalizations to condense anionic nucleic acids into nanometer-sized polyplexes. Techniques of dynamic light scattering and zeta-potential were utilized to determine the particle sizes and surface charges of polyplexes.

In this experiment, dextran with a molecular weight of 20 …

The Impact Of Shrinkage Reducing Admixtures On The Corrosion Of Steel Rebar In Concrete, Carlee C. Mccowin, Donald P. Visco Jr.

Williams Honors College, Honors Research Projects

Chemical admixtures are prepared in modern concrete to control certain performance properties, such as strength, setting-time, and workability. In this research, the corrosion inhibition properties of various shrinkage reducing admixtures in a synthetic concrete pore solution are examined. These compounds can inhibit or promote corrosion of the carbon steel rebar in concrete structures. The corrosive effects were tested by modeling the environment of concrete in a cathodic cell with a similar pH (12-13). Each shrinkage-reducing admixture (SRA) was compared to a standard reference cell. Tafel curves were used to determine the corrosion current and potential.

2015 Afrl University And Service Academy Design Challenge, Andrew P. Killmeyer, Jacob Stein, Casey Hale, Jeff Quartermaine, Kevin Rolik, Brandon Null, Nick Tsangeos, Marissa Seeley, Sam Moats, Nicholas Garafolo Phd, Daniel Slattery

Williams Honors College, Honors Research Projects

The University of Akron’s Air Force Research Laboratory’s Design Challenge Team has engineered a Heat Stress Prevention Kit that includes a facial mask in which the soldier will cool down from the inside out by breathing in the cool air circulating throughout the mask. This cool air is produced from a thermoelectric chip, which has a specific temperature difference on either side, one hot and one cold. Each of the sides are isolated from one another and with the combination of heatsinks, fans, and the simple process of breathing, a system is created by inhaling cool air. The entire system …

All American Soap Box Derby Competition, Justin E. Yager, Spencer Cullen

Williams Honors College, Honors Research Projects

No abstract provided.

New Multiphase Reactor Design Using Electrospun Nanofibers, Victoria Smith

Williams Honors College, Honors Research Projects

No abstract provided.

Nylon-6 Fabric Nanocomposite Resistance Temperature Detectors - Effects Of Oxidant, Mwcnt, And Nylon-6 Concentration, Rebecca Howdyshell

Williams Honors College, Honors Research Projects

Abstract

The purpose of this honors project is to construct and test temperature detectors, which can be used for the advancement of exercise devices, prosthetic sockets, or medical applications. Resistance Temperature Detectors (RTDs) are an effective way to measure temperature due to the dependence of the RTD material’s resistance on temperature. The focus of this project was to develop an RTD for prosthetic socket or exercise applications, where the RTD is in close contact with the skin of the user. Generally, RTDs are constructed from platinum, copper, or nickel. However, metal RTDs have a tendency to be large and rigid, …

Design Of An Sae Baja Racing Off-Road Vehicle Powertrain, Eric T. Payne

Williams Honors College, Honors Research Projects

No abstract provided.

Senior Design: Kong Toy Instruction-Manual Insertion, Marianna R. Smith, Rachael L. Innocenzi, Ashley N. Cuthbert

Williams Honors College, Honors Research Projects

The team’s goal is to design and test a prototype and procedure that will automate the insertion of the

Kong toy instructions into the cardboard packaging. This automation will increase the speed at which

the product is packaged and will serve as an aid to workers with limited dexterity who find the task

cumbersome.

Design Of The Structural And Propulsion Systems For The 2015 University Of Akron Rocket Team, Kyle W. Dehoff, Nicholas J. Hrusch

Williams Honors College, Honors Research Projects

No abstract provided.

Self-Balancing Two Wheeled Robot, David Laubli, Thomas Garabedian, Jordan Paul, Nikheel Patel, Michael Redle

Williams Honors College, Honors Research Projects

Automation is increasingly becoming a larger part of daily life. From automated telephone calls to machines in manufacturing, robots are generally an effective and efficient way to reduce overhead costs, increase consistency in products and services, and perform tasks that may be hazardous to humans. The successful design and building of a two-wheeled balancing robot demonstrates a knowledge of control systems and sensor interfacing that can translate to real world applications. Helping seniors live on their own, performing dangerous mining work, repeatedly screwing the same piece in an assembly line, are great examples of a controls automation system freeing time …

Utilizing Ultrasonic Technology To Manage Algal Blooms In Lake Rockwell, Mackenzie Kaser, Andrew Perdue

Williams Honors College, Honors Research Projects

The purpose of this paper is to analyze the effectiveness of ultrasonic technology to manage algal blooms in Lake Rockwell. Lake Rockwell is the drinking water source for the city of Akron, OH and the surrounding areas. One of the main issues facing the City of Akron Water Treatment Plant is cyanobacteria, or blue-green algae. Cyanobacteria releases toxins, which makes conventional water treatment processes more difficult. Our proposed solution to manage algal blooms in Lake Rockwell is ultrasonic technology. This system emits vibrations that destroy the algal cells and prevent new blooms from forming. Our plan involves three master buoys …

Led Learning Guitar, Kellen C. Reusser, Justin Fiser

Williams Honors College, Honors Research Projects

The goal of this project is to create an electric guitar that detects and displays chords in different tunings for learning and exploration purposes. A hexaphonic pickup will generate the required signals and a processor will detect the pitch. The computer software will apply the pitch information to determine the tuning and the voicings of chords. LEDs mounted on the fretboard of the guitar will indicate a note to be played.

The Examination Of Stress Corrosion Cracking In High Strength Carbon Steel Through Combined Mechanical-Electrochemical Testing, Jacob Sines

Williams Honors College, Honors Research Projects

Through the analysis of materials and environments seen in industry a better understanding of the fundamentals behind degradation mechanisms can be observed. The scope of this project was to better understand the fundamentals behind the degradation of high strength pipeline steels in a lab setting to simulate an environment seen in industry. Specifically the degradation mechanisms of high and nearly neutral pH stress corrosion cracking were examined in environments that simulated oil and gas pipelines buried in soil. Experimentation was carried out utilizing X65 carbon steel specimen, a Gamry potentiostat, a CORTEST proof ring, a CORTEST slow strain rate machine, …

Parameters Estimation Of Material Constitutive Models Using Optimization Algorithms, Kiswendsida Jules Kere

Williams Honors College, Honors Research Projects

Optimization Algorithms are very useful for solving engineering problems. Indeed, optimization algorithms can be used to optimize engineering designs in terms of safety and economy. Understanding the proprieties of materials in engineering designs is very important in order to make designs safe. Materials are not really perfectly homogeneous and there are heterogeneous distributions in most materials. In this paper, Self-OPTIM which is an inverse constitutive parameter identification framework will be used to identify parameters of a linear elastic material constitutive model. Data for Self-OPTIM will be obtained using ABAQUS simulation of a dog-bone uniaxial test. Optimization Algorithms will be used …

Creation Of A Portable, 3d-Printable, Iphone-Compatible Spectrophotometer, Elise K. Grasse

Williams Honors College, Honors Research Projects

Spectroscopy is a widely used chemical and medical analysis tool. While spectrophotometers are commonly found in many universities and laboratories, they are not available to all high schools or laboratories in developing countries. The objective of this project was to design a high-quality, 3D-printable, iPhone-compatible spectrophotometer that uses a cell phone camera and interface to collect data. The created 3D-print file will be available to anyone with access to a 3D printer which are increasingly found in many laboratories and schools across the country. A low cost pre-printed kit will also be made for those without access to a 3D …

Agriculture And Biological Engineering/ Graduate Students/ Bracke & Fosmire/ Purdue University/ 2012, Marianne S. Bracke, Michael Fosmire

Data Information Literacy Case Study Directory

This case study was comprised of three workshops for a lab in Agricultural and Biological Engineering. Data Information Literacy topics covered include developing and following a standard operating procedure, search for external data and creating metadata. Materials include a book chapter describing the case study, a data archiving checklist to follow for describing the types of data generated by the lab, a metadata entry form and an evaluation form used to gather feedback for each of the three sessions.

Sequence Optimization At Signalized Diamond Interchanges Using High-Resolution Event-Based Data, Alexander M. Hainen, Howell Li, Amanda L. Stevens, Christopher M. Day, Jim Sturdevant, Darcy M. Bullock

Lyles School of Civil Engineering Faculty Publications

No abstract provided.

Parametric Study Of Self-Centering Concentrically-Braced Frames In Response To Earthquakes, Nicholas F. Roth

Williams Honors College, Honors Research Projects

This research project consisted of the use of computer aided numerical software to test the response of an earthquake resistance system within various buildings when exposed to various design-level earthquakes. This research project is an extension of an existing NSF research project. The relevant questions and investigations of this and the greater project surround the performance of an earthquake resistance system with the intentions of better understanding its abilities and limitations. This project has been aided by Dr. David Roke, the faculty sponsor, in order to perform the research and collect, organize, and analyze the data. This research was performed …

Motor Imagery Classification Using Sparse Representation Of Eeg Signals, Pouria Saidi

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The human brain is unquestionably the most complex organ of the body as it controls and processes its movement and senses. A healthy brain is able to generate responses to the signals it receives, and transmit messages to the body. Some neural disorders can impair the communication between the brain and the body preventing the transmission of these messages. Brain Computer Interfaces (BCIs) are devices that hold immense potential to assist patients with such disorders by analyzing brain signals, translating and classifying various brain responses, and relaying them to external devices and potentially back to the body. Classifying motor imagery …

A Framework To Improve A Nation's Competitiveness Through Quality Awards And Performance Improvement Tools, Amr Alamri

Wayne State University Dissertations

Each country, represented by its government, aims to serve its citizens better. This is achieved by better utilization of resources and higher productivity. The ability to do so will lead to a competitive nation. Recently, countries were able to compare themselves in terms of competitiveness using international indexes and references. These references gave countries a benchmark to know where they exist compared to other nations. They help governments to understand their strengths and weaknesses within the competitiveness components. However, nations differ in the actions which are to be taken in order to improve their competitiveness. Governments establish and regulate many …

Rheology Of Cross-Linked Polymers And Polymer Foams: Theory And Experimental Results, John Herman

Wayne State University Dissertations

Typical polymers have a time-dependent response to loading which results in stress relaxation or creep. Models using springs/dashpots or Volterra integrals are capable of predicting the material response, but place little or no emphasis on the reasoning behind the response. This research proposes a microscopic reasoning behind polymer chain movement, while developing a model to predict the creep and stress relaxation of a polymer foam. Based on the theorized slip/stick of polymer chains as they slide past each other, this model successfully predicts the behavior of a PMI polymer foam under tensile loads. This model lends insights into polymer microscopic …

Quantification Of Auto-Ignition In Diesel Engines, Umashankar M. Joshi

Wayne State University Dissertations

Efforts have been made previously by researchers to quantify the auto-ignition quality of fuels by calculating global activation energy using Arrhenius plots with data measured for the ignition delay period (ID). Large variation in the activation energy of fuels has been observed even for fuels with closer CN values. More recently, the activation energy values obtained by Kook et al in (2005) on an optical engine do not agree with data obtained in an identical metallic engine by Jayakumar using fuels of same CN.

The disparity in their results can be attributed to the differences in ignition delay (ID) and …

Methodology For Validating Multi-Dimensional Engine Combustion Models And Fuel Surrogates Using An Optically Accessible Compression Ignition Engine, Xin Yu

Wayne State University Dissertations

In response to increasingly stringent engine emissions regulation, three dimensional in-cylinder combustion modeling is increasingly being used as a tool to optimize the combustion process and reduce the cost of experimental testing. Due to the complexity of the physical and chemical interactions involved in the in-cylinder combustion process, the engine combustion model consists of numerous sub-models developed under pre-defined initial and boundary conditions requiring further model calibration depending on different engine applications. Fuel surrogates, one of those sub-models developed for different combustion applications, may not capture all the behavior when applied to the varying temperature-pressure conditions present in a compression …

Building Computing-As-A-Service Mobile Cloud System, Kun Wang

Wayne State University Dissertations

The last five years have witnessed the proliferation of smart mobile devices, the explosion of various mobile applications and the rapid adoption of cloud computing in business, governmental and educational IT deployment. There is also a growing trends of combining mobile computing and cloud computing as a new popular computing paradigm nowadays. This thesis envisions the future of mobile computing which is primarily affected by following three trends: First, servers in cloud equipped with high speed multi-core technology have been the main stream today. Meanwhile, ARM processor powered servers is growingly became popular recently and the virtualization on ARM systems …