Engineering Commons^™

Led Slackline, Kristina Forystek

Electrical Engineering

A Slackline is a nylon rope that uses tension to suspend itself above ground. Slacklines are usually tied between two trees while the user walks across the line. Slacklining provides a daytime activity as user vision weakens after the sun goes down. A LED slackline allows users to practice tight roping at night. The lights let the user know when they perform well. The slackline uses a three axis system to determine how much the user moves. The slackline senses how much the user shakes in three dimensions and then relays it back to the LEDs. If the user shakes …

Tilt-Rotor Drone, Benjamin Stone, Zachary Crandall

Electrical Engineering

A drone is defined a "an unmanned aircraft that can fly autonomously[2]." In the year 2016, there exist many applications for small scale drones. Drones, having had primarily military applications, now have use in hobby robotics, photography, and even in surveying. But drones have not yet been perfected and still have room for much improvement. Several problems with drones come in the form of battery life, stability, and size. Large drones can fit many sensors and probes, but are heavy and have less flight time. For autonomous drones, stability can be an issue even though there exist many stable drones. …

Polyratings Website Update, Cody Sears, Connor Krier, Anil Thattayathu

Computer Science and Software Engineering

Polyratings is a well known website amongst Cal Poly students. Over the past 14 years it has been in existence the site has been viewed 2.5 million times. This is a drastic number because the average student population on campus every year nears 20,000. This being said, when class registration came around every quarter there was always talk about the Polyratings scores for professors. However, with this talk also came much negativity towards the site.

The problem that we found was that everyone needed Polyratings for help with class searching, but were also very dissatisfied with the website. The main …

Red Piston (Roborodentia), Gabriel Lee Hernandez, Davie Sy

Computer Science and Software Engineering

Roborodentia is an annual robotics competition held during Cal Poly’s Open House showcase. Teams of one to three people come together to build an autonomous robot to typically collect rings for points. The specifications of the competition will be detailed in the problem statement. For Roborodentia 2016, we built a machine dubbed Red Piston to tackle on this year’s competition. The following report will detail the design process and implementation of our robot.

High-Low, Cameron Burwell, Bryce Cheng-Campbell

Computer Science and Software Engineering

The card game High-Low is a cooperative game that provides a unique problem of where all players have partial information and build off other players guesses to win the game. This problem lends itself to creating an AI bot that can play the game with other human players. By making decisions that change as the other players make guesses through the rounds, we have created an AI bot that plays the game with a good degree of accuracy.

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

Computer Science and Software Engineering

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

Fulfilling A Restful Commitment: Test-Suite Generation For Swagger-Based Rest Apis, Noah Dietz

Computer Science and Software Engineering

An application programming interface (API) can be the most integral part of a product or service. APIs drive businesses and innovation in all aspects of technology and they rely on descriptive frameworks to detail what they have to offer. These descriptive frameworks are a rich source of information on a variety of levels, such as usage, best-practices and even basic implications towards the underlying implementation. The motivation of this project during my internship was to exploit this wealth of information in order to create a description-based, or contract-based, unit test generation tool specifically for Swagger-based REST APIs and to encourage …

Can We Teach A Programming Language As A Second Language?, Lulu Sun, Christina Frederick, Paula Sanjuan Espejo, Rachel Cunningham

Publications

This paper describes a design and implementation of a NSF sponsored project in 2015. This study will test the hypothesis that the use of cognitive frameworks in second language acquisition for the development of a blended learning of programming languages can improve engagement and the learning experience of engineering students. Using this approach will place greater emphasis on problem solving techniques that can be utilized in all courses. The online module consists of a series of short videos (10-20 minutes), online quizzes with tiered questions, and topic specified discussion board led by student researchers. Students’ demographic data, course-related behaviors such …

Sensing Gyroscopic Properties Of Rotating Magnetic Nanoparticles In Solution, Brian Gerald Krug

Dissertations

A new sensor using magnetic nanoparticles and rotating magnetic fields has been developed. By spinning the nanoparticles in a rotating magnetic field, it is feasible to infer angular position and inertia if an external force is applied to the system. The nanoparticles are treated as a multitude of miniature gyroscopes whose overall effect can be combined as one single gyroscope. Two sensors were built to test the feasibility, both containing Fe3O4 nanoparticles.

The typical input current was 250 milliamps. When the sensor deviated from its magnetic axis by a small angle, the input current changed between 1 and 2 milliamps …

Performance Assessment Of Deteriorated And Retrofitted Steel Hp Piles, Joshua Steelman, Steven Stauffer

Nebraska Department of Transportation: Research Reports

No abstract provided.

Design Of An Integrated Acceleration Acquisition Subsystem To Satisfy High-Speed And Low-Area Requirements For Cubesats, Ryan J. Rumsey

Master's Theses

Cal Poly San Luis Obispo’s PolySat team is designing the Multipurpose Orbital Spring Ejection System (MOSES) in order to record acceleration data during the launch of CubeSats as well as to provide GPS coordinates to locate the position of CubeSats once they are injected into orbit. This work focuses on the design and development of the acceleration data acquisition (DAQ) subsystem of MOSES. This subsystem is designed around the need for a high-speed sampling system of at least 200 kHz across four channels of data, plus low-area limitations in the MOSES form factor which is roughly half the size of …

Anex: Automated Network Exploitation Through Penetration Testing, Eric Francis Dazet

Master's Theses

Cyber attacks are a growing concern in our modern world, making security evaluation a critical venture. Penetration testing, the process of attempting to compromise a computer network with controlled tests, is a proven method of evaluating a system's security measures. However, penetration tests, and preventive security analysis in general, require considerable investments in money, time, and labor, which can cause them to be overlooked. Alternatively, automated penetration testing programs are used to conduct a security evaluation with less user effort, lower cost, and in a shorter period of time than manual penetration tests. The trade-off is that automated penetration testing …

Graph-Based Data Visualization In Virtual Reality: A Comparison Of User Experiences, Paul Andrew Sullivan

Master's Theses

Virtual reality is currently in the spotlight, attracting intense scrutiny by the press, technology companies, and consumers. After twenty years of dormancy, the technology has experienced a renaissance following advancements in both hardware and software. Most of these developments, and thus press attention, have been centered on entertainment. However, if the technology is going to continue to grow, it must be useful in a wide variety of situations. This paper explores the effectiveness of visualizing data in virtual reality in comparison to traditional presentations.

In this thesis, we present an approach to displaying data in a virtual reality environment. We …

Mechanical And Electrical Characterization Of Carbon Nanofibers Produced From Water Soluble Precursors, Lee D. Cremar, Javier Acosta-Martinez, Alexsandra Villarreal, Alfonso Salinas, Karen Lozano

Mechanical Engineering Faculty Publications

This study presents the thermo-physical, electrical, and mechanical characterization of fine carbon fibers produced from water-soluble polymer precursors and low temperature processes. These fibers were developed utilizing the Forcespinning® technology which utilizes centrifugal force to spin fibers. Polyvinyl alcohol was used as the precursor material, and fibers were developed and deposited in a non-woven configuration. The resultant non-woven fiber mats were subjected to a dehydration process through exposure to sulfuric acid vapors. The partially carbonized mats were heat treated at 850 °C. The produced porous nonwoven carbon fiber based mats have micro-and mesoporosity with a final fiber average diameter of …

Jezik: A Cognitive Translation System Employing A Single, Visible Spectrum Tracking Detector, Davor Bzik

Student Works

A link between eye movement mechanics and the mental processing associated with text reading has been established in the past. The pausing of an eye gaze on a specific word within a sentence reflects correctness or fluency of a translated text. A cognitive translation system has been built employing a single, inexpensive web camera without the use of infrared illumination. It was shown that the system translates the text, detects rarely occurring and out-of-context words from eye gaze information, and provides solutions in real time while the user is still reading. The solutions are in form of a translation, definition …

Modeling And Control Of A Tailsitter With A Ducted Fan, Matthew Elliott Argyle

Student Works

There are two traditional aircraft categories: fixed-wing which have a long endurance and a high cruise airspeed and rotorcraft which can take-off and land vertically. The tailsitter is a type of aircraft that has the strengths of both platforms, with no additional mechanical complexity, because it takes off and lands vertically on its tail and can transition the entire aircraft horizontally into high-speed flight. In this dissertation, we develop the entire control system for a tailsitter with a ducted fan. The standard method to compute the quaternion-based attitude error does not generate ideal trajectories for a hovering tailsitter for some …

The Recent Development Of New Pigment Binders, Jae Young Shin

Dissertations

Pigment coatings are applied onto paper and paperboard to improve their appearance and printability. For pigmented coatings, pigments and binders are the most important ingredients so their selections are critical.

Pigment binders not only perform the basic required role of binding pigment particles to each other and bonding the base sheet, but also significantly influence the rheology, coater runnability, and drying behaviors of the coating formulation and the optical, viscoelastic, and printing properties of coated paper and paperboard products.

When considering the relative amount of binders to use in a coating, one may speak about main binder, co-binder and sole-binder. …

Agent-Based Modeling Of Abc Methods For Decision-Making In Highway Bridge Projects Including Uncertainty And Several Stakeholders, Abdul Wahed Mohammed

Dissertations

Accelerated Bridge Construction (ABC) methods that were recently introduced in the U.S. to reduce the on-site construction duration furnish several benefits to the public and highway agencies. Further, the traffic growth in addition to increasing number of functionally obsolete and structurally deficient bridges necessitates the increased implementation of ABC methods. In recent years, several Departments of Transportation (DOTs) in the U.S. have developed decision-making models to compare broadly ABC to conventional bridge construction for a particular site. However, with increased implementation and advancements in ABC methods, there is a need for specifying a particular ABC method and a superstructure system …

Flexographic Printing Of Conductive Silver Inks Onto Pdms: Surface Treatment And Novel Processes For Creating Printed Electronic Devices, Michael James Joyce

Dissertations

For the continued advancement of the field of printed electronic (PE), there is a need for a better understanding of the interactions between functional inks and substrates, which is required to optimize printability, mechanical, and functional properties for the creation of more robust and efficient printed devices. This body of work aims to advance the knowledge of the material properties of poly-di-methyl-siloxane, PDMS, films, their interactions with flexo inks, and their flexographic printability. As the printing of metals (i.e., Ag & Au) is a known area of interest pertaining to PE, this work focused on the characterization and optimization of …

Investigation Of Thermal Scaling Effects For A Turbine Blade Leading Edge And Pressure Side Model, Ryan A. Lynch

Theses and Dissertations

Recent experiments have attempted to quantify the overall cooling effectiveness at elevated temperature conditions. The Film Cooling Rig (FCR) at the Air Force Institute of Technology has been modified to better match the configuration of a similar large scale, low temperature rig at the Air Force Research Laboratory. This has enabled comparison and trend identification of how various properties scale from the low to high temperature condition. Various internal cooling and hole geometry configurations were investigated over a range of temperatures while utilizing the thermal scaling capability of Inconel 718. Film cooling trends and measures of overall effectiveness were matched, …

Development Of A Low-Cost, Portable, And Programmable Solar Module To Facilitate Hands-On Experiments And Improve Student Learning, Sandip Das

Faculty Articles

Solar energy has become one of the major renewable energy sources to meet a significant portion of the global energy demand in the near future. The photovoltaic (PV) industry is growing at a fast pace and is predicted to reach tera-watt scale power production capacity by 2050. Thus, creating highly qualified engineers by providing effective hands-on education is of primary importance. This paper discusses on the design, fabrication, and implementation of a low-cost, portable, and programmable solar module to improve the student learning outcomes of a solar power and renewable energy course by facilitating hands-on experiments. Solar cells within the …

Air Mobility Future: Evolving Command And Control Relationships In The Information Age, Ian M. Slazinik

Theses and Dissertations

This research paper analyzes information flow through theater Air Mobility Command and Control (C2) organizations. The purpose is to uncover guidelines going forward to adapt organizational structure and processes to increase the speed and reach of information. These guidelines could assist with improving organizational agility and decision making while adapting to future trends in the broader C2 enterprise. To collect data, the researcher conducted interviews with seventeen C2 experts with experience at various levels of C2, from worldwide to theater Air Mobility C2 organizations, from Air Mobility C2 leadership, to experts in non-mobility C2 divisions. Interview subjects shared their perceptions …

A General Code To Simulate The Effect Of Indirect Lightning On Overhead Lines Using Emtp-Type Programs, Hasan Jameel Hasan

Masters Theses

In this thesis, a general code is obtained to allow the simulation of the transient response of transmission lines excited by a nearby lightning stroke using EMTP–type programs, namely PSCAD and ATP.

Initially, the frequency domain modeling of single phase and multiconductor transmission lines is described and assessed by means of several application examples. As a second stage, the transmission line model is used to implement an illuminated transmission line model (line excited by an electromagnetic field excitation) using Taylor’s formulation. Then, a general code is developed in MATLAB to obtain the response of a field excited line; this effect …

Low Cost Metal Chip Separator, Alek Linquist, Kale Mckinney, Ryan Jones

Mechanical Engineering

We were tasked by Micro-Vu to design, build, and test a small-scale low-cost metal chip separator to operate on one of their 24/7 mills. The goal of the project was to separate the steel and aluminum chips coming off of the mill’s chip conveyor to end up with a bin of 99% pure aluminum by mass. To accomplish this goal we first brainstormed various possible ideas and performed small scale tests the best ones. After further review we determined the best solution to this problem was a design that involved a cycling magnetic backing that would pull steel out of …

4th And 5th Axis Rotary Table, Dakota Bass, Ricky Riedl, Nicole Slagle, Irene Yee

Mechanical Engineering

No abstract provided.

Using A Vnir Spectral Library To Model Soil Carbon And Total Nitrogen Content, Nuwan K. Wijewardane

Department of Agricultural and Biological Systems Engineering: Dissertations, Theses, and Student Research

n-situ soil sensor systems based on visible and near infrared spectroscopy is not yet been effectively used due to inadequate studies to utilize legacy spectral libraries under the field conditions. The performance of such systems is significantly affected by spectral discrepancies created by sample intactness and library differences. In this study, four objectives were devised to obtain directives to address these issues. The first objective was to calibrate and evaluate VNIR models statistically and computationally (i.e. computing resource requirement), using four modeling techniques namely: Partial least squares regression (PLS), Artificial neural networks (ANN), Random forests (RF) and Support vector regression …

Broad Street Apartments, Carla Alejandra Simental, Viviana C. Sanchez

Architectural Engineering

No abstract provided.

Retrofitting Adobe Buildings, Ashley V. Gaur, Jessica E. Ellis

Architectural Engineering

No abstract provided.

Experimental Building Demonstration Model With Viscous Fluid Dampers, Blake Thomas Reeve, Brianna Jean Kufa, Aden Malek Stepanians, Sophie Carmion Ratkovich

Architectural Engineering

The Architectural Engineering major places a heavy emphasis on structural dynamics and the role of wind and seismic loading in building analysis and design. Buildings of high importance that are critical to community function, such as hospitals, often utilize supplemental damping devices like supplemental viscous fluid dampers or base isolators to reduce the overall demands on the structural system. The design and analysis of these dampers are typically not taught at the undergraduate level, and is frequently performed by mechanical engineers, in lieu of structural engineers.

To better understand and research building behavior with supplemental damping devices, our multi-disciplinary team …

Removal Of Trace Metal Contaminants From Potable Water By Electrocoagulation, Joe Heffron, Matt Marhefke, Brooke K. Mayer

Civil and Environmental Engineering Faculty Research and Publications

This study investigated the effects of four operational and environmental variables on the removal of trace metal contaminants from drinking water by electrocoagulation (EC). Removal efficiencies for five metals (arsenic, cadmium, chromium, lead and nickel) were compared under varying combinations of electrode material, post-treatment, water composition and pH. Iron electrodes out-performed aluminum electrodes in removing chromium and arsenic. At pH 6.5, aluminum electrodes were slightly more effective at removing nickel and cadmium, while at pH 8.5, iron electrodes were more effective for these metals. Regardless of electrode, cadmium and nickel removal efficiencies were higher at pH 8.5 than at pH …