Engineering Commons^™

End-To-End (E2e) Model-Based Systems Engineering (Mbse) Framework, Joshua Adelabu, Bhushan Lohar

Shelby Hall Graduate Research Forum Presentations

This presentation explores the latest advancements in systems engineering, with a particular focus on Model-Based Systems Engineering (MBSE). It covers key definitions, benefits, applications, and challenges associated with these methodologies, as well as analyzes current frameworks and research methodologies in the field.

Advancing Sustainable Road Construction With Cold Mix Rap And Rejuvenator, Abeeb G. Oyelere

Shelby Hall Graduate Research Forum Presentations

Presentation slides for a presentation given at the 1st annual Shelby Hall Graduate Research Forum at the University of South Alabama.

Choosing Robust Leadership: Encompassing The Best-Of-N Model And Swarm Intelligence Optimization For Heterogeneous Multiple Autonomous Unmanned Aerial Vehicle Systems, Kudamuhandiramlage Harith Kolitha Warnakulasooriya

Shelby Hall Graduate Research Forum Presentations

Presentation slides for a presentation given at the 1st annual Shelby Hall Graduate Research Forum at the University of South Alabama.

Improving The Viability Of Continuous Fiber Reinforced Composite Materials In Extreme Temperature Applications And Additive Manufacturing, Ryan A. Warren

Shelby Hall Graduate Research Forum Presentations

Presentation slides for a presentation given at the 1st annual Shelby Hall Graduate Research Forum at the University of South Alabama.

Danzens: A Toolkit For Sensing, Labeling And Visualizing Dance Movements, Yanelly Mego, Concepción Valdez, Hector M. Camarillo-Abad, Franceli L. Cibrian

Engineering Faculty Articles and Research

Wearable technology offers new opportunities for analyzing complex movements like dance, where precision, coordination, and feedback are key. In this demo, we present DanZens, a novel toolkit for real-time motion analysis in dance, leveraging wearable sensors to provide accessible and actionable feedback. Combining DanceTag to capture and annotate movements with DanceVis to visualize performance differences, DanZens uses Sony Mocopi sensors to analyze motion and generate intuitive heat maps through Dynamic Time Warping (DTW). This system enables precise, cost-effective comparisons between two people doing dance-related movements, offering personalized feedback and eliminating the need for expensive biomechanical labs. Designed to advance pervasive …

Harmonicthreads – An Interface That Supports Accessibility In Musical Interaction, Ellie Nguyen, Miyuki Weldon, Franceli L. Cibrian

Engineering Faculty Articles and Research

Traditional musical instruments often can create boundaries due to their cost, training, mobility, and cognitive requirements, making musical expression inaccessible. To address this challenge, we developed HarmonicThreads, a novel pervasive computing interface consisting of a responsive, flexible fabric. HarmonicThreads provides a tactile and auditory experience, allowing users to easily create and control sounds. Using embedded sensors and real-time processing, HarmonicThreads interprets the user's natural movements and interactions to create adaptable musical outputs. This enables context-aware musical interaction, demonstrating the potential of pervasive interfaces in reducing barriers and making musical expression more accessible.

Computational Study Of The Separation Of Aromatic/Aliphatic Mixtures Using Ionic Liquids, Brian Seth Christa, Brooks D. Rabideau

Shelby Hall Graduate Research Forum Posters

Aromatic hydrocarbons are a valuable product in many industrial processes. Separating aromatic compounds from solutions of mixed hydrocarbons is notoriously expensive and inefficient, particularly in solutions with less than 20 wt% aromatics. Ionic liquids (ILs) are salts that remain liquid at room temperature and exhibit extremely promising properties such as negligible vapor pressure and high thermal stability. The tunable nature of ILs, arising from the interchangeability of ions, is a promising attribute for the use of ILs in difficult separation processes. This study involves the separation and adsorption between aromatic and aliphatic compounds with various ILs to study the selectivity …

Adaptive Core Materials For Wireless Power Transfer: Evaluating Mr Fluid In Static And Dynamic Scenarios, Abrer Mohsin Samin, Daniela Wolter Ferreira Touma

Shelby Hall Graduate Research Forum Posters

This research introduces the behavior of Magnetorheological (MR) material as a core for Wireless Power Transfer (WPT) and Dynamic Wireless Power Transfer (DWPT) systems. MR fluids are flexible and easily fabricable material, although they offer a lower magnetic permeability compared to conventional Ferrite cores. The main objective of this research is to investigate the potential of MR fluid as a core for static and dynamic WPT system if it improves transfer efficiency, specially under misalignment and movement. MR fluids, known for their ability to rapidly change their rheological properties in response to magnetic fields, support the power transmission between transmitter …

End-To-End (E2e) Mbse Framework, Joshua Adelabu, Bhushan Lohar

Shelby Hall Graduate Research Forum Posters

Principles of systems engineering (SE) possess great influence. Frameworks are generated to execute and incorporate such principles. Framework can have various architectural constructs and simultaneously consist of diverse concepts. Concepts like modularity, scalability, integration, and the balance between performance, cost, and risk are guided by SE principles as well as the manufacturability of designed systems due to the migration from mass customization to mass personalization resulting in increased complexity, and as a result need to be guided and gives rise to modularity. However, principles are not enough for effective system design and understanding. There is a need for a framework. …

Unified Adaptive Cross-Attention Multimodal Network, Mahesh Sunuwar

Shelby Hall Graduate Research Forum Posters

Accurately diagnosing appendicitis remains a significant challenge in emergency medicine due to its varied clinical presentation and overlap with other abdominal conditions. Existing diagnostic models often rely on unimodal data, such as computed tomography (CT) images or clinical notes, limiting their ability to capture the full complexity of patient information. This study proposes a novel multimodal framework, a Unified Adaptive Cross-Attention Multimodal Framework (u-ACM), that integrates CT images and clinical notes using hybrid fusion strategies to improve diagnostic accuracy for appendicitis. The u-ACM leverages adaptive contextual filtering to dynamically remove irrelevant features, crossattention mechanisms to align features between modalities, and …

Thermal Stability Analysis Of Aqueous Ionic Amines For Sustainable Co2 Capture, Li Hua Zang, Keegan Everitt, Kevin West, Brooks D. Rabideau, Breanna Dobyns, James Davis

Shelby Hall Graduate Research Forum Posters

In closed air cabin atmospheres such as those of spacecraft, CO₂ accumulation jeopardizes crew respiratory function and may gradually affect sensitive equipment, making effective air revitalization critical. Traditional CO₂ capture methods like monoethanolamine (MEA) efficiently capture CO₂ but suffer from high volatility, leading to solvent loss and unpleasant odor, as well as corrosion and degradation, requiring frequent replacement. These flaws demand eco-friendly, durable alternatives. This study addresses these limitations by exploring a series of aqueous ionic amines (AIAs), salts similar to MEA in CO₂ capture efficiency but with improved thermal stability—crucial for preventing degradation under high regeneration temperatures and prolonged …

Effect Of Pre-Adsorbed Species On High-Pressure Adsorption Of Methane In Zeolite 5a Using Grand Canonical Monte Carlo (Gcmc) Simulations, Kanhamardi Lao, Brooks D. Rabideau

Shelby Hall Graduate Research Forum Posters

Natural gas upgrading, which removes impurities from methane (CH4), is essential for industrial applications, including liquefied natural gas (LNG) production and power generation, as well as for residential use. Removing non-hydrocarbon impurities such as carbon dioxide (CO2), nitrogen (N2), and water vapor (H2O), among others, along with separating heavier hydrocarbon gases from raw natural gas, is required to achieve high- purity methane and prevent pipeline corrosion. Zeolite 5A is a microporous aluminosilicate material with a pore size of approximately 5 Å, containing sodium and calcium cations that balance the framework’s negative charge. Its structure offers high thermal stability and a …

Thermophysical Properties Of Aqueous Amine Salts For Closed Air Cabin Revitalization, Mahmud R. Yusuf, Isabela Flores, Ben Hines, Li Hua Zhang, Seth Christa, Brooks D. Rabideau, Kevin West, Breanna Dobyns, James Davis

Shelby Hall Graduate Research Forum Posters

Carbon dioxide (CO2) capture plays a crucial role in closed cabin air revitalization, however current CO2 capture technologies pose several issues. Traditional amine solutions, such as monoethanolamine, are commonly used in CO2 capture on the International Space Station but face drawbacks including high volatility, thermal degradation, and unpleasant odor. To overcome these challenges, amine salt solutions have emerged as promising alternatives. Amine salt solutions have reduced environmental impact, lower corrosion potential, and improved CO2 loading capacity, making them a more efficient and sustainable replacement. Knowing these physical properties are critical for modeling and optimizing a scrubbing process that employs these …

Advances Towards A Robotic Management Vehicle Suited To Nurse Row Crops To More Efficient Outcomes, Adam Mk Gronewold

Dartmouth College Ph.D Dissertations

Enhancing agricultural production while reducing input costs remains a central challenge in modern row-crop management. Recent advances in computation, imagery, and sensors are enabling more efficient practices across various agricultural domains, and automation technologies are increasingly available to manage tasks central to perennial crop development. Automation in row-crop agriculture, by contrast, lags behind. This thesis explores utilizing small, unmanned ground vehicles to transform row cropping through the implementation of unconventional, in-season management strategies. The first focus of this work considers improvements to nitrogen fertilization using small, autonomous vehicles. An agronomy experiment in corn assessed the effects of gradually applying nitrogen …

Quantum Finite Automaton Using Ternary Rotation Quantum Gates And Chrestenson Family Quantum Gates, Yuchen Huang, Marek Perkowski, Xiaoyu Song, John M. Acken

Electrical and Computer Engineering Faculty Publications and Presentations

Quantum automata can solve certain problems with a smaller state space than classical automata. We developed a quantum finite automaton using ternary rotation quantum gates and the Chrestenson family of ternary quantum gates. The main idea of this paper is to show how to combine rotation ternary quantum circuit-based QuantumFinite Automaton and quantum reversible circuit-based Deterministic Finite Automaton to build a more powerful machine. The combined machine can enable more complex language and pattern recognition. The developed quantum finite automaton and resulting combined machine can be used for robotics applications such as language, gesture, and motion recognition.

Discovering Design Requirements For Next Generation Arctic Tension Fabric Shelters, Mark W. Mcveigh

Theses and Dissertations

Military operations to remote Arctic regions require large-span temporary shelters to house tactical aircraft and provide heated maintained spaces. However, the current System-50 Large Area Maintenance Shelters used by the United States Air Force and Department of Defense are inadequate for Arctic deployments. These shelters lack durability against extreme subzero temperatures, heavy snow accumulation, and high wind speeds. They also fail to address critical Arctic-specific design challenges including permafrost protection, foundation disruption caused by frost heaves, and efficient heating as a result of their inadequate thermal resistance properties. This research analyzed 20 years of climatological data from 8,399 weather observation …

Sustainable Utilisation Of Mining Waste In Road Construction: A Review, Nuha S. Mashaan, Sammy Kibutu, Chathurika Dassanayake, Ali Ghodrati

Research outputs 2022 to 2026

Mining by-products present both an environmental challenge and a resource opportunity. This review investigates their potential application in road pavement construction, focusing on materials such as fly ash, slag, sulphur, red mud, tailings, and silica fume. Drawing from laboratory and field studies, the review examines their roles across pavement layers—subgrade, base, subbase, asphalt mixtures, and rigid pavements—emphasising mechanical properties, durability, moisture resistance, and ageing performance. When properly processed or stabilised, many of these wastes meet or exceed conventional performance standards, contributing to reduced use of virgin materials and greenhouse gas emissions. However, issues such as variability in composition, leaching risks, …

An Investigation Of The Mechanical Properties Of Concrete With Different Types Of Waste Plastics For Rigid Pavements, Nuha S. Mashaan, Cherrie Ann E. Ouano

Research outputs 2022 to 2026

The increasing demand for sustainable construction practices has prompted the exploration of innovative materials, such as waste plastics, to enhance both the environmental and mechanical performance of concrete, particularly for rigid pavements. This review investigates the mechanical properties of concrete incorporating four types of waste plastics—high-density polyethylene (HDPE), low-density polyethylene (LDPE), polyvinyl chloride (PVC), and polypropylene (PP). The primary focus is on how these materials affect key mechanical properties, including compressive strength, tensile strength, and flexural strength. The analysis reveals that HDPE and PP, at optimal levels (5–10%), can enhance flexural and crack resistance, making them suitable for non-structural applications. …

Capillary-Dominated Imbibition In Heterogeneous-Wet Reservoirs: Mechanisms, Characterizations, And Critical Insights, Yihang Xiao, Zhenjiang You, Yongming He, Zhengtong Du, Jun Zheng, Lei Wang

Research outputs 2022 to 2026

The heterogeneous-wet state within oil and gas reservoirs introduces complex fluid distribution and flow dynamics, which significantly impacts enhanced oil recovery and geo-sequestration of carbon dioxide and hydrogen. Capillary behavior in heterogeneous-wet reservoirs is governed by the interplay between wettability and pore geometry, which collectively dictates macroscopic imbibition processes, including forced, negative-pressure and spontaneous flow of the wetting phase. Despite extensive research, the mechanisms governing imbibition in heterogeneous-wet reservoirs remain insufficiently understood. This review critically examines studies on pore-filling mechanisms and imbibition behaviors, integrating both experimental and theoretical approaches, while emphasizing key scientific questions and challenges. Existing literature suggests that …

Modelled Flooding Impacts On Lower Fish River Watershed, Sebastian Loschner

Shelby Hall Graduate Research Forum Posters

This study investigates the impacts of compound flooding in the Lower Fish River watershed, Baldwin County, Alabama, with a focus on the potential effects of sea level rise due to climate change. Coastal flooding, particularly in smaller watersheds, is a growing concern as it results from the interaction of multiple factors, including rainfall, tidal changes, and extreme weather events. Compound flooding, which involves multiple flood drivers, is expected to worsen with climate change, as increased precipitation and rising sea levels create heightened flood risks. However, existing research on compound flooding predominantly focuses on large-scale watersheds, leaving a knowledge gap in …

Smart Highway Construction Site Monitoring Using Artificial Intelligence, Mehran Mazari, Yahaira Nava-Gonzalez, Ly Jacky N. Nhiayi, Mohamad H. Saleh

Mineta Transportation Institute

Construction is a large sector of the economy and plays a significant role in creating economic growth and national development,and construction of transportation infrastructure is critical. This project developed a method to detect, classify, monitor, and track objects during the construction, maintenance, and rehabilitation of transportation infrastructure by using artificial intelligence and a deep learning approach. This study evaluated the performance of AI and deep learning algorithms to compare their performance in detecting and classifying the equipment in various construction scenes. Our goal was to find the optimized balance between the model capabilities in object detection and memory processing requirements. …

Assessing The Perceived Safety Of Cyclists With Virtual Reality, Vahid Balali

Mineta Transportation Institute

In 2022, 7,522 pedestrians and 1,084 bicyclists were killed and approximately 67,000 pedestrians and 46,195 bicyclists injured in motor vehicle crashes on public roadways in the United States, according to the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS). The transportation industry is faced with a pressing need to bolster the safety of these vulnerable road users. This research develops models of design and environmental factors that influence bicyclists’ and pedestrians’ perception of safety using Virtual Reality (VR) technology and ultimately informs transportation infrastructure design to better accommodate nonmotorized travelers. The goal of the bicycle element of this research is to develop …

Toward Sustainability: A New Construction Method For Electrically Heated Rigid Pavement Systems, Mohamed Abdel-Raheem, Mohammad Anis

Civil Engineering Faculty Publications

Damage caused by snow and ice to airport pavements in colder regions of the United States presents a persistent and economically significant challenge. This research explores an innovative construction method using an electrically conductive composite (ECC) composed of waterborne polyurethane and graphite powder (Gp). The ECC is applied to a Portland cement concrete substrate through a parallel stripe technique, using two types of “exposed” specimen. The study thoroughly examines the resistive heating performance of these specimens under various conditions, focusing on critical factors such as Gp concentrations in ECC, stripe thickness, spacing, and applied voltages. ECC was prepared with varying …

Treating Ground Water For Agricultural And Individual Consumption, Gabby Miller, Bronson Scott, Michael Clawson

Biomedical Engineering

This project, conducted in collaboration with Cal Poly seniors and Da Vinci High School students, aims to develop a solar-powered groundwater purification system. This system is designed to provide clean water for agricultural use and individual consumption, addressing the growing concerns of groundwater contamination and accessibility needs. The final prototype integrates a gravity filtration system combined with chemical purification, utilizing aluminum sulfate and chlorine to remove particulates, bacteria, and organic compounds.

The research phase involved an extensive review of groundwater contamination issues, existing filtration technologies, and market analysis. Key design constraints included cost-effectiveness, ease of maintenance, and minimal energy consumption, …

Tiny Temp Neonatal Intensive Care Unit Infant Temperature Monitor, Alexandria Lukacsffi, Sydney Dedrick

Biomedical Engineering

This document outlines the key steps taken in the specification, design, and functionality of the Tiny Temp Neonatal Intensive Care Unit Infant Temperature Monitor. The BICEP team identified temperature monitors for infants in incubators in the NICU as an area of need after surveying hospitals in the San Luis Obispo area. Current thermometers are oversimplified in design, consisting of only the temperature probe and a piece of adhesive holding the probe directly onto the infant's skin. As a result, the adhesive is weak to prevent harm to the infant and, therefore, falls off the infant easily and frequently, posing a …

Peripheral Vagus Nerve Stimulation (Pvns) Device For Epilepsy, Logan P. Beckstrand, Alexander P. Crary, Grace E. Heller

Biomedical Engineering

Our research team developed a PVNS for Epilepsy device which is intended to act as a preventative measure against seizures for patients with epilepsy. The device is a less invasive alternative to the VNS device on the market using electroacupuncture at the Shenmen and Xin points along the posterior pinna to stimulate the vagus nerve.

Sprinter Start Block Training Aid, Kayla Lovejoy, Kevin Almontes

Biomedical Engineering

Currently, track and field sprinters ranging from beginner level to world-class have no practical tool that provides quantitative feedback of value on quality of start and quality of the three distinct phases of their sprint race, such that they can quantify the value of their adjustments. Our team will create a device that integrates with the sprint starting block to provide quantifiable data on the quality of a sprinter’s start. This Statement of Work describes drawbacks of current solutions, existing patents, customer requirements, engineering specifications, and our project plan.

Maglock - Electromagnetic Pedal Aid For Amputees, Minh Vo, Matthew Chew

Biomedical Engineering

For this project, we aimed to design components that could easily be swapped out and into vehicles, which would help them accomplish the task of locating and securing a prosthetic foot to a bike and/or car pedal. A common problem among cyclists and drivers with prosthetic legs is their foot slipping off the pedal while in use; these components could be used for other common applications such as cars, bikes, etc. Stakeholders for this product included automotive companies and handicap product distributors. The focused objective is to provide dexterity and quick attach/detach support for cyclists and drivers with lower limb …

Generating Synthetic Images For Construction Machinery Data Augmentation Utilizing Context-Aware Object Placement, Yujie Lu, Bo Liu, Wei Wei, Bo Xiao, Zhangding Liu, Wensheng Li

Michigan Tech Publications

Dataset is an essential factor influencing the accuracy of computer vision (CV) tasks in construction. Although image synthesis methods can automatically generate substantial annotated construction data compared to manual annotation, existing challenges limited the CV task accuracy, such as geometric inconsistency. To efficiently generate high-quality data, a synthesis method of construction data was proposed utilizing Unreal Engine (UE) and PlaceNet. First, the inpainting algorithm was applied to generate pure backgrounds, followed by multi-angle foreground capture within the UE. Then, the Swin Transformer and improved loss functions were integrated into PlaceNet to enhance the feature extraction of construction backgrounds, facilitating object …

Development Of Ex-Situ Accelerated Chemical Stress Test Protocol For Common Anionic Exchange Membrane Chemistries, Michael D. Friend, Michael D. Friend

Master's Theses

The development of sustainably produced hydrogen fuel (“green hydrogen”) is key for the transition to clean energy sources. Green hydrogen is produced via water electrolysis. As with many clean energy sources, one of the major barriers for scaling water electrolysis is cost. A newer category of water electrolysis is Anionic Exchange Membrane (AEM) water electrolysis. AEM electrolysis systems have the potential to cost less as they do not require the expensive precious metal catalysts the current high preforming Proton Exchange Membrane water electrolysis technologies do. However, AEM lifetimes must be long enough to be cost competitive and AEM chemical durability …