Engineering Commons^™

Developing Machine Learning Models And Graphene-Based Flexible Humidity And Temperature Sensors For Machine-Learning-Assisted Sensing, Seth Hajian

Dissertations

Flexible sensor technology has recently gained tremendous momentum in both academic research and industrial applications, transitioning from conceptual frameworks to practical implementations across diverse fields. This remarkable advancement can be attributed to several converging factors, including the maturation of nanomaterial science, the advancements of machine learning algorithms, and the critical demand for intelligent sensing solutions in healthcare, environmental monitoring, and industrial automation. The growing emphasis on personalized medicine and real-time health monitoring, accelerated by global health challenges, has further highlighted the necessity for accurate, cost-effective, and adaptable sensing platforms. This dissertation presents the fulfillment of three interconnected research projects focused …

A Parallel Fuzzy Logic Framework For Surgical Skill Evaluation Via Instance Segmentation And Deepsort Tracking, Mohsen M. Mohaidat

Dissertations

Manual evaluation of suturing skills during laparoscopic training is often subjective and labor-intensive, resulting in the lack of scalable and consistent feedback for trainees. This study proposes an automated framework that not only significantly reduces the need for in-person assessment by experts but also ensures scalability, thereby addressing the objectivity and cost-effectiveness limitations. While low-cost laparoscopic box trainers have become increasingly popular for residency training, performance assessment still depends on expert supervision. The proposed system aims to alleviate these limitations.

This study introduces a novel automated framework incorporating an optimized DeepSORT algorithm for classifying, localizing, and tracking surgical tools using …

Supporting Academic Parents: The Effects Of Dependent Care Policies On Research Productivity Trends, Drake Van Egdom, Matthew M. Piszczek, Christiane Spitzmueller, Peggy Lindner, Aaron Clauset

Engineering Management and Systems Engineering Faculty Research & Creative Works

On average, women faculty take on more childcare responsibilities, posing barriers to career success. Work-family policies represent one solution for advancing gender equity in academia as they support parents after childbirth with benefits for children, employees, and organizations. We contribute to understanding how the availability and use of dependent care policies (paid parental leave and childcare benefits) relate to long-term research productivity trends. Based on the work-home resources model, we theorize that policy availability provides contextual resources and policy use provides personal resources, leading to improvements in an individual's research productivity after they have a child. We also examine potential …

Range-Dependent Meso-Scale Geoacoustic Seabed Quantification, Tim Sonnemann, Jan Dettmer, Charles W. Holland, Stan E. Dosso

Electrical and Computer Engineering Faculty Publications and Presentations

This study presents a probabilistic one-step two-dimensional (2D) inversion method of spherical-wave reflection coefficient data to estimate the range-dependent structure and geoacoustic parameters along a track. The approach of inverting such datasets independently as one-dimensional (1D) layered models and merging them to a 2D section is feasible but computationally expensive. This study demonstrates a more parsimonious 2D parametrization for active source data recorded on a towed hydrophone array. The comparison of data variance reduction for 1D- and 2D-based results clearly favors the 2D parametrization described here.

Floating Wind Turbine Foundation, Clayton Lahodny, Dillon Nelson, Trevor Ortega, Andrew Cervantes

Mechanical Engineering

The 2024 Collegiate Wind Competition (CWC) has introduced a new element to their Turbine Design Competition: a floating foundation. In previous years, foundations have been fixed-bottom in a box of sand and water. The Cal Poly Wind Power Club, who competes in the CWC every year, requires a floating foundation to be designed, manufactured, and tested to assist in winning the competition. The foundation is a large, hollow, cylindrical barge with a hanging spar (heavy mass). The barge will provide a restoring moment using buoyancy, and the heavy spar provides additional restoring moment. Four cables will be attached at the …

Hydropower Collegiate Competition, Aiden D. Foster, Devon Bountry, Joanna Vo, Timothy Rinker, Amanda Rodriguez, Minh Nguyen, Eli Haushalter, Sophie Watkinson, Maiya Holton, Breanne Evans

Mechanical Engineering

The Cal Poly SLO HCC team presents a feasibility study and engineering design review package for retrofitting the non-powered Ritschard Dam in Colorado into a hydroelectric facility as part of the 2025 Hydropower Collegiate Competition. Through a rigorous and multi-staged assessment of plausible dam sites in the western US, the team has chosen the Ritschard Dam in Colorado to implement an electromechanical component designed to accommodate a large range of flowrates stemming from a large variance in upper reservoir capacity due to geographical and climate effects. The team evaluated non-powered dams based on technical feasibility, electric grid proximity, power generation …

Farmnav-Uav: A Field-Ready Autonomous Uav For Tracking Static And Dynamic Trajectories In Agricultural Applications, Veera Venkata Ram Murali Krishna Rao Muvva

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

This study presents the design and development of a custom-built uncrewed aerial vehicle (UAV) tailored for precision agriculture. Unlike commercial UAVs, which are often constrained by proprietary systems and limited hardware customization, the proposed platform emphasizes modularity, upgradeability, and cost-effectiveness. The UAV is equipped with a Cube Blue flight controller for reliable low-level actuation and a Raspberry Pi 4 companion computer that executes a Model Predictive Control (MPC) algorithm for high-level trajectory optimization and stability enhancement.

Most conventional UAV autopilot systems rely on non-optimal control strategies, such as proportional–integral–derivative (PID) controllers, which can be inadequate for dynamic or resource-constrained environments. …

Tettoia Iperbolica, Lydia Chou, Jack L. Walsh, William Jasper Mors, Simarjot S. Gandhoke, Ian F. Da Silva, Jamie L. Zimmerman

Architectural Engineering

Tettoia Iperbolica (Hyperbolic Canopy) is a multidisciplinary senior project created to revitalize an underutilized outdoor space next to the Architectural Engineering Building 21 at Cal Poly. The project responds to needs identified by faculty and staff, including limited gathering space, inadequate shading for the adjacent conference room, poor drainage, and a lack of ADA accessibility. Building on two previous senior project efforts, the 2025 team advanced the concept into a fully designed, structurally stamped, permitted redwood canopy supported by existing concrete columns and one new steel column.

The work included extensive site investigation to verify subsurface conditions, concrete strength testing, …

The Xenaform, Cassadie J. Golding

Architectural Engineering

The XenaForm explores how complex, expressive structures can emerge from simple, low-tech construction methods using principles of parametric design and structural geometry. By combining folded plate techniques with modular tetrahedral components, the project bridges high-tech digital modeling and hands-on physical fabrication. The result is a lightweight, buildable system that reclaims the engineer’s role as a form-finder.

Architectural Engineering Institute: International Student Design Competition 2025, Alexandra Marie Kersting, Alec Thomas Gibbs, Haley Francesca Sousa, Kline Genevieve Nickel

Architectural Engineering

The AEI International Student Design Competition is an annual competition held by the Architectural Engineering Institute that aims to replicate an integrated building design process. The 2025 Cal Poly team consisted of 4 Architectural Engineering students, each competing in the Structural and Integration disciplines. The team was provided a set of architectural drawings and a 3D architectural Revit model of Carson Headquarters in Omaha, Nebraska. The team was tasked with the creation of a complete structural design as well as a discussion of integration of other building design disciplines.

Balancing Breadth And Depth: An Analysis Of General Engineering Programs, Gayle Ermer

University Faculty Publications and Creative Works

One of the goals of the Multidisciplinary Engineering Division of ASEE has been to promote engineering programs that are multidisciplinary, interdisciplinary, or otherwise categorized as general engineering. This is based on the conviction that graduating engineers would benefit from more breadth than might be available within traditional disciplinary programs. Non-disciplinary programs are currently accredited by ABET under the Criteria: Engineering, General Engineering, Engineering Physics, and Engineering Science. These programs are not evaluated using discipline-specific program criteria in addition to the general criteria. ASEE has served as the lead society for evaluating these programs since 2006.

This project involves an examination …

Thousand Hills Pet Resort Cat Condos Installation And Qa/Qc, Erik Anders Ruud

Construction Management

This paper discusses the installation and quality assurance/quality control of four cat condos built for the Son Care Foundation at the Thousand Hills Pet Resort in San Luis Obispo. The Son Care Foundation is a nonprofit that provides professional daycare and overnight boarding services for dogs and cats while their owners are away. The cat condos serve cats during the day while their owners are at work or otherwise busy. Because three people were assigned to this project, the project was split into preconstruction, prefabrication, and installation/QA/QC. To meet the two-day installation window, due to active facility use, three cat …

Exploring Who, Where, And When: A Mixed-Methods Analysis Of A New Study Abroad Program, Garrett Schoep, Elijah Duane Blake

Construction Management

Study abroad programs can have a significant impact on the lives of college students. These programs create opportunities for students to experience the world, while earning college credit. As Cal Poly is transitioning from the quarter system to the semester system, there is an increase demand for a new study abroad program that is tailored to students’ preferences. Understanding what students want from a study abroad program is extremely important. To better understand student preferences, a survey was created and distributed to Cal Poly students. The goal of the survey was to identify trends amongst students to get a better …

Preconstruction Management Of The Cat Condos Project At Thousand Hills Pet Resort, Aeon Combs

Construction Management

This paper presents the preconstruction phases of the Cat Condos Project at the Thousand Hills Pet Resort, and the many challenges which were necessary to realize its completion. The Son Care Foundation is a nonprofit organization based in San Luis Obispo with many focuses such as outreach for veterans, prison rehabilitation, youth development, and other charitable pursuits. The Thousand Hills Pet Resort is a subsidiary of the Son Care Foundation which provides holistic boarding services to felines and canines alike, all the profits generated by the Thousand Hills Pet Resort are donated to sustain the Son Care Foundations’ charitable endeavors. …

Degradation Characterization Of Nopal-Based Biopolymer Made From Opuntia Sp. Juice, Beeswax, Animal Protein, And Polyvinyl Alcohol, Logan Williams, Mary Elizabeth Holland, Spencer Williams

Materials Engineering

Since the introduction of polymers in the 1960s, there has been an exponential increase in use. Driven by rapidly growing demand, the volume of polymers in the production, application, and end-of-life stages has surged. The widespread use of these materials has led to escalating environmental pollution, which disrupts ecosystems, and contributes to global ecological degradation. While advancements in recycling technologies and infrastructure have shown promise, they have not maintained pace with polymer production and disposal. This imbalance warrants research into sustainable alternatives. Environmentally benign polymers derived from renewable sources and exhibiting minimal ecological impact at the end of their life …

Automation Of Post Fermentation Must Removal, Grace Hurley, Jakob Spink, Ariel Metscher

Industrial and Manufacturing Engineering

The Harvest Haulers project addresses a critical operational inefficiency at Saucelito Canyon Winery, where post-fermentation must removal from wine barrels was labor-intensive and potentially hazardous. This project aimed to develop a custom forklift attachment that could securely handle Bordeaux and Burgundy barrels, streamline the dumping process, and improve worker safety.

The resulting solution is a forklift-compatible fixture designed to lift, secure, and tilt barrels using a robust combination of a modified aluminum pallet, padded hoop, ratchet straps, and a custom hinge mechanism. The design meets all engineering requirements, including a 600 lb. load capacity, 135° tilt, and a single-operator setup …

Chemical Recycling Of Pet Plastic Waste, Charlie Parker, Benjamin Puga, Jake Verschoor

Materials Engineering

The growing accumulation of plastic waste, specifically polyethylene terephthalate (PET), has driven the need for more efficient and scalable chemical recycling methods. This study investigated the methanolysis of PET using zinc oxide (ZnO) nanoparticles as a catalyst and tetrabutylammonium chloride (NBu₄Cl) as an ionic liquid, aiming to reduce methanol consumption while achieving high PET conversion efficiency. ZnO nanoparticles were synthesized via wet chemistry and characterized using Dynamic Light Scattering (DLS), which showed an average particle size of 13.5 nm with a polydispersity index of 0.1556, indicating a moderately-high monodisperse distribution of particles sufficient for reactions. The main conversion product, dimethyl …

Integrating High Throughput Phenotyping Approaches To Characterize Plant Traits And Support Nutrient Management Research, Katie J. Bathke

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

Over the past decade, considerable research has addressed the social, economic, and agronomic challenges posed by imbalanced nutrient applications, particularly nitrogen and, more recently, sulfur. In response, high throughput plant phenotyping, as one of the latest approaches, has contributed to the development of innovative techniques for assessing key plant phenotypes under stress over time in both field and greenhouse environments. However, there is a limited number of studies applying these techniques for nutrient management, particularly in scenarios where two abiotic stressors coexist, such as the combination of water stress and nitrogen deficiency, or concurrent nitrogen and sulfur deficiencies.

In chapter …

Board # 273: Nsf Iuse Hsi Implementation And Evaluation Project: The Freshman Year Innovator Experience (Fyie): Bridging The Urm Gap In Stem., Noe Vargas Hernandez, Javier A. Ortega, Arturo A. Fuentes, Eleazar Marquez, Ming-Tsan Lu

Mechanical Engineering Faculty Publications

The University of X's Freshman Year Innovator Experience (FYIE) program, hosted at a Minority Serving Institution (MSI), seeks to improve the first-year experience for new students by nurturing essential academic success skills. Specifically tailored to freshman mechanical engineering students, the program aims to equip them with self-transformation skills to navigate through the amplified academic and professional obstacles brought about by the COVID-19 pandemic. Participants of FYIE engage in two concurrent courses: Introduction to Engineering (Course A) and Learning Frameworks (Course B). In Course A, students undertake a 6-week engineering design project, while in Course B, they work on a 6-week …

Performance Evaluation Of Aminated Multi-Walled Carbon Nanotubes Incorporated With Green Synthesized Iron Nanoparticles For Toxic Dyes Sequestration From Textile Wastewater, Titus Chinedu Egbosiuba, Cynthia Chukwuemeka, Jonah Chukwudi Umeuzuegbu, Nwanneka Chibuzo Mmonwuba, Ugochukwu Ewuzie, Monday Uchenna Okoronkwo, Valentine Chikaodili Anadebe, Saheed Mustapha, Ambali Saka Abdulkareem, Jimoh Oladejo Tijani, Ashish Patel, Virendra Kumar Yadav

Chemical and Biochemical Engineering Faculty Research & Creative Works

This study evaluates the performance of aminated multi-walled carbon nanotubes (AM-MWCNTs) integrated with zerovalent iron nanoparticles (ZVI) synthesized using cashew leaf (Anacardium occidentale) extract (AM-MWCNTs@ZVI) for the removal of Congo Red (CR) and Methylene Blue (MB) dyes from textile industrial wastewater. The nanocomposite was characterized using FTIR, XRD, BET, HRSEM, and HRTEM analyses, confirming its functional groups, crystalline structure, and enhanced surface area of 1050.4 m²/g. The ecological risk degree of the textile pollutants was assessed to determine the percentage concentrations of crystal violet, Congo red, methyl orange, methylene blue and rhodamine B. Batch adsorption experiments identified optimal …

Design And Playhouse Plan For Girls Build Summer Academy 2025, Aracely Berber

Construction Management

This project involves the development and execution of a week-long construction camp at Cal Poly aimed at introducing high school girls to the construction industry through the hands-on building of playhouses. This camp is coordinated by a professor in Cal Poly’s Construction Management Department and invites other industry professionals. The initiative not only promotes youth empowerment and gender diversity in the industry but also incorporates a strong educational and technical component. As part of the planning process, a detailed 3D model of the playhouse was created using Autodesk Revit to visualize the structure. Additionally, a materials list was created and …

Case Study On Using Soil Nails In Unstable Substrates, Joseph Hass

Construction Management

Soil nailing is becoming a popular method in construction projects to anchor retaining walls into soil. To maximize installation success rates and minimize pullout failure during testing, this case study examines efficient techniques and installation protocols for soil nails in unstable substrates through research and studying an active construction site utilizing soil nails. In geotechnical engineering, unstable soil conditions present serious difficulties that frequently result in delays, cost overruns, and compromised structural integrity. This study determines the main elements affecting nail performance by carefully examining field data, installation trials, and performance testing. Using real life experience and in-depth research of …

Renovations At The Ranch Slo, Gerardo Valenciano-Valdivia

Construction Management

The Ranch SLO is a non-profit organization that hopes to aid adults with developmental disabilities by providing outdoor employment opportunities. In the ten-and-a-half-acre property, the employees engage in a variety of different activities, ranging from planting and growing different plants, to caring for farm animals. Some of the structures in the ranch have a long time in service and need reinforcing/renovations, this project focused on two main areas where renovations took place. The first area was a garden table area equipped with a total of 10 garden tables and a shade structure covering exactly half of the tables. The main …

Preconstruction Services For Land Conservancy San Luis Obispo Deck Replacement, Russell Sprague

Construction Management

This senior project centers around a preconstruction collaboration between Semmes & Co. and the Land Conservancy of San Luis Obispo (LCSLO) for a new deck at the Santa Rita Ranch house in Templeton, CA. The existing deck was in poor condition and not ADA compliant, prompting the need for a safe, accessible, and aesthetically pleasing replacement. This project supported the nonprofit by providing volunteer-based preconstruction services, including quantity takeoffs, a detailed material list, scope breakdown, labor estimates, scheduling, and logistics planning. Material options and scope variations were presented to LCSLO in a flexible pricing proposal using a Time and Materials …

2025 Annual V.E.S.T Hackathon: Renovating Safety Harnesses, Mason P. Chamberlin

Construction Management

This paper presents the organizational framework and logistical planning involved in executing the 2025 Verifying Everyone’s Safety Together (V.E.S.T.) Hackathon, an annual innovation workshop hosted by the Construction Management Department at California Polytechnic State University, San Luis Obispo. The event brings together students, faculty, and industry professionals to reimagine and redesign common construction equipment with a focus on safety, usability, comfort, and inclusivity across diverse user profiles. The 2025 hackathon, held April 15–16, concentrated on safety harnesses, an essential component of personal protective equipment (PPE) in the construction industry. Participants engaged in the two-day event that included conceptualization, prototyping, and …

Skip The Grid: Solar Installation For Navajo Communities, Emilio Tiziano Cervantes

Construction Management

In March 2025, a group of 20 students from California Polytechnic State University, San Luis Obispo took part in Skip the Grid, a hands-on service initiative aimed at expanding access to reliable solar energy in the Navajo Nation. In partnership with SOLV Energy, NextTracker, and the non-profit Heart of America, the team traveled to Chinle, Arizona, where they installed off-grid solar systems in 40 homes across the Chinle School District. Each setup included solar panels, a battery with electrical outlets, lighting, and a refrigerator—providing essential power to families whose homes were previously without it. All of the households served kids …

War, Wounds, And Strategy: Patient Movement Lessons From The World Wars For Great Power Competition, Phillip R. Jenkins

Faculty Publications

This thesis examines the evolution of the U.S. military's patient movement system during World War I and World War II to evaluate how well it may perform under the conditions of future large-scale combat operations. It asks whether the United States can move, treat, and sustain wounded personnel at the scale and pace required to preserve combat power in a prolonged, high-intensity conflict. Using detailed case studies of the Meuse-Argonne Offensive and the Battle of the Bulge, the analysis focuses on how transportation platforms, organizational structure, and standard operating procedures (SOPs) shaped patient movement under conditions of attrition, disruption, and …

Deeppanorf: Deep Prior For Neural 3d Reconstruction From Sparse Panoramas, Edward Du

Master's Theses

Advances in neural field representations have led to a significant improvement in view synthesis quality. However, many current novel view synthesis methods rely on a dense set of input views, which can be impractical and inefficient in real-world applications. We propose DeepPanoRF, a novel method for 360◦ scene reconstruction from a sparse set of input equirectangular panoramas. Built upon K-Planes, a radiance field representation that encodes explicit features on orthogonal feature planes, our method does not directly learn feature grids. Instead, we parameterize the feature grids to enable sparse view reconstruction without pretraining or additional regularization. We implement a custom …

Compact, Low-Power Underwater Acoustic Modem Characterization And Sensing Network Node Implementation, Lucas W. Lucia

Master's Theses

There is a growing market for compact, power-efficient underwater communication technology. Due to the limited propagation of electromagnetic waves through water, modulated acoustic waves have emerged as an effective means of wireless communication underwater. In decades past, many acoustic modems had been developed primarily for defense customers in larger systems functioning at high power. In recent years, smaller, relatively inexpensive acoustic modems have become available on the market—but data on their performance in a real-world environment is scarce. Companies such as OWL Integrations are interested in employing such acoustic modems as part of sensing networks across multiple mediums. For such …

Cislunar Orbital Debris Removal Feasibility Analysis Using Nrho To Dro Transfers At Varying Solar Angles, Peter C. Lie

Master's Theses

The resurgence of lunar exploration necessitates the expansion of space situational awareness into cislunar space. The current tracking technologies for cislunar objects are insufficient to determine vacant orbital regimes for human spaceflight. Orbital debris generated in the cislunar environment often evolves along complex and chaotic trajectories due to the influence of multi-body dynamics. Current research into methods of removing orbital debris from space is limited to debris in Earth orbits. For cislunar orbits, debris disposal options are slowly gaining research, mostly centered on hypothetical solutions for active missions. Lunar impact and escape to heliocentric space are low-cost options, but serve …