Electrical and Computer Engineering Commons^™

Development Of A Scalable 32x32 Capacitive Sensing Array Using Fpga Controlled Multi-Bus I2c Communication, Jonathan Digby

2026 Research Poster Competition

High-resolution capacitive sensor arrays are widely used in applications such as robotics, wearable devices, and biomedical devices where accurate detection of touch, proximity, and motion is crucial. As these systems are scaled up to achieve higher resolutions, challenges pertaining to communication reliability, data synchronization, and system latency become more important. Capacitive sensor arrays detect changes in capacitance caused by disturbances in nearby electric fields. While these arrays are effective at small scales, large arrays often suffer from signal degradation and latency when all sensors rely on a single controller and communication bus. This research addresses these challenges by developing a …

A Light-Dependent Resistor Based Embedded Image Acquisition System For Use In Low-Resolution Application-Specific Data Processing, Connor Best

Journal of Undergraduate Research at Minnesota State University, Mankato

This paper proposes an efficient hardware-based approach to image acquisition & processing to replace complex camera systems in simple industrial & commercial applications.

Environment Mapping And Gps-Based Trailer Parking Using Low-Cost Peripheral Sensors And Post-Processing Algorithms, Connor Best

Journal of Undergraduate Research at Minnesota State University, Mankato

This paper explores the merit of software data optimization through two practical examples: environment mapping & GPS navigation.

Discrete-Time Signal Processing, Carl Greco

ATU Faculty OER Books and Materials

No abstract provided.

Beyond Assessment Security: A Critical Policy Analysis Of Four Alternative Strategies To Uphold Academic Integrity And Adopt The Genai Transformation Of Teaching And Learning For An Accredited Engineering Degree, Sasha Nikolic, Montserrat Ros, Yasir M. Al-Abdeli, Helen Fairweather

Research outputs 2022 to 2026

Generative Artificial Intelligence (GenAI), exemplified by tools such as ChatGPT, has posed significant challenges and opportunities in the realm of academic integrity, particularly in engineering education. This commentary critically examines alternative strategies that go beyond traditional assessment security, aiming to uphold academic integrity while embracing the transformative potential of GenAI in teaching and learning. In the context of programs that rely on unit level outcomes to determine the overall student progression (not the programmatic approach to progression), this study identifies and explores four strategies that may offer potential improvements to assessment security: I-risk-level analysis, which aligns the mix of supervised …

Dc To Dc Buck Converter, Matthew Bildstein

Williams Honors College, Honors Research Projects

This research project focuses on the design, implementation, and optimization of a high-efficiency DC-to-DC buck converter that steps down 12V to 5V for applications such as USB-powered devices, embedded systems, and automotive electronics. Building on my Associate’s degree project, where a 555 timer-based was replace with a LM2576 switching regulator IC.

The research involves circuit simulation in Multisim, PCB layout optimization in Ultiboard, and prototype testing to assess voltage stability, efficiency, and thermal performance. The project will incorporate best practices in power electronics design, including proper grounding techniques and thermal management strategies.

Expected outcomes …

Computational Assessment Of Vitrimers Self-Healing For Renewable Energy And Aerospace Structures, Walaaeldin Mohamed Ahmed Derbala

Browse all Theses and Dissertations

Self-healing polymers, particularly vitrimers, are emerging as promising candidates in the development of advanced materials for renewable energy and aerospace structures. These materials exhibit dynamic covalent bond exchange mechanisms that enable reprocess ability, damage repair, and extended operational lifetime under harsh conditions. This study presents a density functional theory (DFT)-based computational investigation of the mechanistic pathways and energetics of bond exchange reactions in model vitrimer systems. We explore transition states, energy barriers, and thermodynamic features corresponding to associative and dissociative self-healing reactions in vitrimers. The study focuses on Diaminodiphenyl disulfide (AFD), a bifunctional molecule composed of two para-substituted aminophenyl rings …

Reinforcement Learning For Adversarial Environments: Multi-Agent Hide And Seek With Multi-Modal Sensing, Christian Alejandro Carrizales

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The development of intelligent and competitive agents in AI versus AI adversarial environments was explored through the utilization of reinforcement learning techniques with sensing modalities. A Hide-and-Seek simulation environment was developed using the Unity game engine along with the ML-Agents Toolkit. An engagement test campaign with a set of performance metrics was designed. Four AI versus AI adversarial scenarios were considered using the Proximal Policy Optimization (PPO) and Soft Actor-Critic (SAC) multi-agent reinforcement learning algorithms. Furthermore, the impact of sensing modalities on competing agents’ learning performance was investigated by varying the sensing capabilities of the hider and seeker, respectively. Experiments …

Hydrogen Storage Density And Adsorption Energy Barriers On Li-Decorated Bc3 Nanosheet, Sri Venkat Pavan Upasi

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Hydrogen is considered an emerging carrier of clean energy with renewable capabilities. Widespread hydrogen energy utilization necessitates efficient storage strategies. Functionalized nanomaterials, such as Li-decorated BC3 nanosheets, are among the primary candidate materials for hydrogen storage. This research investigates the feasibility of hydrogen storage by estimating energy barriers and their dependence on storage density on Li-decorated BC3 nanosheet. Density functional theory (DFT) simulations provide estimates of adsorption energies and saddle points for hydrogen storage and compare corresponding reaction rates. The results are expected to help us understand the advantages and possible shortcomings of hydrogen storage on such nanomaterials.

Hardware Trojan Detection In A Segmented Mixed-Signal Circuit Via Leakage Current, Christopher James Otey

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As computers and integrated circuits become more commonplace, the risk of a Hardware Trojan attack becomes more worrisome. Trojans can exploit design flaws or be inserted between essential components to leak information, change the circuit function, or destroy the circuit altogether. Several methods of trojan detection and prevention have been introduced, however few can handle combined analog and digital circuits, known as mixed-signal circuits. This thesis demonstrates a Hardware Trojan detection method implemented in an Analog-to-Digital Converter (ADC), which is a mixed-signal circuit. The detection method involves splitting the circuit into segments with approximately equal leakage currents (a large part …

Reinforcement Learning For Adversarial Systems Using Relational Observations, Sophia Christine Gilson

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This thesis investigates the integration of relational observations with the reinforcement learning (RL) framework for improved generalization capability. A hide-and-seek simulation environment is designed in Unity for proof-of-concept demonstration. Two observation representations—relational (analogical) and standard positional—are designed to evaluate agent learning and generalization capabilities. Agents are trained using the Proximal Policy Optimization (PPO) and Soft Actor Critic (SAC) algorithms in a random-room environment and tested in both the random-room environment and a novel environment with greater spatial complexity and path obstructions. Comparative studies indicate that relational representation of objects in the adversarial environment could potentially improve the generalization capability of …

Jovial Family Farm Facilitates Intergenerational Learning Opportunities Through Urban Farming, Maera Williams

Purdue Journal of Service-Learning and International Engagement

Maera Williams is a sophomore in Environmental and Ecological Engineering at Purdue University. She joined the Engineering Projects in Community Service (EPICS) Urban Farming team as a freshman and now serves as project manager of ten undergraduate students collaborating with Jovial Family Farm to design and develop three indoor hydroponics systems for a laboratory space on their property in Broad Ripple, IN. Jovial Family Farm is a nonprofit organization founded by Drs. Bobbie and Brian Jellison with the mission to provide senior citizens, their families, and their communities with meaningful engagement opportunities on an intergenerational scale through urban agricultural activities. …

Automated Solutions For Hydroponic Plant Growth, Sydney Mcclure, Adam Lachguar

Sustainability Conference

Within the past year, Project H.O.M.E. has been focusing on the design and development of a semi-automatic hydroponic system specifically for sustaining plant life in Martian-like conditions. Given the significance of extended space-based travel, where the duration of human life in space is a crucial factor, growing food becomes imperative. This project has integrated electrical engineering and computer science, with features like automated pH testing and sensor-based evaluations. Key functionalities, including timed watering and automatic adjustments, were coded to enhance plant care. Initially, the project’s comprehensive research and strategic planning resulted in detailed blueprints and computer-aided design models for the …

Remote Vibration Based Monitoring Of Bridge Scour, Alan Kazemian

Dissertations

The gradual erosion of the sediment around a bridge foundation is called Scour. This erosion is caused by water flow and increases during times of high-water flow such as flooding. The scour leaves the bridges structurally unsound over time and jeopardizes the safety of the structure. Approximately 60 percent of bridge failures in the United States are caused by scour. A variety of types of devices have been used to detect scour. Most of these devices only observe the scour and not the structural integrity of the bridge. The typical approach has relied on visual inspections of the bridges after …

Affordable Bioprint Head-Adapter For 3d Printers, Andrew Ceralde, Dominic Drake, Noah Engles, Mohammad Alwan, Nevada Perry

Honors Capstones

Introduction: Addressing the need for affordable and accessible bioprinting technology, the Northern Illinois University bioprinting research and design project aims to democratize the field by developing an open source bioprint head. The initiative targets the prohibitive cost of commercial bioprinters by proposing an optimal design that can be integrated with widely available 3D printers, like the Creality Ender-3. This approach seeks to enable the widespread adoption of bioprinting technology, particularly for applications in tissue engineering and regenerative medicine.

Methods: Leveraging SolidWorks for design, the project employs a methodology that combines a precision extrusion system with thermal and UV crosslinking capabilities. …

Improving The Power Efficiency Of Woodward’S High-Power Inverter (Hpi) Using Algorithmic Part Selection., Jaron Holder, Ali Al Gazwi, John Childers, Jose Soublett

Honors Capstones

Woodward Inc. is a secondary aerospace manufacturer based in the USA that specializes in aircraft power and control systems. This senior design project was concerned with a power systems platform currently in development by Woodward, the High-Power Inverter (HPI) system. In this report, the senior design group from Northern Illinois University (NIU) demonstrated the creation of an algorithmic part selection process to choose more power-efficient electrical components, the prototyping using MATLAB Simulink, and the practical testing that showed an increase of 7% in the power efficiency of the HPI system.

Spectrophotometric Device For Early Malaria Detection, Adrian Wasylewski, Christopher Faber, Victor Lin

Honors Thesis

Malaria remains a significant global health challenge, with millions of cases reported annually, particularly in resource-limited regions. Timely and accurate diagnosis is crucial for effective treatment and disease management. Unfortunately, there are still significant challenges in existing testing procedures, which are often expensive, inaccurate, or impractical for mass testing. While spectrophotometry has been proposed as a detection tool for other tropical diseases such as dengue fever, no prototype has been made for any disease, including malaria. This report addresses this gap by presenting a spectrophotometric-based malaria detection tool that achieves high sensitivity at a low cost. The inclusion of a …

Clpfudatabase: A Suite Of R Packages For Energy Conversion Chain Analysis, Matthew Kuperus Heun, Zeke Marshall, Emmanuel Aramendia

University Faculty Publications and Creative Works

Energy flowing through societal energy conversion chains (ECCs) enables economic activity and facilitates human flourishing. To understand economic growth and human well-being, the field of societal energy analysis (Common, 1976) evaluates ECCs from the primary stage (resources extracted from the environment, such as coal, oil, natural gas, wind, and solar), to the final stage (energy purchased by consumers, such as refined petroleum and electricity), to the useful stage (energy desired by the end user, such as heat, motion, and light), and sometimes to energy services (such as thermal comfort, transport, and illumination). Societal exergy analysis (SEA) (Ertesvåg, 2001), an extension …

Reinforcement Learning For Optimal Kicking Actions In Humanoid Robotics: Advancing Robotic Autonomy And Versatility, Suresh Dodda, Sathish Kumar Chintala, Sukender Reddy Mallreddy, Sharath Chandra Macha, Yashwanth Vasa, Sapan Bharadwaj Bonala, Navin Kamuni, Sujatha Alla

Engineering Management & Systems Engineering Faculty Publications

Acquiring the necessary skills to perform a work effectively and efficiently requires a significant investment of time and computing power. Previous applications of Reinforcement Learning (RL) for action optimization in humanoid robotics have shown how promising this technology is for moving robotics towards true autonomy and versatility. Therefore, this study offers the first use of RL to create an entirely optimal kicking action for the Alderbaran Nao robot. Kicking motions that were steady, precise, quick, and able to kick farther than any existing RoboCup squad were generated by optimizing for a multi-objective reward function. We demonstrate that the ideal kicking …

System Of Systems Engineering: A Literature Review And Research Frontiers, Charles B. Keating, Polinpapilinho F. Katina, James C. Pyne

Engineering Management & Systems Engineering Faculty Publications

System of Systems Engineering (SoSE) has existed and been developing for well over 2 decades. The time is appropriate to take a reflective look at the past and examine the future evolution of this nascent field. To address this challenge, this paper is focused on two primary objectives. First, a literature review of the SoSE field is conducted. This literature review (1) organizes the SoSE body of knowledge and provides a synthesis of major crosscutting themes, and (2) provides a scholarly critique and identifies gaps in the current state of the SoSE field. The second objective is focused on providing …

Understanding The Link Between Conflict Profiles And Team Affective Outcomes Using Lpa And Nlp Techniques, Francisco Cima, Pilar Pazos-Lago

Engineering Management & Systems Engineering Faculty Publications

Team conflict is a naturally emerging phenomenon resulting from individuals' interactions during project execution. Cross-disciplinary teams can experience higher levels of conflict than single-discipline teams because of the increased diversity of knowledge and perspectives. Research has shown that team conflict can emerge from different types of disagreements (cognitive and interpersonal), which have different implications for team functioning. Past empirical research has focused on the impact of both conflict types independent from each other while overlooking their combined effects. This work examines the conflict profiles resulting from the combined levels of interpersonal and cognitive disagreements and their association with team outcomes. …

Advanced Digital Wideband Receiver Design: High Dynamic Range And Enhanced Multi-Signal Detection With Fpga-Based Custom Fft And Nyquist Folding, Kiran Jayarama

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In modern wideband receiver standards, efficient frequency spectrum utilization is essential to meet demands for high data rates, reduced latency, and enhanced connectivity. The Fast Fourier Transform (FFT) stands as a pivotal technology, particularly in radar signal processing, where it supports tasks such as target detection, range estimation, and velocity estimation by analyzing the frequency content of the received radar signals. This dissertation introduces the design of an advanced digital wideband receiver featuring a high dynamic range for multiple signals, with a focus on improved performance, compact size, and reduced power consumption, implemented on an FPGA using custom hardware. Key …

Rf Steganography To Send High Security Messages Through Sdrs, Megan K. Patrick

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This research illustrates a high-security wireless communication method using a joint radar/communication waveform, addressing the vulnerability of traditional low probability of detection (LPD) waveforms to hostile receiver detection via cyclostationary processing (CSP). To mitigate this risk, RF steganography is used, concealing communication signals within linear frequency modulation (LFM) radar signals. The method integrates reduced phase-shift keying (RPSK) modulation and variable symbol duration, ensuring secure transmission while evading detection. Implementation is validated through software-defined radios (SDRs), demonstrating effectiveness in covert communication scenarios. Results include analysis of message reception and cyclostationary features, highlighting the method's ability to conceal messages from hostile receivers. …

Measured Phase History Data For Target Recognition Studies, Gregory A. Seltzer

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Performing automatic target recognition (ATR) on full-size aircraft targets using inverse synthetic aperture radar (ISAR) data is challenging and expensive. The use of scale models and radar systems of such large targets saves time and reduces facility requirements. This study examines the feasibility of performing ATR on 1:144 scale model airplanes at Ka-band. The scale model and Ka-band radar simulate the collection of full-scale targets at VHF-band. The phase history measurement collections were completed in the Sensors and Signals Exploitation Laboratory (SSEL) at Wright State University. To ensure sufficient data for training and testing, the phase history data was augmented …

Application Of Multiple Data Augmentation Techniques To Improve Training With Synthetic Sar Data In Common Cnn, Stephanie M.V. Saich

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To address the issues of limited target data in the Synthetic Aperture Radar Automatic Target Recognition (SAR ATR) problem set, synthetic data is often used to aid in filling the gap. This paper covers an in depth look at the use of colorization, dynamic range adjustment, and target extraction as data augmentation techniques to improve the accuracy of deep learning networks trained on synthetic SAR data. The use of multiple different data augmentations combine to dramatically improve the accuracy of a common Convolutional Neural Network (CNN) over the use of standard synthetic data. A comparison of increasing fraction of measured …

Electrochemical-Thermal Model Of A Lithium-Ion Battery, Paul Kalungi

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Lithium-ion batteries are an integral component of energy storage systems for renewable energy applications owing to their high energy density. Extensive research has therefore been carried out, utilizing both experimental and computational methods, to aid in a deeper understanding of lithium-ion batteries. Challenges related to efficiency, safety and thermal management persist, particularly during high current draw, extreme temperature conditions and extreme dynamic current operation such as in electric vehicles. This thesis work presents an electrochemical-thermal model of a lithium-ion battery that simulates and analyzes the variation of electrical behavior, chemical behavior and thermal behavior. The electrochemical model is developed by …

Empirical Investigation Of Calibration Targets In Thz In The Near Field From 550 To 700 Ghz, Anais Kypris L. Rawson

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The uncertainty of the standard calibration procedure for radar cross-section (RCS) measurement is studied for different targets measured in the near-field from 550 to 700 GHz. Using common calibration spheres and squat cylinders mounted on a styrofoam pedestal at waterline (zero-degrees elevation), the calibration difference measure is determined for each target. Similarly, the difference metric is determined for square trihedral and tophat targets placed on a ground plane and measured at different elevation angles. The mean calibration measure is calculated using the dual calibration target method and repeated measurements in an anechoic chamber. The specific THz system is described and …

Performance Degradation Of Gan Hemts Under Rf Aging: Implications For Wireless Communications Standards, Nathan Grant

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This study examines the aging effects of GaN HEMTs, focusing on the CG2H40010 device under conditions that mimic the high-power, high-frequency environments of wireless communication systems. With the increasing adoption of GaN technology in RF applications, understanding its degradation mechanisms under CW stress and modulated signal characterization is essential for predicting device lifetime and ensuring performance standards for modern communication systems. RFALT was employed to stress the device using CW signals, while key performance metrics, such as gain compression, gate leakage, ACP, and EVM, were assessed using W-CDMA signals to replicate real-world dynamic stresses. The findings reveal that CW stress …

Energy Harvesting Sensors And Their Role In Fostering Sustainable Air Quality Monitoring, Tomas Valentin, Li Geng

Publications and Research

This research presents a comprehensive investigation into Energy Harvesting Sensors and their role in fostering sustainable air quality monitoring. The primary objective is to explore the viability of energy harvesting technologies in energizing sensor networks devoted to the real-time collection of air quality data, emphasizing the reduction of environmental impact and maintenance demands. The study delves into the integration of energy harvesting mechanisms, including solar and piezoelectric kinetic energy, to power advanced sensor nodes capable of detecting pollutants, particulate matter, and gas concentrations. The findings of this research highlight the significant benefits of energy harvesting sensors, including enhanced sustainability, long-term …

An Animated Introduction To Digital Logic Design, John D. Carpinelli

Open and Affordable Textbooks

There is a newer edition of this textbook available here.

This book is designed for use in an introductory course on digital logic design, typically offered in computer engineering, electrical engineering, computer science, and other related programs. Such a course is usually offered at the sophomore level. This book makes extensive use of animation to illustrate the flow of data within a digital system and to step through some of the procedures used to design and optimize digital circuits.

All of the animations for this book can be found here: https://digitalcommons.njit.edu/dld-animations/