Electro-Mechanical Systems Commons^™

Formula Sae Planetary Gearbox Characterization Dynamometer, Trevor Marco Toma, Thomas Welden Pierce, Ethan Liu

Mechanical Engineering

This report outlines a custom hub motor dynamometer requested by the Cal Poly Racing FSAE team. The need for this testing platform is to characterize an existing Formula SAE planetary gearbox for a proposed 4WD powertrain. Hub motors, compact electric machines integrated directly into each outboard wheel, offer significant advantages in efficiency, traction, and chassis packaging compared to conventional RWD drivetrains. By mapping torque capacity, efficiency, lubrication method effectiveness, and fatigue life, the team can validate gearbox design and performance.

This senior project group designed and built a dynamometer according to these specifications which will allow for successful testing to …

Peltier-Based Hydration Accumulation Terminal (P.H.A.T.), Jenner Mucher, Ethan Pace, Renee Robolledo, Sabrina Luo, Taehoon Lee, Tarsem Pal

Mechanical Engineering

The objective of this project is to design an innovative potable water dispenser capable of safely delivering hot, ambient, and chilled water on demand for human lander missions. The system will support astronauts’ hydration and food rehydration needs while minimizing mass, power, maintenance, and contamination risks in microgravity and partial-gravity environments. Current spacecraft dispensers, such as the International Space Station (ISS) system, provide only heated water and have limited temperature control, cleaning accessibility, and microbial resilience. Building on NASA heritage designs and lessons learned from the ISS Potable Water Dispenser, this project advances a lighter, simpler, and more energy-efficient concept …

Smart Sleeve, Evan Abalos, Bright Jung, Owen Bowling, Wyatt Eberhart

Mechanical Engineering

Quantifying human arm muscle activity is essential for understanding human movements and helping individuals who suffer from motor or neurological impairments such as stroke or traumatic brain injuries. Today, these individuals, as well as clinicians, researchers, and athletes, face many challenges when using the traditional surface electromyography (sEMG) systems to monitor muscle activities, including complex setup, restricted mobility, discomfort, inconsistent placement of electrodes, and lack of accuracy. Therefore, a comfortable EMG sleeve device that accurately measures arm movement without interfering with daily tasks is needed, which the team will be designing, manufacturing, and testing as their senior project. In addition, …

Cvj Torque Loss Dynamometer, Malaika Sriram, Coleman Brown, Zachary Norris, Logan Mast, Chris Mattis

Mechanical Engineering

This report details the design and results of a dynamometer testing rig built to measure torque losses in constant velocity joints (CVJs) for Cal Poly Racing's Baja SAE team. The rig spins a flywheel connected to articulable CVJs up to 800 RPM using a motor, then decouples it and measures the spin-down rate from 800 to 100 RPM to calculate angular acceleration and torque loss. The data collected from this dyno will be used to inform freewheel packaging for future Baja car development.

Design And Development Of A 12-Degree-Of-Freedom Quadruped Robot, Kai De La Cruz

Master's Theses

This thesis presents the design, analysis, and experimental validation of a 12-degree-of-freedom (DOF) quadruped robot developed as a research platform for legged locomotion and control. The system builds upon the Cal Poly Legged Robotics Group’s prior 8-DOF quadruped, addressing key limitations in manipulability, load distribution, and mechanical robustness by introducing a 3-DOF leg architecture.

The mechanical design emphasizes lightweight construction, structural integrity, and modularity to support future research extensions. Static and dynamic loading models were developed to inform component sizing and material selection. A carbon-fiber chassis and redesigned leg assemblies were fabricated and validated through finite element analysis and physical …

Areosense, Josephine Turney

Williams Honors College, Honors Research Projects

The AeroSense growing system is designed to make indoor aeroponic gardening easy and accessible for everyone. By combining sensors, automation, and AI, the system can monitor and adjust humidity, lighting, and nutrient levels to help plants thrive without requiring expert knowledge. The goal is to create a self-regulating garden that takes the guesswork out of growing fresh herbs and vegetables at home. The project involves building a working aeroponic prototype equipped with misters, pumps, and environmental sensors, all managed by a Raspberry Pi. Using computer vision and machine learning, AeroSense will be able to assess plant health and respond automatically …

Automated Soil Resetting System For Extraterrestrial Regolith Simulation, Parker W. Brennan, Anthony C. Daniels

Williams Honors College, Honors Research Projects

This project focuses on designing an automated soil resetting system for extraterrestrial regolith simulation. The system will prepare a regolith simulant testbed to a desired, repeatable density, enabling reliable wheel–terrain testing for planetary rover research. Manual soil preparation currently exposes testers to hazardous particulates and produces inconsistent results.

The proposed system will integrate mechanical and control elements to reset the soil bed safely and efficiently. A combination of raking and vibrational methods will be explored, with feedback sensors and automation to achieve target density control. The research will proceed through literature review, benchtop experimentation, prototype design, and full-scale testing over …

Automation And Habitat Development For A Space Based Marine Life Environment, Logan Trimmer, Alexander Hang

Harrisburg University Other Works

This project was a cross-collaboration between the Environmental Sciences and Advanced Manufacturing and Robotics programs for the company Monolith Space.

The goal of this project was to design an autonomous system to be able to track qualities of water in an aquaculture system designed to be sent to space.

Locomotion And Balance Control In A Biped Robot With Continuum Legs And A Kangaroo-Inspired Tail, Gavin A. Platt

All Theses

This thesis work presents the design, testing, and validation of a continuum-legged biped robot equipped with a kangaroo inspired tail for enhanced stability and adaptability. Unlike traditional rigid link robots, this one expands on soft-legged robots and utilizes tendon-driven continuum robots to mimic octopus and kangaroo behavior for locomotion. The robot uses a hierarchical hybrid control framework to implement walking, obstacle avoidance, vaulting, and push recovery behaviors. To test the performance of the robot four sets of experiments were conducted to validate these systems and evaluate how they performed. The results demonstrate stable walking with rhythmic tail load transfer, effective …

Origami-Inspired Pneumatic Soft Robotic Gripper, Conor J. Schott

Master's Theses

This thesis presents the design and evaluation of a vacuum-actuated, origami-based soft robotic gripper. A custom Sea Urchin crease pattern forms a lightweight folding skeleton that collapses radially under vacuum. The system emphasizes low cost and accessibility through laser cutting, 3D printing, and silicone molding. The Sea Urchin geometry was selected after digital and physical screening of candidate crease patterns for smooth folding, low strain concentration, and uniform inward motion. The folding skeleton is laser cut from 4 mil drafting film and folded into a compliant core. Four membrane configurations were developed: an origami gripper with a 36-inch balloon (Design …

Design Of A 10-Ton Capacity Solar-Powered Cold Storage At The Cituis Fish Auction Site, Tangerang, Banten, Indonesia, Wardi Wardi, Muhammad Arif Budiyanto

Journal of Materials Exploration and Findings

This study presents the design of a 10-ton capacity solar-powered cold storage system for the Cituis Fish Auction Site (TPI) in Tangerang, Indonesia, as a sustainable solution to support the coastal fisheries sector. The system comprises two temperature zones: an anteroom at 5°C and a freezer room at -30°C, both integrated with a hybrid system utilizing solar panels and batteries. The total power consumption of the cooling system reaches 27.51 kW. The simulation results, obtained using HOMER Pro software, indicate that the hybrid PV system can reduce CO₂ emissions by up to 16,754 kg per year. From an economic …

Aerospace Fastener Installation Tool, Anthony I. Berghout, Matthew K. Eggers, Liam Dunsmore, Jose Pardo

Mechanical Engineering

Contamination, particularly in aerospace manufacturing environments, is a significant concern, especially with fastener designs that incorporate torque-rated breakaway pieces for easier installation. These breakaway pieces are also known as pintails. Howmet has tooling that can collect loose pintails during installation, but they have small capacities and are not ergonomic for aerospace technicians. Their current need is for a light and ergonomic tool capable of installing a wide variety of Ergo-Tech® fasteners while having a large capacity to collect pintails and improve aerospace manufacturing methods. For this Critical Design Stage, we have finalized a design that allows Pintails to pass through …

Large Backflow Check Valve Life Cycle Test Stand, Colin Bentley, Christopher Carloni, Ethan Gray, Luke Romanini

Mechanical Engineering

Backflow preventers are plumbing devices containing internal check valves used to prevent cross-contamination between downstream contaminants and potable water supply. Zurn Wilkins needs a life cycle test stand to mechanically force open check valves submerged in contaminated water and verify check performance. The stand needs to be modular to work with a range of check types and sizes.

Zurn Wilkins is the primary stakeholder for this project. Secondary stakeholders include commercial and residential building owners, contractors, and water utility companies, who rely on their products for safe and efficient water management. The team for this project consists of four Cal …

Computational Modeling Of Torque Arm And Load Cell Interactions In Uta Racing Brake Dynamometer, Anthony A. Aiyedun

2025 Spring Honors Capstone Projects - Archive

The UTA Racing Team is developing a brake dynamometer to measure the coefficients of friction of various brake pads and calipers under controlled conditions. The dynamometer simulates on-track braking scenarios, testing brake pads at temperatures up to 1300ºF and pressures similar to racing environments. Its primary goal is to generate accurate friction vs. temperature graphs for various brake pad and rotor combinations, addressing the need for dedicated testing equipment. This project creates an ANSYS simulation of the torque arm and load cell interaction. The computational model accurately represents the relationship between applied torque and measured load cell force, incorporating precise …

Reconfigurable Python Autopilot Software For Rc Aircraft, Kate Doiron

Honors Theses

No abstract provided.

Effects Of Thermal Shock Protection Methods On Pressure Measurements In A Rapid Compression Machine, Myeji Materego

Tanzania Journal of Engineering and Technology (TJET)

The study investigates the impact of thermal shock protection methods on pressure measurements in Rapid Compression Machines (RCMs). It focuses on the performance of various pressure transducers, specifically 601A, 701A, 6061B, and 7005, under atmospheric initial conditions. The research emphasizes the importance of mounting techniques and coatings, revealing their significant effects on pressure trace accuracy. Special mounting adaptors for the pressure transducers were designed and manufactured, this enabled simultaneous measurements for all transducers to be made in a single compression stroke. Instantaneous pressure within combustion chamber was measured when air was compressed in RCM from initial pressure and temperatures of …

High Voltage Junction Box For Demonstrator Vehicle, Benjamin Lubowicki, Ryan Dorste

Williams Honors College, Honors Research Projects

Schaeffler, our industry sponsor for this project, is designing a battery pack for a demonstration vehicle that requires a high voltage junction box to route power to the vehicle. The project type is a unique design of a mechanical component, mechanism, and process. Our objective for this project is to assemble provided electro-mechanical components into an enclosure following a provided electrical diagram. The expected deliverables are the following: 3D CAD assembly of final product, FEA analysis of designed components, 2D print of final product, fabrication and assembly of designed parts, technical report documenting design process and installation. The skills required …

Kb Bioenergy Mobile Dewatering System Research, Wyatt Balser, Nathan Szymczak

Williams Honors College, Honors Research Projects

This report outlines the design and development of a mobile skid-mounted dewatering system intended for high-solids sludge processing at wastewater treatment facilities. The goal was to create a self-contained, transportable unit capable of reliably separating water from sludge using a screw press, while integrating upstream processes such as polymer conditioning, sludge maceration, and pumping. The final design prioritizes serviceability, structural integrity, and operational simplicity, featuring a consolidated equipment layout, engineered piping diagrams, and vendor-specified components.

Throughout the project, multiple design alternatives were evaluated using a weighted decision matrix, leading to the selection of a skid platform over a trailer configuration …

Finite Element Modeling And Experimental Characterization Of Overmolded Gold-Palladium Composite Leads And Their Mechanical Behavior Under Cyclic Fatigue For Long-Term Implant Applications, Tanner Davis

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

Auditory Nerve Interface (ANI) devices, currently in developmental stages, represent an emerging neuroprosthetic approach to restore hearing in severe sensorineural loss patients by directly stimulating the auditory nerve via the Utah Slanted Electrode Array (USEA). Conventional implant leads are comprised of multiple wires made from materials such as platinum-iridium and MP35N stainless steel that are overmolded in an insulative material. These materials are not possible to bond with to electrode array used in the ANI device, necessitating the evaluation of a new material like Au-Pd to ensure its functionality and durability under cyclic stresses. This gap necessitates characterization of alternative …

Investigation Of Conductive Die-Top Thermal Capacitors During Short Circuit Operation Of Silicon Carbide Devices, Youssef Abotaleb

Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering: Dissertations, Theses, and Student Research

Silicon carbide (SiC) power devices have garnered significant attention in recent years due to their superior thermal and electrical properties compared to traditional silicon devices. However, SiC power devices suffer from severe reliability issues arising from their mechanical properties. This is because the Young's modulus of SiC is about three times larger than that of silicon, which correspondingly raises the mechanical stresses acting on the bonding structure, often leading to device failure under power shock events.

Traditional packaging materials and designs tend to constrain SiC performance, as hot-spot temperature resulting from a power shock is one of the key factors …

An Efficient Computational Frameworks For Design And Analysis Of Metamaterials, Raj Pradip Khawale

All Dissertations

Advancement in additive manufacturing helps in building artificial lattice structures with unique properties that are not available in naturally occurring materials or in continuum structures. Specifically, beam-based lattices are well known for producing lightweight structures with very high strength, auxetic behavior, and energy absorption capabilities. In recent years, numerous research studies have been conducted on generating algorithms and frameworks to obtain unusual properties based on the variation in the cell geometry and material properties. However, the exploration of the full design space is hampered in practice primarily due to restrictions on cell tiling variation. Additionally, the lattices are very intricate, …

Hypoxic Incubator: Improving Robustness/Reliability And Demonstrating Physiological Efficacy, Damon Dennis Tan

Master's Theses

The Microphysiological Systems Laboratory aims to develop colorectal cancer tumor models under a hypoxic environment to assess model response to pharmaceutical compounds in vitro. To perform relevant studies, researchers have attempted to use different hypoxic inducing strategies such as a nitrogen pod and hypoxic incubator to recreate in vivo physiological responses to hypoxia. However, studies would be interrupted due to incubator functionality failure. To ensure successful and physiologically relevant studies, I improved and verified the robustness and reliability of a hypoxic incubator previously designed and manufactured in the lab. Through the testing and iterating design processes, I engineered and implemented …

Robot Rodeo, Daniel Rickers, Tyler Vaughn, Vinayak Sharath, Berent Baysal, Promit Das Gupta

Mechanical Engineering

This document outlines the Final Design Review (FDR) for an autonomous robot developed in response to the Naval Surface Warfare Center (NSWC) Ship Maintenance Robot Rodeo Challenge. Through extensive analysis, we selected a design concept, built a verification prototype, and tested the prototype in the NSWC Robot Rodeo Competition. The design overview portion of this report will present the details of our design while explaining how it will function. Next, is our implementation section, which provides evidence about our procurement, manufacturing, and assembly of our product. Our design verification follows and explains the tests that we conducted on the robot …

Autonomous Bottling And Packaging System - Mechanical Bottling Portion, Kathryn Gray

Honors College Theses

This report details the complete mechanical design of an autonomous bottling automation system. This system is fully integrated with a bottling and packaging system. The scope of the full project is to successfully bottle and cap twelve small bottles (approximately 68 cm3) in under three minutes and thirty seconds. The bottles shall be filled with an “electrolyte” and water mixture, and the mixture should be fully mixed. To complete this task, two tanks will dispense liquid (one electrolyte, and one water) into the bottles. Each tank shall have a measuring chamber, that will fill with the correct amount of volume …

Towing Tank Trials Of Hydrokinetic Turbine Scale Model To Support Marine Energy System Verification, Shahab Rouhi

LSU New Orleans Theses and Dissertations

In response to the escalating demand for sustainable energy solutions and the critical reevaluation of conventional fossil fuels due to environmental concerns, this dissertation embarks on a comprehensive exploration of hydrokinetic energy as a promising alternative. The study delves into the underexplored domain of hydrokinetic energy, leveraging innovative methodologies for effective utilization and harnessing, particularly through the development and investigation of hydrokinetic turbines.

In the realm of hydrokinetic energy conversion, our research has exclusively concentrated on horizontal-axis turbines, distinct from other turbine configurations. Noteworthy is the adaptation of a conventional horizontal-axis wind turbine for water currents, revealing enhanced performance through …

Pulse-Width Modulation Spray System Performance And Development Of A Novel System To Optimize Spray Use Efficacy, Prashanta Pokharel

Theses and Dissertations--Biosystems and Agricultural Engineering

The overarching objective of this research was to enhance our understanding of pulse width modulation (PWM) based nozzle control system and develop an intelligent nozzle control system for agricultural spray applications. This dissertation focused on measuring and analyzing the transient nozzle pressure characteristics and performance under PWM control. Additionally, it explored the development of an innovative multi-degree-of-freedom (DOF) nozzle control system for precise chemical applications in specialty crop systems.

The pressure dynamics of a PWM system were studied by developing an instrumentation system capable of operating a solenoid valve and recording pressure signals. A nozzle body and two manifolds of …

Development Of A Solidworks Api, Andrew Magyar

Williams Honors College, Honors Research Projects

With the current advancements in CAD software, and precision of modern motors, we believe that a new way to communicate from hardware to software is possible. This report details the steps we have taken to attempt just that. The essential idea behind this is that modern controls for robotics are not as user friendly as they can be. The general action taken is to create an API for SolidWorks that connects it to the other necessary controller software and makes it so that a robot, and its exact current position, can be changed simply and intuitively from SolidWorks. Furthermore, the …

3d Printed Drone (Body And Controls), Michael Dick, Hayden Pinkelman, Tanner Henderson, Logan Prince

Williams Honors College, Honors Research Projects

The objective is to build a scaled down model of a 3D printed drone capable of carrying a payload scalable to 50 lbs. for a wide array of applications. Some applications of the drone could include delivering support materials during natural disasters, such as foam to put out fire or medical aid packs to provide aid to injured people, food or package delivery, or military applications. The project has been split up into two groups. One group will be focusing on the propulsion aspect of the project, such as the electric motors and airfoil. Simultaneously, this group will design the …

Design, Testing And Neural Network Modeling Of A Low-Friction Wave Energy Converter Testbed, Vasu Bhardwaj

Dissertations, Master's Theses and Master's Reports

Point absorber wave energy converters (WECs) transform water wave kinetic energy into other useful forms, typically electrical. While it’s possible to extract energy from passive WECs, more energy can be captured using active control where its power take-off (PTO) acts as both a generator and an actuator. Control strategies usually require accurate models often obtained during model-scale testing. Unfortunately, friction can dominate the dynamic response in small WEC models. A frictionless point absorber WEC testbed is described in this report which allows the researcher to focus on fundamental hydrodynamic behavior instead of friction. It uses air bearings for vertical motion …

Railroad Condition Monitoring Using Distributed Acoustic Sensing And Deep Learning Techniques, Md Arifur Rahman

College of Graduate Studies: Theses & Dissertations

Proper condition monitoring has been a major issue among railroad administrations since it might cause catastrophic dilemmas that lead to fatalities or damage to the infrastructure. Although various aspects of train safety have been conducted by scholars, in-motion monitoring detection of defect occurrence, cause, and severity is still a big concern. Hence extensive studies are still required to enhance the accuracy of inspection methods for railroad condition monitoring (CM). Distributed acoustic sensing (DAS) has been recognized as a promising method because of its sensing capabilities over long distances and for massive structures. As DAS produces large datasets, algorithms for precise …