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Cost Of Housing Regulation In Utah Valley-Impact Fees, Rhett M. Turner, Dr. Howard Bashford Oct 2013

Cost Of Housing Regulation In Utah Valley-Impact Fees, Rhett M. Turner, Dr. Howard Bashford

Journal of Undergraduate Research

The purpose of impact fees is to help fund infrastructure needs brought on by new growth. The State of Utah has recently passed legislation which allows cities to charge impact fees for the construction of new homes. These impact fees can be substantial, amounting to thousands of dollars for each home.


Lemmings: A Student Animation, Craig Paul Van Dyke, Dr. Brent R. Adams Oct 2013

Lemmings: A Student Animation, Craig Paul Van Dyke, Dr. Brent R. Adams

Journal of Undergraduate Research

Lemmings brought together eighteen students for one full year to work on a 5 minute computer animation. Such a learning experience broke the bonds of a normal artistic and technical education; it became a lesson in teamwork, leadership and hard work. The entire animation was student run and directed.


Dynasense: Remote Monitoring System, Bryce Ott, Mike Coleman, Tyler Monson, Janell Armstrong, Ben Tanner, Brad Anderson, Dr. Steven Renshaw Oct 2013

Dynasense: Remote Monitoring System, Bryce Ott, Mike Coleman, Tyler Monson, Janell Armstrong, Ben Tanner, Brad Anderson, Dr. Steven Renshaw

Journal of Undergraduate Research

DynaSense is a robust and modular remote monitoring system that can be incorporated into an existing network. Individual embedded hardware modules gather and log data from attached sensors. This data is web-accessible from each individual module or can be compiled and monitored by custom management software for additional processing and display. A variety of industries could benefit from the features provided in the DynaSense system, including hospitals and clinical centers, manufacturing plants and refineries, museums, grocery stores, and the military.


Establishing The Facility Capital Investment Laboratory, Tim Tucker, Dr. Jeffery Campbell Oct 2013

Establishing The Facility Capital Investment Laboratory, Tim Tucker, Dr. Jeffery Campbell

Journal of Undergraduate Research

One of the greatest difficulties a manager has in the current economy is being able to validly show the value that is being created by their efforts. After human resource and related issues the greatest expenses an organization faces is the total cost of ownership of their fixed assets. Many organizations both private and public are coming to the understanding that a plan must be developed for the care of facilities and other capital assets. As one looks for information on how to proceed in the development of these plans one thing becomes clear, there is no single source that …


Asset Tracking System, Jacob Roberts, Dr. Joseph Ekstrom Sep 2013

Asset Tracking System, Jacob Roberts, Dr. Joseph Ekstrom

Journal of Undergraduate Research

RFID, Radio Frequency Identification, is a technology that is beginning to attract the attention of large business. These businesses have complicated and expensive supply chains. RFID promises to streamline asset tracking and reduce supply chain costs.


Student Digital Portfolio Analysis And Implementation For Byu Students, Keith Kasperson, Dr. Gordon W. Romney Sep 2013

Student Digital Portfolio Analysis And Implementation For Byu Students, Keith Kasperson, Dr. Gordon W. Romney

Journal of Undergraduate Research

The Student Digital Portfolio (StuDigiPort) capstone team shall provide a web application that provides students with a digital or electronic portfolio. A digital portfolio is a collection of student work that is organized similar to a hard copy portfolio. The purpose of the portfolio is to demonstrate the character and abilities of the student. Following are some of the requested features that shall be provided by the Student Digital Portfolio application:


Ds3 Web Interface, Kevin Wong, Dr. Gordon Romney Sep 2013

Ds3 Web Interface, Kevin Wong, Dr. Gordon Romney

Journal of Undergraduate Research

As digital media storage is growing ever more popular, security of this data is becoming more and more important. Intruders can relatively easily alter digital files and documents. Several customers, such as the Harold B. Lee Library, the archivist of the Dead Sea Scrolls, and the Director of the Center for Earth Remote Sensing, need the assurance of data integrity, as the users of these files require unaltered content. A digital signature signing server can receive a digital file, digitally sign it, and store the digital signature with the original file. When needed, the server can regenerate the signature and …


Digital Signature Signing Server Project Management And Client Support, Frederick Penrose, Dr. Gordon Romney Sep 2013

Digital Signature Signing Server Project Management And Client Support, Frederick Penrose, Dr. Gordon Romney

Journal of Undergraduate Research

With the ever increasing move to electronic documents in every industry and field, digital security is becoming a greater concern for everyone. Various departments within BYU have the concern of distributing images to the public and in-turn persons from the public fraudulently change the images and then claim that their modified image is the original. The mission of our project was to create a method for which the integrity of the image is preserved to produce a unique “Digital Signature” on the object at the time of archival. The objective of the Digital Signature Signing Server (DS3 ) project is …


Securing Engineering For The Future: An Inquiry-Base Approach To Teaching Engineering In Grades 6-12, Ryan Anderson, Dr. Jared Berrett Sep 2013

Securing Engineering For The Future: An Inquiry-Base Approach To Teaching Engineering In Grades 6-12, Ryan Anderson, Dr. Jared Berrett

Journal of Undergraduate Research

The basis behind inquiry-based learning is that questions are being asked and answers are being found. On that same note problems are being presented and solutions are being discovered. Inquiry-based learning and instruction allows for personal growth and choice in education on the part of the student. It doesn’t eliminate the role of the teacher, but it places the teacher in the position of facilitator. The goal of the facilitator is to create an environment where students can begin to make connections with previous learning, add to that learning new knowledge, and then form their own conclusions to find solutions.


Digital Signature Signing Server Archiving Method For Secure Data, Hoan Do, Gorden Romney Sep 2013

Digital Signature Signing Server Archiving Method For Secure Data, Hoan Do, Gorden Romney

Journal of Undergraduate Research

In a world where digital information can be so easily altered it is essential to protect the original content of digital files from unauthorized changes. This is especially important with digital images such as maps or historical documents. If these images are provided to the world for research or public use then proof must be provided showing that no alterations have been made and that the image contains exactly what it should. The DS3 project will create a digital signature system that will uniquely sign digital image files and provide a process to validate each file according to the individual …


The Effects Of A User Interface On Productivity The Whiteboard Lms, Jeremiah Jackson, Dr. Barry Mark Lunt Sep 2013

The Effects Of A User Interface On Productivity The Whiteboard Lms, Jeremiah Jackson, Dr. Barry Mark Lunt

Journal of Undergraduate Research

Common among modern universities, BYU included, is usage of Learning Management Systems, commonly known as LMS. LMS are electronic classrooms, often online, that allow for the learning process to continue outside of the traditional classroom setting. For several years, BYU has strived to use the Blackboard LMS to enhance the student experience. Unfortunately, many students and teachers dislike the program, and only use it sparingly, if at all. Initial interviews with students and teachers revealed that the problem behind Blackboard was that it has a poor user interface. Without proper training and/or experience using it, the features of Blackboard can …


Thermal Management Of Lithium Iron-Phosphate Batteries, Nicholas V. Riedel, Perry Carter Sep 2013

Thermal Management Of Lithium Iron-Phosphate Batteries, Nicholas V. Riedel, Perry Carter

Journal of Undergraduate Research

The BYU Electric Vehicle Competition Team (EVCT) elected to use Lithium-iron phosphate batteries as the power source for their streamlined electric race car. This car will be used to attempt a land speed record for electric vehicles under 1800 lbs at the Bonneville Salt Flats in August 2008. These batteries were chosen because they were light-weight and relatively durable. However, there was some concern about using them in place of a more durable battery, like lead acid, because of the extreme temperatures and high electrical loads which the batteries would experience during a run.


A Model Worth A Thousand Pictures, Tyson Triplett, Paul Skaggs Sep 2013

A Model Worth A Thousand Pictures, Tyson Triplett, Paul Skaggs

Journal of Undergraduate Research

Model-making is an essential part of the Industrial Design profession. An idea, no matter how good, is only as valuable as you are able to present it to others. Model-making can be seen as a language by which we share and validate our ideas as designers. More than that, it is a universal language that everyone understands no matter origin, education, or level of understanding. For this reason, we spend more time learning to convince others of our concepts than generating those ideas. A common saying around the department is: “If a picture is worth a thousand words then a …


Family Tree Mapper: Designing A User Interface For Online Mapping Of Genealogical Data, Craig Fryer, Richard Helps Aug 2013

Family Tree Mapper: Designing A User Interface For Online Mapping Of Genealogical Data, Craig Fryer, Richard Helps

Journal of Undergraduate Research

Designing and Implementing a web service for promoting genealogy and family history work requires a complex process of working with potential end users, designing a product that meets their needs, and testing it with the end users. I found that the greatest challenge to this process was including the end users in every step of the process. Developers tend to make assumptions regarding what is best for the users. These assumptions are often proven wrong when presented to the end user of the product. To circumvent this error, I used the following process.


Plastics For Designers, Colburn L. Jones Aug 2013

Plastics For Designers, Colburn L. Jones

Journal of Undergraduate Research

Plastics for Designers is a basic survey of the industry of plastics specifically written to address the questions and needs of the industrial designer. It is interesting that most people understand and are much more familiar with materials such as wood, metal, glass, stone, etc., than they are with plastics. This is quite amazing when we consider how much we surround ourselves with the very substance of which we are so ignorant. For the industrial designer this unfamiliarity with plastics is an especially vulnerable position as the number of products specifying the use of plastic grows exponentially. It is therefore …


Moving Towards Technology Literacy: An Evaluation Of Teachers And Curriculum, Braden Boss, Dr. Geoffrey A. Wright Aug 2013

Moving Towards Technology Literacy: An Evaluation Of Teachers And Curriculum, Braden Boss, Dr. Geoffrey A. Wright

Journal of Undergraduate Research

Many people struggle defining technology literacy. Some say that there is no “absolute definition of literacy” because technology literacy varies from society to society.1 No matter what society you belong to, how you define technology literacy depends on how you view technology and education.


Third World Water Filtration System Implementation, Christopher Welton, Perry Carter Aug 2013

Third World Water Filtration System Implementation, Christopher Welton, Perry Carter

Journal of Undergraduate Research

Approximately 70 million people in rural India do not have access to clean water. Chemicals such as cesium, arsenic, and others contaminate India’s drinking water, rendering it unsafe. Biological contaminates pose increased health risks to those drinking the water. If a water source is bad, large populations need to relocate to find a better source of water. Creating an economic water filtration system capable of being obtained through a micro-loan is beginning alleviate this problem. By creating an affordable and quality system, clean water is becoming a reality for the world’s poor, especially in Third World countries. Through my efforts …


Thermal Protection For Extreme Labor, Christopher Hanks, Dave Morgan Aug 2013

Thermal Protection For Extreme Labor, Christopher Hanks, Dave Morgan

Journal of Undergraduate Research

Many people died when temperatures rose to 115°F in Southeastern Europe in July of 2000(Blumberg). The Sahara Desert exceeds 120°F, creating a nearly inhospitable environment. The temperature off of the Phoenix Airport runway was reported at 150°F the summer of 2009. This very same environment is the workplace of ramp agents who lift and load heavy luggage into passenger in, and day out. Through researching methods of heat transfer, and interviewing workers, I have conceptualized a number of cooling solutions which will protect workers from the heat.


Industry Based Multimedia Education, Cameron Wilson, Dr. Geoffrey Wright Jun 2013

Industry Based Multimedia Education, Cameron Wilson, Dr. Geoffrey Wright

Journal of Undergraduate Research

My goal was to study how the cinematographic industry teaches multimedia and digital production, and compare that with how Utah schools teach multimedia and digital production. The outcome was somewhat of a surprise to me. I thought that public school teachers, having proper pedagogical training, and all having graduated from college would be able to provide the students with an adequate learning environment. I found this to be wrong. The students at the Industry based schools overall were much more prepared to go out in the world and be successful in the industry of multimedia. The findings are backed by …


Cloud Security For Medical Imaging, Craig Treasure, Dr. Chia-Chi Teng Jun 2013

Cloud Security For Medical Imaging, Craig Treasure, Dr. Chia-Chi Teng

Journal of Undergraduate Research

Current medical imaging technology exists in the form of large and expensive systems in hospitals inside the network firewalls. Data from these machines is only transmitted on a hospital’s computer network to maintain the privacy of patient’s personal information and images. These expensive machines require high processing power to process medical images to be used by physicians and doctors. Patient’s data is protected by keeping it within the hospital’s private computer network.


Modular Containerized Provisional Habitations For Emergency Disaster Relief, Matthew Butler, Brian Capt Jun 2013

Modular Containerized Provisional Habitations For Emergency Disaster Relief, Matthew Butler, Brian Capt

Journal of Undergraduate Research

Perhaps the greatest challenge to this project was determining which materials to use in the construction of the modules. There are a multitude of materials that could have been used for the project, many of which might have worked well for the designated use. The shelters have a specific set of criteria that required several different properties that the material had to fill, including: (a) price—it needed to be fairly inexpensive to purchase and ship to a shipping container assembly area, (b) durability—the panels that make up the module must be made from a material that can support itself, the …


Android Gloves To Control Smart Phone: Providing A Mouse And Keyboard To Every Smart Phone User, Skyler Greenman, Dr. Bret Swan Apr 2013

Android Gloves To Control Smart Phone: Providing A Mouse And Keyboard To Every Smart Phone User, Skyler Greenman, Dr. Bret Swan

Journal of Undergraduate Research

I am reporting to the MTC on August 15th. I am therefore submitting my final report a few months early of the December deadline. However, I have put nearly a year’s amount of work into this project as I started researching early knowing that there were many different ideas and concepts that I had to understand before I could begin experimenting with the hardware. For example, I had to understand how an Inertial Measurement Unit (IMU) when attached to a user’s hand could navigate a phone like a mouse and how to overhaul the Android operating system to create a …


Incorporating Cyberbullying Prevention Curriculum In Technology Classrooms, Andrew Jackson, Dr. Geoff Wright Apr 2013

Incorporating Cyberbullying Prevention Curriculum In Technology Classrooms, Andrew Jackson, Dr. Geoff Wright

Journal of Undergraduate Research

With the advancement of communication technology and the increasing influence it has in our lives, the prevalence of a new intimidation tactic, cyberbullying, is multiplying. Recent studies cite that between 25% and 46% of adolescents are victims of cyberbullying or online harassment (Li, 2006; Palfrey et al., 2010). At present there is limited access to a cyberbullying prevention curriculum for educators; cyberbullying prevention resources have not been synthesized into useable curriculum.


The Video Club, Dr. Peter Rich, Dr. Geoffrey Wright Apr 2013

The Video Club, Dr. Peter Rich, Dr. Geoffrey Wright

Journal of Undergraduate Research

The goals of this project was to bring students together to research the use of video analysis in varied contexts. Through two different projects, we were able to successfully carry out research in four different contexts: seminary, a private school for autistic children, the English Language Center at BYU, and BYU-Provo. We initially set up and began an study at LDS Business college, but due to unexpected medical emergencies, were unable to continue our work with the college. Overall, we feel this has been a successful experience, as we have discovered an approach that seems to work best for conducting …


Programming Literacy Needs To Be A Core Content Standard: A Case Study Of Teaching 7th And 8th Grade Students Computer Programming, Dr. Geoffrey Wright Apr 2013

Programming Literacy Needs To Be A Core Content Standard: A Case Study Of Teaching 7th And 8th Grade Students Computer Programming, Dr. Geoffrey Wright

Journal of Undergraduate Research

Just as typing has replaced calligraphy and hand-writing as the most common form of written language, programming is ready to replace many domains of the English language. Regardless of whether you perceive this, as negative or positive, programming is how many students are communicating. In a recent study (paper) a teacher found the following grammatical errors (as she defined them): ttyl, sg, L2G, 2G2BT, 2M2H, 404, 411, 511, LOL (double meaning), NMU, N1, W@, WU