System for Testing Motor Module of Hydraulic Mining Shovel

Project number
16050
Organization
Caterpillar Inc.
Academic year
2016-2017
The team developed a system to test the motor module of the sponsor’s 6020b hydraulic mining shovel, to improve efficiency in its manufacture. The motor module houses the engine, cooling system, pump drive transmission, hydraulic pumps and control values.

The team created conceptual and development designs and focused design effort on creating a test system that interfaces with the sensors on the 6020b motor module. The team built a motor module simulation system that verifies the ability of the test system to determine whether the motor module meets sponsor specifications. The simulator also tests whether the test system shuts down the simulated motor module when an error is detected.

Visualization Tools for Connected Vehicle Systems

Project number
16049
Organization
UA Department of Systems & Industrial Engineering
Academic year
2016-2017
The team’s goal is to develop a visualization tool for the connected-vehicle systems developed by the UA Department of Systems and Industrial Engineering as part of the Multi-Modal Intelligent Traffic Signal Systems project, which is sponsored by a group of state and local transportation agencies and the Federal Highway Administration as a project for the Cooperative Transportation System Pooled Fund Study.

The team designed an intuitive and advanced user interface to display data and metrics produced by the department’s system. Through research and discussion, the team created a software structure using the model-view-controller method to implement the visualization. An accurate and real-time representation of the data was designed by integrating C++ socket connections and Java visualization techniques.

The overall goal of this project is to create a software system that is easily modifiable and able to integrate with the Multi-Modal Intelligent Traffic Signal Systems project for future research work.

Patient Isolation and Transportation System

Project number
16048
Organization
United Rotorcraft
Academic year
2016-2017
The team designed a patient isolation and transportation system that transports people infected with highly contagious diseases from the field to strategic biocontainment facilities distributed around the world.

While offering the necessary medical procedures and equipment, the transportation system keeps the patient in a sealed, isolated environment to prevent spread of the infectious disease, such as those caused by Flavivirus, Ebola and Lassa viruses.

The system can be transported by ground and air to reach, secure, isolate and transport patients. It also complies with military and federal standards for withstanding various field uses and transport conditions, such as humidity, temperature, drop, shock and vibration.

Automated Assembly Platform for Simulation Systems

Project number
16047
Organization
Wittenstein
Academic year
2016-2017
The team designed pilot and copilot simulator platforms upon which the project sponsor can mount its aircraft simulators during integration and test. The platforms are designed for fixed wing and rotary wing aircraft simulators, and can support up to 450 pounds.

Platform heights are adjustable between 32 and 48 inches from the ground, and can tilt in three directions at a maximum angle of 22 degrees. Lifting and tilting mechanisms are controlled remotely.

The platforms will be used in the sponsor’s manufacturing facility, and at trade show to demonstrate aircraft simulation controls.

Feasibility of a Windscreen Head-Up Display

Project number
16045
Organization
Honeywell Aerospace
Academic year
2016-2017
A head-up display greatly improves situational awareness and increases safety by allowing the pilot to see outside while providing all the information necessary to maneuver the aircraft. A head-up display enhances safety by providing the pilot with conformal attitude and flight guidance information overlaid on the actual out-the-window view for precision flying and landing.

The objective of this project is to investigate the feasibility of designing a holographic head-up display that can use the windshield as an optical waveguide. The primary focus of the project is to investigate the effect of windshield curvature on the final image displayed to the pilot.

The system design was demonstrated by using a projector system that traps light into the windshield waveguide through an injection hologram. The light must internally reflect totally until it reaches the proper height. The light is then directed into the pilot’s eyes through an extraction hologram.

Cost-Efficient and Consumer-Accepted Milk Case Replacement

Project number
16044
Organization
Shamrock Foods
Academic year
2016-2017
The sponsor uses high-density polyethylene milk crates an average of 10 times before they are stolen or damaged. The team was charged with designing a cost-efficient milk case that would be acceptable to the sponsor’s customers.

The team’s design solution is an open frame crate that meets all the requirements for safe handling, proper loading of six one-gallon milk containers, support of the required weight, and for common shipping standards.

The new crate is lighter, backward compatible, less likely to be stolen, more cost-effective to produce, and should become as accepted as the current crate by retailers and consumers.

Automotive Lidar Collision-Avoidance System

Project number
16043
Organization
Texas Instruments
Academic year
2016-2017
The goal of this project is to design and implement a real-time lidar-based collision-avoidance system. The system has been tested using a remotely operated car. If the operator attempts to crash the car, the system detects an oncoming collision and forces the car to brake to avoid the collision.

The design consists of optical components for the lidar system, a Texas Instruments Hercules microcontroller, time-to-digital converter to record laser time of flight, and a Hall effect sensor to measure wheel speed.

The system determines the velocity of the car and the distance to the oncoming object and calculates the braking required. A tablet-based application shows system status in real time via head-up display; the system is scalable for real-world application.

Laser-Guided Robotic Terminal for Prebonding Part Alignment

Project number
16042
Organization
Quartus Engineering Inc.
Academic year
2016-2017
The team’s objective is to develop and build a closed-loop alignment terminal to align a small glass tube with a brass ferrule. The team designed a robotic alignment terminal that only requires an operator to load the ferrule and cartridge holding the glass tube into mounts.

The mounts hold the cartridge and ferrule in the correct position ready for bonding. The terminal is capable of sensing and adjusting for concentricity to within 0.005 millimeters, axial alignment to within 0.05 millimeters, and parallelism alignment between the cartridge and ferrule.

The robotic terminal uses active image processing and micropositioners to align the cartridge and ferrule to the specified requirements. Once the operator loads the cartridge and ferrule, the process is completely automated and requires no further operator input.

Test System for Sand Ingestion by Aircraft Engines

Project number
16041
Organization
Honeywell Aerospace
Academic year
2016-2017
The goal of this project is to develop a system that accurately simulates sand ingestion by auxiliary power turbine engines used in commercial aircraft.

The system designed tests cooling passages that keep the turbine from overheating. The small size and complex geometry of the cooling passages allow them to become clogged with sand, causing engine failure.

The team replicated the operating conditions of the engine during sand ingestion and then ran a series of tests under various flow configurations. The sponsor will use the team’s data as a starting point for a more extensive study of sand ingestion.

Emergency Response Model for Subscribed, Distributed and Paid Resources

Project number
16040
Organization
Vijilis
Academic year
2016-2017
Secondary collisions are a life-threatening hazard for emergency response personnel and civilians at accident scenes. This project models a crowd-sourced emergency response system that engages local certified civilian contractors, allowing them to respond quickly to emergencies while reducing communication workload and mitigating risk of further property damage or loss of life.

The team designed and built a web-based emergency response system that illustrates the registration, verification, movement, allocation and confirmation of emergency resources via certified civilians. This software model is intended for government use.

System features include real-time traffic and meteorological data monitoring, cloud-based storage of incident records for later analysis, an automatically generated payment algorithm, and a location-based dispatching algorithm. The system is accessible on a responsive mobile platform.

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