Project goal: To design a forgotten item detection system for the storage spaces in super first class airplane suites.When passengers forget to remove their belongings from the wide variety of storage compartments in super first class airplane suites, the result is cost and inconvenience for passengers and airline operators alike.The system is designed to detect items in six different compartments using a visible light detection system. Each compartment has LEDs and photo-transistors mounted on line replacement units that are integrated with an Arduino microprocessor and a display to notify when an item is detected. The optical and electrical performance of the components was analyzed to find the ideal number of LEDs and photo-transistors needed to detect an item left in any location, while minimizing the power drawn by the system. In addition, tests and inspections were performed to ensure system stability during in-flight and storage conditions.

Project goal: To develop touch-free access to all storage spaces inside a super first class airline suite.Super first class passenger amenities are a competitive market for modern commercial airlines, and passengers in this class are always looking for newer, more convenient options. This multi-storage compartment system uses a custom-designed latch that meets safety regulations,including double latching and manual override. Latch actuation is performed with an electric relay and a solenoid. The design explores two sensor solutions: an infrared-based gesture sensor and a capacitive sensor. For esthetic reasons, the sensors are concealed behind infrared-permissive acrylic or Ultraleather fabric material already in use by the project sponsor.All of these components are controlled by an Arduino processor that interprets data from the sensors and controls the electric relays that power the individual latches. The operating current is kept under 2 amps and 24 volts AC at all times.

Project goal: To design, build and test an L-band antenna using 3-D printing.As aviation platforms become smaller, more complex and increasingly cost-averse, a market is being created for novel antenna designs that use manufacturing technologies like 3-D printing. The design was created using a high-frequency electromagnetic simulation software tool, and required development of a custom process for copper plating. Design iteration produced a cost-effective process for building directional and omni-directional antennas that operate in the L-band frequency range. After 3-D printing and electroplating, the antennas were lab tested within a range of 1.0–1.2 GHz. The resultant antennas use less expensive materials and significantly decrease the cost of manufacturing. The next phase will involve connecting the antennas to a frequency transceiver and mounting them on an aircraft.

Project goal: To design a resupply system that autonomously identifies, lifts and stores a 300-pound cylindrical tube aboard a ship following underway replenishment.The U.S. Navy’s ability to remain at sea relies on underway replenishment, a method of transferring cargo and supplies from ship (or aircraft) to ship. These supplies are then moved to their storage location. The process is risky and jeopardizes personnel, especially in extreme weather conditions.The designed system replaces human labor and includes an easy-to-use electronic interface. A key component of the design is the end effector, a software-controlled mechanical design that integrates with a robotic arm to locate and move objects to a specified storage area.The end effector has been tested to withstand harsh marine environmental conditions,such as salt-water exposure, extreme temperatures, humidity, rainfall and ice accumulation. Analysis was conducted to ensure the equipment’s reliability and safety.

Project goal: To design and build a testing apparatus that provides a safe environment in which to bring piezoaccelerometers up to 260-600 degrees Celsius while vibrating 100 Hz at ±1.0 g of acceleration. Caterpillar’s quality control procedures include vibration testing on its equipment using piezoaccelerometers, which export test data to a data acquisition system for subsequent analysis by Caterpillar engineers. Piezoaccelerometer manufacturers, however,do not provide testing or calibration data for some of the temperatures at which Caterpillar operates its equipment, which means that the exported test data might be unreliable. The apparatus designed contains the heat around the accelerometer while keeping delicate electronics from overheating. Combined heat transfer and vibrational analyses provided the correct conditions for the inside of the testing apparatus, and heat transfer calculations determined the amount of insulation required to make the outside surface safe to work with.

Project goal: To design improvements to the SunDanzer BFRV15 battery-free vaccine refrigerator that reduce production costs and address environmental concerns.Analysis included researching alternatives to the current phase change material, testing the input voltage, evaluating autonomy time and temperatures, analyzing heat transfer data, and performing analyses to understand the required battery size for the system to function properly with the longest lifetime. World Health Organization standards require the internal chamber temperature to remain between 0 and 8 degrees Celsius. No suitable phase change material that froze in the desired range was found. Water was chosen as the phase change material, but a way was needed to keep the chamber from dropping below 0 degrees Celsius. Insulation to form a physical barrier between ice and the vaccine chamber was incorporated, as was a battery-powered heater to heat the ice when the chamber reaches a specified minimum temperature. Testing and analysis proved the viability and cost effectiveness of the modified system.

Project goal: To provide a machine concept capable of replacing the electric rope shovel as the primary method for surface mining excavation. The primary requirements were to achieve a material-loading rate of 200 tons per minute, machine geometry providing a 70-foot horizontal and 30-foot vertical digging reach, and material selectivity greater than that provided by the electric rope shovel.Extensive research, trade study analysis, and CAD modeling narrowed the concept ideas to a final design designated the “bucket-scraper.” The design maximizes the amount of time the machine spends extracting material by removing the swing cycle that plagues existing power shovels,and by implementing continuous mining methods. The system architecture of this new machine was broken down to the component level,where functional requirements were specified and confirmed through analysis. CAD modeling of structural components with 3-D printed models was used to verify machine geometry requirements. Calculations and theoretical analyses were performed to confirm the excavator’s loading rate. Less detailed analysis and design was performed on the machine’s hydraulic system, power system, control system, propulsion system, conveyors, and structural components.

Project goal: To provide a machine concept capable of replacing the electric rope shovel as the primary method for surface mining excavation. The primary requirements were to achieve a material-loading rate of 200 tons per minute, machine geometry providing a 70-foot horizontal and 30-foot vertical digging reach, and material selectivity greater than that provided by the electric rope shovel.Extensive research, trade study analysis, and CAD modeling narrowed the concept ideas to a final design designated the “bucket-scraper.” The design maximizes the amount of time the machine spends extracting material by removing the swing cycle that plagues existing power shovels,and by implementing continuous mining methods. The system architecture of this new machine was broken down to the component level,where functional requirements were specified and confirmed through analysis. CAD modeling of structural components with 3-D printed models was used to verify machine geometry requirements. Calculations and theoretical analyses were performed to confirm the excavator’s loading rate. Less detailed analysis and design was performed on the machine’s hydraulic system, power system, control system, propulsion system, conveyors, and structural components.

Project goal: To design and test a smartphone application to make balance exercises easily accessible, to help improve balance in adults 60 or older by providing evidence-based motor-cognitive dual-task exercises.Age-related poor balance results from diminished neuromuscular feedback, and often leads to an increased risk of falling. Studies show that motor-cognitivedual-task performance exercises can enhance proprioception and neuromuscular control, which improve balance and gait speed and reduce the risk of falling in older adults.A simple and age-appropriate smartphone application was developed in accordance with the requirements of Android and iOS mobile operating systems. The design includes a goal-configurable instructional audio feature that guides users through their exercises, and a system of motivational notifications, goals and progress tracking to keep users engaged at a level of practice with which they are comfortable.

Project goal: To design a device that records data from transportation events that could affect flightworthiness of sensitive parts.The sponsor needs a device to determine whether the parts it ships have been subjected to transportation events that exceed design or demonstrated limits, which could render them unflightworthy. The device needs to record and present evidence of any shipping events that exceedt he specified control limits set before shipping. The flexible event data recorder houses three internal sensors to monitor six degrees of freedom motion, triaxial acceleration, temperature and humidity. The flexibility of the device allows the user to record data from numerous sources, including external ports designed for three variable capacitance accelerometers, six strain gauges, and two type-T thermocouples. The data recorder continuously monitors all sensor channels for trigger conditions, which are set before shipment via a built-in USB interface with a custom Windows application. When a trigger event is detected, the recorder saves pre-trigger and post-trigger sensor data to separate files, which can be extracted after shipment through the same Windows application.