The project required the team to design and construct a remote laboratory experience. The system was designed to convey as much of the in-lab experience as possible by allowing the user to directly manipulate hardware and receive visual feedback in real time. The task chosen for the remote user is an optical engineering experiment: aligning a spatial filter. The team instrumented the physical laboratory with hardware, motors, cameras, and integrated software to allow a user at a remote location with an Internet connection to move the optical hardware and perform the experiment. Each degree of freedom in the experiment is motorized and accepts commands from a remote location. In addition, the online user interface provides visual feedback for the person performing the experiment so they can see what is happening and determine what to do next. These functions are coordinated by custom software and use microcontrollers and microprocessors. The remote user can learn important concepts from this experiment while connecting theory to the physical world by actually seeing the outcome of a procedure, a learning experience often lost in distance learning. The system also provides a laboratory experience for students taking online courses who may not have access to laboratory equipment.

The purpose of this project is to produce a more energy-efficient method of transmitting data from a carbon dioxide sensor to a receiver. In current configurations, carbon dioxide sensors send data via Wi-Fi to a controller connected to a heating, ventilating, and air conditioning unit, which processes the data and adjusts its output to condition the air. Wi-Fi power consumption decreases the battery life of the carbon dioxide sensor. The proposed design, which uses less power than Wi-Fi, is an optical communication system that transmits sensor data via light-emitting diode to a receiver that interprets the signal. The design borrows technology from existing infrared remote controls and modulates the LED signal, which results in a higher signal-to-noise ratio at a given power output. The electrical output of the sensor is modulated at 57.6 kHz, which is faster than typical infrared applications. The modulated LED then sends pulses at 940 nm toward a specialized receiver that filters this wavelength and driving frequency. The receiver decodes the data and displays the output on a viewing screen.

Black ice on road surfaces is nearly invisible to drivers and poses a significant safety hazard. Additionally, saline deicing fluid is often applied excessively, which is costly in terms of manpower and corrosion to infrastructure. The Polarization Lab in the College of Optical Sciences at the University of Arizona has completed preliminary laboratory research that suggests polarization may be an effective way to remotely detect ice on a road surface. The objective of this project was to develop a new instrument for gathering polarization data in the field. The completed system includes a full-Stokes imaging camera and a custom-designed near-infrared spotlight for irradiance at 760 nm. The associated software captures and processes a polarization image and makes a prediction about the state of the road surface. If data and results from this instrument support the preliminary research, deployment of polarimetric systems for ice detection could save lives and money.

The Formula SAE student competition challenges engineering and other university students from around the world to design, build, and compete with a single seat open-wheel racecar. This project focuses on the mechanical design of the vehicle corner assembly, which includes the wheel hub, upright, wheel bearings, brake rotor and caliper, wheel, and tire. Analysis of the physical forces, material capabilities and benefits, product choice, machining techniques, and system integration was critical during the design process. The assembly’s design met the intended static and dynamic requirements of the vehicle and satisfied competition rules. The team used CAD software, primarily SolidWorks, to design and simulate the various parts of the assembly, and procured the resources to purchase, fabricate, and assemble the design.

The miniature echelle spectrometer, pioneered by Rigaku Analytic Devices in partnership with the University of Arizona College of Optical Sciences, provides high-resolution spectral analysis for laser-induced breakdown spectroscopy. Although miniaturizing the technology makes spectral analysis accessible to a wider range of applications, it also increases spectrometer alignment sensitivity. The design team was charged with designing an alignment interface and procedure to enable the efficient and accurate assembly of the spectrometer at a production scale. The design involves a complex mechanical interface, which provides a total of nine degrees of freedom across two optical elements. A digital interface is integrated with the mechanical assembly to provide access to computer-assisted alignment routines. The final procedure is designed to optimize the alignment time by targeting the most sensitive elements in series, preventing crosstalk between variables, and simplifying the high-dimensional challenge of aligning all nine degrees of freedom.

The project sponsor asked the team to determine the mechanical changes necessary to improve the efficiency of a turbine engine. Turbines include a stationary disk with airfoils around its circumference, known as a stator with vanes, upstream of a concentric rotating disk, or rotor, also with airfoils around its circumference, and powered by an electric motor. The mainstream flow enters from the primary inlet and the purge flow enters via a cavity between the stator and rotor. The sealing effectiveness of the cavity is measured by two quantities: the pressure difference across the stator vanes to the rotor blades, and the temperature ratio of the mainstream and purge flows. The main independent mechanical variables that affect these two quantities are vane shape and angle, stator design, ratio of blades to vanes, blade shape and angle, and axial and radial gaps from the stator to the rotor. Changes in these variables were made one at a time and the effects measured by pressure taps and thermocouples across the stator. The data acquired was sent to a personal computer and LabView was used to analyze the pressure pulses and temperature distribution for each test run.

Raytheon’s planning process, Pit Stop Planning, derives its name from motor racing because it requires all other work to pause so that planning can be focused on a specific program or project, enabling work to resume as quickly as possible. Pit Stop Planning, or PSP, allows teams to visualize the network of all tasks necessary to execute a program. Tasks and descriptions are printed on adhesive labels that are manually placed on various sizes of Post-it note. A typical PSP event requires several hundred stickers to cover the wide array of tasks associated with a program. Manually applying adhesive labels to sticky notes takes a lot of time for what is supposed to be a rapid process. This project’s objective is to design a machine that automatically places printed labels on sticky notes while meeting specified size and speed requirements. A slider crank mechanism was designed to peel the label, which is then transferred to a four-bar mechanism combined with a cam that applies the label to the sticky note. An Arduino microcontroller was programmed to automate the process, incorporate an error module, and provide a user-friendly interface. At the conclusion of the project, the machine will be replicated and included in PSP kits used by Raytheon Company.

The goal of this project is to integrate a sonar system into the EMILY rescue boat, enabling it to conduct underwater scanning in search and recovery missions, such as finding submerged vehicles or searching low-visibility waterways that preclude diver assistance. The team chose a Humminbird sonar because of its wide use in rescue and military applications. Hydronalix requested that the team mount a front-facing waterproof camera on the boat to provide a real-time video feed of water level. The sonar and camera were integrated into an adapted version of the boat’s flotation cover. The sonar transducer can be remotely controlled with a linear actuator, which allows the sensor to be removed from the water, eliminating drag on the boat en route to search locations. Live video and sonar feed can be controlled from at least 400 yards away, and boat operators can watch a live sonar feed on personal mobile devices via a downloadable Humminbird application.

The EMILY rescue boat is currently deployed manually using a handheld remote control. The team’s objective is to automate the detection, deployment, and guidance of the boat in the vicinity of a coastal pier. The self-contained system will assist rescue personnel in unmanned waters or when visibility is low. The system also helps with ergonomics because throwing a 25-pound boat from a pier can be cumbersome. The design uses two infrared cameras on pan-tilt units that search the water in the desired target area. If image processing determines that someone is in the water, the lifeguard is alerted and the launch sequence initiated. Launch and control can also be conducted manually. The launch sequence extends actuators that hoist the enclosure from horizontal to the desired angle. The front door is opened, and the boat slides out on rollers. The navigation sequence assigns one camera to the person in the water and the other to EMILY. Steering and throttle commands are derived by comparing the coordinates of the person in the water with those of the boat. The system resets once EMILY reaches the person.

This project requires the team to design and assemble a low-cost plug-and-play mini-infrared camera with a protective mechanical package. The sponsor provided the team with the FLIR Lepton IR sensor for the integration. With a resolution of 80x60 pixels, the FLIR Lepton is the world’s smallest thermal imager, but no USB interface and protective mechanical package is currently on the market. The team designed the electrical hardware, waterproof mechanical housing, and graphical user interface. Mounting holes were included in the housing to allow use with stationary and mobile devices. The camera system interfaces via USB to a Windows or Linux computer for power and user interface. The graphical user interface allows the user to capture and store snapshot images and videos. Applications for the product range from search and rescue missions to night vision for cyclists.