For this project, students will design and build a working prototype that is able to transfer microscope slides from an existing on-market instrument tray into another output rack. During transfer of each microscope slide from tray to rack, imaging will need to be performed to detect presence of a specific contaminant (a large reagent spot on the glass) as well as image a barcode. Once slides have been transferred, status of the slides and output rack will be reported.

The following are detailed project requirements:
1. The module shall accept HE600 trays populated with 20 slides.
2. The module should accept partially full HE600 trays (<20 slides).
3. The module should be able to indicate when the input is full.
4. The module shall have a means to report out the quality status of each slide.
5. The module shall correctly identify reagent spotting on the slides with an accuracy of 75%.
6. The module should be able to read a barcode on the slide label and report back appropriate barcode information to the system.
7. The module shall place all slides into the output rack in the same orientation.
8. The module shall not break more than 1 in 100 slides with 95% confidence.
9. The size of the module should not exceed the size of 16” wide x 11” tall x 18” deep and shall not exceed the size of 17” wide x 16” tall x 24” deep.
10. The prototype module should weigh less than 40 lbs and shall weigh less than 51 lbs.
11. The module shall use the same I/O and power connections as used on other modules housed in the parent instrument (components and specifications will be provided by RTD).
12. The module shall not exceed 3A current load at any time.
13. The module shall not require use of external compressed air, vacuum, or fluidics.
14. The module shall have mounting interface dimensions compatible with the parent instrument (specifications provided by RTD).
15. The output rack shall have an interface consistent with integration with the current robot end of arm tooling.
16. The system shall be able to complete a full transfer and imaging of 20 slides within 400 seconds.

Summary
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Northrop Grumman Corporation (NGC) is looking to build mature “Beta” level prototypes for a new generation of Electrical Ground Support Equipment for launch vehicles.

Northrop Grumman utilizes a common architecture of Electrical Ground Support Equipment (EGSE) to integrate, test, and launch our rocket and missile products at launch facilities around the world. The existing common architecture is focused on maximum design flexibility, field rework, and use of Mil-Spec components. Today our largest bottleneck with EGSE design and production schedules is completing the procurement and manufacture of components early enough to kickoff security processes on time (needed prior to launch vehicle integration). With a greater volume of EGSE being produced today than ever before, NGC is looking towards a new generation of EGSE which focuses on modularity, condensing components and wiring onto PCBs, part interchangeability and sustainability, and reduced lead and build time.

The concept of this project is the create specific hardware/firmware items that will be used in the future common architecture of EGSE. This would include a subset of the following depending on the team’s preference:
• A complex Circuit Card Assembly (CCA) for power switching, power isolation, or discrete control.
• A common daughter board CCA and firmware for motherboard command and control (microcontroller/FPGA based).
• Adapter modules for power distribution, grounding, or for adapting high density connectors to D38999.
• Custom, rackmount, modular mechanical housings that meet environmental (shock, vibe, thermal, salt fog, bonding, etc.) and cost requirements.

Goals
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• Design and build low-cost, high-density, reliable, custom circuit card assemblies that fit within NGC defined mechanical constraints.
• Using an NGC provided Interface Control Document (ICD), design electrical circuits, firmware/software, and mechanical housings.
• Electrical and mechanical part selection should be focused on longevity and availability. Part interchangeability should be prioritized along with selecting microcontrollers/FPGAs with long-term availability. Security constraints with non-volatile memory need to be considered.
• Should use engineering principles for drawings and digital design file formatting.
• Firmware/software design should follow a software development lifecycle and include deliverable documentation. A demo control and status application will be needed to exercise the hardware and demonstrate functionality.
• Software should utilize open-source and/or U.S. based 3rd party libraries.
• Engineering disciplines must coordinate requirements and design data to ensure interfaces between mechanical/electrical and electrical/software products are compatible.

Design an extension to an existing slide assembly automation solution to perform computer imaging to detect problematic slides before they are incorrectly manipulated. This extension will be referred to as the system in the following requirements.

The system will introduce a camera to the Histobot solution, a fixture design, and any necessary computational resources
The module will have attach to the existing module with interface dimensions compatible with the parent instrument (specifications to be provided by RTD)
The module will detect coverslip overhang detection with a false positive rate of less than 1%.
The system will comprise computer vision software which may be intended for an industrial PC or Cognex vision software (SDK or Designer/VisionPro).
The system will integrate with the camera to capture images of the slides in process and will feed captured images to processing software
The system may require access to the position of the robotic arm as needed
The processing software will register the slide within the vision space, disregarding any robotic arm or background components
The processing software will perform edge detection or otherwise determine if the tissue sample slide matches common slide shapes or deviates from implemented slide shapes
The system will expect to work in a real-time environment, evaluating slides in real-time.
The system may include an output from the system which should be electronic, such as through a latch, or shown to be a reasonable extension of the system
The algorithms involved will be clearly documented for the purpose of porting the approach to different hardware platforms
The system will maximize portability, cost, and compatibility with the existing Histobot system and components.

1. The fluidics device we are investigating shall be integrated according to the manufacturer recommendations.
2. The team shall work closely with the fluidics device manufacturer’s engineers and support to set up and control the device.
3. Functionality with deionized water shall be demonstrated for various liquid supply sources (e.g. from a 13 psi pressurized container and
container under atmospheric pressure); for different delivery
Components of a typical Cancer Diagnostic Instrument (existing nozzles, Volume Adjust, and Rinse/Jetting).
4. The design team shall develop and demonstrate a user method of controlling the parameters of the device’s stepper motors in lab environment
5. The design team shall prove a method of Weight Data collection for fluidics delivery, jetting, precision volumes, ect. (Labview, Arduino, etc.)
6. STRETCH GOAL – Design and execute testing protocol to characterize the fluidics device’s suitability in medical diagnostic instruments. (e.g. repeatability, reproducibility, precision, accuracy,
cross-contamination risk)

• The harness is to be deployed using a helicopter
• The current helicopter has a maximum payload capacity of 750lbs
• Uses the type of drip line already being used by FMI for slopes
• The drip line length will not be longer than 1,000 ft
• The desired spacing of the drip line once installed should be 2’±6”
• The design should be easy to transport to site, and unload on site (reduce amount of labor needed on site, there is heavy machinery on site)
• Drip line is fed from the top of the slope
• Drip line can be oversized, and length tripped at the top of the slope

Description
The University of Arizona student project focuses on generating clean hydrogen powered by renewable energy sources. This project involves designing, building, and testing a small prototype and creating a detailed plan for scaling up the project. The project spans various engineering disciplines: engineering management, systems engineering, electrical engineering, mechanical engineering, and chemical engineering.
The project requires calculating the power output of a solar system on a monthly basis, considering regional sunlight data, determining how much hydrogen can be generated, and ultimately how much electrical power can be generated from the stored hydrogen.
The goal is to design a system that generates, stores, and reconverts hydrogen into electricity when solar power is unavailable, positioning clean hydrogen as an energy storage solution for solar energy or other renewable energy sources.

Objective:
To develop and deliver the capability to deliver small payload of varying size and shapes from shore to shore and back to origin.
Scope:
To develop a small, autonomous amphibious payload delivery craft capable of traversing water and land for a round trip in a lake type environment.

Requirements
Traverse from shore, across water, to the other shore, and return to origin
• Capable of landing and delivering (drop off) the 10 lb payload near a GPS destination
• Trip distance 100m round trip Threshold, 200m Objective
• Capable of traversing depths of no less than 3 feet
• Capable of traversing sand, gravel, and grass
• Minimum one mission between recharges

To evolve the 2022 PODBot project into a more mature solution, evaluating the original design, selecting reuse elements and creating a functional more capable set of solutions.

A Foley catheter, also known as an indwelling catheter, is a flexible tube that is inserted into the bladder to drain urine. It is commonly used in medical settings for patients who are unable to urinate naturally due to various health conditions or surgical procedures. The catheter is secured in place within the bladder using a balloon inflated with water. A problem that can occur with these catheters is that the catheter might be tugged out accidentally due to patient movement, cognitive impairment, improper securing, or during personal care activities. Pulling out a Foley catheter with the balloon still inflated can cause severe urethral trauma, including tears and lacerations, leading to significant bleeding and increased infection risk. It can also damage the bladder neck and wall, cause hematuria, and result in long-term complications such as urethral strictures. Immediate pain and discomfort are common, and these injuries necessitate prompt medical attention.

A new Foley catheter has been developed with a release mechanism that causes the balloon to rapidly deflate when the device is pulled on with sufficient force which may enable the catheter to be removed without causing patient harm. Currently this device is under FDA review with clearance and production release expected by the end of 2024. The current design is specifically targeted towards the adult patient population. The purpose of this capstone project is to develop a pediatric version of this catheter to bring the same safety improvement to children. This project will be worked on as a collaboration between SPG and a startup company who is the design owner.

Project Description:

This project will utilize engineering principles to understand relationships between the process parameters of polymer microparticle manufacturing at a small scale and key features of the resultant microparticles. Ideally, the relationships identified will be translated into the development of commercial microparticle manufacturing processes.