The goal of this project is to design and construct a small modular autonomous car with room mapping and obstacle avoidance capabilities. The vehicle would be useful in cases where it is dangerous for a human to complete a task, or where it is more efficient to have an autonomous vehicle to scout ahead. A key design goal for this project was also to create an inexpensive platform for research into the realm of autonomous vehicles. The car uses lidar technology to create real time 2D room map and detect obstacles. It is programmed to explore rooms and move without human input. We designed the car with a powerful on board computer, enabling it to run complicated programs and operate without the need of an outside computer.

The goal of this project is to develop a low cost and user-friendly device for remote actuation of light switches. We envision a product that is simple to install, easy to control via a remote, and able to function with a variety of light switch geometries. This device can minimize the inconvenience as well as the risk of injuries from turning the light on and off in the dark, especially for elderly people. For this target end user, the device must be simple and require no technical knowledge. Because of this, we have designed a mechanical actuator that will be mounted to the outside of a light switch without the need for tools and controlled by a simple button remote to be kept at the bedside.

Tracking and recording data from high velocity objects is a difficult task, especially when the object is hidden from view during portions of its flight path. When tasked with this problem, the process of solving it began with copious amounts of research into existing and developing technologies. From thermal imaging to radar detection, many options were explored.
Through a rigorous process of elimination to determine the most efficient and cost effective option, induction coils were chosen as the speed sensing device needed to track the desired objects. Normally when current is induced in one of these coils, there is an unchanging frequency of that current. However, when a conductive material passes through the center of a coil, the original frequency changes. This change can be monitored, giving valuable information about an object's location when evaluated over a specific time period.
After hours of bench top testing, several conclusions were made about the production and effectiveness of the induction coils. Chiefly, it was found that the smaller the induction coil diameter the more effective, the object passing through the coil has a larger effect if it does not pass through the exact center, and the "sweet spot" for the number of coil turns falls between 15-25 turns.

Senior design SRS submission:

For our presentation we hope to speak on three of our major groups of our senior design team:
Our first piece involves using programmable logic controllers (PLCs) that are used as the electrical interface between the programming and the mechanical system. Through its own ladder logic program, the code enables the PLC user to dictate when certain relays should be opened or closed for the purpose of turning on and off the vacuum supply and power sources. The PLC then collects data from the pressure transducers so that a signal indicating the next step is sent back to the design. After reading the pressure associated with a certain head, the user can then close a solenoid valve by sending a signal to it via the PLC which will stop the flow of air. With the PLC, the user is in control of where the flow is going to and is consequently, able to modify it through the code. Although the PLC is not a power supply, it does have the ability of processing information by receiving and sending out specified actions, set by the user, to different electronic and mechanical components.
The second piece is based of a tool from a company called pave more. The “pave more” design is a design that picks up bricks from the hack to a separate location to pack them. The design uses separate heads that pick-up bricks using foam that creates a seal on the brick. The heads are connected to a vacuum that allows us to pick up the bricks efficiently. The heads are each on their own spring system that allows them to be picked up at different heights. They are also each on a separate solenoid valve that will sense a missing brick and close the valve to still allow the system to pick up the bricks. The vacuum system is connected to a filter to protect it from the dust and dirt that are on the bricks.

In this experiment, we examine the non-linear dynamics of a mechanical system consisting of an inverted pendulum with one free-turning rotational degree-of-freedom attached to a computer-controlled cart with one linear degree-of-freedom. Using a Quanser Linear Servo Base Unit with Inverted Pendulum and paired software package, we used first principles to develop the non-linear control system needed to move the pendulum from stable equilibrium to unstable equilibrium and maintain unstable equilibrium. This combines the self-erecting inverted pendulum experiment and the classic pendulum experiment. Through the paired software package, we were able to derive the dynamic equations to develop the transfer function and proportional-velocity feedback system that describe the linear motion of the cart, successfully creating the non-linear control system for both phases of the experiment.

This report examines the function, accuracy, and ease of use of an XBOX Kinect™ as a 3D surface scanner. The purpose of this experiment is to demonstrate the utility of a Kinect™ for XBOX 360 (Microsoft®) paired with Skanect (Occipital) and MeshLab software packages as a low cost solution to surface scanning and processing. My conclusion is that the Kinect™ is able to accurately model the recorded point cloud as a continuous 3D surface that matches the contour and scale of the test subject surface. Both Skanect and MeshLab effectively interpolated the smoothing of the 3D surfaces and provided higher resolution imaging than an unaltered image. The resultant resolution of the contoured surface is higher than the resolution of the 3D printers used in this experiment, demonstrating an effective digital duplication of a physical surface.

For this project, a digital grip gauge was designed for Lockheed Martin to measure the grip length of the aircraft skin of the F-35. The objective of the electrical group is to ensure that the gauge will be capable of recognizing when the measurement has stabilized. When stabilized, a light will turn on, which allows the operator to know the measurement is ready for reading. We developed three prototypes that each complete this objective. The first prototype uses two force sensitive resistors (FSR) powered by Arduino. The Arduino code is programmed to turn on a light when the forces on the sensors are equal for a certain range within different zones. The second prototype consists of a comparator circuit with two FSRs connected to a NAND gate. When both FSRs measure the same force, within a range, a light will turn on. The third prototype utilizes two small push buttons that complete a circuit. When both buttons are pressed, the circuit is completed and a light will turn on, indicating to the operator that the part is flush with the aircraft skin and the measurement is stabilized. While each of these prototypes satisfies the objective, the third prototype was ultimately selected due to size constraints of the gauge design.

Compressive line sensing is a process of acquiring data and reconstructing images. The objective of this study is to explore the impact of the two parameters that are used in the image reconstruction algorithm on the quality of the reconstructed image. These two parameters are the compression ratio and the line group. The compression ratio is the ratio of the number of measurements taken at each line vs. the resolution of each line. The line group is the number of lines that are grouped together and solved jointly when reconstructing the image. A higher compression ratio results in degraded image quality because less measurement data is used to reconstruct the image. The larger the line group, the better the quality of the image at a cost of longer computation time. The key is to find a balance between the compression ratio and line group choices so that the image is reconstructed with as little data as possible while still maintaining a high image quality. We will present images reconstructed with different compression ratio and line group based on the data obtained in air and in water.

The objective of our work is to design and build a depth gauge that efficiently and accurately measures the depth of a narrow hole, and give feedback via an electronic screen on the device. This design is being made for Lockheed Martin and will allow their employees to measure a large amount of rivet holes both quicker and more accurately than their current solution. Speeding up the measuring process while retaining accuracy will cut down on production time significantly. Our design was founded on the idea of a small hole gage, we modified the gage to be set up as a probe and anchor onto the back side of the hole. The probe has been coined as a “split-ball” due to its inner shaft splitting the outer shaft that contains a ball type end effecter. Our prototype has been through many iterations utilizing the on campus Fab Lab to 3D print most of our parts. Our mechanical team has been in close work with our electrical team to ensure that the mechanics and electronics function together seamlessly.

The objective of our work is to design and build a depth gauge that efficiently and accurately measures the depth of a narrow hole, and give feedback via an electronic screen on the device. This design is being made for Lockheed and Martin and will allow their employees to measure a large amount of rivet holes both quicker and more accurately than their current solution. Speeding up the measuring process while retaining accuracy will cut down on production time significantly. Our design is small enough to be held in one hand and contains a wire probe that is plunged into the hole and latches onto the other side. The probe is “Tweezer-like” in design, with two wires that collapse and expand with the use of a button. Many parts of our design are made using a 3D printer for convenience and repeatability. Our design is able to communicate with electronics stored within the gauge that measures the depth and displays to an LCD screen.

Klein Tools is a major hand tools manufacturer in US focused on electrical and utility applications for professionals. One of Klein Tools products is called a fish rod that is used by professional electricians to pull wiring through walls, conduit, and plenums to route wire from one place to another. The current fish rod assembly process at Klein Tools involves manual dispensing of glue into the metal connectors before affixing them to fiberglass rods. The objective of this Klein Tools-sponsored project is to improve the throughput of assembly system and increase the accuracy and the consistency of the amount of glue dispensed to reduce product failures and adhesive waste.

The overall system in development consists of an automated metal connector orientation system, conveyor belt assembly, a glue dispensing system and a control system. Through the application of vibratory hopper feeders, pneumatic rotary tables and grippers, sensing cameras, break line sensors, and a conveyor belt, the system will orient the metal connectors glue side up, and present the connectors with adhesive to the operator for final assembly of the fish rods.

In this research project, the aim was to create a small, self-operated robot car to transport items. In addition, the robot-car can generate a distance when traveling through unknown places, and self-locate them in the next travels. The student authors hope that this robot car can be used to physically communicate and send medical supplies between severe patients and doctors in hospitals.