Project goal: To evaluate the capability of the IBIS-FB radar in predicting vibrations during blasting. A secondary objective was to develop a centralized data interface system to handle data from seismographs and the IBIS-FB. Data was collected using the IBIS-FB and seismograph concurrently at a local mine. Because the radar transmits uni-directionally and seismographs read tri-directionally, the radar and seismograph were aligned in the radial direction. Analysis was done by creating regression curves plotting peak particle velocity against scaled distance for the radar, the seismograph, and a set of combined radar and seismograph data. The database created was used to build a heat map of the propagation of blast vibrations using seismographs or radars, or both. Blasting parameters were run through empirical models based on the developed regression curves and target digital terrain model to generate peak particle velocity versus scaled distance predictive heat map overlays.

Project goal: To evaluate the performance of a phase change material and develop a set of design options for installation in pre-existing residential homes. The design incorporates the phase change material into a multi-piece interior design concept, allowing flexibility for Salt River Project and its customers. Unlike traditional thermal modeling, special software was used to simulate the phase change material transitioning between solid and liquid states. A small-scale physical model was built to collect and compare data to that from the thermal analysis model. The physical model simulates a life-size residential room and a room within the thermal analysis model. Through specific designs or combinations of pieces, the results have shown the quantity of phase change material required to shift electrical loads to non-peak hours, which will enable Salt River Project and its customers save energy and costs.

Project goal: To obtain experimental data for lift, drag and 3-axis moments of inertia for one quadcopter rotor at various motor speeds, air speeds and angles of attack. The team designed a test apparatus for a single rotor of the quadcopter and tested it in the University of Arizona subsonic wind tunnel. Design requirements included size, vibration frequencies to avoid, cost, and wind tunnel compatibility. Thrust testing conducted inside the wind tunnel determined the position and size of the model. Data was recorded using a load cell and analyzed using a Microsoft Excel model. To understand the vibration that the model would experience at various motor speeds and to ensure the safety of the wind tunnel equipment, accelerometers were mounted on the test model, which was mounted to a sturdy grounded beam. MatLab was used to analyze the data and provide wind tunnel personnel with the information they needed to approve use of the equipment. The sponsor will use data recorded by the wind tunnel balance to optimize autopilot control algorithms for smoother and safer transition events.

Project goal: To design and test a lidar and sonar collision-avoidance system for vehicles. The main components of the design include a Texas Instruments Hercules microcontroller, a TI time-to-digital converter, a Hall effect sensor, optical components for the lidar system, and an off-the-shelf sonar sensor. The distance is measured from the car to an obstacle and the car stops to avoid any possible collisions. The system determines the speed of the car by analyzing the duty cycle of the frequency created by magnets connected to the drive shaft of the car passing by a Hall effect sensor. The system uses this speed and the distance from the object to calculate when the brakes need to be applied in order to avoid collision with the object. Information from the car, including the distance from obstacles and speed of the car, is transmitted via Bluetooth to a PC that displays the information on a graphical user interface.The system has been tested using a remote-controlled car. The test system can detect objects within 10 feet of the front of the car and 3 feet of the back of the car. Using the information collected from the sensors, the system can stop the car within 5.2 inches of the obstacle, with a tolerance of half an inch. This system is scalable for a real-world application and will be taken to automotive trade shows.

Project goal: To design a new manufacturing tool to automatically dispense encapsulating epoxy onto open-frame printed circuit boards. Manufacturers are concerned about protecting intellectual property, or IP, which can be compromised by reverse engineering of electronic hardware. The team developed an encapsulating device that protects IP quickly and economically. The design combines two industry-standard technologies into one easy-to-operate system: a precision x-y translation stage and a bulk-adhesive pressurized delivery vessel. The x-y translation stage allows customizable shapes and areas of epoxy application onto the printed circuit boards, while the dispensing pressure vessel brings uncured epoxy to the printed circuit boards at flow rates that can keep up with the manufacturing line. The machine’s versatility yields additional manufacturing cost savings by eliminating the need to fill syringes or move the boards to custom trays.

Project goal: To design a perfusion system for the dynamic culture of retinal pigment epithelial tissue that allows protein quantification. Age-related macular degeneration is the leading cause of blindness among older adults in the United States. The designed system will contribute to a better understanding of cell behavior and function,and could lead to preventative treatment. The system built allows liquid media to feed retinal pigment epithelial cells growing inside a customer-furnished perfusion chamber. The design uses a flow-rate model to determine optimal pumping rate based on tubing specifications, and incorporates an automated collection carousel to gather hourly samples of proteins emitted from the perfusion chamber. Proteins are sampled using a microcontroller to rotate a collection plate mounted upon a stepper motor shaft. The user can control how often protein samples are collected by modifying the software read by the microcontroller. The proteins can later be quantified from the liquid samples to provide more in-depth information about tissue-substrate interaction.

Project goal: To integrate high-resolution magnetic resonance imaging scans into a virtual reality platform. Visualizing high-resolution MRI scans of white matter tracts in the brain via a virtual reality platform allows students and researchers to learn about and interact with 3-D imaging data. The virtual reality platform provides an immersive visualization of fiber tract maps acquired by diffusion tensor imaging, and provides interactive tools for education and research to develop a better understanding of brain regions. The educational modules feature a dynamic menu that displays information on the brain regions as the user moves through the simulation. This platform comes with a Python-based file-conversion tool that allows users to load new MRI scans. The design uses the Unity game engine, which allows the platform to run the full version using the Oculus Rift headset, and a smaller streamlined version as an Android mobile application.

Project goal: To design and build a cylindrical modular payload bay for a generic unmanned aircraft system. The payload bay accommodates three different but interchangeable payload modules that each use a different communication protocol and have individual functions. This modular system allows the operator to quickly change the configuration to match mission requirements. The design required trading material selection and design concepts to create a payload structure that can survive the shock of a hard landing while being as light as possible. Use of finite element analysis optimized the weight and strength of the structure. The software written allows the payload bay computer to recognize which slots in the payload bay have modules and which communication protocol each module is using. The payload bay computer communicates with each module individually or with all three simultaneously. A prototype bay was built and tested.

Project goal: To design a bench-top tool that consolidates the functions of several different pieces of lab equipment. Testing electronic equipment requires multiple instruments and a lot of bench space, so the team designed a bench-top tool that eliminates the need for so many instruments by consolidating the functions of several different types of common lab equipment into one bench-top enclosure. The bench-top tool consists of a microcontroller and five submodules. The submodules operate as static and variable power supplies, a digital multimeter, a function generator, and a digital logic analyzer. A printed circuit board was designed for the circuitry of the individual submodules and microcontroller so that individual components of the submodules were electrically connected to each other. The bench-top tool connects to a computer, which allows the user to interact with the bench-top tool via a graphical user interface created using LabVIEW.

Project goal: To design a tabletop laser fountain to show additive color mixing in real time by using red, green and blue laser sources routed through a laminar flow water fountain. The laser light travels through the water streams as though they are optical fibers and combines in a 3-D printed bowl that demonstrates the additive color-mixing properties of light. The design uses laser diodes that are modulated using electronic driver boards to alter the amount of electrical current supplied to each laser diode. By altering the amount of electrical current, the perceived brightness of each laser changes and allows selective color mixing according to the color gamut created by the wavelengths of each laser source. Control of the color in the fountain is managed by manual slider switches that control the brightness of each laser, and via an Android app with digital sliders that send signals to a microcontroller running on an Arduino microprocessor.