# ProjectTitle Proposedby FacultyAdvisor TA Students OpenSpots

1 AirGunBaffle Student MarcCalaf TimConnorWebster,BenjaminWeese,CoreyWebb,BrookeBedford,JoshPratt

0

2 AirUSensorHousing Faculty KerryKelly Ali 3

3AutomatedPetFoodDispenser

Faculty OwenKingstedt Ali 4

4BatteryInsertionandWearTester

Industry KamLeang Ali 5

5 EyeSurgeryPillow Faculty JakeAbbott Amir 4

6 EyeSurgeryRobotMount Faculty JakeAbbott Amir 10

7 FSAE:RacecarErgonomics Student Amir KylanBringhurst,EthanRigby 3

8 FSAE:TractiveTeam Student JonDavies KautilyaLukeKandaris,BrandonBarker,PorchhayEar

1

9GradientMaterialAdditiveManufacturing

Student WendaTan Ali ShardalKamat 4

11 Hot-WireFoamCNCCutter Faculty MeredithMetzger Kautilya 4

12 Ice-trackingRobot Faculty StephenNaleway Tim 4

13 IncendiaryWindTunnel Faculty EricPardyjak,RobStoll Tim 6

14 LakeSurfer Student Tim MichaelDoney 3

15LateralInsertionToolforCorticalMicroelectrodeArrays

Faculty BrittanyCoats Kautilya 4

16Measuringdraginhydrodynamicexperiments

FacultyKathleenRitterbushStevenNaleway

Tim 4

17 NASABigIdeaChallenge Faculty KentUdell,DanAdams Tim 4

18 NASARoboticMiningProject Student JonDavies Ali JustinSchramm 3

19 SearchandRescueDrone Student KamLeang Ali ZacharyOliphant,AlexJensen 3

20 SquareDancingRobots Faculty RebeccaBrannon Kautilya 3

21 SwimMeetTiming-Scoring Faculty MarkFehlberg Kautilya 5

22 ThermophotovoltaicDevice Student MathieuFrancoeur KautilyaDanielMilovich,TrentMeisenheimer,SpencerDonovan,LindsayWalter,JacobHarwood

0

23 TremorDampeningDevice Student AndrewMerryweather Amir MikaelaHayward,IrsyadBadri 3

24 UtahExoKnee Faculty TommasoLenzi Amir 4

Project Name: AirU Sensor Housing Project Advisor: Kerry Kelly Contact Information: Kerry.kelly@utah.edu Additional Advisor: Tony Butterfield Project Description

Help us bring low-cost, air quality sensors to classrooms and to citizens along Wasatch Front. Our overall project goal is to partner with local classrooms and citizens to help understand and address the region’s air quality challenges as well as to develop a novel strategy for community-science and the evaluation of low-cost sensor performance.

Researchers at the University of Utah developed the AirU air-quality sensor package. It measures relevant levels of particle and carbon monoxide pollution, and it also measures temperature and relative humidity, pressure, and GPS location. The sensor data can be pushed to a website or gathered on a usd card. The sensors are integrated onto a custom printed-circuit board (Fig 1). Our project goal is to deploy 150 sensors. However, our current housing design (Fig 1) requires approximately 20 hours to 3d print, and the materials costs cots more than $25 per house. By comparison, the sensor package costs about $100 to produce.

Project Objectives / Desired Outcomes Develop an improved housing design for AirU, a UofU air-quality sensor. It needs to meet the following criteria: • Protect the electronics in the sensor from the weather in an outdoor environment. • Allow for easy assembly and a variety of ways for the user to mount the sensor. • Cost less than $5 per housing. • Require less than one hour to produce. Project Engineering Skills • SolidWorks or other CAD drawing abilities • Rapid prototyping, 3d printing, vacuum molding • Communication and cost estimation Desired Team Size: 3 students

Current air-quality sensor design

Project Name: Automated Pet Food Dispenser

Project Advisor: Owen Kingstedt

Contact Information: o.kingstedt@utah.edu

Additional Advisor:

Project Description

An estimated 59% of cats and 54% of dogs in the US

are overweight or obese; making it the greatest cause

of premature death in pets. In addition, pet obesity leads to a reduction in the quality of life of many

pets contributing to reduced activity, breathing issues, arthritis, and heart disease. One of the reasons

for the increase in obesity is due to disagreements between owners and veterinarians over the amount

of food a healthy pet needs.

The proposed senior design project will look to improve pet health through the development of an

automated pet food and water dispenser with scale, thereby creating a system to both control and track

pet eating habits. For automation, the pet food dispenser should be controlled by an app that could

allow for future integration into tele-veterinarian services (i.e., Fuzzy). As an initial proto-type, the

developed system must be able to accommodate dry kibble food, have the ability for controlled

dispensing of food and water any reasonable quantity (e.g., teaspoons to multiple cups), and the ability

to track pet weight to provide a metric of pet health overtime.

Project Objectives / Desired Outcomes 1. A stand alone, automated pet food and water dispenser with the ability to control

quantity and timing of dispensing.

2. An integrated scale that records and analyzes pet weight during eating/drinking

3. An application to remotely control the amounts dispensed and the schedule of

dispensing.

4. Built in camera that captures an image of the pet during feeding, that is then sent

through the application to the owner

Project Engineering Skills • Mechatronics (Arduino Programming and Machine Design)

• Product Development (machining, fabrication, etc.)

• Mobile Application Development

Desired Team Size: 4 students

ProjectName:BatteryinsertionandweartesterforX-RayImager.FacultyAdvisor:KamLeangIndustryAdvisor:JohnShen(VarexImaging)VarexImagingisaleadingproviderofX-rayimagingdevicesworld-wide.Inparticular,ourlineofwirelessX-rayimagersareusedbyhospitalsworldwidetoprovidequickandconvenientdiagnosticsforpatients.BecausewirelessX-rayimagerscanbeeasilytransportedandmovedintoandthroughavarietyofchallengingenvironments,reliabilityisalwaysakeyconcern.OneareawhereVarexhashadtroubleinthepastisinthemechanicalretentionlatchandreleasemechanismfortheremovablebatteryforthesewirelessimagers.Varexhasobservedfatigueonboththebatteryandonthereleasemechanisminthepast,andhaspreviouslybuiltasimpleinsertionandreleasetesterthatyieldednoconclusiveresults,likelyduetoitslimitedscope.Wewouldliketobuildabatteryinsertiontesterthatfullysimulatesapersoninsertingandremovingabatteryforavarietyofdifferentimagersizesandproductfamiliestobeabletofullyquantifyreliabilityofthiscriticalmechanism.Requirements:

• Forinsertion:batteriesneedtobeslidintotheimagerbatterybayandpresseddowninthelatchingareatolock.

• Forrelease:alever(Whichcanbeplacedinanumberofdifferentlocations)needstobepressedorslid,andthebatteryneedstobepulledoutofthewellandreturnedtothestartingposition.

• Logging:thesystemshouldbeabletodetectoratleastlog(withanimageeveryfewhundredcycles,aforcemeasurement,theabsenceoflatchingfeedback,orothermethod)afailureinthelatchmechanism.Itwouldbepreferredifmultiplevariablescouldbeloggedtocatchcomplexfailurescenarios.

• Reliability:thesystemmustbedesignedtooperateunsupervisedforupto10,000cycles.Wearcomponentsmustbeeasilyreplaceableandsystemmustbeeasilyserviceable.Thesystemshouldbeconfiguredtosendsomekindofalertiffailuresaredetected.

• Flexibility:systemshouldbeabletobeadaptedtobeusedinallcurrentVarexbatteryconfigurationsaswellaspossiblefutureones.Systemshouldbemodularandallowvariousactuationandmeasurementcomponentstoberepositioned,added,orremovedasrequired,Systemshouldallowtheuseofactualimagerpanelstotestfieldfailures.

Projectobjectives/DesiredoutcomesCriticaltofunctionprototypeusingrapidprototypepartsbyendoffirstsemesterforreview/validationofsoftwarefunctionality,mechanicaldesign,andsystemreliabilityforasimplelatchandunlatchbyVarexteamoverwinterbreak.FullyadaptablebatterytestingfixtureandblueprintsbyendofsecondsemesterProjectengineeringskillsMechatronicdesign(electro-mechanicaldesignandprogramming)Machinedesign/CADRapidprototypingskills(machineshopuseforquickprototyping)

ProjectName:�RethinkingtheStandardEye-SurgeryPillowProjectAdvisor:JakeAbbott��

ContactInformation:jake.abbott@utah.edu

ProjectDescription

Whenaneyesurgeonperformssurgery,thereisastandardpillowonwhichthe

patientreststheirhead.Thepillowismountedonamechanismthatcanbe

inserted/removedfromtheoperatingbed.Inmylab,wearedevelopingahelmet-

likedevicetomountasmallrobottothepatient'sheadduringeyesurgery.

However,wehavefoundthatthestandardpillowinterfereswithour"helmet."

Weneedtorethinkthedesignoftheeye-surgerypillow.

ProjectObjectives/DesiredOutcomes

Thedesiredoutcomeisthedesignandfabricationofapillowthat:�(1)usesthe

standardmountoneye-surgerybeds�(2)comfortablesupportsthehead,byway

oftheneck,ofawiderangeofpatients(3)leavestheoccipitalbodeoftheskull

largelyuntouched�(4)easilysterilizedforreuse

ProjectEngineeringSkills

• Thisprojectwillinvolvevariousaspectsofmechanicaldesign,includingtheuse

ofsoftmaterialssuchasfoamsandfabrics,aswellastraditional

engineeringmaterialssuchstainlesssteel.Ifstudentsvisualizethedesignof

aremovableheadrestinacar,theywillunderstandthetypeofdesignand

fabricationsskillsthatwillbeinvolved.�

• Someaspectofthisprojectwillinvolveanthropometry,toensurethatthenew

devicefitsawiderangeofpatients.�

DesiredTeamSize:3-4students�

Ifanyintellectualpropertyisdevelopedasaresultofthisproject,thestudents

mustagreethatitwillbeownedbytheUniversityofUtah,andtheywillbe

consideredasco-inventors.�

Project Name: Mounting an Eye-Surgery Robot on a Human Head Project Advisor: Jake Abbott Contact Information: jake.abbott@utah.edu Additional Advisor: Project Description In my lab, we are developing a helmet-like device to mount a small robot to the patient's head during eye surgery. The goal is to passively compensate for patient head movement due to breathing and snoring, to enable high-precision surgeries that are currently beyond what is possible. Last year, a senior design team built a first prototype based upon a specific technology, from which we learned a lot, but there is still a lot of room for improvement. This year, I would like to pursue a number of different ideas to determine what truly works the best. This project is supported by the National Eye Institute of the National Institutes of Health (NIH), so there is funding to support prototype development. Project Objectives / Desired Outcomes My intent is to break this team into two subteams so that we can pursue different ideas in parallel. For both projects, the desired outcome is a functioning prototype that can placed on heads of a variety of sizes. We will quantify success by minimizing the movement of the robot, relative to the head, during breathing and snoring. Project Engineering Skills

• Design, including SolidWorks and FEA. I need some clever students. • Manufacturing, including 3D printing, machining, making molds, etc. We can think

beyond the manufacturing capabilities of the student team. Desired Team Size: 8-10 students If any intellectual property is developed as a result of this project, the students must agree that it will be owned by the University of Utah, and they will be considered as co-inventors.

Image

ApedalforaccelerationandapedalforbrakingarenecessaryinaFormulaSAEcar.Notpicturedaretheseatforthedrivertositinduringvehicleoperationorthesteeringwheelnecessaryforcontrollingthedirectionofthevehicle.

ProjectName:RacecarErgonomicsStudentLead:KylanBringhurstContactInformation:u0812959@utah.eduProjectAdvisor:ProjectDescriptionTheteamwilldesignandbuildapairofpedals,acustomseat,andacustomsteeringwheelfortheFormulaUraceteamoncampus,whichwillbecompetinginthe2018FormulaSAE(FSAE)ElectriccompetitioninLincoln,Nebraska.Sincethesecomponentsarevirtuallyallthedrivercomesintocontactwithduringoperationofthevehicle,theprojectwillcoverdriverergonomics.Makingtheoperationofthevehicleascomfortableandefficientaspossible.PerFSAErules,thecarmustbeabletoaccommodatealldriversbetweena5thpercentilefemaleanda95thpercentilemale.Thismeansthatthecomponentsmentionedabovemustbeadjustable.Sincetheirpurposeissocriticaltotheoperationofahigh-poweredracevehicle,thecomponentsmustalsobereliable.Thus,thecomponentswillneedtobecustommadeinorderforthemtofitinthespacesrequired,worktogethertocreateoveralldrivercomfort,andbeaslightweightaspossiblewhileretainingenoughstrengthfortheapplication.ProjectObjectives/DesiredOutcomes

1. Designtwopedals,aseat,andasteeringwheeltofitintherequiredspacefortheFormulaUracecarwithenoughadjustabilitytoaccommodatedriversbetweena5thpercentilefemaleand95thpercentilemale

2. Ensurethecomponentsarereliablethroughanalysisandtesting3. Manufacturethecustomcomponentsusinglightweightmaterials4. Gainanddemonstratetheknowledgeandskillsnecessarytoworkinaninterdisciplinaryteam

environmentwhileworkingtofitourdesigninwiththeotherdesignsnecessaryfortheracecar5. Haveafuntimedoingallofthis

ProjectEngineeringSkills

• Componentdesign(ergonomicallyandstructurally)• Manufacturing(possiblycomposite)• Simulationandtesting

DesiredTeamSize:5-6

Project Name: Formula One Racing – Tractive Team

Project Advisor: Luke Kandaris

Contact Information: lukekandaris@gmail.com

Other Project Advisor: Jon Davies

Project Description The entire project consists of building an electric car to compete at the FSAE competition in Nebraska in

June 2018. This Proposal is for the Tractive sub-team. The Tractive team will be responsible for designing

and building the battery system, the cooling system, motor selection, sensor implementation, and

potentially implementing regenerative braking.

There are also ECE students contributing to the Tractive team. For the purpose of this class, different

parts of the project will be designated 'mechanical' or 'electrical' (ie, designing the battery system will be

considered more 'electrical' while the cooling system will be 'mechanical') . This will be done to separate

the work done by the ME and ECE students, so that each may fulfill their requirements for their

capstone projects.

Project Objectives / Desired Outcomes The primary objective is to learn how to design and build different systems needed for a functioning car.

Hopefully working together with ECE majors will provide an added element of learning than would

otherwise be provided working with only ME students.

The Secondary objective is to develop a running car that will be able to pass the rigorous tech inspection

at the competition in Nebraska, and perform competitively against the other schools there.

Project Engineering Skills • In the design of the cooling system, the students will apply and further their knowledge of heat

transfer.

• In the design of the sensor array and dashboard, the students will learn and implement

ergonomic principles required to make a functional vehicle.

• While designing and building the casing for batteries, the students will learn about

safety/quality standards and how to implement them without over designing the part.

Desired Team Size: 3-4. We currently have three ME students on the Tractive sub-team, but it is

probable that another could join at the start of the semester.

RelatedworkdonebyOberet.al.fromHarvardUniversity.Thefigureshowstheactivemixingnozzleoftheirprinter,withtwoinletstreams.Reference:Ober,T.J.,Foresti,D.,&Lewis,J.A.(2015).Activemixingofcomplexfluidsatthemicroscale.ProceedingsoftheNationalAcademyofSciences,112(40),12293-12298.

ProjectName:GradientMaterialAdditiveManufacturingProjectAdvisor:ShardulKamatContactInformation:u0720852@utah.eduOtherProjectAdvisor:WendaTanProjectDescriptionInthisproject,wewanttocreatea3Dprinterthatcanprintavaryingcombinationoftwodifferentmaterials.Wewantthisprintertohavetheabilitytovarythelocalratiobetweentwomaterials,alongthedirectionoftheprintbead.Therewillbetwoinlets,whichgotoamixingnozzle,sovaryingthepercentageofthetotalflow,whichcomesfromeachnozzle,willchangethecompositioncomingoutofthenozzleandontothepart.Thisprojectallowsforawidevarietyofapproachesaswellasinvolvingseveraldifferentfieldsofengineering.Aprinterwiththiscapabilitycantheoreticallyallowforvariationofanymechanicalormaterialpropertyatanylocationonthepart,theapplicationsofwhicharevast.ProjectObjectives/DesiredOutcomesOurobjectives

• Completeaprinterwhichcanaccuratelymixtwomaterials• Verifyquantitativelythecompletenessofmixingandtheprinter'sabilitytochangecomposition

Ourdesireistobeabletomixtwomaterialswithdifferentcolor,perhapscoloredplasticfilament,asthiswillallowvisualconfirmationaswell,whichwillmakeitsimpletoqualitativelyanalyzetheresults.Wealsowanttobeabletoquantifytheresults,suchashowwellthematerialsaremixedaswellashowmuchtheratiobetweenthematerialscanbereliablyvariedwithinagivenprintspace.ProjectEngineeringSkills

• Mechatronics• FluidDynamics• AdditiveManufacturing

DesiredTeamSize:5-6

Fig. 1. CAD drawing of a vertical axis wind turbine with helical blades. Fig. 2. CAD drawing of a delta-wing style small unmanned aerial vehicle. Fig. 3. Photograph of one possible hot-wire foam CNC design.

Project Name: Hot-Wire Foam CNC Cutter Project Advisor: Meredith Metzger Contact Information: m.metzger@utah.edu Project Description

Rigid foam, such as polystyrene, provides a durable engineering material used in many applications with lightweight requirements. The foam is typically wrapped in carbon fiber, glass fiber, or thin plastic wrap/tape to enhance structurally rigidity. In our lab, we utilize foam as an integral design component of our research on vertical axis wind turbines (VAWTs) for urban environments, and small unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) for measuring atmospheric pollutants; see Figs. 1 and 2. A significant portion of our research involves understanding and improving the aerodynamic performance of these two systems. Having the capability to fabricate custom airfoil shapes is essential in order to be able to advance the research in this area.

The goal of the proposed senior design project is to design and build a cost-effective hot-wire foam cutter that utilizes computer numeric control (CNC). We will focus on a design solution specific to the application of cutting airfoil shapes for small VAWT blades and UAVs with a wing span under 4 ft. One possible design configuration is shown in Fig. 3. Ideally, control of the cutter will utilize one or more Arduino boards. However, other platforms may be considered as deemed appropriate by the team. Some design parameters, such as the number of degrees of freedom required by the cutter, are to be determined based on an analysis of the needs of the specific application. Project Objectives / Desired Outcomes • Design and fabricate a fully functional prototype of a hot-

wire foam CNC cutter that can be used to cut a 4ft wing or airfoil blade

• Write the necessary software to control the hot-wire foam CNC cutter using G-code

Project Engineering Skills • Basic Machine Design • Computer Programming • Machining and Basic Fabrication Desired Team Size: 4-5 students

Fig. Example freeze casting setup showing the ice growth direction and, in this case, magnets (“N” and “S”) that could track the ice front.

Project Name: Ice Tracking Robot Project Advisor: Steven Naleway Contact Information: steven.naleway@mech.utah.edu

Ph.# 801-213-6974 Project Description My laboratory uses an advanced material fabrication technique called “freeze casting,” which uses the growth of ice crystals to template a porous material. Specifically, my lab is looking at the ability of external forces (e.g., magnetic fields, ultrasound force waves) to control the final structure and properties of these materials. During this process a “freezing front” of ice dendrites grows through an opaque, liquid slurry. My lab is interested in developing techniques that could control the structure of the material directly at the freezing front. However, the exact location of this freezing front is generally unknown during the process. Therefore, we are looking for a senior design team to design, build, and test a versatile robot that can accurately detect the freezing front and position tools or other measurement equipment relative to the freezing front. Project Objectives / Desired Outcomes x Development of a sensor array that can accurately determine (within ± 0.5 mm) the location of a

freezing front through an opaque liquid slurry. x Development of a versatile robotic platform that holds equipment and actively (within ± 0.25 mm)

positions it at a level relative to the ice front. x Have an active output of platform position, temperature, and freezing front location to allow for post-

processing analysis. Project Engineering Skills x Mechanical design x Robotics x Sensing and instrumentation x Fluid dynamics Desired Team Size: 4 students

Fig.Photographofawind-tunnelusedtostudyforestfirebehaviorattheU.S.ForestServicefirelabinRiverside,California(fromhttp://www.npr.org/2014/05/09/310466013/ahead-of-wildfire-season-scientists-study-what-fuels-fires)

ProjectName:DesignofanincendiarywindtunnelProjectAdvisors:Profs.PardyjakandStollandDr.Kochanski(Atmos.Sci.)ContactInformation:Pardyjak@eng.utah.edu&rstoll@eng.utah.edu&adam.kochanski@utah.eduProjectDescriptionStudentswilldesignandbuildawindtunnelcapableofsafelymodelingandvisualizinglaboratory-scalewildfiresaspartofaNSFfundedinterdisciplinarywildfirespreadproject.Thewindtunnelwillultimatelybeusedasaneducationtoolforillustratingtheimpactsofvariousaffectsonsmokeandfirepropagationinanidealizedsetting.Desiredeffectsincludetheabilitytodemonstratetheimpactofarangeoffuels,fueldistributions,terrainslopes,andwindconditions.Fundswillbeprovidedforthepurchaseofmaterialsandsuppliestosupporttheproject.Theadvisorsanticipatethatthiswillbeamulti-yearproject.Hence,theobjectivesgivenbelowwillnotallbefulfilledduringthefirstyear.See:http://video.nationalgeographic.com/video/news/160628-indoor-wildfire-prediction-vinforavideoexampleofaresearchgradewindtunnelforthestudyoftheimpactoffuelmixtureanddistributiononwildfirepropagationandhttp://www.nytimes.com/2013/09/22/magazine/into-the-wildfire.html?pagewanted=allforapopularpressarticlediscussingtheimportanceofunderstandingwildfirebehavior.ProjectObjectives/DesiredOutcomes• Objective1:Designandbuildawindtunnelcapableofsafelysimulatingawildfireoverslopingterrainforcedonlybynaturalconvection(flowgeneratedbythebuoyancyfromthefire).

• Objective2:Visualizeandqualitativelyassesssmokedispersionandfire-spreadrate.• Objective3:Developmethodologiestosimulatetheimpactoffueltypeanddistribution.• Objective4:Addthecapabilitytotestdifferentwindconditions(upslopevsdownslopewinds).• Objective5:Quantifyfire-spreadrate,smokedispersion,andfireheatrelease.• Objective6:Developacomprehensivesetofeducationalvideosonfirespread.ProjectEngineeringSkills• FluidMechanicsandheattransfer• Systemdesignandsystemsafety• Mechatronicdesign• ApplicablemanufacturingandmachiningtechniquesDesiredTeamSize:4-6

Project Name: LakeSurfer Project Advisor: Michael Doney Contact Information: u0554039@utah.edu Additional Advisor: Project Description This project would include building a surfboard with a compartment to add a motor to drive the board. The motor would be a gasoline engine or an electric motor. This would use the same basic style impeller as a wave runner. There would be a handle allowing the rider to use as the accelerator for the board. Project Objectives / Desired Outcomes These types of surfboards are already available in the market costing $5,000 to $10,000. A more affordable option is required. There is a niche for this type of product, and interest will likely rise with the increase of interest in self-propelled skateboards and longboards as well as the widespread popularity of the paddleboard. The objective of this project would be to try to build a board that could be in a more competitive price range. Project Engineering Skills

• Machining and parts fabrication • Composite fabrication • FEA and strength of materials analysis

Desired Team Size: 4-5 students This project would need to be self-funded at this point. We would look for any available funding or donation of materials through local companies.

This is for a self-propelled surfboard

using a two-stroke gasoline engine or an electric motor to propel the board.

Fig 1. (Top) Microelectrode arrays used to stimulate signals in the brain. (Bottom) Map of the visual cortex of the brain. The light blue region is V1.

Project Name: Lateral Insertion Tool for Cortical Microelectrode Arrays Project Advisor: Brittany Coats Contact Information: brittany.coats@utah.edu Project Description Visual neuroprosthetics are being developed to restore vision to the blind. Theoretically, these devices record environmental information and convert the images into electrical impulses sent to the brain via implanted microelectrode arrays (Fig. 1A). In order for the electrical signals to stimulate an image, the microelectrode array must be placed in the primary visual cortex (V1) which lies between the two hemispheres of your brain (Fig 1B). This project will be focused on designing and building an insertion tool capable of rapidly, but safely, injecting the microelectrode array into the V1. Current benchmark metrics will be defined by an existing insertion device that only allows insertion along the long axis of the tool, however, teams are strongly encouraged to improve benchmark devices by reducing insertion force of the array into the brain. Project Objectives / Desired Outcomes Required

• Insertion tool can insert microarray into the brain at a 90° angle Design Options

• Insertion tool can insert microarray into the brain at a speed of 4 m/s which is similar to current device

or • Insertion can insert microarray into the brain with an impact force lower than current device

Project Engineering Skills • Dynamics • Mechanics of Materials • Manufacturing Desired Team Size: 4

Project Name: Measuring drag in hydrodynamic experiments with 3D models Project Advisor: Kathleen Ritterbush (Geology and Geophysics) ME Contact: Steven Naleway Contact Information: k.ritterbush@utah.edu Project Description: Paleontologists want to know how fast extinct ammonites could swim (top picture), so we are putting 3D prints of their fossil sea shells in flowing water to measure how pressure drag acts on shells of different shapes. The engineering challenge associated with this is to build a device that accurately measures very small drag forces (< 100 dyne) on objects submerged in flowing water. We currently use a rudimentary load cell attached to the model by a rod. This design will break a more sensitive load cell, so we cannot yet measure small enough forces to complete our research. Project Objectives/Desired Outcomes: The goal is to build a rig for holding 3D models in flowing water and accurately measuring drag. Drag is difficult to measure directly. Continuing work with a load cell will require a different design to hold the model in place, so the weight of the model does not overload the sensor. The model could be on a pivot that tugs on a tension sensor. Alternately, the load cell could be disregarded altogether. We could mount the model on a pivot and measure displacement with a laser (bottom photo). We could mount an accelerometer into each printed model. We could measure torque on the mounting rod, or on a perpendicular pivot beam. The successful project will build an apparatus to measure drag on the models for another year of experiments, with greater sensitivity than our current tools. Project Engineering Skills: Fluid dynamics, strain gauge/load cell instrumentation, manufacturing (e.g., machining) Desired Team Size: 3-5 people

ProjectName:NASABIGIdeaChallengeProjectAdvisors:KentUdell,DanAdams,AmandaSmithContactInformation:udell@mech.utah.edu ProjectDescriptionHaveyoueverwonderedhowyoumightliveonMars?Howwouldyougettheenergyyouneedtosurvive?NASAisalsointerestedinanswerstothesequestionsandisthusissuingacallforuniversityteamslikeyourstogenerateinnovativeideasforsolarenergyproductiononMars.(Seebelowforcallforproposals).AnidealteamwouldincludestudentswithskillsinSolidWorks,controls,heattransfer,energysystemmodeling,lightweightcomposites,andvideoproduction.AproposalvideowillbedueinNovember.

NASAAnnouncement:“Thiscallforproposalsisinterestedinnovelconceptsthatemphasizeinnovativemechanicaldesign,lowmassandhighefficiency,withviableoperationalapproachesthatassuresustainedpowergenerationontheMarssurfaceovertheMartianyearandduringextendedduststorms.Innovationsofinterestinclude:

·Novelpackaging,deployment,retraction,anddust-abatementconcepts·Lightweight,compactcomponentsincludingbooms,ribs,substrates,andmechanisms·Optimizeduseofadvancedultra-lightweightmaterialsandhighefficiencysolarcells·Validatedmodeling,analysis,andsimulationtechniques·High-fidelity,functioninglaboratorymodelsandtestmethods”Based on a reviewof the design submissions, four (4) teamswill be selected to submit full technicalpapersandpresent their concepts toapanelofNASA judgesat the2018BIG IdeaForum, tobeheldMarch 5-6, 2018 at either the NASA Langley Research Center in Hampton, VA or the NASA GlennResearch Center in Cleveland, OH. The final four qualifying teams will receive a$6,000 stipendtoparticipate in the BIG Idea Forum.Student members from the winning team will receive offers toparticipateinpaidsummerinternshipsateitherNASAGlennResearchCenterorNASALangleyResearchCenter, where they will continue further developing their concept under the mentorship of NASAexperts.ProjectEngineeringSkills• SolidWorks• Controls• Heattransfer• Energysystemsmodeling• Lightweightcomposites• Videoproduction

DesiredTeamSize:4

https://www.nasa.gov/offices/education/centers/kennedy/technology/nasarmc/about

Project Name: NASA Robot Mining Project Project Advisor: Justin Schramm Contact Information: u0956397@utah.edu Other Project Advisor: Jon Davies

Project Description I am the lead on the Utah team of the Robotic Mining Competition: Mechanical Engineering team. I would like to use a portion of the team project as my design project, mainly the optimization of the frame using carbon fiber and aluminum joints. We have sourcing for the carbon fiber and will hopefully be able to instigate a relationship with DATC to help with the build.

Project Objectives / Desired Outcomes 1. Learn about carbon fiber layup for tubes and the optimization of the fiber direction as well as

the layer thickness. 2. Use FEA software to test and analyse the model with real material properties and loading

conditions. 3. Build and test the carbon fiber frame with multiple iterations and tube wall thickness.

Project Engineering Skills • FEA

• Composite Fabrication (Carbon fiber)

• Design optimization for stress distribution of a digging robot for a Mars Mission. Desired Team Size: 3-4

ProjectName:SearchandRescue-AvalancheIdentificationProjectAdvisor:AlexJensen,ZacharyOliphantContactInformation:u0857352@utah.edu,zachary.oliphant@utah.eduOtherProjectAdvisor:Dr.KamLeangProjectDescriptionSearchandRescuehasmanyobstaclesthathavetobeovercome,whethertheyaresearchingbyfootorbyair.Factorssuchasdifficultterrain,naturalbarriers,anddistancecanhinderpeoplesearchingbyfoot;whiletreecoveragecanthesearchbyair.Thesefactorscanslowdown,orcompletelystop,teamsofindividualsfromgoingoutandfindingpeoplewhoarelostorotherwiseunabletomaketheirwayoutandbacktothesafetyofsociety.Theuseofdronesshouldbeincorporatedtohelpacceleratethesearchingprogress.Droneswouldbemoreabletoeasilypassovernaturalbarrierssuchascliffs,rivers,orfallendebristoexploreplacesthatmightotherwisebedifficultforhumanstosearch.Inaddition,thedroneswouldbeabletooperateautonomouslywhileallowingahumanoperatortoseeexactlywhatthedroneisseeing.Inaddition,therescueteamswouldbeabletoseewhatthedroneisseeingrealtimeandthenrelaythatinformationbacktothegroundteamswhoarealsosearching.Theobjectiveistomanufacture,program,anddesignanautonomousdrone.Thedronewillautonomouslybesetadesiredavalanchelocationtolocatepotentialvictimsfromtheavalanche.TheDronewoulddeployandimmediatelyflytothelocationandwillscanthelocationandrecordthelocationsofbeaconsthattheburiedvictimsunderthesnow.ProjectObjectives/DesiredOutcomesTheobjectiveofthisprojectistoautonomouslygotoasetlocationandfindthelocationsofrandomlysetbeacons.Afterfindingthebeaconlocation,thedronewillrelaythelocationtotheusertoknowthelocationsoftheburiedvictims.Mygoalsareto:

1. buildadronemeetingtheteam'sweightandbatterylifecriteria2. asensortodetectthelocationofbeacons3. anautonomouslyprogrammedrobot4. Afunctioningprototypethatisabletonavigatearoundbarriersautonomouslyandlocatea

targetindividual.5. Haveanoperatingtimeofatleastthreehours.6. Createasystem,whichallowsausertomonitorwherethedroneisandwhatthedroneis

seeingusingalinkedvideofeed.

ProjectEngineeringSkills• Solidworks,andmanufacturing• Arduinoprogramming• Mechatronics

DesiredTeamSize:5

Project Name: Square Dancing Robots Project Advisor: Rebecca Brannon Contact Information: Rebecca.brannon@utah.edu Additional Advisor: need someone in robotics Project Description

This project would involve acquiring software for voice recognition, and perhaps also machine learning to teach it the very well defined and limited vocabulary of square dancing. Once an audio input (such as "circle left" or "do-si-do" is recognized, its definition would be looked up in a database (available from existing libraries of square dancing software) to define precisely the corresponding displacement and rotation of eight dancers. This information would then be sent to eight dancing robots to perform the steps. This project, though fanciful and surely a crowd pleaser, would be an excellent opportunity to refine voice control of robots in a practical and already well-defined context. If successful, it could easily produce a marketable toy!

Project Objectives / Desired Outcomes The outcomes would be reached in the following stages:

1. Locate voice recognition software and use it convert a spoken word to a text phrase that can be looked up and identified as being a recognized square dance call or not.

2. Create a computer animation of the motion associated with the call, as defined precisely by CallerLab, the organization responsible for defining calls.

3. Replace control of computer animation with bluetooth (or similar) control of a set of eight robots, each able to change position and orientation over a traffic-flow path and time interval consistent with the definition of the call.

4. Additional outcomes would be a patent search and (if appropriate) patent application and project documentation in the forms of a written report and oral presentation.

Project Engineering Skills

• Software usage. Finding and using existing software libraries for voice control and perhaps also machine learning. Rapid prototyping, 3d printing, vacuum molding

• Computer visualization. Creating animations of 2-dimensional rigid motion (displacement and rotation in the plane).

• Mechatronics: Fabricating robots that can wirelessly change their location and orientation on a planar surface in unison.

Desired Team Size: 5 students Dr. Brannon can provide expertise about computer visualization and square dance call definitions, helping to limit scope in that respect. Another professor would be required to advise this team on creating the robots.

Square dancing is NOT what you learned in school! It is a basically mathematical activity with audio input from a caller, perfect for a fun application of audio control in mechatronics.

ProjectName:SwimMeetTimingandScoringProjectAdvisor:MarkFehlbergContactInformation:m.fehlberg@utah.edu(801-585-9293)ProjectDescriptionRunningswimmeetswithoutautomationrequiresmanyvolunteers,involvestediousdataentry,ispronetoerrorandaddscosttothefacilitieshostingthemeetsduetoadditionalstaffrequirements.Fewswimmeetsareheldwithouterrorsandjustoneproblem(badweather,lackofvolunteers,malfunctioningtimers,etc.)candelayameetby30minutesormore.Volunteersarehumansandhumanerrorleadstomostoftheissuesatameet.Issuescanoccurwhenaswimmerisassignedtoawronglane,atimerdoesn’tstartorstoptheirstopwatch,adisqualificationisnotrecordedorassignedtothewrongswimmer.Additionalissuescanoccurwhendatafrompapersheetsisincorrectlyenteredintothescoringsystem.Anautomatedsolutioncaneliminatemanyoftheseissuesandallowameettoberunmoreaccurately,withfewervolunteers,andinlesstime,therebyimprovingtheexperienceofswimmers,coaches,andthosetheretosupportthem.Seevideoandinfohereformoreinfo:http://www.hydroxphere.com/.ProjectObjectives/DesiredOutcomesThissolutionshouldmeetthefollowingobjectives:

- Synchronizestartsandeliminatemissedstarts(timerdoesn’tstartstopwatch)- Automatedataentryoftimesbytimers- Allowchangeofswimmers,laneassignments,combiningofheats,eliminatingheats- Flexibleconstructionthatallowsadaptationtopoolswithdifferentnumbersoflanes- Abilitytoimportandexportdatainmultipleformats- Automatedrecordingofdisqualificationsofswimmers

Stretchgoals:- Automatefinishtimeswithunderwatertouchpads- Scoreboardthatwoulddisplaycurrentandupcomingheatinformationandtimes- Appcreationthatshowscurrentdatainrealtimewhichcanbeaccessedbyanyonefrom

anywhereProjectEngineeringSkills• Mechatronics/Imbeddedelectronics• Programming• GraphicalUserInterface(GUI)• Waterproofing• Fabrication,3Dprinting

DesiredTeamSize:3-6

Typicalmeetset-upwithmanyvolunteers

ProjectName:TremorDampeningDeviceProjectAdvisor:MikaelaHaywardContactInformation:u0830513@utah.eduOtherProjectAdvisor:AndrewMerryweatherProjectDescriptionAcommonsymptomofParkinson’sdiseaseisuncontrollabletremors.Thesetremorsdecreasetheabilitytododailyhandfunctions,forexampleusingaspoontoeatsoup.TheobjectiveofthisprojectistocreateamechanicaldevicetodampenandhelpnoninvasivelycontroltremorsinpatientssufferingfromParkinson’sdiseaseorotherdiseaseswithcommonsideeffectsoftremors.Thedesiredoutcomesofthisprojectaretocreateanoninvasive,reasonablypriced,andeverydayworndevicetohelppatientsufferingfromParkinson’stohelpcontroltremors,sotheyareabletodoeverydayfunctionsmoreeasily.ProjectObjectives/DesiredOutcomes

• Affordablemechanicaldevicethatcanbeworntohelpdampentremors.• Noninvasivedevicethatcanbeeasilyattachedandwornonaregularbasis.

ProjectEngineeringSkills

• Mechatronics• Designandprototyping

DesiredTeamSize:3-5

Fig Biomechatronics design of a Robotic Knee

Exoskeleton—the Utah ExoKnee

Project Name: Utah ExoKnee Project Advisor: Tommaso Lenzi

Contact Information: t.lenzi@utah.edu

Project Description Our research at the Bionic Engineering lab

(https://belab.mech.utah.edu/) resulted in

novel lightweight efficient design solutions for

robotic leg prosthesis based on compliant

variable transmission systems. These

innovations enabled us to develop the lightest

yet strongest powered knee and ankle

prostheses to date. Now, we aim to use these

innovative technologies to develop a robotic

knee exoskeleton for human performance

restoration and augmentation. To achieve this

goal, we need to (1) optimize our compliant

transmission system based on the human knee biomechanics and anthropometry, (2) integrate it with a

knee orthosis to safely interface with the human anatomy, and (3) develop control strategies to

effectively augment the human movements.

Project Objectives / Desired Outcomes • Objective 1: Design a compliant variable transmission system capable of augmenting the human

knee performance during ambulation

• Objective 2: Develop an alpha prototype of powered knee exoskeleton (i.e., the Utah α-ExoKnee)

• Objective 3: Preliminary test the Utah α-ExoKnee within lab settings

Project Engineering Skills • Skill 1: Mechatronic design (optimization of electro-mechanical systems—Matlab/Simulink)

• Skill 2: Machine design (CAD/CAE—Solidworks/Ansys)

• Skill 3: Biomechanics (full-body motion analysis with inertial measurement units—Matlab/C)

• Skill 4: Applied Control (design and implementation of high-performance feedback control—LabVIEW/C/Simulink)

Desired Team Size: 4-5 Students