SPRING 2019

Department of SENIOR DESIGN PROJECTSECE 487TS

THE FUTURE IS WHAT WE DO

Vision Guided Mobile Robot for Automated Surveillance in Noisy and Unstable EnvironmentsFunded by Army’s CERDEC Night Vision & Electronic Sensors DirectorateThe purpose of this project is to advance research into autonomous detection and tracking systems, in noisy environments with near real time response. This provides information in active research topics such as machine learning, computer vision, image processing, motor control, and radio frequency (RF) communication.

Design ChallengeAdvance research into autonomous detection and tracking systems.

Design Goals• Switch existing camera analog realm to

digital• Improving tracking methods and accuracy • Full tracking through physical driving

commands

Team Members: Thomas Batchelder, Gabriel Fernandez, Casey Gupton, Ross KinardAdvisor: Dr. Khan Iftekharuddin

“This robot could potentially change the future of warfare.”- Gabriel A. Fernandez

IGVC Plus Night VisionFunded by Army’s CERDEC Night Vision & Electronic Sensors Directorate, Batten College of Engineering & Technology, Synthetic Solutions USA ~ AMSOIL, and AlumniThe Intelligent Ground Vehicle (IGV) is a robotic vehicle that is designed to autonomously navigate an obstacle course in a competitive environment.Team Members: Mark Boyd, Carlos Martinez, Jackie Edmiston, David Osafo, Susana Long, Jason Felton, Bonnie Miley, Craig Earls

Advisor: Dr. Lee Belfore

“Preparing for real world project experience a semester at a time” - Bonnie Lee Miley

Design ChallengeTo qualify and compete in the Auto Nav portion of the Annual IGV Competition held in June 2019 in Rochester, Michigan.

Design Goals• Vehicle must demonstrate that it can detect and follow lanes• Vehicle must demonstrate that it can detect and avoid obstacles• Vehicle must prove it can find a path to a single two meter

navigation waypoint by navigating around an obstacle

Capacitive Wireless Charging for Electronic SensorsFunded by Army’s CERDEC Night Vision & Electronic Sensors DirectorateCapacitive-Coupled Wireless Power Charging System

Design ChallengeTo design a capacitive wireless charging system to power multiple small electronic devices.

Design GoalsTheoretical design of circuit, Design and fabrication of circuit, Testing circuit limits

Team Members: Alec Chicoine, James Duenas, Brian Monroy, Giovanna Peri, Richard Keith Roth

Advisor: Dr. Yucheng Zhang

“Wireless power only existed when it is proven to work.”- Richard Keith Roth

Smart Watch-Situational Awareness of WarfightersFunded by Army’s CERDEC Night Vision & Electronic Sensors DirectorateDesigning a new model of life-monitoring equipment for the welfare of soldiers

Design ChallengeCreate a compact, wearable device to track a soldier’s vitals in real time

Design Goals• Monitor Heart Rate and Blood-Oxygen Levels• Keep Count of Steps Taken in the Field• Track Body Temperature• Interact With Bluetooth-Enabled Devices

Team Members: Jaber Almugla, Joseph Ciccone, Jessica Cordner, Hal Ferguson, David Gonzalez, Jared Johansen, Jason Rollins, Aaron Ruel, and Clayton Williams

Advisors: Dr. Chunsheng Xin, Dr. Lee Belfore

“This is about more than just us, this is our chance to make a real difference in this world”

Development of Ultracapacitor for Energy Sources Funded by Army’s CERDEC Night Vision & Electronic Sensors DirectorateDevolvement of a polymer based ultracapacitor. The project uses a cyclical DC voltage to deposit the polymer.

Design ChallengeThe design of ultracapacitors for higher energy storage.

Design Goals• Find ideal cyclical voltammetry • Energy density > 300 F/G• Reduce cost

Team Members: Naomi Baltadonis, Patrick Arrington, James Waterman, Duncan Cruickshank

Advisor: Dr. Gon Namkoong

“This project has been a great way to learn more about fabrication of components”

ALD AZO Nanolaminate Coated ZnO NanorodGas SensorsFunded by Army’s CERDEC Night Vision & Electronic Sensors DirectorateThis project investigates the viability of AZO Nanolaminate Coated ZnONanorod Gas Sensors.

Design ChallengeSuccessfully demonstrate the capability of the AZO Nanolaminate Coated ZnO Nanorod gas sensor.

Design Goals• Improve Sensing Accuracy• Decrease Reaction Time• Reduce Cost

Team Members: Liya Nida, Luis Ramirez, Noah Alshehri, William Wilson Advisor: Dr. Helmut Baumgart

“This project is more than just a grade. We are helping to develop the future and make the world a better place.” –Luis Ramirez

Thermal Evaporator for Controlled Fabrication of Nanoparticle SensorsFunded by Army’s CERDEC Night Vision & Electronic Sensors Directorate, NVESD and NSFDevices to fabricate thin films support developing new sensors to give U.S. Warfighters the edge, both on and off the battlefield.

Design ChallengeDesign, build, and characterize a thermal evaporator with automatic power supply control.

Design Goals• Thin Films: 10 to 100 nm• Chamber pressure: 10-5 to 10-6 Torr• Filament temperature:1000 to 1250OC

Team Members: Christopher Helton, Nathan Kisaakye, Ingenieur Rushimisha, Jonathan Tugman

Advisor: Dr. Hani Elsayed-Ali

“Looking through translucent aluminum for the first time was an eye opening experience.”

- Jonathan Tugman

Selective Reflectance for Photovoltaic PanelsFunded by Center for Innovative TechnologyVisual appeal is needed to integrate photovoltaic panels on buildings. By coating the panels with silicon dioxide nanoparticles, a selective reflectance of visible light is achieved. Economical methods of spray, roller application, spin deposition and dip techniques are being researched for possible commercialization.

Design ChallengeAn economical method is required of applying silicon nanoparticles with selective reflectance.

Design Goals• Transmittance of 80% to 90% • Variety of reflected colors• Economical for marketing

Team Members: Michael Fishburn, Stephen Hannah

Advisor: Dr. Hani Elsayed-Ali

“The best preparation for tomorrowis doing your best today.”

- H. Jackson Brown, Jr.

Unmanned Aerial VehicleFunded by Batten College of Engineering & TechnologyThe goal of this project is to create a low-cost Unmanned Aerial Vehicle Quadcopter, joystick, and their software from scratch. The purpose of this project is to have the flight perform stabilization while controlling the drone through the joystick via Bluetooth. The objective of this drone is to maintain stability while taking flight within a 5” x 5” x 5” feet open field parameter. This multidisciplinary project will be built on the designs and research of computer and electrical engineering students.

“They will soar on wings like eagles.” - Alexis Bumanglag

Design ChallengeDesign, create, and test a quadcopter, joystick, and code for both from scratch.

Design Goals• Stabilization of flight within a 5” x 5” x 5” feet open

field parameter• Smartphone Control• Capture Images/Videos through an Installed Camera

Team Members: Ibrahim Alkathery, Alex Bumanglag, Jarrett Caston, Ryan Hovatter, Rong Ni

Advisor: Dr. Chung-Hao Chen

Energy HarvestingFunded by Department of Electrical & Computer EngineeringStudents focused on harvesting energy for a surveillance system that feeds power to a camera which in turn provides wireless video output to a device. The students were challenged to use solar energy as the main power source which meant insolation had to be analyzed. Power consumption is minimalized by using a motion activated camera along with microelectronics that serve to control the circuitry. A cell of batteries also serves as a backup power source able to provide sufficient power for the specified run time. Programming the FPGA board along with sensors monitor voltage levels as to protect the system from receiving degraded voltage and to protect the power sources from getting depleted to harmful levels.

Design ChallengeSupply constant power to a camera that wirelessly feeds video output to a device without having to do any maintenance once the system is in place.

Design Goals• Camera Run Time: 8 Hours• Weight: < pounds• Size: < square feet• Cost: < US dollars

Team Members: Cristofer Monteflores, Nedra Ellis, Brittany McBride, Yon Griffin Advisor: Dr. Shirshak Dhali

“Do not be tempted to fold under pressure. Remain strong, patient, and humble and remember the end goal is always within reach. Any uncomfortable situation you are in is an opportunity to grow.”

- Yon Griffin

Thin Film Transistor (TFT) FabricationFunded by Old Dominion University & Dr. Sylvain MarsillacThis project introduces students to the semiconductor fabrication process, utilizing the clean room available at ODU, alongside COMSOL Multiphysics® modeling software. It has the intention of introducing a new research opportunity at ODU in the area of thin-film transistors.

Design ChallengeDevelop and fabricate a thin-film transistor using the facilities and materials in the ODU Fabrication Lab.

Design Goals• Model TFT design using COMSOL Multiphysics®• Create TFT fabrication procedure for ODU lab• Fabricate and characterize functioning TFT

Team Members: Mary Armbruster, Samantha Hahn, Jarod Tabor

Advisor: Dr. Sylvain Marsillac

“It has been an enlightening experience working alongside my teammates and others in the clean room.”

- Mary Armbruster

Lower-hybrid Waveguide Optimization for the Joint European Torus (JET) Using the OLGA Code

Since lower hybrid waves are important for heating and current drive in plasmas, phased arrays of rectangular waveguides are typically used as launchers within tokamak fusion reactors. In order to improve coupling efficiency and power density spectrum of the emitted waves in the plasma, we will use the OLGA code to describe the 3D geometry of the plasma structure and design a waveguide for JET.

Design ChallengeIncrease efficiency in a nuclear fusion reactor by optimizing the waveguide using the results the OLGA code.

Design Goals• Decide optimum parameters for waveguide.• Create input files of parameters to test with the

OLGA code. • Increase overall efficiency by at least 15%.

Team Members: James Flynn, Caroline Giordano, Joshua KittrellAdvisor: Dr. Linda Vahala

“The biggest difficulty hasn’t been trying to understand what we don’t know, but rather trying to understand what we don’t know we don’t know.”

- James Flynn

Aircraft Power ConverterFunded by Aviation Development Directorate, Eustis (ADD-E)For our senior design project we are designing and building a Power converter unit for Aviation Development Directorate – Eustis (ADD-E). It is designed to take in either 115 VAC at 60 Hz or 28 VDC. There will be 4 different output voltages (5, 12, 15, and 28VDC) with varying power values. The max power output is 900 W and has to be broken between the 4 outputs. The power converter also has to be design to pass an airworthiness board meaning it has to pass an electrical and mechanical analysis.

Design ChallengeProvide a variable power source for Army aviation.

Design Goals• Durability• Weight• Size• Power

Team Members: Taylor Kinney, Jacob Pollock

Advisor: Dr. Yucheng Zhang

”Trust but always verify.”- Jacob Pollock