ENGR 270/470

ENGINEERING PROJECTS IN

COMMUNITY SERVICE

2016 FALL SEMESTER

Magda LagoudasExecutive Director, Industry & Nonprofit Partnerships

Instructional Associate Professor

Engineering Academic and Student Affairs (EASA)

TRANSFORMING ENGINEERING EDUCATION

TEXAS A&M ENGINEERING engineering.tamu.edu

ENGINEERING PROJECTS IN COMMUNITY SERVICE (ENGR 270/470)Lightweight Package Handling System for Autonomous

Delivery & Retrieval

This project proposes the development of a lightweight package carrier system for use on an existing commercial unmanned aerial vehicle.The student team will focus on designing and building a handling mechanism to autonomously pick and drop a package.The proposed mechanism will be installed on an unmanned aerial vehicle.

Impact on CommunityA successful project will have a positive impact on the on-campus community of innovators. The project will be displayed at the Engineering Innovation Center (EIC) to showcase student innovation among current and prospective students.

Desired Majors• Mechanical engineering• Electrical engineering• Aerospace engineering• Other majors with related experience

TRANSFORMING ENGINEERING EDUCATION

TEXAS A&M ENGINEERING engineering.tamu.edu

ENGINEERING PROJECTS IN COMMUNITY SERVICE (ENGR 270/470)Design and Efficiency Evaluation of Solar Kits

Project GoalThe project sponsor has developed a prototype Solar Kit to provide energy for educational purposes to families in Kamsi, Africa. The team will evaluate the current prototype Solar Kit design and identify areas of design modifications for improved performance and cost.

A sustainable solution should include:• An off-grid solar kit using a rooftop or ground

mounted panel,• Back up battery with long lifetime and• Energy efficient LED lights & ideal location.

Impact on CommunityThrough collaboration with Community Building Group, Ltd. Inc., the completion of this process will promote social & educational activities, especially girls’ education in Kamsi – a village in the central western part of Burkina Faso.

Desired Majors• Mechanical engineering• Electrical engineering• Other majors with related experience

TRANSFORMING ENGINEERING EDUCATION

TEXAS A&M ENGINEERING engineering.tamu.edu

ENGINEERING PROJECTS IN COMMUNITY SERVICE (ENGR 270/470)Integrated Transportation Mobility Solution

Texas A&M University aims to provide multiple travel options for students, faculty, staff and visitors by meeting the campus master plan transportation goals. Texas A&M envisions the development of a customized trip planner using all alternative transportation modes. In Phase I of this project, the student team will focus on:

• Developing processes to integrate Texas A&M transportation information with apps such as Google Maps, Waze, INRIX, Destination Aggieland etc.,• Methods to promote the usage of the integrated solution to students, faculty, and visitors and•Creating processes to gather usage data for further refinement of the solutions.

Impact on CommunityThe implementation of this project will enhance the overall living and learning environment for Texas A&M and reduce congestion on and around the Texas A&M campus. Students will help TAMU be a leader in a new era of transportation by providing travelers with a variety of ways to map out the best route to get to their destination and enable them to interact with other travelers.

Desired Majors• Civil engineering• Industrial & systems engineering• Other majors with related experience

TRANSFORMING ENGINEERING EDUCATION

TEXAS A&M ENGINEERING engineering.tamu.edu

ENGINEERING PROJECTS IN COMMUNITY SERVICE (ENGR 270/470)Raptor Reloaded Design Enhancements

The project sponsor, e-NABLE is a global volunteer network focused on creating and delivering 3-D printed prosthetic hands for those in need.

In this project, the student team will:• Become acquainted with the

current Raptor Reloaded hand model,• Build and assemble one hand, • Pursue needs assessment to

identify design features needed to further improve the functionality of the hand and• Pursue design modifications, print, assemble and evaluate functionality of new features.

Impact on CommunityThe final designs will be sent to e-NABLE for testing and further distribution. If successful, then these designs will be used to manufacture prosthetic hands that will be sent to places around the world.

Desired Majors• Mechanical engineering• Biomedical engineering• Other majors with related experience

TRANSFORMING ENGINEERING EDUCATION

TEXAS A&M ENGINEERING engineering.tamu.edu

ENGINEERING PROJECTS IN COMMUNITY SERVICE (ENGR 270/470)Solar Powered Irrigation System

In this project, the student team will design a solar powered water pump station to extract water from wells for irrigation purposes and for storage to be used for village water supply.

Design requirements include:• Low power rated submersible irrigation

pump,• Efficient off-grid photovoltaic system model

for maximum power generation and• Low cost and ease of use and maintenance.

Impact on CommunityThrough collaboration with Community Building Group Ltd. Inc., the completion of this project will aid irrigation activities for nearly 6,000 residents in Kamsi, Burkina Faso.

Desired Majors• Mechanical engineering• Electrical engineering• Civil engineering• Other majors with related experience

TRANSFORMING ENGINEERING EDUCATION

TEXAS A&M ENGINEERING engineering.tamu.edu

ENGINEERING PROJECTS IN COMMUNITY SERVICE (ENGR 270/470)Rainwater Harvesting and Irrigation System

The project sponsor, Brazos Valley Food Bank (BVFB), will be moving into a larger facility which includes land available for a fruit & vegetable garden.The student team will develop the design for a sustainable rainwater harvesting system to be used for irrigation purposes which includes:

• A conveyance system that employs gutters, flat roof drainage holes etc. to transfer water• A water storage system• A filtration system to keep debris out• An irrigation system to cater to the water needs of the garden

Impact on CommunityThe harvesting of rainwater will ensure collection of chemical free water. Thus, reducing use of fuel based machines for groundwater extraction. With minimal cost, an easy to maintain system, BVFB’s manual labor will also be reduced significantly and lead to improved agricultural produce in the garden.

Desired Majors• Biological and agricultural engineering• Mechanical engineering• Other majors with related experience

TRANSFORMING ENGINEERING EDUCATION

TEXAS A&M ENGINEERING engineering.tamu.edu

ENGINEERING PROJECTS IN COMMUNITY SERVICE (ENGR 270/470)EIC Solar Power Station Mounting Support

The Engineering Innovation Center (EIC) has acquired two solar panels to be installed on the EIC roof and harvest energy for charging laptops and cellphones at the EIC.The student team will:• Develop the design concept for the structure to

support the solar panels and the inverter.• Identify the optimal location and orientation of solar

panels.• Identify the optimal location for the charging points

within the EIC.

Impact on CommunityIt enables the EIC to reduce their carbon footprint and promote the university’s efforts to utilize green energy extensively.

Desired Majors• Mechanical engineering• Electrical engineering• Civil engineering• Other majors with related experience

TRANSFORMING ENGINEERING EDUCATION

TEXAS A&M ENGINEERING engineering.tamu.edu

ENGINEERING PROJECTS IN COMMUNITY SERVICE (ENGR 270/470)Human and Elephant Conflict Avoidance

Project GoalHuman and elephant conflicts are rampant in Botswana, Africa leading to loss in crops and human lives. The student team will investigate using solar powered landscape lights to provide infrared lighting in a randomly flashing perimeter to mitigate the problem.

A sustainable solution should include:

• Protect villagers and fields from elephants,• Last for at least two years

without the need for external power and• Be economical and easy to use.

Impact on CommunityThe successful implementation of this project will ensure keeping elephants out of villages and farmland. Thus, in turn saving human and elephant lives while protecting the yearly income of the farmers. The team will work with a group of researchers stationed in Seronga, Botswana.

Desired Majors• Mechanical engineering• Electrical engineering• Biological and agricultural engineering• Other majors with related experience

TRANSFORMING ENGINEERING EDUCATION

TEXAS A&M ENGINEERING engineering.tamu.edu

ENGINEERING PROJECTS IN COMMUNITY SERVICE (ENGR 270/470)EIC Solar Energy & Weather Interactive Data Display

Project GoalIn spring 2016, a student team created a website display that was populated with information gathered from the solar panels and automatically updated every 20 minutes.

In this project, the student team will:• Enhance the current graphic interface,• Incorporate display updates at a higher

frequency (5 min) and• Develop the code to capture and display

data from the weather station.

Desired Majors• Computer engineering• Computer science• Electrical engineering• Other majors with related experience