Engineering Abstracts 1 Judges, please do NOT pre-judge these abstracts. They should only be ...

57 Pages·2015·1.44 MB·English

Engineering Abstracts

Judges, please do NOT pre-judge these abstracts. They should only be used to gain a better
understanding of the projects you will see on State Science Day.

MFG—Manufacturing

SASANKA BOBBA The Effects of Different Angled Winglets in a Turbulent Flow ENG
AERO
Pollution and Global Warming are major problems in today’s society. These problems are mainly caused
by exhaust from cars, trucks, and airplanes. Exhaust can be reduced if energy isn't lost through drag. This
project compares different angled winglets to determine which type creates the most lift with less
induced drag. These winglets can then be implemented on planes to reduce drag. The hypothesis asserts
that if the angle of the winglet is set at approximately 45 degrees, then the wing will create the
maximum amount of lift possible. This measurement was chosen because the 90 degree winglet would
cut off the wing-tip flow immediately and no winglet will cause induced drag and wing-tip vortexes. The
experiment was tested by construction of a wind-tunnel, using foam-board and duct-tape, along with an
airfoil to which the winglets were added onto. The airfoil was connected to an aluminum pipe which
rested on a scale. The scale was zeroed out and the data was noted as lift was created by the fan.
Another test was done with glider wings for an airfoil, force sensors, and a leaf blower. The hypothesis
was supported by the data showing that the airfoil with the 45 degree winglet created the most lift. This
led to the conclusion that all airplanes should have 45 degree angled winglets to reduce drag and save
fuel. The 45 degree angled winglets can also be added to trucks and cars on the spoilers and header to
reduce drag and exhaust.

Ryan O'Shea What Makes a Good Aerodynamic Design? ENG AERO
The purpose of this project was to determine the effects that the variables of dihedral angle and weight
have on the flight performance of a glider. The hypothesis that was used predicted that the glider with
the most weight and the largest dihedral angle would fly the farthest and have the longest flight time.
The summary of the results will show that there were fourteen tests conducted on two different gliders.
Each glider had a set dihedral angle, with options for two different weights to be added. The initial
launch for each glider used the weight of the glider, the second and third launches used increasing
amounts of weight. The conclusion showed that the hypothesis was correct. The glider with the largest
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Engineering Abstracts
dihedral angle and most amount of weight performed the best. It is important to test aerodynamics to
develop an understanding of the many variables and the affect they have on flight. The results of this
test can be utilized to allow for improved glider designs and to continue testing with other variables to
help create a more efficient future in aerodynamics.

Allison Meier The Efficiency of Helicopter Propellers Based on Chord Length ENG AERO
This experiment was on the efficiency of helicopter propellers based on chord length. The reason for this
study is an interest in engineering and a want to incorporate my interest in building and design. This was
fulfilled, even including some basic usage of electricity.
Today, helicopters have various purposes, including tasks like recovering wounded soldiers from the
battlefield. They don’t only save lives; huge industries like the logging and oil businesses rely on them for
smooth operation.
The purpose of this experiment was to find out whether a longer or shorter chord length of a propeller
would be most efficient when put into use. To do this, I attached a motor onto its base, connected to a
digital multimeter to measure each propeller’s produced voltage. To find the amount they could make, a
fan powered them; the faster they went, the more electricity produced. In the first part of my testing, I
set the fan to its highest speed. The widest propeller had the slowest results, with an average of 0.059V.
The next two followed an order of widest to thinnest, with the middle propeller’s average of 0.068V and
the thinnest’s 0.084V. The second time, using a lower fan speed, this changed, resulting in this order:
the thinnest’s 0.015V, widest’s 0.022V, and middle’s 0.036V.
Although evidence gathered did not give a definite answer to what chord lengths are most efficient, it
could prove a building block for future testing in this area.

Turner Ashby Rocket Areodynamics ENG Aero
The purpose of this research was to find if a smaller or larger diameter makes a rocket go higher.I
hypothesized that a small diameter would go higher. To test the hypothesis, I bought and built three
rockets that were the same and used duct tape to make each rocket have a different diameter. The
results of the testing showed that a rocket with a smaller diameter had the highest average height. From
the data that was obtained, it is concluded that the hypothesis was correct. The rocket with the smaller
diameter had a higher altitude. The data leads to this conclusion because the average height that was
the highest was the rocket that had the smaller diameter. To further study this topic, you could perform
experiments with different body styles. You could also study how the weight of the rocket effects the
altitude.

Rhyan Turner Modifications of Wing to reduce Drag in Formula One Racecars ENG AERO
A delicate balance between the amount of drag and downforce is needed to win a Formula 1 (F1) race,
and millions of dollars are spent on finding the perfect balance. Large amounts of downforce are needed
when going around high speed corners; however, that downforce also creates a lot of drag, which slows
down the racecar. I investigated modifications of current front wing styles to determine the most
effective balance of downforce and drag. The angles of wing components of 3D models of current front
wing designs were modified. Along with the original design, the three new wings were tested in a virtual
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wind tunnel simulation. Drag coefficient and drag force were determined under average F1 race
conditions (winds = 36 m/s). Wing 2 had the lowest drag coefficient, 0.16, and created the least amount
of drag force, 0.105N. The reduction of drag and downforce were likely due to the two extra wings and
side boards, which direct the air to flow around the whole car.

Alexander Kennedy Parachute Power: Payloads that Pay Off ENG AERO
Parachutes help save lives. Determining a parachute design that has the slowest and most stable
descent can make parachute safety better. It is hypothesized that a circular parachute with long strings
and a large surface area makes parachute descent slower and more stable’to a point. Eight sample
parachutes were dropped three times from a third-story window (approximately 21’7’). All sample
parachutes were of circular design. All had a hole placed in the center. Four of the parachutes had
short strings of 15 inches and four had long strings of 27 inches. Times were recorded and data was
collected. Results were analyzed and they mostly supported the hypothesis, but more testing needs to
be done in an environment where wind is controlled.

Cole Tucker Rocket Engineering Challenge ENG AERO
This project was an engineering challenge that consisted of building a homemade rocket, launching it to
a minimum of 600 feet in the air with a payload (a raw egg) and landing both safely on the ground. The
rocket was constructed out of PVC pipe with a 3D printed nose cone, a set of plastic fins, two D12-7
engines and a parachute. In order for the rocket to reach 600 feet, Space CAD computer models were
used to gauge the height, acceleration and thrust of the rocket. To keep the egg safe, bubble wrap and
packing foam were used. It took five launches and many modifications to achieve the objective. On the
first launch the 30 inch parachute was too large and it could not deploy from the rocket. On the second
launch the parachute did deploy, but it was too small (9 inches) to slow the rocket down to a safe speed.
The third launch was successful until the 18 inch parachute separated from the rocket causing it to crash
into the ground at a very high rate of speed. The top section of the rocket was destroyed, however, the
bottom section remained intact. During the fourth launch, one of the engines exploded and sent the
rocket sideways. It slammed into the ground, caught on fire and completely destroyed the rocket. On
the fifth launch, the rocket went up 651 feet, the 18 inch parachute deployed correctly and the egg and
rocket landed safely thus achieving the engineering goal.

Kyle Doershuk Aerodynamics of Airfoils ENG AERO
There are distinct differences between wings and airfoils. Wings are three dimensional shapes and
airfoils are two dimensional cross-sections of a wing. This project looks at the aerodynamics of laminar
and turbulent designs of airfoils as measured by drag and the coefficient of drag. The four airfoil sections
tested were created out of 2 foam blocks utilizing a foam cutting machine and 2 CAD designed, 3-
dimensional printed airfoils. The testing was completed in a table top sized wind tunnel where the drag
and lift measurements were recorded. The researcher's hypothesis was the 3-dimensional print laminar
airfoil would have less drag and, therefore, be more aerodynamic. The results did support the
researcher's hypothesis and demonstrate the laminar design of airfoil is more aerodynamic at the tested
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parameters.

Erin Rogers The Effect of Wing Covering on Drag ENG AERO
The purpose of this experiment was to test the effects of different wing coverings on produced drag.
The expected results were that rougher fabrics would produce more drag than smooth fabrics, and that
fabrics with sizing would produce more drag than trials done with the same fabrics without the sizing.
Data was obtained by stitching fabric onto metal wing models mounted on a rod and then measuring
the force applied to the rod when placed in a wind tunnel. Fabrics with closer weave had less drag when
the sizing was applied; looser weaves produced more when sizing was applied. Rougher fabrics
produced more drag than smoother fabrics for both the trials with and without the sizing.

Foster SIPP WHich Airplane Fold Flies the Farthest ENG AERO
The problem that I investigated was what paper airplane fold flies farthest. My hypothesis is if I design a
paper airplane that is a fold that is long and thin, it will go farther because it has better aerodynamics.
The materials I used in this experiment are five sheets of 8 1/2 inches x 11 inches sheets of computer
paper. I also used a measuring tape and a large room with a clear flight path. I mark the starting point
and every 5 feet of flight path with masking tape. I did 6 trial flights for each plane. The plane with the
farthest average flight was the Basic Paper plane. It flew an average of 242.8 inches. The Fly Paper was
very close it went an average of 240 inches. The plane that went the shortest was the Manta it went an
average of 40.3 inches. The longest plane flight was the basic paper plane it went 242.8 inches. This
supports my hypothesis the design of the basic paper plane is long and thin. These aerodynamics are
how I predicted the best plane would be designed. My research on this topic gave me the understanding
of the aerodynamics of different paper airplanes and flight."

Ian Wolfe Is the Carbon Dioxide Level in School Too High? ENG AIRP
Is the Carbon Dioxide Level in School Too High? Having too much carbon dioxide in the air can be
harmful and effect the efficiency of our brains. The purpose of my project is to see what the quality of
the air is in my school by measuring the level of carbon dioxide (CO2). I think that our classroom carbon
dioxide level is low, because our school was built recently in 2011-2012.
I used two carbon dioxide monitors to test the CO2 level in two of my classrooms and the school library
during school for several days. I compared the levels of CO2 to acceptable levels. For this experiment I
used carbon dioxide monitors, carbon dioxide data recorders, and a computer.
I found that each day had readings with the carbon dioxide level being in the normal levels range (< 600
ppm), stiffness and odors range (600 ‘ 1000 ppm), and the drowsy range (1000-2500 ppm). The highest
readings occurred in the early afternoon. None of the three rooms tested had dangerous adverse health
CO2 readings (above 2500 ppm) during the school day.
Based on my results, my hypothesis is correct that our carbon dioxide levels are less than the hazardous
level of 2500 ppm, but they are still not under the general drowsiness standard of 1000 ppm. This
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means that students may have some negative side effects of breathing in too much carbon dioxide such
as drowsiness, headaches, and inefficient thinking. We have enough fresh air, but we could use more so
that we will perform better and not feel sleepy.

Aaron Chow Constructing a Low Cost Myoelectric Prosthesis ENG BIOM
Functional prosthesis devices serve to restore functionality and improve the lives of those afflicted by
upper arm amputations or injuries. Myoelectric control systems are one of the best ways of achieving
functionality without as much muscle fatigue that arises from a mechanical tension driven prosthesis.
Through the use of surface electrodes and a computer board, it is possible to read and interpret a
muscle signal sent by the brain, causing a reaction within an electrical prosthesis. One down side of
myoelectric control systems is the cost, often myoelectric driven prosthesis are thousands of dollars to
purchase. The purpose of this research was to create a low cost myoelectric prosthesis out of readily
available materials. Ultimately it was determined that this could be done in a modular fashion, building a
control system that can be adapted for use for any upper limb prosthetic, all for under 100$ and made
with readily available materials.

Aditya Jog Novel Metered Dose Inhaler Design to Improve Drug Delivery to the Lungs ENG
BIOM
To treat asthma and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, aerosol spray particles of medication from a
metered-dose-inhaler are inhaled through the mouth to reach the lungs. Current designs lead to
particles depositing in the airway, reducing the amount of medication reaching the lungs. Particle
deposition in the airways of a 10-year old child was studied by conducting computational flow
simulations and experiments with a simplified model of the airway (from the mouth to trachea). The
airflow entering the mouth was modified by using a mouthpiece with an annular outer section and a
cylindrical inner section in which the medication was sprayed. It was hypothesized that particle
deposition would be reduced if the outer flow was stronger than the inner flow and was introduced at
an angle to the axial direction. The computational simulations showed that compared to the current
design, outer flow introduced at an angle to the axial direction produces a swirling motion which forces
it to remain close to the wall while the inner flow moves through the center of the airway. Experiments
were conducted on the simplified airway model with three different mouthpieces made on a 3-D
printer. Saline mist was sprayed into the mouthpiece while airflow was maintained through the airway
model. The amount of liquid deposited was measured with a precision balance. The experimental data
supports the hypothesis and shows that dividing the flow into inner and outer sections with the outer
flow introduced at an angle reduces particle deposition in the airway by about 20%.

Aishwarya Murali The Effect of Roughness of PPF and Addition of BMP-2 on MC3T3-E1 Pre-
Osteoblast Cells ENG BIOM
Average healing time for bone grafting is three months or longer, significantly decreasing a patient’s
quality of life. In order to improve grafting effectiveness, cell adhesion to the scaffold and differentiation
of the cells are crucial. To increase cell adhesion, the grafting material should mimic the rough bone
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Engineering Abstracts
surface so that cells can effortlessly adapt to the different material. Poly(propylene fumarate) (PPF) is a
biomaterial that can be used to replace bone temporarily until bone tissue regenerates. PPF samples, in
which the roughness was modified, were used in the experiment to test the adhesion of MC3T3-E1 pre-
osteoblast cells to see if before differentiation, cells would adhere faster to a rougher or smoother
surface. Also, bone morphogenetic protein 2 (BMP-2), a known osteoinductive agent, was added to the
media to test if an attempt at stimulating the formation of bone would cause cells to adhere to samples
faster. Cells were then differentiated with different PPF samples to observe if differentiation would
occur more readily under different circumstances. Since osteoblasts express collagen, differentiation
was measured by the amount of collagen produced by the cells. It is expected that rougher samples will
cause cells to adhere faster, and that differentiation would occur more in samples present with BMP-2.
The results of the experiment would prove that if a graft is developed with a rougher surface, cells have
better chances of adhering to the graft, thus reducing the healing time. Incorporating BMP-2 in the graft
will further shorten the recovery period for the patient.

Grace Nemeckay An Open Circuit Potential system testing the likelihood of Cystic Fibrosis from
a sweat sample: Design and verification ENG BIOM
Cystic fibrosis is caused by a defect in the CFTR gene that controls the regulation of chloride in the body.
When the CFTR is inoperative, a cascade of consequences leads to a mucus buildup in the airways. The
goal of this research is to test and verify the accuracy of a system that will determine the unknown
concentration of Cl- in sweat samples. In this paper, an open circuit potential test is conducted on an
NaCl solution. The current test to screen for cystic fibrosis is time consuming and expensive. This test
encompasses a difficult sweat-obtaining process and titrations to find out the chloride concentration.
The newly designed test is capable of determining a correct concentration in less time and with simple
chemical reactions. It is an OCP model that enters current into a solution, causing that solution to react,
binding the Cl- ions to a silver wire inside the solution. The point at which all of the Cl- has been used up
in the solution is entered into Faraday's law of electrolysis in order to discover the unknown chloride
concentration. Since this is preliminary experimentation, in order to determine whether this test would
yield the correct chloride concentration, a known concentration is tested and the experimental data is
compared to the theoretical outcome. This analysis proved that this system is capable of determining an
unknown chloride concentration within 5 % error in a solution in order to conclude whether a person
has cystic fibrosis. The system can move on to human sweat sample trials.

Sahithee Batchu Fourier Transform Analysis of Collagen Density and Ultra Structure ENG
BIOM
People die from uncured diseases everyday. To find cures, it is important to study the molecules
involved. This project deals with the two important molecules: Collagen (an abundant protein) and
DDR1 (a binding receptor). It studies how DDR1 affects collagen density and ultra-structure.
Collagen density and ultra-structure were expected to decrease. After understanding that variables like
distance between and size of individual collagen fibers influence density and d-periodicity (collagen
property) influences ultra structure, this hypothesis was tested using three main ideas. First, images
mimicking the collagen structure were created by manipulating each variable. Second, a Fast Fourier
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Engineering Abstracts
Transform (FFT) method was used to analyze spatial frequency of these images. The method developed
an output image in which patterns relating to each variable were found. Third, the FFT method and the
patterns were used to analyze images from WT mice (with DDR1) and KO mice (without DDR1) and find
how the absence of DDR1 affected collagen density and ultra structure.
Using this method, results pointed to the conclusion that the absence of DDR1 leads to an increased
collagen density and a smaller collagen ultra structure in the KO mice. This project is important, for
many diseases (Hypertension, Cancer, etc.) correlate with Collagen; therefore, the results of this project
could help indicate specific cures, especially those including DDR1. Also, collagen density or ultra
structure could serve as biomarkers to differentiate between similarly structured cells. This research
could lead us to answers that scientists have been searching for. "

Karthik Chakravarthy Design and Evaluation of a Multisensor Bioelectrical System for Diagnosis of
Atrial Fibrillation ENG BIOM
Atrial fibrillation (AFib) is a type of arrhythmia, where atria beat chaotically, resulting in an inefficient
pumping action that causes blood to pool in the atria, increasing the risk of embolic stroke. Early
diagnosis and treatment in the initial paroxysmal stage, reduces chances of stroke and other
cardiovascular events. Since AFib is primarily diagnosed through electrocardiogram (ECG), it is
frequently missed due to the asymptomatic/intermittent nature of the disease, as the episode may not
be captured on ECG if the patient is not currently fibrillating. The objective of this research is to design
and evaluate a low-cost multisensor system with capability to detect AFib in real time, when the patient
is in normal sinus rhythm (NSR). The portable, low-cost multisensor system, consisting of hardware and
software components, provides a complete test platform that performs ECG signal acquisition,
digitization, and parameter estimation as well as systolic pressure analysis to diagnose AFib. Out of
several prototype designs tested, final hardware implementation accomplished ECG amplification with
minimal electrical noise interference and reduced circuitry to increase stability and clarity, while
maintaining fidelity of the resultant ECG signal. The software algorithms for ECG signal processing and
systolic pressure analysis was developed and implemented in MATLAB. The multisensor system
generates an overall diagnosis of patient AFib that includes prediction, detection, and assessment of
severity of disease.

Rohit Chakravarthy Design and Evaluation of a Multisensor Bioelectrical System for
Diagnosis of Atrial Fibrillation ENG BIOM
Atrial fibrillation (AFib) is a type of arrhythmia, where atria beat chaotically, resulting in an inefficient
pumping action that causes blood to pool in the atria, increasing the risk of embolic stroke. Early
diagnosis and treatment in the initial paroxysmal stage, reduces chances of stroke and other
cardiovascular events. Since AFib is primarily diagnosed through electrocardiogram (ECG), it is
frequently missed due to the asymptomatic/intermittent nature of the disease, as the episode may not
be captured on ECG if the patient is not currently fibrillating. The objective of this research is to design
and evaluate a low-cost multisensor system with capability to detect AFib in real time, when the patient
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Engineering Abstracts
is in normal sinus rhythm (NSR). The portable, low-cost multisensor system, consisting of hardware and
software components, provides a complete test platform that performs ECG signal acquisition,
digitization, and parameter estimation as well as systolic pressure analysis to diagnose AFib. Out of
several prototype designs tested, final hardware implementation accomplished ECG amplification with
minimal electrical noise interference and reduced circuitry to increase stability and clarity, while
maintaining fidelity of the resultant ECG signal. The software algorithms for ECG signal processing and
systolic pressure analysis was developed and implemented in MATLAB. The multisensor system
generates an overall diagnosis of patient AFib that includes prediction, detection, and assessment of
severity of disease.

Rama Balasubramaniam A Bioengineered 3D Brain Model to Investigate Malignant
Glioblastoma Tumors ENG BIOM
Glioblastoma Multiforme (GBM) is a lethal cancer originating from the glial cells of the brain. Current
treatments are unsuccessful partly due to rapid GBM migration along blood vessels and white matter,
causing secondary tumors. A novel assay was created utilizing collagen-hyaluronic acid (HA) hydrogels
and polycaprolactone nanofibers representing the extracellular matrix and white matter tracts of the
brain. Previous work has shown that hyaluronic acid inhibits cell adhesion and is found in increasing
levels in the GBM microenvironment. It was hypothesized that as HA concentration increased, migration
would decrease, and the intensity of associated receptors would increase. Increasing concentrations of
HA represented the gradient that cells migrated through after leaving the tumors. Timelapse microscopy
was used to track the migration of individual cells, while expression of HA receptors (i.e. CD44 and
RHAMM) and the adhesion protein Viniculin were quantified through immunocytochemistry. As HA
concentrations increased, migration, as well as cell length, decreased. Further experimentation showed
collagen gel only migration to be the highest; collagen appeared to be a supportive matrix that
promoted migration. Examining the HA receptors and Viniculin showed the latter decreased, while the
HA receptors increased as the concentration of HA increased. The results suggest that GBM migration is
an inverse function of HA concentration, with HA significantly inhibiting movement. Future work will
examine the mechanical properties of the system as well as collagen gel migration. Combining 3D brain
mimetic materials greatly enhanced our understanding of GBM migration, which could lead to the
development of therapeutic treatments.

Grace Nemeckay An Open Circuit Potential system testing the likelihood of Cystic Fibrosis from
a sweat sample: Design and verification ENG BIOM
Cystic fibrosis is caused by a defect in the CFTR gene that controls the regulation of chloride in the body.
When the CFTR is inoperative, a cascade of consequences leads to a mucus buildup in the airways. The
goal of this research is to test and verify the accuracy of a system that will determine the unknown
concentration of Cl- in sweat samples. In this paper, an open circuit potential test is conducted on an
NaCl solution. The current test to screen for cystic fibrosis is time consuming and expensive. This test
encompasses a difficult sweat-obtaining process and titrations to find out the chloride concentration.
The newly designed test is capable of determining a correct concentration in less time and with simple
chemical reactions. It is an OCP model that enters current into a solution, causing that solution to react,
8
Engineering Abstracts
binding the Cl- ions to a silver wire inside the solution. The point at which all of the Cl- has been used up
in the solution is entered into Faraday's law of electrolysis in order to discover the unknown chloride
concentration. Since this is preliminary experimentation, in order to determine whether this test would
yield the correct chloride concentration, a known concentration is tested and the experimental data is
compared to the theoretical outcome. This analysis proved that this system is capable of determining an
unknown chloride concentration within 5 % error in a solution in order to conclude whether a person
has cystic fibrosis. The system can move on to human sweat sample trials.

Sanjeev Gunawardena A System to Prevent Infant Deaths in Hot Cars ENG BIOM
38 children die in hot cars annually. Sometimes parents may accidentally forget that their child is in the
,car. The goal of this project is to utilize different sensors to detect an infant in a locked vehicle. I
,researched different ways to detect a human and found that I can use CO2 concentration. After
creating multiple prototypes using sensors I purchased, testing and redesigning them, I finally created an
independent module. It was soldered onto a protoshield with a battery pack. In the Arduino® code, I
set up the module to log data to an SD card. I wanted to make sure this system could detect a human
with a high confidence level. I tested it using a statistical hypothesis test where the null hypothesis was
going in a car with the sensor, opening the door and leaving. In the alternative hypothesis, I went inside
the car with the sensor, opened the door, and stayed. The first represented the situation where
everything goes fine and the child is dropped off, but the second represented when the child stays and
the parent forgets to drop him off. I plotted the data collected by the SD card using MATLAB® and
compared the hypotheses. Both sensor levels changed as expected, with the gas concentration and
humidity going up then down in the first and continuously up in the second, proving that my module
worked. My module has the potential to one day become integrated into a car and save lives."

Fatima Boumahchad Which Zone Am I In? Using the Pulse Sensing Arduino cuff to Measure Target
Heart Rate ENG BIOM
The purpose of this experiment is to determine whether the Arduino cuff helps students (ages 15-16)
better predict the heart rate zone in which they exercising. The hypothesis is that if students ages 15-16
use the Arduino cuff regularly when exercising, then it will help them understand and be able to better
predict what heart rate zone they are in. This is because each person will be exercising until they reach
the high intensity zone. This way, they are aware of which zone they are exercising in. In order to start,
ten human participants were gathered. Each one worked individually in a large empty area at the school.
The results indicated that 8 out of 10 subjects showed improvement at being able to formulate a better
prediction. However, since subject 4’s data will not be used due to errors that occurred throughout the
experiment, the number changes to eight out of nine that show improvement. In conclusion, the
hypothesis that if students’ ages 15-16 use the cuff when exercising, then it will help them better predict
what heart rate zone they are in, was correct. Overall, 8/9 test subjects improved in their predictions.
The data supports the given hypothesis since the subjects have gotten better at predicting what zone
they are in when exercising. This implies that the Arduino cuff is beneficial to this matter.

Rebecca Meyer Get a Grip ENG BIOM
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Engineering Abstracts
Upon starting my project, I realized that people with grip strength problems have trouble doing simple
tasks such as opening car doors. To address this problem, I designed a device that allows a person to
open a car door without having to use their grip strength. It even eliminates the need to use their hands
to complete the task. I used a bench vice to bend a strip of metal into a loop shape with a hook shaped
bend on the end. I then added foam padding to protect both the user and the car door handle. To use
the assistive device, the user must insert their arm through the arm hole, with the hook piece facing
outward so that the open part of the hook is on top. To open the car door the user must then hook the
hook piece underneath the door handle, then either pull their arm towards their body, or simply take a
step backwards while holding the device to their body. It is recommended that, while hooking the device
under the door handle, the person using the device use his or her other arm or hand to stabilise the
device when opening the door. Depending on the type and model car the device is being used on, it may
be able to use the hook to pull on the bar in the inside of the car door to close it.

Christian Carranza Wireless Controlled Robotic Hand ENG BIO-STU; ENG-BIOM
The purpose of this project is to create a robotic hand that will be able to function like a regular hand.
The background of this is experiment is ‘in the Middle Ages, in both Europe and the Middle East,
automatons were popular as part of clocks and religious worship. The Arab polymath Al-Jazari (1136-
1206) left texts describing and illustrating his various mechanical devices, including a large elephant
clock that moved and sounded at the hour, a musical robot band and a waitress automaton that served
drinks. In Europe, there is an automaton monk extent that kisses the cross in its hands. Many other
automata were created that showed moving animals and humanoid figures that operated on simple
cam systems, but in the 18th century, automata were understood well enough and technology advanced
to the point where much more complex pieces could be made. French engineer Jacques de Vaucanson is
credited with creating the first successful biomechanical automaton, a human figure that plays a flute.
Automata were so popular that they traveled Europe entertaining heads of state such as Frederick the
Great and Napoleon Bonaparte’. First the hypothesis must be proven which is, if a robotic hand will
respond through a wireless connection. The robotic hand is controlled by a wireless glove. What
controls the hand to do what the glove does is the arduino uno and the xbee module. An arduino uno is
‘a microcontroller board based on the ATmega328 (datasheet). It has 14 digital input/output pins (of
which 6 can be used as PWM outputs), 6 analog inputs, a 16 MHz ceramic resonator, a USB connection,
a power jack, an ICSP header, and a reset button’. The results drawn to the conclusion because in the
beginning of the hypothesis if a wireless robotic hand can respond from a glove using another hands
movement, then a manachain hand will make the same hand movement as the glove.

Brandon Young Gasification ENG CHEM
The goal of our project was plain and simple: Which wood when gasified produced the hottest flame.
That ultimately led to the heating of one pint of water, the wood with the highest BTU count won. The
overall experiment was a complete success. We successfully replicated the pyrolysis feat and were able
to burn the emissions that were produced. For materials we used a Bush’s Baked bean can, a shredded
chicken can, and a Campbells Soup can. The woods that we burned were Ash, Maple, Beech, Pine, and
we also burned Cow Manure. The cow manure had the highest BTU count but the Ash had the hottest
flame. The importance of gasification is huge, it has the potential to change the way that we obtain
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