Charles Hope and Dr. Spencer Guthrie, Civil and Environmental Engineering General Information about the Project This study was funded in the spring of 2009 and commenced immediately afterward. The scope of the project included researching the effectiveness of microcracking of cement-treated bases (CTBs) in construction of asphalt-surfaced pavements. Microcracking is a method of reducing the […]
High-Speed, Three-Dimensional Quantification of Ladybug (Hippodamia convergens) Flapping Wing Kinematics During Takeoff
Ryan B. George and Dr. Scott L. Thomson, Mechanical Engineering Ladybug wing and body kinematics during takeoff is explored using high-speed stereoscopic imaging. Recordings of the specimens during flight are acquired at a rate of 3000 frames per second. A direct linear transformation algorithm is performed using custom implementation in Matlab to quantify positions of […]
Sustainable Bulding Materials in Mozambique
Jared Geddes and Dr. Robert Todd, Mechanical Engineering The research that I conducted this year was in the area of sustainable building materials. I worked with a team of six engineers to develop a sustainable building material that would be able to withstand the heavy monsoon rains common to the area of Beira, Mozambique. Every […]
Prosthetic Leg Project
Carl Ellingson Background The idea of this project was to research prosthetic leg designs in an effort to create a below-the-knee prosthetic device. The goal was to come up with a device that could be used in third world countries where the need is most considerable. In the past year we have come up with […]
Closed-Volume PDMS Recirculation Pumps For MEMS-Based Photonic Biosensors
Haobo (Jack) Dong and Dr. Gregory Nordin, Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering Introduction Microfluidics is the science and technology of systems that process or manipulate small amounts of fluidics, using channels with dimensions of tens to hundreds of micrometers [1]. Polydimethylsiloxane (PDMS), a soft elastomeric material, is a popular choice in microfluidics research due […]
Analysis of Prosthetic Leg Shock Absorption and Structure
Russell Dibb, David Williams, and Dr. Mark Colton, Mechanical Engineering Department The purpose of the prosthetic leg project was to research and design a below-the-knee prosthetic leg that could be used in developing countries. Many prosthetic legs that are currently on the market are very expensive and difficult to manufacture in undeveloped areas of the […]
PACE Global Collaboration Race Car Project and PACE Emerging Market Engine Project
Jesse Davis and Dr. C. Greg Jensen, Mechanical Engineering I have been involved with Partners for the Advancement of Collaborative Engineering Education (PACE) since January 2008. The goal of this organization involving industry sponsors and student teams is to teach and foster engineering collaboration in today’s global market. Various projects are undertaken in PACE, but […]
Development of a Simple Manufacturing Process for a Prosthetic Leg
John Christiansen and Dr. Mark Colton, Mechanical Engineering Dept Introduction The purpose of this project was to develop a simple process to manufacture a useful and affordable prosthetic leg to be made available to below-‐the-‐knee amputees in a sub-‐ Saharan African country. This project was motivated by a desire for learning and experience and also […]
Barrette Foundations
Richard Christensen and Dr. Richard Balling, Civil and Environmental Engineering During the past 60 years, ever since the discovery of mass produced steel, the world has used this steel to produce buildings that touch the sky. These skyscrapers have become a point of competition and interest throughout the world. Each country tries to outdo the […]
Small UAVs for Perch and Stare Missions: Ground Locomotion and Self-launch
Stephen Carlson and Dr. Jerry Bowman, Mechanical Engineering The mission of this project was the development of an Unmanned Air Vehicle capable of complete autonomy in a terrestrial environment. Using a jumping system for zero-distance take-offs and the addition of ground locomotion devices and energy harvesting systems, the vehicle could operate indefinitely without human assistance. […]