Journal of Undergraduate Research

Joshua Schmidt and Matthew Jones, Mechanical Engineering Introduction Pyrometers are an instrument used to infer the temperature of a surface without direct contact. Typical pyrometers use a single infrared color band to measure the radiation emitted from the surface, thus inferring the surface temperature. Two color pyrometers utilize two separate infrared color bands which can […]

Austin Rogers and Mark Colton, Mechanical Engineering Introduction The purpose of this research project was to improve the fidelity of haptic interfaces through the use of compliant mechanisms. “Haptics is the science and technology of experiencing and creating touch sensations in human operators” [1]. Traditional haptic interfaces include rigid links connected by rotary joints. The […]

Bradley Hanks and Dr. Brian Jensen, Mechanical Engineering Project Introduction Non-viral gene therapy is an area of study which includes various techniques to incorporate foreign molecules into the DNA of a cell. The ultimate goal of gene therapy is to replace mutated or damaged genes with healing genes. Nanoinjection is a method of non-viral gene therapy developed […]

Benjamin Brownlee and Brian Iverson, Mechanical Engineering Introduction The objective of this project was to characterize the increased rate of hydrogen peroxide oxidation using a carbon nanotube microstructure. This is an important step in creating a glucose sensor capable of detecting low concentrations, such as those in saliva. A glucose sensor with this capability would […]

Boston Barham and Anton Bowden, Mechanical Engineering INTRODUCTION Schmorl’s nodes are intrusions of the disc into the vertebral endplate in the lumbar spine and are common in spinal imaging (figure 1). They are significantly associated with the presence and severity of spinal disc degeneration [1], which is a major cause of work disability and a costly […]

Phillip Hyatt and Marc Killpack, Mechanical Engineering Introduction Many advances have been made in the control, modeling and applications of robots within the past several decades. Robots have been made to operate very quickly within very tight tolerances. Generally, these quick and accurate robots require high gear ratios and vast amounts of electrical power. Recently, […]

Gerrit Noorda, Braden Hancock and Christopher A. Mattson, Mechanical Engineering Department Introduction In our proposal for an ORCA grant, we planned to use machine learning to socially benefit others with our research. In the early stages of the research, however, we came across a different, more urgent problem. We decided to use the same principles of […]

McCall Barger and Christopher Mattson, Mechanical Engineering Nearly 3 billion people worldwide still cook using open fires or biomass cookstoves, in which they burn wood, charcoal, and other solid fuels1. Over the past ten years, great effort and consideration has been devoted to progressing improved biomass cookstove technology for the developing world. The traditional cookstoves used […]

Unrau, Mikkel Boiling and Julie Crockett, Mechanical Engineering Introduction The interaction between water-based droplets and heated solid surfaces is one of the most ubiquitous observed phenomena in nature and many industries. Some of the applications include spray coating/cooling, ink-jet printing, lab-in-a-droplet technology, and internal combustion engines. Droplet impingement on Superhydrophobic (SH) surfaces promises great benefits […]

Jonathan Priedeman and Eric Homer, Mechanical Engineering The principal purpose of materials science is to investigate the relationships between microstructure, processing, properties and performance of materials to develop enhanced materials for engineering applications. Maximizing the capabilities of a given material requires control of the microstructure: the small-scale arrangement of atoms that comprise the material. Commonly […]