Duval, Jared Rational Design of Enzyme-like Bifunctional Peptide Catalysts Faculty Mentor: David Michaelis, Department of Chemistry Introduction My research in the Michaelis Laboratory has focused on developing enzyme-like multifunctional catalysts for organic synthesis. Nature makes catalysts (enzymes) capable of chemistry that is not currently accessible by synthetic chemists. These enzymes take advantage of preorganization, substrate […]
Search Results for: design
System Design to Reduce Risk of Cranial Injury for Servicemen & Servicewomen
Stefan Leimer and David Morgan, Industrial Design Methodology With over 320,000 of our troops returning home with traumatic brain injuries over the course of only six years, brain injuries among U.S. servicemen and servicewomen have become a growing concern. The purpose of this project is to assess the current risks these individuals are facing and […]
Design and Comparison of Variable-Stiffness Compliant Joints for Haptic Devices
David Usevitch and Faculty Mentor: Mark Colton, Mechanical Engineering Introduction Haptic interfaces or devices are computercontrolled robotic systems that seek to replicate the touch experience of a human user1. The purpose of this research is to develop a viable variable-stiffness compliant joint for haptic interfaces that eliminate rotation joints or screw mechanisms that induce friction, […]
Charge-Steering CMOS Amplifier Design and Testing Final Report
Nathan Whitehead and Shiuhhua Wood Chiang, Electrical & Computer Engineering Project Overview The goal of this research was to demonstrate that the complementary and 4-stage amplifiers can achieve superior gain or speed over the 2-stage charge-steering amplifier in [1], and the conventional differential amplifier introduced in the ORCA grant proposal. The completion of this project has […]
Geometric Optimization, Analysis, and Design
Faculty Advisor: Denise Halverson 1. Evaluation of how well the academic objectives of the proposal were met The goals for the mentoring environment were reached: Academic Development – Each student had the opportunity to work on a cutting edge research problem, as indicated below. Papers are in various stages of completion, a few submitted or […]
Design of a 2-D Haptic Interface with Compliant Mechanism Actuation
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 […]
Designing Consumer Furniture for a Positive Mental Well-Being
Nichole Cross and David Morgan, School of Technology Introduction Currently there are several common considerations to factor in when designing furniture for the consumer market such as ergonomics, color trends, manufacturability, materials, regulatory standards, shipping costs, economic forecasts, etc. The objective of this exploration was to research the psychological effects of design elements, such as […]
Optimizing the Design of a Traditional Peruvian Cookstove: Modifications for Overall Improved Combustion Efficiency
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 […]
The Influence of Probe Design on DNA Surface Hybridization and Microarrays Performance
Thomas Knotts, Chemical Engineering 1 Background The overall goal of this project was to provide new theories and models that describe DNA hybridization on surfaces on a fundamental level for improved application and design of microarrays. Microarrays work on the principle of DNA hybridization, and can be used to identify the identity or abundance of […]
Bioreactor Design for Optimal Decellularization of Whole Organs
Westley Kirkham and Dr. Alonzo Cook, Chemical Engineering The removal of cells from an organ leaving behind the extracellular matrix (ECM) is termed decellularization. In the realm of tissue engineering, decellularization is important as it provides a scaffold (the ECM) onto which stem cells or differentiated cells may attach to potentially regrow an organ that […]