Capstone Spotlights:

Ba ery Status Indicator – Electrical and Computer Engineering, Mechanical Engineering, Computer Science

Team: ECE students: Brandon Keefe - (lead), Christopher Dentremont, Joshua Goncalves, Deven Jhennae, Alexis de Pina

MNE student: Cameron N McNulty

CIS student: Oluseyi A Famobiwo

Sponsor and Client: HII (Huntington Ingalls Industries)

The problem: Existing diagnostic technology for underwater vehicles is sufficient, but cumbersome.

The solution: Design a ba ery status indicator device that is smaller, less expensive, and more user-friendly. Requirements for the device include ingress protection – how well the device is protected against moisture and dirt – reproducibility, and portability.

Ba ery Status Indicator

Team member Alexis De Pina describes the ba ery status indicator as similar to an onboard diagnostic scanner mechanics use to identify problems with a car, but for use on unmanned underwater vehicles. The device can capture data from the vehicle and produce a readout with information about the health of the vehicle’s ba ery.

Multidisciplinary Team

“Engineers can sometimes become siloed in their respective areas of expertise, and it can be hard to bridge that gap. This project provided a learning opportunity to get multiple perspectives on a single problem. It was productive to get out of our comfort zones and take on some new skills.”

Working with a corporate “client”

The Ba ery Status Indicator group described their experience working with HII as very supportive.

“We had a high level of communication about the project, but at the same time they gave us a lot of control over the design. Because they are an engineering firm, we had an easier time translating the customer requirements into engineering requirements. Overall, we felt fortunate that our sponsor was supportive throughout the design process and saw the value in process over product.”

Industry Experience

This project represented a transition from the academic se ing to the real world.

“For so long, as a student the focus has been on homework and exams. The capstone design project was a great introduction to the working world, and the emphasis is less about grades and more about the outcome we’re able to achieve as a team.”

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