ROARING INTO our
20TH ANNIVERSARY
FRED AND HARRIET COX
SPRING DESIGN AWARDS presented by HOWARD R. HUGHES COLLEGE OF ENGINEERING
DECEMBER 16 & 17
2020
Fred and Harriet Cox
SENIOR DESIGN EXPERIENCE
Part of every UNLV engineering student’s academic experience, the Senior Design project stimulates engineering innovation and entrepreneurship. Each student in their senior year chooses, plans, designs and prototypes a product in this required element of the curriculum. Working in teams, the senior design project encourages students to use everything they learned in their academic program to create a practical, real world solution to an engineering challenge.
BEYOND THE CLASSROOM
Because of the requirement to work in teams, students also build good communication skills, presentation skills, and even business writing skills. They also have to source and purchase the materials for the prototypes themselves, giving them real-world budgeting experience.
REWARD AND RECOGNITION
A team of industry judges choose winners in each category based on innovation, commercial potential, presentation quality and sustainability. A cash first prize and second prize are given in each discipline, as well as a grand prize. Through the generosity of patrons Fred and Harriet Cox as well as award sponsors, the College of Engineering reimburses teams for the costs associated with the creation of their prototype. This ensures that teams are not working under unfair financial constraints, but have the resources they need to excel.
TAKING IT FURTHER
Senior Design teams are offered the opportunity to partner with MBA students from the Lee Business School to create a business plan as part of the MBA curriculum. This collaboration has led to great success at competitions such as: the Governor’s Cup, and the subsequent creation of many successful businesses. Students wanting to take their projects to the next level are offered support from UNLV’s Research and Economic Development team to pursue a patent for their prototypes. Additionally, engineering alumnus Chad Miller offers pro bono services to assist students in filing provisional patents on Senior Design projects.
GET INVOLVED
Teams often get project ideas from industry partners or friends of engineering who have an interesting problem or concept they would like to submit. Teams may also be looking for an industry mentor or coach to help them throughout the year as they work on a project. Industry partners and individuals are also offered the experience of sponsoring an award category. To find out what categories are available, or for other sponsorship information, contact Molly Marks, Director of Special Events, at molly.marks@unlv.edu or (702) 895-3281.
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From all of the faculty, staff and students at the Howard R. Hughes College of Engineering, thank you! Thank you for your continued emotional, physical and monetary support over the last 20 years. There would be no competition without you. Thank you to our founders Fred and Harriet Cox. The competition would not be what it is today without the Cox family. It has grown from just a couple student teams with few participants to over 40 student teams with 250 participants each semester. The student teams are so grateful to have the opportunity to show off their knowledge and skills gained as future graduates of the Howard R. Hughes College of Engineering. Thank you to all of our generous sponsors who have helped us continually grow the competition while awarding over $30,000 in prize monies. Finally, thank you to all of the families, friends and support networks of our students. Without each of you, their journeys through their academic adventures would have been much more difficult. We are looking forward to celebrating the next 20 years!
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Thank you to our Generous Sponsors! FRED & HARRIET COX GRAND PRIZE
category sponsors
mark and carolyn guidry foundation
steve and susan philpott
EVENT SPONSORS SHIROTRIYA FAMILY FOUNDATION SELMA BARTLETT 3
the howe foundation
Thank you, Senior Design Instructors!
Civil & Environmental Engineering & Construction D r. David James
Computer S cience D r. A ndreas Stefik
Electrical & Computer Engineering D r. Grzegorz Chmaj (S pring) D r. M ing Zhu (Fall)
Entertainment Engineering & D esign D r. Grzegorz Chmaj (S pring) D r. M ing Zhu (Fall) & D r. M elissa M orris (S pring) D r. Zhiyong Wang (Fall)
M echanical Engineering D r. M elissa M orris (S pring) D r. Zhiyong Wang (Fall) 4
Table of Contents Judges.................................................................................................................. 6-10
Projects Civil and Environmental Engineering and Construction.......................................... 11 Computer Science. .................................................................................................. 18 Electrical and Computer Engineering. .................................................................... 27 Entertainment Engineering & Design. ....................................................................... 34 Interdisciplinary....................................................................................................... 37 Mechanical Engineering. ........................................................................................ 39 Howard R. Hughes College of Engineering Leadership. ........................................... 51 UNLV President’s Cabinet........................................................................................... 52 Howard R. Hughes College of Engineering Advisory Board.................................... 53 Nevada System of Higher Education Board of Regents............................................. 53 College of Engineering Staff Information.............................................................. 54
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FALL 2020 Senior Design Judges MIKE BROWN-CESTERO, CTS-I, AIA An accomplished audio, video, lighting and control systems designer and integrator, Mike Brown-Cestero, CTS-I, AIA has successfully designed, built and maintained systems for the worship, corporate, hospitality and entertainment markets over the course of a 20+ year career. His client list includes universities, museums, nightclubs, corporations, professional offices, casinos, hotels and houses of worship of various faiths and denominations for whom he has performed consultation, design, build, infrastructure assessment, engineering, programming, project management, installation, service and support services. His experience includes distributed audio/video systems (BGM systems, classroom and board room systems, etc.) and large-scale reinforcement systems (nightclubs, concert venues, houses of worship, etc). He is experienced in all aspects of the operational cycle of A/V/L/C system sales, including needs assessment, system design, estimation, client presentations, vendor relations and purchasing, as well as staffing, scheduling and completing projects on time and on budget. Additionally, he is factory-certified in several audio processing, video signage, sound masking and control system platforms and also has experience in customizing existing products to increase functionality and/or implement branding. Fluent in Spanish, he has achieved AVIXA’s CTS-I level of industry certification.
KEITH COOPER Mechanical Engineer and UNLV graduate currently working in water utilities with experience in hydropower, construction management and automotive racing components. My specialized technical experience lies in mechanics, materials, fluid dynamics, data acquisition/analysis. Working in the water industry my involvement has been heavily weighted in operations and maintenance improving pump stations, reservoirs, water treatment processes and hydropower generators larger than 100 Megawatt. Prior to attaining my mechanical engineering degree at UNLV, my experience included supervisory construction in both residential and commercial construction specializing in offsite development and work with local engine builders for high performance automotive racing components
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FALL 2020 Senior Design Judges PATRICK DUFFY Pat Duffy is the Chief Engineer at JT4 where he provides the US Air Force and Navy both engineering and technical support to multiple western test and training ranges. He works with senior leaders at all these ranges to introduce innovative technologies and provide cross-range synergies, capabilities and expertise. A retired Colonel from the US Air Force, Pat completed a 27-year service career as a commander and senior leader, test pilot, fighter pilot and instructor pilot. He has over 3,500 hours of flight time in over 60 aircraft types, including the F-15, F-16 and F-18, and was the US Exchange Test Pilot in Canada. After leaving the US Air Force, Pat became the Vice President of Engineering and Product Development at Eclipse Aviation, a venture capital business that delivered the Collier Trophy winning Eclipse 500 Very Light Jet. He later joined Applied Research Associates (ARA) as Director of Strategic Defense Programs before coming to JT4. Pat is a Distinguished Graduate from the US Air Force Academy where he earned his bachelor’s degree in engineering sciences, was a national scholarship winner leading to his master’s degree in aeronautical and astronautical engineering from the University of Washington. In addition, Pat was the Top Graduate from the US Test Pilot School (now an accredited master’s degree program), and was a Distinguished Graduate of the Naval War College where he earned another master’s degree in national security and strategic studies. Pat is an Associate Fellow in the Society of Experimental Test Pilots where he has served on the Board of Directors and as Technical Advisor. Pat and his wife, Diana (also a US Air Force Academy graduate) have two adult children, Patrick and Katherine. Their son is an F-16 Fighter Pilot stationed in Japan and their daughter is an Animation Editor at Netflix in Burbank, CA. Pat was Captain of the Air Force Parachute Team with over 800 parachute jumps, enjoys woodworking and continues to fly.
KAMEN PENEV Kamen Penev is a Vice President of Engineering at MGM Resorts International. He leads a team of software developers responsible for implementing cloud services for E-Commerce, Identity, Payments and Guest Experience. Prior to joining MGM Resorts in 2018, Kamen was an engineering manager at Microsoft Azure and before that, a software engineer at the Microsoft Subscription Commerce Group. In a previous life, Kamen was also a robotics software engineer and worked on embedded real-time operating systems and motion planning. Kamen holds a PhD in Computer Science from the University of Southern California.
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FALL 2020 Senior Design Judges MICHEL LANGLOIS Michel Langlois, an Enterprise Architect leader with over 30 years of experience in delivering high impact technology solutions. Michel grew up in San Jose California, graduated from California State University Fullerton with a BA in Business Administration having a concentration in MIS, and is a TOGAF certified Enterprise Architect. Michel has 20+ years of experience delivering large scale internet applications and platforms. Michel’s career has spanned from application development to Enterprise Architecture in many different business verticals including real estate, CPG, QSR, logistics, B2B commerce, grocery, and hospitality. Michel began his career as a software developer for several large companies in Los Angeles and the San Francisco Bay Area including Ticor Title, Leisure Technology, Maxfactor, and Computerland. Michel made the transition from development to architecture in the mid-2000s. Michel has been a member of and has led Enterprise Architecture teams with American President Lines in Oakland California, Safeway in Pleasanton California, Starbucks in Seattle Washington, Prologis in Denver Colorado, and now with MGM in Las Vegas Nevada where he is the VP of Enterprise Architecture. As part of the MGM technology team, Michel leads the MGM Enterprise Architecture team which provides architecture leadership to the delivery of the MGM digital transformation strategy that is spearheading touchless, cashless, and customer empowerment solutions to enhance overall customer experience along with MGM brand reputation. The MGM EA team provides architecture thought leadership, innovation leadership, and alignment of business capability needs to technology solutions. Michel is married, has 4 children, enjoys snow skiing, hiking, mountain biking, and automobiles.
MICHAEL SADOWITZ Michael Sadowitz is a lawyer specializing in patent litigation involving all sorts of technologies, including electronics, semiconductors, software, and mechanical devices. He graduated from UNLV in 2006 with a BSEE (summa cum laude) where he and his team were awarded the Grand Prize for their Senior Design innovation, the “TruePOS” restaurant self-ordering system. He was introduced to the patent system through this process and was intrigued by the intersection of technology and advocacy. He attended law school at the University of Michigan and graduated in 2010 (cum laude). He began his practice near Detroit at the Brooks Kushman law firm, and shortly moved to his “first” hometown of New York City (Las Vegas is first in his heart, but he was born and raised in Brooklyn, NY) to practice at the Quinn Emanuel law firm, where he worked on large patent litigations such as the Apple v. Samsung smartphone wars. He currently practices at the patent litigation boutique firm Radulescu LLP specializing in LEDrelated litigation. He is humbled and excited to be one of the judges for this year’s Senior Design competition.
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FALL 2020 Senior Design Judges GOPAL VENKATARAMAN Gopal Venkataraman is an Information Technology Professional, an Entrepreneur, a singer songwriter, recording artist and a part time music teacher and a resident in the Las Vegas area for the past 10 years. He is a senior level executive in the field of Information Technology, focusing on efficient and creative ways of solving problems and challenges encountered in the IT industry. He has conducted many fund-raisers in the Las Vegas area and other cities in the US to raise money to help people affected by natural calamities. He believes that elevating other people is a certain way to elevate one’s own status in society.
JOANNA WASWORTH Joanna Wadsworth serves as the Assistant City Traffic Engineer at the City of Las Vegas having nearly two decades practicing civil and transportation engineering. She has worked in both the private and public sectors on a variety of projects including intelligent transportation systems and transportation planning and design. Through her private sector experience, she brings working knowledge of ITS with an emphasis on applications, feasibility, and plan development. She was a team member on the Freeway and Arterial System of Transportation (FAST) project including development of the design plans, specifications, estimate, and construction support services in Las Vegas, Nevada. Her focus at the City includes pedestrian safety, traffic calming, complete street projects, and Smart City technology planning and design. A native of Las Vegas, Joanna earned her Bachelor of Science in civil engineering and a Master of Science in civil/transportation engineering. She is a graduate of the University of Nevada, Las Vegas. Joanna is a certified Professional Engineer (P.E.) in Nevada. She is a member of Institute of Transportation Engineers (ITE).
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FALL 2020 Senior Design Judges BOB JONES Mr. Jones is currently assigned to NASA HQ NASA Management Office Jet Propulsion Laboratory (JPL), Pasadena CA responsible as Commercialization and Utilization Manager, JPL Technology Transfer and Infusion Manager, JPL Program Manager for SBIR/STTR Programs, Small Business Programs, Technical Advisor, direct infusion for Planetary Exploration including Mars Exploration, Artemis Moon Mission/Exploration and Center Export Administrator. Prior to NASA he has served prestigious titles such as CEO, Vice President, President, Mission Mangager, Science Coordinator, Launch Vehicle Manager and Avionic System Analysis. Very early in his career he managed the Avionic System Analysis and Integration Laboratory (AVSAIL) at Wright-Patterson AFB, OH; the $60 million Embedded Computer Support Improvement Program; the low-cost Synthetic Aperture Radar simulator; the Ada 1750A and 1553 computer simulator; Jovial to ADA translator compiler, the F-16 high-speed fire control computer interface, performance monitor, and control unit; and the first smart box and router for peripherals and computers. He was also an Executive Officer to the Avionics Laboratory Director. Also during his Air Force Career he acted as a Launch Vehicle Program/ Deputy Program Managers for test of the $4 billion Brilliant Pebbles Program. During this time he was also named the Mission Director for BP1M mission. After his active duty was finished he became a member of the Air Force Reserve where he coordinated test range support involving over 100 aircraft flying over 25,000 flight hours per year. As the AFFTC Project Manager, he managed and supported Future X program, X-37, X-38, X-40A, X43 and X-33 and more. He brought the B-52H Air Launch Platform to the AFFTC with congressional mandated funds to NASA Dryden (Now Armstrong) Flight Research Center in under 90 days; helped define the Air Force Space Test Engineer course at the US Air Force Test Pilot School for the Next Generation Astronauts and also appointed to attend the course and graduated as senior ranking officer, Space Vehicle Test course. Mr. Jones served as Air Force Reservist to the Director of Access to Space Office as well as Chief of Range Safety. As part of the congress mandated infrastructure support study, Mr. Jones was responsible for identifying cost savings by reducing many of the space related assets at Edwards AFB, CA. Mr. Jones retired from the Air Force Reserves in 2004.
ANGELA DAVISON Currently employed in the public service sector as a patent examiner with the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office, Angela’s previous employment experiences include serving as an electrical design engineer with a Big 3 automaker, in-house counsel to a multi-national packaging company and a pneumatic valve manufacturer, and as a private practice intellectual property and corporate attorney. Angela’s community outreach includes volunteering as a judge with FIRST robotics for the past 17 seasons [and counting!]. Angela earned a B.S.E.E. from UNLV in 1996 and a Juris Doctorate from Wayne State University in 2002.
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FALLD2020 epartment Senior ofDC esign ivil and Judges Environmental Engineering and Construction Projects D epartment Chair D r. Sajjad A hmad
S enior D esign I nstructor D r. David James
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D owntown Access Project Participants Marco Gonzalez, Gregory Nicholson, John Relato & Marcos Sardinas
Instructor Dr. David James
Faculty & Technical Advisor Dr. Shashi Nambisan Community Advisor Ryan Wheeler, P.E.
Problem Identified Drivers seeking to pass through the Las Vegas/Henderson area from the expanding I-11 to US95 or I-15, and vice-versa, will need to endure the cities’ heavy traffic. This traffic is composed of residents commuting to/from work, as well as tourists. Interstate 515 from Eastern Avenue to the “Spaghetti Bowl” interchange has not been meeting current transportation demands, due to aging infrastructure, along with the interchanges being spaced so close together. This causes more weaving/merging, resulting in higher crash rates and injuries, as well as traffic being backed up during peak hours.
Current Solutions The current solutions provided by the Nevada Department of Transportation (NDOT) primarily address the aging I-515 viaduct structure from Eastern to the “Spaghetti Bowl.” The first proposed alternative is to demolish the existing viaduct and construct a recessed freeway, as well as constructing bridges for side street traffic going north/south. The second alternative is to reconstruct the viaduct, but align the western portion slightly to the south. The third alternative proposes the same solution, but the western portion alignment being adjusted to the north.
Team’s Solution Our proposed solution is to reroute the number of lanes on the I-515 in order to accommodate peak traffic flow. The team will design for a 40-year demand, using the AADT traffic count number and calculate the volume and level of service. These qualitative elements will help in analysing and comparing our alternative to the current market alternatives. The team will also improve or replace the two existing bridges that make up the current I-515 viaduct. Finally, the team will look into adding an arterial at grade level, while also restricting road access in order to increase right of way.
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Eastern and Serene Intersection Project Participants Pouya Amini Lari, Lester Aquino, Eguenia Bebis & Jeanette Rios
Instructor
Faculty & Technical Advisor
Dr. David James
Dr. Shashi Nambisan
Community Advisor Kaizad Yazdani
Problem Identified The project seeks to effectively address vehicle mobility at the intersection of South Eastern Avenue and East Serene Avenue. This intersection has the longest traffic signal time in the valley. The current eastbound left-turn lane on Serene Avenue has high vehicular traffic volume, which causes the signal time to be extended for that portion of the intersection. This long signal time causes the intersection timing to be extended for oncoming traffic in all sections of the intersection, thereby increasing delays.
Current Solutions The current market solution for the intersection is the existing site design, signal time and phasing of Eastern Avenue and Serene Avenue. The most recent modification to the intersection was implemented nearly two decades ago. That project sought to provide improvements along the Eastern corridor, which includes the intersection of interest. Therefore, no alternative designs are currently available to address the extended signal timing.
Team’s Solution Three alternative solutions are being proposed. The alternatives include lane change configurations, along with signal time and phase changes. The first alternative is to modify the existing pork chop island located at the eastbound on-ramp for Interstate 215 to include two right-turn lanes. The second alternative includes the modification of the on ramp, as well as extending the median island of Serene’s eastbound left-turn lane. The third alternative is to remove the crosswalk from the southbound Eastern approach and relocate the northbound Eastern bus stop upstream. The purpose of these alternatives is to ultimately improve the service level and signal timing for the intersection. Since a majority of vehicles on eastbound Serene turn left, accommodating this section will shorten the signal timing, which will extend signal timing in other roadways at the intersection. Relocating the northbound Eastern bus stop will also decrease congestion that occurs behind a bus when it is stopped in the right turn lanes for the on ramp.
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Freeway Topia Project Participants Jonathan Jensen, Jessica Paswaters & Jordan Rapoza
Instructor
Faculty & Technical Advisor
Dr. David James
Dr. Shashi Nambisan
Technical & Community Advisor Jeff Lerud (NDOT)
Problem Identified The intersection of Flamingo Road and Interstate I-15 is currently cumbersome and inefficient. During peak hours, drivers merging onto Flamingo Road from I-15 south cause a major back-up, which affects traffic entering the Las Vegas Strip corridor. The team plans to design a better on-ramp and off-ramp system at Flamingo Road to better-serve the general public.
Current Solutions At the intersection of Tropicana Avenue (Eastbound) and I-15 (South) there is a flyover that merges traffic onto Tropicana Avenue very smoothly and efficiently. This solution has helped the traffic flow exiting the I-15, allowing for I-15 traffic to continue without causing backup.
Team’s Solution Our team’s solution includes evaluating the current intersection at Flamingo Road and developing alternatives that would create a more efficient and effective intersection, while also bringing more traffic into the Las Vegas strip corridor.
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High Speed Rail Project Participants Terry Alibangbang, Arielle Palanca & Saul Perez
Instructor
Faculty & Technical Advisors
Dr. David James
Dr. Mohamed Kaseko & Dr. Hualiang Teng
Community Advisor Xpresswest
Problem Identified This project seeks to remove the inconvenience of traveling to California from Las Vegas. The current drive-time to Apple Valley from Las Vegas is around 3 hours, but that time would be cut in half to 1.5 hours with a high-speed rail. The current speed limit on the I-15 is 75 mph, while a high-speed rail train travels at a maximum speed of 180 mph. High-speed rail is much more efficient than driving or flying, in terms of carbon footprint, travel time and safety.
Current Solutions There are many high-speed rail train systems around the world. Currently, there are about 800 train sets in China, 600 in France, 450 in Japan, 300 in Spain and around 20 in the US. There have been rumors about the US building an interconnected, high-speed rail system around the country and the design is finally moving towards the construction phase. Some good models to follow are the high speed rail systems in China, Spain and Germany, as some of their trains reach maximum speeds of 300 km/hr.
Team’s Solution High-speed rail is a relatively new transportation concept in the US, and there are finally going to be rail stations connecting Las Vegas, Nevada and California, making travel from state to state more efficient and safer. Automobile accidents are prevalent due to numerous factors, but with the use of high-speed rail, auto accident rates can be lowered, as more people choose to travel by rail. A lot of money is spent on gasoline, maintenance and other auto costs when traveling by car, but those can be averted by traveling by high-speed rail. Most high-speed rail systems run on clean energy, so people will be contributing to a smaller carbon footprint by traveling with this method. Compared to flying, high-speed rail is also more efficient, safer and greener. Additionally, passengers will not have to deal with the hassle of flight delays or going through intensive TSA checkpoints when traveling by high-speed rail. While traveling long distances is more practical by plane, short distance journeys will be more efficient with high-speed rail.
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Hydrological Modeling Project Participants Jeremiah Acosta, Yvonne Diaz, William Miller & Mark Stanley
Instructor
Faculty & Technical Advisors
Dr. David James
Dr. Haroon Stephen & Dr. Sajjad Ahmad
Technical Advisor
Community Advisors
Ching Wang (CCRFCD)
Al Jankowiak (COH), Oh-Song Kwon (CLV) & Peter Jackson (CLV)
Problem Identified Flood control infrastructure in Clark County is frequently designed with multiple intended uses. For instance, flood control basins usually contain recreational facilities, parks and public green spaces that tend to be heavily utilized due to their locations and proximity to residential areas. Flood hazards are introduced where potential flooding intersects with human activity and there can be significant flood hazards in maintaining these multi-use facilities. Improvements to life-safety for these facilities can be accomplished by redesigning the basins to provide safer egress from the recreational areas during flood events.
Current Solutions The scope of this project includes two different site locations. At the Gowan North Detention Basin, the current solution features signage with the goal of increasing awareness of the multi-use nature of the facility and provides emergency services during significant flood events, including pedestrian rescue from multi-use facilities. Meanwhile at Cornerstone Park, rain gauges are used to identify when a flood event is occurring and park services are called in to close off the area if significant water is flowing downstream towards the park.
Team’s Solution At both site locations, the current solutions do not decrease the time required for users to safely exit the basins. For this reason, the group has developed solutions for each site location within the scope of this project. Our proposal is to reconfigure the Gowan North Detention Basin in order to create an area with an elevation above the inundation level of a 10-year, 6-hour flood event which will allow individuals to egress within 2 minutes, compared to the current 7.5 minutes. Meanwhile, we will analyze Cornerstone Park for a 100-year, 6-hour storm event, and estimate the time it takes for water levels to reach 2, 4, and 6 feet abovenormal elevations. After this analysis, the team will develop a response system in the hopes of lowering the community rating system and allowing the surrounding communities to reap the benefits of lower insurance rates. The proposal will be presented in a dashboard application to allow for the rapid review of spatial data, highlighting the inundation levels associated with the modeled return periods.
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Out with the Poo, In with the New Project Participants Sidney Iwata, Curtis Kirby & Godliness Oyekale
Instructor
Faculty & Technical Advisors
Dr. David James
Dr. Sajjad Ahmad & Dr. Haroon Stephen
Community Advisors Suzanne Trabia & Michael Warnick
Problem Identified The quality of a 70-year-old trunk sewer pipe has degraded and needs to be replaced. Due to the city’s expansion, the pipe also needs to be redesigned to have sufficient capacity to accommodate projected future increases in flow rates. The City of Henderson has projected a diameter of 30 inches to meet the demand capacity.
Current Solutions In today’s market, open cut trench excavation is the traditional and most popular method for sewer line replacement. This method consists of excavating a trench for the manual installation of each piece of pipe.
Team’s Solution In order to protect the new asphalt road that was recently redesigned and constructed, our team has researched various trenchless pipe removal methods. Using a trenchless pipe removal method would benefit the community that uses the sewer. Not only would it remove the need to destroy and reconstruct an asphalt road that was recently built, it would also minimize the effects of construction, maintenance, odors and possible overflows/leaks in the surrounding community.
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Department of Computer Science Projects D epartment Chair D r. S idkazem Taghva
S enior D esign I nstructor D r. A ndreas Stefik
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Accessible Data Science with Quorum Project Participants Noel Chang, Gabriel Contreras, Kenneth Duong, Anthony Louie, Manuel Martinez, Cody Molisee, David Van Heck & Silafu Yiliyaer
Instructor Dr. Andreas Stefik
Problem Identified Our project seeks to add more functionality to the Quorum statistical package, while incorporating accessibility for disabled learners. We aim to improve the statistical package with more charts, functions, and customizations to provide users with improved functionality.
Current Solutions The most notable solutions in the market today are Python, Bootstrap, and Myna. Python is a widely used language with a fast learning curve. Bootstrap is an online education service that also makes programming accessible for students with disabilities. Lastly, Myna is a project from the C.S. department at the University of Alabama, which is currently incomplete but has similar goals to Quorum.
Team’s Solution The majority of other products that Quorum will compete with are very successful in a narrow scope. Quorum is already being used across the country for Computer Science education in middle schools and high schools. The continued development of the language provides new features, and allows Quorum to adapt to the needs of users in many ways. Quorum is continuously adapting to meet educational and accessibility needs, which is not something competing products are doing.
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Bytes Project Participants Chad Decker, Jae Doh, Dario Drachen, Arthur Flachsenhar & Noah Letkiewicz
Instructor Dr. Andreas Stefik
Problem Identified Our aim is to provide the public with an easy to use source of finding relevant food dish reviews. To be able to search for a specific food dish and show nearby restaurants that have that dish along with a rating on portion size, taste, price, and overall.
Current Solutions A popular solution is Yelp which contains many great features that contribute to its success. It allows you to search for restaurants, cuisine and different foods (e.g. chicken wings, pizza) near a location. One aspect that could be improved is the rating system. A singular rating with no different categories does not necessarily tell readers everything they want to know about the food or experience.
Team’s Solution What differentiates us from other restaurant review websites (RRWs) is that our main focus is on the food. Research shows that the food is the most important factor in a customer’s opinion of a restaurant. However, there are many hidden gems that often get overlooked due to other factors such as ambience, service, etc. By focusing on specific dishes restaurants have more opportunities to rise above their shortcomings. We aim to highlight dishes that stand out above the rest, as many restaurants often serve the same dishes. Our goal at Bytes is to help customers find their favorite dishes in their local area.
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Devour the Tower Project Participants Christina Cheung, Robert de Luna, Gabriel Domino, Cody Gronning, Kayvon Heravi, Patrick Kenny & Andrea Peret
Instructor Dr. Andreas Stefik
Problem Identified Our goal is to create a mobile game that is fun, engaging, rewarding and that can be played in a short amount of time. Devour the Tower is a 2-D “stacker” game for mobile devices, in which the player will stack food objects as high as possible with minimal mistakes, and then, after a predefined number of mistakes, the player will guide a character up from the bottom of the stack, consuming it. The game will be designed using the Unity engine using C#.
Current Solutions Mobile games such as Stack Jump and Feed the King are good examples of games that fit the “stacker” genre. The arcade classic Stacker is also a good example of this type of game.
Team’s Solution We plan on expanding on this basic formula by adding a second stage to the game where after the stack has been created, we will have a character moving on the screen attempting to eat as much of the stack as possible. This stack will be uneven and will require the player to maneuver the character from left to right along the shape of the stack using the device’s accelerometer to center the character as they go. This balancing-act binge will give the player extra opportunity to increase their score after the first stage.
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Network Visualizer Project Participants Derbi Calderon, Wargen Guittap, Neil Himes, John Inductivo, Bryan Nunez, Kai Sleight, Juan Uscanga & Sedachael Zeleke
Instructor Dr. Andreas Stefik
Problem Identified The problem our project seeks to solve is the lack of knowledge and control users have over their own networks. Networks can be cumbersome to follow, and the concepts can be difficult to grasp. As such, our goal is to create a user-friendly android application that visualizes the network flow that a user is connected to. By doing this, the user will have the ability to see the devices connected on their network by category, view further information on these devices, and learn about network terminology and security information/tips.
Current Solutions Solutions found in the current market include: Network Manager for Android, WiFi Analyzer for Android, and ASUS Router Application for IOS/Android. All these applications are pieces of software used to provide the user with information about their network. These features include listing a device’s IP and MAC address, analyzing WiFi signal and strength, monitoring traffic of individual devices, and allowing for bandwidth limiting. The number of features available in all the applications are great, but the applications themselves cater to more experienced/expert users. The pages are overloaded with information and terminology that the user is assumed to know.
Team’s Solution Our team’s solution is to create a general-purpose network visualizer that is targeted towards non-tech-savvy users. We plan on succeeding in this by including many of the features that the above applications have in a more user-friendly environment, by including a tutorial and tool tips, along with networking definitions for terminology, while creating simple easy to use buttons for scanning devices and easier navigation around the application. Therefore, our target audience is non-techsavvy users, who would like to better understand how networking works and how to safely monitor their devices within their home or small business.
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Quorum iOS Transpilation Project Participants Tony Amin, Jorge Garcia, Kevin Liao, Victor Pirana, Nicholas VanCise & An Vo
Instructor Dr. Andreas Stefik
Problem Identified Quorum is an evidence-based programming language that is designed to be accessible to everyone, in particular to individuals who are blind and use a screen reader technology (Washington.edu). However, it is limited meaning that there is no support for iOS programming.
Current Solutions A few solutions we found in the current market are, Swift Playground, Scratch and Pycharm. Swift Playground offers a built-in screen reader for the iPad version of the app that helps the user navigate through the different choices of code they can choose. Scratch uses drop-in code blocks to teach coding fundamentals. The drop in code blocks control visual graphics called “sprites”. Lastly, Pycharm is an integrated development environment (IDE) for programming in python.
Team’s Solution The purpose of our project is to provide users of Quorum with more accessibility, by expanding its compatibility with iOS programming. We plan to do this by taking the java bytecode generated by Quorum and running it through a transpiler to output objective-c code that can run on an iOS device. This would allow code written in Quorum to be ported onto iOS devices. We plan to use RoboVM, a compiler for Java bytecode, targeting Linux, Mac OS X and iOS to do this.
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Quorum Terrain & Particle Integration Project Participants Nicholaus Bloom, Anthony Iskandar, Brandon Kerman & Blake Williams
Instructor Dr. Andreas Stefik
Problem Identified The Quorum programming language has various useful library packages for up-and-coming programmers. Examples of these libraries range from mathematical computation to video game creation, while also allowing for easy integration of 3D simulations, due to the existing graphical package in the standard library. The “Quark” particle generator and the “All Terrain” terrain generator were specially designed to work with Quorum. However, as of now, neither of these programs exist in the standard library.
Current Solutions There are no current solutions in the market.
Team’s Solution Our objective is to integrate these two programs into Quorum, so users can easily import them from the standard library. The particle generator and the terrain generator will prove useful for those who plan on creating games, designing graphics, running simulations, etc. with the Quorum programming language. Since a current solution doesn’t exist, our team’s solution will be the first to allow easy terrain and particle generation in Quorum. This will help junior programmers, as well as the visually impaired around the world, using Quorum as a part of their studies.
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TCG Tracking Tool Project Participants Jeffrey Chen, Philip Cheung, Mark Dugay, Bong Lee & Yevgen Sakevych
Instructor
Faculty Advisor
Dr. Andreas Stefik
Dr. Laxmi Gewali
Problem Identified There is currently no easy way to track the price history of trading cards with a notification system that alerts users if a card has increased/decreased in value, which helps owners make a more informed decision on when to sell or buy.
Current Solutions While there are similar applications, such as the browser extension “Honey” for Amazon, for Trading Card Games (TCG) no such solutions exist yet.
Team’s Solution This application will benefit both collectors and investors of the hobby. Our application functions as a wish list, letting them know when the price of a card drops, as well as a tool for those that may be holding multiple copies of a card, waiting for the moment to sell them when the price is high. As mentioned before, such an application or one similar to it does not yet exist for TCGs.
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Sudoku Web Fonts Project Participants Ziheng Fang, Monica Merluza, Ryan Poppe, Srija Reddy Rava & Erving Sosa
Instructor Dr. Andreas Stefik
Problem Identified Currently, it is difficult and cumbersome for developers to render fonts in a canvas on a webpage. Our project aims to make it easier for developers by allowing for the use of font rendering libraries inside of a web canvas. FreeType, a popular web font library, only works on local computers, so we set on a task to have it running on the web.
Current Solutions One solution on the market is Pixi.JS, which claims to “Create beautiful digital content with the fastest, most flexible 2D WebGL renderer” (pixijs.io). It is a fully featured HTML5 rendering engine that has support for fonts, sprites, animation, and much more.
Team’s Solution Our solution is to provide use of the FreeType font rendering library in a web browser through a new technology called WebAssembly. FreeType is written in C and is very commonly used in C and C++ programming languages. WebAssembly allows for the compilation of C and C++ to be used on a web page via Javascript. This solution is better than Pixi.JS because it opens web development to C++, which can be much faster than Javascript alone. This solution also has the potential for corporate cost savings, because projects already made with C++ can be ported to the web environment in less time.
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Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering Projects D epartment Chair D r. B iswajit Das
S enior D esign I nstructor D r. M ing Zhu
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Vision iQ Project Participants Steven Lee, Ron Joshua Recrio & Tenniel Takenaka-Fuller
Instructor Dr. Ming Zhu
Problem Identified Our project seeks to help companies become more buyer-centric. Eye-tracking can give companies an idea of what draws their customer’s attention, how customers engage with products, and what influences buyer’s decisions.
Current Solutions Tobii eye tracking software already exists in the current market.
Team’s Solution Our team’s solution is to build a low cost and lightweight eye tracking device. Existing products are extremely expensive (upwards of thousands of dollars), and the headgear is bulky, heavy, and a little awkward. Our project is a casual solution with a low price point, making it accessible to anyone, ranging from small business owners to large companies, or even to students who want to participate in eye-tracking for research.
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Homie Project Participants Rhyan Daniel Granados, Lyuben Hristov & David Pajar
Instructor Dr. Ming Zhu
Problem Identified Many smart devices and systems already exist in the market and have become more common in households. However, these implementations have not yet been applied to large-scale commercial use. Reasons for this are that these smart systems and devices are often outside of a feasible price range and there is a lack of full support for devices that don’t connect to wireless networks. The goal of our project is to develop an affordable smart system for implementation in hotels, businesses, or households.
Current Solutions Our research indicates that there are various solutions in the marketplace and different types of smart devices (Alexa, Google Nest, Amazon Echo Plus, Apple HomePod), but a majority of them have high price tags and their designs are inconveniently large. Additionally, the cost effectiveness of competitors is limited due to expensive products, averaging over hundreds of dollars per smart device.
Team’s Solution The implementation of this technology is expensive and scarce due to the high costs of manufacturing, installation and maintenance. These products contain limited measures and are specialized in one area, whereas ours caters to the user, business and/or facility at a low price. Individuals who want to renovate their homes into smart homes, along with businesses such as hotels, and public facilities such as hospitals will benefit from our project’s versatility and low price point.
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Pick and Place Robot Project Participants Jiajian Chen & Elizabeth Heider
Instructor Dr. Ming Zhu
Faculty Advisor Dr. Venkatesan Muthukumar
Community Advisors Jeff Markle & Terry Kell
Problem Identified In large warehouses, such as an Amazon warehouse, human labor is still used to sort items before they are shipped to customers. As robots are being developed to perform such duties, they are not used just yet due to the heavy costs and unreliability of the current systems available now.
Current Solutions Currently, there are many automated robotic systems running in many retail warehouses, but they are limited. A common pattern seen comparing operations in many facilities, is robots moving and organizing units, and humans sorting items within the units. Amazon holds an annual “Amazon Picking Challenge” for high school and higher education students to help find solutions and improvements to their current operations.
Team’s Solution The Pick and Place Robot is a cost-friendly approach to creating a reliable automated system for sorting items. Within a shipping center, safety, reliability, and continuing production are the main priorities. A corporation’s largest priority is lowering expenses and increasing revenue. The Pick and Place Robot utilizes simple computer vision tools to identify and measure objects, and is constructed of basic electronic components. With a reliable system being automated, the shipping and handling process will become even faster, and anyone who’s an online shopper will benefit. With fewer human employees on warehouse floors, this can also improve safety, as well as prevent the spread of illnesses. Although it is a small scale of what could be produced, our solution is a step closer to faster and more reliable production.
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Smart Stepper Project Participants Itzel Becerril, John Patrick Buen & Serak Gebremedhin
Instructor
Faculty Advisor
Dr. Ming Zhu
Dr. Venkatesan Muthukumar
Problem Identified Abnormal gait disorder affects nearly one fourth of the world’s population, with children developing this condition at the ages of 3 or 5. This disorder can create future gait complications such as bunions, poor balance, pain in ankle/leg, and/or difficulty walking. It is estimated between 7% to 24% of children suffer from a condition known as toe-walking. The use of our design will help target this walking disorder (i.e. toewalking) before any of the above-mentioned complications become permanent.
Current Solutions There are a handful of products that have attempted to prevent toe-walking/bunions such as insoles, shoes, or therapeutic equipment. In terms of therapeutic solutions, there are braces, alignment socks, and splints that are used to correct bunions. Certain insoles offer arch support to prevent bunions from worsening while providing cushioning. Podiatrists also recommend shoes that are developed to support the use of the insoles mentioned earlier, while providing proper support for the toes, balls of the feet, and heels.
Team’s Solution Therapeutic solutions consist of a material that wraps around the foot to slowly correct the bunion after daily use; however, this solution is not a preventative, but rather a corrective solution. Other products like ours offer an insole, but the insole is used as a tool to collect data on the user’s gait because our project wants to correct the user’s gait with haptic feedback (i.e. vibrations) to the user’s foot. Other market insoles are designed with certain support to adjust the foot to a normal walking position, but they offer no guarantee of progress, or the prevention of toe-walking. Our design will slowly rehabilitate one’s gait to prevent future complications. The haptic feedback that our design will give to the user consists of a small coin motor that will vibrate to notify the user of their incorrect walking gait. This will slowly rehabilitate the user’s gait through self-correction. This design will also prevent younger children from developing an abnormal gait disorder due to the feedback it will give them; thus, our solution is preventative, so that users can avoid future health issues. Though our design is targeted at younger children, it could also be used by adults who want to improve their gait to avoid worsening their condition, which will make our solution both preventative and corrective, depending on the age of the user and the severity of their condition.
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Spirit Tank Project Participants Dillon Archibald & Geovanni Portillo
Instructor
Community Advisors
Dr. Ming Zhu
Jennifer Clark & Brandon Martin
Problem Identified The main issue our project aims to address is that growing and harvesting fresh spirulina, a nutritionally dense algae, requires a considerable amount of attention and time, along with moderate technical skill. By automating the cultivation process, we want to make it easier to grow spirulina, as well as to increase the output.
Current Solutions Powdered spirulina supplements currently represent a $400 million industry, but the drying process results in a product with an unpleasant taste, and only 20% the nutrition of fresh spirulina. Many powdered supplements were found to be contaminated with heavy metals that they absorbed from the polluted outdoor environment they were grown in. Raw spirulina is a perishable commodity that is prohibitively expensive to ship and distribute to all but the most affluent consumers, necessitating decentralized production without reduction of quality or safety. Currently, growing fresh spirulina at home as a DIY project is time consuming and requires moderate skill, and is therefore inaccessible to most consumers.
Team’s Solution The Spirit Tank is an automated system for cultivating spirulina that requires minimal help, so that it is easy to grow your own food at home or for a business. A chemical batch tank mixes and dispenses solutions to grow and feed the culture in the culture tank. Using an array of sensors, multiple aspects such as temperature, water level, and pH are monitored, so that elements such as light and heat can be controlled, with an effort to maximize the spirulina output. Athletes, health conscious supplement users, and anyone who wants to grow their own superfood to be more food-independent can use the Spirit Tank, without any technical skill or time investment required.
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The BARista Project Participants Jose Cortez, Riddhi Patel & Kaylee Spencer
Instructor Dr. Ming Zhu
Problem Identified Our main goal is to be able to assist bartenders on their busiest nights. We also want customers to have a more convenient experience with shorter wait times, and be able to easily order custom cocktails.
Current Solutions There have been similar implementations at Planet Hollywood Hotel and Casino with The Tipsy Robot, which is a large pair of robotic arms that prepare alcoholic drinks.
Team’s Solution Our team’s solution is an automated cocktail maker that allows bartenders to work on their own tasks as the BARista makes cocktails ordered through an app. This gives bartenders more time to focus on other customer requests, while cocktails are still being made. Those that will benefit from having our project are restaurants and bars that tend to get busy and could use an extra hand. The BARista also takes up less area in comparison to other similar products; our project makes cocktails by passing cups through a conveyor belt, making the overall design more compact.
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Department of Entertainment Engineering & Design Projects S enior D esign I nstructors D r. M ing Zhu & D r. Zhiyong Wang
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Interactive Kiosk Project Participants Jamie Hua & Marcela Solis
Instructor
Faculty Advisor
Dr. Zhiyong Wang
Michael Genova
Technical Advisor Dr. Si Jung “SJ” Kim
Problem Identified The interactive kiosk looks to revamp limited marketing, idle advertisements, and hidden self-service stations located within casino buildings that patrons may bypass. Built to adapt to all types of users, the kiosk will be able to draw the patron’s attention in fun, entertaining, and interactive ways. The kiosk will also contribute to reducing foot traffic located around box office areas and general casino floors.
Current Solutions Solutions currently found in casinos are stationary self-service kiosks, built-in digital posters, and a centralized concierge.
Team’s Solution The Interactive Kiosk is a mobile kiosk that can interact with guests through a touch screen. The interface of the touch screen can be programmed depending on the consumers’ needs, whether that be an interactive map, a ticketing system, advertisements, etc.
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Just Drop It Project Participants Camren Wakefield
Instructor
Faculty Advisor
Dr. Ming Zhu
Michael Genova
Problem Identified A kabuki drop or drop-and-release is a system that usually drops large fabric curtains, but can also release anything that is within the weight rating. The current methods of dropping fabric or other scenic elements is elementary. They can be loud, inefficient, and rigid. Just Drop It looks to solve all of those and remain competitive in the industry. This drop-and-release system will use components that are quieter and more energy efficient while remaining in a small package. The modules will be scalable, allowing for larger weight ratings.
Current Solutions There are three major options out in the market. There is a magnetic style that uses electromagnets to release the drop. There is a solenoid system that is the oldest system that most people are used to. There is also a new system that Rosebrand has developed that uses an axel that rotates to drop the fabric all at “once�. All these options have their issues, but the largest one that none of them are able to be controlled independently without including other systems. Each module runs for around $100 each.
Team’s Solution The system that I am developing will be incorporated into the lighting control system. Each module will be able to be individually controlled allowing for there to be more effects. The power consumption and noise will be decreased by using small stepper motors. Each one of my modules will be able to drop four times sequentially allowing for more effects in the same amount of modules and space. It will use the same connectors that are used in lighting controls. Since the module can be controlled through a lighting control system there can be prerecorded effects making it much easier to program. With the modularity of the system, it can be designed in any orientation.
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Interdisciplinary Projects
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Dream Microwave Project Participants Andrew Buchanan, Taylor Carrington, Jacob Dowd, Cody Jones & Moriah Wingrove
Instructor
Faculty Advisor
Dr. Ming Zhu
Dr. Zhiyong Wang
Technical Advisor Dr. Robert A. Schill
Problem Identified Current microwaves in households heat food unevenly. Our design and research are to perfect the household microwave with specific designs to the microwave itself, so that food is evenly cooked.
Current Solutions The current solution to the issue of unevenly cooked food is using a spinning plate in the microwave. There is an industrial microwave that we will base our design from, in which the heat is all focused in the center.
Team’s Solution We can’t use the industrial microwave for cooking food because it is massive and requires a lot of power. The spinning-plate microwave helps hit all of the pockets, but it isn’t guaranteed that the cold pockets in the food will be heated. With the spinning-plate microwave, there is also the need to direct power to the motor that is causing the plate to spin. Our microwave is a smaller version of the industrial one, so all of the energy is focused in the middle, and it uses the same power as a standard household microwave.
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Department of Mechanical Engineering Projects D epartment Chair D r. Yi -Tung Chen
S enior D esign I nstructor D r. Zhiyong Wang
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Aero Sweeper Project Participants Morgan Baumann, Zackery Kushner & Antonio Salvadori
Instructor Dr. Zhiyong Wang
Faculty Advisor Dr. Yi-Tung Chen
Problem Identified Our project looks to improve the efficiency of existing Vertical-Axis Wind Turbine (VAWT) designs by creating a convertible-combination of existing designs, specifically, a drag-type turbine with sheets that “catch” air to rotate a convertible structure to and from an airfoil-based turbine that generates torque using symmetrical airfoils.
Current Solutions Combination designs exist on the market. They have airfoils mounted around the turbine’s periphery and drag-type scoops at the center.
Team’s Solution Our team decided to go with a convertible combination design. The purpose of having a combination design is to overcome the issues of the two VAWT designs: drag-type turbines are low efficiency, while airfoil-based turbines have problems with self-starting at low wind speeds. The issue with combination designs is that the drag-type components influence their efficiency when the airfoils are operating. Our design looks to remove that interference by having deployable sails as our drag-components, which can later be spooled into the central shaft area. When the turbine gains the necessary speed from the sails, the airfoils can then take over operation. This is a product meant for small scale commercial businesses or homeowners that desire to have personal power production.
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Bio Durable Knee Implant Design and Manufacturing Project Participants Richie Arceo, Kellon Davis & Maria Medina
Instructor Dr. Zhiyong Wang
Faculty Advisor Dr. Brendan O’Toole
Problem Identified The Bio Durable Knee Implant seeks to remediate the pain and stiffness caused by the degradation of knee cartilage. This will be done by replacing any torn or degraded cartilage with an implant made of the biomaterial ChronoFlex AR.
Current Solutions The current market solution is the total condylar prosthesis developed in 1974. This is a highly invasive implant, which includes titanium and plastic parts, as well as requiring the removal of portions of bone. There have been reports of allergic reactions, corrosion and titanium toxicity.
Team’s Solution Our solution is to use the biomaterial ChronoFlex AR to replace only the cartilage. This is an improvement to the total condylar prosthesis because no bone will need to be removed to implant the knee replacement. Because the surgery is less invasive, there will be a lower recovery time and less patient risk. Also, since there is no metal in our solution, there is no chance of titanium corrosion or toxicity. All of these changes are meant to benefit the patient receiving the knee implant. With lower risk, we hope to lower cost, which will benefit both the patient and the hospital providing the surgery.
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Bx3C Project Participants Kai Jocson, Karlou Jones, Travis Murray & Holden Truong
Instructor Dr. Zhiyong Wang
Problem Identified When creating tubular structures, the intersections of tubes must be notched to fit together. The two methods used currently include hand-notching tubes or getting the cut by a CNC machine. Hand-notching tubes takes an abundance of time, and CNC-notching can have high costs to outsource.
Current Solutions Current solutions include $10K+ CNC tube notchers meant for bulk tube work, or small hand devices that can help with simple cuts but not complex joints.
Team’s Solution The BX3C aims to help enthusiasts or small business fabricators that need tube notching done at medium volumes. Current solutions call for a large time sink or large cost, while our solution gives fabricators the tools to bring many jobs in-house, reducing outsourcing and time. The CNC control allows for precise cuts that would be otherwise hard to do by hand. The cost of the machine will be cheaper than continually outsourcing these jobs.
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High Performance Thermistor Project Participants Harry Larson & Xavier Morgan-Lange
Instructor
Faculty Advisor
Dr. Zhiyong Wang
Dr. Shubhra Bansal
Problem Identified The thermal waste in many industries, such as power or steel production, is a large-scale problem. During processing, industries require and create a great deal of heat, but with current methodologies over half of this energy, in some cases, is unused and radiates wastefully into the environment. On a smaller scale, there can be problems with the scientific rigor of experimentation due to temperature measurements. Current laboratory heat sources have controls and readouts, but it is unclear where the measurements are taken from and this may cause inaccurate data. Additionally, if a very specific temperature is required, devices cannot always be relied upon to pinpoint the temperature.
Current Solutions For thermal waste applications, such as power or steel production, fuels are burned to raise a vessel’s temperature, causing a phase/state change of the vessel’s contents, which may then partake in a process (having carbon and dopants added for steels, and moving a turbine for steam). For experimentation, there are many brands of hot plates and thermal coils, which frequently utilize inductive heating and a non-local temperature gauge (in the device, but not near where the heat is utilized).
Team’s Solution Our team will use novel materials, such as hybrid ceramics and high performing alloys, to create high temperature, self-regulating thermistors, which are internally controlled via real-time system data input. Current solutions on the market rarely exceed 300°C, and when their heating surfaces are checked using an infrared thermometer, they frequently read different temperatures than their displays. Meanwhile, we strive to achieve temperatures only limited by the properties of our filament, which can be customized depending on application, even someday getting as high as or higher than 1000°C. This can benefit many sectors. In the case of academia, such a high-performance heating element could provide high-accuracy, high-control temperature conditions for scientifically rigorous experimentation. As an example, a single crystal specimen could be gradually heated during electron microscopic or Raman spectroscopic observation to examine real time molecular phase transitions in a solid. In the case of industry, such a technology could significantly reduce thermal waste, and offer a means to “electrify” a large sector of the manufacturing industry, reducing carbon emissions in the process. Ours is an approach that reconceptualizes the current power creation infrastructure by novel implementation of solar power, as opposed to replacing the grid with solar cells. Our thermistor will be adaptable, opening the possibility for heating solutions regardless of geometry and largely unlimited by application.
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Inflatable Umbrella Project Participants Richard Amissah, James Florido, Adrian Lee & Sarthi Patel
Instructor Dr. Zhiyong Wang
Technical & Community Advisor Norman McCombs
Problem Identified Our project’s main goal is to remove the metal spines from a normal umbrella and replace them with tubular plastic spines, making the umbrella inflatable. The design we are proposing makes the modern umbrella lighter and much more compact. The umbrella will also be made of clear plastic, which will increase user visibility. The product will be introduced in the final form as a one pump set up. Therefore, to fully inflate the tubular spines, the user will only have to pump the apparatus a singular time to fully inflate it.
Current Solutions Solutions found in the current market consist of an air umbrella that uses a CO₂ cartridge to dissipate the rainfall from the user, as well as one that uses PVC spines that will inflate and deflate upon the press of a button, which uses higher grade plastic, but also uses aluminum for the circular ring around the umbrella.
Team’s Solution Our team’s solution is better due to the relationship between the pump and spine setup. This product, in a wide scope, will be a one-time purchase compared to the previously mentioned solutions found in the market. With those solutions, the CO₂ cartridges have to be purchased after a certain amount of uses, whereas in our setup, the pump is attached to the stem of the umbrella. In relation to the umbrella itself, we completely remove the use of metal spines, with the advantage of plastic tubular spines that contract with the release of air and inflate with the addition of air. Our product is a step further for modern umbrellas because the plastic base we use decreases weight and provides a more compact and safer mechanism in comparison to current designs.
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Inner Bone Injection Apparatus (IBIA) Project Participants Jonah Adkins, Omar Garcia Perez & Jesus Lopez
Instructor Dr. Zhiyong Wang
Community Advisor Dr. Gregory Steiner
Problem Identified The Inner Bone Injection Apparatus will be used to deliver solutions into the inner bone. More specifically, the apparatus will deliver a solution that has been tested and shown to combat osteoporosis.
Current Solutions Similar devices drill or pierce into the bone. The most similar is a bone injection gun, which uses high force to access the inner bone. The high force may be problematic and cause harm for patients suffering from low bone density.
Team’s Solution The IBIA features a smooth outer cannula, which will allow for an easy transition against soft tissue to the targeted bone area. Only then is the serrated cannula introduced, which will drill into the target area; then a third cannula will emerge from within the instrument and pass through the hole made in the hard bone. The inner cannula will then allow injection of the solution into the inner bone. The whole process is low impact, and the instrument is easily operable. Users will benefit since no additional instruments will be needed to accomplish the task, and the apparatus uses low-cost disposable components to ensure cleanliness.
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IRL Stream Backpack Project Participant Paulino Ocampo
Instructor
Faculty Advisor
Dr. Zhiyong Wang
Dr. Brendan O’Toole
Problem Identified Live streaming conventions are difficult and unsafe for anyone to try because one’s hands and personal cellular device are in constant use.
Current Solutions Stream backpacks, selfie sticks, and go-pros are in the market.
Team’s Solution The solution is building a more comfortable, stylish and affordable stream backpack. Other solutions either cost upwards of $1000, or are too generic to be effective. Our backpack will be pre-programmed and easily fit into any standard backpack one would like to use, thus cutting costs and eliminating the technological barrier between the average consumer and self-made streaming backpacks.
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Microwave for Covid-19 Disinfection Project Participants Scott Isler & Jeffery Topacio
Instructor Dr. Zhiyong Wang
Problem Identified Our project aims to greatly reduce, if not eliminate, the spread of viruses, such as Covid-19 and bacteria through air circulation systems. It could also be fitted onto current hospital ventilator systems eliminating the need to continually replace air filters contaminated from patients with respiratory issues.
Current Solutions One solution is Germicidal UV Lamps that can be installed inside of an HVAC duct. They can become a hazard to workers doing maintenance on HVAC systems or air ducts. Other solutions involve the use of N99-N100 filters, or other HVAC filters. Other solutions involve the replacement of filters on a regular basis, which requires trained technicians and have time cost associated with them.
Team’s Solution Other solutions involve the replacement of filters on a regular basis, which requires trained technicians and have time cost associated with them. Our solution is better than current solutions as it does not capture the contaminated air, but it cleans and disinfects the air using superheated steam, and it does this without the need for regular maintenance. This will alleviate the need for medical staff to make the rounds to respiratory patients to replace their ventilator filters; it will also reduce the quantities of contaminants in ambient air in indoor facilities. This could allow for facilities to open at a greater capacity during pandemic situations, allowing for greater amounts of commerce to occur.
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Retro Modern Car Chassis Project Participants Saaid Abdala, Anthony Diaz, Vladimir Eliseeff, Braxton Douglas Tumaneng & Nicholas Thompson
Instructor Dr. Zhiyong Wang
Faculty Advisor Dr. Melissa Morris
Technical Advisor Terry Kell
Problem Identified Fully custom modified car chassis for improving classic cars are expensive. Most of the chassis only offer front independent suspension and rear dependent suspension.
Current Solutions Only two companies sell car chassis that will fit cars with a 108-inch wheelbase, and front and rear independent suspension. They are around $25,000 to $30,000, have no aftermarket replacement parts and include no roll cage.
Team’s Solution Our solution is to use OEM suspension components from a modern Corvette and Camaro. This allows for aftermarket support and parts will be available from any online or in-person automotive store. Also, using these components will reduce cost and time in manufacturing. We will also offer an optional roll cage included in the package if the customer wants it.
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Ultra Stable Laser Group Project Participants Antonio Bernardino & Jacob Clark
Instructor
Faculty Advisor
Dr. Zhiyong Wang
Dr. Yan Zhou
Problem Identified Our research group focuses on exploring new physics beyond the Standard Model by precision measurements using ultracold molecular ions. To coherently manipulate the molecular ions and resolve a single quantum state, a narrow linewidth laser (sub-kilohertz) is required. For a typical free-running External Cavity Diode Laser (ECDL), the linewidth is about 1 MHz, due to the mechanical vibrations of the laser cavity and unavoidable fluctuations of the laser diode current source. The goal for our project is to eliminate such noise and build a reference cavity with subkilohertz resonant frequency stability.
Current Solutions Any commercial cavity is made custom and prices vary. A kHz level cavity is sold for about $30,000.
Team’s Solution Our design incorporates four separate cavities in one unit. It is more cost effective for our research group to design one unit that can have four cavities rather than to buy one commercial cavity. Also, it greatly benefits our professor because the cavity is built to his specific needs for his experiments. The estimated cost for our cavity is about $7,000 to $10,000, which lowers the cost to about 1/3 for just one commercial laser cavity.
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Variable Throat Rocket Nozzle II (VTRN II) Project Participants Ho Young Ahn, Nicholas Chai, Chase Northrop & Jake Pettitt
Instructor Dr. Zhiyong Wang
Faculty Advisor Dr. William Culbreth
Technical Advisor Terry Kell
Problem Identified The VTRN project seeks to design and test a novel solution for varying the thrust in a conventional de Laval nozzle. This solution is intended for use with solid propellant systems, which have very limited means of reliably varying thrust, when compared to hybrid and liquid propellant systems.
Current Solutions Typically, varied thrust in a rocket nozzle is achieved by throttling the fuel delivery, but this only applies to hybrid and liquid propellant systems. The primarily researched solution for thrust modulation in a solid propellant motor involves moving a cone tip into the throat of the nozzle. This obstruction in the throat’s center alters the produced thrust, with a few known consequences.
Team’s Solution The VTRN team will employ an iris mechanism to change the nozzle’s cross-sectional area, rather than using the cone method. The cone method has been shown to produce only small thrust variation, paired with high deformation in the cone during prolonged firing. The iris mechanism is simpler to control from the outside and poses higher cooling applications, since it is not entirely immersed in the converging portion of the nozzle like that of the cone method. This solution will benefit solid propellant nozzle systems, from the advanced hobby scale to industrial use, if proven efficient enough. The VTRN gen I project provided a foundation in nozzle and iris mechanism design, but it posed the further questions of the testing setup’s reliability and mechanism’s fluid operation. The VTRN II team seeks to improve the mechanism’s reliability and remote operation, in addition to overhauling the physical testing environment to provide a concrete proof of concept.
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Howard R. Hughes College of Engineering Leadership Rama Venkat, Dean Mohamed Trabia, Associate Dean of Research, Graduate Programs and Computing Yingtao Jiang, Associate Dean, Undergraduate Programs, Director of Entertainment Engineering & Design Sajjad Ahmad, Department Chair, Civil and Environmental Engineering and Construction Sidkazem Taghva, Department Chair, Computer Science Biswajit Das, Department Chair, Electrical and Computer Engineering Yi-Tung Chen, Department Chair, Mechanical Engineering
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UNLV President ’s Cabinet President Keth E. Whitfield Executive Vice President and Provost Chris Heavey Associate Vice President of Economic Development Bo Bernhard Interim Vice President for University Compliance Robert Correales Vice President for Student Affairs Juanita Fain Senior Advisor to the President Tod Fitzpatrick Vice President, Public Safety Services, UNLV Director, University Police Services Southern Command Adam Garcia Executive Director for Strategy and Strategic Initiatives Kyle Kaalberg Vice President of Philanthropy & Alumni Engagement Rickey N. McCurry Vice President of Government and Community Affairs Sabra Smith Newby Chief Diversity Officer Barbee Myers Oakes Interim Vice President for Research & Economic Development Lori Olafson Director of Athletics Desiree Reed-Francois General Counsel Elda Luna Sidhu Vice President & Chief Human Resources Officer Ericka Smith Chief of Staff Fred Tredup Senior Vice President, Business Affairs/CFO Jean Vock Senior Advisor to the President- Strategy and Partnerships Victor Wei Chief Marketing Officer & Vice President of Brand Integration Vince Alberta
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Howard R. Hughes College of Engineering A dvisory Board Anthony Baerlocher
Tony Hills
James Barbee
Robert Jacks
Jody Belsick
Michael Maier
Jack Braman
Norm McCombs
Ray Chavez
David McElwain
Jay Chmelauskas
Mark Newburn
Shawn Danoski
Benoit Noel
Ralph Decker
Mike Plinski
Harshal Desai
Carrie Porterfield
Anthony Firmani
Joan Ruben
John Fountain
Manjit Gombra Singh
Adam Godorov
Paolo Tiramani
Christopher Grenz
Brian Walsh
Ken Haertling
Victor Wei
Tristan Hays
Heather Wilde
UNLV appreciates the leadership and support of our Nevada S ystem of Higher Education Board of Regents Dr. Mark W. Doubrava M.D., Chair
Mrs. Cathy McAdoo
Mrs. Carol Del Carlo, Vice Chair
Mr. Donald Sylvantee McMichael Sr.
Dr. Patrick Carter
Mr. John T. Moran
Ms. Amy J. Carvalho
Mr. Kevin J. Page
Dr. Jason Geddes Ph.D,
Ms. Laura E. Perkins
Mr. Trevor Hayes
Mr. Rick Trachok
Lisa C. Levine 53
For further Information on Senior D esign and College of Engineering Activities Molly Marks Director of Special Events Molly.marks@unlv.edu Cheryl Bella Director of Communications Cheryl.bella@unlv.edu Jack Aylor Director of Development Jack.aylor@unlv.edu Daniel Mendoza Director of Undergraduate Recruitment Daniel.mendoza@unlv.edu Marian Mason Director, Engineering Career Services Marian.mason@unlv.edu Chris Parker Director of Advising and Scholarship Coordinator Christopher.parker@unlv.edu
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