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CAPSTONE PROJECT SHOWCASE
Summer 2024
This project involves the design of a star tracking mount, which addresses the challenge of capturing celestial objects during long-exposure photography. By automatically aligning with celestial objects and compensating for Earth’s rotation, it allows for astrophotographers to capture long exposure photos of the cosmos with minimal disruptive light streaking. Through its advanced technology and user-friendly interface, this device not only enhances the quality of astrophotography but also opens new realms of exploration for enthusiasts of all levels, democratizing access to the wonders of the universe.
This product is designed for both mid-level professionals and amateur astrophotographers. As such, its aesthetic will align with other photography-related equipment to resonate with its target audience.
Ultimate is a rapidly growing sport, and as it evolves, the level of play continues to rise. One essential skill in Ultimate is catching curved throws, which are challenging to read due to their high speed and require another skilled player for consistent practice. FrisMe addresses this problem by providing reliable, consistent throws, enabling effective solo practices. This solution comprises four main systems: a launcher system, an angle-adjustment system, a player-tracking system, and a mobile application for controls. Together, these systems form the FrisMe, enabling players to practice and improve their catching skills effectively and safely.
The Cocktail Mixer project is significant as it demonstrates the practical application of interdisciplinary engineering concepts. It provides a solution that can be used in various settings, including home bars and events, ensuring high-quality cocktails with minimal effort. The project also prepares students for real-world engineering challenges by integrating multiple technical skills.
Present-day 3D scanners have greatly benefited reverse engineering and hobbyist creativity. However, the pre-scan process, which involves adjusting lighting conditions to ensure optimal scanning, can be tedious and time-consuming. Inadequate or excessive lighting can hinder the scanner's ability to accurately capture the subject, thereby extending the overall scan time. For some users, this increased scan time can be a deterrent to using 3D scanning technology.
The Bifrost addresses these challenges by leveraging the intense light properties of laser technology to scan objects within a blackout enclosure. This design ensures that the scanner operates effectively in any lighting conditions, as the laser provides a consistent and reliable light source. The combination of the blackout enclosure and laser technology minimizes the effort required for the scanner to detect reflected light from the subject, thereby reducing scan time and improving efficiency.
In today's digital age, traditional chess has seen a decline as players shift to online platforms. Digital chess offers convenience and AI opponents that help improve skills and strategies. However, digital chess lacks the tangible experience of a physical board, reducing the game's immersive quality.
Our project bridges this gap with a compact, smart chessboard that automatically moves opponent pieces using AI tailored to the player's strength. This automation allows players to focus on strategy, while the board connects to a web app for easy game setup and tracking. Targeted at chess hobbyists looking to improve their physical game, it is suitable for competitive, beginner, and casual play, offering the best of both worlds.
PharmaFetch is an innovative mechanical system designed to transform pharmacy operations by significantly enhancing efficiency and streamlining the process of medication fetch and return. The system is aimed at alleviating the laborious task of searching pharmacy shelves for the right medicines or where to place them. Hence, pharmacists and technicians can dedicate more time to patient care leading to higher overall quality of service provided to patients.
To address the problem of navigating large and complex indoor locations, such as universities, without purchasing many expensive sensors. inDoors will provide an affordable and effective indoor navigation software suite. This solution will include two apps: one designed for administrators to create and manage detailed maps of indoor spaces, and a second app for end users to easily navigate using the generated maps. By offering these tools, we aim to simplify the navigation process in complex buildings, ensuring that users can find their way with ease and efficiency.
Previous Terms
Fall 2023
PROJECT 1237-14 | Perielectric: Exoflex
People in remote or disaster-stricken regions often experience emergency situations during long expeditions or natural disasters in which they lose electricity access. Their safety, health, and/or quality of life may depend on electricity to recharge small portable devices. For instance, they might need a phone to call for help or monitor their health levels. Current solutions, such as power banks and solar power devices, are heavy, require time to charge in advance, are finite in stored energy, or depend on the user’s surrounding environment.
Our device, Exoflex, aims to provide self-sustaining access to electricity by allowing the user to harvest kinetic energy through their legs’ movement and convert it into electrical power. The user does not need forethought to use Exoflex and can depend on it to charge their device after sufficient movement. The reusability feature of our device allows users to harvest, store, and use electrical energy for as many charge-discharge cycles as they desire. Additionally, our product design does not hinder the user’s natural movement. With Exoflex, people going on excursions in remote areas or finding themselves in disaster-stricken regions can more practically charge their small portable devices without reliance on external environmental factors, and rather with the work they are already doing: walking, running, climbing, or biking.
PROJECT 1237-13 | Chairable: Powered Spherical Wheel Attachment for Office Chairs
Individuals with joint or back pain, disabilities, or a preference for uninterrupted work often face discomfort from frequent interruptions that require them to stand and sit down repeatedly. Furthermore, desk-bound work can become monotonous at extended periods. As a result, people are continuously in search of inventive and stimulating enhancements for their desk setups to infuse excitement to their work experience.
Chairable is an autonomous spherical wheel attachment that seamlessly attaches to any existing office chairs through a clamp mechanism, providing increased maneuverability. The intuitive joystick interface enables users to effortlessly navigate their surroundings without the need to leave their seated position. Additionally, the device is developed with a modular and compact design, allowing for seamless attachment to the standard five-legged office chair. Chairable not only adds an element of fun into the often repetitious office setting but also alleviates the physical strains associated with repeated standing and sitting. Furthermore, it serves as a potential cost saving alternative to traditional, space-demanding mobility devices like wheelchairs and powerchairs, thereby enhancing accessibility within the office environment.
PROJECT 1237-12 | TravelBuddy - Autonomously Navigating Luggage Carrying Attachment
The rising number of travelers has heightened the challenges faced by large groups with multiple children when navigating airports. Significant focus and effort are required to ensure the proximity and safety of children, leaving little capacity to manage luggage effectively. Additionally, the shortage of airport staff and high congestion results in prolonged wait times for elderly and disabled individuals seeking assistance with their baggage, leading to exhaustion.
Introducing TravelBuddy, the cutting-edge solution set to transform the airport experience for travelers and airports alike. TravelBuddy's innovation centers on LiDAR sensor technology and seamless integration with the Robot Operating System (ROS), enabling autonomous navigation that effortlessly follows users through crowded terminals, eliminating luggage-handling challenges. TravelBuddy's versatility and user-friendly design allow it to easily attach to standard luggage, removing the need for costly specialized baggage. Its compact size maximizes storage efficiency, and multiple units can be stacked for airport rental services, enhancing traveler convenience. Airports are our primary target market, where bulk purchases of TravelBuddy can enhance customer satisfaction and streamline operations, ensuring smoother and more efficient travel experiences for all.
PROJECT 1237-15 | IFOBS: Integrated Fire-Control Optic and Ballistic Solution
On today's dynamic battlefield, soldiers often encounter targets at unknown distances and positions which require impeccable shooting fundamentals to achieve effective hits. Current rifle optic systems typically display an accurate point of impact for only a fixed distance, limiting its adaptability. To compensate, some optics rely on estimating human size at distance for bullet drop compensation, which is imprecise and hampers speed and accuracy in real-world combat scenarios.
AeroTrack aims to solve this problem by developing a solution that allows shooters to accurately calculate bullet drop at various distances, significantly enhancing their effectiveness in dynamic and challenging battlefield environments. Through the use of a laser rangefinder, inertial measurement units, and a complex on-board ballistics calculator, IFOBS eliminates the need for mental calculations so the shooter can focus on aiming the rifle. The device is compatible with rifles with a pre-existing, zeroed red dot optic and greatly enhances the capability of the rifle system at unknown target distances. In all, reducing the complexity and stresses of shooting allows soldiers to become more effective assets on the battlefield.
PROJECT 1237-11 | TruShuffle
Shuffling and dealing are parts of many card games, taking up the time of board or card gamers that could be spent on other activities. Card shufflers currently on the market are inadequate in several respects. They tend to mash cards into each other to shuffle. This causes damage to the cards, which is a nuisance for gameplay and card integrity. Existing card shufflers also tend to not have an option for sorting or dealing in games. Furthermore, higher end devices, like those used in casinos, are too expensive for average card game players in their homes. Existing affordable card shuffle also require multiple passes (as high as seven) to complete an acceptable shuffle, which takes effort when done by hand.
The TruShuffle CS01 automatic card shuffler does not mash the cards into each other. Instead, it uses a novel design to complete a high-quality shuffle in an entertaining, impressive-looking, and non-intrusive manner. TruShuffle CS01 utilizes digital randomization algorithm to achieve this shuffle and is more affordable for the card game enthusiast community. TruShuffle CS01 will have the capability of outputting pre-customized number of cards at a time, which assists in the dealing process.