Hall of Fame
| Project | Award |
|---|---|
| ATTITUDE DETERMINATION AND CONTROL MODULE FOR UIUC NANOSATELLITES Shamith Achanta, Rick Eason, Srikar Nalamalapu |
Honorable Mention |
| Team Members: - Rick Eason (reason2) - Srikar Nalamalapu (svn3) - Shamith Achanta (shamith2) # Problem The Aerospace Engineering department's Laboratory for Advanced Space Systems at Illinois (LASSI) develops nanosatellites for the University of Illinois. Their next-generation satellite architecture is currently in development, however the core bus does not contain an Attitude Determination and Control (ADCS) system. In order for an ADCS system to be useful to LASSI, the system must be compliant with their modular spacecraft bus architecture. # Solution Design, build, and test an IlliniSat-0 spec compliant ADCS module. This requires being able to: - Sense and process the Earth's weak magnetic field as it passes through the module. - Sense and process the spacecraft body's <30 dps rotation rate. - Execute control algorithms to command magnetorquer coil current drivers. - Drive current through magnetorquer coils. As well as being compliant to LASSI specification for: - Mechanical design. - Electrical power interfaces. - Serial data interfaces. - Material properties. - Serial communications protocol. # Solution Components ## Sensing Using the Rohm BM1422AGMV 3-axis magnetometer we can accurately sense 0.042 microTesla per LSB, which gives very good overhead for sensing Earth's field. Furthermore, this sensor is designed for use in wearable electronics as a compass, so it also contains programable low-pass filters. This will reduce MCU processing load. Using the Bosch BMI270 3-axis gyroscope we can accurately sense rotation rate at between ~16 and ~260 LSB per dps, which gives very good overhead to sense low-rate rotation of the spacecraft body. This sensor also contains a programable low-pass filter, which will help reduce MCU processing load. Both sensors will communicate over I2C to the MCU. ## Serial Communications The LASSI spec for this module requires the inclusion of the following serial communications processes: - CAN-FD - RS422 - Differential I2C The CAN-FD interface is provided from the STM-32 MCU through a SN65HVD234-Q1 transceiver. It supports all CAN speeds and is used on all other devices on the CAN bus, providing increased reliability. The RS422 interface is provided through GPIO from the STM-32 MCU and uses the TI THVD1451 transceiver. RS422 is a twisted-pair differential serial interface that provides high noise rejection and high data rates. The Differential I2C is provided by a specialized transceiver from NXP, which allows I2C to be used reliably in high-noise and board-to-board situations. The device is the PCA9615. I2C between the sensors and the MCU is provided by the GPIO on the MCU and does not require a transceiver. ## MCU The MCU will be an STM32L552, exact variant and package is TBD due to parts availability. This MCU provides significant processing power, good GPIO, and excellent build and development tools. Firmware will be written in either C or Rust, depending on some initial testing. We have access to debugging and flashing tools that are compatible with this MCU. ## Magnetics Coils and Constant Current Drivers We are going to wind our own copper wire around coil mandrels to produce magnetorquers that are useful geometries for the device. A 3d printed mandrel will be designed and produced for each of the three coils. We do not believe this to be a significant risk of project failure because the geometries involved are extremely simple and the coil does not need to be extremely precise. Mounting of the coils to the board will be handled by 3d printed clips that we will design. The coils will be soldered into the board through plated through-holes. Driving the inductors will be the MAX8560 500mA buck converter. This converter allows the MCU to toggle the activity of the individual coils separately through GPIO pins, as well as good soft-start characteristics for the large current draw of the coils. ## Board Design This project requires significant work in the board layout phase. A 4-layer PCB is anticipated and due to LASSI compliance requirements the board outline, mounting hole placement, part keep-out zones, and a large stack-through connector (Samtec ERM/F-8) are already defined. Unless constrained by part availability or required for other reasons, all parts will be SMD and will be selected for minimum footprint area. # Criterion For Success Success for our project will be broken into several parts: - Electronics - Firmware - Compatibility Compatibility success is the easiest to test. The device must be compatible with LASSI specifications for IlliniSat-0 modules. This is verifiable through mechanical measurement, board design review, and integration with other test articles. Firmware success will be determined by meeting the following criteria: - The capability to initialize, configure, and read accurate data from the IMU sensors. This is a test of I2C interfacing and will be tested using external test equipment in the LASSI lab. (We have approval to use and access to this equipment) - The capability to control the output states of the magnetorquer coils. This is a test of GPIO interfacing in firmware. - The capability to move through different control modes, including: IDLE, FAULT, DETUMBLE, SLEW, and TEST. This will be validated through debugger interfacing, as there is no visual indication system on this device to reduce power waste. - The capability to self-test and to identify faults. This will be validated through debugger interfacing, as there is no visual indication system on this device to reduce power waste. - The capability to communicate to other modules on the bus over CAN or RS422 using LASSI-compatible serial protocols. This will be validated through the use of external test equipment designed for IlliniSat-0 module testing. **Note:** the development of the actual detumble and pointing algorithms that will be used in orbital flight fall outside the reasonable scope of electrical engineering as a field. We are explicitly designing this system such that an aerospace engineering team can develop control algorithms and drop them into our firmware stack for use. Electronics success will be determined through the successful operation of the other criteria, if the board layout is faulty or a part was poorly selected, the system will not work as intended and will fail other tests. Electronics success will also be validated by measuring the current consumption of the device when operating. The device is required not to exceed 2 amps of total current draw from its dedicated power rail at 3.3 volts. This can be verified by observing the benchtop power supply used to run the device in the lab. | |
| Healthy Chair Ryan Chen, Alan Tokarsky, Tod Wang |
Honorable Mention |
| Team Members: - Wang Qiuyu (qiuyuw2) - Ryan Chen (ryanc6) - Alan Torkarsky(alanmt2) ## Problem The majority of the population sits for most of the day, whether it’s students doing homework or employees working at a desk. In particular, during the Covid era where many people are either working at home or quarantining for long periods of time, they tend to work out less and sit longer, making it more likely for people to result in obesity, hemorrhoids, and even heart diseases. In addition, sitting too long is detrimental to one’s bottom and urinary tract, and can result in urinary urgency, and poor sitting posture can lead to reduced blood circulation, joint and muscle pain, and other health-related issues. ## Solution Our team is proposing a project to develop a healthy chair that aims at addressing the problems mentioned above by reminding people if they have been sitting for too long, using a fan to cool off the chair, and making people aware of their unhealthy leaning posture. 1. It uses thin film pressure sensors under the chair’s seat to detect the presence of a user, and pressure sensors on the chair’s back to detect the leaning posture of the user. 2. It uses a temperature sensor under the chair’s seat, and if the seat’s temperature goes beyond a set temperature threshold, a fan below will be turned on by the microcontroller. 3. It utilizes an LCD display with programmable user interface. The user is able to input the duration of time the chair will alert the user. 4. It uses a voice module to remind the user if he or she has been sitting for too long. The sitting time is inputted by the user and tracked by the microcontroller. 5. Utilize only a voice chip instead of the existing speech module to construct our own voice module. 6. The "smart" chair is able to analyze the situation that the chair surface temperature exceeds a certain temperature within 24 hours and warns the user about it. ## Solution Components ## Signal Acquisition Subsystem The signal acquisition subsystem is composed of multiple pressure sensors and a temperature sensor. This subsystem provides all the input signals (pressure exerted on the bottom and the back of the chair, as well as the chair’s temperature) that go into the microcontroller. We will be using RP-C18.3-ST thin film pressure sensors and MLX90614-DCC non-contact IR temperature sensor. ## Microcontroller Subsystem In order to achieve seamless data transfer and have enough IO for all the sensors we will use two ATMEGA88A-PU microcontrollers. One microcontroller is used to take the inputs and serves as the master, and the second one controls the outputs and acts as the slave. We will use I2C communication to let the two microcontrollers talk to each other. The microcontrollers will also be programmed with the ch340g usb to ttl converter. They will be programmed outside the board and placed into it to avoid over cluttering the PCB with extra circuits. The microcontroller will be in charge of processing the data that it receives from all input sensors: pressure and temperature. Once it determines that there is a person sitting on it we can use the internal clock to begin tracking how long they have been sitting. The clock will also be used to determine if the person has stood up for a break. The microcontroller will also use the readings from the temperature sensor to determine if the chair has been overheating to turn on the fans if necessary. A speaker will tell the user to get up and stretch for a while when they have been sitting for too long. We will use the speech module to create speech through the speaker to inform the user of their lengthy sitting duration. The microcontroller will also be able to relay data about the posture to the led screen for the user. When it’s detected that the user is leaning against the chair improperly for too long from the thin film pressure sensors on the chair back, we will flash the corresponding LEDs to notify the user of their unhealthy sitting posture. ## Implementation Subsystem The implementation subsystem can be further broken down into three modules: the fan module, the speech module, and the LCD module. This subsystem includes all the outputs controlled by the microcontroller. We will be using a MF40100V2-1000U-A99 fan for the fan module, ISD4002-240PY voice record chip for the speech module, and Adafruit 1.54" 240x240 Wide Angle TFT LCD Display with MicroSD - ST7789 LCD display for the OLED. ## Power Subsystem The power subsystem converts 120V AC voltage to a lower DC voltage. Since most of the input and output sensors, as well as the ATMEGA88A-PU microcontroller operate under a DC voltage of around or less than 5V, we will be implementing the power subsystem that can switch between a battery and normal power from the wall. ## Criteria for Success -The thin film pressure sensors on the bottom of the chair are able to detect the pressure of a human sitting on the chair -The temperature sensor is able to detect an increase in temperature and turns the fan as temperature goes beyond our set threshold temperature. After the temperature decreases below the threshold, the fan is able to be turned off by the microcontroller -The thin film pressure sensors on the back of the chair are able to detect unhealthy sitting posture -The outputs of the implementation subsystem including the speech, fan, and LCD modules are able to function as described above and inform the user correctly ## Envision of Final Demo Our final demo of the healthy chair project is an office chair with grids. The office chair’s back holds several other pressure sensors to detect the person’s leaning posture. The pressure and temperature sensors are located under the office chair. After receiving input time from the user, the healthy chair is able to warn the user if he has been sitting for too long by alerting him from the speech module. The fan below the chair’s seat is able to turn on after the chair seat’s temperature goes beyond a set threshold temperature. The LCD displays which sensors are activated and it also receives the user’s time input. | |
| Electronic Mouse (Cat Toy) Jack Casey, Chuangy Zhang, Yingyu Zhang |
Honorable Mention |
| # Electronic Mouse (Cat Toy) # Team Members: - Yingyu Zhang (yzhan290) - Chuangy Zhang (czhan30) - Jack (John) Casey (jpcasey2) # Problem Components: Keeping up with the high energy drive of some cats can often be overwhelming for owners who often choose these pets because of their low maintenance compared to other animals. There is an increasing number of cats being used for service and emotional support animals, and with this, there is a need for an interactive cat toy with greater accessibility. 1. Get cats the enrichment they need 1. Get cats to chase the “mouse” around 1. Get cats fascinated by the “mouse” 1. Keep cats busy 1. Fulfill the need for cats’ hunting behaviors 1. Interactive fun between the cat and cat owner 1. Solve the shortcomings of electronic-remote-control-mouses that are out in the market ## Comparison with existing products - Hexbug Mouse Robotic Cat Toy: Battery endurance is very low; For hard floors only - GiGwi Interactive Cat Toy Mouse: Does not work on the carpet; Not sensitive to cat touch; Battery endurance is very low; Can't control remotely # Solution A remote-controlled cat toy is a solution that allows more cat owners to get interactive playtime with their pets. With our design, there will be no need to get low to the ground to adjust it often as it will go over most floor surfaces and in any direction with help from a strong motor and servos that won’t break from wall or cat impact. To prevent damage to household objects it will have IR sensors and accelerometers for use in self-driving modes. The toy will be run and powered by a Bluetooth microcontroller and a strong rechargeable battery to ensure playtime for hours. ## Subsystem 1 - Infrared(IR) Sensors & Accelerometer sensor - IR sensors work with radar technology and they both emit and receive Infrared radiation. This kind of sensor has been used widely to detect nearby objects. We will use the IR sensors to detect if the mouse is surrounded by any obstacles. - An accelerometer sensor measures the acceleration of any object in its rest frame. This kind of sensor has been used widely to capture the intensity of physical activities. We will use this sensor to detect if cats are playing with the mouse. ## Subsystem 2 - Microcontroller(ESP32) - ESP32 is a dual-core microcontroller with integrated Wi-Fi and Bluetooth. This MCU has 520 KB of SRAM, 34 programmable GPIOs, 802.11 Wi-Fi, Bluetooth v4.2, and much more. This powerful microcontroller enables us to develop more powerful software and hardware and provides a lot of flexibility compared to ATMegaxxx. Components(TBD): - Product: [https://www.digikey.com/en/products/detail/espressif-systems/ESP32-WROOM-32/8544298](url) - Datasheet: [http://esp32.net](url) ## Subsystem 3 - App - We will develop an App that can remotely control the mouse. 1. Control the mouse to either move forward, backward, left, or right. 1. Turn on / off / flashing the LED eyes of the mouse 1. keep the cat owner informed about the battery level of the mouse 1. Change “modes”: (a). keep running randomly without stopping; (b). the cat activates the mouse; (c). runs in cycles(runs, stops, runs, stops…) intermittently (mouse hesitates to get cat’s curiosity up); (d). Turn OFF (completely) ## Subsystem 4 - Motors and Servo - To enable maneuverability in all directions, we are planning to use 1 servo and 2 motors to drive the robotic mouse. The servo is used to control the direction of the mouse. Wheels will be directly mounted onto motors via hubs. Components(TBD): - Metal Gear Motors: [https://www.adafruit.com/product/3802](url) - L9110H H-Bridge Motor Driver: [https://www.adafruit.com/product/4489](url) ## Subsystem 5 - Power Management - We are planning to use a high capacity (5 Ah - 10 Ah), 3.7 volts lithium polymer battery to enable the long-last usage of the robotic mouse. Also, we are using the USB lithium polymer ion charging circuit to charge the battery. Components(TBD): - Lithium Polymer Ion Battery: [https://www.adafruit.com/product/5035](url) - USB Lithium Polymer Ion Charger: [https://www.adafruit.com/product/259](url) # Criterion for Success 1. Can go on tile, wood, AND carpet and alternate 1. Has a charge that lasts more than 10 min 1. Is maneuverable in all directions(not just forward and backward) 1. Can be controlled via remote (App) 1. Has a “cat-attractor”(feathers, string, ribbon, inner catnip, etc.) either attached to it or drags it behind (attractive appearance for cats) 1. Retains signal for at least 15 ft away 1. Eyes flash 1. Goes dormant when caught/touched by the cats (or when it bumps into something), reactivates (and changes direction) after a certain amount of time 1. all the “modes” worked as intended | |
| Musical Hand Ramsey Foote, Thomas MacDonald, Michelle Zhang |
Honorable Mention |
| # Musical Hand Team Members: - Ramesey Foote (rgfoote2) - Michelle Zhang (mz32) - Thomas MacDonald (tcm5) # Problem Musical instruments come in all shapes and sizes; however, transporting instruments often involves bulky and heavy cases. Not only can transporting instruments be a hassle, but the initial purchase and maintenance of an instrument can be very expensive. We would like to solve this problem by creating an instrument that is lightweight, compact, and low maintenance. # Solution Our project involves a wearable system on the chest and both hands. The left hand will be used to dictate the pitches of three “strings” using relative angles between the palm and fingers. For example, from a flat horizontal hand a small dip in one finger is associated with a low frequency. A greater dip corresponds to a higher frequency pitch. The right hand will modulate the generated sound by adding effects such as vibrato through lateral motion. Finally, the brains of the project will be the central unit, a wearable, chest-mounted subsystem responsible for the audio synthesis and output. Our solution would provide an instrument that is lightweight and easy to transport. We will be utilizing accelerometers instead of flex sensors to limit wear and tear, which would solve the issue of expensive maintenance typical of more physical synthesis methods. # Solution Components The overall solution has three subsystems; a right hand, left hand, and a central unit. ## Subsystem 1 - Left Hand The left hand subsystem will use four digital accelerometers total: three on the fingers and one on the back of the hand. These sensors will be used to determine the angle between the back of the hand and each of the three fingers (ring, middle, and index) being used for synthesis. Each angle will correspond to an analog signal for pitch with a low frequency corresponding to a completely straight finger and a high frequency corresponding to a completely bent finger. To filter out AC noise, bypass capacitors and possibly resistors will be used when sending the accelerometer signals to the central unit. ## Subsystem 2 - Right Hand The right subsystem will use one accelerometer to determine the broad movement of the hand. This information will be used to determine how much of a vibrato there is in the output sound. This system will need the accelerometer, bypass capacitors (.1uF), and possibly some resistors if they are needed for the communication scheme used (SPI or I2C). ## Subsystem 3 - Central Unit The central subsystem utilizes data from the gloves to determine and generate the correct audio. To do this, two microcontrollers from the STM32F3 series will be used. The left and right hand subunits will be connected to the central unit through cabling. One of the microcontrollers will receive information from the sensors on both gloves and use it to calculate the correct frequencies. The other microcontroller uses these frequencies to generate the actual audio. The use of two separate microcontrollers allows for the logic to take longer, accounting for slower human response time, while meeting needs for quicker audio updates. At the output, there will be a second order multiple feedback filter. This will get rid of any switching noise while also allowing us to set a gain. This will be done using an LM358 Op amp along with the necessary resistors and capacitors to generate the filter and gain. This output will then go to an audio jack that will go to a speaker. In addition, bypass capacitors, pull up resistors, pull down resistors, and the necessary programming circuits will be implemented on this board. # Criterion For Success The minimum viable product will consist of two wearable gloves and a central unit that will be connected together via cords. The user will be able to adjust three separate notes that will be played simultaneously using the left hand, and will be able to apply a sound effect using the right hand. The output audio should be able to be heard audibly from a speaker. | |
| Habit-Forming Toothbrush Stand John Kim, Quinn Palanca, Rahul Vasanth |
Honorable Mention |
| I spoke with a TA that approved this idea during office hours today, and they said I should submit it as a project proposal. # Habit-Forming Toothbrush Stand Team Members: - Rahul Vasanth (rvasant2) - Quinn Andrew Palanca (qpalanc2) - John Jung-Yoon Kim (johnjk5) # Problem There are few habits as impactful as good dental hygiene. Brushing teeth in the morning and night can significantly improve health outcomes. Many struggle with forming and maintaining this habit. Parents might have a difficult time getting children to brush in the morning and before sleep while homeless shelter staff, rehab facility staff, and really, anyone looking to develop and track this habit may want a non-intrusive, privacy-preserving method to develop and maintain the practice of brushing their teeth in the morning. Keeping track of this information and but not storing it permanently through a mobile application is something that does not exist on the market. A small nudge is needed to keep kids, teenagers, and adults of all ages aware and mindful about their brushing habits. Additionally, many tend to zone out while brushing their teeth because they are half asleep and have no idea how long they are brushing. # Solution Our solution is catered toward electric toothbrushes. Unlike specific toothbrush brands that come with mobile applications, our solution applies to all electric toothbrushes, preserves privacy, and reduces screen time. We will implement a habit-forming toothbrush stand with a microcontroller, sensors, and a simple LED display that houses the electric toothbrush. A band of sensors will be wrapped around the base of the toothbrush. Lifting the toothbrush from the stand, turning it on, and starting to brush displays a timer that counts seconds up to ten minutes. This solves the problem of brushing too quickly or losing track of time and brushing for too long. Additionally, the display will provide a scorecard for brushing, with 14 values coming from (morning, night) x (6daysago, 5daysago, . . . , today) for a "record" of one week and 14 possible instances of brushing. This will augment the user's awareness of any new trends, and potentially help parents, their children, and other use cases outlined above. We specifically store just one week of data as the goal is habit formation and not permanent storage of potentially sensitive health information in the cloud. # Solution Components ## Subsystem 1 - Sensor Band The sensor band will contain a Bluetooth/Wireless Accelerometer and Gyroscope, or Accelerometer, IR sensor (to determine height lifted above sink), Bluetooth/Wireless connection to the microcontroller. This will allow us to determine if the electric toothbrush has been turned on. We will experiment with the overall angle, but knowing whether the toothbrush is parallel to the ground, or is lifted at a certain height above the sink will provide additional validation. These outputs need to be communicated wirelessly to the habit-forming toothbrush stand. Possibilities: https://www.amazon.com/Accelerometer-Acceleration-Gyroscope-Electronic-Magnetometer/dp/B07GBRTB5K/ref=sr_1_12?keywords=wireless+accelerometer&qid=1643675559&sr=8-12 and individual sensors which we are exploring on Digikey and PCB Piezotronics as well. ## Subsystem 2 - Toothbrush Base/Stand and Display The toothbrush stand will have a pressure sensor to determine when the toothbrush is lifted from the stand (alternatively, we may also add on an IR sensor), a microcontroller with Bluetooth capability, and a control unit to process sensor outputs as well as an LED display which will be set based on the current state. Additionally, the stand will need an internal clock to distinguish between morning and evening and mark states accordingly. The majority of sensors are powered by 3.3V - 5V. If we use a battery, we may include an additional button to power on the display (or just have it turn on when the pressure sensor / IR sensor output confirms the toothbrush has been lifted, or have the device plug into an outlet. # Criterion For Success 1. When the user lifts the toothbrush from the stan and it begins to vibrate (signaling the toothbrush is on), the brushing timer begins and is displayed. 2. After at least two minutes have passed and the toothbrush is set back on the stand, the display correctly marks the current day and period (morning or evening). 3. Track record over current and previous days and the overall weekly record is accurately maintained. At the start of a new day, the record is shifted appropriately. | |
| Resonant Cavity Field Profiler Salaj Ganesh, Max Goin, Furkan Yazici |
Outstanding Engineering Award $1000 |
| # Team Members: - Max Goin (jgoin2) - Furkan Yazici (fyazici2) - Salaj Ganesh (salajg2) # Problem We are interested in completing the project proposal submitted by Starfire for designing a device to tune Resonant Cavity Particle Accelerators. We are working with Tom Houlahan, the engineer responsible for the project, and have met with him to discuss the project already. Resonant Cavity Particle Accelerators require fine control and characterization of their electric field to function correctly. This can be accomplished by pulling a metal bead through the cavities displacing empty volume occupied by the field, resulting in measurable changes to its operation. This is typically done manually, which is very time-consuming (can take up to 2 days). # Solution We intend on massively speeding up this process by designing an apparatus to automate the process using a microcontroller and stepper motor driver. This device will move the bead through all 4 cavities of the accelerator while simultaneously making measurements to estimate the current field conditions in response to the bead. This will help technicians properly tune the cavities to obtain optimum performance. # Solution Components ## MCU: STM32Fxxx (depending on availability) Supplies drive signals to a stepper motor to step the metal bead through the 4 quadrants of the RF cavity. Controls a front panel to indicate the current state of the system. Communicates to an external computer to allow the user to set operating conditions and to log position and field intensity data for further analysis. An MCU with a decent onboard ADC and DAC would be preferred to keep design complexity minimum. Otherwise, high MIPS performance isn’t critical. ## Frequency-Lock Circuitry: Maintains a drive frequency that is equal to the resonant frequency. A series of op-amps will filter and form a control loop from output signals from the RF front end before sampling by the ADCs. 2 Op-Amps will be required for this task with no specific performance requirements. ## AC/DC Conversion & Regulation: Takes an AC voltage(120V, 60Hz) from the wall and supplies a stable DC voltage to power MCU and motor driver. Ripple output must meet minimum specifications as stated in the selected MCU datasheet. ## Stepper Drive: IC to control a stepper motor. There are many options available, for example, a Trinamic TMC2100. Any stepper driver with a decent resolution will work just fine. The stepper motor will not experience large loading, so the part choice can be very flexible. ## ADC/DAC: Samples feedback signals from the RF front end and outputs the digital signal to MCU. This component may also be built into the MCU. ## Front Panel Indicator: Displays the system's current state, most likely a couple of LEDs indicating progress/completion of tuning. ## USB Interface: Establishes communication between the MCU and computer. This component may also be built into the MCU. ## Software: Logs the data gathered by the MCU for future use over the USB connection. The position of the metal ball and phase shift will be recorded for analysis. ## Test Bed: We will have a small (~ 1 foot) proof of concept accelerator for the purposes of testing. It will be supplied by Starfire with the required hardware for testing. This can be left in the lab for us to use as needed. The final demonstration will be with a full-size accelerator. # Criterion For Success: - Demonstrate successful field characterization within the resonant cavities on a full-sized accelerator. - Data will be logged on a PC for later use. - Characterization completion will be faster than current methods. - The device would not need any input from an operator until completion. | |
| Autonomous Sailboat Riley Baker, Arthur Liang, Lorenzo Rodriguez Perez |
Outstanding Engineering Award $1000 |
| # Autonomous Sailboat Team Members: - Riley Baker (rileymb3) - Lorenzo Pérez (lr12) - Arthur Liang (chianl2) # Problem WRSC (World Robotic Sailing Championship) is an autonomous sailing competition that aims at stimulating the development of autonomous marine robotics. In order to make autonomous sailing more accessible, some scholars have created a generic educational design. However, these models utilize expensive and scarce autopilot systems such as the Pixhawk Flight controller. # Solution The goal of this project is to make an affordable, user- friendly RC sailboat that can be used as a means of learning autonomous sailing on a smaller scale. The Autonomous Sailboat will have dual mode capability, allowing the operator to switch from manual to autonomous mode where the boat will maintain its current compass heading. The boat will transmit its sensor data back to base where the operator can use it to better the autonomous mode capability and keep track of the boat’s position in the water. Amateur sailors will benefit from the “return to base” functionality provided by the autonomous system. # Solution Components ## On-board ### Sensors Pixhawk - Connect GPS and compass sensors to microcontroller that allows for a stable state system within the autonomous mode. A shaft decoder that serves as a wind vane sensor that we plan to attach to the head of the mast to detect wind direction and speed. A compass/accelerometer sensor and GPS to detect the position of the boat and direction of travel. ### Actuators 2 servos - one winch servo that controls the orientation of the mainsail and one that controls that orientation of the rudder ### Communication devices 5 channel 2.4 GHz receiver - A receiver that will be used to select autonomous or manual mode and will trigger orders when in manual mode. 5 channel 2.4 GHz transmitter - A transmitter that will have the ability to switch between autonomous and manual mode. It will also transfer servos movements when in manual mode. ### Power LiPo battery ## Ground control Microcontroller - A microcontroller that records sensor output and servo settings for radio control and autonomous modes. Software on microcontroller processes the sensor input and determines the optimum rudder and sail winch servo settings needed to maintain a prescribed course for the given wind direction. # Criterion For Success 1. Implement dual mode capability 2. Boat can maintain a given compass heading after being switched to autonomous mode and incorporates a “return to base” feature that returns the sailboat back to its starting position 3. Boat can record and transmit servo, sensor, and position data back to base | |
| UV Sensor and Alert System - Skin Protection Liz Boehning, Gavin Chan, Jimmy Huh |
Senior Design Instructors' Award $1000 |
| Team Members: - Elizabeth Boehning (elb5) - Gavin Chan (gavintc2) - Jimmy Huh (yeaho2) # Problem Too much sun exposure can lead to sunburn and an increased risk of skin cancer. Without active and mindful monitoring, it can be difficult to tell how much sun exposure one is getting and when one needs to seek protection from the sun, such as applying sunscreen or getting into shady areas. This is even more of an issue for those with fair skin, but also can be applicable to prevent skin damage for everyone, specifically for those who spend a lot of time outside for work (construction) or leisure activities (runners, outdoor athletes). # Solution Our solution is to create a wristband that tracks UV exposure and alerts the user to reapply sunscreen or seek shade to prevent skin damage. By creating a device that tracks intensity and exposure to harmful UV light from the sun, the user can limit their time in the sun (especially during periods of increased UV exposure) and apply sunscreen or seek shade when necessary, without the need of manually tracking how long the user is exposed to sunlight. By doing so, the short-term risk of sunburn and long-term risk of skin cancer is decreased. The sensors/wristbands that we have seen only provide feedback in the sense of color changing once a certain exposure limit has been reached. For our device, we would like to also input user feedback to actively alert the user repeatedly to ensure safe extended sun exposure. # Solution Components ## Subsystem 1 - Sensor Interface This subsystem contains the UV sensors. There are two types of UV wavelengths that are damaging to human skin and reach the surface of Earth: UV-A and UV-B. Therefore, this subsystem will contain two sensors to measure each of those wavelengths and output a voltage for the MCU subsystem to interpret as energy intensity. The following sensors will be used: - GUVA-T21GH - https://www.digikey.com/en/products/detail/genicom-co-ltd/GUVA-T21GH/10474931 - GUVB-T21GH - https://www.digikey.com/en/products/detail/genicom-co-ltd/GUVB-T21GH/10474933 ## Subsystem 2 - MCU This subsystem will include a microcontroller for controlling the device. It will take input from the sensor interface, interpret the input as energy intensity, and track how long the sensor is exposed to UV. When applicable, the MCU will output signals to the User Interface subsystem to notify the user to take action for sun exposure and will input signals from the User Interface subsystem if the user has put on sunscreen. ## Subsystem 3 - Power This subsystem will provide power to the system through a rechargeable, lithium-ion battery, and a switching boost converter for the rest of the system. This section will require some consultation to ensure the best choice is made for our device. ## Subsystem 4 - User Interface This subsystem will provide feedback to the user and accept feedback from the user. Once the user has been exposed to significant UV light, this subsystem will use a vibration motor to vibrate and notify the user to put on more sunscreen or get into the shade. Once they have done so, they can press a button to notify the system that they have put on more sunscreen, which will be sent as an output to the MCU subsystem. We are looking into using one of the following vibration motors: - TEK002 - https://www.digikey.com/en/products/detail/sparkfun-electronics/DEV-11008/5768371 - DEV-11008 - https://www.digikey.com/en/products/detail/pimoroni-ltd/TEK002/7933302 # Criterion For Success - Last at least 16 hours on battery power - Accurately measures amount of time and intensity of harmful UV light - Notifies user of sustained UV exposure (vibration motor) and resets exposure timer if more sunscreen is applied (button is pressed) | |
| Automatic Piano Tuner Joseph Babbo, Colin Wallace, Riley Woodson |
Senior Design Instructors' Award $1000 |
| # Automatic Piano Tuner Team Members: - Colin Wallace (colinpw2) - Riley Woodson (rileycw2) - Joseph Babbo (jbabbo2) # Problem Piano tuning is a time-consuming and expensive process. An average piano tuning will cost in the $100 - $200 range and a piano will have to be retuned multiple times to maintain the correct pitch. Due to the strength required to alter the piano pegs it is also something that is difficult for the less physically able to accomplish. # Solution We hope to bring piano tuning to the masses by creating an easy to use product which will be able to automatically tune a piano by giving the key as input alongside playing the key to get the pitch differential and automatically turning the piano pegs until they reach the correct note. # Solution Components ## Subsystem 1 - Motor Assembly A standard tuning pin requires 8-14 nm of torque to successfully tune. We will thus need to create a motor assembly that is able to produce enough torque to rotate standard tuning pins. ## Subsystem 2 - Frequency Detector/Tuner The device will use a microphone to gather audio measurements. Then a microprocessor processes the audio data to detect the pitch and determine the difference from the desired frequency. This can then generate instructions for the motor; direction to turn pegs and amount to turn it by. ## Subsystem 3 - User Interface/Display Panel A small but intuitive display and button configuration can be used for this device. It will be required for the user to set the key being played using buttons on the device and reading the output of the display. As the device will tune by itself after hearing the tone, all that is required to display is the current key and octave. A couple of buttons will suffice to be able to cycle up and down keys and octaves. ## Subsystem 4 - Replaceable Battery/Power Supply Every commercial product should use standard replaceable batteries, or provide a way for easy charging. As we want to develop a handheld device, so that the device doesn’t have to drag power wires into the piano, we will need a rechargeable battery pack. # Criterion For Success The aim of the Automatic Piano Tuner is to allow the user to automatically tune piano strings based on a key input alongside playing a note. We have several goals to help us meet this aim: - Measure pitch accurately, test against known good pitches - Motor generates enough torque to turn the pegs on a piano - Tuner turns correctly depending on pitch - Easy tuning of a piano by a single untrained person | |