Senior Design Projects 2007
On May 4, 2007 five senior design projects and two Design I projects were presented. They are described here in the order of presentation.
Measuring Work Output from Anaerobic Weight Lifting
David Wolney
Mentor: Professor Julie Ellis
The primary goal of the project was to build a device capable of measuring the work done by a user of a Smith machine (a common weight lifting apparatus). The client, Professor Chris Scott in the Department of Sports Medicine at USM, requires the device in order to conduct experiments in the Human Performance Lab. The output of the device provides work output, lift timing, and several other statistics related to force and time.
Solar Powered Emergency Lighting System
Crystal Nadeau and Jacob Smith
Mentors: Professors James Masi and James Smith
This project was designed to display advances and advantages of modern solar equipment, technology and design. The system uses the latest technological advances to control, conserve, and even sell unused power to the electric company. The system will be used as a demonstration model and teaching device in the John Mitchell Center.
Closing the Loop: Learning Control System Design through Demonstration, Test and Analysis
Mark Kapsch
Mentof: Professor Brian Hodgkin
Antenna azimuth (horizontal) postion control is a commonly encountered type of control system and is a good model for experimentation because the complexity of the system can be constrained to a set of variables that match knowledge and abilities of the student. This antenna system has been designed with the ability to change various system parameters, such as the mass of the load and the amount of power amplification, to produce changes in performance and even cause the system to become unstable. The open design makes it a good platform for student experimentation. An operating manual is provided, which includes suggestions for future development of the system.
Cut Down Devices for USM's Scientific Ballooning Group
Lonnie Atkins, Tony Bouchard, Nickole Gagne, Gabriel Garza, Shawn Huber, Greg Mitchell, Chris Morin
Mentor: Professor Brian Hodgkin
A scientific balloon carries a payload of some scientific experiment from the surface of the earth to some predetermined altitude or to approximately 100,000 feet where the balloon bursts. A device was needed to release the 
balloon either after a specified time or at a specified altitude, following which the payload parachutes to earth. Two design groups were formed in ELE 401 Design I. Each group designed, built and tested distinctly different devices. Both groups used a nichrome wire, heated so as to burn the rope connecting the balloon and payload when the altitude or time conditions were achieved. Both devices were packaged and tested for operation at low temperatures and following drop tests. The first flight, to test all systems, will be May 19, 2007.
Mindstorms NXT and SLAM
Nathaniel Steier
Mentor: Professor Carlos Luck
Simultaneous Localization and Mapping (SLAM) is a navigation technique where a robot placed in a foreigh environment will explore its surroundings, while at the same time recording and storing sensor information, allowing for real-time mapping. SLAM is viewed as one of the prerequisites for having an autonomous mobile robot. In this project the LEGO Mindtorms NXT robot system is used. A system is implemented for reliably sending sensor readings and to both receive data and generate maps.
Vision for an Autonomous Blimp
Joseph Petersen
Mentor: Professor Carlos Luck
This project continues work to locate a small blimp and control it as it as it navigates in three dimensions. This project adds a sensor suite to an existing blimp/computer system, endowing the system with some artificial intelligence behavior. Two cameras provide the system with three-dimensional vision, which serves as feedback for control of the blimp module.
Voice Activated Robot Programming
Nathaniel Lentz
Mentor: Professor Julie Ellis
Voice activation is used in the medical profession, data retrieval services, smart home implementations, assisting the handicapped, and device manipulation. The goal of this project was to write a voice activation interface for the Microbot TeachMover robot. The project included developing the code for a speech interface, pattern-matching speech with robot commands and kinematic math applications used to calculate steps sent to individual robot motors. In response to voice commands, the Mocrobot locates a particular chess piece, picks it up and places it in the designated location.