Science and Mechatronics Aided Research for Teachers with an Entrepreneurship Experience (SMARTER)
2013: Week III
Timothy Dennis and Peter Tsun
We are working in Professor Kim’s Applied Dynamics Lab where we observed an experiment that uses multiple cameras and pressure plates to capture the stride and forces of a subject walking on the pressure plates. Professor Kim’s group is performing these data collection experimental studies to determine the energy used in walking. We are considering working on the analysis of strides.
Currently, we are investigating a way to measure the energy consumed by a robotic limb. To work towards this goal, we have devoted time to learn working with an Arduino microcontroller and studying the electronics that interface between the Arduino microcontroller and the servo motor.
We see this research as being useful in a Physics class when explaining energy, both mechanical and electrical. The data we collect will show how engineers use the concept of energy consumption to determine the efficiency of the systems they have designed.
Jason Rann and Charisse Nelson
We are working in Professor Gupta’s Composite Materials lab, which focuses on the design and testing of composite materials ranging from new specimens of magnesium alloy to specimens with glass microballoons. Jason is studying a new composite of magnesium, AZ91. He has started by testing several control specimens (Ferrite, Aluminum, and non-treated AZ91) for a Vickers Hardness value. Next, he will heat treat the AZ91, using the T6 and T4 procedure, to document any changes in performance in addition to comparing to the control specimens.This experiment will enable performance comparison of this lower density composite vis-à-vis steel to identify situations where it can serve as a steel substitute and offer weight savings, e.g., offering fuel efficiency in automotive and aerospace applications. Charisse is creating and testing micro and nano composites of different densities and compositions.
By combining materials with different properties, new composite materials with useful properties are created. Such composite materials can yield cost reduction, weight saving, and increased durability. Charisse is creating syntactic foams that are made up of varying percentages of microballons, which are tiny, hallow, glass spheres, that when mixed with epoxy, and TETA, a hardener, undergo changes which cause the new material formed to be both sturdy and lightweight. These properties are beneficial for the Navy in engineering new aquatic vehicles.
After making several different composite samples Charisse will test them to see under what conditions they fail and their failure characteristics. Jason will set up a simple hardness tester to test several different materials with his engineering and robotics classes. The students will be challenged with an open ended design situation, where they will need to select a building material and defend their selection based on hardness test results.
Through this activity, students will gain an engineering perspective to material comparison, practice divergent thinking, and learn to work in small groups.
Channa Comer and Dwight Young
We are working in Professor Profiri’s Dynamical Systems Lab. Our research will add a module to the existing Brooklyn Atlantis project, in which an aquatic robot vehicle (ARV) designed to collect water quality data and take photos below and above water is deployed twice each week in the Gowanus Canal. Brooklyn Atlantis is a citizen science project in which anyone can create an account to help with tagging images collected by the ARV.
Our research will develop a sensory array to collect air quality data (Volatile Organic Compounds, Nitrogen Dioxide,Carbon Monoxide, and Carbon Dioxide) and associated weather data (humidity, temperature, etc.).
We have developed a timeline for our project, deployed the robot in the canal, and conducted research on sensors and methods for our project. We have selected the sensors needed to complete the project and are in the process of ordering the needed components to build the module.
Possible classroom applications for the project including having students complete a study of air and/or water quality during specific atmospheric conditions (i.e., low vs. high temperature) and having students build simple sensors to measure air and/or water quality.
Kelly Brandon, Alexa Goldstrom, Zulficar Habib, and Jigar Jadav
We are working in Professor Kapila’s Mechatronics and Controls lab. All of us have selected different aspects of research pertaining to CAESAR, the humanoid robot.
Habib is developing an android app that will integrate Flexiforce sensors in helping to control the robot’s arms.
Jigar is working on deploying the Open CV program on an embedded processor such as a Gumstick or Raspberry Pi so it can be housed within the robot, thereby eliminating the reliance on the current laptop-based system for vision processing.
Kelly is working with the Open CV program to enable CAESAR to detect and learn objects.
Alexa is working on 3D design and manufacturing of the arms and torso using Autodesk Inventor, Solid Works, CNC machines, and a desktop 3D printer.
We will use our new, in-depth knowledge about programming, app creation, and design in our math, science, and computer classes to expose our students to diverse study and career opportunities in STEM disciplines.
Linda Dombi and Jason Econome
We are working in Professor Iskander’s Soil Mechanics Lab to examine a new application for transparent soils. Specifically, we are investigating various approaches to get plants to survive in a hydrated aqua-bead environment instead of their native soil. This application will help us understand the dynamics of root growth.
Some of the experimental challenges include identifying plants that survive in saturated soils and grow quickly enough to optimize our transparent soil system within the allotted four weeks. Another challenge is to ensure that the plant’s native soil doesn’t get overly saturated causing plant infection or growth retardation. Lastly we are working on optimizing transparency of the aqua-bead solution with sucrose (~30%) so that we can better visualize root growth patterns during the experiment.
This research experience can be used in a variety of lessons in the living environment curriculum. For instance, we can teach the class how the proper balance of nutrients is needed to ensure root growth, fruiting, and flowering. From an experimental perspective the students can discuss the proper controls and dependent variables available to the researcher in this experimental setup.