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Senior Design Expo 2023

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Fu Foundation School of Engineering<br />

and Applied Science Presents<br />

the Tenth Annual<br />

May 4th, <strong>2023</strong> | 12pm-3pm<br />

Roone Arledge Auditorium<br />

Lerner Hall


Table of Contents<br />

Applied Physics & Applied Mathematics<br />

Influence of Recycled Silicates on the Hydration of Cement Paste (P.5)<br />

Phase initiation and Evolution using Surface Evolver (P.6)<br />

A Simple Model for Optimizing Magnetic Loss During Microwave Heating of<br />

Superparamagnetic Fe3O4 Nanoparticles (P. 6)<br />

Degradation Mechanisms of Polyethylene Terephthalate (PET) (P.7)<br />

Optimizing growth of AuNPs in DNA origami cages to tune optical properties (P.7)<br />

Thin Film Coating to Decrease Low Temperature Degradation of Yttria Stabilized Zirconia<br />

Dental Devices (P. 8)<br />

Low-Temperature Electronic Conductivity in Cu-doped CeO2 Nanoparticles (P. 9)<br />

connectiV (P. 10)<br />

Biomedical Engineering<br />

verifyNG (P. 10)<br />

Nu-Jet (P. 11)<br />

Resonance (P. 11)<br />

NanoCath (P. 12)<br />

InCerv (P. 12)<br />

Mindful Mouthguards (P. 13)<br />

FractUS (P. 13)<br />

Apneaware (P. 14)<br />

Euphony Therapeutics (P. 14)<br />

PoseEst (P. 15)


Civil Engineering & Engineering Mechanics<br />

Modular Living: Step into Legolan (P. 16)<br />

Alice Wainwright Park, Miami, Florida, Stormsurge Protection Redesign (P. 16)<br />

A New Home for NYCFC (P. 17)<br />

Aging Hydroelectric Dam Redesign for Climate Change (P. 19)<br />

Sunset Bay Terminal: <strong>Design</strong>ing the Interborough Express Brooklyn Terminal Station (P. 20)<br />

Computer Science<br />

Open Source Economics – Building Trust and Effective Resource Allocation at Scale (P. 21)<br />

Earth & Environmental Engineering<br />

Long Island Western Bays: Saltwater Intrusion Resiliency Plan (P. 22)<br />

Optimization of Carbon Capture Technologies for the Blue Hydrogen Economy (P. 23)<br />

Feasibility of Novel Decontamination Procedures for Heavy Metal Extraction in Soils in the<br />

New York City Metropolitan Area (P. 23)<br />

Electrical Engineering<br />

Mirror for Integrated Rehabilitation (P. 24)<br />

8x8 MZI Beneš Switch Array Packaging and Testing (P. 24)<br />

Roverarm (P. 25)<br />

Block Diagram to Breadboard: Implementation of Digital Operations in Analog Guitar Effects<br />

(P. 25)<br />

Musical Meditation: Heart Rate-Informed Tempo Modulating Headphones (P. 26)<br />

Uninterruptible Power Supply for Home and Kitchen Applications (P. 26)<br />

Uninterrupted Power Supply System <strong>Design</strong>ed for use in Thermoelectric Mini Fridge (P. 27)<br />

Weather Transmitter: Building a Transceiver with Modulation and Multiplexing Capabilities (P.<br />

27)<br />

ZyloZinger (P. 28)


Industrial Engineering and Operations Research<br />

Nest: Platform-agnostic On-chain Customer Engagement Loyalty Solutions (P. 29)<br />

Mechanical Engineering<br />

AMPF: Automated Pothole Filler (P. 30)<br />

AQUA4 (P. 30)<br />

ELEVA (P. 30)<br />

OptiShine (P. 31)<br />

WormBot (P. 31)<br />

DEMI (P. 32)<br />

Deadliftr (P. 32)<br />

Tacchissi (P. 33)<br />

Health Can (P. 33)<br />

Plan Bee (P. 34)<br />

A High Voltage Enclosure for a Formula Style EV (P. 34)<br />

AgriFlow (P. 35)<br />

Theta 5 (P. 35)<br />

Pick-A-Poo (P. 36)<br />

Lockit Bike Station (P. 36)<br />

Redesigning soccer cleat outsoles to reduce ACL injuries in female soccer players (P. 37)


Applied Physics & Applied Mathematics<br />

Influence of Recycled Silicates on the Hydration of Cement Paste<br />

Liam Hayes, Diandian Zhao, Jonah Williams, Alissa Park, Shiho Kawashima<br />

In the 21st century, concrete is the second most used substance behind water, accounting for<br />

over 8% of global CO2 output. The current construction paradigm relies on non-renewable<br />

resources like industrial grade sand, and rarely aims to achieve an end-product use-life of<br />

more than a half-century.<br />

Current concrete recycling techniques consist of crushing to make large aggregates, which<br />

has limited use in construction projects. With concrete usage increasing at an unprecedented<br />

rate and 20th century structures reaching the end of their use-lives, novel recycling processes<br />

are needed to limit the impact of construction projects and prevent the buildup of demolition<br />

waste in landfills. Columbia’s Park Group Lab has made advances in developing a carbonnegative<br />

process to convert concrete waste into calcium carbonate powders which can used to<br />

make cement paste ex novo. Their process yields two main amorphous silica-containing<br />

powders. Cement paste and mortar samples were prepared using these silicate powders as<br />

pozzolanic additives to investigate the viability of these materials for novel concrete<br />

mixtures.<br />

Ordinary Portland Cement was mixed with the two powders and with industrial silica fume<br />

powder in a 1:9 ratio by weight. Thermogravimetric analysis (TGA) and isothermal<br />

calorimetry were used to determine the time-evolution of the chemical reactions in the<br />

resulting cement pastes, while uniaxial compression testing was used to determine the<br />

strength evolution of small mortar samples prepared with the different cement mixes. Cement<br />

and mortar powders were mixed with water in a 1:4 ratio by weight and mixed for two<br />

minutes using a hand mixer and left to cure in air for 1 day before being submerged in<br />

distilled water to cure for up to 28 days. Samples were tested via TGA and compression at four<br />

different stages of curing: 1, 3, 7, and 28 days.<br />

The data collected since September 2022 has validated further experimentation investigating<br />

the detailed microstructural and chemical evolution of these materials and has supported the<br />

case that the Park Lab’s novel recycling process can help the construction industry move<br />

towards a circular material economy and provide civil engineers with new useful materials<br />

with reduced environmental impacts.<br />

5


Applied Physics & Applied Mathematics<br />

Phase initiation and Evolution using Surface Evolver<br />

Juan Baek ‘23<br />

Phase initiation and evolution play a crucial role in research and manufacturing,<br />

particularly in areas such as polycrystalline thin films and displays. However, investigating the<br />

fundamental theory behind these processes has been challenging due to the complexity of<br />

mathematical calculations and the difficulty of observing phase transformations in condensed<br />

phases experimentally.<br />

Fortunately, Professor Ken Brakke of Susquehanna University has developed a program<br />

called Surface Evolver, originally designed to study capillarity physics of microdroplets. We can<br />

utilize this program for simulating evolution of a new phase beyond the simple classical<br />

Nucleation Theory. By minimizing the energy of the “inter-phase” interface as it undergoes a<br />

transformation subject to constraints, Surface Evolver uses various mathematical tools, including<br />

Green's Theorem and vector calculus to simulate the evolution of a new phase. However, before<br />

conducting a simulation, we must explicitly identify the shape and constraints of the solid/liquid<br />

interface.<br />

By understanding the relationship between contact angles on surfaces and interfacial<br />

energies, we can accurately simulate the evolution of a solid. We also develop a thermodynamic<br />

analysis by recognizing that curvature is a property of solid/liquid interfaces in mechanical<br />

equilibrium, resulting in the derivation of a critical curvature where the Gibbs-Thomson<br />

condition holds. We further demonstrate the effectiveness and efficiency of this method by<br />

showing that free-energy evolution plots that are normally sought after by researchers, are<br />

readily available from our curvature-volume evolution diagrams with fewer restrictions.<br />

A Simple Model for Optimizing Magnetic Loss During Microwave Heating of<br />

Superparamagnetic Fe3O4 Nanoparticles<br />

Ethan Burkley<br />

Advisors: Dr. Mengqi Shen, Dr. Xiaoyang Shi, and Dr. Ah-Hyung Alissa Park<br />

Rosenwieg’s phenomenological model for inductive heating of colloidal magnetic particles is<br />

used to guide the optimization of magnetic loss in superparamagnetic magnetite (Fe2O4) for use<br />

in the regeneration of a novel CO2 capture material. Thermal regeneration of CO2 capture<br />

materials is energetically costly and microwave induction has shown promise as a way to<br />

improve the efficiency of regeneration by embedding magnetic nanoparticles alongside<br />

functionalized nanoparticle organic hybrid materials (NOHMs) in a CO2 permeable matrix.<br />

While the magnetic properties of magnetite vary significantly with size, the Rosenwieg model<br />

illustrates why size is not a conclusive parameter. Ultimately, this analysis demonstrates how to<br />

tune nanoparticle size for a given microwave frequency as well as how to optimize the efficiency<br />

of magnetic loss.<br />

Keywords: Superparamagnetism, Microwave Induction, Magnetite, CO2 Capture<br />

6


Applied Physics & Applied Mathematics<br />

Degradation Mechanisms of Polyethylene Terephthalate (PET)<br />

Fatima Begum, Department of Applied Physics and Applied Math<br />

Advisor: Professor Sanat Kumar and Nico Mendez, Department of Chemical Engineering<br />

Plastic pollution in the Earth’s oceans is undoubtedly an important topic of research. More<br />

specifically, its subsequent degradation into microplastics and nanoplastics is of large interest<br />

because sampling it from the ocean has proven to be difficult. As a result, research efforts are<br />

focused on simulating this degradation with polyethylene terephthalate (PET) to analyze its<br />

properties and degradation mechanisms (chemical, thermal, and oxidative). In this study, 50 µm<br />

PET film was placed into water and heated for times ranging from one to ten days. The water,<br />

hypothesized to contain degraded PET particles, was analyzed through dynamic light scattering<br />

(DLS) to determine the number of degraded particles in the solution. These degraded films were<br />

then photographed using scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and atomic force microscopy<br />

(AFM) to analyze the properties of the surface. Differential scanning calorimetry (DSC) was<br />

used to measure and calculate the degree of melting. Lastly, a polarized light microscope was<br />

used to take images of the solutions.<br />

In general, the DLS demonstrated that PET films that were degraded for longer tended to have<br />

higher count rates (~400 kcps) than those that were degraded for shorter periods of time (~100<br />

kcps). As a result of more degradation, the sample degraded for 8 days had a rougher surface<br />

(.28) than the control sample (.19), according to the AFM images. The degree of melting was<br />

about .4 according to the DSC measurements. The SEM images show variations in the sizes and<br />

shapes of the degraded microplastics. Finally, the polarized light microscope images illustrate<br />

that the degraded microplastic is in fact semicrystalline as opposed to solely amorphous.<br />

Keywords: PET, film, hydrolysis, chemicrystallization, microplastics, degradation, crystallinity,<br />

thermal degradation, oxidative degradation, Dynamic Light Scattering (DLS), Scanning Electron<br />

Microscopy (SEM), Atomic Force Microscopy (AFM), Differential Scanning Calorimetry<br />

(DSC), polarized light microscopy<br />

Optimizing growth of AuNPs in DNA origami cages to tune optical properties<br />

Margot Szamosszegi, Huajian Ji, Eric Shen, Oleg Gang<br />

The goal of this project is to optimize the growth of functionalized gold nanoparticles (AuNPs)<br />

inside DNA origami frames and assembled lattices to create prescribed nanostructures with<br />

stronger tunable optical responses. By investigating the growth parameters of these systems, this<br />

work aims to develop a better understanding of their behavior and pave the way for further<br />

exploration into the design and application of DNA-based optical devices. Results show that the<br />

growth of free AuNPs can be effectively controlled and maintained a spherical morphology<br />

beyond 30 nm, while the growth of AuNPs in DNA origami cages proved more challenging due<br />

to possible AuNP aggregation and confinement effects from the DNA framework. The growth of<br />

AuNPs in DNA origami lattices yielded irregular AuNP geometries and unreliable results due to<br />

AuNP encapsulation within several layers of DNA origami frames. These results serve as a<br />

useful starting point for researchers in the field and have opened up exciting avenues for further<br />

work to optimize AuNP growth parameters and fully unlock the potential of DNA-based optical<br />

materials.<br />

7


Applied Physics & Applied Mathematics<br />

Thin Film Coating to Decrease Low Temperature Degradation of Yttria Stabilized Zirconia<br />

Dental Devices<br />

Sam Lossef<br />

Advisor: Professor Siu-Wai Chan<br />

In this project, the sol-gel process was successfully used to deposit thin film coatings of alumina<br />

onto yttria stabilized zirconia substrates for the purpose of delaying or preventing low<br />

temperature degradation (LTD), and enhancing lifespan of zirconia dental devices.<br />

Yttria stabilized zirconia is a ceramic material that is widely used in dental devices and implants<br />

due to its high strength and hardness, favorable optical qualities, and relatively low cost.<br />

However, interaction with aqueous saliva can result in low temperature degradation, a<br />

phenomenon in which tetragonal to monoclinic (t-m) phase transformations occur at the surface<br />

of zirconia ceramics, causing volume enlargement of grains, which in turn results in surface<br />

roughening, decreased optical translucency, micro-cracking, loss of strength, and potential<br />

catastrophic device failure. It was hypothesized that deposition of a thin film sol-gel layer of<br />

alumina on the surface of zirconia dental devices would act as a water barrier to delay or prevent<br />

the tetragonal to monoclinic phase transformations that are responsible for low temperature<br />

degradation.<br />

A viscous sol-gel was prepared by dissolving aluminum nitrate nonahydrate and carbamide in<br />

water and heating under reflux for 10 hours. Yttria stabilized zirconia samples (5 mol % yttria)<br />

were dip coated in either hot and cold sol-gel solutions, before being slowly withdrawn over a 30<br />

second interval. Coated samples were then heated in a kiln at 600° C for 6 hours to fuse the<br />

alumina coating to the zirconia substrate. Accelerated aging was then performed in a steam<br />

autoclave to simulate the effects of low temperature degradation on control and coated samples.<br />

EDS elemental analysis confirms that alumina was successfully deposited onto the zirconia<br />

substrate. SEM images suggest that coated zirconia samples had slightly smoother surfaces than<br />

uncoated samples. However, Raman spectroscopy indicates that coated samples unexpectedly<br />

had higher concentrations of weaker monoclinic crystals than uncoated samples, possibly related<br />

to the oven sintering at 600° C. Further research should be conducted to optimize kiln<br />

temperatures to ensure good adhesion of thin films to zirconia, while at the same time preserving<br />

the initial tetragonal crystal structure of the substrate.<br />

Keywords: Yttria stabilized zirconia, dental devices, low temperature degradation, thin film<br />

coatings, alumina coatings, sol-gel coatings.<br />

8


Applied Physics & Applied Mathematics<br />

Low-Temperature Electronic Conductivity in Cu-doped CeO2 Nanoparticles<br />

Syed Saam Rasool, Yanhe Li<br />

Advisor: Siu-Wai Chan<br />

This project entails the synthesis and AC electrical testing of copper-doped cerium oxide<br />

(CuCeO2) nanoparticles. The synthesis is performed via a co-precipitation reaction and<br />

subsequent heat treatment. The electrical properties of the particles are probed over a small<br />

low-temperature range using electrochemical impedance spectroscopy (EIS) on a bulk pellet<br />

sample comprised of the nanoparticulate powder. Values for activation energy and carrier density<br />

are reported and compared with those of past investigations.<br />

Keywords: List project keywords, Ceramics, ceria, metal oxides, copper, nanoparticles,<br />

impedance spectroscopy, electronic, conductivity, activation energy, polarons, low-temperature,<br />

synthesis, experiment<br />

9


Biomedical Engineering<br />

connectiV<br />

Helena Cirne, Anjali Santhanam, Kiara Robichaud, Caitlyn Limanto, and Elvin Canseco<br />

Within the NICU (Neonatal Intensive Care Unit), most neonates require intravenous (IV)<br />

therapy. Full-term infants receive up to 100-140 mL/kg/day, yielding an administration of 10-20<br />

mL/hr. However, the rates can get as low as 0.1 mL/hr for concentrated drugs. Multiple inputs<br />

must be connected to a singular vascular access device, increasing variability in flow rate and<br />

risk of backflow due to flow interactions between several input sources at connection points.<br />

Improper administration of medication can cause serious adverse events such as abnormal blood<br />

pressure, anxiety from a loss of sedation, and increased pain. Thus, there is a need to reduce flow<br />

inconsistencies within NICU tubing connection ports while monitoring fluid flow for precise<br />

drug dosing in neonatal patients. To address these shortcomings in neonatal IV therapies, we<br />

have created a two-part system. The first component replaces existing connection ports with<br />

3D-printed, medically safe, sterile millifluidic chips. The millifluidic chip increases flow rate<br />

consistency and reduces negative flow interactions to ensure more accurate drug delivery. This<br />

works in conjunction with an external, photoresistor-based flow detection system that facilitates<br />

hands-off monitoring. This device will be capable of alerting health providers to potential<br />

disruptions of flow. connectiV works to minimize the deficiencies in the current technology used<br />

in the NICU by improving the system of IV drug delivery.<br />

verifyNG<br />

Lori Luo, Catherine Medeiros, Joy Fan, and Hsinyen Huang<br />

A nasogastric (NG) tube is a soft, rubber tube inserted into the nose, down the esophagus, and<br />

into the stomach by clinicians around the world to provide nutrition and dietary supplements to<br />

individuals who otherwise cannot eat. Despite the daily use of NG tubes by clinical care teams<br />

around the world, studies have shown that 88% of nurses do not quantitatively verify that the<br />

tube is properly placed in the stomach. Moreover, out of 932 blind placements of an NG tube,<br />

around half were misplaced. Misplacement of an NG tube can lead to lethal results, especially<br />

when the NG tube is placed in the lungs, where the delivery of nutritional feed can result in<br />

serious patient injury or death via drowning. Current methods to verify placement, such as x-ray,<br />

cause delays in patient care and require specially trained staff. As a result, there remains a need<br />

for an easy-to-use, binary output sensor to accurately confirm the proper placement of the NG<br />

tube. Using inductive sensing technology, the verifyNG device is able to accurately detect if the<br />

NG tube is placed in the stomach with an intuitive binary output. The use of this device in<br />

clinical settings across the world will improve NG tube placement accuracy and patient<br />

outcomes.<br />

10


Biomedical Engineering<br />

Nu-Jet<br />

Anjali Nair, Isa Nuñez, Athena Pagon, Vish Rao, and Elías Tzoc-Pacheco<br />

Syringes and needles are the predominant vaccine delivery model despite their reliance on<br />

single-use components, stringent storage and transportation requirements, expensive waste<br />

disposal, and laborious administration. These elements translate to high costs per dose, making<br />

this vaccination model expensive and typically accessible only in high-resource clinical contexts.<br />

Globally, this results in a high proportion of needles being poorly sterilized for reuse, raising<br />

risks of infection. Thus, there exists a need for a cost-effective method of vaccine delivery to<br />

improve accessibility, sustainability, and sanitary standards. To address this demand, we sought<br />

to construct a low-cost needleless injector. The device generates a sufficiently pressurized fluid<br />

stream using tandem pneumatic cylinders in order to deliver an intradermal dose. A specially<br />

designed combination of valve, nozzle, and splash guard reduces cross-contamination that has<br />

historically plagued prior injector technologies. An electrically-regulated valve system controls<br />

filling and injection, simplifying the functionality for a user to a two-switch procedure. Nu-Jet<br />

offers a method of delivering vaccines that reduces material waste and administration costs,<br />

making vaccinations safer and more readily available for a manifold of healthcare settings.<br />

Resonance<br />

Hannah Matin, Matthew Lange, Skylar Li, Leonardo Campos, Julia Zhao, and Athena Tsu<br />

Mucus build-up in the airways is a major issue for many patients with pulmonary diseases; for<br />

example, 50% of COPD patients have mucus hypersecretion, which correlates with a 3.5 times<br />

greater risk of dying. Oscillating positive expiratory pressure (OPEP) is commonly used to break<br />

up airway mucus for easier expulsion. Such devices oscillate to induce vibrations of resonant<br />

frequencies with the patient’s airway cilia, thus mechanically agitating the mucus and promoting<br />

its movement up the airways. However, current OPEP devices have several issues. Their patient<br />

effort requirements result in contraindications that exclude certain populations, and variability<br />

between devices makes it difficult to predict efficacy. In addition, depending on the OPEP device<br />

utilized, patient utilization is complicated by uninformative controls and precise handling. Thus,<br />

there exists a need for improved treatment for patients who experience mucus build-up in the<br />

airways. To address these issues with current OPEP devices, our device leverages fundamental<br />

principles of OPEP therapeutic parameters with electronic capabilities for optimized<br />

performance across a wider range of patients. Using a fully automated solenoid-based oscillation<br />

mechanism that is adjustable by the patient for their specific needs, we not only provide<br />

transparent therapeutic measures of frequency, but streamlined controls and reduced patient<br />

effort necessary for therapeutic effect<br />

11


Biomedical Engineering<br />

NanoCath<br />

Yvonne Anang, Caroline Bell, Jocelyn Chen, Jordan Popov, and Justin Yun<br />

Intravenous drug delivery is common for many current medical treatments across various<br />

diseases. In particular, central line catheters are often used to directly connect an external drug<br />

source to major arteries and veins. This delivery method poses a significant risk to both the<br />

patient due to the possibility of dangerous infections, as well as to hospitals that take on the<br />

financial burden of such infections. Therefore, the design and maintenance of drug delivery<br />

through long-term access points to patients’ bloodstreams need improvements to be safer. To<br />

address this problem, we propose an improved catheter dressing to better protect the catheter<br />

access point, especially for long-term catheter patients experiencing multiple regular dressing<br />

changes. Inspired by existing catheter dressings and novel research on advanced antiseptic drug<br />

delivery methods, we created a multi-layered catheter dressing with an electrospun fiber mesh<br />

doped with the antiseptic chlorhexidine gluconate (CHG) and superabsorbent materials enforced<br />

by a transparent structural support made out of silicone. With nanoCath, intravenous access<br />

points will be better protected and more infections will be prevented.<br />

InCerv<br />

Griffin Daly, Johanna Jackson, Sopho Kevlishvili, Jose Pomarino Nima, and Carly Rivera<br />

Cervical dilation is used in Obstetrics-Gynecology procedures from family planning to oncology.<br />

Roughly 80 million gynecological procedures require cervical dilation for instruments such as<br />

IUD inserters, cameras, or catheters to pass through the cervix into the uterus for the deployment<br />

of medicines, biopsies, diagnostic tests, and treatments. The current dilation process involves<br />

repeatedly sliding metal dilators in and out of the endocervical canal, which results in lengthy<br />

procedures and pain due to friction. It can also lead to the creation of false passages in the<br />

cervical tissue resulting in bleeding, cervical laceration, and uterine perforation. Therefore, we<br />

need a way to atraumatically dilate the cervix for uterine procedures. Atraumatic dilation does<br />

not have the possibility of piercing cervical tissue or injuring the smooth muscle. InCerv is a<br />

cervical dilator that consists of a compliant, biocompatible balloon, connected to a graduated<br />

syringe filled with an incompressible fluid. As the syringe is depressed, it injects a controllable<br />

volume of fluid into the compliant balloon, causing it to expand. Due to the incompressibility of<br />

the injected fluid, the diameter and rate of expansion of the balloon can be controlled by the rate<br />

of depression of the syringe. InCerv consists of a single insertion and can achieve dilation from<br />

anywhere from 1 mm to 18 mm and uses concentric expansion of the cervix to lessen pain<br />

associated with cervical dilation<br />

12


Biomedical Engineering<br />

Mindful Mouthguards<br />

Timothy Simmons, Cason Hancock, Olivia Hansen, Schuyler Fuller, and Matthew Wahl<br />

Every year, roughly 3.8 million concussions occur due to sports-related injuries in the United<br />

States. However, there exists a lack of accurate and affordable methods to detect in-game<br />

concussions in high school athletes. Some concussion symptoms appear within minutes of the<br />

injury, while others may take several hours or days to appear. To make matters worse, after the<br />

first concussion, athletes are three-to-five times more likely to have another concussion.<br />

Repeated concussions can make symptoms last longer, induce slower recovery time, and even<br />

increase the chances for long-lasting or permanent problems (i.e., post-concussion syndrome,<br />

higher risk for anxiety and depression, structural brain injuries, problems with memory, naming,<br />

word-finding, dementia). Without properly identifying concussions and their severity quickly<br />

and accurately, athletes may be kept in games or fail to recognize their injury completely, leading<br />

to more permanent damage or even death. Thus, there is a need for a more accurate and<br />

affordable approach to detect in-game concussions for high school athletes in order to avoid<br />

severe complications that have the potential to cause permanent damage or death. To address this<br />

problem our device is a mouthguard fashioned with LEDs, an accelerometer, and Bluetooth<br />

connection. By using an accelerometer, data on hits to the head can be detected without the need<br />

for spotters or other expensive equipment. Also, since the mouthguard will light up upon a large<br />

enough impact, there is no question as to whether a student-athlete should remain on the field.<br />

Furthermore, our device is designed to transmit real-time data to the sideline via Bluetooth and<br />

could have an eventual integration with a mobile app to make comprehensive concussion<br />

management simpler. Overall, our instrumented mouthguard device is a thorough and proactive<br />

approach to concussion safety that will be able to keep track of the amount and magnitude of hits<br />

in-game, enabling timely intervention and reducing the chance of long-term injuries or death for<br />

athletes.<br />

FractUS<br />

Ayi Agboglo, Dreyton Amador, Daniel Garcia, Nathan Ocampo, and Yi Qu<br />

Osteoporosis is characterized by a decrease in bone mineral density, which compromises bone<br />

integrity and ultimately results in fractures. Osteoporosis affects nearly 20% of women and 5%<br />

of men over 50 years of age, and often goes undetected until after a bone fracture has already<br />

occurred. To avoid these fractures, regular monitoring of bone density would be ideal, but this<br />

involves the use of ionizing radiation, which can be expensive and only accessible beyond<br />

primary care. Thus, there is a need for an alternative way to characterize bone health in patients<br />

at risk for decreased bone mineral density before a fracture can occur. To this end, FractUS seeks<br />

to characterize bone density by providing a software that analyzes ultrasound images collected<br />

from a dual-probe setup. By utilizing ultrasound technology, physicians will be able to track<br />

patient bone mineral density regularly without concern about radiation exposure or cost. This<br />

could prevent future fractures by detecting trends of decreasing bone mineral density over time<br />

and providing preemptive care.<br />

13


Biomedical Engineering<br />

Apneaware<br />

Jiamiao Chen, Luyu Kang, Zhilin Luo, and Yujie Zhu<br />

Sleep apnea is a common sleep disorder characterized by gaps in inspiratory airflow during<br />

sleeping. It is one of the most common sleep disorders, affecting over 1 billion people<br />

worldwide. However, since the episodes occur during sleep, self-diagnosis can be challenging.<br />

Untreated, sleep apnea can have detrimental effects on health, leading to increased risks of<br />

multiple diseases, such as stroke and coronary heart disease. Existing techniques for diagnosing<br />

sleep apnea, such polysomnography, are expensive and frequently necessitate overnight stays in<br />

a sleep lab for the patients. Thus, there remains a need for an affordable and user-friendly device<br />

to monitor patients’ activities during sleep and detect the symptoms of sleep apnea. Inspired by<br />

pulmonary auscultation, our device employs acoustic detection of respiratory sounds. It consists<br />

of three components: a sound acquisition component resembling a mechanical stethoscope, a<br />

signal analysis system computing sleep apnea episodes, and a user-friendly interface allowing<br />

patients to monitor their sleep patterns and understand the implications. By accurately detecting<br />

sleep apnea events, Apneaware has the potential to raise awareness of sleep apnea in more<br />

people and encourage early prevention, ultimately improving the quality of life for those affected<br />

by this common sleep disorder.<br />

Euphony Therapeutics<br />

Djenebou Semega, Andoni Nolasco, Blake Turner, Imelda N. A. Adjei, and Andre Meddar<br />

Forty percent of children with Autism Spectrum Disorder and seventy-to-eighty percent of<br />

migraine patients suffer from hyperacusis, which is an increased sensitivity to sounds causing<br />

discomfort or even pain for the patient. Loudness Discomfort Level (LDL) describes the point at<br />

which a subject perceives the sound as uncomfortably loud. Ninety-five percent of patients with<br />

hyperacusis have an LDL of less than 77 dB, compared to the general population in whom the<br />

average is about 100 dB. As this is on a logarithmic scale, there is a significant sound tolerance<br />

decrease in hyperacusis patients that would barely bother most people. Current treatment for<br />

hyperacusis includes sound therapy and cognitive behavioral therapy to improve sound tolerance,<br />

but for most patients, symptom management includes wearing headphones to block out<br />

uncomfortable noises. Blocking sound is often helpful for reducing discomfort, but when<br />

uncomfortable sounds are part of one’s daily life, it can be difficult to balance the need for<br />

comfort and the need to perceive one’s auditory environment. Therefore, there is a need for a<br />

way to reduce exposure to sounds that may trigger negative effects in hyperacusis patients. Our<br />

solution is based on a Targeted Noise Cancellation system while allowing user specificity with<br />

the addition of an app. This device targets unwanted sounds, based on frequency, to attenuate<br />

loud sounds while retaining the quality of desired sounds (i.e. conversations). By pairing the<br />

device to an app, we allow the user to select which frequency of sounds they want to reduce<br />

depending on their condition. In other words, in the app, the user can choose the minimum and<br />

maximum frequency and number of stop bands that they want to have attenuated through their<br />

device. Lastly, the app permits the user to record the frequency of the sounds they encounter to<br />

store in the app as part of a catalog from which they can then select or change the sound they<br />

desire to attenuate at any time.<br />

14


Biomedical Engineering<br />

PoseEst<br />

Alex Ying, Jesse Yebouet, Jonah Dewing, Jonathan Guo, and Yena Shin<br />

Physical therapy (PT) is an important tool for pain treatment, muscle strengthening, injury<br />

prevention, and rehabilitation. Frequently, PT is not accessible due to the high costs of sessions<br />

and transit inconvenience. When faced with these barriers, patients will sometimes rely on free<br />

online resources for instruction. However, these sources can be unreliable and leave patients<br />

susceptible to exacerbating their injuries. In order to encourage patient compliance, prevent<br />

injury, and promote progress in a user-friendly, cost-effective manner, we present PoseEst, a<br />

markerless joint tracking smartphone app. After a clinical questionnaire, certain exercises may be<br />

suggested for the user’s injury. Using a deep learning model, a phone camera will automatically<br />

record a patient’s joint positions through these exercises in 3D space. The app will track the<br />

movements of the user’s knee, ankle, hip, and spine and assess the exercise form based on<br />

clinically accepted metrics. The user is presented with this information to improve form, and the<br />

app automatically tracks recovery progress over time. If the injury does not improve with simple,<br />

form-corrected exercises, a writeup with a history of the injury and the exercises performed will<br />

be ready to print for an easy introduction to actual PT clinics. PoseEst serves as a cost-effective,<br />

accessible, at-home aid platform prior to physical therapy intervention that can also work in<br />

conjunction with physical therapists to monitor patient health and adherence.<br />

15


Civil Engineering & Engineering Mechanics<br />

Modular Living: Step into Legoland<br />

Charlie Henry Renner, Abraham Oh, Katherine Koziol, Amin Mojarad, Isabella Citera, Tes S<br />

DeJaeger<br />

Advisor: Tom Panyoditi<br />

This project is a five-story modular residential building located in Brooklyn, New York made<br />

entirely from recycled shipping containers. A modular approach is utilized to highlight the<br />

benefits from a schedule , cost, environmental, safety, and structural standpoint. Although<br />

modular construction is less traditional, it has promising results as it is highly customizable,<br />

iterative and sustainable. The geotechnical investigation, the relatively low chance of<br />

earthquakes and hurricanes, and the need for more efficient housing in New York City makes<br />

Brooklyn an ideal location for modular construction using shipping containers.<br />

Keywords: Civil Engineering, Modular Construction, Off-Site Fabrication, Volumetric Modular<br />

Construction, Construction, Affordable Housing, Brooklyn, NY, Shipping Containers<br />

Alice Wainwright Park, Miami, Florida, Stormsurge Protection Redesign<br />

Shanelle Marshall, Meera Mavroidis, Destiny Meyers, Marco Morales, and Ayesha Rennie<br />

Advisor: Tom T. Panayotidi<br />

The Stormsurge Protection project focuses on the design of a multi-purpose park located in<br />

Miami, Florida along Biscayne Bay. The park incorporates individual components that create a<br />

community space as well as work to protect surrounding communities from storm surge. With<br />

climate change on the rise, storm surge intensity and stormwater precipitation are on the rise<br />

making most neighborhoods in Miami highly susceptible to flooding during storms. The first<br />

component of our redesign is a pedestrian overpass over the existing A1 Freeway that runs along<br />

the water in downtown Miami. The overpass will be designed as a park connecting the residents<br />

in Brickell to Alice Wainwright Park spanning 280 feet over the A1 freeway. The second<br />

component is an amphitheater located in the southeast corner of the park. The amphitheater will<br />

have an in-built water filtration system at its center, which will retain and filter any excess<br />

stormwater and outfall it back into the ocean. Finally, the park itself will be designed such that<br />

the hills act as a natural protective barrier against high tides and flooding. The park will be<br />

graded so that it slopes towards the amphitheater. Moreover, ditches will be dug out from behind<br />

the hills, leading towards the amphitheater, to ensure that all the excess water is contained in the<br />

park system.<br />

Keywords: Stormwater Resiliency, Stormwater filtration, Structural Engineering, Stormsurge<br />

Protection, Park, Coastal Engineering, Sustainability, Natural Hazard Resilienc<br />

16


Civil Engineering & Engineering Mechanics<br />

A New Home for NYCFC<br />

Jillian Busetto, Patrick Chang, Sarah Marshall, Alexander Moreno, Natali Petani<br />

Advisor: Tom Panayotidi<br />

As the current New York City Football Club’s (NYCFC) primary location of play is in the Bronx<br />

at Yankee Stadium, this project seeks to produce a design for a soccer stadium in Queens, NY<br />

that will serve as the new home for NYCFC. The club was founded in May 2013 and while<br />

barely a decade old, the club has had noteworthy performance on both on the national and<br />

international stage. Despite the team’s success and the fact that New York is ranked fourth by<br />

ESPN in the top-ten markets for the MLS fan base, NYCFC lacks a dedicated stadium. Although<br />

Yankee Stadium can accommodate soccer matches, it has had difficulties serving both the<br />

Yankees and NYCFC adequately. The new stadium will be purpose-built for the club, allowing<br />

and supporting the development of a proper soccer experience at home games.<br />

The stadium is to be located on an undeveloped plot of land in Willets Point across the<br />

street from the New York Mets’ Citi Field, where the MTA 7 line is conveniently located. The<br />

stadium is a two-tier exposed steel structure with a cantilevered roof that can accommodate<br />

approximately 32,200 fans. The column, beam, seating and stair layouts were initially designed<br />

in AutoCAD to ensure that the design made logistical sense and met egress requirements before<br />

importing it into SAP to perform structural design.<br />

To design the steel skeleton, load calculations were performed and the appropriate load<br />

combinations were applied to the structure in SAP2000. Preliminary member sizing calculations<br />

were performed, and initial steel member design was iterated upon for the members that failed in<br />

the SAP capacity check. Reinforcement for the floor, seat slabs, and precast concrete seating<br />

deck was designed by extracting the maximum positive and negative moment and shear<br />

experienced by each slab type. To determine the type of foundation needed to support the<br />

stadium, approximate soil properties of the Flushing Meadows area were deduced from previous<br />

studies of the area, academic studies, building code regulations, and existing foundation designs.<br />

The approximated soil properties were then used to determine each layer’s corresponding<br />

bearing capacity. With this and the calculated loads that the soil would be supporting, a dynamic<br />

model was created to output the number of piles and their spatial feasibility along with the<br />

amount of settlement created for various combinations of pile depth and diameter. The resulting<br />

foundation design includes 960 8-inch high displacement driven piles.<br />

A SolidWorks model served to construct the physical models, as each part of the<br />

assembly was converted into a drawing to be manufactured using either a laser cutter or 3D<br />

printer; and, a Revit model allowed for virtual reality visualizations, specifically a compelling<br />

4D time-lapse phasing model of the entire construction process. Revit 5D quantity takeoffs were<br />

used in tandem with RSMeans data to approximate the cost of construction, which amounted to<br />

$180 M. Construction sequencing for the project was optimized using the critical path method<br />

and a discounted cash flow analysis was conducted to determine time to recoup the investment.<br />

Finally, to minimize the project’s environmental impact, planning considered real engineering<br />

innovations such as VERIFI in-transit concrete management systems and SCM replacements.<br />

17


Civil Engineering & Engineering Mechanics<br />

Overall, we seek to deliver design documents for a stadium to fit the owner's needs,<br />

including accommodation for games, seating, concessions, admission, circulation, training,<br />

operations, and more. We hope to provide an aesthetically-pleasing, environmentally responsible<br />

and financially sustainable home for NYCFC players and fans to enjoy for decades to come.<br />

Keywords: soccer stadium design, steel members, roof truss, slab reinforcement, precast<br />

concrete, driven piles, bearing capacity, settlement, quantity take off (QTO), net present value,<br />

cost analysis, critical path method, puzzle piece tabs, laser cutting, 3D printing, SolidWorks,<br />

AutoCAD, SAP2000, building information modeling (BIM), virtual reality (VR)<br />

18


Civil Engineering & Engineering Mechanics<br />

Aging Hydroelectric Dam Redesign for Climate Change<br />

Ruben Bazalar, Caroline Cailloux, Kevin Cardenas, Yunus Kovankaya, Zhihao Liu, Ariana Novo<br />

Advisor: Tom T. Panayotidi<br />

Concrete gravity dams across the United States are aging towards the end of their useful service<br />

lives. In looking towards improvements or reimplementations of these astounding projects, there<br />

must be a focus on the disadvantages and complications faced. The Martin Dam in Dadeville,<br />

Alabama is exemplary of early efforts to find energy alternatives to fossil fuel-based sources, an<br />

issue that is timely with current climate change projections from greenhouse gas emissions. The<br />

hydroelectric dam was innovative at the time for its size and its ability to provide power to local<br />

communities. At the same time, the Martin Dam caused disruptions to the ecosystems it invaded<br />

as many dams do, leading to present concerns over methane emissions. The dam also reaches its<br />

100th year of service in 2026, so it will reach the end of its useful life within the next 3 years.<br />

Our solution focuses on maintaining and improving the current impacts of the dam through more<br />

effective turbines as well as the implementation of an oxygen line diffuser in the reservoir which<br />

will help increase dissolved oxygen (DO) levels. Increased DO will assist in protecting<br />

endangered flora and fauna native to Western Alabama and neutralize methane produced by<br />

decaying organisms at greater depths of the reservoir. Additionally, the dam’s effectiveness is<br />

improved to deal with extreme weather events by adding additional capacity to deal with more<br />

powerful floods forecasted by IPCC climate change scenarios. These capacity calculations<br />

assume a log-normal rainfall distribution based on rainfall data extracted from the National<br />

Oceanography and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA).<br />

Development of concrete gravity dams span across many disciplines of civil engineering. In<br />

order for the dam to be structurally sound, considerations had to be done on the foundation upon<br />

which the dam will be built, different loads and load combinations were analyzed, and an<br />

analysis of the stability of the structure was conducted. In order to ensure that the dam would<br />

work with our proposed conditions, hydraulic analyses were conducted for the design of<br />

spillways for flood control and turbines for power generation. The design standards came from<br />

those set by the United States Bureau of Reclamation and the Army Corps of Engineers.<br />

Keywords: Concrete Gravity Dam, Hydroelectric Power, Oxygen Line Diffuser, Kaplan Turbine,<br />

Climate Change, Methane Emission Reduction, Dissolved Oxygen<br />

19


Civil Engineering & Engineering Mechanics<br />

Sunset Bay Terminal: <strong>Design</strong>ing the Interborough Express Brooklyn Terminal Station<br />

Amanda Klepper, Ameen DaCosta, Clare McGillis, Jenna Stewart, Sydney Umanah<br />

The Interborough Express is a proposed passenger light-rail system that would connect<br />

underserved areas of Brooklyn and Queens using the right-of-way of the lightly used Bay Ridge<br />

Branch, currently used by freight trains. The daily weekday ridership is estimated to be 115,000<br />

people, and it would connect with 17 different subway lines and the Long Island Railroad,<br />

providing a crucial link in the area. Our project is to design the terminal station for this line by<br />

the Brooklyn Army Terminal at the border of Sunset Park and Bay Ridge along the shore of New<br />

York Harbor. Due to its location, it has been affectionately named the Sunset Bay Terminal. The<br />

two-story station will be complete with shops and other passenger services, a connection to a<br />

nearby ferry stop, an outdoor park, an elevated walkway to the street, and a train yard. Our<br />

design also features an innovative green roof, optimized viewing of the scenic shoreline through<br />

a glass window wall, and a central glass dome that illuminates a central atrium.<br />

Our station design features a two story building with a footprint of 75,000 square feet, or<br />

250 ft by 300 ft. The primary structural design utilizes steel columns and beams with 25’ spans<br />

as well as reinforced concrete slabs. The lateral force resisting system features moment<br />

connections addressing wind forces perpendicular to the wall faces. The primary loads addressed<br />

in the design are dead loads from the structural members, interior, and green roof, live loads from<br />

pedestrian traffic, and wind loads. We modeled the dome shaped skylight accounting for dead<br />

loads from the glass and wind loads.<br />

The station design also contains multiple green infrastructure elements: a green roof that<br />

spans the entire area of the roof excluding the skylight, a water catchment system to collect<br />

rainwater runoff to use for flushing the toilets, and multiple green areas on the property. The<br />

green roof is composed of sedum, which is native to New York, drought-resistant, and easy to<br />

maintain. Spanning the entire roof, our innovative rainwater harvesting system is a central<br />

feature of the station design. Water will be filtered and directed through a pipe system and into a<br />

storage tank. Once water collects the tank, it will then be reused throughout the building. It will<br />

provide 318,750 cubic feet of water per year – saving $13,000 yearly.<br />

The coastal placement of the station presents unique design and geotechnical challenges.<br />

The groundwater level of the soil is around 1.5 ft below the surface. The site is directly underlain<br />

by glacial till and fill from past construction projects. This soil is weak and unfit to support the<br />

load of the terminal. Beneath this glacial till, there is gravelly sandy loam, which will be better<br />

suited to support loadings. Thirty-six cast-in-place, point-bearing concrete piles will be used to<br />

support the structure. Cross sections of the piles will be 2 ft by 3 ft and driven 20 feet below the<br />

surface. This will provide more than enough bearing capacity for the building’s live and dead<br />

loads.<br />

This terminal station will be owned and operated by the Metropolitan Transportation<br />

Authority (MTA). The work will be contracted out using a <strong>Design</strong>-Build project delivery<br />

method, designating a single team for the design and construction of the entire project. This<br />

ensures smoother coordination of materials and efficient scheduling. The design, planning and<br />

construction for this terminal station is estimated to take 3 years.<br />

20


Computer Science<br />

Open Source Economics – Building Trust and Effective Resource Allocation at Scale<br />

Iman Anwarzai<br />

Advisor: Eugene Wu<br />

Climate change threatens farmers’ livelihoods. Index insurance uses satellite and sensor data to<br />

decide whether to pay a farmer after drought. We identify several problems that arise with index<br />

insurance and top-down policy generally centered around a lack of trust and a lack of data. We<br />

can view solving lack of trust and lack of data as a modeling problem where community<br />

members set parameters for a policy. We propose a system called Decision Engine for<br />

Socioeconomic Disaster Risk (DESDR) to allow for community contribution to model<br />

parameters improving model effectiveness and trustworthiness. An initial DESDR deployment in<br />

Ethiopia is allowing community interaction and improved feedback for model tuning.<br />

Keywords: Interactive Data Visualization and Transformation, Machine Learning, Web<br />

Development<br />

21


Earth & Environmental Engineering<br />

Long Island Western Bays: Saltwater Intrusion Resiliency Plan<br />

Alexia Alejos, Karen Copeland, Megan Cushing, Maria Di Landro<br />

Advisor: Professor Farrauto<br />

Our project assesses the impending risks of climate change to groundwater systems, with a focus<br />

on dangerous saltwater intrusion exacerbated by sea-level rise. Saltwater intrusion in aquifers<br />

puts freshwater resources at risk due to increased salinity. This is not only a risk to public health,<br />

but can also damage native ecosystems and put existing water infrastructure at risk of failure.<br />

These impacts are particularly dangerous in an increasingly water-stressed world, where more<br />

than forty percent of the global population face water scarcity today. For our project, we focus on<br />

Western Bays subregion of Long Island in Nassau County, where saltwater intrusion has been<br />

impairing ground water quality since the 1950s. This impairment is a result of depletion of the<br />

freshwater aquifer system from excessive pumpage. Too much groundwater pumping can allow<br />

seawater to enter the freshwater supply by lowering the cone of depression surrounding pump<br />

stations. Sea-level rise will only exacerbate this issue. Long Island has been identified as one of<br />

the most vulnerable regions to sea-level rise in New York State, with 57,694 people in Nassau<br />

County at risk of flooding in a 4ft sea-level rise scenario. This is over 20,000 more people than<br />

any other county in New York State. Initiatives are already underway to protect this at-risk<br />

community through natural flood control methods such as marsh restorations for areas damaged<br />

by Hurricane Sandy in 2012. However, methods such as these do not currently address saltwater<br />

intrusion concerns with water quality. We propose potable water recharge to combat the overuse<br />

of the aquifers and sea-level change. Wastewater sourced from Bay Park Water Reclamation<br />

Facility will undergo a series of additional treatment steps including sedimentation,<br />

ultrafiltration, reverse osmosis, disinfection and chemical addition. This treatment brings the<br />

wastewater to potable standards, allowing it to be reinjected into the aquifer system. Specifically,<br />

we targeted the Lloyd and Magothy aquifers, two of Long Island’s coastal aquifers with<br />

measured saltwater intrusion. The location of recharge was selected based on the location of the<br />

freshwater-seawater interface, as documented by prior studies. The flow rate of the system was<br />

determined through a mass balance to maintain steady state between freshwater withdrawals,<br />

rainfall infiltration, and our potable water recharge. This ensures a sustained and reliable water<br />

supply that is able to meet consumer demand without placing strain on current or future water<br />

sources. In addition, we investigated the costs of a “business as usual” scenario, in which the<br />

study area would be forced to connect to the New York City Water Supply System to continue to<br />

meet freshwater demands. This would cost the community approximately $137M. Additionally,<br />

abandoning a viable freshwater source should not be an option in an increasingly water-stressed<br />

world. Social and environmental justice components of this project were also investigated using<br />

a SWOT analysis. Overall, potable water recharge is an innovative, sustainable, and long lasting<br />

solution to saltwater intrusion in Nassau County.<br />

Keywords: New York, Long Island, South Shore Estuary, Nassau County, Climate Change,<br />

Sea-Level Rise, Saltwater Intrusion, Potable Water Recharge, Wastewater Reuse<br />

22


Earth & Environmental Engineering<br />

Optimization of Carbon Capture Technologies for the Blue Hydrogen Economy<br />

Luca Jose Barcelo, Jeffrey Shixun Chen, Stephanie Sanchez<br />

Advisor: Robert Farrauto<br />

Global decarbonization initiatives and the subsequent energy transition have catalyzed an<br />

evolution in hydrogen production methods that address CO2 emissions. Hydrogen is now<br />

produced with cleaner fossil fuel inputs—largely natural gas, (methane)—and combined with<br />

CO2 carbon capture to create a low-emissions product called ‘Blue Hydrogen.’ With the<br />

burgeoning use of hydrogen in industries including power, the need for clear production<br />

pathways of blue hydrogen has become more important. Using existing global production<br />

technologies of H2 and their corresponding output streams, we attempt to create an economic<br />

model based on trends to attempt to determine the optimal carbon capture technologies to<br />

implement by industry. The optimization of carbon capture technologies considers the<br />

fundamental chemistries of capture methods and their costs. Further assessments are made on the<br />

feasibility of carbon storage versus utilization based on industry and geological conditions of the<br />

region of or near the hydrogen plants.<br />

Keywords: Blue hydrogen, CCS (carbon capture and storage), hydrogen production, carbon<br />

emissions, hydrogen economy.<br />

Feasibility of Novel Decontamination Procedures for Heavy Metal Extraction in Soils in the<br />

New York City Metropolitan Area<br />

Mantjita Camara, Emily Lord, Dane Miller<br />

Advisor: Robert Farrauto<br />

The goal of this project is to analyze different solutions and synthesize new procedures for the<br />

treatment of contaminated soils, as defined by the Resource Conservation and Recovery Act<br />

(RCRA) in urban areas. According to NYC Health and NYC Parks, some of the most common<br />

contaminants present in New York City’s soil are metals such as lead and arsenic, pesticides, and<br />

polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) (Soil and Gardening - NYC Health, n.d.). We aim to<br />

focus specifically on soils contaminated with trace metals most commonly found in New York<br />

City: Lead (Pb), Chromium (Cr), Arsenic (As), and Cadmium (Cd). Heavy metal exposure<br />

presents a risk of bioaccumulation in both humans and all living organisms in an ecosystem<br />

which can lead to brain and nervous system dysfunction, kidney problems, cancer, and immune<br />

systems issues. Current remediation practice for heavy metals is usually removal of the<br />

contaminated material and backfilling (if necessary) with imported clean fill. We plan to make a<br />

case study based on a specific project where soil remediation has taken place in New York City<br />

and analyze how the land would change if newer forms of remediation were implemented. From<br />

this we would provide recommendations for how the land could be reused post remediation as<br />

well and provide a life cycle analysis of this new method.<br />

Keywords: Soil remediation, remediation techniques, environmental remediation, metal<br />

contaminants, heavy metals, VOCs (volatile organic carbons), phytoremediation, environmental<br />

sustainability, green urban development.<br />

23


Electrical Engineering<br />

Mirror for Integrated Rehabilitation<br />

Gulnur Avcia, Abdul Latif Bambaa, Margherita Firenzea, Shane Maughna<br />

Advisor Name(s): John Kymissis, David Vallancourt, Oliver Durnan<br />

Stroke is a major cause of disability worldwide, often resulting in limited physical move- ments<br />

and impaired speech on one side of the body. Mirror therapy (MT) is a cost-effective technique<br />

that has been shown to aid in the restoration of hand mobility. However, for MT to be effective,<br />

patients must consistently practice a variety of exercises every day for a given amount of time.<br />

To help with this, we have developed a smart mirror using electro- luminescent (EL) technology.<br />

Our mirror utilizes a silver-doped conductive EL stack that emits monochromatic,<br />

non-dimensional light, easily observable from any angle. An opti- cal partially-transparent<br />

mirror is used to display exercise progress directly on the mirror, providing an integrated<br />

experience for patients. The display elements are powered by a fly- back converter adapted for<br />

high-voltage capacitor charging and controlled by a Raspberry Pi through level-transistors.<br />

Keywords: Electroluminescent Display, High-Voltage Capacitor Charging, Screen-printing,<br />

Level Transistors<br />

8x8 MZI Beneš Switch Array Packaging and Testing<br />

Jaeda Mendoza, Brett George, Michael Lee, Dimosthenis Chrysochoou<br />

Advisors: Keren Bergman; James Robinson, Robert Parsons<br />

Data centers across the US are expanding in order to meet growing demand for high performance<br />

computing. A large portion of power consumption results from the interconnects and switch<br />

relays that link servers to each other. In an effort to minimize the power lost in these regions of<br />

the data center, a solution must continue to deliver high bandwidth while simultaneously<br />

minimizing the energy requirements from the server. Our project revolves around one such<br />

solution that makes use of a purely optical interconnect which meets both bandwidth and power<br />

requirements for the data centers of the future. We integrate a 8x8 Mach-Zehnder Interferometer<br />

Beneš Switch Array implemented as a photonic integrated circuit (PIC), into an electronics<br />

packaging and test bed environment such that its features may be tested within experimental and<br />

practical data centers.<br />

Keywords: Data Centers, Mach-Zehnder Interferometer (MZI), 8x8 MZI Beneš Switch Array,<br />

Photonic Integrated Circuit (PIC), Printed Circuit Board (PCB)<br />

24


Electrical Engineering<br />

Roverarm<br />

Ava Kim, Xinran Gao, Cornelia Wang<br />

Advisor: John Kymissis<br />

Roverarm is a IR sensor based self navigating rover with a manually maneuverable robotic arm.<br />

Inspired by a solution to messy pets, a custom powered mechanical arm is mounted on a custom<br />

built rover that has two modes: automatic and manual. Automatic mode uses IR sensing<br />

technology to pick up IR signals emitting from a photodiode and adjusts its direction to drive<br />

towards it. The peak wavelength emitted by the light source matches the peak sensitivity of the<br />

photodiode at 940nm. Hence, it will follow a pet wearing a collar with a diode in it for instance<br />

without human interference, avoiding obstacles using the ultrasonic sensor. The motors receive<br />

the signals from the sensors and the motor driver driven by the I2C communication protocol<br />

increases the voltage and current from the board and drives the actual motors. If the owner<br />

would like to pick something up manually, they can engage manual mode via the IR remote<br />

controller to stop or adjust the car’s position and then engage the mechanical arm to pick up any<br />

fallen objects.<br />

Keywords: InfraRed Sensor, Arduino, Autonomous, Servo Drivers, I2C Communication<br />

Protocol, Ultrasonic Sensor, Photodiode, Wavelength.<br />

Block Diagram to Breadboard: Implementation of Digital Operations in Analog Guitar<br />

Effects<br />

Tajinder Sunda, Tsolaye Itseoritseetan Ogbemi, Siwanta Thapa<br />

Advisor: Seth Cluett<br />

We aim to design an analog guitar effect pedal in this project. We are basing our design on an<br />

early-phase shifter pedal while adding several of our own upgrades. A guitar effect pedal is an<br />

electronic device that changes how a guitar sounds; different pedals alter the sound differently.<br />

We will be looking at a phase-shifting pedal that amplifies some aspects of the tone and reduces<br />

other aspects. It does this by splitting the given audio signal into two portions and altering one<br />

portion by changing the phase. This creates a rippling effect, the desired tone from a<br />

phase-shifting pedal. We plan to upgrade from an existing model, MXR Phase 90 (very popular<br />

during the 1970s), which consisted of a single speed control knob, by adding a feature to create a<br />

single or double “copy” of the original signal. We plan for each signal copy to be individually<br />

phase-shifted at different frequency bands. We will add a knob for each “copy” to adjust the<br />

phase shift, thus giving the user more options for their desired output.<br />

Key Words: Phaser, frequency bands, pedal<br />

25


Electrical Engineering<br />

Musical Meditation: Heart Rate-Informed Tempo Modulating Headphones<br />

Tess Fallon, Aleksandr Petukhov, Leonardo Arvan, Madeleine Denis<br />

Music has been shown to have a significant impact on people’s physical and emotional states. In<br />

addition to emotionally hyping us up or calming us down, listening to music can cause actual<br />

physical changes in our bodies. It can raise or lower our blood pressure, impact our breathing<br />

speeds, and even speed up or slow down our heart rates. It has also been demonstrated that<br />

people’s heart rates respond to musical changes in tempo only when the adjustment occurs at a<br />

rate of less than 3% per minute.<br />

We built a heart-rate reactive musical device that aims to help people cope with overstimulation<br />

and/or anxiety. The device is a stand-alone headphone set with capabilities to separate the user<br />

from auditory stimuli. The headphones have a PPG heart rate monitor attached to the earpiece<br />

which will constantly read the user’s heart rate. The headphones will play calming music at an<br />

adjusting rate in an attempt to slow down the user’s heart rate and ease anxiety and<br />

overstimulation. As the user calms down and their heart rate slows, the music will respond and<br />

incrementally decrease in tempo, at a rate no faster than 3% per minute. The goal of the device is<br />

to decrease the user’s heart rate incrementally with music, so that they feel calmer and<br />

experience less of the negative impact of high stress levels and anxiety.<br />

Uninterruptible Power Supply for Home and Kitchen Applications<br />

Malik Hubbard, Ourania Stourati, Maxfield Parson-Scherban<br />

Advisor: Matthias Preindl<br />

Project Description: With the growing threat of climate change leading to more unexpected<br />

weather conditions and natural disasters, electrical power systems around the world are<br />

experiencing increased strain. Many solutions are in development to increase the resiliency of<br />

electrical grids from natural disasters, but most of these solutions focus on large-scale outage<br />

prevention. The uninterruptible power supply (UPS) for home kitchen applications is a power<br />

resiliency solution that focuses on minimizing the effects of a power outage on an individual<br />

home. While most commercial UPS systems are used to protect larger valuable loads like<br />

computer servers, or small private loads like personal computers, this project develops a UPS<br />

specifically for home kitchen applications. Similar to all UPS designs, our system has the ability<br />

to, in the case of a power outage, fall onto a 12V, 54Ah battery pack supply and continue normal<br />

power delivery to an electrical load. Harnessing traditional power electronic DC/DC and DC/AC<br />

converters and our control system, our 1200W UPS is rated for the power requirements needed<br />

for home kitchen appliances. In doing so, our system bridges our electrical design with<br />

commercially mature power delivery practices, to develop a useful and practical device to help<br />

abate the unwanted harms of losing electrical power.<br />

Key Words: electric grid, power electronics, battery pack<br />

26


Electrical Engineering<br />

Uninterrupted Power Supply System <strong>Design</strong>ed for use in Thermoelectric Mini Fridge<br />

Sara Adamkovic, Carlos D. Nuñez-Huitron, Vedika Poddar, James Potash<br />

Uninterrupted power supplies (UPS) have become crucial household devices for providing<br />

power in the event of a power outage. One of the most common concerns related with power<br />

outages is the possibility for food spoilage in the scenario the power outage is not resolved in a<br />

timely manner. Aside from the food spoilage this can cause financial setbacks for households<br />

which presents a demand for alternative power supplies. Unlike traditional power backup<br />

solutions like generators which are often noisy, fuel-dependent, and unreliable, making them not<br />

the most ideal source of backup power. Our novel UPS design utilizes a 12v 100Ah deep cycle<br />

battery, a PWM IC (SG3524N), MOSFETs, a center-tapped transformer, and a filtering stage to<br />

form an inverter capable of producing a 120 VAC power supply. Our design provides a reliable<br />

and efficient source of power suitable for use in mini fridges, ensuring uninterrupted power<br />

supply in the event of a power outage. Not only does our design prevent food spoilage and the<br />

associated financial loss but also makes for an attractive appliance to have not only in<br />

households but also for workers who wish to have a portable worksite mini fridge.<br />

Keywords: Uninterrupted Power Supply, Thermoelectric, Mini Fridge, Inverter, DC-AC,<br />

Pulse-Width Modulation, Transformer, Filtering<br />

Weather Transmitter: Building a Transceiver with Modulation and Multiplexing<br />

Capabilities<br />

James Yin, Warren Xia, Mohamed Berbich<br />

Advisor: Irving Kalet<br />

Project Description: Weather transmitters are weather instruments built to detect and transmit<br />

weather information via wireless data communication. The system is composed of a transmitter<br />

and receiver pair. The transmitter is connected to a variety of climate related sensors including<br />

temperature and humidity. The receiver receives the transmitted signal and outputs the data to a<br />

readable display surface. The techniques for wireless transmission are two-fold: signal<br />

modulation and data multiplexing. The three radio frequency techniques implemented for the<br />

weather transmitter include amplitude modulation (AM), frequency modulation (FM), and 434<br />

MHz radio frequency design. Time division multiplexing (TDM) was used to combine the<br />

separated data received from different sensors and transmit them through a single signal for<br />

demultiplexing at the receiver.<br />

Keywords: Weather Transmitter, Climate sensors, Amplitude Modulation, Frequency<br />

Modulation, 434 MHz, Time division multiplexing<br />

27


Electrical Engineering<br />

ZyloZinger<br />

Sienna Brent, Alex Yu, Haris Zia<br />

Advisor: Stephen Edwards<br />

Our Xylophone game ‘ZyloZinger’ combines the mental engagement and fun of a videogame<br />

with the hand-eye coordination required for a real instrument. A user will play a xylophone with<br />

mallets, with a microphone recording the sounds as the keys are struck. In front of the user is a<br />

VGA display, which shows four multicolored notes falling synchronously. When one of these<br />

notes on the display enters the green “valid” region at the bottom of the screen, the user is<br />

expected to play the xylophone on the corresponding note. This sound signal gets sent to an<br />

FPGA which performs signal processing using the Goertzel Algorithm to identify the note that<br />

was played. From there, the data result gets sent to the software through an Avalon<br />

Memory-Mapped interface, where it is compared against the note the software was expecting to<br />

“hear”. If this comparison returns positive, the user is awarded a point which appears soon after<br />

on the VGA display.<br />

Keywords: Xylophone, FPGA, Goertzel<br />

28


Industrial Engineering and Operations Research<br />

Nest: Platform-agnostic On-chain Customer Engagement Loyalty Solutions<br />

Hangqi Zheng, Jessica Chen, Darrel Choi<br />

Advisor: Yi Zhang<br />

Loyalty programs can be a challenge for brands as they struggle to keep customers engaged and reduce<br />

churn rates. Customers are often deterred by loyalty programs due to their complexity or lack of<br />

attractiveness. Two main issues customers face:<br />

-difficulty obtaining and accumulating rewards, leading to a loss of interest in the brand and the<br />

loyalty program<br />

-the lack of fungibility and limited reward options, making loyalty points less attractive to<br />

customers. Personalization of rewards is also a challenge for brands, as it may require knowledge of<br />

individual customer behavior and preferences.<br />

These issues result in a significant amount of unredeemed loyalty points, leading to the wasted potential<br />

for engagement and growth of the brand's fan base. The inability to incentivize spending or reduce churn<br />

rates can lead to decreased revenue for businesses. To improve loyalty programs, brands can simplify<br />

their programs and offer more flexible rewards to customers. They can also increase transparency around<br />

reward accumulation and redemption, making it easier for customers to understand how to benefit from<br />

the program. By doing so, brands can increase customer engagement, incentivize spending, and improve<br />

customer retention rates.<br />

Our team is developing a revolutionary on-chain customer engagement platform that streamlines the<br />

process of creating and managing loyalty rewards programs. With our platform, businesses of all sizes can<br />

easily set up their loyalty rewards programs in minutes. Customers will be able to find all of their rewards<br />

in one place, making it easier for them to manage different programs and redeem rewards. We also allow<br />

users to trade and exchange digital assets and gift cards through the use of blockchain, enabling further<br />

fungibility and flexibility of redemption choices. Businesses will also be able to analyze customer<br />

behavior and preferences in real-time, allowing them to personalize the reward experience for each<br />

customer.<br />

Keywords: Loyalty programs, customer engagement, customer retention, rewards, fungibility,<br />

personalization, transparency, on-chain customer engagement platform, blockchain, digital assets,<br />

real-time analysis.<br />

29


Mechanical Engineering<br />

AMPF: Automated Pothole Filler<br />

Jose Chanchavac, Phillipe Dumeny, Javier Lopez, Jerry Qu, Justin Tucker<br />

Advisor: Yevgeniy Yesileyskiy<br />

The AMPF, or automated pothole filler, is designed to make the pothole filling process a much<br />

safer and more efficient process. Currently, the process of filling potholes is not only expensive<br />

and dangerous, but very time consuming. Anywhere from 5-10 workers are needed for this<br />

process, and the time it takes to assemble the tools necessary can be rather time consuming. With<br />

AMPF, however, only 1-2 workers are needed, and all the tools and parts needed to fill a pothole<br />

are brought together into one easy to use assembly. The user drives up to a pothole, and engages<br />

various subsystems that use an array of tools to cut and clean the pothole, a dispenser to fill it in,<br />

and lastly a vibratory roller to compact the fresh asphalt, leaving a clean, secure patch of road.<br />

Keywords: Mechanical Engineering, Pothole Filler, Road Assistance, Automated<br />

AQUA4<br />

Anton Deti, Emily Milian, Itai Savin, Kennedi Wade,<br />

Advisor: Yevgeniy Yesilevskiy<br />

Aqua4 is a water rerouting system that gives homeowners and renters alike an accessible solution<br />

to repurpose water in the bathroom while also saving money. The design allows for the typically<br />

wasted cold water that runs while one waits for their shower to become warm to be diverted to<br />

replenish a toilet after it has been flushed. Additionally, its modular design allows the user to<br />

convert the tank into a handwashing station, where the water used in this process will fill up the<br />

toilet tank below. By regularly showering, flushing, and washing hands, the customer passively<br />

saves water while maintaining their routine.<br />

Keywords: Mechanical Engineering, water conservation, rediverting, shower, toilet<br />

ELEVA<br />

Victor Barros, Felipe Couto, David Nieto, João Salles, Katherine Samuel<br />

Advisor: Yevgeniy Yesilevskiy<br />

ELEVA is an affordable and portable mechanical wheelchair lift that enables individuals with<br />

mobility impairments to safely ascend and descend staircases while remaining in their<br />

wheelchairs. This design targets low-infrastructure areas in Brazil, where topography and<br />

consistent electricity access can be challenging. ELEVA is compatible with narrow staircases and<br />

allows loading and positioning of a wheelchair from both the front and back of the device. It is<br />

operated by one caregiver, who positions the wheelchair, engages the safety latches and ratchet<br />

post, deploys and secures elevating straps, and rotates the rear handle, following the device until<br />

ascent or descent is complete. Parts are separable for more compact storage and wheels on the<br />

main apparatus facilitate hassle-free transportation.<br />

Keywords: Mechanical Engineering, wheelchair, wheelchair lift, assistive, Brazil<br />

30


Mechanical Engineering<br />

OptiShine<br />

Dairon Estevez, Josette Content, Lily Bresse, Maya Puri<br />

Advisor: Yevgeniy Yesilevskiy<br />

Optishine is a manually powered cleaning device that grabs eyeglasses gently to spray and wipe<br />

the lenses. As oils, dust, and other debris dirty the lenses of everyday eyeglasses users, cleaning<br />

those lenses becomes a great inconvenience. Often, it is uncomfortable to hold eyeglasses by<br />

hand while cleaning, and the typical cloth wipe is done with no liquid, potentially damaging the<br />

lenses after long term use. The “Glasses Cleaner” implements liquid spray with removable<br />

microfiber rollers to circumvent these issues, and to provide a consistent cleaning experience. To<br />

clean, the user places their eyeglasses between the rollers inside Optishine, closes the lid, and<br />

cranks the lever on the side of the box. Optishine was designed to be available in everyday,<br />

public areas, allowing users easy access to cleaning their glasses whenever they need.<br />

Keywords: Mechanical Engineering, glasses cleaning, hand powered, transmission, ergonomic<br />

WormBot<br />

Solomia Dzhaman, Trevor Le, Bruno Rergis, Miguel Rodriguez<br />

Advisor: Yevgeniy Yesilevskiy<br />

WormBot is a digging robot designed to shed light onto the inner workings of covered landfills.<br />

It is able to move through a landfill and collect data on the conditions at various locations inside.<br />

For this project, we have decided to focus on developing a novel locomotion system that is able<br />

to autonomously propel WormBot through a landfill. The robot consists of three major<br />

subsystems: a drill to clear a path, a linear expander to push the drill forward, and an expansion<br />

system to provide countertorque to the drill.<br />

Keywords: Mechanical Engineering, landfill, drill<br />

31


Mechanical Engineering<br />

DEMI<br />

Miles Huntley-Fenner, Christina Wright, Yidi Reiss, Leon Aharonian, Nicolas Aldana<br />

Advisor: Yevgeniy Yesilevskiy<br />

DEMI (Debris Elimination and Management Instrument): A Novel Solution for Space Debris<br />

Removal. Space debris poses a serious threat to the safety and sustainability of orbital activities.<br />

To address this challenge, we designed DEMI, a collection mechanism that can capture and store<br />

multiple pieces of small debris in low Earth orbit (LEO). DEMI works with a two stage capture<br />

system: an outer aperture that encloses the debris, and an inner door that seals it inside a storage<br />

chamber. DEMI can be easily attached to the ESPA Star satellite bus, which provides the<br />

necessary power, propulsion, and communication systems. DEMI is made of space grade<br />

materials with the ability to add space-grade shielding to withstand the harsh environment of<br />

space.<br />

Keywords: Mechanical Engineering, space, debris, satellite<br />

Deadliftr<br />

Yelaman Sain, Kyrie Lorfing, Matt Klenk, Sam Wustefeld, Will Hamilton<br />

Advisor: Yevgeniy Yesilevskiy<br />

The Deadliftr is a device featuring a wireless curvature sensor, worn in a pocket of a<br />

compression shirt, that sends real time feedback to the user’s phone regarding their back position<br />

and deadlifting technique. The design is built using a 3D printer, and curvature is measured with<br />

a series of potentiometers. Our aim is to ensure users are deadlifting within a safe range of back<br />

curvature, and to provide useful live feedback to the user as they lift.<br />

Keywords: Mechanical Engineering, real-time feedback, deadlift equipment<br />

32


Mechanical Engineering<br />

Tacchissi<br />

Seph Lun, Jacob Minkin, Minghao Yin, Sarah Wojtczak<br />

Advisor: Yevgeniy Yesilevskiy, Bianca Howard<br />

The Tacchissi /ta'kisi/ is a new design of high heel that transforms into and flat and back again<br />

with a quick, easy motion. This innovative shoe allows frequent travelers and constant walkers to<br />

wear just one pair of shoes, instead of commuting in one and carrying the other. There are no<br />

extra parts that you need to carry or worry about. They provide a simple transition from flat to<br />

heel. Once the shoe is strapped on, the lever in the back can be easily pulled up and the heel will<br />

pop out and lock into place. You are then ready to go! When you realize, your feet are starting to<br />

hurt, you pull the lever up again, and push the heel in to lock back underneath the shoe. The<br />

Tacchissi can also be an interesting addition to any party outfit and provides a solution to those<br />

who was the versatility of a flat and the elegance of a heel all in one shoe.<br />

Keywords: versatility, easy motion, commuting, transforms<br />

Health Can<br />

Nicolai Dolinar, Kobi Hall, Rabeca Mohammed, Logan Teder, Madeleine Brennan, Samuel<br />

Adeniyi<br />

Advisor: Yevgeniy Yesilevskiy<br />

The Health Can is a smart watering can that helps users solve issues relating to their houseplants.<br />

The design consists of a watering can with an integrated camera and computer, along with a base<br />

station for charging and dispensing different types of additives for plant health. Not only can it<br />

diagnose different pests on houseplants, but it can also treat the plant and provide the user with a<br />

helpful tool to keep their plant healthy.<br />

Keywords: Mechanical Engineering, Houseplants, Fluidics, Machine Learning<br />

33


Mechanical Engineering<br />

Plan Bee<br />

Automating Pollination for Vertical Farming<br />

Valentina Gonzalez, Siddhanth Lath, Aiman Najah, Joaquin Palacios, Georgios Thomakos<br />

Advisor: Yevgeniy Yesilevskiy<br />

Plan Bee is an automated pollinating robot intended to increase the diversity of crop production<br />

in vertical farms by enabling pollination in enclosed environments. Plan Bee is a five degree of<br />

freedom robot with on-board computer vision. Operation of the pollinator is simple; Plan Bee is<br />

an independent system that can be easily introduced to any vertical farm plant basin to<br />

automatically identify and transfer pollen from flower to flower in a randomized fashion. To the<br />

user, it is a simple plug and play, with live feed displaying the amount of flowers detected,<br />

pollinated, and left in the pollination cycle. On the backend, Plan Bee leverages a neural network<br />

and DepthAI to identify flowers, determine their location and orientation, and automatically plan<br />

and deploy pollination routines. Our robotic system successfully identifies flowers within its<br />

workplace and pollinates them without the need for humans or live bees.<br />

Keywords: Mechanical Engineering, pollination, robotics, vertical farming, computer vision,<br />

gantry system<br />

A High Voltage Enclosure for a Formula Style EV<br />

Katherine O’Reilly, Sanja Kirova, Matthew Groll, Sergio Santiago, Arlene Diaz<br />

Advisor: Yevgeniy Yesilevskiy<br />

In the "Formula SAE" intercollegiate competition, electric race cars require battery packs that are<br />

lightweight, strong, and secure to power their motors. These battery packs also need to be easily<br />

serviced by a student pit crew and comply with various requirements, such as electrical<br />

simplicity, safety, accessibility, and low center of gravity, as well as a finishing endurance. To<br />

meet these needs, it is necessary to choose an appropriate material, ensure waterproof assembly,<br />

and provide adequate cooling. Our carbon fiber enclosure is the perfect solution that meets all<br />

these requirements and gives you the competitive edge you need to win races. This lightweight<br />

enclosure is superior to steel counterparts, as it can hold 90 pounds of batteries that operate at<br />

high voltage. The structural reinforcement beams and secure compartments ensure that the<br />

batteries are safe and protected. It has impact safety, cooling to maintain a working inner<br />

temperature under 60 °C, and waterproofing to keep the batteries safe in case of a wet<br />

environment. With easy-to-mount lids and accessible connectors, installation is a breeze,<br />

allowing you to focus on the race.<br />

Keywords: Mechanical Engineering, racing, Formula SAE, battery, carbon fiber, battery pack<br />

34


Mechanical Engineering<br />

AgriFlow<br />

Axel Ortega, Keith Leung, Nicholas He, Jacob Scheer, Nipun Poddar<br />

Advisor: Yevgeniy Yesilevskiy, Harry West<br />

The AgriFlow is an agricultural device designed to simplify the traditional farming process for<br />

small-scale farmers. It allows farmers to dig the soil, plant seeds, and cover the soil back in a<br />

single pass. The device includes a unique dispenser mechanism that delivers potassium<br />

polyacrylate, a polymer that absorbs water and provides moisture, directly next to the seeds,<br />

eliminating the need for manual application. Farmers can operate the AgriFlow with just three<br />

simple steps: pull the handle to engage the gear, push the device forward to start the farming<br />

process, and return the handle to its original position to disengage the gear once the task is<br />

completed. The AgriFlow is an innovative solution that enhances efficiency and convenience in<br />

small-scale agriculture, allowing farmers to maximize their yields and reduce their workload.<br />

Keywords: Mechanical Engineering, agriculture, small-scale farming, potassium polyacrylate<br />

Theta 5<br />

Derek Borza, Alexis Singh, Christian Eberhard, Ethan Shek, and Jaka Pandza<br />

Advisor: Yevgeniy Yesilevskiy<br />

Theta 5 is an innovative, automated cartesian gantry system designed to perform in-place<br />

capping and uncapping of large, standard SBS format vials. The automated features of Theta 5<br />

lessen the risk of cross-contamination across lab environments while also reducing the amount of<br />

time spent on repetitive capping and uncapping operations. Aside from increasing productivity<br />

and quality of work, the mechanism maximizes available lab space due to its small footprint,<br />

improves functional performance through its in-place capping and uncapping actions, and<br />

promotes greater accessibility to such automated devices by being distributed off-the-shelf. The<br />

user experience is straightforward, eliminating steep learning curves associated with other, more<br />

advanced products. The vials are first placed on an ejected tray by the user. Following that, a user<br />

can designate the number of vials on the tray and proceed by pressing "Decap" or "Cap." Upon<br />

completion of uncapping or decapping processes, the user may choose to reclaim their vials or<br />

transfer them to another automated device to perform additional operations or analysis.<br />

Keywords: Mechanical Engineering, automation, capping, decapping, SBS standard, lab<br />

35


Mechanical Engineering<br />

Pick-A-Poo<br />

Ashton Buchanan, Chengxi Wang, Henry Jensen, Joaquin Zavala, Qijing(Susan) Fu<br />

Advisor: Yevgeniy Yesilevskiy<br />

Pick-A-Poo aims to help all dog owners eliminate the trouble of cleaning up dog waste. It<br />

provides users with zero hand-to-waste contact, an automatic bag-loading function, short-term<br />

waste storage, and effortless dumping. The operations of our Pick-A-Poo are simple. When the<br />

users use the product, they will need to put in our special roll of paper bags, pull the paper out<br />

and attach it to the other side to form a track. Then pushing and pulling the central arm enables<br />

the clean and tidy process of picking and dumping the dog waste. The light design makes<br />

Pick-A-Poo easy to carry around. It will definitely be a fashionable and efficient choice for any<br />

dog owner.<br />

Keywords: Mechanical Engineering, automation, capping, decapping, SBS standard, lab<br />

Lockit Bike Station<br />

Terence Lau, Gabriel Mohideen, Nicholas Poon, Xinyan Qiu, Jannie Zhong<br />

Advisor: Yevgeniy Yesilevskiy, Harry West<br />

In the last five years, the number of bike riders in New York City has risen by 20%; as a result,<br />

so has the number of bike thefts. This can be attributed to the availability of portable angle<br />

grinders capable of cutting through the most popular bike locks on the market. The Lockit Bike<br />

Station offers a secure and effective solution for bike owners in New York City looking to park<br />

their bikes on the streets.<br />

<strong>Design</strong>ed to accommodate the majority of bicycles owned by city residents, the Lockit Bike<br />

Station uses reinforced aluminum claws to lock the front wheel into place. An aluminum frame<br />

houses the locking mechanism, deterring thieves from breaking into the station even with power<br />

tools. Operating the lock is simple: first, the user rolls their bike onto the pressure plate,<br />

auto-engaging the aluminum claws to their locking positions. Then, the user may complete the<br />

locking process through a phone app, directing two linear actuators which bolt each claw into<br />

place. Unlocking the bike is just as simple, with the reverse process applied.<br />

Keywords: Mechanical Engineering, bicycle, security, lock<br />

36


Mechanical Engineering<br />

Redesigning soccer cleat outsoles to reduce ACL injuries in female soccer players<br />

Yumna Alrefaei, Ashley Gigon, Nikita Manjuluri, Isabella McLaughlin, Christine Zou<br />

Advisor: Yevgeniy Yesilevskiy<br />

This research study aims to redesign soccer cleats for female soccer players to reduce the likelihood of<br />

anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) tears. Females are up to eight times more likely to tear their ACL in<br />

comparison to males, and soccer cleats are mainly designed for men with women’s cleats lacking comfort<br />

and performance. We propose an alternative design by varying the density of the outsole to relieve<br />

pressure off the knee. Our design redistributes the forces on the foot to achieve an optimal valgus and<br />

knee flexion angle, putting female soccer players less at risk, thus, reducing the forces that lead to ACL<br />

injuries. Seven different outsole density patterns were designed based on the Nike Premier FG 3 and then<br />

printed with Ultimakers out of thermoplastic polyurethane using support blockers in Cura. Each pattern<br />

was tested on five athletic young adult females. The knee flexion and valgus angles were measured using<br />

a virtual reality tracking system as the subjects performed actions of walking, running, and jumping.<br />

Keywords: Mechanical Engineering, anterior cruciate ligament injury, soccer, cleat outsole design,<br />

density, 3d printing, virtual reality tracking.<br />

37

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