Mechanical and Materials Engineering (MME) Undergraduate Research Projects Showcase (URPS)
2022 URPS (April 22, 2022)
Award Winners, Abstracts and Pictures
Title: Repurposing PLA into 3D Printing Filament
Students: Anna Catlett (ME); Dominick Gravante (ME); Casey Willis (ME)
Advisor: Prof. John Sullivan (MME)
Abstract:
Rapid prototyping poses an increasing challenge to the recycling industry. 3D prints are commonly disposed of as projects evolve or prints fail. Many times, when printed parts arrive at recycling centers, they are marked as trash and discarded. With the negative environmental impacts of single use plastic increasing, the need to develop a more sustainable way to repurpose discarded material is necessary. The goal of this project was to develop a compact and low-cost system that would be able to recycle 3D prints into filament without the need for grinding and drying. This goal was achieved and the feasibility of directly heating plastic parts suitable for extrusion at a constant diameter was demonstrated, however the best extruded filament in our prototype had a maximum 1.0mm diameter. The team developed a list of recommendations for the next steps in refining this process.
Title: Triboelectric Energy Generation for the U.S. Army
Students: Charlie Dursin (ME); Nathan Reed (ME); Tyson Wiseman (ME)
Advisors: Profs. Gregory Noetscher (ECE) & Professor Pratap Rao (MME)
Sponsor: U.S. Army Combat Capabilities Development Command (DEVCOM)
Abstract:
In collaboration with the U.S. Army Combat Capabilities Development Command (DEVCOM), this MQP team aimed to modify equipment worn by a soldier to be capable of providing power to external electronic components. Our prototype designs implemented triboelectric nanogenerators (TENGs) into the military footwear to capitalize on unused energy generated when walking. TENGs behave based on the triboelectric effect, which produces electrical power through the dynamic interaction of two triboelectric materials. Multiple areas of focus in this project were consolidated to produce an optimized final prototype. Researched rectification circuits were printed onto flexible substrates to output a linearized direct current from TENG input. An automated tester was constructed to provide consistent force for testing. Separate TENG iterations were constructed and tested to analyze the effect of spacing and surface contact between triboelectric materials. These areas of research and development allowed our team to improve prototypes and design our final prototype.
Students: Alexandria Lehman (ME); Anthony Galgano (RBE/ECE); David Fournet (RBE); Ian Beazley (RBE/ME); William Engdahl (RBE/ME);
Advisors: Profs. Kaveh Pahlavan (ECE) & Professor Pradeep Radhakrishnan (MME)
Robotic research on humanoid robots often involves expensive hardware. Using modern manufacturing techniques and off the shelf components a small humanoid robot can demonstrate many of the capabilities of larger systems at a lower price point. We present a 27 degree of freedom humanoid robot based on the Poppy Project. The robot operates untethered using internal battery power and an onboard Raspberry Pi and manipulates objects up to 100 grams with grasping hands. We demonstrate this functionality using a record/play system that allows a human operator to manually position the robot and then record those positions for later playback.
Title: A Portable Teleoperated Robot for Ultrasound Diagnostic Imaging
Students: Tianyang Gao (RBE); Michael Gobran; (ME); Jonathan Valsamis (ECE)
Advisors: Profs. Yihao Zheng (MME) & Professor Ziming Zhang (ECE)
Abstract:
This project improves the design and usage of a portable teleoperated robotic ultrasound system. The teleoperated device enables the positioning of an ultrasound probe on the torso of human patients for diagnostic lung ultrasounds. The device allows a sonographer or other qualified medical technician to remotely use joystick controls to position and orient an ultrasound probe in 6 degrees of freedom. Our design of the teleoperated device improved the series of mechanisms used and added safety features including an encasing and a conforming contact on the bottom of the device where the device contacts the patient’s torso while a lung ultrasound scan is performed. The device is intended to be used for ultrasound diagnostic scans for any patients who cannot undergo scans in a hospital setting. Our implemented design provides an equivalent level of comfort and safety as a manual ultrasound scan performed by a sonographer.
Title: Innovating the Electric Jet Ski
Students: Dianjenis Abreu (Electrical and Computer Engineering); Erik Herrera (Mechanical Engineering); Zach Le (ECE);Connor Melone (ME); Ayna Ramseur-Moore (ME); Wayde Whichard (ME)
Advisors: Profs. Maqsood Mughal (ECE) & Mehul Bhatia (MME)
Sponsor: Zero Motorcycles
Abstract:
One of the most adrenaline-rushing and interactive ways to travel on the water is on a jet ski. Since its invention in 1973, jet skis have been one of the most popular aquatic watercraft of choice. With the exhaust and gasoline dumping directly into the water, the pollutants created by gas-powered jet skis impact both the water itself and the sea life that exists in the water. On average, the most efficient jet ski ranges from twelve to fourteen miles per gallon with a range of 150 miles at a cruising speed of 10 miles per hour. To combat this, the team set out to convert a 1997 Sea-Doo SPX into an environmentally conscious, electric-powered one.
