These are just a few examples of research that students in the UH Cullen College of Engineering's capstone design course are addressing.
Sometimes a small nudge in the right direction can make the difference between a safe ride and a collision. With that in mind, mechanical, computer and electrical engineering students Jesus Chapa, David Sauceda, Kola Olaleye and Steve Ngyuen teamed up for their Capstone Design project to give the drivers of 18-wheelers, who must contend with an increased number of blind spots, a little help.
Utilizing ultrasonic sensors, the quartet developed a mechanism that notifies drivers when something, such as another vehicle, is too close to them on either side. Though there have been various other attempts to create aids for truck drivers, the ultrasonic sensors were an innovative idea.
Simplifying the learning process was the driving factor for Adbellatif Lamniai, Okechukwu Ofili, Henry Gonzalez and Tarig Elhassan when they created a water clock for their Capstone Design project. They designed the clock to demonstrate feedback control to high school students and incoming undergraduates. Because their design is meant to explain the basic idea of feedback control, the group was able to treat the project as a summation of all they learned in their engineering programs. They had to apply their knowledge of Physics 1 and 2 and other engineering principles from their first two years of undergraduate classes.
Motorcyclists will be indebted to the foursome of DeWayne Martin, Elizabeth Mathew, Stephanie O Campo and Calvin Wood as they created their Capstone Design project directly for their benefit. Because most motorcycle speedometers are inaccurate up to almost 10 miles per hour, something motorcyclist Martin knows first hand, the group fashioned a circuit that would correct the speedometer and deliver the correct speed in real time.
There are two companies who currently produce a product of this nature, but this quartet of electrical and computer engineering students plan to market their item as more effective but less expensive. They would also be the only company of their kind in the United States.
Photos by Jeff Shaw