ECEN 4610 Projects
Spring 2012
Team eyeCU
Team members:Nick BertrandArielle Blum Mike Mozingo Armeen Taeb Khashi Xiong |
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Project Description
The goal of our project is to design and implement a low-cost human-computer interface which allows its user to control a computer cursor with eye movements. This technology has many applications; however, the focus of this system is to enable individuals with limited mobility to easily interact with technology. The system design employs a head-mounted unit with an video camera to capture the position as well as the motion of the user's gaze. The device processes the images collected by the camera in real-time to generate the corresponding cursor movement which is transmitted wirelessly to the computer.
We have two levels of goals for the tracking of the eye. Level one consists of using 'eye gestures' to control the cursor movement on a computer. In this configuration, when the eye looks left for example, the cursor will move to the left and stop when the eye moves back to the center. Our high level goal for this project will provide a more intuitive set of commands in which the cursor follows the position of the user's gaze on the computer display. This mode will require additional image processing to determine where the eye is looking and achieve proper cursor motion on the computer display. If time permits, software will be developed to support the eye tracker interface with common computer applications.
Preliminary Design Review presentation: (5.2 MB PowerPoint)
Critical Design Review presentation: (17.7 MB PowerPoint)
Team FlyNet
Team members:Ben HoustonDaniel Johnson Camden Mendiola Mantas Prekeris Daniel Rice |
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Project Description
The objective of this project is to design and implement an autonomous flying quad-copter network. The aim of the aerial network is to sense environmental/optical data and transmit to a base station either through a point to point communication link or via a communication network that utilizes the IEEE 802.15.4 protocol, also known as Zigbee Standard.
There are multiple features that can be integrated into the autonomous flying quad-copter network, such as:
- Navigation/Obstacle Sensing:
- Navigation utilizing GPS and digital compass, and obstacle sensing via ultrasonic devices.
- Implementation of multiple quad-copters on low cost and low
power drop in network
- Network infrastructure consists of mesh communication technology via XBee radio hardware.
- Bidirectional communication through camera
- Relay data from flight camera to base station via looped call and response commands.
- Inductive coupling battery recharge
- Flying device will automatically come back to a charging station when battery is low and inductively recharge and then proceed to originally assigned flight pattern.
Preliminary Design Review presentation: (2.4 MB PowerPoint)
Critical Design Review presentation: (2.2 MB PowerPoint)
Team Golden Bluffalos
Team members:Steven BaxleyNathan Bernstein Matthew Goo Braydon Hancock William Sawicki |
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Project Description
Our goal is to design and implement an intelligent poker table to assist players in the game of Texas Hold'em. We aspire to create a fully functional five-player table that will track poker chip flow using RFID tags and readers. The readers will monitor individual chip stacks, as well as the community betting pot. In addition, we will take photos of each player's cards using USB cameras. The images will then be processed and, using a student written algorithm, the probabilities of a player increasing the value of their hands will be calculated .This probability, as well as chip counts, will be output at each player's seat on individual displays.
Preliminary Design Review presentation: (1.6 MB PowerPoint)
Critical Design Review presentation: (4.7 MB PowerPoint)
Team Helping Hand
Team members:Srrah AlgheithyAmmar Almani Hao Chen James Holley Philip Terry Pedro Rivera Torres Moir |
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Project Description
The Helping Hand project is an electronic device intended to help visually impaired gather specific information pertaining to location and details about their surroundings, i.e. signs. The project is intended as a form of wireless communication between signs and an electronic device by transmitting detailed information otherwise unobtainable to the visually impaired community. This would require that both the signs and the device be fitted with RF modules in order to transmit and receive data. Initially, the idea is that the information on the sign be transmitted to the device which will then translate this data into audio which can be heard by the user through some form of earpiece or headphones. Furthermore, the device will have short range navigation which will guide the user to the nearest sign using audio directions. This idea can later be advanced to guiding people around larger areas with collision avoidance of objects in the person's path. The project demo is on May 3rd during Capstone Expo.
Preliminary Design Review presentation: (1.5 MB PowerPoint)
Critical Design Review presentation: (4.1 MB PowerPoint)
Team iBS
Team members:Chris GudmunsonJeffrey Houlton Duncan Lowder Nathaniel Roberts Lauren Shapiro Michael Travis |
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Project Description
Our group has decided to develop an integrated electric bicycle, which features regenerative breaking. The bike will use a motor which can both be used to drive the bike and braking, which will generate electrical energy which can be used to recharge a battery. The bike will also feature numerous sensors to provide the rider with information on their riding. These sensors include:
- Velocity
- By measuring the velocity, we can also determine the distance the bike has traveled.
- Power Meter
- Measure the power that is consumed by the motor during powered motion and the power that is generated from braking.
- Cadence
- Measure the rate at which the biker is pedaling.
- Light
- Integrate an ambient light sensor into the bike which will automatically turn on integrated bike lights.
- Heart Rate
- Sensors built into the handle bar of the bike will allow the biker to view their heart rate.
- GPS
- A GPS sensor will be integrated into the bike, allowing the user to view a map of their route when the information is downloaded to a computer via an SD card. If an iPhone is integrated into this project, we will use the iPhone's internal GPS for location information.
- Throttle
- A sensor which measures how far the throttle has been depressed to change the amount of power flowing to the motor.
- Brake
- A sensor which varies the amount of regenerative braking that is done by the motor.
Preliminary Design Review presentation: (2.5 MB PowerPoint)
Critical Design Review presentation: (20.7 MB PowerPoint)
Team Myoelectric
Team members:Elizabeth DeVitoBrian Do Michael LoNigro Kerry Schmidt Alexander Sollie Callie Wentling |
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Project Description
This project will capture and utilize myoelectric signals from a subject's body to control an external "limb." The project's primary focus is to measure and record myoelectric signals that will serve as the control for basic direction of any controllable system. We will build the control system using "skin" surface electrodes, buffering circuitry, wireless transmission of analog signals to a Field Programmable Gate Array (FPGA)/microprocessor combination for comparison and manipulation, and output motors for external limb control. This will serve as proof of concept for myoelectric prosthetic control at the Capstone Expo on May 3, 2012.
Preliminary Design Review presentation: (5.5 MB PowerPoint)
Critical Design Review presentation: (16.9 MB PowerPoint)
Team Sitch
Team members:Abdulaziz Al BanderMatthew Certosimo Albert Como Vincent Din Lexis Telischak Tyler Troup |
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Project Description
Our goal for the Capstone project is to design, build and test a semi-autonomous robot. This robot will be able to be controlled by a user and transmit a video feed of its surroundings to the user. The robot will also be able to enter an autonomous mode and control itself. The focus of our project is to give the robot the ability to detect objects and obstacles that are around it and attempt to find a path of least obstruction. While in autonomous mode the robot will utilize a camera and a laser to illuminate and map objects that are around it. Our goal is design a path finding algorithm that if utilized correctly will allow the robot to scan obstacles and map a path containing no obstacles, and then by communicating with its motors and peripheral sensors, travel safely down that path.
Preliminary Design Review presentation: (2.9 MB PowerPoint)
Critical Design Review presentation: (3.5 MB PowerPoint)
Team TornadoTrak
Team members:Bruce DeakyneKody Mallory Trevor McDonald Adam Prulhiere Luke Tonneman |
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Project Description
Tornado and severe weather research is some of the most dangerous work facing scientists today. To reduce the risk to personnel and equipment, unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) are often used to carry payloads and instruments into the storm. This is the focus of some of the research carried out by CU's Research and Engineering Center for Unmanned Vehicles (RECUV). To further enhance the capabilities of this research, a tracking antenna operating at 900 MHz is desired. This will allow for safer research to be carried out in the path of dangerous weather.
We will design, build, and test a phased array that will allow both omni-directional operation as well as electronic beam-steering and tracking of the aircraft. The system will have the ability to monitor and display the quality of the received signal. This array will be protected by a weather proof dome and mounted on the roof of a chase van containing a mobile base station.
Preliminary Design Review presentation: (3.1 MB PowerPoint)
Critical Design Review presentation: (1.4 MB PowerPoint)
Team Triceraflops
Team members:Adrian BuckleyEvan Defibaugh John Duhamel Alex Kaiser Craig Riggins Darnell Walcott |
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Project Description
The purpose of our Capstone project is to build an interface that allows a certain system's input and output signals (both digital and analog) to be relayed via internet, allowing remotely-located users to utilize the system which would not have had this capability otherwise. This will be achieved by routing the signals through a custom-built server. On top of relaying a signal over an engineered network, we will also replace the way the system is controlled. We will be using a Nintendo 64 as our platform and we plan on replacing the controllers with XBOX Kinects, allowing for a more interactive experience for the user(s). The signals between the XBOX Kinect and the N64, as well as the N64's audio and video signals, will be relayed via a network over the internet.
This project will explore the intricacies of the Internet, how to build a custom server, the requirements for integration between many different devices and how to build the pathway between them to engineer a new, coherent system.
Preliminary Design Review presentation: (2.3 MB PowerPoint)
Critical Design Review presentation: (33.2 MB PowerPoint)
Team Winning
Team members:Emile BahdiBin Wang Erik Ware David Zigman |
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Project Description
The purpose of our capstone project is to build a GPS tracking system which will track the Buff Bus around campus, and provide real time position updates to transit users at bus stops. We will achieve this system by using a mobile GPS transmitter that updates its current location to a receiving base station. The transmitting station will have a control system consisting of a GPS module, a microprocessor, and software to interface with the GPS module and transmit the current location to the receiving station via GSM technology. The receiving base station will consist of a microprocessor, a wireless receiver, and a visual output of the bus location in real time. The base station will process the transmitted GPS data, display the current bus position, and upload this data to a website, ultimately using an iPhone application to access this information.
Our project goals are to construct the transmitter and receiver stations and get the correct flow of information between them. Once we have reached that point we will work on uploading the acquired position data to a website, and have the transmitter be battery operated to allow for easy mobility.
Preliminary Design Review presentation: (2.6 MB PowerPoint)
Critical Design Review presentation: (6.2 MB PowerPoint)
