DEPARTMENT OF COMPUTER AND INFORMATION SCIENCE
1. Title: Engine Data Comparison Tool (EDCT)
Team Members: Mike Berryman, Scott Tluczek, and James Walker
Faculty Advisor: Bruce Maxim
Industry Client: Justin Scott
Summary
Engine Data Comparison Tool (EDCT) is a program developed for Detroit Diesel Corporation
that connects to Electronic Control Units (That are used on the Detroit Diesel Engines) and reads
the parameters from two separate interfaces. Its goal is to compare one interface with the other
and ensure that both sets of data have the same values. The tool will be used around the globe by
engineers to create technology for the Detroit Diesel engine.
2. Title: Jeopardy Game System
Team Members: Maggie Faligowska, and Nicholas Mezza
Faculty Advisor: Dr. Bruce R. Maxim
Summary
The Jeopardy Game System is an imitation of the popular TV game show Jeopardy. The
intention of the Jeopardy Game System is to provide an entertaining and versatile question-andanswer type of game that is at the same time robust and easy to use. Up to 8 players may
participate in a game using buzzers connected to the computer. The facilitator of the game is able
to create new categories and the questions present in each. These categories are then used to
create games. All of the custom content and games in progress are saved for later use in a local
database.
DEPARTMENT OF MECHANICAL ENGINEERING
3. Title: Bench Press Safety Assist
Group Members: Amy Crandall, Charlie Kovelle, Glenn J. MacRae, and Kristyna Salamey
Department: ME, Professor Shim
Summary
The objective of this design is to build a safety device, which will assist in the lifting of free
weights when a spotter is unavailable or a lifter becomes incapacitated. The device will offer two
safety features and one assist feature. Current market products allow for only simple catches
attached to the bench when the weight is falling. Our Idea will incorporate this principle as well
as offering two others. It will offer the lifter an assist, which will lesson the weight if needed, as
well as an option to lift all the weight completely away from the lifter. The Idea is to have the
device designed so that it will remain separate from the existing bench, and purchased as an
accessory. We expect that our design will be more cost effective than current designs on the
market.
4. Title: Maintenance Platform
Team Members: Michael Boyle, Abi Newth, Chris Sudorowski, and Youngmin Cho
Faculty Advisor: Hugh Huntley
Summary
The goal of the maintenance platform is to allow the technician easy access with improved
mobility while servicing the front end of a variety of trucks. The attraction of our model is not
only its convenient packaging but also its ability to fit a multitude of tire sizes regardless of truck
layout. The platform can be moved easily and quickly due to our lightweight model. The
platform will be supported by steel beams and will lock into position using a torque rod
mechanism. The treaded surface of the platform ensures a no-slip condition for the user. This
platform is related to the heavy truck industry with possible military applications.
5. Title: Backpack Electrical Generator project
Team members: Raj Bhavsar, Jessey Bouchard, Andy Olender, and Christa Shirey
Faculty advisors: Dr. Yi Zhang and Dr. Alan Argento
Summary
To design and build a low cost backpack that generates a usable amount of electricity to power
portable handheld devices such as GPS units, cellular telephones, or MP3 players. The concept
for this project came from work done by Lawrence Rome at the University of Pennsylvania, who
has successfully constructed a backpack that generates 7 W of electricity.
For this backpack generator project, the goal will be to construct a device from readily
available, low cost components. The backpack generator will consist of a conventional rigid
backpack frame on which a load plate will be mounted and allowed to slide vertically up and
down. The load plate will be suspended from the rigid frame using Springs, the nylon bag for
carrying objects will be fixed securely to the load plate. When the backpack frame is strapped
securely to an individual walking with the constant motion, the force imparted into the spring
mass system causes it to move up and down and amplitude less than that of the driving force. A
rack gear mounted vertically to the top of the load plate engages a spur gear connected to a ratio
multiplying gear set that drives a dynamo at 1:20. The power produced by the dynamo will be
captured in a storage cell and measured, and an average human power output will be calculated
for the backpack generator.
DEPARTMENT OF ELECTRICAL AND COMPUTER ENGINEERING
6. Title: Visual Tracking System
ME Students: Lora Stanaj, Eric LaCross, Thomas Lewis and Labinot Resyli
ME Advisor: Alan Argento
ECE Students: Issac Achoh, Ledian Dibra, Nicholas Hitchcock, and Bryan Theriault
ECE Advisor: J. W. V. Miller
Summary
Abstract: The Visual Tracking System is a video-based tracking device that triangulates the threedimensional position of a distal object. This is accomplished by means of two camera platforms
aligned with one another a fixed distance apart. Each platform has built in tilt and pan angle
controls which allow their respective camera to be repositioned to center on the moving object.
Visual data is processed on a laptop PC in order to determine the changes in the object’s position
between video captures.
Title: Automated Plant Monitoring and Watering System
Members: Jason Cipolletti, Tri Dang, Michael Hahn
Advisor: Prof. Nattu
Instructor: Prof. Miller
The project is about designing an automated system to monitor and water plants. The system can
be configured to work with indoor potted plants, a small outdoor garden, or a greenhouse. The
system will monitor temperature, soil moisture, light, and the water level of a reservoir tank. The
reservoir tank level sensor is used only with the indoor potted plants while the temperature and
light sensor are used primary for the greenhouse configuration. These sensor readings are then
logged and sent wirelessly to a terminal where they are outputted in graph forms. Each sensor
read by the microcontroller will cause the microcontroller to trigger an associated device. The
temperature sensor will trigger an exhaust fan and the light sensor will trigger sunlamps. The
solenoid valves are triggered when the soil moisture is too low. On the greenhouse and small
garden configurations, the solenoid valves are connected directly to an outdoor faucet. The
system will function automatically without human intervention except in the indoor potted plants
configuration, which requires the water tank to be refilled.
Title: Remote Monitoring and Control Protocol
Team Members: Stefan Filipek, and Daniel Walters
Project Advisor: Dr. Richardson P.
Summary
Remote Monitoring and Control Protocol (RMCP) is a flexible application-layer protocol
for monitoring and controlling a wide range of devices over an IP network. The scope of
this project extends to implementing the protocol on an embedded system to control the
driving of an R/C car and monitor its sensors.