The Senior Capstone Program in Engineering (SCOPE) is the culminating experience of an Olin student's education. Over the course of a full academic year, seniors work in multi-disciplinary teams to provide innovative solutions to private and public sector companies’ real-world problems. This collection includes reports and final work from past SCOPE projects.
Acromioclavicular (AC) joint separation involves the tearing of several key ligaments that connect the clavicle to the scapula. Depending on the severity of the separation, a variety of non-operative and operative treatments are employed to repair the AC joint. The Depuy Mitek SCOPE team was tasked with developing alternative surgical techniques and tools to those already in use. Through research and exploration, the team produced novel proof-of-concepts to address them. Prototypes were tested both in laboratory tests and alongside experienced surgeons to improve the concepts.
OsComp has developed a breakthrough multiphase compression technology that significantly reduces the operating and capital costs of wellhead production of natural gas. Multiphase flow is a condition that exists in the OsComp technology, but is uncommon in other commercially available compressors. Currently available valves are not explicitly designed to meet the specifications required by OsComp for lifetime and optimal compressor efficiency. The goal is to identify or develop a valve that meets OsComp goals for compressor operating conditions, including the ability to handle multiphase flow.
In March 2011, Boston Scientific released their first EUS‐FNA needle. There are currently two Boston Scientific needles on the market. With successes in the aspirate needle aspect of the market, Boston Scientific would like to introduce a core needle. To this end, the Olin SCOPE team has been asked to address three aspects of the project: identify important needle parameters, determine appropriate tissue substitute, and assess Boston Scientific EUS-FNA needles.
The current generation of man portable unmanned ground vehicles (UGV) often pose problems for researchers due to high unit price points and closed development architectures. Each UGV becomes a major investment for a research group and discourages heavy use under harsh field conditions, while closed software environments hinder necessary modifications. The Army Research Laboratory (ARL) approached the 2011-2012 Olin SCOPE Program with these problems in mind and asked the team to produce a man portable autonomous UGV for use as a research platform. The goals o the project focus on the development and production of a low-cost indoor/outdoor UGV that provides a modular interface for the rapid development of cutting edge software and sensor capabilities.
This SCOPE project supports simultaneous transmission of communication and radar signals through a phased antenna array. A phased antenna array is a grid of independent antennas that can focus different signals in different directions through constructive and destructive interference. This team deals with the selection of communications and radar waveforms that can be transmitted through a non-linear amplifier with acceptable levels of signal distortion. We have reached our conclusions through a combination of simulation and RF hardware testing.
The Harley-Davidson/Olin SCOPE team researched a method of improving the fuel economy of H-D’s touring motorcycle line while maintaining drive-ability. The team generated a detailed model of the motorcycle and subjected it to various industry-standard drive cycles. These results informed their final recommendation as to the feasibility of the technology investigated.
In this project, the team designed and built Paranormal, a free and open source normal map editor on OSX for 2D graphic artists. Apportable’s goal is to fill a missing link in the open source toolchain of applications that developers use to create iOS games. Normal maps make it possible for artists to incorporate 3D effects such as lighting and refraction, into 2D mobile games.
The team's goal was to design a hardware system that combines an ultrasound medical imaging device with additional imaging modalities. This new system will simplify the current procedure for more effective diagnosis, decrease preparation and cleaning times, and improve the experience for the patients.
The team's mission was to help seniors to age in place for longer and with a higher quality of life and encourage people to think of Care.com as a resource when a precipitating event occurs.
The team's goal was to determine the best way to improve automotive safety by carrying out user-oriented design practices and interviewing various experts and stakeholders in the field and to build a modular platform that collects, stores and processes traffic data; providing town engineers with critical information about the safety of their roadways. The platform allows them to make informed, preventative design decisions, as well as confirm that these decisions have been effective.
The goal is to create an autonomous ground vehicle (AGV) that will remove foreign object debris (FOD) from the Boeing 737 Final Assembly Facility and assist mechanics in cleaning - help mechanics focus on building the airplane instead of cleaning.
Autonomously gathering aerial data has many potential applications, from co-scouting with ground robots to providing live field information to dismounted units. The ARL team developed a number of autonomous multirotor capabilities, creating an infrastructure for further work at ARL and at Olin.
A typical SolidWorks user has at least one mobile device, such as a phone or a tablet. The goal of this project was to develop innovative methods to utilize such devices to make users more productive when they are working on a desktop. The team used a human-centered design approach to learn more about SolidWorks users, and then implemented solutions for extending the SolidWorks application into the mobile space in a real production environment.
The John Deere team has worked towards the development of an intelligent vision system that could, in conjunction with GPS navigation systems, further the development of unmanned vehicles for the agricultural market. This system uses two-dimensional information from a pair of cameras in stereo to create a three-dimensional representation of the surrounding environment, which can be used for detecting obstacles, hazards, and other items of importance. In order to be priced appropriately for the agricultural market, such a system uses embedded technologies that are projected to undergo substantial reductions in price over the next several years.
In its campaign against TB, the World Health Organization has identified a major need in the area of diagnostics: an improvement to the smear microscopy test. As simple as the test is, it is beyond the abilities of those treating the poorest. The project involved use of the latest advances in technology to try to develop a small, portable, robust system that allows clinics in remote areas to diagnose TB while the patient remains at the clinic.
This project explored the development of a robotic tractor that can perform multiple farm tasks, such as plowing, disking and spraying, with a view toward increasing productivity while creating a safer work environment in the process. A set of low-cost, adaptive components that could be added on to any tractor will allow any farmer, no matter how small the operation, to reap the benefits of robotics technology in the agricultural sector.
These two confidential projects revolved around the development of instruments to aid in less invasive medicine and the development of medical technologies that provide alternatives to major surgery and other medical procedures that are typically traumatic to the body. Team 1: Jacob Basson Ransom Byers Alexander Dillon Tom Kochem Team 2: Joles Arnold Jay Gantz Emma Goodman Jacob Graham Dylan Sanders-Garrett
The team studied the marketplace and design space around location-based services for mobile devices, and found that the increasing fidelity and decreasing cost of location-sensing technology provides an opportunity. To take advantage of this opportunity, the team developed a prototype location platform that collects data about the movements of users. They tested this prototype through field trials and user interviews, and further developed applications that leverage the capabilities offered by the platform. To be of value to the sponsor, the team also developed commercialization plans for the designed platform and applications.
In this confidential project, Pepsi wanted Olin College to help the company expand the accessibility of one of its popular beverage products to new groups of consumers.
The Dawn Solar Systems team worked on improving the efficiency of a roof-integrated solar thermal system used for residential hot water heating. Through the use of a comprehensive system model and a simulated roof test stand, the team predicted the type of design improvements that would increase efficiency while keeping the cost to within 15% of the baseline. A strategic marketing plan for Dawn Solar Systems was also developed.
This project sought to address the problem of mobile robot navigation in GPS-denied environments (indoors, deep canopy, urban canyons, etc.). Given a mobile platform and a collection of sensors to be integrated on the platform, the team investigated hardware configurations and navigation schemes. The Draper Laboratory team also sought to characterize the performance of various sensor configurations and navigation algorithms.
New usage models lead to major breakthroughs in software products, from basic operating systems to advanced applications. These usage models are appropriately called metaphors, such as Apple's desktop and Real Player's control buttons. The purpose of this project was to invent one or multiple metaphors that will simplify network management applications both from visualization and control perspectives.
The goal of this project was to test a road detection algorithm for autonomous path following. Testing was conducted on a retrofitted ATV that SAIC provided to Olin for testing. The first semester of the project was spent developing the test software and preparing the ATV for testing. In the spring, students integrated the software and ATV hardware and conducted tests on the autonomous vehicle test track. Throughout this project students gained experience at refurbishing and maintaining hardware, developing infrastructure for testing, optimizing software, developing new algorithms, system integration and calibration, debugging, testing and evaluation.
In this project, the Acumentrics SCOPE team designed and developed an economic ethanol reformer for Solid Oxide Fuel Cells, a promising and renewable source of energy.
In support of MITRE's Innovation and Harvesting work program, the team has conducted user research and technology feasibility studies to develop a concept of operations for an enterprise system that facilitates informal and ad-hoc collaborations. This vision for the system is supported by a description of the system architecture and infrastructure required to implement it. The team has also developed a prototype interface and generated a vision for how to extend the system to automatically detect dependencies and project associations within the tasks tracked by the system in order to support a multitasking working style.
Draper Laboratory and Olin College have successfully continued their collaboration to build a capable, autonomous off-road vehicle. This partnership began last year when Olin College students converted a standard John Deere Gator XUV into a robot capable of being controlled by a computer. This year, the Draper SCOPE team enhanced this capable platform to drive through complex environments that require the Gator to detect paths and identify and avoid obstacles in parking lots, on roads and in dense vegetation. To achieve these objectives, the Olin team has overcome challenging technical problems spanning many engineering domains, from artificial intelligence to advanced sensors and high speed computation.
The Parietal Systems, Inc. (PSI) SCOPE Team developed a robotic platform for PSI to demonstrate their advanced sensor processing algorithms. The team built an autonomous walking robot that mimics the motion of a scorpion. This eight-legged robot has three walking gaits: one to move forward and backwards, one to sidestep, and one to rotate. The robot contains a variety of sensors to avoid objects and autonomously navigate toward a target. The sensor data, including a video feed, can also be transmitted wirelessly to a workstation for further processing and control.
Analogic is a growth-oriented, high-technology, signal and image processing company that provides products and services to original equipment manufacturers (OEMs) and end users worldwide. Analogic partnered with the Olin College SCOPE program to work with innovative students on leading edge research and development for biomedical devices. The students were working with Analogic’s engineering team to explore improving the effectiveness and reducing the cost of optical subsystems and microfluidics processes within devices for various applications.
Rockwell Automation, Inc. is one of the most prominent companies in the industrial safety market. A significant portion of this field is made up of emergency stop cable pull switches, which provide access to an emergency stop at all necessary points in an industrial environment. When an emergency stop cable is pulled, coupled machinery is stopped in order to avert an impending crisis. The cables, made of polymer coated stainless steel, are subject to thermal expansion caused by temperature variation of the environment, such that the force they exert on the switches may vary. This can cause nuisance tripping, resulting in costly interruptions. In this project, the SCOPE team identified improvements to the emergency stop system and developed a solution that alleviates the negative effects of temperature change on the system. Their design for the next generation of cable pull switches tolerates a large temperature range and is scalable for longer cable runs which gives Rockwell an advantage in the stagnant market. The concept the team devised is an optical sensing system to differentiate between movement due to thermal expansion and movement due to an emergency pull.
Both benign and cancerous medical conditions can obstruct the esophageal lumen, resulting in pain and severe difficulty swallowing. To alleviate these symptoms, esophageal stents can be used to hold the esophagus open. However, existing stent designs often migrate after they are placed in the esophagus. This movement reduces the efficacy of treatment and sometimes requires re-intervention to remove the stent, ultimately negatively affecting patient health. Boston Scientific asked the 2009-2010 SCOPE team to design an esophageal stent or stent-like device that reduced migration. The team presented several novel proof-of-concept ideas for such a stent. The 2010-2011 Boston Scientific Stent Team extended these ideas by further specifying and prototyping each design before examining the feasibility of each prototype through more robust experimental design. The team developed and performed assays to answer the questions, "Will this idea reduce migration?" and "Can a stent incorporating this idea be feasibly manufactured, deployed, and later removed if necessary?” Based on the results of this testing, the team made recommendations to Boston Scientific concerning the functionality and feasibility of each anti-migration concept and how to proceed with further development.
Lexmark consultants assist customers in making more efficient use of printing devices to reduce cost, save employees’ time, and reduce consumption of paper and electricity. Currently, consultants visit a company to determine the location, capabilities, and usage of current printing devices. They then analyze this data and propose a new configuration in which old devices are replaced with new energy efficient ones and underutilized devices are consolidated. The task of manually analyzing device data is costly and slow. The goal of the SCOPE project was to develop software to facilitate this process by automating the generation of new device configurations.
The Adsys SCOPE team designed a ping pong playing robot. The goal of the demonstrator is to showcase the capabilities of Adsys Controls in vision systems, dynamics, and robotics control systems. The demonstrator utilizes Adsys Controls’ ProLight-based high speed vision system as well as their commercial FPGA Image Processing Toolkit libraries. The team tackled the technically challenging problem of detecting, tracking, and manipulating a ping pong ball in real time.
This SCOPE project began in January 2011 and will conclude in December 2011. The Vishwa Robotics and Automation SCOPE team is working to produce miniature, multi-functional landing gear for Micro Aerial Vehicles (MAVs). By iterating through research, ideation, design, and fabrication, the team will optimize small, lightweight, durable, and low-power landing gear that will enable future MAVs to perch on a variety of surfaces. This is the second phase in an ongoing, multiphase research project awarded to Vishwa Robotics and is being funded by the Air Force Research Laboratory.
The Boston Scientific Polymer SCOPE team has worked to characterize two novel polymers and evaluate their potential use in medical devices. Polymers currently play a key role in biomedical devices and have many applications including use in surgical tools, as coatings on implantable devices, and even as components of drug-eluting devices. This year’s SCOPE team researched and identified applications for these novel polymers, developed a testing plan and associated protocols to characterize relevant properties of the novel polymers, and then used these results to inform recommendations on the use of the materials in medical device production. The team developed and executed six major experiments related to properties particularly significant for biomedical devices. Through the execution of these experiments, the team produced finalized versions of validated protocols that could be used in the future or further expanded for more comprehensive experiments.
The Nicastro Lab at Brandeis University is studying the 3D structure of cells and macromolecules in their native state. High-resolution imaging of sections of life-like, preserved cells via electron microscopy is currently difficult, if not impossible, because current sample preparation methods result in numerous cutting artifacts that distort the sample. The Olin SCOPE team developed a prototype device to manipulate specimens at cryogenic temperatures in order to reduce cutting artifacts. Crucial challenges for the team included high-precision machine design, extreme temperatures and highly localized temperature control. This work was primarily supported through a MRSEC grant from the National Science Foundation.
The purpose of the MIT Lincoln Laboratory 2010-2011 SCOPE project was to build upon last year’s development of an affordable, high accuracy relative position sensor. In certain situations, it is desirable to have a potentially expendable unmanned system that will serve to prevent damage to a more valuable, manned system. Expendability necessitates low-cost; therefore, it is important that the unmanned vehicle not contain expensive technology. Last semester, the Lincoln Laboratory SCOPE team researched a few different approaches to tracking the relative location of the unmanned vehicle and used this research to redesign the system architecture. This semester, the team focused on implementation and system integration.
The AGCO SCOPE team developed a smart rinse verification system for a post-emergent agricultural sprayer. When spraying a field, an operator must switch between chemicals to adjust for different plant conditions and types of crops. Due to the nature of the chemicals used, the system must be completely rinsed to remove all traces of the old chemicals before new ones are used. If the sprayer is not fully rinsed, the chemical residue remaining in the system may harm the new crop. Through research, ideation, design, and fabrication, the Olin team built a prototype system that provides feedback to the operator regarding when it is safe to proceed with loading the new solution.
The Raytheon SCOPE Team worked on a proprietary project for Raytheon Company related to communications, radar waveforms and radiofrequency amplifiers. The project was for the Integrated Defense Systems (IDS) business segment of Raytheon. IDS uses its strengths in command, sensors, control and communication, effects, and mission support to provide a variety of integrated defense solutions.
The Autodesk SCOPE team was tasked with redesigning the software learning experience for students and professionals. The team spent the first semester researching software learning, motivation psychology, skill development, existing CAD program methodologies, game design, and classroom teaching practices to gain a comprehensive understanding of how software learning can be improved. Over the course of one month in San Francisco during the winter break, the team quickly iterated through five versions of their concept for a learning map environment. Inspired by the technology tree structure of popular videogames, the students devised a linear, nodular system to teach a software program. They layered game metaphors, such as achievements and advancements, into the technology tree in order to motivate learning exploration and aspiration. They imagined a system in which the user would sequentially unlock levels, conquer skill sets, and adventure into unknown learning terrain.
With the advent of the Internet, control systems have become more complex, distributed, and remote. This introduces many issues involving security, resilience, and implementation. The IBM SCOPE team sought to create an easy-to-use programming interface for networked control systems. This programming interface implemented a proposal made by last year’s IBM SCOPE team for security and resilience in control systems. A sample control systems application was used to demonstrate the new interface.
The Vision Robotics SCOPE team will conceptualize, design, and prototype an automated fruit picking end effector for use by the tree fruit industry. The design will include considerations for low production costs, a life time on the order of millions of cycles, and a picking time of less than a second.
The Lexmark SCOPE team will be researching and developing a new type of polymer foam which meets a target range of specifications for the toner adder roll component of laser printers. This will include research into foaming techniques, polymer chemistry and testing procedures in addition to application of this research through materials synthesis. Additionally, the Lexmark SCOPE team will be conceptualizing a novel system to fuse loose toner powder to the paper during the printing process. The objective is to create a fuser that heats up more quickly and efficiently. This will involve investigating new technologies and materials that will be applicable to designing an innovative fusing method.
Pratt and Whitney uses "station probes" to measure pressures and temperatures in the flow path of gas turbine engine subsystems, including the fan, low and high-pressure compressors , combustor, high-pressure turbine, and low-pressure turbine. The principle goal for the modularized probe program is to build a working prototype of a station probe that is wirelessly connected to the data acquisition system. This requires rethinking the probe design to embed the entire signal conditioning hardware into the probe. In addition, the electronic networking and link into the data system will have to be changed. This year's team will focus on the design of the probe-environment control systems and the integration of last year's team's work into a prototype system. The environment control system will ensure the accuracy and precision of the pressure and temperature sensors. A wireless station probe will greatly reduce cost as less effort will be required to interface with the station probes. Tests of the prototype will be done in a Pratt and Whitney high-speed wind tunnel.
The Problem In the coming years, a large percentage of the population will be moving into retirement and old age. This generation of Baby Boomers is generally far more comfortable with technology than current seniors, and can be expected to maintain their interest in technology as their physical abilities decline and health care needs increase. A great opportunity, then, lies in developing accessible technologies that improve seniors' connectivity, happiness and standard of care. Project Overview The Nortel SCOPE team will work on developing a product or service in the area of health care for elderly people, with an emphasis on the use of telecommunications technology. The first semester will be spent meeting with users to determine their needs and goals, and then brainstorming possible solutions to the problems that we have identified. With Nortel's approval, we will select one product or service to go forward with by the end of the first semester, and will have a working prototype by the end of the academic year.
In collaboration with ROCONA, Inc., we are researching urine and biosensors in order to develop a system that would monitor health by regularly checking levels of various compounds in urine and transmitting information to physicians. This would improve healthcare by giving doctors access to more regular data regarding many aspects of patient health. We will explore the potential applications and technologies for this product idea and design its implementation and function.
The Boston Scientific-Pleural team is working on a minimally invasive method to visualize the pleural cavity and take biopsy samples to aid in the diagnosis of pleural effusions.
This project is aimed at improving an existing wood burning stove design by Estufas Ixiles Stove Co., an initiative of Community Enterprise Solutions. There are two primary focuses to this project. The first is to improve the design, making it: Less expensive Easier to assemble Appeal to the design values of our users Be at least as energy efficient as the current model The second is to address the business model by: Understanding the current market and value-chain Understanding the partnerships between CES and local entrepreneurs Studying the competition (i.e. other stove distribution organizations) Increasing the sustainability of the low-cost business model built around the product Ultimately, the principal goal is to drive the cost of the stove as low as possible while maintaining or increasing usability, energy efficiency, ease of assembly, and ease of distribution.
This project is to develop a robotic tractor that can perform multiple farm tasks, such as plowing, disking and spraying, with a view toward increasing productivity while creating a safer work environment in the process. A set of low-cost, adaptive components that could be added on to any tractor will allow any farmer, no matter how small the operation, to reap the benefits of robotics technology in the agricultural sector.
The Olin Autonomous Surface Craft (OASC) was developed during the 2007‐08 academic year in a partnership between the Olin College of Engineering SCOPE program (Senior Consulting Project for Engineers) and Schlumberger. Five Olin students worked on the OASC over the course of two semesters towards the goal of presenting the sponsoring scientists at Schlumberger with a platform capable of doing underwater acoustic imaging. This paper will describe the OASC and its capabilities and present the results of some tests that have been performed.