黑洞社区

MEMBERS: Alex Richards; Aaron Sisco; Wesley Horner; Jerret Delancy 
ADVISOR: Dr. Andy Stallard
SPONSOR: Hormesys

The demand for innovative solutions continues to drive sports science and engineering. Our entry for Engineering Open House is a performance enhancing product: cooling insoles designed to increase the performance of endurance athletes. These insoles utilize phase change materials (PCMs) along with selected additives to create a new type of insole within the sports industry. Our cooling insoles' main objective is to address the critical need of effective temperature regulation during prolonged physical activity. Endurance athletes are constantly pushing their limits in demanding environments and often face challenges related to heat buildup, leading to discomfort and performance degradation. Our approach integrates advanced PCM technology from MicroTek Laboratories, known for its thermal energy storage properties, with additives to assist with durability, flexibility, and overall performance. The key innovation lies in the strategic incorporation of PCMs, which undergo phase transitions at specific temperatures, effectively absorbing excess heat from the athlete's feet during exercise from the pressure of the feet hitting the ground. This active cooling approach helps with the risk of heat-related injuries and allows athletes to maintain peak performance levels for extended amounts of time. There are scientific studies that support that cooling during activities more than 30 minutes has an exponential effect on increased performance. Our cooling insoles represent an advancement in sports engineering, utilizing the fusion of materials to elevate the performance and endurance of athletes in their search for optimal performance.

MEMBERS: Devin DaPra; Evan Julius; Mostafa Mohammad; Blake Rausch
ADVISOR: Dr. Gary Brooking; Dr. Caskell Stallard

Cheating among the student body requires active and real time monitoring that teacher must remain vigilant to spot. To prevent cheating, teachers will roam the class while students are taking tests, working on homework or even amongst themselves. Most teachers cannot divide their attention enough to monitor students in different locations of the classroom, or even beyond the classroom environment at home. However, to prevent cheating it requires a high amount of attention that a teacher may or may not be able to provide. This will put a significant strain on the teachers and the paraeducator in the classroom. These requirements are relaxed in a smaller classroom environment, but within a classroom of twenty to thirty students it can become strenuous, and errors can occur. In a modern classroom, teachers have implemented Chromebooks and online assignments that provide students with the required help they may need. However, this has led to students wondering from the assignments to find easier methods of communication and problem solving. In this work, it can be demonstrated how the implementation of recognition features, and the implementations of a smart database may provide students with the attention and activate learning to the degree that will allow a student to grow concurrently in a classroom and at home environment. 

MEMBERS: Emon Tehrani, Ryan Powell, Caleb Miller, Jahanvi Thakkar

ADVISOR: Caskel Stallard

SPONSOR: NIAR Robotics and Automation Lab

To remove interns from possible danger and increase the accuracy of the hole drilled as well as the ability to operate an ABB robot. Along with those benefits you would not need much experience in drilling operations or ABB experience to produce the same quality as someone who has large amount of experience.

MEMBERS: Trevr Bahr, William Short, Jacob Isaac 

ADVISOR: Dr. Gary Brooking

SPONSOR: Textron Aviation (Wichita, KS)

Textron Aviation requested for Team Shock Vac to do a study of the vacuum system at CMF. With this, the team was required to determine vacuum supplied, demanded, and the cost associated with this. Costs include electrical cost, maintenance costs, and the cost associated with downtime. The client has requested a recommendation based on the data we acquired throughout the past two semesters. This recommendation must be a conservative estimate/recommendation because not supplying enough vacuum to the CMF facility is really not an option. Once having a recommendation, the team was requested to look into a control system that automatically rotates pumps based on runtimes. Currently, this is a manual operation that has no rhyme or reason to it. The team has been told that a rotation takes place, but we have yet to witness this with our own eyes. As a team, we have had to meet with several Textron Aviation personnel to determine what exactly is happening with the system. It is one that we have found to not be monitored, nor really on the radar for quite some time. With our teams efforts, we hope to bring the issues found to the attention of management.

MEMBERS: Anna Lay, Kait Van Vleet, Catherine Small

ADVISOR: Andy Stallard

The city of Wichita is looking for ways to make the Cowskin Creek Water Reclamation Facility more energy efficient and save costs. The team, Energy Management Specialists, have come up with different areas where energy usage can be reduced. These areas include the aeration basin, the aerobic blowers, and the UV disinfection system. With the surface aerators, the solution is to purchase a new DO meter since one side is faulty. The aerobic blowers are used for odor control for the aerobic digesters. The team suggests adding an ORP sensor to tell the machinery when to run. The UV disinfection system is the last step of wastewater treatment. The system is almost at its design life so one suggestion is to replace it with a new machine that is higher in efficiency. The last suggestion from the team is to shut down an entire train in the aerobic basin. Each step in the process has two sides and shutting down an entire train during the low flow months would save a tremendous amount of energy usage. Through the gathering of the plant鈥檚 bills, the team was able to calculate the amount they would save within these approaches. 

With these approaches reducing energy in the plant there will be significant changes in environmental, economic, and social benefits for local communities. The implementation of these approaches can be a pilot for other wastewater treatment plants to follow in this direction. Improving efficiencies all around the world to provide a positive environmental impact. 

MEMBERS: Logan Pittman, Alonso Martinez, Jacob Singer

ADVISOR: John Harrison

SPONSOR: National Institute for Aviation Research - Environmental Test Laboratories (Reid Owens)

The aim of the project is to improve the common candy dispenser, with the goal of making buying candy a more exciting experience for the buyer. Our device will be able to dispense candy using a digital interface. Other dispensers have already become digital 鈥� there are vending machines and drink dispensers with colorful screen interfaces. However, this same technology has not been applied to candy dispensers. A common candy dispenser appeals to young children through the experience of turning a physical crank. Our modernized version will use a servo in place of a crank. To adequately replace the experience of turning a crank, the digital interface will include a user-friendly design. Using an interface will also provide the option to include video games in the candy-buying process, much like an arcade game. Spending money, then, is rewarded with both sweets and play.

MEMBERS: Rhund Khaldi, Dylen Trecek, Jaydn Richardson, Aubrie Thomison, Hannah Phillips

ADVISOR: Tom McGuire

SPONSOR: Envision (Wichita, KS)

Members of the visually impaired community express frustration of the lack of free hands due to the regular usage of white canes. This team has developed On-the-Go, which is a device that is compatible with a typical white cane (as it is an add-on), and will offer those who are visually impaired connectivity to their smart phones. People with varying levels of visual impairments will implement the On-the-Go cane add-on device because it will allow them to have more independence and confidence in their daily lives. This product offers tactile integration with the user鈥檚 phone from a device attached to the handle of the cane. Iterations of this device have been tested by potential users, and the feedback received has been used to determine the most optimal design. The final product consists of a battery, a charger, 3 buttons, and an ESP32C all confined in a slim housing that attaches to the handle of the cane. The iPhone sees the ESP32C as an external keyboard. Buttons on the device have assigned commands like Siri, Activate, Next Element, and Previous Element. The device is rechargeable, with an anticipated battery life of 7 days. This product will be available to the market for all cane users.

MEMBERS: Landon Olson, Bryce Minor, Trenton Parsons 

ADVISOR: Tom McGuire

Opened in 2017, the John Bardo Center was constructed as the first phase of the Innovation Hub. It serves as a cooperation effort between the various engineering departments of 黑洞社区 and several industry leaders operating in the Wichita area. One of the spaces provided in the John Bardo Center is the Innovation Hub Intended as a place for engineering students to have easy access to the tools and equipment necessary for building cost-effective and short-run prototypes and various other projects. One weakness of the space is the lack of adequate long-term storage for said projects and their required materials. Presently, the only available space is a series of lockers. For larger-scale projects and raw materials like piping, wood, and sheet metal have no effective means of storage. Project ANNEXX was designed to counter this. Comprised of two 40-foot containers and two 20-foot containers arranged in an L shape, the bulk of the design provides lockable self-storage and separate storage for long and bulky items. The space is also designed to be entirely self-sufficient, generating power from a series of wind turbines and PV units. The capacity to install student-made units, as well as a means to analyze the efficiency of the system, has also been created to foster further growth of the Innovation Hub and the engineering department. Constructed and led by students, this space embodies the spirit and intention of the Innovation Hub.

MEMBERS: Bo Henry, Shannon Looney, Luke Schuessler, Javiar Agudo

ADVISOR: Joe Jabara

The device will record, encrypt, and exfiltrate in-person conversations in order to assist red teams, organizations that test the physical and network security of companies. This is done through a raspberry pi, light sensor, battery, microphone, and Bluetooth. When lights are turned on, the raspberry pi will begin recording and stop when lights are turned off. We use this as a trigger because it is low power, turns on when meetings begin (when the lights turn on), and preserves our battery life by not constantly recording information. At certain predetermined intervals, this data will be exfiltrated to red teams through Bluetooth. All of this is done without connecting to any building power or network. The battery life will last two to four days and the device will cost between 65 and 80 dollars to manufacture depending on the battery size chosen.

MEMBERS: Annie Wilson, Sam Benz, Trent Parsons

ADVISOR: John Harrison

This device will allow anglers to retro fit their current trolling motors with GPS anchoring technology. The retro fit GPS anchor offers an alternative to current "Spot Lock" GPS anchoring technology, which is cost prohibitive for many amateur anglers and requires purchasing a complete trolling motor unit compatible with the technology. Our device will offer a reasonably priced alternative for amateur fresh water anglers who use foot pedal controlled trolling motors. The device will integrate with current foot pedal set ups to maintain a designated stationary position.

MEMBERS: Amogh Gokhale, Alana Cahill, Louie Tipton, Devin McConico, Alex Valdovinos

ADVISOR: Tom McGuire

SPONSOR: Parkinson's Connect (Wichita, KS)

According to the National Institute of Neurological Disorders, an estimated 500,000 Americans are currently diagnosed with Parkinson鈥檚 Disease: a chronic and progressive disease that affects the central nervous system. It can cause a variety of mobility issues such as tremors, bradykinesia, stiffness, and imbalance. These symptoms take a serious physical toll on the patient, and cause them to lose the ability to do everyday tasks that were once simple before. A substantial issue our group has identified with the help of our sponsor, Parkinson鈥檚 Connect, is the inability of Parkinson鈥檚 patients to move from the middle to the edge of their bed. This issue largely affects later stage patients who live at home, and may only have one other person, or no other caregivers available. To combat this issue, Rise Mobility Devices has come up with a mechanical device to help facilitate this movement. This device consists of a durable yet comfortable specialized fleece and nylon blanket connected to a rotating pipe installed in the bed frame, and will move back and forth via hand crank. This product will be primarily for individual Parkinson鈥檚 patients and those who want to cut back costs of caregiving facilities. Furthermore, this device has the potential to help people suffering from other neurodegenerative diseases or disabilities.

MEMBERS: Kevin Dunham, Nickolas Morningstar, Hunter Garrison

ADVISOR: Thomas McGuire

SPONSOR: Club Parkinson's (Wichita, KS)

Parkinson鈥檚 Disease affects over 10 million people worldwide. Freeze Gait is a symptom the often occurs with advanced Parkinson鈥檚 Disease that causes episodes of temporary inability to step that occurs on initiation or turning while walking, especially with sudden movement and surprise. There are few remedies currently on the market to help a Parkinson鈥檚 Patient overcome freeze gait. However, KJN Biomechanical Designs is working on implementing features to an upright walker to help assist a Parkinson鈥檚 Patient overcome Freeze Gait. The plan to assist patients with Freeze Gait is to implement a step over and metronome function into a universal kit which can be applied to different models of upright walkers. Studies show that a metronome and step over function both help stimulate the brain and body to get back in sync with each other to help the patient's body move using outside audio and visual cues. This universal feature will differ from the competition because it will be easily attachable to any style of walker. This universal kit will also be of a lower cost and utilize additional improvements. Such as, allowing for a step over laser that is more visible outside and in bright light.

MEMBERS: Jordan Mugmon, Eduardo Santillan, Devin Williams, Olatunbosun Fagbemi, Uriel Gloire Mbengu Batukandikila

ADVISOR: Andy Stallard

Our team was paired with Wichita State to make a device that improves existing rain sensors and adds new features and design elements. Design considerations include an elevated level of accuracy and easy cleaning without the use of harsh chemicals. It will also need to withstand extreme weather and work in remote areas. Our goal is to meet our clients needs to the best of our abilities using our robust and diverse engineering skills.