黑洞社区

2023 Projects

Be Your Own Boss

MEMBERS: Devin Adams, Aaron Jones, Sarah Baskins

ADVISOR: John Harrison

Have you ever wanted to make some extra cash, but found selling products online to be to difficult? Have you ever been overwhelmed by all of the different configurations and options when trying to list a new product online? Be Your Own Boss, or BYOB, is a web application that allows entrepreneurs one centralized location to develop, design, and upload print on demand products to public shop websites (Etsy, Amazon, etc.) Instead of manually copying and pasting listings from one shop site to another, BYOB distributes listings to shop websites automatically. Users can add their designs, titles, tags, colors, and other important information, and upload the customized product automatically in seconds. BYOB integrates with both Printify as the print provider, and Etsy as the shop website, and has potential to expand to other online shop hosting sites in the future. BYOB also offers guidance to not only start an online business, but also how to gain an advantage in the online marketplace through organized documentation and videos. Using BYOB, individuals can upload print on demand products to their online stores in an easy, consistent, and time efficient manner, drastically reducing the time invested in shop owning.

CAD Parser Robot

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

ADVISOR: Andy 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.  

CMF Vacuum System for Textron Aviation Pawnee Campus

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.

Cowskin Creek Energy Audit

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. 

Ghostwriter

MEMBERS: Irvin Caro, Kavya Verma, Quentin Nelson, Jacob Allen, Dao Hoang Linh Quan Nguyen

ADVISOR: Huabo Lu

Keyloggers on computers are great for any red team, but they can be easily detected through a virus scan. With GhostWriter, one can obtain video feed and use it to extract the target's keystrokes. Red Teams need to have an undetectable device to obtain credentials in a way that they will not get caught. Red team operators will use GhostWriter because of its ability to assist them in gaining key information so that they can help improve the security of their target. The approach is to develop software that is capable of taking in a video and analyzing what keys are likely being typed. Red team operators will make use of a hidden camera to record footage of the keyboard when the Raspberry Pi senses movement. The video will then be encrypted and sent to the Red Team via a peer-to-peer connection where they can decrypt the video and then run the footage through the GhostWriter software. The prototype should be able to make predictions of keys that have been pressed. GhostWriter has the potential to alter how businesses view security. It could take almost any video feed and run it through the software, leaving no one safe or secure. 

Little Pig Battery and Charging System

MEMBERS: Marshall Kelley, Alberto Pino, Bang Tra, Jason Nguyen, Trang Ngo

ADVISOR: Dr. Visvakumar Aravinthan

SPONSOR: United States Air Force (Wichita, KS)

The research, design, and implementation of a battery system, and charging system for the 'Little Pig' autonomous surveillance ATV built by the U.S Air Force. The expected deliverables are a range of 25 miles with charging available from multiple sources. In this case we are providing AC charging via wall outlet, DC-DC charging from Little Pig Solar project, and DC-DC charging using a boost converter to allow them to charge it off of a Humvee if necessary. 

MyPantry App

MEMBERS: Lucas Fronciani, Jonathan Nguyen, Kevin Nguyen, Anna Thomas, Sakshi Yadav, Hope Dimick

ADVISOR: John Harrison

MyPantry is an App that helps you organize your kitchen by tracking inventory, creating recipes, storing nutritional information, and alerting you to expiring food. It also includes a spending tracker for all purchases. Users can order a chef service after generating recipes.

On-the-Go

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.

Organization App

MEMBERS: Mohammed Ajoor, Abrar Abdalrahman, Sandy Tran

ADVISOR: John Harrison

Students need a tool that contains all the school needs in one place to help increase organization and improve management skills. Also, help college students keep track of their assignments, tests, tasks, meetings, and events easily. Everyone will use our note-taking app because of its simplicity, engagement, low-cost subscription, flexibility, and time efficiency. We are using 鈥淓lectron鈥, which is a single code base for web and Desktop applications.

Project ANNEXX

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.

Red Teams Hidden Smoke-Detector Camera Device - Company: Homelanders

MEMBERS: Jacob Colton Schonhoff, Jimmy Le, William Grossjung

ADVISOR: Dr. Huabo Lu

The rise of cyber-attacks has led businesses and organizations to seek innovative ways to protect their data, and Red Teams have emerged as a critical solution. These teams simulate multi-layered attacks that mimic real-world threats and help organizations identify vulnerabilities in their security systems. As the global red teaming market is expected to grow from $10.8 billion to $19.1 billion by 2026, our team, The Homelanders, is contributing to this industry by developing a secret camera device disguised as a smoke detector. This hidden camera smoke detector can exfiltrate the data of displays within secure facilities and transmit it back without detection. By mimicking an everyday device found in public buildings, this innovative technology provides a valuable tool for Red Teams to test and improve an organization's data security procedures. Utilizing imaging and light detection technology, this device efficiently captures data when potential terminals are in use, and through secure, hidden transmission and encryption techniques this data is covertly transmitted. Moreover, this product is profitable when marketed to Red Teams, as it offers a new, effective way to identify vulnerabilities in organizations' data security systems. With the yearly global cost of cybercrime estimated at some 8.4 trillion dollars, The Homelanders' secret camera device aims to aid Red Teaming in further strengthening cyber capabilities and helping companies enhance their cybersecurity measures.

Red Team In-Person Conversation Recording Device

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.

Retro Fit GPS Anchor

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.

Rise Mobility Devices

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.

Roomers

MEMBERS: Nicholas Krizek, Ian Gaza, Chamnau Chamnan

ADVISOR: John Harrison

Roomers is a web-application designed to help roommates simplify their lives by alleviating common frustrations associated with living together. The application includes three main features: a finance feature that allows for seamless bill-splitting and payment via payment methods like Venmo and CashApp; a shared calendar that syncs with personal calendars, providing a household view of events, allowing for event creation, approval, or disapproval, ensuring everyone is aware of the household's schedule; and a to-do list that holds household tasks, allowing for sign-off as tasks are completed, tracking each person's contribution.

Additionally, Roomers includes a documentation tab to hold relevant roommate documents, including leases, task history, financial statements, and miscellaneous documents. Roomers aims to make living with roommates more organized, harmonious, and stress-free. The application's user-friendly design and powerful features have received positive feedback from users, ensuring that household tasks are completed on time, expenses are split seamlessly, and communication is improved. Try Roomers today to experience the difference it can make in your life as a roommate.

Secure Student, Staff & Faculty Accounts with Multi-Factor Authentication

MEMBERS: Nehme El Ters, Hemil Mehul Shah, Tri Dang, Andrew Huynh

ADVISOR: Joe Jabara

Our project has developed the design of a Multi-Factor Authentication (MFA) system for 黑洞社区 (黑洞社区) that leverages the 黑洞社区 ID to enable secure authentication for students and faculty members. Currently, there is no authentication system in place, leaving the students鈥 accounts vulnerable to unauthorized access. To address this, our system requires students to sign into an authentication app on their mobile device using their 黑洞社区 ID and password once a day. To sign into a computer on campus, the student or faculty member would need to swipe their ID card on a scanner connected to the computer, which would then trigger an OTP sent to their phone. The system offers several advantages over traditional password-based systems, including reducing the risk of someone stealing the user's 黑洞社区 ID or password by eliminating the need for keyboard and mouse input. In addition, unauthorized access is highly unlikely, as an intruder would need not only the ID card of the user but also their unlocked mobile phone. Overall, the proposed MFA system provides a secure and convenient method for 黑洞社区 students and faculty members to access their accounts on campus. It significantly enhances the security of student and faculty member accounts while reducing the risk of unauthorized access. Additionally, this system can be used as a framework for other universities or organizations to implement a similar authentication system leveraging existing ID cards.

Shocker Walker Upright Walker

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.

Signal Sniffers

MEMBERS: Garrett Wahlstedt, Garrett Wahlstedt, Peter Upton, Harvey Ly, Jonathan Vosecek

ADVISOR: Sergio Salinas

Our device allows red team operators to take advantage of a known vulnerability in wireless computer peripherals which operate on the 2.4Ghz frequency. This vulnerability makes it possible to decode signals sent from the peripheral (commonly keystrokes from keyboards) as well as inject our own signals. This device will be deployed in a leave-behind scenario allowing red team operators to drop the device in a target location and station themselves in a less vulnerable position in order to gather sensitive information from the target. The design consists of a Raspberry PI, a 2.4Ghz receiver, and a battery to power both allowing it to be placed away from an outlet. Once the information has been gathered the device will utilize the 2.4Ghz receiver to transmit it to the operator.

 Team Rain

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.

Tracer

MEMBERS: Kyle Dodson, Joseph Boley, Andrew McLeod, Guoyao Yue, Katelyn Tran

ADVISOR: Tom McGuire

SPONSOR: Pastor Bryce (Timberlake, SD)

Because of the continuous loss of church members caused by the pandemic and other factors, small and medium-sized churches must look for an easy-to-use program to attract more people participating in churches and reduce office costs and time. However, the existing solutions on the market, which have overmuch unnecessary functions, complicated interfaces, and expensive prices, are more suitable for large churches, but cannot meet their needs and are hard to afford. Through interviews with multiple churches, communications and advice from customers, and the analysis of other applications we developed Tracer. Tracer is a web-based application providing features for assisting work like automatic statistical yearly tax reports for donations, analysis of current members, and tracking and storage for customizable information such as attendance and donations. The UI design of Tracer is straightforward and clear, making its interface easy to get started, and users can access the frequently used features quickly. It offers the design of modular functions, which allows the churches to only choose the required functions based on their scale and gives an affordable expense. Additionally, its cloud storage makes churches no longer need to worry about the costs of maintenance or hardware and provide reliable security. The web-based development also allows users to access the application anytime and anywhere simply though the Internet. Based on these functions, Tracer can not only help members better understand the operation situation of the church, but also can help to find a way for attracting more young people to join.