Barrett, The Honors College Thesis/Creative Project Collection
Barrett, The Honors College at Arizona State University proudly showcases the work of undergraduate honors students by sharing this collection exclusively with the ASU community.
Barrett accepts high performing, academically engaged undergraduate students and works with them in collaboration with all of the other academic units at Arizona State University. All Barrett students complete a thesis or creative project which is an opportunity to explore an intellectual interest and produce an original piece of scholarly research. The thesis or creative project is supervised and defended in front of a faculty committee. Students are able to engage with professors who are nationally recognized in their fields and committed to working with honors students. Completing a Barrett thesis or creative project is an opportunity for undergraduate honors students to contribute to the ASU academic community in a meaningful way.
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- Creators: Electrical Engineering Program
Description
This paper introduces a wireless reconfigurable “button-type” pressure sensor system, via machine learning, for gait analysis application. The pressure sensor system consists of an array of independent button-type pressure sensing units interfaced with a remote computer. The pressure sensing unit contains pressure-sensitive resistors, readout electronics, and a wireless Bluetooth module, which are assembled within footprint of 40 × 25 × 6mm3. The small-footprint, low-profile sensors are populated onto a shoe insole, like buttons, to collect temporal pressure data. The pressure sensing unit measures pressures up to 2,000 kPa while maintaining an error under 10%. The reconfigurable pressure sensor array reduces the total power consumption of the system by 50%, allowing extended period of operation, up to 82.5 hrs. A robust machine learning program identifies the optimal pressure sensing units in any given configuration at an accuracy of up to 98%.
ContributorsBooth, Jayden Charles (Author) / Chae, Junseok (Thesis director) / Chen, Ang (Committee member) / Electrical Engineering Program (Contributor) / Barrett, The Honors College (Contributor)
Created2018-12
Description
The purpose of this research is to optically characterize germanium-based chalcogenide thin films and evaluate how their properties change when the composition is altered. The composition changes based on if the chalcogenide contains selenium or sulfur, if the film is 60 nanometers or 200 nanometers, and if the film is doped with silver (ranging from 0 nanometers to 30 nanometers). These amorphous germanium-chalcogenide thin films exhibit interesting properties when doped with silver, such as transporting ions within the film in addition to electron transport. Using optical characterization techniques such as UV-Vis spectroscopy, profilometry, and ellipsometry, parameters that describe the optical characteristics are found, including the absorption coefficient, refractive index, optical band gap energy, and information on the density of states. This research concludes that as silver content within the film increases, the optical bandgap energy decreases—this is a consistent trend in existing literature. Having a better understanding of the materials’ physical properties will be useful to aid in the creation of microsystems based on these materials by selecting optimal composition and growth conditions. Important applications using these materials are currently being researched, including variable capacitor devices relying on the ionic conductor behavior these materials display. The optical properties like the absorption coefficient and the optical bandgap energy are invaluable in designing these applications effectively.
ContributorsRicks, Amberly Frances (Author) / Gonzalez Velo, Yago (Thesis director) / Kozicki, Michael (Committee member) / Holman, Zachary (Committee member) / Electrical Engineering Program (Contributor, Contributor) / Barrett, The Honors College (Contributor)
Created2019-05
Description
In this project, an existing waveform generator designed by the vagus nerve stimulation (VNS) technology firm Hoolest Performance Technologies was modified and characterized. Voltage feedback and current feedback systems were designed in order to improve output voltage and current regulation. A wireless communication system was implemented onboard the newly designed waveform generator in order to improve user experience and allow the system to be controlled remotely. Finally, a custom printed circuit board was designed according to the established circuit schematics for the above components, and the layout was miniaturized to a total board footprint area of 1.5 square inches. The completed device was characterized according to several figures of merit including current consumption, voltage and current regulation, and short-circuit behavior.
ContributorsPatterson, John Michael (Author) / Kozicki, Michael (Thesis director) / Mian, Sami (Committee member) / Electrical Engineering Program (Contributor) / Barrett, The Honors College (Contributor)
Created2019-05
Description
This thesis outlines the hand-held memory characterization testing system that is to be created into a PCB (printed circuit board). The circuit is designed to apply voltages diagonally through a RRAM cell (32x32 memory array). The purpose of this sweep across the RRAM is to measure and calculate the high and low resistance state value over a specified amount of testing cycles. With each cell having a unique output of high and low resistance states a unique characterization of each RRAM cell is able to be developed. Once the memory is characterized, the specific RRAM cell that was tested is then able to be used in a varying amount of applications for different things based on its uniqueness. Due to an inability to procure a packaged RRAM cell, a Mock-RRAM was instead designed in order to emulate the same behavior found in a RRAM cell.
The final testing circuit and Mock-RRAM are varied and complex but come together to be able to produce a measured value of the high resistance and low resistance state. This is done by the Arduino autonomously digitizing the anode voltage, cathode voltage, and output voltage. A ramp voltage that sweeps from 1V to -1V is applied to the Mock-RRAM acting as an input. This ramp voltage is then later defined as the anode voltage which is just one of the two nodes connected to the Mock-RRAM. The cathode voltage is defined as the other node at which the voltage drops across the Mock-RRAM. Using these three voltages as input to the Arduino, the Mock-RRAM path resistance is able to be calculated at any given point in time. Conducting many test cycles and calculating the high and low resistance values allows for a graph to be developed of the chaotic variation of resistance state values over time. This chaotic variation can then be analyzed further in the future in order to better predict trends and characterize the RRAM cell that was tested.
Furthermore, the interchangeability of many devices on the PCB allows for the testing system to do more in the future. Ports have been added to the final PCB in order to connect a packaged RRAM cell. This will allow for the characterization of a real RRAM memory cell later down the line rather than a Mock-RRAM as emulation. Due to the autonomous testing, very few human intervention is needed which makes this board a great baseline for others in the future looking to add to it and collect larger pools of data.
The final testing circuit and Mock-RRAM are varied and complex but come together to be able to produce a measured value of the high resistance and low resistance state. This is done by the Arduino autonomously digitizing the anode voltage, cathode voltage, and output voltage. A ramp voltage that sweeps from 1V to -1V is applied to the Mock-RRAM acting as an input. This ramp voltage is then later defined as the anode voltage which is just one of the two nodes connected to the Mock-RRAM. The cathode voltage is defined as the other node at which the voltage drops across the Mock-RRAM. Using these three voltages as input to the Arduino, the Mock-RRAM path resistance is able to be calculated at any given point in time. Conducting many test cycles and calculating the high and low resistance values allows for a graph to be developed of the chaotic variation of resistance state values over time. This chaotic variation can then be analyzed further in the future in order to better predict trends and characterize the RRAM cell that was tested.
Furthermore, the interchangeability of many devices on the PCB allows for the testing system to do more in the future. Ports have been added to the final PCB in order to connect a packaged RRAM cell. This will allow for the characterization of a real RRAM memory cell later down the line rather than a Mock-RRAM as emulation. Due to the autonomous testing, very few human intervention is needed which makes this board a great baseline for others in the future looking to add to it and collect larger pools of data.
ContributorsDobrin, Ryan Christopher (Co-author) / Halden, Matthew (Co-author) / Hall, Tanner (Co-author) / Barnaby, Hugh (Thesis director) / Kitchen, Jennifer (Committee member) / Electrical Engineering Program (Contributor, Contributor) / Barrett, The Honors College (Contributor)
Created2019-05
Description
This thesis is a proposition for an addition to an engineering project that involves creating a heads up display for a scuba diving mask which displays important safety information. The premise of this thesis includes three different features: distress, distance, and direction. The distress feature is to alert a diver that their “buddy diver” is having an emergency and is requiring attention. Distance and direction are intended to be included on the heads up display, informing the diver of the relative location of their “buddy diver” in case they have lost sight of them. A set of requirements was created to find the most practical solutions. From these requirements and extensive research, three potential methods of underwater communication were found; electromagnetic waves in the radio frequency range, optical waves, and acoustic waves. Of these three methods, acoustic waves were found to be most feasible for the scope of this project. Using modems and transducers, an acoustic signal is able to be sent from one diver to another in order to detect relative location as well as send a message of distress. Ultimately, two possible concepts were designed, with one deemed as most advantageous. This concept engages the use of four transponders that have the ability to transmit and receive high frequencies, minimizes blind spots, and is small enough to not cause discomfort or be obstructive to the divers experience. Due to the nature of this application, the team is able to propose a path of development for a compact communication system between scuba divers.
ContributorsNossaman, Grace (Co-author) / Hocken, Chase (Co-author) / Padilla, Bryan (Co-author) / Richmond, Christ D. (Thesis director) / Baumann, Alicia (Committee member) / Electrical Engineering Program (Contributor) / Barrett, The Honors College (Contributor)
Created2019-05
Description
This thesis is a proposition for an addition to an engineering project that involves creating a heads up display for a scuba diving mask which displays important safety information. The premise of this thesis includes three different features: distress, distance, and direction. The distress feature is to alert a diver that their “buddy diver” is having an emergency and is requiring attention. Distance and direction are intended to be included on the heads up display, informing the diver of the relative location of their “buddy diver” in case they have lost sight of them. A set of requirements was created to find the most practical solutions. From these requirements and extensive research, three different methods of underwater communication were found, but only one, acoustics, was feasible for the scope of this project. Using modems and transducers, an acoustic signal is able to be sent from one diver to another in order to detect relative location as well as send a message of distress. Ultimately, two possible concepts were designed, with one deemed as most advantageous. This concept engages the use of four transponders that have the ability to transmit and receive high frequencies, minimizes blind spots, and is small enough to not cause discomfort or be obstructive to the divers experience.
ContributorsHocken, Chase (Co-author) / Nossaman, Grace (Co-author) / Padilla, Bryan (Co-author) / Richmond, Christ D (Thesis director) / Baumann, Alicia (Committee member) / Electrical Engineering Program (Contributor) / Dean, W.P. Carey School of Business (Contributor) / Barrett, The Honors College (Contributor)
Created2019-05
Description
This thesis is a proposition for an addition to an engineering project that involves creating a heads up display for a scuba diving mask which displays important safety information. The premise of this thesis includes three different features: distress, distance, and direction. The distress feature is to alert a diver that their “buddy diver” is having an emergency and is requiring attention. Distance and direction are intended to be included on the heads up display, informing the diver of the relative location of their “buddy diver” in case they have lost sight of them. A set of requirements was created to find the most practical solutions. From these requirements and extensive research, three potential methods of underwater communication were found; electromagnetic waves in the radio frequency range, optical waves, and acoustic waves. Of these three methods, acoustic waves were found to be most feasible for the scope of this project. Using modems and transducers, an acoustic signal is able to be sent from one diver to another in order to detect relative location as well as send a message of distress. Ultimately, two possible concepts were designed, with one deemed as most advantageous. This concept engages the use of four transponders that have the ability to transmit and receive high frequencies, minimizes blind spots, and is small enough to not cause discomfort or be obstructive to the divers experience. Due to the nature of this application, the team is able to propose a path of development for a compact communication system between scuba divers.
ContributorsPadilla, Bryan (Co-author) / Nossaman, Grace (Co-author) / Hocken, Chase (Co-author) / Richmond, Christ D. (Thesis director) / Baumann, Alicia (Committee member) / Electrical Engineering Program (Contributor) / Barrett, The Honors College (Contributor)
Created2019-05
Description
This paper presents work that was done to develop an energy-efficient electoral and frame count system for underwater sea turtle image and video recognition using convolutional neural networks, deep learning framework, and the Python programming language. An underwater sea turtle image recognition program is essential to protect turtles from the threat of bycatch - sea turtles are accidentally caught when fishermen aim for a different type of underwater species. This underwater image recognition system is used to detect the presence of sea turtles, then different kinds of acoustic and light stimuli are used to warn the turtles of approaching danger to reduce bycatch. This image detection system will be placed on a fishing boat to run on a machine at all times (24 hours and 7 days a week). A live video capture from a low-power underwater camera that is attached to the boat will be sent to the image detection system on the machine to analyze the presence of sea turtles in each frame of the video. To lower the computational time and energy of the machine, an energy-efficient electoral and frame count system is implemented on this image detection system.
ContributorsDeng, Enhong (Author) / Ozev, Sule (Thesis director) / Blain Christen, Jennifer (Committee member) / Electrical Engineering Program (Contributor) / Barrett, The Honors College (Contributor)
Created2019-05
Description
The focus of this project investigates high mobility robotics by developing a fully integrated framework for a ball-balancing robot. Using Lagrangian mechanics, a model for the robot was derived and used to conduct trade studies on significant system parameters. With a broad understanding of system dynamics, controllers were designed using LQR methodology. A prototype was then built and tested to exhibit desired reference command following and disturbance attenuation.
ContributorsKapron, Mark Andrew (Author) / Rodriguez, Armando (Thesis director) / Artemiadis, Panagiotis (Committee member) / Industrial, Systems & Operations Engineering Prgm (Contributor) / Electrical Engineering Program (Contributor, Contributor) / Barrett, The Honors College (Contributor)
Created2019-05
Description
The NASA Psyche Iron Meteorite Imaging System (IMIS) is a standalone system created to image metal meteorites from ASU’s Center for Meteorite Studies’ collection that have an etched surface. Meteorite scientists have difficulty obtaining true-to-life images of meteorites through traditional photography methods due to the meteorites’ shiny, irregular surfaces, which interferes with their ability to identify meteorites’ component materials through image analysis. Using the IMIS, scientists can easily and consistently obtain glare-free photographs of meteorite surface that are suitable for future use in an artificial intelligence-based meteorite component analysis system. The IMIS integrates a lighting system, a mounted camera, a sample positioning area, a meteorite leveling/positioning system, and a touch screen control panel featuring an interface that allows the user to see a preview of the image to be taken as well as an edge detection view, a glare detection view, a button that allows the user to remotely take the picture, and feedback if very high levels of glare are detected that may indicate a camera or positioning error. Initial research and design work were completed by the end of Fall semester, and Spring semester consisted of building and testing the system. The current system is fully functional, and photos taken by the current system have been approved by a meteorite expert and an AI expert. The funding for this project was tentatively capped at $1000 for miscellaneous expenses, not including a camera to be supplied by the School of Earth and Space Exploration. When SESE was unable to provide a camera, an additional $4000 were allotted for camera expenses. So far, $1935 of the total $5000 budget has been spent on the project, putting the project $3065 under budget. While this system is a functional prototype, future capstone projects may involve the help of industrial designers to improve the technician’s experience through automating the sample positioning process.
ContributorsBaerwaldt, Morgan Kathleen (Author) / Bowman, Cassie (Thesis director) / Kozicki, Michael (Committee member) / School of Art (Contributor) / Electrical Engineering Program (Contributor, Contributor) / Barrett, The Honors College (Contributor)
Created2019-05