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- All Subjects: Technology
- Creators: Electrical Engineering Program
- Member of: Barrett, The Honors College Thesis/Creative Project Collection
- Resource Type: Text
The honors thesis presented in this document describes an extension to an electrical engineering capstone project whose scope is to develop the receiver electronics for an RF interrogator. The RF interrogator functions by detecting the change in resonant frequency of (i.e, frequency of maximum backscatter from) a target resulting from an environmental input. The general idea of this honors project was to design three frequency selective surfaces that would act as surrogate backscattering or reflecting targets that each contains a distinct frequency response. Using 3-D electromagnetic simulation software, three surrogate targets exhibiting bandpass frequency responses at distinct frequencies were designed and presented in this thesis.
This honors thesis explores the potential use of LoRa technology for detecting moisture in a diaper. Tests of both onboard and external humidity sensors coupled with LoRa transmission are incredibly promising. The potential scale of the final device also shows much promise, measuring smaller than a U.S. dime. However, the estimated cost for producing these proof-of-concept units in bulk is $19.41 per unit. While this is believed to be a pessimistic estimate of the price, the cost of production remains too high regardless for large-scale implementation. The thesis concludes by emphasizing the need for further research and development to optimize the design and reduce the cost of production. Despite the limitations imposed by price, the idea of using LoRa in detecting moisture in a diaper remains intriguing and promising, however, RFID technology has many advantages, such as size, cost, and passive power features.
There are quite a few readily available products that one can buy if one looks past some of their flaws. A lot of these alarms either require a user to carry an extra communication device, or they are too big or expensive. The proposed solution merges all desirable features of a bike alarm into one module. In light of this, surveys were conducted to ascertain what these qualities would need to be. The top considerations for purchasing this alarm were how costly it would be, the false detection rate, and also the battery life. Additionally, the features that were most requested was the inclusion of a GPS and a camera. In order to incorporate these features, a three year plan was formulated which would culminate into a bike network in which each bike could communicate with other bikes. This would allow for an IOT network to be established, thus far exceeding expectations. The price point for this alarm is USD $10.00-15.00 and can come in a variety of colors. Additionally, this concept can be applied to many different scenarios, from protecting boats/jet skis and other aquatic vehicles, to houses as well. Furthermore, one could miniaturize this technology to be used in jewelry or accessories.