The objective of this experiment was to investigate the correlation between the starting pitch angle of a Dragon Boat paddle and the ensuing total stress and force on the paddle during the first stroke. During the first stroke (i.e., starting at rest) the stress on the paddle can be equated with the force output. To do this, a paddle was modified with a strain gauge and other equipment, and tests were run varying the pitch angle. The results showed that while the most positive starting angle yielded the highest stress and force on the paddle, there was no discernible trend correlating the angle to the stress. Further experimentation must be run to determine which other factors influence the stress.

The following analysis was conducted at the Arizona State University open loop wind tunnel. Two 1/24-th scale NASCAR models were placed in a wind tunnel test section and were adjusted to study drafting that commonly occurs at superspeedway racetracks. The purpose of the experiment was to determine how drafting affects a leading and trailing car through changes in distance. A wind tunnel model was developed consisting of two 2019 NASCAR Chevy Camaro race car models, two bar-style load cells, and a programmed Arduino UNO. Two trials were run at each drafting distance, 0, 0.5, 1, 1.5, and 2 car lengths apart. Each trial was run at a wind tunnel velocity of 78 mph (35 m/s) and force data was collected to represent the drag effects at each drafting location. Based on previously published experimentation, this analysis provided important data that related drafting effects in scale model race cars to full-scale vehicles. The experiment showed that scale model testing can be accurately completed when the wind tunnel Reynolds number is of the same magnitude as a full-scale NASCAR. However, the wind tunnel data collected was proven to be fully laminar flow and did not compare to the flow characteristics of typically turbulent flow seen in superspeedway races. Overall, the analytical drag analysis of drafting NASCAR models proved that wind tunnel testing is only accurate when many parameters are met and should only be used as a method of validation to full-scale testing.

Long distance travel around the globe can potentially be revolutionized with the use of an intercontinental rocket that uses low earth orbit as its medium. This transport system can increase growth in many new businesses like tourism travel between the continents. This research evaluates the technical and non-technical possibilities of using a double-stage reusable rocket, where the second stage is also a reusable, rocket-powered passenger vehicle using a low earth orbit space journey with a stabilized re-entry method that ensures passenger comfortability. A potential network of spaceports spanning the globe is postulated within a range of 4,000 km to 8,000 km(2,160 nm to 4,320 nm) of each other, and each located within an hour by any other means of ground transport to population hubs greater than four million. This will help further connect the world as the journey from one major city to another would take at most an hour, and no point on the habited continents would be more than 4,000 km(2,160 nm) from a spaceport. It is assumed that the costs of an international first class flight ticket are in the thousands of dollars range showing how there is a potential market for this type of travel network. The reasoning and analysis, through a literature review, for an intercontinental rocket vehicle is presented along with the various aspects of the possibility of this kind of travel network coming to fruition in the near future.

Long distance travel around the globe can potentially be revolutionized with the use of an intercontinental rocket that uses low earth orbit as its medium. This transport system can increase growth in many new businesses like tourism travel between the continents. This research evaluates the technical and non-technical possibilities of using a double-stage reusable rocket, where the second stage is also a reusable, rocket-powered passenger vehicle using a low earth orbit space journey with a stabilized re-entry method that ensures passenger comfortability. A potential network of spaceports spanning the globe is postulated within a range of 4,000 km to 8,000 km(2,160 nm to 4,320 nm) of each other, and each located within an hour by any other means of ground transport to population hubs greater than four million. This will help further connect the world as the journey from one major city to another would take at most an hour, and no point on the habited continents would be more than 4,000 km(2,160 nm) from a spaceport. It is assumed that the costs of an international first class flight ticket are in the thousands of dollars range showing how there is a potential market for this type of travel network. The reasoning and analysis, through a literature review, for an intercontinental rocket vehicle is presented along with the various aspects of the possibility of this kind of travel network coming to fruition in the near future.

Mission aviation groups operate aircraft in areas with limited infrastructure. Existing airdrop methods pose significant risk due to their lack of steerability. This thesis details the development of Manna, a system built to address these concerns. Manna provides an automated, low cost, safe steerable delivery platform, through a custom designed parafoil and guidance unit. Flight tests and simulations show that Manna can provide a safer alternative for critical air deliveries.

Mission aviation groups operate aircraft in areas with limited infrastructure. Existing airdrop methods pose significant risk due to their lack of steerability. This thesis details the development of Manna, a system built to address these concerns. Manna provides an automated, low cost, safe steerable delivery platform, through a custom designed parafoil and guidance unit. Flight tests and simulations show that Manna can provide a safer alternative for critical air deliveries.

This report describes the findings of an experiment designed to explore the nature of human hearing using binaural sound. The experiment also set out to determine a way to accurately find positional data from sound. Binaural recordings were made of high frequency sounds at various angles and the data was postprocessed to find the group delay and difference of intensity between the two channels. To do this, two methods were used. The first relied on manually analyzing the data by visually looking for the points of interest. The second method used a MATLAB program to scan the data for the points of interest by using a Fourier analysis. It was determined that while the first method has the potential to provide better results it is impractical and not representative of how human hearing works. The second method was far more efficient and demonstrated the reliance of human hearing on the difference of intensities. It was determined that through the use of the second method accurate positional data could be obtained by comparing the differences with experimental data.

A robust autopilot control system for a ground vehicle was designed, fabricated, and implemented on a remote control car. The autopilot system consists of navigation, guidance, and three controller subsystems. The autopilot’s hardware subsystems are an Arduino processor, GPS receiver, 9 DOF inertial measurement system, and an SD card data logger. A complete system simulation was developed and used to verify the integrated design and algorithms, prior to field testing. The simulation results indicated the system performs as designed, with no anomalous behaviors observed. Simulations were also used to assess and verify each of the three controllers’ robustness qualities. The complete hardware system was field tested and verified fully functional against complex mission scenarios. The system performed as designed, with no anomalous behaviors observed. The system performed successfully in the presence of external disturbances (e.g., rocks, holes, dirt piles in the vehicle’s path), which demonstrated and verified the design is robust. Additional robustness testing consisted of doubling the vehicle’s polar moment of inertia and verifying this did not have any adverse effects on system performance. All the planned tasks were completed and the project’s objectives were met.