Senior Design Projects
The Senior Design Project, a unique two-semester course, is the capstone of Johns Hopkins’ Mechanical Engineering program. In the class, students, working in small teams, tackle specific design challenges presented by industry, government, and non-profit organizations. The sponsors provide each team with the funds for materials, access to world-class resources, and the technical contacts. Ultimately, each team conceptualizes a novel solution to the sponsor’s problem and then designs, constructs, and tests a real-world prototype.
The course requires students to draw upon the four years of knowledge and experience they’ve gained in their engineering studies and put it to practical use. Throughout the year, they produce progress reports as they design, build, and test the devices they’re developing. Combining engineering theory, budgeting, and time management with interactions with real clients, the senior design project is critical to students’ preparation for the transition from school to the workplace.
A panel of judges from our local ASME chapter selected The Pitney Bowes Project: BORN2FOLD as the top team this year on the basis of their outstanding and professional solution to a very challenging problem.
2008-2009 PROJECTS
PROJECT ASTRO
Actuation System for Throwable RObot
Sponsor: JHU Applied Physics Laboratory
Contacts: Dr. Mehran Armand, Mr. Mike Kutzer & Mr. Christopher Brown
Team ASTRO was charged with making it possible for a small, spherical surveillance robot to climb stairs and move rapidly across a flat surface. Such a robot could be used in a variety of ways, including searching for people in a burning building. The team’s principal challenge was creating the thrust necessary to lift the robot the height of a stair riser, specifically by creating an actuator that had to fit within a very small space, and this actuator had strict requirements for: (a) how much thrust force must be produced, (b) how much power could be utilized, and (c) how quickly (< 0.4 seconds) the actuator must be retracted. This team’s imaginative solution was to decouple the extension phase from the retraction phase by means of two separate springs, a locking mechanism, and two tiny motors which powered the resetting process. An extensive set of miniature gears – which were specially fabricated for the project – allowed the power from the motors to be converted from low torque and high RPM to the low RPM and high torque needed to compress the strong extension spring.
Project Designers: David Ferguson, John Kegelman, Joe Lefkowitz, Taig Rajpal
PROJECT BORN2FOLD
Sponsor: Pitney Bowes DMT
Contacts: Mr. Mark MacLeod & Mr. John Masotta
This team was asked to create an adjustable paper-folding mechanism that would improve the function of a Pitney Bowes high-speed, automated mail-handling machine. Previously, when the number of sheets or the thickness of the paper to be handled by the machine were modified, it was necessary to stop the machine and manually adjust the folding mechanism. The students created a device that automates this process. Now, without stopping the machine, the folding mechanism can quickly (in 56 milliseconds), accurately (within 0.004 in. of alignment), and automatically adjust to accommodate a range of conditions. This was accomplished by: (a) Replacing the existing bearing supports for the roller in the folding station with a bearing that was mounted eccentrically, (b) Incorporating a single high speed, high torque stepper motor, and (c) Taking the power from this motor through two sets of chains to drive both ends of the movable roller at the same time. A high-speed movie camera was used to verify the speed and accuracy of this new mechanism. The creative and professional work completed by Team BORN2FOLD was rewarded with First Place in the Annual ASME Judging Contest.
Project Designers: Louis Agon, Vijay Aiyer, Alex De Simone, Ben Pressman
PROJECT CLASS
Commercial Label Automated Splicing System
Sponsor: Hub Labels, Inc.
Contact: Dr. Anton Dahbura
This project’s sponsor manufactures printed labels that are used in a variety of ways, including the labeling of canned foods. When the labels are printed, they are mounted on a web — a continuous backing strip made of paper. When imperfections are found in the labels, that section of the web must be removed and the remaining pieces spliced together -- a process that is time consuming and potentially dangerous. The student design team solved this problem by creating a very sophisticated, semi-automated device that enabled the operator to safely splice the web sections in less time than the existing fully manual process. The CLASS machine required a total of 96 parts (32 parts which had to be specially machined and 64 parts related to the electronic controls). The heart of the system was a programmable linear controller, and both electricity and compressed air were used. Cutting away the bad section of web was done by a roller cutter, and a vacuum was used to hold together the two ends of the web to be spliced. The only manual aspect was the placing of a pre-cut piece of tape into a holder, which at the proper moment was automatically moved up and pressed onto the underside of the web to complete the splice.
Project Designers: Hoe-Joon Kim, Jonathan Ryan, Kevin Uy
PROJECT DIAPER
Design to Immediately Assure Parental Error Reduction
Sponsor: JHU Center for Injury Research & Policy
Contacts: Ms. Akisha Price & Ms. Stephanie Parsons
Although this sponsor operates a clinic where parents may bring their child safety seats and learn how to properly install them –- they reach only a limited amount of those needing help with these difficult and complex installations. This team tackled and provided fool-proof solutions to two of the most common errors that parents make, i.e., placing the car’s safety belt into the wrong belt path on the child seat; and switching from rear to forward facing before the child is large enough. Team DIAPER’s solution to this problem was totally passive, and used no power, thus maximizing its reliability and effectiveness. A pair of blocking gates was used to selectively open or close the suitable belt path, depending on whether the child seat was to be used in the rear or the forward facing orientation. These gates were activated by: (a) a plunger which contacted the back surface of the automobile seat, and (b) the placement of the foot on the child seat. Plastic gears, fitted into compact casings on each side of the child seat, transmitted the required motions to the blocking gates. A go-no-go weighing provision was created, using a glycerin-filled bladder placed under the child seat's padding. A simple gauge told the parent whether their child was now heavy enough to be transitioning from the rear to the forward facing orientation.
Project Designers: Rosemary Bauer, Kelly Dyer, Paul Stegall
PROJECT POSS
Post Op Sternum Stabilizer
Sponsor: Synthes, Inc.
Contacts: Mr. Tom Albertson & Mr. Ray Schmitt
The methods now used to reattach the two severed halves of the sternum after chest operations, such as open heart surgery, have numerous drawbacks — none are fully satisfactory either to surgeons or to the patients’ healing process. What was devised under this project provided a simple, fast way to securely fasten together the two ends of an existing tie-cable. The operation of the Team POSS device was as follows: (a) The surgeon places the tiny fastener block (12.5 mm wide by 10 mm long, by only 3.5 mm high) onto the sternum; and then threads the free end of the tie-cable under the sternum and around to the top, and then pushes the free end of the cable through the hole in the fastener block. (b) Using a simple installation tool, the surgeon pushes on the sliding back end of the fastener block, thus tightly engaging a serrated wedge against the cable. (c) In the last step, a small, staple-like clamp in pressed into place, locking the wedge against the cable. Any tension on the cable, such as from a cough, only serves to tighten the wedge against the cable. In tests, this design was able to far exceed the desired tensile strength for such a device, withstanding a load of 1,079 Newtons, versus the required value of 333 Newtons, i.e., more than three times the required strength; and failure occurred away from the block in the cable, not in the POSS device.
Project Designers: Chris Floyd, James Shin, Doug Karlsberg, Hiroshi Yamaguchi
PROJECT RIPS
Recharging integrated Power Systems
Sponsor: Northrop Grumman Undersea Systems
Contact: Mr. Dan Barvenik
Small unmanned underwater vehicles (UUV’s) are used for a variety of applications such as long-term surveillance missions. Ideally, when these vehicles’ batteries must be recharged, this process should occur without requiring the small submarines to surface. Team RIPS devised a method whereby this recharging operation can be done automatically and with the UUV fully submerged at significant depths, using a submerged docking station provided by the sponsor to support the UUV during charging. A special mid-section was created for the UUV to support the two cup-shaped charging “sockets,” one each on the top and bottom of the vehicle. Driven by a motor inside a sealed container mounted on the docking station, two arms moved the positive and negative terminals into the sockets on the UUV. The terminals were mounted on springs to provide automatic adjustment for any slight misalignments, and the tapered ends of the terminals allowed them to seat firmly into their sockets on the UUV. A seal around the lips of the terminals served to minimize the chance of a short between terminals during the charging process.
Project Designers: Prasanna Chandrasekhar, Ryan Farmer, Steven Gillmeister, Ed Wisneski
PROJECT ROTORS
Remote Operated Technology for Off-Road Systems
Sponsor: General Dynamics Robotics Systems
Contact: Mr. Steve Rotundo
One of the many unmanned systems created by this sponsor is a four-wheeled vehicle that can traverse rough terrain. Attempts by GDRS to automate the braking with a hydraulic system have been unsatisfactory. Hence this student team was tasked, and succeeded, in developing a purely mechanical system, which could be quickly switched from remote-control to a driver-operated mode. To insure the required fail-safe operation, the power-off position for the ROTORS device had the force on the brake pedal being applied by a pair of powerful gas springs, each capable of exerting a linear force of 307 pounds, for a total of 614 pounds. The gas springs’ force was applied to a lever arm which thence transmitted a force of 300 pounds to the brake pedal, thus exceeding the required value at the brake pedal of 250 pounds. The lever arm was connected to the brake pedal via a cylinder, which had a nested internal sliding section. This telescoping feature of the cylinder allowed manual take-over at any time. The force from the gas cylinders was controlled by an electro-mechanical linear actuator, rated for up to 800 pounds, which allowed it to over-ride the 614 pound force exerted by the gas springs. The actuator was located at a position remote from the main mechanism, which was adjacent to the brake pedal. The actuator’s force was transmitted by a cable routed through pulleys. When in the manual mode, a lockout bar was inserted to assure the ROTORS system would remain inactive.
Project Designers: John Clarke, Rachel Geary, Doug Komoroski, Taylor Reese
PROJECT SPARK
Setting Poles And Rotating Korrectly
Sponsor: Baltimore Gas & Electric Company
Contacts: David Barnard, Frank Elliott & Bruce Hirsch
This design team was charged with developing a way to rotate electrical utility poles so that they are oriented correctly before being set in the ground. BGE’s current manual methods for doing this – using grappling tools from the logging industry -- are both strenuous and potentially dangerous. The students’ answer was to retrofit a hydraulically-powered rotating mechanism onto BGE’s “Polecat,” a vehicle that, until now, could only lift -- but not rotate -- these tall, heavy wooden utility poles, which can weight as much as 4,600 pounds, be as tall as 60 feet, and have diameters up to 18 inches. The heart of the SPARK device was a pair of specially-fabricated wheels with steel spikes inserted, which provided a piercing action into the wood surface of the poles. These gripping wheels were rotated by a rack-and-gear drive train which was moved by a large hydraulic piston that received its power by tapping into the Polecat’s existing hydraulic system. Since the team was not allowed to make any modifications to the Polecat, they used four large existing bolts on the vehicle as the means to fasten their mechanism to the truck.
Project Designers: Omar Almagri, Alex Bodell, Brian Ejsmont, Kai Selterman
PROJECT WAC
Workstation And Chair
Sponsor: Volunteers for Medical Engineering, Inc.
Contact: Mr. John Walker
Although Nancy Glowacki has made a tremendous recovery after falling approximately 80 feet during a US Army parachuting accident, she suffered permanent disabilities that now prevent her from remaining in any position for a prolonged period of time. Team WAC created a specialized home office for Ms. Glowacki, including features enabling use of her computer in a variety of physical positions, and providing easy access to her keyboard, mouse and printer. The heart of this project was a specially designed electric-motor-powered reclining chair, which was precisely sized to fit critical aspects of Ms. Glowacki’s dimensions. By providing the proper support and padding, this chair allowed her to remain in a position that was comfortable for her for longer periods of time. Provision was made for either: (a) her laptop computer, or (b) her wireless keyboard plus track-ball mouse to be mounted on a removable tray at the front of the chair. This tray thence moved with the chair to allow the same access to the keyboard and mouse no matter how much the chair was tilted. A motorized table adjacent to the chair supported her printer and an articulated arm for her monitor. This table could be raised or lowered with the push of a button to any position convenient relative to her orientation in the chair.
Project Designers: Steve Iannelli, Ana Johnson, Kelly Vaden
Check out the 2007-2008 PROJECTS
Check out the 2006-2007 PROJECTS
Check out the 2005-2006 PROJECTS
Check out the 2004-2005 PROJECTS
Check out the 2003-2004 PROJECTS