Senior Design Projects - Fall 2024 Showcase

In today’s world, efficient water management is crucial, especially in agriculture. With the increasing demand for sustainable farming solutions, our project aims to design an Automated Irrigation System that integrates advanced sensor technology and LoRaWAN communication to optimize water usage in agriculture. This system is intended to automate irrigation based on real-time soil moisture readings, ensuring that crops receive adequate water while minimizing waste. During the team’s research and development phase, we identified various features, including automated watering, remote monitoring, and data analytics. After evaluating the feasibility of these functions, we focused on the most critical elements, such as soil moisture detection, automated pump control, and data transmission via LoRaWAN technology. Our needs analysis involved assessing the system’s requirements for accurate moisture sensing, reliable communication, and energy-efficient power management. The environmental conditions, such as materials used and moisture levels, were also key considerations in the design process to ensure reliable system performance. To enhance the functionality of our irrigation system, we gathered background information on existing smart irrigation solutions. We analyzed three products. In our ethical considerations, we addressed potential issues related to water resource management and sustainable agriculture practices, using the Ethical Theory Model to navigate these concerns. The system can monitor soil moisture levels and control water pumps via an Arduino-based controller, with LoRaWAN modules facilitating communication between sensors and the central receiving node. The irrigation system is designed to be energy-efficient, using solar/battery power to drive the pumps and Arduinos, making it suitable for remote areas with limited access to electricity. We also conducted a cost analysis, accounting for materials used to ensure the project’s feasibility. This automated irrigation system aims to revolutionize water usage in farming, offering a sustainable and scalable solution for the future of agriculture. 

The AI Integrated Basketball Performance Tracking System (AssistAI) aims to bridge the gap between amateur and professional basketball players and teams by providing accurate and advanced performance data at an affordable price. Current technologies such as Catapult are expensive, rely on subscriptions per player, and could be more user-friendly. Our project seeks to offer a comprehensive and effective solution for tracking and analyzing player performance at a reasonable one-time purchase cost. AssistAI will make advanced basketball data and analytics accessible to players at all levels. 

Music plays a crucial role in our daily lives, providing a soothing background while we work, energizing us during exercise, or creating a pleasant atmosphere at gatherings; high-quality sound can significantly enhance our experiences. A stereo amplifier is a device that makes music louder and more transparent. It has two main parts: the preamp takes the input signals (music from your devices), and the power amplifier boosts the power of these signals so they can drive speakers. A stereo amplifier is a device that amplifies an input signal to output to a pair of loudspeakers. It has two main parts: the preamp takes the input signals (music from your devices), and the power amplifier boosts the power of these signals so they can drive speakers. The stereo amplifier is essential for delivering this high-quality sound, achieved by taking audio signals from various sources, like a turntable or a CD player, and boosting them so they can power speakers to produce precise, powerful music. One critical concern with amplifiers, especially tube amplifiers, is reliability over time. Tubes can wear out and need replacing, which can be inconvenient and costly.

Additionally, maintaining the correct bias voltage is essential for optimal performance and longevity of the tubes. Many companies producing stereo amplifiers, especially tube amplifiers, have struggled with several persistent issues because traditional tube amplifiers often require frequent tube replacements and manual bias adjustments. Without proper monitoring systems, these amplifiers are prone to inconsistent performance and shorter lifespans due to undetected voltage fluctuations and tube degradation, and many amplifiers on the market have complicated controls and interfaces, making them difficult for the average consumer to use. Our implementation will be a solution to these problems.

Our product features an Arduino-based microcontroller that automatically monitors bias voltage, ensuring optimal tube performance and reducing the need for frequent manual adjustments. The microcontroller also keeps an eye on the overall voltage supply, protecting the amplifier from power surges and drops, extending the tubes' and amplifier's lifespan. We also use a simple, intuitive interface for volume control and input selection, making our amplifier accessible to everyone.

Traditional extrusion manufacturing processes rely on manual monitoring methods that lead to inefficiencies, inconsistencies, and quality issues. These shortcomings often result in subpar product quality and increased waste due to the inability to dynamically adapt to process variations. Our project addresses these limitations by integrating an advanced feedback loop system into a robotic-operated extruder, enabling real-time control and responsiveness to improve product quality and optimize resource utilization.