Fall 2023 Senior Design Projects

Turning Wheels

Objective: This project goal is to allow wheelchair users with upper extremity amputees to live more independently and provide the option of a non-electronic based wheelchair.

Team Members:

• Faisal Alomar
• Shelby Gain
• Mac Stoffel
• Connor Zastrow

Advisor: Jacob Rammer, Assistant Professor Biomedical Engineering

Findings: A person’s mobility and freedom to move around, specifically walking, is often taken for granted. A study of US residents in 2005 estimated that more than 1.6 million individuals have undergone at least one amputation. This population is anticipated to more than double by the year 2050 due to the prevalence of dysvascular disease, diabetes, trauma, and cancer. Leading to many individuals globally being wheelchair-bound. However, what if there was a way that people could regain this freedom and mobility to move independently again without having to use a powered/electric wheelchair. 

The MPAWA (Manual Prosthetic Arm Wheelchair Attachment) is a manual prosthetic device for wheelchair-bound arm amputees who want to manually propel themselves in a wheelchair. This device is filling a hole in the manual wheelchair market as there are no manual wheelchair devices on the market for wheelchair-bound arm amputee(s). This device will work anywhere that is wheelchair accessible and has all the functions of a normal manual wheelchair. The MPAWA connects the patient’s upper extremity amputation to the wheelchair’s wheel directly similarly to an elliptical. 

Moving forward this device needs more testing on the research and development side and overall stronger materials before going to market as this prototype device was mainly to show the general concept. Overall the design and final device prototype met the required specifications but could be improved in the future.

Innovative Infant Aid

Objective: The aim of our project is to decrease the risk of infantile asphyxiation through a self-leveling smart bassinet, providing peace of mind to first-time parents about their child’s safety.

Team Members:

• Erik Hanson
• Yiwen Qin
• Josh Schneiger
• Lorryn Wilkinson

Advisor: Jacob Rammer, Assistant Professor Biomedical Engineering

Findings: The objective of our project was to design a device that serves as an effective solution to keep an infant between the ages of 0-6 months in a supine position while sleeping. One of the leading causes of death for an infant between 0-6 months is sudden unexpected death in infancy (SUDI). The AAP recommends that infants sleep wholly on their back during sleep. To reduce cost, the device was scaled down to better observe the reaction between the top of the mat and motor units. The top pad was designed with pressure sensors underneath to capture the movement of the baby. This information is then sent to an Arduino microcontroller which controls the motors based on the infant’s movements. If the sensors detect a significant change in pressure from the beginning stages of rolling over, the pad then adjusts the level to promote the infant back into a supine position. 

The safety of the child is the device’s number one priority, so this aspect will be under constant revision by the team. With more time, the device can be more sensitive with additional testing to provide greater safety features.

Communication Catalysts

Objective: Our team is adapting an Augmentative and Alternative Communication device (AAC) that allows speech therapists to teach children verbal communication with tactile, visual, and audible customizations.

Team Members:

• Asta Xask
• Debracca Arberry
• Madison Bell
• Francesca Rueles
• Natalia Sotelo

Advisor: Jacob Rammer, Assistant Professor Biomedical Engineering

Project Findings: The TALKIE is a speech generating device that allows for interactive learning by providing multi-message communication when images are sent from an app to the device and utilizes an interface that contains two texturized, colored buttons surrounding touch screens which receive an audio and visual library selection received through Bluetooth or the use of an SD card.

JASD Engineering Medical Office Building

Objective: Our goal is to design a medical office building along with a suitable parking lot and environmental considerations for the area.

Team Members:

• Dylan Baeten
• Jorge Colon Torres
• Adam Pape
• Alyssa Rutzinkski
• Jordan Straub

Advisor: Sarah Blackowski, Assistant Professor, Engineering Education

Industry Mentor: Sam Yarnot, JASD Engineering

Monarch

Objective: The City of Milwaukee has approved reconstruction of the Cherry Street Bascule Bridge. Monarch will be designing a hydraulic lift Bridge in place utilizing a fiber-reinforced polymer bridge deck.

Team Members:

• Peter Chan
• John Figueroa
• Sam Kind
• Jordi Vasquez
• Austin Volden
• Marshall Woller

Advisor: Clayton Cloutier, Adjunct Instructor, Civil & Environmental Engineering

DECZZ

Objective: DECZ Engineering Solutions presents our design plans for Riverwest Commons, a 5-story, concrete residential apartment complex on North Ave with two levels of underground parking.

Team Members:

• Zainab AlRebh
• Dani Beierschmitt
• Emir Ozoksel
• Zach Schroeder
• Cindy Schroeder

Advisor: Sarah Blackowski, Assistant Professor, Engineering Education

Riverside Design

Objective: Our project uses the collective expertise in Transportation, Environmental, and Structural Civil Engineering to design the required parts of a 4-story modern apartment building.

Team Members:

• Diego Garcia
• Cara Hiler
• Andrew Mason
• Syed Rayyan Talha
• Javier Retana
• Josh Schultze

Advisor: Sarah Blackowski, Assistant Professor, Engineering Education

RMH Community Development

Objective: To design a 3-story building on the Lower East Side of Milwaukee with a first floor commercial space and second and third floor residential spaces.

Team Members:

• Maxwell Brown
• Bryce Hennig
• Braeden Hills
• Andrew Michalski
• Jorge Montanez
• Isabelle Reeson

Advisor: Sarah Blackowski, Assistant Professor, Engineering Education

Richmond Library Application

Objective: This project is a proof of concept for a library application that better supports the needs of students and staff at the Richmond School District.

Team Members:

• Matthew Adas
• Miguel Garcia
• Andrew Le
• Lucas Patron
• Travis Tocco
• TouKoua Xiong

Advisor: Avinash Rajendra, Computer Science

Industry Mentor: Robin Renee Anderson

Project Findings: We are a team collaborating with a client from Richmond School District in developing a working concept for a new library web application in the hopes in that the Richmond School district can move from their current service after future development. We have used the Django framework to implement our project as well as use Google’s API and Elasticsearch to implement our functionality efficiently. The project has allowed us to learn and use tools that we were unfamiliar with as well as have experience in working with a client in developing their ideas or needs for the project. This also allowed us to become more familiar in using project management tools to better prepare and designate tasks for each Sprint as we followed the Agile methodology. Overall, the project has let us explore different tools that we were interested in with practice in integrating them into our project and has given us experience in collaboration with other classmates to deliver said project.

Meal Planner App

Objective: To create a meal planner app that will make tracking calories and macros easy by storing the recipes you make in the app.

Team Members:

• Estelle Brady
• Josh Knight
• Thomas Sewart
• Nathaniel Valentine

Advisor: Avinash Rajendra, Computer Science

UWM Clubs and Events

Objective: To improve the student and staff campus experience by developing a web application that simplifies engagement with campus life, and connects students and staff with university clubs and organizations.

Team Members:

• Omar Abu-Rmaileh
• Jenny Herrera Bautista
• Ilya Kravtsov
• Ethan Nieskes
• James Peterson

Advisor: Avinash Rajendra, Computer Science

Trading Strategy Backtester (FastTrader)

Objective: To establish a program that utilizes the Yahoo finance API to get data and test user-drive strategies against historical data. This will allow clients to save time and avoid heavy monetary losses.

Team Members:

• Adrian Encarnacion
• Daniel Reed
• Timothy Rodd
• Sut Tuang

Advisor: Avinash Rajendra, Computer Science

Project Findings:

We found that working as a team, we were able to produce working software.

Lithium-Ion Single Cell Battery Test System

Objective: This product will be a Li-Ion single cylindrical cell battery test system capable of testing in a controlled fashion at various discharge rates and temperatures.

Team Members:

• Haley Collins
• Lisa Collins

Advisor: William Dussault, UWM CEAS Electrical Engineering

Findings: TBD

Major Features:

1. Status Led: Charged/Discharged
2. Cell Voltage
3. Capacity (Amp-Hours)
4. State of Charge
5. C Rate Discharge(Amps)
6. Charge Voltage
7. Charge Current
8. Depth of Discharge
9. Cell Memory
10. Cutoff Memory
11. Cycle Life

Intended Market:

• Global

Key Requirements:

• Costs:Sales Price: $150, Component Cost: $80, Assembly & Test Costs: $20
• Environment:Indoor, Stationary
• Operating Temp & Humidity Range:(Min to Max)-55 TO 125°C,0 to 100%
• Power Input(s):AC Power: 102 –120 –132 Vac, @5Amps Max Current
• Major Modes/Functions: On, Off, Configure, Data in, Measure, Charging, Discharging, Standby (Power Saving Mode)
• Quantities Measured: Cell Voltage, Capacity (Amp-Hours),C Rate Discharge (Amps),Charge Voltage,Charge Current, Temperature, State of Charge
• Quantities Measured: Cell Voltage: List Range (3V-4.2V), Max Error (+/-.05V), Resolution (.1V), Capacity (Amp-Hours):List Range (2500mAHrs-2600mAHrs), Max Error (+/-50mAHrs), Resolution (5mAHrs), Rate of Discharge (Amps): 1C (1 hour discharge), ChargeVoltage:List Range (0V-4.4V), Max Error (+/-.05V), Resolution (.1V), Charge Current:List Range (0A-5A), Max Error (+/-.05A), Resolution (.1A), Temperature:List Range (0°C-45°C), Max Error (+/-2°C), Resolution (1°C), State of Charge:List Range (50-70 with 90% and 40% remaining alarms)
• Major Interfaces: LED light for 90% SOC alarm and sound alarm for 40% SOC alarm
• User Controls: Battery placement and removal of battery, I/O, standby mode control

Automated Lithium-Ion Single Cell Battery Test System

Objective: To create a battery testing system capable of discharging a single lithium-ion cylindrical cell in a controlled fashion at various discharge rates and temperatures.

Team Members:

• Marcos Acosta
• Ahmed Bumarah
• Nicholas Gregerson
• Carlee Morrisson

Advisor: William Dussault, UWM CEAS Electrical Engineering

Findings:
A battery testing system has been designed capable of discharging a single lithium-ion cylindrical cell in a controlled fashion at various discharge rates and temperatures for the purposes of evaluating cycle life and other battery reliability. The system is capable of testing a wide variety of cylindrical lithium-ion cell batteries. Automatic cycling capability to charge to 100% state of charge (SoC), then discharge to an adjustable programmed set point 40-90% SoC. An audible warning is provided if the SoC drops below 30%.

Major Features:

1. Capable of testing as wide variety of cylindrical lithium-ion batteries as possible.
2. Automatic cycling charge to 100% SoC, then discharge to adjustable programmed set point 40-90% SoC.
3. Audible warning if SoC drops below 30% SoC.

Intended Market:

• North America

Cost: 

• Sales Price: $175 , Component Cost: $80, Assembly and Test Cost: $40 

Environment:

• Indoor, Stationary
• Operating Temp: -50°C to 125°C, Operating Humidity: 0-100% 

Power Input(s):

• AC Power: 102 to 132 VAC at 1 Amp max

Major Functions:

• AC Power: 102 to 132 VAC at 1 Amp max 
• Functions: On, Off, Standby, Measure, Charging Battery, Discharging Battery
• Quantities: Temperature, Voltage, Current: 1100 to 5000 mAH, Resistance, SoC 40% to 90% 

Major Interfaces:

• LCD Display, Control Dials and Buttons 

Wireless Laptop Charger

Objective: To create a mousepad to wirelessly charge a laptop with an adapter, and to easily transport a laptop while maintaining charge in different locations.

Team Members:

• Nusr Alzalloum
• Luke Davitz
• Abdullah Jandal
• Dylan Schmidt
• Evan Zielski

Advisor: William Dussault, UWM CEAS Electrical Engineering

Findings:
The design of a Mousepad shaped charging device that uses wireless power transfer to fully charge a laptop or notebook computer able to receive power thru a USB-C port. The design employed an array of induction transmit and receive coils as well as control
electronics.

Major Features:

1. Wirelessy charging mousepad
2. Adaptor connecting laptop to USB-3 with receiving base

Intended Market:

• US office environments

Cost: 

• Sales Price: $135, Component Cost: $35, Assembly & Test Costs: $15

Environment:

• Designed for office environment
• Operating Temp Range: -10°C to 40°C
• Operating Humidity Range: 0% to 100%

Power Input(s):

• Residential AC Power:102 -134 VAC @ 5 Amps Max

Major Functions:

• Active when plugged in which does not require different modes of function
• Passive analog thermal sensor that throttles power based on temperature
• 65-Watt charging

Major Interfaces:

• Switch to turn charger off and on
• USB-C output

Super Cap Energy Storage – Power Bank

Objective: To use cutting edge technology to supply power to a USB type A port with infinite charge cycles.

Team Members:

• Baird Buck
• Thomas Durbin
• Nick Igl
• Ramprasad Karanam
• Jose Antonio Trujillo Parra
• Samuel Erik Westfall

Advisor: William Dussault, UWM CEAS Electrical Engineering

Findings:
The design of a supercapacitor-based power bank offering an innovative solution to traditional battery-powered bank style devices which have limited cycle life. In contrast, the design presented utilizing supercapacitors have virtually unlimited charge-discharge cycle life eliminated the need for battery replacement.  The design also includes an LCD screen display of state of charge level, voltage level, temperature, and error conditions.

Major Features:

1. Supply Power to a USB type A Port
2. Infinite Charge Cycles
3. LED Charge Indication
4. Super Capacitor – Cutting Edge Technology

Intended Market:

• USA exclusively
• Recommended for ages 14+

Cost: 

• Sales Price: $500, Component Cost: $150, Assembly & Test Costs: $50

Environment:

• Indoor, Stationary/Mobile (small enough to move easily)
• Operating Temp:-20 Min, 25 Nom, 65 Max°C
• Operating Humidity: 0 Min, 55 Nom, 100 Max % Humidity

Power Input(s):

• AC Power:102 Min, 120 Nom, 132 Max VAC@ 10 Nom, 15 Max Amps Current

Major Functions:

• Function Examples:Charging, Discharging, Standby
• Quantities Measured:Charging Duration, Discharge Duration
• Quantity (Range, Max Error, Resolution):
  • Charging Time: 50 minimum, 51.6 nom, 53.3 max Minutes5.3 Min, 5.4 Nom, 5.5 Max VDC @ .2Min, .3 Nom, .4 Max Amps
  • Discharge Time @ USB3 ±5%: 120 min, 150 nom, 180 max Minutes4.75 Min, 5 Nom, 5.25 Max VDC @ 0.855 Min, 0.900 Nom, 0.945 Max Amps

Major Interfaces, User Controls & Displays

• Pushbutton Reset Switch, LED Charge indication, Charge/Discharge/Standby Mode Select Switch

Digital Multi-Meter

Objective: To measure voltage, resistance and current.

Team Members:

• Jose Andrade
• Ryan Blunt
• Euxhena Cina
• Jacob Ferguson
• Alec Gebelein
• Nicholas Holmes

Advisor: William Dussault, UWM CEAS Electrical Engineering

Project Findings: The design of a portable meter to measure electrical parameters including voltage, current and resistance:

• Resistance: 200mOhm to 2MOhm @ 10mOhm resolution and 2% or better accuracy.
• Current: Up to 5Amps @ 50mA resolution and 3% or better accuracy.
• Voltage: 300mV to 300V @ 10mV resolution and 2% or better accuracy.

Major Features:

1. Precise and Accurate measurements of AC/DC current, AC/DC voltage, and resistance
2. Portable, handheld

Intended Market:

• North America

Cost: 

• Sales Price: $40, Component Cost: $15, Assembly & Test Costs: $5

Environment:

• Portable, can be used in indoor and outdoor settings
• Operating Temp Range:(-10 to 40 C)
• Operating Humidity Range:(0 to 100%)

Power Input(s):

• Battery Power:9V Battery, Nominal 9V, 500 milliamp-hours

Major Functions:

• Functions: On, Off, Resistance, AC/DC voltage, AC/DC current
• Quantities: Resistance, Voltage and Current
  • Range:20ohm -200Mohm, Accuracy: +/-2%,Resolution: .001ohm
  • Range:200mV -200V , Accuracy: +/-2%, Resolution: 2mV
  • Range:200uA –600mA, Accuracy:+/-2%, Resolution: 2uA

Inventory Tracking and Management System

Objective: To create an inventory management system for CSI that will manage inventory both inside and outside the machine.

Team Members:

• Colin Hince
• Parker Morton
• Nick Mueller

Project Advisor: Wilkistar Otieno, Associate Professor, Industrial & Manufacturing Engineering

Industry Mentor: Asif Swapnil, Connected Systems Institute

Material Movement Optimization

Objective: To determine how many material handlers are needed, and the corresponding costs for certificates and training of those handlers.

Team Members:

• Hani Alramahi
• Ryan Ott

Project Advisor: Matt Petering, Associate Professor, Industrial & Manufacturing Engineering

Industry Mentor: Kathryn Pecha, KRONES

Ergonomic Improvement Project

Objective: To identify ergonomic risks specifically in the Crating Department at Krones, and to recommend solutions to reduce the risk of the identified ergonomic concerns.

Team Members:

• Tamara Gutierrez
• Kitsa Jordan

Project Advisor: Madiha Ahmed, Instructor, Industrial & Manufacturing Engineering

Industry Mentor: Erin Dugan, KRONES

Cold Shrink-inator

Objective: To create a tool to expand and apply cold-shrink to a wire bundle without the use of a rip cord.

Team Members:

• Kaitlyn Donley
• Andrew Miller
• Bridget Ohme
• Ricky Ortega

Project Advisor: Mohamed Yahiaoui, Senior Lecturer Mechanical Engineering

Industry Mentor: Joseph Friedli, Hellermann Tyton

Project Findings: A reusable tool was designed to stretch and apply cold shrink tubing, made of ethylene propylene diene monomer (EDPM) rubber, in place of a plastic ripcord. After meeting with the sponsor, functional requirements for the design were recorded and critical to qualities (CTQs) were decided based on that list. The CTQs are; the tool can apply cold shrink at 2-in. lengths, can stretch cold shrink to twice its diameter for application, easy to use, and comfortable to hold. To measure the ease of use and comfort of the tool an internal team survey was conducted, where an average of 4/5 (5=excellent) is a success. Multiple designs and prototypes were made; however, the design inspired by snap ring pliers was the best option to further develop. The final prototype was made from polylactic acid (PLA) filament, so the design had to be tested using CREO parametric simulation with the desired material properties. The material for the tool’s production was decided to be chrome vanadium steel, which is a common tool steel used for wrenches and pliers. Based on the results, the design needed to have more material around the base of the pins that stretch the EDPM rubber. This is because there was a large deflection of the pins when forces were applied. The design also had a large distance between the handles. Ease of use and comfort were given a successful 4/5 average. Suggestions to add thicker bases at the pins and decrease the handle’s outer distance were made to have a functional tool.

Neonatal Warmer Walls

Objective: Design a new side wall for the warmer to prevent accidental patient rollout. The wall must be designed for staff to access the patient and close to provide a secure environment for a newborn.

Team Members:

• David Adashek
• Ryley Beekman
• Nicholas Bieganski
• Trevor Foster
• Isaac Thompson

Project Advisor: Mohamed Yahiaoui, Senior Lecturer Mechanical Engineering

Industry Mentor: Ramune Auzelyte, GE HealthCare

Project Findings: Through our project, we were able to get hands-on experience creating solutions to an existing problem of a product. We were able to work though the entire process from problem statement to resolving the issue which was a very valuable experience.

Formlabs

Objective: Create 3D printed models showing aerospace, automotive, and medical applications.

Team Members:

• Paige Murphy
• Jacob Owen
• Dakota Rodman
• Alec Schulze
• Alex Stephan

Project Advisor: Mohamed Yahiaoui, Senior Lecturer Mechanical Engineering

Formlabs Project Summary

Environmental Chamber Camera Mount

Objective: To design a camera mount that will be used in a testing chamber at ITW that will be able to withstand the elements of the chamber and be fast and easy to adjust.

Team Members:

• Jake Denor
• Christian Raguero
• Adam Stollenwerk
• Philip Strydom

Project Advisor: Mohamed Yahiaoui, Senior Lecturer Mechanical Engineering

Industry Advisor: Wade Bebo, ITW

Findings: The team found an effective solution to mount a camera in an environmental chamber used at ITW to view the parts they produce and reliability test. They wanted a modular, robust, and easy-to-use design that could withstand the temperature variations of the chamber. We made them a physical prototype that the company will use in the future.

Heat Set Insert Rig

Objective: The goal of this project is to create a heat set insert rig that’s adjustable to the operators needs. It will hold a soldering iron that can then press a heat insert into a 3D printed part.

Team Members:

• Nathan Bezier
• Matt Moen
• Gunnar Peterson
• Brendan Tan

Project Advisor: Mohamed Yahiaoui, Senior Lecturer Mechanical Engineering

Industry Advisor: Jordan Nowak, Engman-Taylor

Findings: 3D Parts Unlimited, a service by Engman-Taylor, is a Wisconsin-based company that provides 3D printing services. One of the types of 3D printing they provide is carbon fiber reinforced prints, which allows
assembly of parts using heat set inserts. The process of applying these inserts involves using a soldering
iron to heat up and push a threaded insert into the workpiece. They have been doing this manually and
were looking for a custom-built heat set insert rig, which is easier to use and produces more accurate
results.

After speaking with a representative from the company, the team created a list of critical-to-quality items the rig needed to have. These consisted of being able to rotate the plunge and solder 0° – 60° ± 3° and plunge a maximum depth of 1”, keeping the solder within ± 3° of the angle chosen, having a safety tube that prevents a user from getting within 0.25” of the solder tip, and the total cost being under $200. The team worked to create a product that met these requirements and were successful in their goal. The rig that was produced allows for more consistent results, and a safer application of
inserts for the use.

Life Cycle Tester Failure Mode Detection

Objective: The goal of this project is to design and implement a method of detecting failure modes for HellermannTyton’s equipment used to test the life cycle of their cable tie adjustment tools.

Team Members:

• Noel Cramer
• Nick Evert
• Daniel Schimp
• Evan Stickles

Project Advisor: Mohamed Yahiaoui, Senior Lecturer Mechanical Engineering

Industry Mentor: Aaron Sherman, Hellermann Tyton

Findings: HellermannTyton is responsible for manufacturing and supplying products for fastening, fixing, identifying, and protecting cables and their connecting components. To maintain the company’s signature level of quality, rigorous testing is conducted on their products.

One method employed by HellermannTyton involves subjecting application tools to millions of cycles using thousands of feet of cable and an automatically actuated testing box. However, the company has encountered issues with the testing system, experiencing failures such as feed shutdowns, spool tangles, and dancer arm malfunctions. These problems often go undetected, resulting in system breakdowns and significant losses of time and money. Consequently, HellermannTyton has sought the development of a new failure detection system capable of identifying issues and shutting down the system before any damage occurs. To address these challenges, a design was developed that utilizes the increasing tension in the testing cable during a failure to lift a traveling roller and activate a limit switch, thereby shutting down the system. This final design emerged after comparing initial designs using Pugh Matrixes, developing a prototype, conducting tests, and creating CAD files along with fatigue life calculations to ensure the longevity and quality of the final product. The implemented design accurately detects specified failure modes and communicates with the testing box and motor to initiate a shutdown.

Roller Manufacturing Process Automation

Objective: To automate a collet clamping and release detection process in a tube rolling machine for Grob Inc, a cold forged products and bandsaw manufacturer located in Grafton, WI.

Team Members:

• Matt Becker
• Nick Fiala
• Jordan Helgeland
• Bryan Wendt

Project Advisor: Mohamed Yahiaoui, Senior Lecturer Mechanical Engineering

Industry Mentor: Andre Deriaz, Grob, Inc.

Findings: The senior design team working for Grob Inc. set out to automate an industrial process involving automatic clamping and machine state detection to eliminate the need for a machine operator to perform repetitive tasks. The team had the opportunity to learn a lot about real-world processes of industrial machinery, and how to successfully encounter a problem, come up with a solution, and implement it. A pneumatic clamp was selected to clamp and unclamp a workpiece and it was mounted alongside a force sensor to detect a particular machine failure state. The solution proposed by the senior design team will enable a repetitive daily task to be automated, which is projected to save Grob Inc. over $10,000 per year – a return on investment of about one year.