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3. Programs Archive

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CAD model of tow tank frame, color coded by part.
Mechanical Engineering Department Tow Tank
A tow tank is a basin where models can be dragged across its surface to conduct fluid dynamic analysis. Rochester currently lacks tow tank capabilities for undergraduates, with the nearest tow tank at RIT. To resolve this issue, our team will create a tow tank for Rochester students that will utilize the Speegle-Wilbraham Center pool as the main body of water. The tow tank will allow experimentation for ME 241 Fluids lab students, providing data in drag or wake analysis.
Current practice pains compared to potential gains from Operation VENTURE.
Operation VENTURE
A major challenge presented by the COVID-19 crisis is the limited number of caregivers that can attend to the influx of patients requiring ventilators. Our alarm app and sensor system allows caregivers to monitor the real-time performance of conventional and novel ventilators for multiple patients at once. Such data could be used to compare trends in current patient outcomes with previously recorded ventilator data. This would allow clinicians to foresee complications and make more informed decisions in treating similar diseases.
Optigraft Skin Graft Mesher
Skin grafts are commonly used for wound closure and are cut with a mesh pattern to expand their coverage area. They are thin, delicate, painful to harvest, and easily damaged during traditional meshing. We observed need for a method to mesh skin grafts that is less prone to failure. Optigraft addresses this problem with technology that not only executes precise cuts without damage, but also measures the wound sites to allow for planning of optimal graft size and expansion ratio.
Virtual Reality Data Glove
Our project is a “Data Glove” worn by a user and composed of several types of sensors for mapping human hand motion. A virtual environment is used to show the glove’s capabilities in capturing natural motion, with its primary purpose being for virtual reality applications. We use the Unity game engine to create our simulation and feed data from our glove to a simulated robotic hand. Ideally, this is completed in real time and can capture movements live.
The California Baja SAE Vehicle
Drive By Wire
The project goal was to create methods to control the brakes, steering angle, and accelerator position of a Baja SAE off-road vehicle in a manner that allows the remote driving of the car. The team has created detailed models, simulations, and system documentation to ensure a strong foundation for the continuation of the project in the coming year. This project hopes to create new opportunities for future undergraduates to work on problems related to autonomous vehicles.