Design Day Projects 2015

 
Randal Nelson, associate professor of computer science, helps Manuel Navarro '15 computer science, a member of the BlimpBot team, set up the team's "long-duration, autonomous, holonomic, flying platform."

BIOMEDICAL ENGINEERING

Sonodonist: An Ultrasonic Tooth Crack Detector: 
Detection of cracks in teeth.
Team: Tek Gautam, Jacob Hyatt, Alexa Kuenstler, Jonathan Macoskey, Jungeun  (Jenny) Won
Supervisor: Diane Dalecki, PhD, Biomedical Engineering, University of Rochester
Customer: Robert Lerner, MD, PhD, FACR, Rochester Regional Health System

D.O.M.E. (Dome Osteotomy Medical Equipment): 
The development of surgical instruments to improve fixation in the dome high tibial osteotomy, a procedure to relieve pressure in the knee joint caused by knee osteoarthritis.
Team: Meghan Kazanski, Alexander Lambropoulos, Reuben Morrison, Stacie Zwolski
Supervisor: Amy Lerner, PhD, Biomedical Engineering/CMTI, University of Rochester
Customer: Martin Korn, MD, FACS, FAAOS

SimuClage: 
A simulator for OB/GYN residents at UR Medicine to practice the cervical cerclage procedure that consists of placing stitches around incompetent cervixes to prevent preterm births.
Team: Isabella (Maria) Cazacu, Brittanie Kilchoer, Jennifer Park, Melinda Vander Horst
Supervisor: Anne Luebke, PhD, Biomedical Engineering, University of Rochester
Customer: Christine Arnold, RNC, MS, Center for Obstetrics & Gynecology, Simulation, UR Medicine

AdaptaBOWL Ramp:
The AdaptaBOWL team is developing an adaptive ramp to improve the independence of recreational bowling for people with physical and mental disabilities.
Team: Carrie DeMoulin, Juliana Orlov, Stephanie Rigot, Jonathan Yang
Supervisor: Anne Luebke, Ph.D, Biomedical Engineering, University of Rochester
Customer: Michael Tuller CAPE, Adapted Recreation Services, Rochester NY

Neonatal PICC Line Introducer:
A comprehensive and effective PICC line introducer for delivering nutrients and life-sustaining medications to neonates.
Team: Jessica Chen, Hiroshi Inuzuka, Michael Silverstein, Ling Yang
Supervisor: Rick Waugh, PhD, Biomedical Engineering, University of Rochester
Customer: Kristin Scheible, MD, Department of Pediatrics, Neonatology, UR Medicine

Bladder Cancer Surgery Simulator:
A training aid for urologists performing bladder cancer surgery.
Team: Kevin Fogarty, Marlin Myers, Nuley Seo
Supervisor: James McGrath, PhD, Biomedical Engineering, University of Rochester
Customer:  Chuck Welliver MD, Albany Medical Center, Albany, NY

 
Anna Gaines '15 of BME, explains the GoVertigo team project to Clarence Gdowski, who has a personal interest: He suffers from vertigo.)

GoVertigo:
Device to perform canalithic repositioning maneuver treatment for Benign Paroxysmal Positional Vertigo. 
Team: Yaron Adar, An An, Anna Gaines, Hanyang Liu
Supervisor: Jong-Hoon Nam, Mechanical Engineering & Biomedical Engineering, University of Rochester
Customer: Benjamin Crane, MD, PhD, Department of Otolaryngology, UR Medicine

RADD (Rapid Autonomic Dysreflexia Detection):
Autonomic dysreflexia is a potentially lethal condition that occurs in people with spinal cord injuries. RADD detects dysreflexia events before they can cause any permanent damage.
Team: Vasanthi Balaji, Harrison Clarke, Benjamin Dengler, Joseph Wagner
Supervisor:  Laurel Carney, PhD, Biomedical Engineering, University of Rochester
Customer;  David Whalen, JD

MTDesign:
A device intended to elucidate the correlation between muscle tension dysphonia and the pressure associated with the closing of the soft palate against the posterior pharyngeal wall.
Team: Wing Han Wilkins Cheng, Kevin Colman, Francis Cunningham, Kathryn Luly
Supervisor: Regine Choe, PhD, Biomedical Engineering, University of Rochester
Customer: John Ingle, MD, Department of Otolaryngology, UR Medicine

ChronoMed:
A portable pill dispenser attachment for PharmaAdva’s automatic medication dispenser.
Team: Adam Hartman, Hang Li, Michael Mayor, Andrew Zeccola
Supervisor: Scott Seidman, PhD, Biomedical Engineering, University of Rochester
Customer:  Michel Berg, MD, Department of Neurology, UR Medicine

Intervertebral Endplate Preparation Device for Spinal Fusion Surgery:  
To improve spinal fusion surgery through a reproducible endplate preparation.
Team: Jarvis D’Souza, Keith Grafmeyer, Samuel Kwak, Stephen Sloan
Supervisor: Hani Awad, PhD, Biomedical Engineering, University of Rochester
Customer: Jeremy Malik, NuVasive, Inc., San Diego, California

Photoacoustic Imaging:  
The development of an appropriate mechanical mechanism in a photoacoustic imaging device  to be able to scan multiple object planes without any reduction in image quality.
Team: Carlos Benitez, Rafique Khan, Emmanuel Mannoh, Benjamin Yue
Supervisor: Edward Brown, PhD, Biomedical Engineering, University of Rochester
Customer: Navalgund Rao, PhD and  Vikram Dogra MD, Dept of Imaging Sciences, UR Medicine

BPR: Breast Pump Redesign: 
Here at BPR our goal is to modernize the current breast pumps on the market.
Team: Tucker Burgin, Maura O’Conor, Sameer Shamsie, Sarah Wayson
Supervisor: Danielle Benoit, PhD, Biomedical Engineering, University of Rochester
Customer: Charles Phelps, PhD, Provost Emeritus and Grandfather, Pat Shores, MBA, Entrepreneur and Mother

UR Infection Corrections:
High throughput in vitro method to quantify antibacterial properties of coatings on catheters.
Team: Samuel Gullotti, Zachary Mietus, Samuel Rubin, Namita Sarraf
Supervisor: Dean Johnson, PhD, Biomedical Engineering, University of Rochester
Customer: Keith Savino, PhD, James Bonafini Consultants, Rochester NY

HYDROLIFE: Hydration Monitor:
Precisely measure changes in hydration of elderly patients to prevent the negative consequences associated with dehydration.
Team: Matthew Baker, Jong Suk Kim, Xiaodan (Rachel) Niu, Shivaraj Shan
Supervisor: Mark Buckley, PhD, Biomedical Engineering, University of Rochester
Customer: Joel Benzel, Founder, TouchStream Solutions, Rochester, New York

M^3 (Mobile Moment Monitor): 
A device to measure the knee adduction moment in a clinical environment as a measure of risk for development knee OA.
Team: Christina Kim, Alexander Matthers, Xuan (Sabrina) Pan, Kylie Stengel
Supervisor: Stephen McAleavey, PhD, Biomedical Engineering, University of Rochester
Customer: Amy Lerner, PhD, Biomedical Engineering/CMTI, University of Rochester

CHEMICAL ENGINEERING

Vapor Liquid Equilibrium Properties of Brine Solutions with Various Concentrations:
Thermodynamic Vapor Liquid Equilibrium (VLE) properties of a concentrated brine solution were investigated for the consulting company, Optimation.  The equilibrium pressure (below one atmosphere) of different concentration solutions at various boiling points was mapped out. Equilibrium pressure increased with higher boiling point. Higher concentration solutions possessed a lower equilibrium pressure at the same boiling point. The heat of vaporization of various concentration brine solutions under atmospheric pressure was compared with an ideal solution model. Given errors within the system setup, heat of vaporization of the brine at various concentrations was indistinguishable, but the brine solution deviated from the ideal solution behavior significantly.
Team: Jianfeng (Ann)He, Hamed Kone, Bradley Kowalczyk, Julia Morris, Arun Soorakulanthakan
Supervisor: Prof. F. Doug Kelley
Customer: Dan Currry, Optimation

ChemE seniors Nicole Fannin (green hat) and Leah Flint work on their senior design project to develop a process to pre-treat concentrated wastewater from the Xerox toner plant so that it can be processed by regular sewage plants. (Photo by J. Adam Fenster / University of Rochester)

Treatment of Industrial Aqueous Waste: 
Xerox Corporation’s toner plant in Webster, NY generates approximately 88,000 gallons per month of aqueous waste that cannot be treated with their current equipment due to varying concentrations of solids and surfactants. This project aimed to design, build, and test a treatment process to reduce the total amount waste sent off-site. Coagulation, freezing, and adsorption were studied and evaluated. The flocculation method was scaled up for further experimentation and optimization. The aqueous waste was characterized by clarity (turbidity), changes in surface tension (contact angle), and variation in pH. Results indicated flocculation is a cost effective potential process for waste treatment, with turbidity and pH values within the given specifications.
Team: Steve Eleftheriadis, Nicole Fannin, Leah Flint, Alexander Nee
Supervisor: Prof. F. Doug Kelley
Customer: Chris Wolfe, Xerox Corporation

Investigation and Characterization of Coating Methods for Anti-Microbial Polymers: 
Catheter infections cause thousands of fatalities in hospitals worldwide. Bonafini Consultants of Rochester, NY, has developed a polymer coating that displays anti-microbial properties. This project generated small-scale coatings of the polymer to evaluate chemical properties and adhesion for application on catheters. A 1-inch stainless steel coating block controlled the thin film thickness on flat silicone and polyvinyl chloride (PVC) coupons. The coatings were dried and characterized using XPS and an Olympus BH-2 Microscope. Multiple adhesion tests, including a water soak and a knife and tape test, were performed. An optimal coating scenario to begin testing the polymer would be a 5% dilution in dichloromethane coated on polyvinyl chloride and heated at 80°C for 24 hours.
Team: Lauren Bailey, Matthew Catarino, Danielle Decrem, Ian Wallace-Moyer
Supervisor: Peter Makarewicz, PhD
Customer: Keith Savino, Bonafini Consultants

Filtration and Distillation to Recover Solvent from Reverse Emulsion Polymerization: 
Bonafini Consultants has developed a reverse emulsion polymerization process to create an antibacterial coating for catheters. This project was to help Bonafini Consultants recover the product feed solvents, toluene and hexane, for economic purposes. Experimental data proved that a hexane wash and vacuum filtration were sufficient for bulk polymer removal; the most efficient ratio of product to hexane was 2:1. A distillation column processed the mixture of toluene, hexane, and polymer with a toluene yield of 78% and purity of 100%. The column was run for 55 minutes, packed with raschig rings, and the condenser orientated vertically to hinder pressure buildup. FTIR and gas chromatography were used to quantify the composition and purity of the distillates after the filtration and distillation.
Team: Hannah Birnbaum, Shimeng Feng, Zachary Perry, Xiongyi (Davey) Zhang
Supervisor: Prof. Wyatt Tenhaeff
Customer: Keith Savino, Bonafini Consultants

 
ChemE seniors Daniel Napolitano and Yuqi Guo work on their senior design project "Production and Characterization of Manure Biochar to Treat Dairy Farm Wastewater" in Gavett Hall.  (Photo by J. Adam Fenster / University of Rochester)

Production and Characterization of Manure Biochar to Treat Dairy Farm Wastewater:
Dairy farms produce a significant amount of nitrate and phosphate waste, hazardous to the environment and difficult to manage. Biochar was produced from pyrolized cow manure biomass, and characterized for its ability to treat dairy farm wastewater. Manure was pre-treated with MgCl2 and different drying conditions. Manure biochar was produced in a closed-vessel design with a mass yield around 47%. FTIR Spectroscopy determined the amount of nitrate ions adsorbed on different types of biochar. The higher the pyrolysis temperature, the more porous the biochar structure, with higher nitrate adsorption observed. The MgCl2 pre-treated manure produced biochar with improved nitrate adsorption capabilities. Overall, the biochars did not have any significant effects on wastewater filtrate pH.
Team; Yuqi Guo, Jisu (Aaron) Jiang, Daniel Napolitano, Andrew Stark
Supervisor: Peter Makarewicz, PhD, Kathleen Draper

ORAFOL Wastewater: 
ORAFOL of Rochester, NY, electroforms specialty tooling used in the manufacture of microstructured optical films and lenses. The process generates large volumes of heavy metal-containing wastewater, particularly nickel, copper, and chromium.  In-house treatments use a combination of precipitation and flocculation techniques to achieve the legally set maximum allowances of nickel (2.34 ppm) and copper (2.07 ppm). The company’s current procedure was evaluated to optimize an effective and economical wastewater treatment plan with the investigation of electrowinning and electrocoagulation as supplemental waste treatment techniques. The required base step alone sufficiently removed all of the nickel from solution. Electrocoagulation presents a viable economic alternative treatment system to remove nickel.
Team: Kata Czekai, Jared Fialkoff, Ethan Pachek, Nicholas Scacchetti
Customer: Eric Janosko, Orafol

Heat Transfer Studies through Fin Analysis
Fins are extended surfaces used extensively for heat transfer to increase the rate of heat exchange between a solid and an ambient fluid by increasing the contact surface area. This project was to design, develop, and construct an experimental fin apparatus to be used by the UR Chemical Engineering junior laboratory. The experiment exposes students to several key concepts, including one-dimensional heat transfer, forced convection, fin efficiency, regression of convective heat transfer coefficients, and mathematical modeling of analytical and numerical solutions, by varying the fin geometries, materials and environment. Fins were constructed from aluminum and stainless steel stock into cylindrical and conical geometries in an interchangeable.
Team: Lindsey Brown, Matthew Liuzzo, Connor Noel, David Yao
Supervisor: Prof. Dave Foster

Investigating the Effects of Feed and Product Stream Locations on the Mixing Regimes in Continuous Stirred Tank Reactors:
The effect of inlet and outlet locations in a mixing tank was investigated for SPX Lightnin, Rochester, NY. A salt pulse was injected to produce a residence time distribution curve for each tank configuration. This curve generated a Peclet number: a dimensionless parameter that relates the convective and diffusive modes of transport, quantifying the flow regimes. Experiments were run for 39 inlet/outlet configurations at flow rates of 4 and 1.33 gallons per minute, and impeller speeds of 266 RPM and 715RPM, respectively. The results indicate that configurations where the inlet is directly above or below the outlet and configurations where the inlet and outlet are on the same level are less ideal than alternatives.
Team: Dean Graunke, Robert Gregg, Zoe McCauley, Patrick Sullivan
Supervisor: Prof. Dave Foster
Customer: Richard Kehn, SPX/Lightnin Mixer

Xerox Wastewater Treatment: 
The majority of Xerox manufacturing waste is treated on site, but wastewater containing wax, latex, and surfactants clog traditional filters, and must be sent offsite.  This project sought to treat the wastewater to obtain turbidity less than 20 NTU and pH between 5 and 8—suitable for city sewage disposal. Sand or cotton filters in combination with distillation resulted in 74% weight reduction, 2.64 NTU, and 7.08 pH. External heating avoided waste caking on immersion heater surfaces. The potential savings were projected over disposal costs: an electric system (ƞ=90%)—up to $260,000 per year, and $330,000 with a natural gas system (ƞ=60%).
Team: Peter Boguszewski, Reid DesRuisseaux, Yunxin Du, Yun-Chun Tsai
Supervisor:  Prof. F. Doug Kelley
Customer: Chris Wolfe, Xerox Corporation

 
ChemE senior Erik Laurin monitors an experiment on his team's senior design project, a tubular reactor that will be used for experiments in the junior chemical engineering lab in Gavett Hall. (Photo by J. Adam Fenster / University of Rochester)

Design, Construction, and Characterization of a Tubular Reactor: 
Tubular reactors are cylindrical vessels that contain a steady state flow of liquids or gases undergoing chemical reactions. A tubular reactor was built and characterized for the UR Chemical Engineering junior laboratory. The reactor was designed, constructed, and tested with a crystal violet and sodium hydroxide first order reaction with a temperature control system, and controllable laminar or turbulent flow rates. 
Team: Erik Laurin, Garrett Meier, Sidney Royal, Stephan Tewksbury
Supervisor:  Prof. Wyatt Tenhaeff

Design of Plastic Laser Welding System and Characterization of Plastic Welds: 
Laser welding is a novel approach to joining two independent pieces of plastic by utilizing precise beam control from remote locations. Laser power output, lasing time, and surface roughness were varied throughout the experiment to determine the parameters affecting weld quality of ABS and polycarbonate plastics. Seam welds were much stronger than spot welds. Welds of vapor-polished surfaces exposed to 100% laser power for 120s withstood a 581N load on average with the top performing seam weld withstanding 718N before failure.
Team: Ethan Davis, Matt Sidwell, Molly Tsai, Tiffany Wong
Supervisor: Rachel Monfredo and Larry Kuntz

CENTER FOR MEDICAL TECHNOLOGY AND INNOVATION

 
Jayne Gavrity demonstrates device developed by her team to measure stiffness of finger joints.

QSAFE (Quantitative Stiffness Assessment & Finger Evaluation): 
The QSAFE is an electro-mechanical device that provides a marker of arthritis progression by measuring the stiffness of individual finger joints. Arthritis is a debilitating chronic joint disease that affects 52 million people in the United States. Without intervention, arthritis results in severe loss of functional ability at the affected joints. The most common forms of arthritis include osteoarthritis and rheumatoid arthritis. In the early stages of the disease, the small joints of the hands and feet are affected. Swelling, stiffness, and pain are the three most common symptoms of arthritis, and negatively impact quality of life. Currently, the methods used to assess these symptoms are limited to subjective patient  reported outcomes, such as a “1-10” pain scale. QSAFE is a quantitative measurement system that provides an accurate assessment of finger joint stiffness.
Team: Jayne Gavrity, Benjamin Vespone & Qinglong Liu
Supervisors: Martin Gira, Amy Lerner, PhD, and Greg Gdowski, PhD, Biomedical Engineering/CMTI,  U of R
Customer: David Mitten, MD, Allen Anadarajah, MD, Christopher Ritchlin, MD, UR Medicine

Diversion: Vascular Occlusion Device: 
A vascular shunting system to provide blood flow from the aorta to the kidneys during open abdominal aortic aneurysm repair surgery.  During the open repair of abdominal aortic aneurysms, the kidneys often go extended periods of time without blood flow. Our device decreases the time the kidneys are without blood by utilizing a balloon-anchored shunting system to perfuse the kidneys during the procedure. This lessens the risk of renal complications, such as kidney failure, that occur in 20-25% of patients and minimizes their post-surgical recovery time.
Team:  Nathan Couper, Deborah Cooper
Supervisors: Martin Gira, Amy Lerner, PhD, and Greg Gdowski, PhD, Biomedical Engineering/CMTI, U of R
Customer: Michael Stoner, MD, Doran Mix, MD, Strong Memorial Hospital

Fuse-UR: A Bone Graft Delivery Device for Minimally Invasive Spinal Fusion Surgery: 
There are over 500,000 spinal fusion procedures annually in the United States. For the lumbar procedures, as high as 37% require a revision surgery due to nonunion of the spine. This can be attributed to a variety of factors, including improper volume and placement of bone graft material in the intervertebral disc space. After clinical observations in the OR, our team discovered that this delivery of bone graft is one of the biggest challenges of surgeons performing minimally invasive spinal fusion procedures. This is due to the small surgical channels and limited maneuverability of current surgical tools. Our device provides surgeons access to all parts of the disc space via an angled delivery. Thus, the placement of bone graft material is optimized, allowing for the best possible environment for fusion.
Team:  Kierstan Ryan, Megan Stockdill
Supervisors: Martin Gira, Amy Lerner, PhD, and Greg Gdowski, PhD, Biomedical Engineering/CMTI, U of R
Customer: Seth Zeidman, MD; Addisu Mesfin, MD

Retract-a-tine: An Improved Mechanism for Inferior Vena Cava Filter Retrieval: 
Since their inception in 1968, the placement of filters in the inferior vena cava (IVC) to prevent pulmonary embolism has been rapidly growing, with over 200,000 filters placed in 2014 alone. With the recent shift to use these filters for prophylactic applications, the use of retrievable IVC filters, temporary filters that can be removed three to six months following treatment, has become much more extensive. In many cases, the hooks of the filter become embedded into the vessel wall and the surgeon is unable to remove the device, forcing it to remain permanently implanted. This puts the patient at risk of thrombosis, filter migration, and caval perforation. The EZ-Snare device aims to mitigate these concerns by allowing for more successful retrieval of IVC filters from the vena cava. Specifically, the product will provide a dual indication as a permanent and retrievable filter, present with an equivalent or better device risk profile than other retrievable IVC filters currently on the market, provide an improved success rate of filter removal with minimal damage to the vessel wall and have or be compatible with an FDA approved retrieval system.
Team:  Laura Hobbs & Courtney Kodweis
Supervisors: Martin Gira, Amy Larner, PhD, and Greg Gdowski, PhD, Biomedical Engineering/CMTI, U of R
Customer: Ankur Chandra, MD; Michael Stoner, MD; Adam Doyle, MD

 
Head mannequin helps illustrate a safer way to drain cerebrospinal fluid, developed by a team of students from the Center for Medical Technology and Innovation.

Pressure Regulated External Ventricular Drain: A safer and more effective device to drain cerebrospinal fluid: 
Patients with brain tumors, trauma, bleeds, or stroke develop the inability to reabsorb brain fluid (CSF). To treat dangerous elevations in brain pressure, a neurosurgeon will place a catheter into the brain that drains CSF and relieves the pressure. Currently, this brain catheter is connected to a free-flowing drainage bag that needs to be leveled to the patient in order to set the pressure. These systems are unable to adjust to patient movement and when the system becomes unleveled, it can lead to either a large volume of fluid loss causing life-threatening hemorrhage or high brain pressures with inadequate flow. At the University of Rochester Center for Medical Technology Innovation, we developed 3 patent pending device features that allow the pressure regulated external ventricular drain to prevent these dangerous complications. Furthermore, by precisely controlling the brain pressure, this novel system will actually be more effective and may lead to improved neurologic outcomes. 
Team: Lisa Benison, Chad Pickering, and Jonathan Stone
Supervisors: Martin Gira, Amy Lerner, PhD, and Greg Gdowski, PhD, Biomedical Engineering/CMTI,  U of R
Customer: G. Edward Vates, MD, PhD, Department of Neurosurgery

COMPUTER SCIENCE

Advanced Wars AI: 
Advance Wars is a turn based strategy video game developed by Intelligent Systems where two or more players build and control armies in order to defeat each other. My project was to design an Artificial Intelligence (AI) that could play against and ultimately defeat the game=E2=80=99s native AI.
Team: Michael Urciuoli
Supervisor:  Ted Pawlicki, Computer Science

BlimpBot: A long-duration, autonomous, holonomic, flying platform: 
Quadcopters are popular aerial platforms, but time aloft is constrained by the need to expend energy to hover. Lighter-than air platforms, such as dirigibles or blimps can hover without expending energy. We demonstrate an autonomous aerial platform with a tetrahedral rotor configuration that permits simple holonomic control in 3-space with four unidirectional thrusters.
Team: Elias Davis, Sean Esterkin, Mehr Kashyap, Shuyang Liu, Abdullah Al Mamun, Joel Ramirez, Daniel Scarafoni, Katie Stevens, Bonnie Wu, Shuchen Wu

ELECTRICAL AND COMPUTER ENGINEERING

Mimic Arm: 
A is a robotic system for imitating the movements of a human arm using a Kinect infrared camera and servo system. Click here to see a video.
Team: Lucian Copeland, Frank Dinoff, Colin Murphy
Supervisors: Jack Mottley, Victor Derefinko, Randal Nelson

Carillion Bell detection: 
The project is to design an application to detect the pitch of a certain Carillion bell.
Team: Yuanchun Ji , Haowen Pan
Supervisor: Zhiyao Duan

 
From left, Tommy Yasewicz, Hajim assistant dean Lisa Norwood, Steven Smith and Emily Freidline share a laugh during a demonstration of the team's Arduino powered drink mixing machine that is "designed to take the hassle out of making the perfect cocktail for any occasion."

Sir Mix-er-Bot: 
Sir Mix-er-Bot is an Arduino powered drink mixing machine that is designed to take the hassle out of making the perfect cocktail for any occasion. Click here to see a video.
Team: Emily Friedline, Steven Smith, Tommy Yasewicz
Supervisor: Victor Derefinko, Professor

Smart Elevator Control System: 
The Smart Elevator project seeks to design a smarter elevator algorithm that will detect and implement the number of people it is carrying and tending to. The main objective is to increase the speed and efficiency of an elevator system when transporting a large group of people to their destinations.
Team; Mohammed Ahmed, Joshua Moss, Hua (Francis) Zhou
Supervisor:  Brian Zamito, Harris Corporation
Customer: Harris Corporation

Spotlight Tracking System: 
Modeling an automatic spotlight tracking system on a scaled stage.
Team: Xiangzhi Huang, Han Zhang
Supervisor:  Jack Mottley,  Mark Bocko, Victor Derefinko

Intruder Detection System: 
We are building an intruder detection system for a sleeping soldier to detect any intrusion in a 15 x 15 foot area. The central and peripheral nodes of the system features four cameras running background subtraction and PIR sensors, respectively. This data is relayed wirelessly to a pocket alarm device for the soldier.
Team:  Mackenzie Hyman, Josh Berenson, Victor Ronchetti
Supervisor: Conlan Wesson, Senior Software Engineer, Harris RF Communications
Customer: Harris RF Communications

 
Jeremy Warner demonstrates the Wireless Aggregating Multinode Pulse Monitor.

WAMPUM - Wireless Aggregating Multinode Pulse Monitor: 
Wireless Aggregating Multinode Pulse Monitor. A semi-decentralized wireless network of low-power, low-cost heart rate monitoring nodes. The node is a bracelet with a finger sensor, using photoplethysmography to detect pulses. For medical emergency response teams to quickly deploy a system to monitor the condition of a large number of patients. 
Team; Eddie Samuels, Jeremy Warner, Ivy Racquel, Jae Min Choi
Supervisor: Professor Wendi Heinzelman
Customer: UR Wireless Communications and Networking Group

MECHANICAL ENGINEERING

Actuated IMAX Diffuser Frame: 
This project's purpose was to design and fabricate a testable new dithering system for an IMAX laser projector. The new system will be a smaller, cheaper design, and will actuate a diffuser glass in front of the laser at an appropriate peed to mottle the projected image.
Team: Kyle Jensen, Craig Rogoff, Ali Ramoul, Michael Schafer
Supervisors: Dr. Christopher Muir - University of Rochester
Customer: Thomas Powers, Dwight Petruchik, Al Waugh – IMAX

Click hereto see a video of team members Alexander Grau, Bruno Ham, Monica Robers and Mark Rolffs creating the University of Rochester school seal with their 2-D sand printer.

Sand Printer: 
Designed similarly to a 3-D printer, the sand printer will allow for 2-D sand printing on a flat surface.
Team;  Alexander Grau, Bruno Ham, Monica Roberts, Mark Rollfs
Supervisors: Dr. Christopher Muir - University of Rochester
Customer: Josh Romphf, University of Rochester

Revvo Smart Exercise Bike Design: 
Our team was tasked by Revvo to improve their current stationary bike design by making it more portable, allowing for easier transport and the possibility of shipping. We successfully delivered a working prototype along with valuable finite element analysis results and CAD drawings of the bike.
Team: Amanda Brady, Kelly Burton, Han Lin, Christopher Ward
Supervisor: Dr. Christopher Muir - University of Rochester
Customer: Siva Raj, Founder and CEO of Revvo

Wegmans Wheatgrass Harvester: 
Through the removal of select components and optimization of the hood system, the wheatgrass harvester was redesigned to increase its yield and improve both food and operator safety.
Team: Atanasio Atanasio, Nicolas Pastore, Carolina Rocha, Ebna Zabir
Supervisor: Dr. Christopher Muir - University of Rochester
Customer: Raul Santiago and Scott Preston, Wegmans

Hand-Powered Tadpole Tricycle:
Foot powered tadpole tricycles feature two front-wheels for mobility and stability. This project aims to make these benefits accessible to riders who cannot pedal with their feet. The fabricated prototype uses a hand crank for power and a swiveling seat for easy access.
Team: Jonathan Becker, Benjamin Keeton, Andrew Sheridan, Enrique Reyes Yanes
Supervisor: Dr. Christopher Muir - University of Rochester
Customer: Peter Stull - Bicycle Man, Scott Rosebrough - En Route Tech, Maria Lynch - Biomedical Engineering Consultant, University of Rochester

Isolation and Damping of an Inertial Confinement Fusion Opaque Target: 
A system was designed that used isolation and damping methods in order to reduce the motion of an opaque inertial confinement fusion target (ICF) in cryogenic temperatures, allowing for clear X-ray images of the target to be taken as it undergoes longer exposure times.
Team: Justine Aloise, Ashley Hunt, Tianyi Liu, David Simm
Supervisors: Professor Sheryl Gracewski and Dr. Christopher Muir - University of Rochester
Customer: Jeffrey Ulreich - University of Rochester's Laboratory for Laser Energetics

Application of Metal Additive Manufacturing: 
G. W. Lisk wants to look into the application of metal additive manufacturing for low quantity, complicated products. After researching additive manufacturing techniques, Direct Metal Laser Sintering (DMLS) was selected and assessed for tolerances and material properties to meet specifications. A preexisting part was selected for fabrication and analysis.
Team: Braden Adcock, Brandon Newton, Matthew Pavlos, Alexandra Taylor
Supervisor: Dr. Christopher Muir - University of Rochester
Customer: Mark Jankowski – G.W. Lisk

Carestream Atomizer Wheel Design Change:
Carestream makes the film for x-ray machines and part of their process is spray-drying their product before it coats the film. The product tends to corrode through the part which dries it (Atomizer Wheel) and needs a design change. Our group has made several changes to its fundamental design.
Team: Austin Davis, Allison Resnick, Kelsey Sahinen-Pedroso
Supervisors: Professor Paul Funkenbusch, Christopher Muir, University of Rochester
Customer: Barb Ulreich – Carestream Health

Design of a Lesker PVD-75 Crucible Liner Extraction Device:  
This project seeks to design a tool used to add and remove crucible liners to/from the Lesker PVD-75 Evaporator/Sputter Hybrid machine in the UR Nano cleanroom facility in Goergen hall. The tool is cleanroom safe and easily adjustable to different liner shapes and sizes. 
Team: Kidus Alemayehu, Shane Dobles, Andrew Wronski, Wasiq Yousaf
Supervisor: Dr. Christopher Muir - University of Rochester
Customer: Joseph Lawson - University of Rochester

Automated Wegmans Refrigeration Case and Temperature Monitoring System: 
This project utilizes an XBee module to create an all-in-one solution that automatically monitors multiple package temperatures and wirelessly transmits that data to a mobile application. Moreover, it detects power supply, connects with the defrost timer, and monitors the temperature controller of Wegmans self-contained refrigeration cases.   
Team: Evan Baker, Thanh Huynh, Koji Muto, Odelia Ryan
Supervisor: Scott Russell and Dr. Christopher Muir - University of Rochester
Customer: Walter Strassburg and Rich Kelley – Wegmans

Particle Flushing for Scanner Module:
The project aimed to add an automated and effective cleaning step to the manufacturing process of scanner modules for Kodak Alaris. The process consists of placing the module in an enclosed chamber and flushing the apparatus with directed pressurized and ionized air, reducing output of potentially defective modules.      
Team: Eli Borwick, Tiahara Mcdermott, Adalberto Perez, James Powers
Supervisor: Scott Russell and Dr. Christopher Muir - University of Rochester
Customer: Robert Westcott and Robert Breslawski – Kodak Alaris

THE INSTITUTE OF OPTICS

Lens Systems for Photoacoustic Imaging of Prostate:  
This project involves the design, fabrication and testing of 3D printed aspheric lens systems for photoacoustic imaging of prostate tissue. We designed several acoustic lens systems with different magnification using CodeV to optimize image quality. We are evaluating the imaging properties of the prototype systems.
Team: Nicolas Brown and Tess Jacobs
Supervisor: Dr. Navalgund Rao, URMC; Julie Bentley, Institute of Optics
Customer: Dr. Vikram Dogra, URMC Urology Department

Uniform Backlit Illumination Projectile Imager: 
This project involves design and exploration of several different backlit illumination schemes. The system is ultimately designed to image fast-moving projectiles using a strobe effect. Key considerations are uniformity, optical efficiency, and geometry of the system. Final system design and testing includes an illumination module and an imaging module.
Team: Nick Cirucci, Changchen Chen, Dare Bodington
Supervisor: Dr. Wayne Knox, Institute of Optics
Customer: Bryan Chan and Yoram Fisher, Sydor Instruments

Eye Dominance Detection Instrument (EDDI):
This project involves the design, fabrication, and testing of a portable device to quantitatively measure eye dominance in humans in a limited time interval. We prototyped an application on an Android phone, a lens system, and a 3D printed mechanical housing to make the device practical for clinical uses.
Team: Kara Lambson, Christopher Marsh, Yingxing Qian, Zhengsheng Zhu
Supervisor: Dr. Len Zheleznyak, University of Rochester
Customer: Dr. Scott MacRae, Meridien Eye

Estimator: Designing Custom Microscope Objectives with Cost Constraints for Femtosecond Micromachining of Ophthalmic Tissue:  
This project entails designing a compact, attachable microscope objective with cost constraints. Several microscope objectives were designed at different NA and wavelength, and then interactively optimized for various performance specifications as a function of cost using the Optimax Estimator software and tolerancing in Code V.    
Team: Joseph Centurelli and Natalie Pastuszka
Supervisor: Wayne Knox, Dan Brooks, and Julie Bentley, UR Institute of Optics 
Customer: Rick Plympton, Optimax Systems Inc. 

Surface Roughness Inspector:  
This project involves experimentally testing three completely different methods to try to distinguish nanometer level surface roughness grades in optical flats. The ideal method should be able to distinguish between Standard Grade or the higher quality Laser Grade.
Team: Trevor Ivanov, Danlu Huang, Sandi Westover
Supervisor:  Dr. Wayne Knox, Institute of Optics
Customer: Zachary Hobbs, Sydor Optics

Handheld Pathogen Detector:
The goal of this project is to design and build a handheld pathogen detector. The system is built to illuminate and image a surface that contains pathogen using Brewster Angle Straddle Interferometry (BASI), and quantitatively characterize pathogen presence. The final product will be an automated, packaged, implementation of BASI.
Team: Sheldon Agbayani, Benjamin Feifke
Supervisor:  Dr. Wayne Knox, University of Rochester Institute of Optics
Customer: Dr. Lewis Rothberg, University of Rochester Chemistry Department

Scalable Portable Imaging Solar Concentrators: 
Our project involves optimizing the design for a large flexible aluminum-coated mylar mirror to produce the highest focused intensity. We find that the shape of such a film under vacuum is between paraboloid and catenoid. Key considerations are portability, performance, efficiency and cost. We are fabricating and testing scalable prototypes. 
Team: David Manly, Da Zhang, Peter Kim
Supervisor: Wayne H Knox, Institute of Optics
Customer: Wayne H Knox, Institute of Optics

 
Scott Siedman, associate professor of biomedical engineering, checks out one of the prototypes that an optics team designed to help Rochester Museum and Science Center celebrate the International Year of Light.

Rochester Museum and Science Center Prototypes:  
We are designing and fabricating four different optics exhibit prototypes for the RMSC to enhance their hands-on optics learning experience in conjunction with the Museum’s International Year of Light Exhibit this summer. Our final prototypes include an LED Rubens Tube, Cell Phone Magnification, Schlieren Imaging, and a “Cloaking” Device.   
Team: Madhu Ashok, David Kim, Kara Morse, Rebecca Pettenski
Supervisor: Calvin Uzelmeier, Rochester Museum and Science Center
Customer: Rochester Museum and Science Center