By Muhammad Hassan Chishti, Prajesh Wagle and Rishi, Srivastav
In the current competitive market of Hi-fi gadgets, the customer is constantly eyeing the products that offer various features at a low, comparable price. Taken that into consideration, the group has aimed at designing an Audio System that would offer its consumer with various features. This idea can be used on home stereo equipment. However, the specifications of the system that we are looking at would be better than a regular home stereo as it minimizes the distortion on the output power. The goal is to match the specification of other manufacturer’s design specimens at comparable price. This goal would be achieved by adding various features to the audio system such as multiple inputs, LCD display, bass and treble control, and band equalizer utilizing LEDs.
Electrical Door Control and Logging System
By Choi Sungyeol, Thomas Joaquin, and Sato, Sanae
In many situations, not only secure and authorized but also multiple user access are required, especially in labs and offices where its facilities need to be shared. This project provides a solution to those situations using a computer-controlled key system. The idea is that a user communications through an interface to a server to unlock the door with a software key. The main components of this system are USB device, an interface device with a microcontroller, and a main computer (server). Users download the encrypted software key from the web site which can be performed at any place where the internet connection is available. The main computer provides authentication procedure and keeps track of key usage. When a key was stolen or lost, computer software can simply disable the key so that a replacement of an entire door and key is not necessary. The communication between the interface and the server will be done through wireless, in order to make the system easily adaptable at anywhere.
Wireless Corn Dryer Surveillance System
By Flint Terry, Barry Eric, and Larson Justin
Our group is currently working with a local farmer on an electrical system that could monitor his corn drying process. Each fall, his corn harvest must be sent through a dryer in order for the corn to reach a target moisture level. The process runs 24 hours a day and lasts approximately 2-4 weeks. The farmer’s main problem exists in the bothersome task of monitoring the dryer and its augers to make sure everything is operating correctly. This is usually done during the day and throughout the night as well. In this manner, he must walk out to the dryer and observe the process himself. Minor adjustments to the machine are carried out depending on actual corn moisture and the target corn moisture. A monitoring system that could track vital information such as the corn moisture, auger speeds, and air temperature and pressure inside the dryer, could significantly reduce this major inconvenience that he currently faces.
Wireless/ Keyless Entry and Monitoring System
By Dwenger Tom, Schlangen Derrick, and Yasgar Cory
This project goal is to create a wireless/ keyless entry system that allows accessibility restrictions as well as monitoring by a building administrator and to make the system as secure as possible. Within this system, the user will access a door by transmitting their unique code through a wireless signal to a receiver. This receiver will relay the code to a microcontroller, which will transmit the code wirelessly to a main computer system that will be networking multiple doors. The computer will determine if access should be granted and will relay this information back to the microcontroller, and either open the lock, or keep it closed. An administrator with access to the computer program will be able to change the options of who can open the locks and at what times they will be able to unlock the door. The computer will also monitor who is accessing which door and at what time.
By David Barthel and Joel Wittus
The technological age has certainly brought about the ability for people to effortlessly keep in touch, even in entertaining ways such as remote gaming. However, many people, particularly among the elderly population, either do not own or desire to use the personal computer technology widely used for these purposes.
The Portable Gaming Device solves the issue of bringing remote gaming to these people via a portable (handheld) unit that contains a color LCD and a button/touch screen interface. One player plays a game, such as tic-tac-toe or checkers, using the handheld unit while the other player interactively plays along from his or her PC at a remote location, possibly in a different part of the world. This allows users to play simple two-player games without requiring both players to use a PC. A child, for instance, could use the family’s personal computer to play against a distant relative, such as one of his or her grandparents, who is using the handheld unit. Communication between the PC and the handheld unit primarily occurs over a modem connection over the telephone lines. At the residence of the handheld unit, RF signals are transmitted between the modem unit and the handheld unit, making the handheld unit portable within the user’s home. Both the PC and the handheld device will employ friendly graphical user-interfaces to simplify the technical details of game play.
Master Railway Snow Melting Controller
By Jason Honeck and April Dircks
The railroad uses three wires to control multiple snow melting units, and if one of them has a fault a worker has to go out and check all the snow melting units, until the problem is found. Most of the time the only thing the worker had to do is reset the snow melting units, to get them to work again. If there was something wrong with the snow melting units the worker typically will not have the part to fix it. Then the worker has to go get the part and then go back and fix the snow melting units. This can cause a long delay where the track can not be used, and costs a lot of money. Our goal is to create an interface that could control up to ten snow melting units using a transceiver with a range of about 300 feet. We are building a master controller, and two slaves for it to control. It will monitor the snow detect sensor, temperature sensor, and other sensors to see if it should run. If the snow detect sensor detects snow then we will send a message to the master controller unit to turn on the gas hot air blowers where the track switches. The master controller has a DSPIC30F6014 microcontroller which will be taking all of the sensor readings and processing the data from the other snow melting controls on the track. There will be a pc located at the master controller, which will be connected through USB to our microcontroller which will be programmed to operate all of the functions previously described. The pc will be able to be remotely accessed from any other pc via the internet.
Unattended Ground Vehicle (UGV)
By Wesley Herold, Andrew Neddermeyer, and Davian Richards
The objective of this project was to design, develop, and build an
unattended ground vehicle (UGV). The UGV will be used as a transport to
carry multiple sensors which monitor the surrounding environment. The
sensors however are simply deployed and retrieved by the UGV and are not
actually the concern of this project. Control of the UGV is done from a
remote location so different forms of navigation are present on the
vehicle. Some methods of navigation used are GPS, digital compass, and
video.
By Amanda Meemken, Benjamin Williams, William Jones
As the use of LEDs becomes increasingly popular, it is necessary to understand their capabilities and limitations. Aurora proposes an optical communication system using visible light LEDs, capable of connecting with the Ethernet. Existing research and technology has not proven the use of visible light LEDs as a communication medium at high frequencies (megahertz range). The findings of this research based senior design project prove the ability to create an optical data link, at Ethernet speeds, using visible light. Additional advancements to the system are necessary including more roll-off compensation in transmission, even greater speeds of transmission/reception, and the use of multiple LEDs per communication channel.
By Umer Qureshi, Yassin Labyed, Craig Gabel
Law enforcement personnel mustbe able to conduct surveillance anywhere at any time. The current solution for conducting surveillance on a building entrance is to constantly watch it from a distance throught the use of binoculars to ensure no activity is missed. The lack of multi-tasking and the fatigue from the eye sore of constant long term binocular use makes the task of surveillance exhausting and ineffective. Our project was to create a portable automated system that would alleviate the above mentioned problems. We completed this throught the use of an infrared laser beam that would always watch the target. Our system detects an activity by comparing received intensities from the emitted laser beam. During any activity the system alerts the user and logs the time and date into a computer along with any user imputed comments. Our device successfully, and consistently, monitors a door for any activity at a distance of 100 feet.
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Contact Information
Updated: 4/19/2006
www.stcloudstate.edu/ece
St. Cloud State University is an affirmative action/equal opportunity educator and employer.