Improving Geotechnical Laboratory & Centrifuge Model Preparation with Technology

Project Description The Center for Infrastructure, Energy and Space Testing (CIEST) houses 3 centrifuges, the largest of which, a 400 g-ton centrifuge, is the 2nd largest in the US. An automatic robotic sand pourer is currently used to prepare geotechnical laboratory and centrifuge models for teaching and research purposes. However,...

Learning Healthy Relationships with Smartphones and Social Media

Project Description This project focuses on developing and offering a Digital Wellness Summer Program (DWSP) that addresses the negative impacts of smartphones and social media on adolescent females’ psychological well-being. This program takes a novel approach to guiding young people toward developing healthier relationships with smartphones and social media. Rather...

Opto-mechanical Design, Build, and Testing of Mobile Mid-Infrared Lasers

Project Description For almost a decade, the Rieker group has been transitioning Nobel Prize winning laser technology from carefully controlled optics labs to the outside world. In partnership with NIST, a mid-infrared laser is being developed that can measure the absorption of almost any hydrocarbon molecule, such as volatile organic...

Software Engineering for Space Habitat Displays and Autonomy

Project Description The Bioastronautics Laboratory in the Smead Department of Aerospace Engineering Sciences is conducting experiments to explore how humans and autonomous systems can best team up to address the challenges of deep space missions. As part of these experiments, we have developed a computer interface that simulates what remote...

SBOLCanvas - A Visual Editor for Genetic Designs

Project Description SBOLCanvas is a web-based application that can create and edit genetic constructs using the SBOL data and visual standards. SBOLCanvas allows a user to create a genetic design visually and structurally from start to finish. It also allows users to incorporate existing SBOL data from a SynBioHub repository...

Low-Cost Rapid Prototyping of Electronic Circuits

Project Description My lab is exploring a variety of techniques for rapid prototyping of electronic circuits that assure first time success, quickly and at low cost. Some of these leverage commercial vendors and some of these leverage methods fully contained in-house. Each of four students will select a specific circuit...

The Role of Effort on Learning a Split-Belt Walking Task

Project Description The Neuromechanics lab combines ideas from neuroscience, economics and biomechanics to understand the costs and rewards underlying movement control. Using modeling, robotic interfaces, and virtual reality, we try to reverse engineer how the brain selects and controls movements. The investigations provide insight into the interplay between the neural...

Making Quantum Computing Easier via Better Measurements

Project Description We don't believe quantum computers will work without error correction. In this project, we will look at a specific part of the error correction process the act of measuring. Our goal is to use a device called a "quantum amplifier" to make measurements better for error correction. This...

Material Testing of Pipeline Encapsulation Technologies

Project Description Legacy pipelines made of cast iron, wrought iron, and bare steel are responsible for a disproportionate number of gas leaks in the United State’s infrastructure system. Many systems have exceeded their intended design life with increasing vulnerability to failure. The Center for Infrastructure, Energy and Space Testing (CIEST)...

Full-Scale Testing of Pipeline Encapsulation Technologies

Project Description US natural gas pipeline infrastructure has been serving the nation for decades, providing critical services and resources for energy flow. Many systems have exceeded their intended design life with increasing vulnerability to failure. The Center for Infrastructure, Energy and Space Testing (CIEST) is leading an international project to...

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