Brian J. Kruppenbacker and Jeffrey J. D'AlessandroAdvisor: Prof. TraverUnion College Weather Station
The project is a weather station for the Union College campus community. The station measures temperature, relative humidity, barometric pressure, precipitation, ultra-violet radiation, wind speed, and wind direction. The server then calculates wind chill and dew point using temperature, wind speed, and relative humidity. The current weather conditions and calculations are displayed on a webpage that is accessible to the public. The webpage will also display archived measurement data. http://weather.union.edu
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Steve Dumais and Joe FisherAdvisor: Prof. TraverIntelliSki
The Computer Engineering Senior Capstone Design project encapsulates many of the skills learned through four years as a Computer Engineering major at Union College. For our project, IntelliSki, we designed and created a prototype model of device that acquires data that is useful and interesting to a downhill skier. The goal of this project was to create a tool that shows a skier's current trail, the difficulty of that trail, their altitude, number of runs taken, total vertical feet skied, and outdoor temperature. The best way to accomplish the design goals stated above is to utilize the current Global Positioning System (GPS) and to create algorithms that use this data to provide the skier with the desired information. Although a portable device was not created, due to time constraints, a fully functional prototype model was built to test the software algorithms and the ability to convey the correct information.
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Brian Gaugler and Betsy McPhailAdvisor: Prof. Cherrice TraverHyperthermia Alarm for Automobiles
Children or pets left alone in a car in warm weather can suffer from hyperthermia- a condition that often results in serious injury or even death. Since 1998, more than two hundred children died as a result of being left alone in a hot vehicle. Adults that leave their children or pets unattended are most likely not intentionally neglectful; people may not realize how quickly a car heats up in the hot sun. Our project, the Hyperthermia Alarm for Automobiles, offers a solution to this problem. A motion detecting system will detect when a child or pet is left inside of a parked car. If the temperature is above an accepted level, the driver of the vehicle will be alerted through a handheld alarm. If the driver is unresponsive, the car windows roll down and a secondary alarm will sound to attract the attention of onlookers.
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Michael E. PascucciAdvisor: Prof. SpinelliAnalog Communication on Wireless Networks
One of the newest technologies in audio communication today is Voice over Internet Protocol (VoIP). Since telephone numbers are analogous to
IP addresses on the Internet, VoIP software allows users to tap into the telephone network from a personal computer. A user can dial from their
computer to a
telephone, or even to another computer connected to the Internet, as if it were a traditional phone.
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Eric P. WalkletAdvisor: Prof. John SpinelliIR-to-RF Link for the Lego RCX
The Lego RCX is a programmable digital device equipped with sensor inputs and motor outputs. As part of the Lego Mindstorms package, it is intended for novice programmers and engineers as a teaching tool for illustrating the fundamentals of programming. The RCX links to a user's computer using an infrared (IR) tower that connects to a serial or USB port. IR technology requires that the user maintains a line of sight with the target - in this case, the RCX brick - in order to keep communication active between the programming interface and the device that is being programmed. The goal of this project is to design a wireless link for the Lego RCX that does not require a line of sight to operate properly. This will be accomplished using a small wireless sensor network created with RF motes and gateways manufactured by Crossbow, and a proprietary "programming language" usable through MATLAB.
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This report generated by script ./write.project.sections - March 21, 2005
Address questions or comments to spallhol@union.edu