Applied Engineering

ColdPulse - Athletic Foot Cooler

MEMBERS: Alex Richards; Aaron Sisco; Wesley Horner; Jerret Delancy
ADVISOR: Dr. Andy Stallard
SPONSOR: Hormesys

The demand for innovative solutions continues to drive sports science and engineering. Our entry for Engineering Open House is a performance enhancing product: cooling insoles designed to increase the performance of endurance athletes. These insoles utilize phase change materials (PCMs) along with selected additives to create a new type of insole within the sports industry. Our cooling insoles' main objective is to address the critical need of effective temperature regulation during prolonged physical activity. Endurance athletes are constantly pushing their limits in demanding environments and often face challenges related to heat buildup, leading to discomfort and performance degradation. Our approach integrates advanced PCM technology from MicroTek Laboratories, known for its thermal energy storage properties, with additives to assist with durability, flexibility, and overall performance. The key innovation lies in the strategic incorporation of PCMs, which undergo phase transitions at specific temperatures, effectively absorbing excess heat from the athlete's feet during exercise from the pressure of the feet hitting the ground. This active cooling approach helps with the risk of heat-related injuries and allows athletes to maintain peak performance levels for extended amounts of time. There are scientific studies that support that cooling during activities more than 30 minutes has an exponential effect on increased performance. Our cooling insoles represent an advancement in sports engineering, utilizing the fusion of materials to elevate the performance and endurance of athletes in their search for optimal performance.

View Video

Attention and Distraction Prevention for Guided and Active Learning in a Classroom Environment

MEMBERS: Devin DaPra; Evan Julius; Mostafa Mohammad; Blake Rausch
ADVISOR: Dr. Gary Brooking; Dr. Caskell Stallard

Cheating among the student body requires active and real time monitoring that teacher must remain vigilant to spot. To prevent cheating, teachers will roam the class while students are taking tests, working on homework or even amongst themselves. Most teachers cannot divide their attention enough to monitor students in different locations of the classroom, or even beyond the classroom environment at home. However, to prevent cheating it requires a high amount of attention that a teacher may or may not be able to provide. This will put a significant strain on the teachers and the paraeducator in the classroom. These requirements are relaxed in a smaller classroom environment, but within a classroom of twenty to thirty students it can become strenuous, and errors can occur. In a modern classroom, teachers have implemented Chromebooks and online assignments that provide students with the required help they may need. However, this has led to students wondering from the assignments to find easier methods of communication and problem solving. In this work, it can be demonstrated how the implementation of recognition features, and the implementations of a smart database may provide students with the attention and activate learning to the degree that will allow a student to grow concurrently in a classroom and at home environment.

View Video

Switchable Plate Magnet

MEMBERS: Matt Anderson; Neloy Dey; Gabe Fox; Michael Dunber

ADVISOR: Dr. Andy Stallard

SPONSOR: Bunting, Newton

Magnetic separation has long been a staple in ensuring products and equipment are protected from ferrous contaminants. Traditional magnetics however can leave a customer “stuck” with the burden of trying to clean material from the magnets after it has been collected. The Attractive Force has solved this problem by providing a permanent magnet that can be switched off to allow material to freely fall away.

Our group will be demonstrating the functionality of a switchable plate magnet which will provide a safer solution to current products while also decreasing customer down time. After evaluation of multiple methods, we narrowed our focus to a rotating magnet. Our prototype, when activated, will activate a collection tray under the contaminant, remove the magnetic field, collect the tramp material, and finally cycle to be ready for startup.

Evaluations regarding torque required a fully functional magnetic circuit be subjected to shear forces. Using a lever arm for mechanical advantage and spring gauge, we were able to establish the forces required by our drive system. From here we were able to select the appropriate components to power the system. The electronics features on board consist of PLC logic control responsible for signaling a contactor for start/stop capability, evaluate low voltage inputs from proximity sensors for motion control, output signals to timer relays which will control the reject mechanism, and finally a safety relay.

This product will provide direct replacement opportunities for our organization to target existing clientele.

EPA Campus RainWorks Challenge

MEMBERS: Caroline Robinson; Carly Overacker; Logan Pittman; Rennie Jeffries; Wesley Detter

ADVISOR: Dr. Kara McCluskey

The EPA Campus RainWorks Challenge is a green infrastructure design competition for American colleges and universities. Green infrastructure encompasses a range of approaches aimed at reinstating or imitating natural hydrological processes. While conventional stormwater infrastructure focuses on directing stormwater away from developed areas, green infrastructure employs soils, vegetation, and other mediums to handle rainfall at its source through capture and evapotranspiration. On the Wichita State University campus, there are multiple areas where green infrastructure is a viable alternative to the status quo. This project focuses on applying two main green infrastructure techniques: xeriscaping and green parking. Xeriscaping is a landscaping approach that aims to reduce or eliminate the need for irrigation, which can lead to substantial savings for Wichita State. Green parking is a green infrastructure technique referring to environmentally sustainable practices and technologies within parking facilities. Green parking may include permeable pavement, green spaces or vegetation, electric vehicle charging stations, or any initiative that creates a more sustainable parking space. A considerable area on Wichita State’s campus is covered by parking lots, yet little to no green parking techniques are incorporated. As Wichita State University plans to release a new campus master plan, this project aims to cooperate with the master plan and recommend green infrastructure to better educate students and staff at WSU about the potential financial and environmental benefits.

View Video

Commercialization Feasibility Study of New-Age Plastic Recycling Facility

MEMBERS: Herra Hameedi

ADVISOR: Dr. Gary Brooking; Dr. Cindi Mason

SPONSOR: Aeternal Upcycling

In the heart of Wichita, Kansas, a groundbreaking initiative emerges as a beacon of sustainability and innovation: the inauguration of a new-age recycling facility dedicated to transforming unwanted plastic waste back into petroleum-based feedstocks. With a focus on environmental stewardship and technological advancement, this facility stands as a testament to the potential of circular economies in combating plastic pollution. Utilizing cutting-edge processes and state-of-the-art machinery, it converts discarded plastics back into valuable feedstocks, closing the loop on waste and reducing reliance on finite fossil fuels. Not only does this venture address the pressing issue of plastic waste management, but it also contributes to local economic development by creating jobs and fostering a culture of sustainability within the community. As Wichita embraces this pioneering endeavor, it signals a shift towards a more sustainable future, where innovation and environmental consciousness intertwine to create lasting positive impacts for generations to come.

Royal Glow Boutique Start-Up

MEMBERS: Alayna Boykin

ADVISOR: Dr. Cindi Mason

“Elegant and Poise is the New Sexy” -Royal Glow Boutique

The Royal Glow Boutique was started in response to the current generational trends, which often implies that women ONLY receive recognition when they’re wearing revealing clothing, but women are known for more than just their bodies. Our solution is to become the go-to destination for sophisticated and ambitious women who are setting the new and improved beauty standards. We envision a world where hardworking women embrace her presence, influence, and style. Our target audience aren't just military women, real estate professionals, artists, mothers, or other roles she may have. From the stylish boss, nice dinners, or community galas…she's elegant and poise everywhere she goes. She is a well-rounded phenomenal woman. We stand out from our competitors because we NOT ONLY offer elegant, modest, and fashionable clothing. We provide an engaging, community-driven support system to celebrate her accomplishments In efforts to continue promoting positive lifestyle, confidence, and inspiration worldwide. We also have an outstanding marketing approach that captivates and resonates with our audience. As women dominating in multiple areas of our lives, we relate to our target audience. The #RGBMovement that we started is for all the women who Redefine beauty standards, Grow confidence, and Build community!

Our motto is…“Conquer the world and look fabulous while doing it” -Royal Glow Boutique

Aerotag - Testing the Possibilities of RFID Systems in Aircraft Inspection Processes to Assess the Viability and Cost Efficiency

MEMBERS: Alayna Boykin

ADVISOR: Dr. Andy Stallard; Dr. Gary Brooking

In the fast-paced world of aviation, every moment counts, and the safety of passengers and the efficiency of operations are paramount. Airlines face a critical need to streamline and enhance their maintenance and inspection processes to ensure airworthiness while minimizing downtime and costs.

Every year, airlines invest significant time and resources in the essential but time-consuming task of inspecting and repairing aircraft structures. These inspections often require invasive procedures, such as roto-probe inspections, which not only add to operational costs but can also lead to aircraft downtime, disrupting schedules and incurring revenue losses.

However, a groundbreaking solution is on the horizon. Integrated Radio-Frequency Identification (RFID) technology has emerged as a game-changing innovation that has the potential to revolutionize the way airlines approach repair inspections. By strategically bonding RFID tags to airframe structures, airlines could gain the power of on-demand inspections. A simple scan of these RFID chips provides real-time insights into the structural health of the aircraft. No more invasive and costly inspections. No more unexpected downtime. Just efficiency, safety, and peace of mind.

This project is driven by the urgent need to address the challenges airlines face in maintaining their fleets, and it centers on the development of a proof-of-concept device that utilizes RFID tags bonded to aircraft structures for inspection purposes.

By the end of this project, this project plans to deliver a tangible solution that not only simplifies and expedites the inspection process but also quantifiably reduces the time and cost associated with aircraft repair inspections.

View Video

#58 WiseWater - Mobile App for Patients with Kidney Diseases to Track Tluid Intake

MEMBERS: Marcos Vera Bareiro; Dalton Hevel; Eric Matthews; Toni Bryant; Aziya Jordan

ADVISOR: Dr. Andy Stallard

Patients who are placed on a fluid restriction diet need to keep accurate track of their fluid intake, both from liquids as well as solids, for risk of further damaging their health. Without continuous monitoring, they risk making mistakes or failing to meet their self-care goals. Having a solution where they can easily keep track of this could help a lot of people stay on a diet, saving them time and money in the long run. Patients with fluid limiting diets will use our mobile app because of Low Cost, Portability, and Availability.

We will develop a mobile app using .NET MAUI which uses C# and XAML where users can track their daily water intake and see the history of their water intake. We will develop using the agile methodology with multiple sprints where we add new features and multiple stages of user testing. The final product will be a cross-platform mobile application that allows users to accurately track their total fluid intake, accounting for fluids that they drank throughout the day as well as fluids present in the foods they consumed. The overall app experience will be tested by potential end users in focus groups for overall usefulness and ease of use.

One of the biggest challenges kidney failure patients face is managing their diet, and our application with help solve that problem. In the future, this could be expanded to a program that allows a healthcare provider to see their patients’ progress in real time, and allow easy two way communication with questions or concerns.

View Video

2024 Projects