Electrical and Computer Engineering Senior Projects

Advanced Brake Light Warning System

Members
Robert Attisha
Steven Donnellon
Marc Sema

Faculty Advisors
Leonard Moriconi
Robert Farrah

Project Description
This system alerts drivers when a car
is slowing down. It was designed to
indicate when a car is slowing down
normally (the brake lights go on), when
it is stopping hard (the brake lights and
turn signals illuminate), and when it is
stopping in a panic (the brake lights, turn
signals, and reverse lights are activated
and the reverse lights strobe).

 

Aut-to Fly Autopilot

Members
Karlo Baliat
Ed Duda
Tim Dunbar
Nikki Martin

Faculty Advisors
Lisa Anneberg
Robert Farrah
Mike Poszywak

Project Description
This autopilot for a model airplane allows
the hobbyist to control the plane from a
monitor on the ground or by preprogramming
the microchip in the airplane.
The onboard PIC processor communicates
flight commands from the ground
monitor to the airplane. The autopilot
utilizes a GPS receiver to transmit location,
time, headings, and navigational
information to the ground monitor. The
airplane also has a gyroscope, which
transmits the movements of the plane.
In the event of flight problems, the
autopilot has an override option that
switches flight control to a manually
operated radio.

 

Multi-Zone Thermostat System

Members
Andrew Erridge
Chuck Jupenville
Michael Teran
Jerry Turza

Faculty Advisors
Lisa Anneberg
Hassan Hassan
Kelvin Shih

Project Description
This thermostat system allows for the
selective heating and cooling of rooms
in a building and does it more efficiently
than other such devices. By programming
the microprocessor using the
interactive interface design, the system
can shut off the heat or air conditioning
in one or more rooms, while leaving
the rest of the structure fully heated or
cooled. Each room controlled by the
system has three temperature sensors
that are averaged to obtain a more effective
reading of the room’s temperature.
A miniature test structure demonstrates
how the device will save on nonrenewable
resources.

Remote Control Snow Blower

Members
Dimopoulos Lambros
Brooke Edgeworth
Boris Milman

Faculty Advisors
Robert Farrah
Leonard Moriconi
Kelvin Shih

Project Description
A Craftsman snow blower was modified
so it can be operated by a remote
control. A differential steering system
was implemented to allow the unit to
freely rotate on its axis. The snow chute,
which has a 30-foot throwing distance,
was altered so that it too can be
controlled remotely. Additional features
include an automatic salt dispenser and
headlight. This powerful snow blower is
ideal for removing snow up to 16 inches
in depth from a distant location.

 

Solar-Powered Remote Control Vehicle

 

Members
Shante Bourne-Ware
Jason Glover
Craig Sharp

Faculty Advisors
Lisa Anneberg
Robert Farrah
Kelvin Shih

Project Description
Using an LM317 current limiter chip, the
team designed a solar-powered, remote
control car. This chip enables the vehicle
to utilize a range of voltages from the
solar panel to run the car and charge the
battery at the same time.

Sun-Tracking Solar Oven

Members
Jeremy Herrmann
Shawn Wolf

Faculty Advisors
Lisa Anneberg
Peter Csaszar
Mike Poszywak

Project Description
This dual-axis tracking, box-type solar
cooker is a self-contained oven that
operates with minimum supervision.
Designed as a solar energy alternative to
traditional ovens or wood fires, this oven
is powered by a small solar panel array
and 12V DC battery. The oven tracks the
position of the sun using green LED
sensors and the Motorola 68HC11
Microcontroller. The solar oven monitors
cooking temperature and time as
programmed via the user interface to
provide automatic and safe cooking.


Battery-Less Power Supply for Lear

Members
Robert Bauer, ee
Stephen Boulanger, ee
Lewis Frasch, me
Anthony Fuller, ce  & ee
Endri Proko, ce & ee
Michael Quaggiotto, me

Faculty Advisors
Robert Farrah
Andrew Gerhart

Project Description
All vehicles in production after November 1, 2006,
must be equipped with a tire
pressure monitoring system (TPMS).
The goal of this project, sponsored by
Lear Corporation, was to create a battery-
less power supply that meets the
power requirements for Lear’s tire pressure
sensors. Currently, sensors are
powered by Lithium batteries, which
have limited lifetimes. Students created
an energy source that utilizes the forces
on a rotating wheel to recharge itself.
This project is Lawrence Tech’s first
Industry Leadership Honors Project.

 

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