I made a camera dolly for the CTE Dig Vid Program. For those that don’t know, a camera dolly is a tool that is regularly used in the filmmaking industry. They’re used to get those smooth and steady tracking shots. Making a camera dolly was the perfect capstone for me because it allowed me to combine my passion for both Engineering and Filmmaking. I got the idea from seeing an instagram story from last year, when the CTE Dig Vid students were using a swivel chair as a makeshift dolly. Building the camera dolly proved to be very time consuming. It took research about the different kinds of dollies and their advantages. Then it took a lot of time working with Mr. Kamal and Ms. Ustaris to think of ideas. Most of the parts used in the camera dolly are from repurposed robots from previous years of our robotics club. A lot of the building was hours of me disassembling and reassembling to make sure that screw holes lined up. After weeks of work, I was able to create a camera dolly with an articulating arm that can rotate 360 degrees with a reach of about 3 feet. The large diameter wheels will allow the dolly to be used in most environments with flat ground. I’m proud of the quality of the camera dolly and hope it will be able to be used as a teaching tool for the Dig Vid students for years to come.

Link to Annotated Bibliography: https://docs.google.com/document/d/1vidKe1Cikmhda5V0H4D-wvUCtEK5yuy9x-TZkd_JoNs/edit?usp=sharing

I grew up having eczema, hives, sensitive skin, and allergies to certain cosmetic ingredients. There are others who don’t have access to the resources I have or have a hard time dealing with the issue. According to NCCIH, one in three Americans are impacted by skin disease. My personal experiences has pushed me to further my research in AI in the medical field. I want to help those who need help make progress to that road in a less intimidating and easier way. I believe the first step would be a web app the user can use. They will get comfortable and one step closer to solving the problem and asking for help.

The importance of early diagnosis in the fight against skin cancer is necessary. Artificial intelligence (AI) has now developed to the point where it can be used to successfully diagnose cancer earlier than the current techniques.

I wanted to make a website with easy user interface, where it has all the information and educates the user about skin cancer and the use of technology in the medical field. My website (HTML, JavaScript, CSS) uses Tensorflow.js, a JavaScript library for training and deploying machine learning models in the web browser and Node.js. I collected 107 of the 10,000 images from the HAM10000 dataset. With those images, I created and trained a model in Microsoft Azure CustomVision.ai. I gathered most of my research for my research paper from Stanford Skin Cancer Program.

Website: https://senior-capstone-skin-x.c2003.repl.co/index.html

GitHub: https://github.com/cnbui/Skin-X/tree/main

Annotated Bibliography: https://docs.google.com/document/d/1Mc2D96NLRf8QvUycfBqBVu4yE-0QtAjtyN8U31Hl_lE/edit?usp=sharing

For my capstone, I decided to install a water fountain at Camp Dark Waters (CDW). It would be placed in a corner of the field which would give kids easy access to water while they are playing running games in the hot summer sun. Without this fountain, the closest water fountain was a 5 to 10-minute walk. I decided to place a water fountain and a cool-down shower at the edge of the softball field. There was no pipeline that went to the softball field, so a majority of my project was digging the trench for the pipeline. I started digging in late March as the ground started to soften up, and with a few complications and unexpected circumstances popping up was not able to finish. Everything is set up and built, I just need to connect the pipeline which has to be completed while it is dry.

Link to Photos of Capstone: https://drive.google.com/drive/folders/137ar8XdGtY-wU0DjECANE8jQwcSfZQD6?usp=share_link

Bibliography: https://docs.google.com/document/d/1e_vK1iV8kfhdBFjFjVGq3UKuaNEqhpXhwHMExY-1x2U/edit?usp=sharing

The project I chose to do for my Capstone was to improve upon the wind tunnel that is used in CTE Engineering. A wind tunnel is a testing system that can simulate an object in flight that is commonly used in aerospace engineering fields. At the beginning of the year, the wind tunnel was nothing more than a wooden tunnel with a fan at the end and it was my job to improve upon it. This project required a lot of research and also funding from Braskem. My improvements included a system to test lift and drag, a large contractor and diffuser to create a higher wind speed, and a flow visualization system that uses smoke to show how air interacts with the object. This project taught me a lot about wind tunnels and the physics behind them, how to use a 3D modeling software to create what I need, how to use the 3D printer and the laser cutter, and how to work through a massive project over a long period of time. My final product is a functional wind tunnel that will be used in CTE Engineering to help students learn about aerospace engineering.

Link to my annotated bibliography: https://docs.google.com/document/d/1S-XmrO7V6_UPeks_sV3KXZGDeXkwOhrh3CQHroRIPmo/edit?usp=sharing

By using the Trap-Neuter-Release (TNR) approach to solve the problem of feral cat overpopulation, my capstone project intended to bridge the gap between my personal and academic lives. To reduce the number of feral cats and enhance their well-being, TNR involves catching, spaying/neutering, and relocating the cats to their original habitat. I chose to do my research because of my passion for the topic and the negative consequences of population growth, including the spread of disease, competition for resources, and effects on wildlife. My capstone matched SLA’s five guiding principles. Researching cat behavior, trap design, and community needs prompted the inquiry. To enhance the design process, extensive research was conducted on the materials, methods, and traps already in use. The most effective trap ideas were chosen after thorough evaluation and brainstorming, and they were then prototyped and tested with my pet cat and bait. I found some obstacles including selecting a material that would minimize harm to trapped animals.

Annotated Bibliography: https://docs.google.com/document/d/1I5OS5l_T6PfmVBTPG7SPgSvVdOquQDSbjZyDD95DCvU/edit?usp=sharing

When I first started on my capstone I originally wanted to create my calendar app but also allow it to communicate with Canvas to take assignments from there. I realized that recreating something that big is ridiculously hard and not feasible for me. So I decided that I would need to change what I had for my final plan. This meant not making it an app and instead just purely coding it. I also then decided to limit my calendar to only adding classes and assignments. So after coming up with what seemed to me like a reasonable direction to start working towards, I got started. Most of the time I spent at the beginning was familiarizing myself with the API that Java Script had for date and time because I knew it would be necessary to create a calendar and also re-familiarizing myself with coding in general as it had been quite a while since I had coded anything. I started by creating basic date checkers and after that looking at other calendars online where I noticed that all of them were unable to add events to the calendar so I decided that I would at least be able to do that. As I worked I eventually created the base but I realized that with the time I had spent working on just making the calendar itself, I would have to cut out either the ability to add assignments or classes. I chose assignments over classes because making classes seemed less important but also more difficult. I then kept working and eventually created the calendar I have today.

Capstone: https://github.com/Spumason/SLA-Senior-Capstone

Bibliogrophy: https://docs.google.com/document/d/1kuU1sx9l_dlZb1uMRax3_AYxydTyP33Sk5JW8gqQk4A/edit?usp=sharing

My capstone project was to design and simulate a model rocket that used a dual-deploy parachute system. I decided to do this project because of my interest in model rockets and aerospace engineering. The rocket is 39 inches long and has about a 2-inch diameter. Dual deployment means that once it reaches its apogee, the highest point, a small parachute gets released, then a larger parachute gets released once it gets much closer to the ground. A normal parachute system just releases one large parachute at apogee. I researched different components of model rockets and model rocket kits. Then I designed a rocket in Fusion 360, a CAD software. I then took that design and created it in a simulation tool called Open Rocket. I adjusted the design to get the apogee over a thousand feet. Then I went to the CAD and added the changes I made in the simulation. The other data I’m collecting from the simulation are the drag coefficient and the horizontal distance traveled. The horizontal distance is important because the point of a dual-deploy parachute system is to decrease the distance a rocket travels after its parachute is deployed. Throughout this project, I have learned so much about how model rockets work, how to use Fusion 360, and how to use Open Rocket. All of these are skills that I plan on using in the future as an aerospace engineer.

Bibliography: https://docs.google.com/document/d/1ZBTOZC78DLeTPDKGGQUDDRYAeXIkPatUDR6PWbz7qaM/edit?usp=sharing

For my capstone, I decided to build a desk where I can be able to practice doing nails. What inspired me to build a desk for nails was my passion for it. I have always loved getting my nails done and still do so now. Everytime I would get my nails done, I would watch closely to see what all they were doing because I was so fascinated and curious about it. In addition to what inspired me to build a desk for nails was that it will help me in college. A way to be known in a big college like Penn State, be able to make new friends, and make it my side job just to keep me busy.

Annotated Bibliography: https://docs.google.com/document/d/1aywKPetK7AmOuaPg6cgjowuSBqXTUUJzJcr7dlKf6uk/edit?usp=sharing

For my capstone project, I studied the science of hot air balloons and created one myself. I’ve always had an interest in air travel, particularly airplanes and hot air balloons. The guiding question for this project was, “How can I use the science of thermodynamics and other engineering principles to create a miniature hot air balloon?”

My capstone project was split into several phases. During the research phase, I learned about the basic principles of a hot air balloon, as well as all the parts that make it work. I also learned about the Montgolfier brothers and their first ever hot air balloon. During the prototyping phase, I created three lighter than air vehicles, or “LTAVs” for short. LTAV-03 became my final product for my capstone.

Creating a hot air balloon from scratch was a lot more difficult than I thought it would be at first. Air temperature, and by extension air density, play a huge role in getting the balloon off the ground. I also had to worry about heat sources, since open flame was a little too risky due to the small size of the prototypes. Also, figuring out the lifting power of the balloon was a bit tricky since the outside air temperature kept changing, and some of the test flights were done indoors. Despite these challenges, I successfully got the final product to lift off and I’m proud to say I created a working hot air balloon for my capstone.

Link to my capstone presentation: https://docs.google.com/presentation/d/1OT0i4QkbxNRrJXsYbYxAnKUwDW_L7g9D4UKFqm3Ecqo/edit?usp=sharing

Annotated Bibliography:https://docs.google.com/document/d/1XTB4efIXDvLuyVVlCjLoiPXvnJ8ev-HWp7_xIqOk5Zc/edit?usp=sharing

For my capstone I started an official boys volleyball team at SLA. This project required a lot of research into the differences between boys and girls volleyball, including the fact that boys volleyball is very attack-based and places a larger emphasis on blocking. I also had to learn how to integrate into the boys team dynamic and collaborate effectively with the players who had other sports commitments. Despite facing challenges such as not having a fully functional net, the boys in the team were very supportive and understanding, and even managed to compete and win despite this obstacle. The other schools’ athletic directors were also accommodating and supportive throughout the process. Looking forward, there is now a full team ready to compete next year, and I believe that this is a team that will continue to be a part of the school’s athletic program for years to come.