Samueli School of Engineering

The Virtual Reality (VR) Haptic Feedback Matrix, abbreviated as the “Matrix”, leverages magnetic actuators to create a compact, versatile, and scalable system to deliver touch (haptic) feedback in VR applications. By mapping movements from a virtual environment onto an arm-mounted two-dimensional array of magnetic actuators, the system dynamically mimics realistic tactile sensations at specific pressure points. The Matrix holds potential for numerous applications such as enhanced immersion for VR games and physical therapy for patients. Faculty advisors: Professor Camilo Velez Cuervo, Professor Rainer Doemer

The UnCommons Project, as the name implies, introduces an alternative building model to traditional inefficient and environmentally destructive building stock, making it a beacon of sustainability. This state-of-the-art structure is a localized, bio-based structure reflecting concentric rings of impact from the site level, to regional, and to liberating materials from global supply chain constraints. This project’s approach integrates restorative renewable resources, water harvesting, recycling, and conservation measures to minimize its footprints. This 1,000 square foot structure, serving as a student common area at UCI, showcases high-tech, low-impact sustainable solutions through the seamless integration of AI for temperature regulation, structural wall-adjustments, and predictive maintenance systems. Given its proximity to the UCI Ecological Preserve, this structure aims to augment local biodiversity, cultivate ecological resilience, and enable students to blend with and foster an enhanced coexistence with nature. The UnCommons Project envisions buildings as living structures that harmonize with their environment.

Industry Advisors: James Bucknam, Brett Kaufmann

Process control is crucial in the operations of chemical engineering plants and manufacturing processes across a broad range of industries. This report details the testing and optimization of P, PI, PID controllers for a temperature control system. The first objective is to determine the best controller type for controlling the system temperature. The second objective is to alter tuning parameters manually for PID controllers in the temperature control system to achieve optimality. The performance criteria include the settling time, peak-to-trough ratio, and steady state offset. It is discovered that PID controller is the best due to its fast response,

offset elimination, and minimized settling time and oscillations, combining the aspects of Proportional (P), Integral (I), and Derivative (D) control. Additionally, manual tuning attempts were made to fine-tune the PID controller. However, the lack of data points lead to inconclusive results. Future works should conduct additional trials or employ alternative tuning methods.

University brings many changes and challenges in students inducing a great amount of emotion fluctuation. During these times of emotion fluctuation, students can experience a drop off in academic performance and a rise in stress levels. In these times, effective emotion regulation has demonstrated to be a valuable tool correlated with improving academic performance and lowering stress. Music and light/color have been shown to be effective aspects of a smart environment for emotion regulation. Combining this knowledge along with physiological signal analysis correlating with emotions, we set out to develop a smart environment system set to aid students with emotion regulation. Our goal is to develop a low-cost accessible tool for university students that enhances student performance, emotional self understanding, and positive emotion regulation habits.

Faculty Advisor: Professor Dang

The overall objective for HyperXite 9 was to design and build a more robust, and reliable pod, capable of proving the feasibility of a high-speed transportation system. We are working to improve a linear induction motor as the pod's propulsion system. We are also designing and implementing a thermal cooling system to actively dissipate the heat generated by this propulsion system. Our team is comprised of the following 7 subteams: Static Structures, Braking & Pneumatics, Dynamic Structures, Propulsion, Power Systems, Control Systems, and Outreach.

This project focuses on the development of a human-aware advanced driver assistance system (ADAS) that helps promote safe driving based on a driver's biometrics and driving behavior. The system uses biometric signals from the driver using BioHarness Belt and Galvanic Skin Response (GSR) sensors to monitor the driver's heart rate, breathing rate, ECG and GSR signals. These sensory information are then analyzed by machine learning models to determine whether the driver is stressed or drowsy. The project extended the current state-of-the-art driving simulator CARLA to not only include the driver's brake intensity, speed, throttle and steering but also the driver's biometric state. The vehicle controls and biometrics are then plotted and analyzed for correlations that could imply a driver is driving aggressively, assertively, or defensively. Based on these correlations, the driver will be displayed a warning on the simulation which advises them to drive carefully. The output from this project is an extension to the CARLA tool that developers can use to design and simulate human-aware solutions for ADAS. Faculty Advisor: Professor Salma Elmalaki

Approximately 1 in 6000 newborns are born with congenital ear deformities, which disproportionately affects Hispanic, Native American, and Asian-Pacific Islander communities. Children born with outer ear deformities are at a higher risk of experiencing psychosocial distress later in life. To non-surgically correct these deformities, diagnosis and treatment within 2-6 weeks of birth is crucial. This narrow time window provides a significant barrier to treatment for underserved communities. Additionally, these devices must be paid for out-of-pocket and are often aggressive, not customizable to each patient, difficult to use, and costly. To address these issues, we are developing a customizable 3D-printed ear mold to non-surgically correct outer ear deformities in neonates within 2-6 weeks of birth. Our ear mold is customized based on three-dimensional scans of each patient’s ears. After 3D-printing and assembly, it will be shipped directly to the parents, who will be able to apply the mold without the assistance of a medical practitioner. Through this method, we aim to reduce manufacturing time and costs while maximizing comfort and efficacy.

With approximately 1 in 20 individuals experiencing tooth fractures annually, there is a pressing demand for dental restorations. However, commercially available dental restoration options force consumers to compromise between aesthetics and mechanical properties. Highly esthetic cubic yttria-stabilized zirconia (YSZ) deviates from the popularity of standard tetragonal 3 mol% YSZ bioceramic due to its insufficient mechanical properties for practical dental applications. Yet, a tantalum functional gradient coating (FGC) applied to cubic YSZ has been demonstrated to enhance mechanical properties beyond even that of undoped 3 mol% YSZ, while maintaining adequate transparency values—corroborated by mechanical and optical testing. A combination of SEM, EDS, XRD, and Raman spectroscopy were employed to elucidate the mechanisms behind the change in mechanical and optical properties upon varying tantalum dopant concentrations. Tantalum defects within the YSZ lattice decrease cubic phase stability, locally inducing monoclinic phase transformations around cracks, subsequently arresting their propagation. Although the monoclinic crystal structure diminishes optical isotropy, the negative impact on transparency is deemed negligible for dental restoration applications. Advisors: Drs. Chriss Hoo, Shen Dillon, David Kisailus, jae-Won Kim

In the realm of high-speed transportation, HyperXite introduces its environmentally friendly and cost-effective Hyperloop pod as a revolutionary mode of travel. Emphasizing crucial factors such as speed, cost-efficiency, and passenger comfort, our innovative approach centers on the development of the HyperXite Hyperloop Pod's propulsion system. The Powers team is dedicated to crafting a custom three-phase variable frequency drive to power a linear induction motor, while the Controls team focuses on precise signal control for optimal inverter performance. Together, these subsystems within HyperXite's electronics team work together to enhance the overall reliability and efficiency of the Hyperloop pod's propulsion system, contributing to the evolution of high-speed transportation. Faculty advisor Professor Keyue Smedley

Approximately 10 million people in the United States suffer from domestic violence annually, with 4 out of 10 cases affecting people of color. Traditional coloration guides remain the primary forensic strategy to evaluate bruise injuries, which are highly subjective and inaccurate for monitoring bruises. Additionally, this approach fails to consider bruise pigmentation in darker skin tones, and the results of this qualitative method vary by the medical professional conducting the inspection. There is a need for reliable, quantitative bruise information across all skin tones that can be utilized in both medicine and justice. DermaVision aims to address this need by designing a portable multi-spectral camera to quantitatively analyze bruises in diverse skin tones. By correlating the reflective spectra of a bruise with its age and healing progression, our camera will provide an accurate timeline for when bruises occur irrespective of patients’ skin color. This technology will assist forensics and medical professionals in improving their analyses and treatments and can provide valuable, admissible evidence in courts. For Validation purposes, a prototype imaging device has been developed to gather preliminary clinical data in collaboration with the University of California, Irvine Trauma Center. The team remains motivated to build a secure and reliable imaging tool that can serve the diverse population of domestic violence survivors. Faculty advisor Professor Elliot Botvinick