Engineering Capstone Project Ideas

[kichiri_kachiri]

My college requires that engineering students complete a senior design (capstone) project, and we are allowed to submit ideas for projects. These projects are completed in teams of 3-6 engineering students and can be either multidisciplinary (combination of mechanical, electrical, computer, biomedical, etc.) or purely computer engineering (which is my major). For me to work on the project (ideal), it needs to have a computer engineering component (e.g. sensors, robotics, microcontrollers, programming, etc.). Without external sponsors, the budget is $500. The project will be completed over two semesters (for me, Spring/Fall).

That said, I was wondering if anyone had any ideas for a project involving either horses or medical/biomedical that would solve a need you have seen or know of - something that would actually serve a purpose. For example, I was thinking of proposing a trailer monitoring system that displays real-time data on both trailer and horse conditions (e.g. ambient trailer temperature, tire pressure warnings, air circulation, horse’s weight distribution, heart rate, horse’s temperature, live video feed). Another idea was an application for EMTs that allows them to input medical data real-time in an intuitive format (I know a doctor that proposed this idea, though it has been partially implemented already).

Even if you are not sure an idea is feasible, I’d love to hear it
Current and past multidisciplinary projects: http://edge.rit.edu/edge/Welcome/public/Home

[AllWeatherGal]

I work in the world of simulation training, so I can imagine desktop trainer for towing trailers being an interesting and useful project. (Could have a fitted trainer, but not for $500!)

Functional requirements might include:

• specify weight of tow vehicle (half-ton, 3/4-ton, etc.)
• specify vehicle features (automatic, 4WD …)
• specify type and configuration of towed trailer (bp, 5th wheel, gooseneck, slant, straight, box stalls)
• specify number of horses

Operational scenario requirements

• High winds
• Accident ahead
• Trailer brakes fail
• Rear-ended
• Stuck in mud
• Other disasters I don’t even want to continue to think about …

[HungarianHippo]

Trailering: I’ll share my secret invention because I’ll never actually build it. :lol: It’s a variation of the in-trailer horse monitoring idea, but it’s about you communicating with your horse instead of the other way around.

If you’re ever standing on a bus or in the first car on the subway, you can see the turns, traffic etc. that are coming ahead. With that knowledge, you automatically adjust your stance and tense the right muscles before going into the turn, allowing you to surf without holding on. Try not holding on without ability to see ahead, and you end up scrambling with every turn.

Even though we all try to brake and turn slowly, wouldn’t it be better if we could tell the horse in advance that it’s coming? Idea is a simple system of lights and tones, that is linked with your cars electrical, by piggy-backing on the existing wiring harness already used to hook up the tail lights.

Use something like those inexpensive stick-on dome lights, or rope lights, and add a speaker. One light goes on each side of trailer interior, each a different color (i think horses can perceive blue vs green?). The lights and speaker are synchronized with your own turn signal, so the horse is alerted with a blinking light on one side or the other, when you put your turn signal on. Add a unique tone for left vs. right turns, so they have the audio signal too in case they’re dozing. And finally when you’re about to brake, both would blink simultaneously and there’d be a separate tone for that. (maybe link that electrically to your Hazard flashers?). Make the system easy to switch from trailer to trailer, so you can use it in multiple trailers.

I bet it wouldn’t take more than a few test drives with the system before the horses “get” it. I just really think trailering stress would be greatly reduced if it was not this mystery box to the horse, where they’re forced to react to unpredictable gravity forces. Would love to see it tested with HR monitors, to see if makes a difference in how the horse, and with some way to sense muscle tension, to see if they are indeed positioning and bracing themselves in advance of the turns like I imagine they would.

[4Martini]

I’d love to see something on shoe types vs stride length or break over. Maybe a video analysis.

[Bluey]

[QUOTE=4Martini;7869912]
I’d love to see something on shoe types vs stride length or break over. Maybe a video analysis.[/QUOTE]

Something like this, but a program to standardize vet exams basic protocols, to get input on more than horse’s way of going.

Some vet schools are already working with sensors you can attack to horses and riders, build on that to have complete programs, with blood work, ultrasound, infrared and other diagnostics built in the program.

They have such programs in car shops to “read” a vehicle’s performance and where is not up to snuff, something like that for horses.

It still takes a mechanic to work on the vehicle, it still will take a vet to decide where to go with that information.

[netg]

I was thinking sensors which detect timing and balance in the hoof landing - a boot you put on for vet checks on flat ground which could even be useful for farriers trimming the horses. For the project a Glove or something more adjustable could be used, to show balance on sides of the hoof, if the horse is landing heel first, etc. Things where you would have to get many angles to get the right answer if attempting to do gait analysis of it, but pressure sensors could tell you in one go.

[LookmaNohands]

I would love to see a study of the air flow (ventilation) in various types of horse trailers. People often end up with sick horses on long trips because of lack of fresh air. People think the horses will be cold so they close the trailer up and forget that they need fresh air. Perhaps a way to monitor or measure that?