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Completed projects Engineering Honors students dedicate their final three years in the program to completing self-designed projects within their respective fields. The projects are designed with a high learning curve and must stretch students' skill levels as well as have real world applicability. Students complete their projects by producing comprehensive final reports detailing their honors projects. View the project abstracts below or choose to view the entire project reports by clicking on the links following the abstracts. 2010 The use of gels to emit or transfer light has been studied and experimented with mainly on the microscopic level of thin films. It is possible, however, to use a larger, on the order of inches, gel tube to transmit light from one place to another. In particular, this paper describes the light transfer properties of polyacrylamide gel through several different length and size tubes. A light emitting diode (LED) acts as the light source on one end of the gel tube, and its light is effectively transmitted through the polyacrylamide gel inside the tube similar to the way fiber optic cables transmit information. Through experimentation, it was determined that this polyacrylamide gel transmitted higher wavelengths of light more efficiently than lower wavelengths of light. This was determined by using red, white, and blue LEDs and measuring the spectral intensity at the output end of the gel tubes. Furthermore, the spectral intensity at the output decreases with an increase in tube length. This problem, however, can be partially solved by simply shielding the tube until the desired transmission length has been reached since the majority of the light escapes through the sides of the tube. Several applications including the automotive, military, and consumer industries are discussed as well as possible future experiments. Click here to view the entire project report. Carla Paschke and Jen Paschke, 2005 Graduates This study explores the relationship between the learner satisfaction rates of elementary school children and the medium by which they learn. Twenty-two children between the ages of six and nine who attend Montessori of Macon participated in the study evaluating the impact the use of technology has on overall experience satisfaction rates. These participants were chosen through a convenience sampling method. The data was collected using a four-point Likert scale. The results were then found by assessing each participant’s satisfaction score for use of a worksheet and of an educational game. The results of the study show a positive correlation between the use of educational multimedia in the classroom and the increase of learner satisfaction rates. The meanings and implications of these results are discussed. Click here to view the entire project report. Stephanie Jackson, 2005 Graduate The past decade has been characterized by a dramatic shift in the focus of medical research: from developing artificial and biocompatible tissues and organs to investigating methods of triggering the natural repair processes of the human body. This shift has been facilitated by the discovery of stem cells and an improved understanding of their capabilities. This paper presents the reserve precursor cell tissue restoration theory as a probable explanation for the ability of stem cells to maintain and restore tissues following injury. Precursor cells are present in the connective tissue compartments and granulation tissue of postnatal mammals, including humans. These cells provide the cellular building blocks to maintain the tissues and organs of the body throughout the life span of an individual and repair and replace tissues following injury. There are three basic categories of precursor cells: progenitor cells, germ layer lineage cells, and pluripotent stem cells. These three categories are based upon the ability of precursor cells to form various differentiated cell types and their programmed developmental lineage patterns. Progenitor cells and germ layer lineage stem cells have already been extensively characterized by our lab. We have utilized various techniques to determine the identity and capabilities of these cells, including assays for phenotypic expression markers, gene expression and functional activity. We have examined the response of these stem cells to various endogenous and exogenous bioactive factors and developed media that induce proliferation, lineage progression, and lineage commitment in these cells. In addition, we have assessed the ability of these cells to serve in therapeutic treatments for diseased tissues of all three germ layers. This paper discusses the use of these techniques to characterize the third type of stem cells isolated from postnatal tissues, pluripotent epiblast-like stem cells. Click here to view the entire project report. Adrienne Lovelace, 2005 Graduate In the winter of 2003, Hyperion senior design team presented to Southeast Robotics Incorporated a working platform of an Autonomous Vehicle Following System (AVFS) named Cyclops, which could be used to further explore and test the field of autonomy. This paper describes the reasons behind and the modifications to Cyclops steering system, as well as applications in which AVFS could be used in the future. In addition, future modifications to Cyclops are discussed.
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