Multidisciplinary Team Design Projects 2004-2005

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A CALL FOR SAFETY: AN EXPLORATION AND DESIGN OF PRACTICAL SECURITY

The goal of this project is to create a working design of a security system for use in an environment that will govern the access of a large group of users. Specifically, the intent of the project is to revise the card access and alarm systems currently in place in the University of Virginia's student housing, but the results of the project should be useful in other contexts as well. The key components to be designed include (1) a computer system to govern the access to the card systems; (2) a system to link the alarms, locks, and computers; and (3) the physical mechanisms such as the locks and sensors. There will also be a need for human factors design.

Multidisciplinary Capstone Team Members

SELF-SUFFICIENT REMOTE SENSOR FOR RAILROAD TRACK MONITORING

There is currently a need for a device that will have the ability to relay information about railroad track status in remote locations. The vast rail network in the United States and the Outback of Australia requires that sensors be placed in a variety of locations where power from a central grid may not be available. The aim of our research is to create a self-powered device that will transmit data from its remote location. Specifically, this device will be used to determine the state of railroad track (i.e., the positions of switches gate crossings) and transmit this information back to a central control station. The components that this device will require are a long-range radio transmitter, a source of power (such as a solar panel), a power storage unit, and a state machine capable of recording track data, all packaged in a robust physical enclosure.

Multidisciplinary Capstone Team Members

REAL-TIME INFORMATION SYSTEM

Many devices exist in the market that cannot communicate with each other. This project seeks to create a dynamically configurable network of these devices, such as sensors, pda's, and cell phones. The network could have many applications, including project coordination, military information gathering, and UTS bus tracking. Currently, the team consists of a computer engineer for network implementation, a mechanical engineer to package the devices, and an electrical engineer to help the mechanical engineer with hardware connections.

Multidisciplinary Capstone Team Members

AUTOMATED DETECTION OF ILLEGAL PARKING

The current methods of enforcement are not reliable and are often labor intensive, especially in a campus environment. This project seeks to deter illegal parking by designing an automated system that can detect when illegally parked vehicles are present and take some action to deal with the situation. Actions that may be taken range from a simple warning light to contacting parking authorities. The system may also be used to collect data on parking area utilization for planning purposes. This project will try to take advantage of existing "off the shelf" technology in its solution. One possible technical approach is to use a sensor placed in each parking space to detect if the vehicle is illegally parked or not. Designing the entire system would involve communication to network the sensors to a control and alerting system.

Multidisciplinary Capstone Team Members