Department of Civil and Mechanical Engineering
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Item 3D MRI measurements of the effects of wind direction on flow characteristics and contaminant dispersion in a model urban canopy(Environmental Fluid Mechanics, 2019) Shim, Gawoon; Prasad, Dipak; Elkins, Christopher J.; Eaton, John K.; Benson, Michael J.Three dimensional velocity fields and contaminant dispersion within an evenly spaced orthogonal array of cubic buildings (height = H) with a central tall building (height = 3H) were studied to examine the influence of tall buildings and wind orientation within an urban canopy. Mean velocity and contaminant data were collected using magnetic resonance velocimetry and magnetic resonance concentration methods. Two building orientations, each angled at 0° and 45° with respect to the bulk flow, were examined. The single tall building strongly influenced the distribution of the streamwise and vertical mass fluxes in both wind orientations. In particular, the tall building wake strongly influences how mass and momentum are transported downward into the building canopy. The contaminant dispersion pattern was dependent on the size of separation regions behind buildings and the wind orientation relative to the street canyons. A plume of contaminant trailed behind the tall building and was dispersed by the building wake turbulence. This dispersion was more rapid for the 45° wind orientation likely due to the wider wake in this case. The complex mean flow within the canopy plays a major role in controlling ground level dispersion when the wind is not aligned with the street canyons. The relatively simple geometry of the canopy and the detailed full field velocity and concentration data make this an ideal case for testing simulations.Item A Broader Look at The Role of Andragogy in Engineering Education(ASEE, 2018) Melnyk, Richard; Novoselich, Brian; Freisinger, GregoryThe word pedagogy is commonly used to describe teaching techniques and practices. However, the root of the word actually denotes ‘leading’ or teaching children. The assumptions inherent in this description may be incompatible with the desired outcomes and goals in engineering education. This work builds on previous work which explored whether the term andragogy, translated as ‘leading men’ or the education of adults, is a more appropriate term to achieve the outcomes of engineering educators and engineering societies. The previous paper used a case study approach to explore the guiding documents of mechanical engineering and the guiding documents of one mechanical engineering program and it’s key stakeholders. The work showed that there was a disconnect between the term pedagogy and the attributes required of mechanical engineers and graduates of the program, particularly when it came to assumptions about the nature of the students. The purpose of this paper is to expand upon the previous mechanical engineering-centered single case study and determine the applicability of andragogical learner assumptions to additional engineering disciplines and programs. This study examines the guiding literature of various engineering disciplines for evidence to support an andragogical orientation toward undergraduate students. In addition, the study examines strategic documents associated with multiple engineering programs to explore whether the findings of the single case study could transfer to other engineering program related contexts. Finally, the study steps beyond engineering programs to examine emerging andragogical literature. This literature survey provides engineering educators a glimpse into the next evolution of how an andragogical approach to undergraduate learners may be applied to the engineering education enterprise and accommodate more than just older, more experienced learners.Item A Data-Driven Approach for Estimating Postural Control Using an Inertial Measurement Unit(ASME, 2021) Giachin, Anthony; Steckenrider, J. Josiah; Freisinger, GregoryIn this paper, we propose a probabilistic multi-Gaussian parameter estimation technique which addresses the complex relationship between acceleration and ground force signals used to derive a human’s static center of pressure. The intent of this work is to develop an accurate accelerometer-based method for determining postural control and neuromuscular status which is more portable and cost-effective than force plate-based techniques. Acceleration data was collected using an inertial measurement unit while ground reaction forces were simultaneously measured using a force plate. Various metrics were calculated from both sensors and probabilistic data models were built to characterize the relationships between the two sensors. These models were used to predict force-based postural control metrics corresponding to observed acceleration metrics. Data collected from one participant was used as a training set to which the test data of two individuals were then applied. We conclude that converted acceleration-based metrics on average can accurately predict all the corresponding force-based metrics we studied here. Furthermore, the proposed multi-Gaussian parameter estimation approach outperforms a more basic linear transformation technique for 75% of the metrics studied, as evidenced by an increase in correlation coefficients between true and estimated force plate metrics.Item A Demonstration of Reliability and Certification Standards for Unmanned Aircraft System Control Links(American Institute of Aeronautics and Astronautics, 2019) Melnyk, RichardAs the desire to integrate Unmanned Aircraft Systems (UAS) more fully into the National Airspace System (NAS), significant concerns regarding safety remain. One concern is the possibility of an air vehicle losing link with the controller and causing harm to people on the ground or aboard other aircraft. Since a data link is not a critical component for manned aircraft, the industry lacks standards for such a system. The purpose of this paper is to demonstrate how minimum reliability standards for UAS links can be established using a Target Level of Safety (TLS) approach...Item A finite element analysis engineering solution to short riveted connections under dynamic loadings(International Journal of Protective Structures, 2021) Hill, Aaron T.; Williamson, EricThe research presented in this manuscript focuses on the development of an LS-DYNA finite element model to predict the dynamic shear strength of short riveted lap-spliced specimens. Using data collected from experimental testing at the U.S. Army Engineer Research and Development Center (ERDC), a finite element model was developed to replicate the behavior of A502 Grade short riveted connections under quasi-static loading. Subsequent analyses used published Cowper-Symonds constitutive model coefficients to replicate the behavior of these connections under dynamic loading. Computed results were then compared with available test data from ERDC. Given the challenges involved in creating physical models with riveted connections and the abundance of historical bridges constructed with rivets, the developed finite element analysis engineering solution can serve as a critical tool for researchers interested in predicting the response of short riveted connections to dynamic loading and those interested in developing strategies to mitigate against this loading.Item A Generalized Bayesian Approach for Localizing Static Natural Obstacles on Unpaved Roads(IEEE, 2020) Kinoshita, Yoshito; Steckenrider, J. Josiah; Papakis, Ioannis; Furukawa, TomonariThis paper presents an approach that implements sensor fusion and recursive Bayesian estimation (RBE) to improve a vehicle's ability to perform obstacle detection and localization in unpaved road environments. The proposed approach utilizes RADAR, LiDAR and stereovision fully for sensor fusion to detect and localize static natural obstacles. Each sensor is characterized by a probabilistic sensor model which quantifies level of confidence (LOC) and probability of detection (POD) associatively. Deploying these sensor models enables the fusion of heterogeneous sensors without extensive formulations and with the incorporation of each sensor's strengths. An Extended Kalman filter (EKF) is formulated and implemented for robust and computationally efficient RBE of obstacles' locations while a sensor-equipped vehicle moves and observes them. Results with a test vehicle show the successful detection and localization of a static natural object on an unpaved road has demonstrated the effectiveness of the proposed approach.Item A Methodology for Risk Assessment to Improve the Resilience and Sustainability of Critical Infrastructure With Case Studies From the United States Army(ASME, 2021) Blackwell, Neil; Evans, Aubrey; Lee, Phoebe; Panlasigui, Christine; Russell, Duncan; Wells, Ke'Shaun; McCarthy, Stephen; McCoy, Brad C.; Davidson, F. ToddReliable performance of energy and water infrastructure is central to the mission readiness of the United States Army. These systems are vulnerable to coordinated attacks from an adversary as well as disruption from natural events. The objectives of this work were to investigate Army installations in North America, identify best practices for improving the resilience and sustainability of critical energy and water infrastructure, and develop a framework and methodology for analyzing the resilience of an installation under varying outage scenarios. This work was accomplished using a multi-layered decision process to identify unique case studies from the 117 active-duty domestic Army installations. A framework for analyzing and assessing the resilience of an installation was then developed to help inform stakeholders. Metered energy and water data from buildings across Fort Benning, GA were curated to inform the modeling framework, including a discrete-event simulation of the supply and demand for energy and water on the installation using ProModel. This simulation was used to study the scale of solutions required to address outage events of varying frequency, duration, and magnitude, the combination of which is described as the severity of outages at a given site. This project helps develop a framework to inform how installations might meet Army Directive 2020-03, which states that installations must be able to sustain mission requirements for a minimum of 14 days after a disruption has occurred.Item A study on the resistance of SC walls subjected to missile impact using large-scale impact tests(International Journal of Impact Engineering, 2020) Kim, Kapsun; Lee, Kyungkoo; Shin, Jinwon; Lee, Jaegon; Varma, AmitNuclear power plants (NPP) should resist local impact loads such as aircraft engine impact as well as internal and external missile impacts based on the international regulations for NPP structures. Although a wide variety of studies on the local responses of conventional reinforced concrete (RC) walls under impact loading have been performed and the design methods for preventing local failure are previously established, no appropriate design methodology is available for steel-plate concrete (SC) walls except for that recently cited in AISC N690 specifications. In this paper, the local resistance and behavior of SC walls subjected to missile impact were investigated experimentally. A total of ten large-scale impact tests for SC and RC walls were performed. The SC wall specimens were designed using various parameters including wall thickness and steel-plate thickness (reinforcement ratio). A set of RC wall specimens were designed for comparison. Initial and residual velocities of projectile, strain and acceleration of the rear plate, local failure mode and deformation, etc. were measured utilizing high speed cameras and various instrumentation devices. From this study, the actual local impact behaviors of SC walls were investigated and the quantitative impact resistance was evaluated. Overall, the current AISC N690 design method was somewhat conservative and needs to be improved for beyond-design-basis events such as aircraft engine impact.Item Accelerating the Development of Engineering Judgment in Students through Inquiry-Based Learning Activities(ASEE, 2017) Bruhl, Jakob C.; Klosky, James Ledlie; Mainwaring, Todd; Hanus, Joseph P.It is well known that engineering judgment is critical to effective engineering practice, particularly when design thinking is required. As computer-aided design tools have made detailing far more automated, engineers are being asked to take on higher-level tasks earlier in their careers, necessitating the development of this judgment in undergraduates. This clearly has become a priority for many programs, as evidenced by the growth of project-based learning. Developing this type of judgment and creativity is challenging, but inquiry-based learning will play an important role and well-tested tools for inspiring new types of knowledge acquisition methods in our students are needed. This paper describes hands-on, inquiry-based learning activities that were recently designed and implemented in the first mechanics course taken by students in the Department of Civil and Mechanical Engineering at the US Military Academy in part to help accelerate the development of students’ engineering judgment. These activities enabled and encouraged knowledge acquisition through personal effort which inspires deeper inquiry. This introductory course combines statics and mechanics of materials: the activities described in this paper address both foundational topics. Inspired by inquiry-based learning techniques, these activities are student-focused rather than instructor-led activities and are somewhat open-ended. The first activity required students to assemble an engine hoist and use four basic scales and basic concepts in statics to determine the weight of an engine block. Students then predicted what would happen to the distribution of the weight as the location of the engine block moved along the engine hoist arm, reinforcing the concepts of reactions and moments of a force. Another activity used an aluminum load cell with longitudinal strain gages to weigh the engine block. This activity reinforced the concepts of stress, strain, and Hooke’s law while exposing students to the world of instrumentation and data acquisition for the first time. In another activity, students were asked to predict strains occurring within a beam in bending – before the concepts and theories of bending had been introduced. Challenging their previous knowledge about axial strain, the linear strain distribution through the depth of a beam was discovered by the students measuring strains at various points through the beam’s depth. Expanding this knowledge in a following lesson, students were required to predict strains on beams of equal cross-sectional area but different shapes (rectangle, square tube, and I-shape). These beams were loaded and strains were measured allowing students to observe the influence of moment of inertia on strain and, therefore, stress. Each of these activities was rich in what might be called “second order” learning, exploring topics (things like Wheatstone Bridges and analog-to-digital data conversion) well beyond the basic concepts and theory being taught. In addition to describing the activities in detail, this paper provides preliminary assessment data about the effect of the hands-on learning activities on specific learning objectives and more broadly within the context of developing judgment. Qualitative commentary on the use of these activities is also presented.Item Achieving bioinspired flapping wing hovering flight solutions on Mars via wing scaling(Bioinspir. Biomim., 2018) Bluman, James E.; Pohly, Jeremy A.; Sridhar, Madhu K.; Kang, Chang-kwon; Landrum, David Brian; Fahimi, Farbod; Aono, HikaruAchieving atmospheric flight on Mars is challenging due to the low density of the Martian atmosphere. Aerodynamic forces are proportional to the atmospheric density, which limits the use of conventional aircraft designs on Mars. Here, we show using numerical simulations that a flapping wing robot can fly on Mars via bioinspired dynamic scaling. Trimmed, hovering flight is possible in a simulated Martian environment when dynamic similarity with insects on earth is achieved by preserving the relevant dimensionless parameters while scaling up the wings three to four times its normal size. The analysis is performed using a well-validated 2D Navier–Stokes equation solver, coupled to a 3D flight dynamics model to simulate free flight. The majority of power required is due to the inertia of the wing because of the ultra-low density. The inertial flap power can be substantially reduced through the use of a torsional spring. The minimum total power consumption is 188 W kg−1 when the torsional spring is driven at its natural frequency.Item Adaptive Aerial Localization Using Lissajous Search Patterns(IEEE, 2022) Steckenrider, J. JosiahThis work presents an adaptive approach to cooperative aerial search and localization (SAL) which implements Lissajous search patterns and non-Gaussian observation likelihoods to preserve high target information. The adaptive component of the framework utilizes a simultaneous estimation and modeling technique to both estimate agent states and correct their motion models. In order to maximize the information available about a target even when it is not observed by a search agent, multi-Gaussian observation likelihoods are continuously generated for each agent and then fused across the search team. Monte Carlo simulation studies show that the proposed adaptive localization framework outperforms standard filtering techniques by significant margins, for a wide range of parameter values. The differential entropies of fused target likelihoods are studied for various multiagent Lissajous pattern configurations, leading to the derivation of optimal Lissajous parameters for cooperative SAL. This work has relevance for SAL applications in rescue, safety, and defense sectors, offering a robust solution to target localization when a priori target motion information is unavailable.Item Aerodynamic Analysis of a High Maneuverability Airframe Utilizing Magnetic Resonance Velocimetry and Reynolds-Averaged Navier-Stokes Simulations(American Institute of Aeronautics and Astronautics, 2017) Youn, Eric; Waugh, Alexander; Livingston, Zachary; Benson, Michael J.; Van Poppel, Bret P.; Verhulst, Claire; Ol, Michael V.; Medina, Albert; Silton, Sidra I.; Elkins, Christopher J.Experiments in water-facilities were conducted on a geometrically scaled, 81-mm diameter, fin-stabilized projectile, to validate numerical simulations. Experiments in a water channel (Stanford) used magnetic resonance velocimetry (MRV) to obtain fully 3D velocity measurements to observe and measure canard tip vortices interacting with the projectile’s tail-fins. Canards were deflected to 2° in a roll configuration. Experiments in the water tunnel (AFRL) were conventional force/moment and flow visualization, using a larger facility with lower blockage. Canards were deflected to 2° in a roll and pitch configuration in addition to the non-deflected case. The force and moment data were collected over a large range of angles of attack, while the MRV model only considered angles of attack of 0 and 2 degrees due to geometric limitations. Reynolds-Averaged Navier-Stokes (RANS) simulations produced similar results to those of the MRV. The MRV, flow visualization, and RANS results indicate that the HMA at 2° canard deflection and 2° projectile angle of attack causes significant tip vortex formation, which reaches the leading edge of the fins, which has previously been shown to cause degradation in projectile controllability.Item Airborne Delivery of Unmanned Aerial Vehicles via Joint Precision Airdrop Systems(American Institute of Aeronautics and Astronautics, 2019) Klinkmueller, Kurt; Wieck, Anthony; Holt, Joshua; Valentine, Andrew; Bluman, James E.; Kopeikin, Andrew; Prosser, EkaterinaThe purpose of this project is to provide a technology demonstration of the aerial delivery of cargo-carrying UAVs. This capability will allow small, high-value payloads to be delivered over the same long distances as the traditional airlift and Joint Precision Airdrop System (JPADS) combination with previously unattainable accuracy. A team of undergraduate students at the United States Military Academy accomplished this goal by designing, building, testing, and demonstrating a scale model of a UAV aerial delivery system. The customer for this product is the Aerial Delivery Directorate at Natick Soldier Research Development and Engineering Center, which will expand the scale model prototype into an operational system. The system leverages the existing technologies of JPADS and GPS-enabled multi-rotors and combines them to create the airdrop method of the future. The operational system will have the capability to deliver a 5-15 lb. payload to within 5 meters of the target location. This will enable effective resupply of individuals or troops in contact, who could pick up an airdrop without having to leave cover.Item Airplane Seating Assignment Problem(Service Science, 2021) Pavlik, John; Ludden, Ian G.; Jacobson, Sheldon H.; Sewell, Edward C.SARS-CoV-2, the virus that causes COVID-19, began infecting humans in late 2019 and has since spread to over 57 million people and caused over 1.75 million deaths, as of December 27, 2020. In response to reduced demand and travel restrictions as a result of COVID-19, airlines experienced a 94% reduction in passenger capacity worldwide in April and an estimated 60% reduction in passengers transported for all of 2020. SARS-CoV-2 has been shown to spread on airplanes by infected passengers, so minimizing the risk of secondary infections aboard aircraft may save lives. We present the airplane seating assignment problem (ASAP) to minimize transmission risks on airplanes, and we provide two models to solve ASAP. We show that both models can be effectively solved using a standard commercial solver and that seating assignments provided by these models have lower aggregate risk than the strategy of blocking the middle seats, given the same number of passengers. The available risk models for aircraft are based on influenza data, and hence risk models based on SARS-CoV-2 should be developed to maximize the benefits of our research.Item An Accelerated repair method for steel girders with severe end corrosion damage(Engineering Structures, 2022) McMullen, Kevin F.; Zaghi, Arash E.A novel repair method for corroded steel girder ends using ultra-high performance concrete (UHPC) has gained the attention of several departments of transportation. The method involves welding shear studs to the intact part of the web plate and encasing the end region in UHPC. This paper presents the findings of an experimental study on a full-scale girder aimed to assess the feasibility of rapid implementation of the repair. Reducing the construction complexities and time is critical in cases where access to the bridge is constrained or closing the bridge to traffic is not possible. To expedite and simplify repair construction, welded shear studs originally used to transfer loads to the UHPC cast were replaced with steel dowel rods. In place of conventional wooden formwork, a reusable flexible light-gauge sheet of steel was wrapped around the end. Installation of the shear connectors, installation of the form, and casting of the UHPC was completed by two workers within an eight-hour shift. The repaired girder was load tested after the UHPC gained a compressive strength of 96.5 MPa to demonstrate the adequacy of the repair for restoring the capacity of the intact girder end shortly after implementation. It is anticipated that this empirical data encourages the use of this repair technique to address the widespread problem of end corrosion in steel superstructures.Item An Enhanced Gas Turbine Engine Laboratory: A Learning Platform Supporting an Undergraduate Engineering Curriculum(ASME, 2019) Bellocchio, Andrew; Benson, Michael J.; Van Poppel, Bret P.; Norberg, Seth A.; Benz, RyanA gas turbine engine has supported the U.S. Military Academy’s mechanical engineering program for nearly three decades. Recent, substantial enhancements to the engine, controls, and data acquisition systems greatly increased the student experience by leveraging its broad capabilities beyond the original laboratory learning objectives. In this way, the laboratory served as a learning platform for more than just instruction on gas turbine fundamentals and the Brayton cycle. The engine is a refurbished auxiliary power unit from Pratt & Whitney Aeropower, installed in the Embrauer 120 and similar to a unit installed on a U.S. Army helicopter. Whereas the original laboratory experience permitted students to test the engine at three different loads applied by a water brake dynamometer, the revised experience allowed for a broader range of test conditions. The original laboratory included single point measurements of three temperatures and two pressures, along with the fuel flow rate, dynamometer torque, and engine speed. The revised laboratory allowed the user to vary bleed air and engine loads across an operational envelope at a user-specified acquisition rate. The improved data acquisition system used LabVIEW™ and included multiple state sensors for pressure, temperature, fuel flow, bleed air, and dynamometer performance, thereby enabling a more complete analysis by accounting for the energy transported by bleed airflow and absorbed by the water brake. Students then quantified the uncertainty in their measurements and analysis. The new emphasis on uncertainty quantification, part of a program-level initiative, challenged students’ notion of “substitute and solve” while also familiarizing them with large, experimental data sets. The re-envisioned laboratory raised the students’ level in the cognitive domain and served as their premier engine experience. Rather than merely observing engine adjustments across a small range of conditions, students designed their own laboratory experience. With the updated approach, students viewed a graphic of the turbine’s laboratory operating range and chose the key variables of interest — selecting data points within the laboratory operating range — and then justified their selections. The enhanced experience added analysis of flow exergy and exergetic efficiency. The exercise also challenged students to hypothesize why actual turbine performance was less than predicted and determine sources of error and uncertainty. Moreover, the new laboratory offers opportunities to expand the turbine engine’s utility from supporting a single thermal-fluids course to a multidisciplinary learning platform. Concluding remarks address concepts for augmenting course instruction in other courses within the curriculum, including heat transfer, mechanical vibrations, and dynamic modeling and controls.Item An Experimental Setup to Characterize Boundary Layer Asymmetry on a Spinning Projectile Using Magnetic Resonance Velocimetry(ASME, 2018) Siegel, Noah W.; Schlenker, Aaron P.; Sullivan, Kevin D.; Valdez, Isaiah L.; Snow, Chase P.; Benson, Michael J.; Van Poppel, Bret P.; Elkins, Christopher J.; Rodebaugh, Gregory P.Current CFD models fail to accurately predict boundary layer asymmetry on spin-stabilized projectiles, particularly in the transonic and subsonic flow regimes. Consequently, these models cannot accurately characterize the Magnus moment, a key component in aerodynamic behavior. This work seeks to capture boundary layer thickness asymmetry, an indicator of Magnus effects, around a spinning projectile using Magnetic Resonance Velocimetry (MRV). The MRV technique allows for collection of three-dimensional, non-intrusive, high-resolution velocity field measurements that can be used for comparison to and validation of current computational models. In this experiment, a modified M80 projectile was designed to thicken the hydrodynamic boundary layer for technique validation. The scaled projectile was mounted in a custom-designed test rig at a 2° nosedown angle of attack. The apparatus rotated the projectile at various spin rates in a constant flow of copper-sulfate solution. Initial results revealed azimuthal differences in boundary layer thickness for three different cases — no spin, nominal spin, and double spin — particularly in the tapered rear (boattail) region of the projectile. The introduction of spin shifted the boundary layer thickness in the spin direction resulting in lateral boundary layer asymmetry in the boattail region, a phenomenon that likely affects the stability of spin-stabilized projectiles.Item An Integrated Approach For Engineering Mechanics And Design(ASEE, 2007) Klosky, James Ledlie; Hains, Decker; Johnson, Timothy; Bruhl, Jakob C.; Erickson, Jared B.; Richards, JohnAs part of a major curriculum update undertaken over the last three years, the United States Military Academy at West Point has implemented a new course sequence in statics, mechanics and material science. This sequence involves teaching an introductory engineering course, CE300, to both engineering majors and non-majors, followed by CE364, a mechanics + material science course that is taken by those students majoring in Civil or Mechanical Engineering. The sequence integrates statics, mechanics of materials and a lesson block on material science; information that is traditionally separated across two or more courses, making it difficult for students to form the key connections between statics, mechanics and materials that are the bread- and-butter of the working engineer. Through tight coordination of these two courses, significant advances have been made in student attitudes, capabilities and, perhaps most importantly, engineering perspective. This sequence, CE300 + CE364, was created in response to curriculum changes arising from the Department of Civil & Mechanical Engineering’s slow-loop assessment process and a desire on the part of the Academy to implement a complete revision of the undergraduate engineering experience for non-engineering majors. CE300 – Fundamentals of Engineering Mechanics and Design became the first course in engineering for both majors and non-majors. This large change in the earliest part of the student’s engineering experience suggested two questions - could this course truly serve both engineering and non-engineering students and could the tight coordination of the two-semester pair of courses be effectively implemented? This paper explores these questions, the answer to which we believe is a resounding “yes!” CE300 is now the first course of a two-course sequence in basic statics and solid mechanics and builds the foundation in mechanics and design for all civil and mechanical engineering majors. The key finding of this effort, expanded on in this paper, is that by combining statics with introductory mechanics of materials, CE300 now includes exciting elements of design that are not generally taught in a traditional statics course. For instance, where students were previously constrained to answer only what forces acted on the members of a truss, they can now attach something more physical to that computation and get the feeling of accomplishment that comes with actually designing something by choosing an appropriate a material type and size for the truss member based on stress and/or deformation requirements. The second course in the sequence was originally CE364 – Mechanics of Materials and although it maintained its original name, the content now includes a more in-depth coverage of mechanics of materials and an introduction to material science, content that had previously been simply missing from the civil engineering curriculum. The result is a well-blended sequence of courses that provides an exciting introduction to engineering and gives engineering students the opportunity to begin the exciting process of design within the first five weeks rather than waiting for follow-on courses. This paper discusses the approaches and content of both courses as well as the linkage between the two. Assessment data related to student achievement and perceptions is also analyzed, and suggestions for further improvement of the sequence are included.Item An Investigation of First-Year Engineering Student and Instructor Perspectives of Learning Analytics Approaches(Journal of Learning Analytics, 2016) Knight, David B.; Brozina, Cory; Novoselich, BrianThis paper investigates how first-year engineering undergraduates and their instructors describe the potential for learning analytics approaches to contribute to students’ success. Results of qualitative data collection in a first-year engineering course indicated that both students and instructors emphasized a preference for learning analytics systems to focus on aggregate as opposed to individual data. Another consistent theme across students and instructors was an interest in bringing data related to time (e.g., how time is spent outside of class) into learning analytics products. Students’ and instructors’ viewpoints diverged in the “level” at which they would find a learning analytics dashboard useful—instructors remained focused on a specific class, but students drove the conversation to a much broader scope at the major or university level but in a discipline-specific manner. Such practices that select relevant data and develop models with learners and teachers instead of for learners and teachers should better inform development of and, ultimately, sustainable use of learning analytics-based models and dashboards.Item An Investigation of Search Algorithms for Aerial Reconnaissance of an Area Target(Society for Industrial and Systems Engineering, 2022-12-25) Blakenship, Rory; Bluman, James E.; Steckenrider, J. JosiahAs drone technology becomes increasingly accessible in commercial and defense sectors, it is important to establish efficient ways of employing the technology to leverage its inherent advantages. In the context of a chemical, biological, radiological, and nuclear (CBRN) attack, an unmanned aerial system (UAS) can provide an understanding of the area affected by contaminants in a faster and safer way than a manned reconnaissance mission. Commonly used deterministic paths provide comprehensive coverage but they can require a substantial amount of time to reach each sector within a search space. The recently proposed Lissajous search pattern provides easily tunable parameters that can be adjusted according to the search space and anticipated size of the target. This paper provides an evaluation of Lissajous patterns against canonical search patterns and investigates ways of maximizing their efficiency for various target sizes.