2024 COES Design and Research Conference

Welcome to the Spring 2024 First-Year Projects Showcase. This event features projects from first-year engineering, computer science, and physics students.

All engineering students take the first-year engineering course sequence called Living with the Lab. Many of the products you see here are the culmination of a year-long, project-based learning experience where the Arduino microcontroller is used for sensing and control applications. Each student participant owns and maintains their own equipment, providing a mechanism for boosting hands-on learning for large numbers of students; our hope is that this project-based approach will make our students more competent, confident, and innovative. Through the course sequence, they gain skills and knowledge that enable them to design and build full-function working prototypes for a project of their choosing, which are featured at the First-year Projects Showcase.

All Computer Science and Cyber Engineering students participate in the Living with Cyber curriculum during their first year. This three-part course sequence uses a Raspberry Pi platform to expose the students to the pillars of computing: algorithms, Computer Programming, Computer Architecture, and Data Structures. Students are expected to identify a problem area they are passionate about and apply the hands-on nature of the curriculum to design and implement a solution to that problem that leverages the concepts taught and the hands-on nature of the curriculum.

First-year physics students will be featured at the Showcase for the first time. These students will be highlighting physics concepts through interactive demonstrations.

Feel free to browse the projects and demonstrations that our students have conceived, designed, and prototyped.

Schedule

6:00 – 7:00 Open House – Visitors are invited to check out the projects
Visitors are asked to wait in the IESB Project-Based Learning Office lobby area (IESB 136) until 6:00 pm.

7:00 – 7:15 Presentation of awards

Living with Cyber Projects

228. Sensory Piano

Advisor: Mr. Thomas Bowman

Team Members: Alayna Felder-Fields, Justus Blanchard, Grayson Lessard, Zachary Truxillo

Our piano enables the deaf or hearing-impaired to experience music in their own way through vibrations. Additionally, each key is equipped with braille corresponding to its respective note. Notes pressed can be heard through a small speaker and felt from tiny motors in the back of the key. A screen seated inside of the case displays notes played and the octave range.

Subfields: Accessibility, Music, Education

229. Bike Alert

Advisor: Mr. Thomas Bowman

Team Members: Euan Powell, Austin Pearson, Caden Gardner

A Bike Alert is a device that detects when it has fallen over while attached to a bike. It sends an alert to a connected device of the user’s choice, sounds an alarm, and alerts the authorities.

Subfields: Public Welfare, Public Safety

230. Card Shuffler/Dispenser

Advisor: Mr. Thomas Bowman

Team Members: Gabriel Amorello, Connor Turner, Caleb Self

The cards are put into the device, and with some user input, the shuffler will shuffle the cards. The shuffler can reload the cards, reshuffle them, and dispense them out the front.
Subfields: Casinos Could Use It for Random Shuffling to Lower the Number of Card Counters

231. Nutrition Scanner

Advisor: Mr. Joshua Coriell

Team Members: Cooper Boling, Jude Barcelona, Sean Roberts

A device that can scan nutrition labels, record that data, and store it in a data set. This data set can be referenced later by a scale to calculate the exact macros of a food item. Calorie and macro tracking functionality will also be included.

Subfields: Personal Health Tracking and Nutritional Sciences

232. Caffeine Call

Advisor: Mr. Joshua Coriell

Team Members: Saphal Pant, Jack Revelett

The project endeavors to create a user-friendly web-based coffee maker complete with an integrated alarm system. Through an intuitive graphical user interface (GUI), users can easily input their preferred amount of coffee and creamer and set the brewing time. Once configured, the system autonomously initiates the brewing process at the designated time. Upon completion, an alarm promptly notifies the user, ensuring they enjoy their freshly brewed coffee without delay. This innovative solution seamlessly combines convenience and automation, enhancing the coffee brewing experience for users.

Subfields: IoT (Internet of Things), Home Automation, Robotics

233. Cipher Helper

Advisor: Mr. Joshua Coriell

Team Members: Garrett Lee King, Kylie Kleam, Gage Renfrow

This project is a system of tools that will allow individuals to engage with and learn about ciphers and cryptography in a manner that is more convenient and accessible than other methods or alternatives. Our project includes the ability to encode and decode simple ciphers and go through a small learning course dedicated to the basic aspects of cryptography.

Subfields: Cryptography, Education

301. Productivity Pal

Advisor: Mr. Joshua Coriell

Team Members: Colin Bass, Lily Williams, Danison Zhang

A small external device beside the workspace is designed to hold the user accountable. It can monitor web activity and react accordingly to time spent on websites specified by the user as time-wasting or productive. The device allows for the customization of verbal messages and time limits on user-specified websites.

Subfields: Productivity, Study

302. Note Flow

Advisor: Mr. Joshua Coriell

Team Members: Amanda Berg, Brandon Jones, Caleb Davis

This project is software that is designed to aid musicians in practicing music. It includes a metronome, a tuner, and a music transcriber.

Subfields: Music

 303. AI for all

Advisor: Mr. Joshua Coriell

Team Members: William Woodson, Dylan Johnso, Ginny Bowen

AI for all is a customizable machine learning code that allows users to submit photos and outline the parts that they want the computer to learn to recognize. This would allow for them to make their own recognition program for faces, specific symbols, image-to-speech, and more.

Subfields: Security, Facial Recognition, Machine Learning

304. Animal Index

Advisor: Mr. Joshua Coriell

Team Members: Dalton Branch, Lane Aguillard, Tyler Chapman

An index that contains information on a wide variety of animal species. A camera scans an animal and displays an image of that animal along with important information about it.

Subfields: Zoology

305. C.A.K.E (Centralized Automatic Knife Engager)

Advisor: Mr. Joshua Coriell

Team Members: Griffin Willingham, Joseph Henson, Cameron Storer

The C.A.K.E is a device meant to automate the cutting of soft, round foods such as pie or cake. The screen is used to configure the cutting process, the item is placed on the tray, and the machine starts; it automatically rotates and slices for efficient, convenient serving.

Subfields: Kitchen Appliances

306. Med-Alert

Advisor: Mr. Joshua Coriell

Team Members: Elia Browning, Joseph Matherne, Rachel Dahl

Our system will allow people to set reminders for medications using Bluetooth connections and an encrypted UI. A weight sensor will monitor whether medications have been taken, and a contact sensor will track if the pill bottle has been opened. The system will re-alert the user and can be enabled to contact a caretaker when medications aren’t taken on time.

Subfields: Pharmaceuticals, Personal Healthcare

307. Lil’ Spotter

Advisor: Mr. Joshua Coriell

Team Members: Colin Campbell, Dylan Pellegrin, Trey Harrelson

This project is a device that is intended to give helpful feedback to someone working out in the gym. The user will enter the amount of weight they are lifting using the Graphical User Interface and secure Lil’ Spotter to the weight they are moving. The device will track the position and velocity over the duration of the user’s workout. It will give the user useful feedback based on the data, such as an estimated 1-rep max, rep range suggestions, and the weight the person should aim for in the next workout.

Subfields: Fitness, Exercise Science, Kinesiology

308. StudySmart

Advisor: Mr. Joshua Coriell

Team Members: August Vaurigaud, Stephanie Causey, Joseph Dalferes

For our CSC 132 Final project, we want to focus on study space availability around the campus since students often have to walk all around campus trying to find an empty space to study during the week. Using our Potato and ultrasonic sensors, we will be able to create an interface to detect how many people are present in a certain area. We will make a GUI showcasing different areas of the campus, such as Tolliver, The Library, and the IESB, on a map with either a green mark(indicating there are plenty of study spaces) or a red mark(most or all of the spaces are taken). Using this information, students will be able to make the best decision on their study space.

Subfields: Education, Time Management, Lifestyle, Office/Workplace

309. Room Traffic Tracker

Advisor: Mr. Joshua Coriell

Team Members: Jacob James, Daniel Sauer, Jacob Still

Make a device to track traffic in and out of a room. Use a ping ultrasonic sensor to detect when someone enters/leaves a room, and display this data on a web app.

Subfields: Utility, Data Tracking, Commercial Use

310. Rook Radar

Advisor: Mr. Thomas Bowman

Team Members: Kameron Stuckey, Zach Newton, Hunter Harris

Program in which a webcam analyzes a physical chessboard and outputs the most optimal move

Subfields: Game Development, Computer Vision and Image Processing, AI and Machine Learning, Education and Training

311. The Key-Minder by The Forgetful Four

Advisor: Mr. Joshua Coriell

Team Members: Ian Alvis, Krish Gurung, Carter Caraway

Our Project is a proposal for a smartphone app that can be updated at any time with a list of reminders and dates for tasks. On the app, you can see set reminders, their due dates, the dates they were set, and finished reminders. These reminders will automatically update to the Key-Minder, a smart key hook. Using a UV sensor, the Key-Minder will automatically detect the key being removed from the hook and will respond by flashing a series of colors reflecting the reminders and urgency. The closer you are to your deadline, the more intense and urgent the colors will be, changing from green to red. It serves as a way to jog your memory, reminding you of the urgency of your reminders. It will be demonstrated using a TKinter GUI interface connected to an Arduino Prototype.

Subfields: Daily Life, Household Appliance, Smartphone App

312. Plant Palace

Advisor: Mr. Joshua Coriell

Team Members: Thomas Meguess, Collyn Valentine

A greenhouse that takes information about the environment of the plant and displays information about the current environment and status of the plant with implementation to keep the environment stable for the plant

Subfields: Botany, Gardening

313. UnlockID

Advisor: Mr. Joshua Coriell

Team Members: Jayden Cote, Michael Poe, Satyendra Raj Singh

Our project intends to combine a graphical keypad and a camera to secure a box or safe. We intend to use the camera to search for faces in front of it and match them to faces stored in a database of users who have access. We also have an encrypted keypad that uses passwords for each user, so even if our code were breached, all user data regarding passwords would be preserved.

Subfields: Security

314. Workout Form Detector

Advisor: Mr. Thomas Bowman

Team Members: Alan Dreher, Caden McCann, Diego Medina

This program will help you improve your workout form and reduce the possibility of injuring yourself during your workout. It will accomplish this by comparing the key coordinates of the limbs in your chosen workout to the coordinates of “proper form.” Then, depending on how far the group of coordinates is, it will categorize them according to how well you are performing.

Subfields: Health, Fitness

315. Not Wii Fit

Advisor: Mr. Joshua Coriell

Team Members: Nick Parker, Fayrouz Z, Eli St. Germain

Create an application that tracks and displays the user’s weight compared to a long-term weight goal. The user will choose a loss/gain of a selected weight per week, along with physical characteristics and daily activity. The device will then output a daily caloric and macronutrient intake.

Subfields: Fitness, Health, Lifestyle

316. Infrared Theremin – IRT

Advisor: Mr. Thomas Bowman

Team Members: Christian Conway, Joshua Nguyen, Andrew Worsham

The Theremin is an innovative musical instrument designed for musicians who enjoy experimenting with sound. Our project offers an accessible, cost-effective way to create unique sounds and notes without the need for traditional instrument training. The Theremin is played by manipulating sound using the user’s hand movements in the air. Two infrared sensors measure the distance between the hand and the device, altering the pitch and volume accordingly.

Subfields: Entertainment, Music Production, Educational

317. Car Guard Plus

Advisor: Mr. Thomas Bowman

Team Members: Harrisson Day, Logan Enloe

Our project is a parking camera that can be fitted onto any car for a much more affordable price than a big fancy Tesla or Range Rover, with much more coverage that these big companies don’t offer. This product aims to help those with visual disadvantages who may need aid in parking without hurting or causing damage to others and their vehicles. It will utilize ultrasonic sensors to determine the car’s distance from objects, and when the car is approaching an object, it will engage a camera with accompanied auditory input to warn the driver of a potential fender bender.

Subfields: Health & Safety, Visual Aid for Those in Need, Car Safety

318. BigRig Metrics

Advisor: Mr. Joshua Coriell

Team Members: Ross Hebert, Sage Hargrove

Our Tire Management System records many variables on 18-wheeler trailers, including Tire temperature, road temperature, miles driven on tire, and tire pressure. We then display this to the driver so they can keep aware of the trailer status while also sending potential danger alerts. Its main focus is 18-wheelers, but it can also be used for other vehicles.

Subfields: Transportation, Automotive Technology, Risk Management

319. Chop-Master Pro

Advisor: Mr. Joshua Coriell

Team Members: Brandon Fortes, Blair Bourque, Adam Guillory

The Chop-Master Pro is an automatic cutting board that combines robotic technology and human inputs to attempt to cut any food items or ingredients a person would need to cut. The GUI allows the user to control factors such as the size of the item being cut, the type of cut that the user wants, and the thickness of the slices for the item being cut. The robot works by combining an Arduino and Raspberry Pi, in which the Pi tells the Arduino where to move the arms that hold the knife and can cut the food.

Subfields: Home Appliances, Robotics

320. Guardian Sense-All

Advisor: Mr. Joshua Coriell

Team Members: Malee Grenella, Blaine Hord, Shashi Bhandari

This project aims to make a device that can measure toxic levels of combustible gasses and radiation in an industrial setting. The goal is to make it as portable and wearable as possible so an employee can always have a life-saving toxicity monitoring device while in a plant or industrial site.

Subfields: Fire Safety, Industrial Workplace Safety, Public Safety

321. Detection Vest for the Blind

Advisor: Mr. Joshua Coriell

Team Members: Jeffrey Barker, Serenity Wallace, Jackson Phelps

This vest will be an aid for the blind. Using sensors, the person will be directionally aware in 360 degrees from other people, objects, and anything else that they could run into or that can run into them. Once a sensor detects an object, the vest will vibrate in that direction so the person feels where an upcoming hazard will be. The vibrations will be set into intervals based on the distance away the object is, getting faster as the object approaches. The project will also have its own GUI system that implements text-to-speech to turn off/on the device and change the distance of the detection.

Subfields: Public Safety, Disability Aid, Convenience, and Cost Effectiveness

322. Speed Typing DVORAK

Advisor: Mr. Thomas Bowman

Team Members: Maygoal Behbahani, Taylor Dement, Jillian Sisson

The Speed Typing program enables users to improve their typing speed and accuracy through interactive exercises. The project typically involves creating a user-friendly interface where users can practice typing exercises, track their progress, and receive feedback on their performance. Users are prompted to type the displayed text, and the software records their typing speed (words per minute) and accuracy (error rate). Overall, the speed typing project aims to provide an effective and enjoyable way for users to enhance their typing skills, ultimately increasing their productivity and efficiency in various computer-based tasks.

Subfields: User Interface Design, Progress Tracking and Analytics, Educational Technology

323. EmotiGlow

Advisor: Mr. Thomas Bowman

Team Members: Ashton Harrell, Jennifer Wright, Tia Ransom, Tess Gardner

According to color theory psychology, facial recognition software identifies emotions and changes ambient lighting accordingly to counteract mood. A GUI element is also present to allow users to access “lamp” lighting directly without a camera.

Subfields: Psychology, Machine Learning, Algorithms

324. Blackjack Bot

Advisor: Mr. Thomas Bowman

Team Members: Aiden Thomas, Kelin Formes, Bradon Wilson, and Deion Davis

Our project uses image detection from the yolov3 library to detect playing cards. After detecting, it will differentiate between dealer and player cards and give the player input on whether to hit or stand. It also keeps a running count of the cards providing an advantage for the player.

Subfields: Social, Gambling, and Learning

325. Student Grade Tracker

Advisor: Mr. Thomas Bowman

Team Members: Lane Boughton, Patrick Dinger, Jacob Phillips, Adesh Ghimire

The user will be able to add and remove grades, receive reminders of upcoming assignments, and calculate their grade based on weight or points.

Subfields: Education Technology, Data Management, Time Management, Collaboration

326. Space Oregon Trail

Advisor: Mr. Thomas Bowman

Team Members: Braxton Ballard, Shane Crawford, Jonathan Dequeant

This is a spaced-themed text-based RPG similar to “The Oregon Trail.” It has a world map, random events, and combat. The game is also procedurally generated, allowing for replayability.

Subfields: Game Design

327. WiseBites

Advisor: Mr. Thomas Bowman

Team Members: Grayson Boyette, Ashton Alston, Jonathan Hopkins

Our website is designed to help users manage and improve their health by providing personalized diet plans based on their BMI and other inputs. We utilize HTML and CSS to ensure the website is both aesthetically pleasing and easy to navigate. The core functionalities, such as calculating personalized schedules and regimes, are powered by Python. We are also considering setting up a dedicated web server to host our website, which would allow us to offer these personalized services to the public at large.

Subfields: Fitness, Dieting, College Life

328. Tech Connect

Advisor: Mr. Thomas Bowman

Team Members: Kaleb McHenry, Simeon McFarland, Samuel Cook

Our project is a website designed to pull known information about Louisiana Tech’s events, such as sports, club meetings, ministry events, academic events, and fundraisers. The website will have a login for users to make a profile. Then they will be prompted to select from broad interests. These interests will be included in a list of events, including dates and locations. This website will be beneficial for students and even teachers to see what events are going on campus; this also helps bring together information spread across sources of information, such as Snapchat, Instagram, Facebook, and emails. This information will be posted monthly so the user can see which month has events.

Subfields: Information for Campus Events

329. Project Escape

Advisor: Mr. Thomas Bowman

Team Members: Savannah Stokes, Noah Folse, Jianna Morris

A customizable, electronic puzzle box for otherwise infeasible puzzles intended for escape rooms.

Subfields: Game Development, Security, Business

330. Aggressive Assistant

Advisor: Mr. Thomas Bowman

Team Members: Reid Jourdan, James Graham, Nathan Silvernale, Dylan Ronquille

This project consists of three features: a Timer, a Reminder, and a To-Do List. A Timer triggers after a set time, a Reminder triggers at a set time and date, and a To-Do List is a list of reminders to do within a time frame. For the trigger for all of these features, the alarm will be an AI-generated response with an aggression level based on the user input. When creating any of these, the user will set the specifics along with an aggression level (1-5). This will determine how nice or rude the alarm trigger will be upon completion. These can be made with either voice input or using a GUI on the touch screen.

Subfields: Productivity, Psychology, Home System