Thursday Feb. 26 will be an informal meeting in PKI340 at 7:30. There may be something to eat or drink.
1. Election updates
2. Union Pacific Design Competition Workshop
-We will help you with getting a design out of your proposal
3. SPIRIT Robot Track Design Meeting
-We have supplies and are ready to design and build
Come hang out, talk, and work on something fun.
Wednesday, February 25, 2009
Wednesday, February 11, 2009
UNL Spring Career Fair
Career Fair Feb. 18th in Lincoln
Talk with your classmates and try to car pool.
http://www.unl.edu/careers/springfair/index.shtml
Talk with your classmates and try to car pool.
http://www.unl.edu/careers/springfair/index.shtml
Wednesday, February 4, 2009
Arduino Design Contest
This event is a heavily modified version of last years grab bag. The competition is sponsored by Union Pacific. Here is a quick rundown of how it is going to happen.
The competition is open to ALL UNO students but is targeted at IEEE members and computer/electronic engineering skills will be useful. That being said there are only 20 kits available. IEEE members will receive preference. After that it is on a first come first serve basis, assuming your proposal is up to par.
Proposals
The proposal should be a half to a full page in length. Get yours in asap. Email them to pki.ieee@gmail.com as a PDF. The proposals show us that you are interested and have committed some time to this before we just hand you an impressive bag of parts. They also ask you to think about the larger picture, how a product would fit into a business, not just the technical design.
The proposal should include a description of the technical solution along with a business case for the product. This should include who is building the solution now, the production costs, what the market is you are going after, and how your product addresses their needs.
Problems
The problems are railroad specific. This gives students insight into the engineering problems Union Pacific faces. Solve one or more in whole or in part using the parts supplied.
We will give you an Arduino board (most likely Seeeduino) along with some sensors and interface components. The kits will be different based on your proposed solution. We will provide ~$60 in sensors from the incomplete list below. If you have more suggestions please email me with them.
All participants will get tee-shirt (design contest specific, more to come on this). The top two will win a significant prize, current proposals are an Ipod touch or a development tool like this usb oscope/function generator. (http://www.poscope.com/product.php?pid=13). Once we get the 25 participants locked in we will be looking for feedback on which you would prefer.
- We give you a list of problems to solve
- You get excited and write a short proposal
- We give you a parts kit
- You make a solution and come show it off sometime towards the end of April
- You walk away with sweet prizes and a smile
The competition is open to ALL UNO students but is targeted at IEEE members and computer/electronic engineering skills will be useful. That being said there are only 20 kits available. IEEE members will receive preference. After that it is on a first come first serve basis, assuming your proposal is up to par.
Proposals
The proposal should be a half to a full page in length. Get yours in asap. Email them to pki.ieee@gmail.com as a PDF. The proposals show us that you are interested and have committed some time to this before we just hand you an impressive bag of parts. They also ask you to think about the larger picture, how a product would fit into a business, not just the technical design.
The proposal should include a description of the technical solution along with a business case for the product. This should include who is building the solution now, the production costs, what the market is you are going after, and how your product addresses their needs.
Problems
The problems are railroad specific. This gives students insight into the engineering problems Union Pacific faces. Solve one or more in whole or in part using the parts supplied.
- When systems exposed to the elements fail, it can be difficult to quickly determine if the device or a cable has failed. Moisture in a cable can cause it to fail. Determine if the cable has failed or if there is moisture in the cable.
- Equipment is enclosed in remote huts. Monitor a small room for the presence of a person to prevent theft and provide information in the event a technician becomes incapacitated.
- Horns on locomotives must meet certain regulations. From a specific distance within specific humidity, wind, and temperature parameters a horn must be loud enough. Verify the sound level as well as the humidity, wind, and temperature.
- A variety of equipment configurations used require
scustom cables. The pin-out of the cables must be verified. Automatically determine the layout of a cable. - Many different radios are used with different cable and antenna configurations. Verify radio equipment is transmitting the appropriate signal strength over the air and provide a measurement of signal strength.
- Crews working around the track must be alerted when a train is coming. Detect a train and alert the crew.
- Inventorying a large amount of equipment in a short amount of time is necessary when a locomotive enters a shop. Wirelessly track and verify an inventory of equipment.
We will give you an Arduino board (most likely Seeeduino) along with some sensors and interface components. The kits will be different based on your proposed solution. We will provide ~$60 in sensors from the incomplete list below. If you have more suggestions please email me with them.
- Sharp IR sensors (sparkfun: GP2Y0A21YK $9.95 10-80cm, GP2Y0A02YK0F $15.95 15-150cm, GP2D120XJ00F $13.95 3-40cm)
- 3 axis accelerometer on break out board $19.95 sparkfun (MMA7260Q, LIS302DL)
- Ultrasonic range finder $27.95 from sparkfun (Maxbotix LV-EZ0 0-255 inches in 1 inch increments)
- Thermistors $1-$2 Jameco
- Humidity and Temperature Sensor $41.95 from sparkfun (SHT15 Sensirion)
- RFID reader Innovations ID-12 $29.95 from sparkfun. RFID tags $1.95 each from sparkfun
- Xbee module 1mw with wire antenna $21.95 from sparkfun
- 315Mhz transmitter from sparkfun $3.95
- 315Mhz receiver from sparkfun $4.95
- microphone and op-amp ~$5
- KC7783R PIR Detector Module $9.45 from electronics123.com
- Photo Interrupter CNZ1120 $1.95 from sparkfun.com
All participants will get tee-shirt (design contest specific, more to come on this). The top two will win a significant prize, current proposals are an Ipod touch or a development tool like this usb oscope/function generator. (http://www.poscope.com/product.php?pid=13). Once we get the 25 participants locked in we will be looking for feedback on which you would prefer.
PKI Brains & Brawn Competition
In Honor of National Engineers Week.
A student and faculty competition involving
Wed. February 18
3 pm Treasure Hunt... PKI Atrium
Fri. February 20
10-12pm Game Show Trivia Competition... PKI Atrium
12-1pm Lunch
1-3pm Physical Competition
3-3:30pm Awards
Register by Friday Feb 13 or ASAP.
http://www.engineering.unl.edu/Events/PKI-Info-Science-Tech-Week/bbregistration.shtml
Optimal teams have 6 or greater members and a faculty member[not required].
This is a great chance to take a Friday for some fun and school camaraderie.
Find a team today.
Rules:
http://www.engineering.unl.edu/Events/PKI-Info-Science-Tech-Week/B-BRules.pdf
More info:
http://www.engineering.unl.edu/Events/PKI-Info-Science-Tech-Week/B-BFlier2008-2-13.pdf
A student and faculty competition involving
Wed. February 18
3 pm Treasure Hunt... PKI Atrium
Fri. February 20
10-12pm Game Show Trivia Competition... PKI Atrium
12-1pm Lunch
1-3pm Physical Competition
3-3:30pm Awards
Register by Friday Feb 13 or ASAP.
http://www.engineering.unl.edu/Events/PKI-Info-Science-Tech-Week/bbregistration.shtml
Optimal teams have 6 or greater members and a faculty member[not required].
This is a great chance to take a Friday for some fun and school camaraderie.
Find a team today.
Rules:
http://www.engineering.unl.edu/Events/PKI-Info-Science-Tech-Week/B-BRules.pdf
More info:
http://www.engineering.unl.edu/Events/PKI-Info-Science-Tech-Week/B-BFlier2008-2-13.pdf
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