Current Projects for Senior Design: CS, ECE, EEE, MDE, and MSE

PHARM Team

1. Autonomous Assisted Dispensing Device-This project is designed to create a device which allows the visually impaired to take their medication autonomously. While there are products on the market for the visually impaired to take their medicine, they often rely on the help of the pharmacist or a caregiver. The goal is to create a device which allows autonomy while also stressing safety.  The product will be easy to use so patients will not have trouble accessing and using the device to take medicine.  This will require complex programming (such as computer vision) and hardware development (such as sensor fusion and mechanical operation). The current expectation is that the product will either have a visual and/or tactile interface to facilitate use.  The project will be involving medicine dispensed by the Purdue Pharmacy, and include an internal system that will keep tract of medicine that they give to patients. 
2. Medical Automated Solutions -The objective of the project is to develop an automated dispenser to be used in the pharmacy setting for unit-of-use products that protects against human error. The dispenser must work within the systems of a smaller, local pharmacy, and function in the limited space of a small pharmacy environment. It must also be customizable and durable to keep up with a pharmacist in different seasons and meet diverse patient needs. Because various packages come in different sizes, the design of the output of the dispensing unit must be considered to accommodate various types of unit-of-use packaged medication. This will require complex programming (such as computer vision) and hardware development (such as sensor fusion and mechanical operation). 

SCAN Team –Purdue Parking :Smart Parking System for Northwestern Garage 

1. Development of Sensor-Based Parking Spot Tracking System - The project aims to create a system that tracks and displays the number of available parking spaces in the Northwestern parking garage at Purdue University. This system will utilize sensors (ultrasonic and photoelectric) to detect when a parking spot is occupied by a vehicle, distinguishing it from pedestrians or bikes. The initial phase involves testing these sensors on two parking spaces, with the goal of expanding to cover all floors of the garage. This system will address the increasing demand for parking on campus and streamline the parking process for students, staff, and visitors. 
2. Creation of a User-Friendly Parking App - In conjunction with the sensor system, to develop a mobile application that will display real-time information about available parking spots. Users will be able to easily check the number of open spaces in the Northwestern garage before arriving on campus. The app will be designed with input from Purdue Parking to ensure it meets the needs of the Purdue community. Future iterations may include expanding the app's coverage to other parking facilities across campus, providing a comprehensive parking solution for the entire university. 

MOBI Team – Beep Hockey

This project is designed to create a mechanical design/build hockey puck to house electronics Electrical battery charging and battery management, circuit design, audio amplifiers, and acoustics. 

PLAY Team – Interactive toys for children with autism spectrum disorders

Working with a therapy clinic in Bloomington Indiana to develop, build, and test new interactive toys that engage preschool to elementary school children in learning through games and playing.  Senior design students may bring their own ideas or develop new ones with the project partner.

EdTech

This educational technology initiative aims to bridge the digital divide by developing a comprehensive web-based learning platform specifically designed for children in under-resourced communities with limited access to traditional public education. The platform features an innovative graphical interface that makes it accessible to all young learners, while offering engaging content across three core subjects: English literacy, mathematics, and science. Through gamified lesson levels incorporating videos and interactive quizzes, students can progress at their own pace, while teachers monitor their advancement through a sophisticated dashboard that updates within five seconds of lesson completion. The system supports 20 distinct lessons within an expandable database schema, ensuring room for future growth. Security and user-friendliness are paramount in the design, with special attention paid to creating an intuitive interface that accommodates varying levels of technological experience. This platform represents a scalable solution to educational accessibility challenges, combining pedagogical effectiveness with technological innovation. 

BME Team – Medical Technology and Exhibits

1. AutoCPR  Project – The purpose of this project is to continue the work on a low-cost, portable, automated CPR device to combat lack of access, rescuer fatigue, and to keep patients alive in rural areas long enough for transportation to a medical facility. This project was created in response to hundreds of deaths after the 2016 earthquake due to first responders’ inability to deliver CPR. Thus, this automated CPR machine will benefit any victims of natural disasters and the first responders in those events. The project partner Dr. Uquillas hopes to implement this device in Quito, Ecuador, especially those in rural areas that are within 45 minutes to emergency services. This project will involve heavy ECE design for the motor control unit, implementing a PCB design for the final iteration.

2. FlappyBoiler Project – The goal of the Flappy Boiler team is to create a museum exhibit that uses EMG signals that will be used to educate and introduce small children to the field of biomedical engineering. This project needs to be able to educate a relatively complex topic to little kids and attract little kid's attention, so the Flappy Boiler team decided to create a side scroller game using EMG signals as the controls. The EMG signal is gathered by electrodes on an athletic sleeve. This signal is then amplified and filtered in order to have a clean, usable signal the game can use effectively. This project will involve coding, signal acquisition, filtering, and thresholding design for EMG signal acquisition and processing.

IMS Team

EPICS Senior Design Website- The Project aims to create a comprehensive online platform to enhance program management and student engagement. This website will showcase available projects, automate student-project matching, and streamline end-of-semester documentation collection. Key features include a dynamic project showcase with detailed descriptions and required skills, a matching algorithm to pair students with appropriate projects, and an automated documentation management system. The platform will serve EPICS administrators, team advisors, and senior design students, improving project selection, student engagement, and administrative efficiency. By centralizing project information, facilitating student matching, and automating documentation processes, this website will support the scalability and standardization of the EPICS Senior Design program, ultimately empowering students to make a constructive impact on the local community through real-world projects. 

LTHC (Lafayette Transitional Housing Center) -The Project aims to develop a user-friendly website that connects the homeless community in Lafayette with vital resources. In partnership with the Lafayette Transitional Housing Center (LTHC), this initiative will create an easily accessible digital platform providing information on food, housing, medical care, and emergency services. The website will be designed with simplicity in mind, ensuring that even those with limited technological experience can navigate it effectively. Key features include categorized resource listings, easy-to-understand symbols, and the ability for LTHC to update information regularly. While primarily serving the homeless population of Lafayette, the project has potential for expansion to cover Tippecanoe County. By bridging the information gap, this website will empower individuals experiencing homelessness to locate and utilize available support services, ultimately contributing to LTHC's mission of ending homelessness in the area. 

SISC Team – Water filtration solutions and alternative energy systems

SISC stands for "sustainable infrastructure for small communities", and the team has been partnering with universities and Indigenous communities in Northern Colombia to address lack of reliable sources of potable water and electricity for small, secluded communities.

BME

Smart Feeding Tube 

By leveraging sound analysis and advanced signal processing, this system will provide real-time confirmation of correct feeding tube positioning in the stomach. The project combines expertise in biomedical engineering with electrical engineering principles, focusing on developing specialized acoustic sensors, signal processing algorithms, and custom circuit hardware.