Exploration of Fabrication Methods for Origami-Inspired Systems to Address Crease Pattern Incompatibility

Origami-inspired structures are theoretically intriguing designs, but complications arise when they are constructed of more substantial mediums because the fold patterns are often incompatible with the material thickness. This project explores fabrication methods to create foldable structures that capitalize on the increased stiffness and flexibility of the system, while addressing the crease pattern incompatibility. Past work at Bucknell identified the Miura-Ori fold as a basis for experimentation. This project explores the feasibility of utilizing fiber reinforced polymers (FRP), a series of rigid plates bonded to a base material with flexible hinges between stiff areas. The materials used for construction experimentation are an epoxy resin and fiberglass cloth due to their inexpensive nature and adaptability. Initial testing involved perfecting the application method of the epoxy on the fiberglass. The critical issue here was ensuring a clean edge on the epoxy to control the location and angles of the hinge. The final application method selected for moving to design was using rubber-based adhesive as a seal on the fiberglass fabric to outline the geometric pattern. A double-sided, wet layup application method of both the rubber-based sealant and the epoxy resin was deemed most effective at ensuring consistent thickness and clean edges. Using this technique, a successful 3D model of the classic Miura-Ori fold has been constructed and analyzed for necessary improvements. Ongoing work focuses on improving the system’s ability to maintain its form after folding and using the same materials and fabrication to scale-up designs and work towards real-world applications.

Continue reading Morgan Powell »

Long-Term Web Accessibility Evaluation for Small Businesses in Union, Snyder, and Northumberland Counties

The purpose of this study is to evaluate and improve upon the long term sustainability of web accessibility initiatives for small businesses in Union County, Snyder, and Northumberland counties. By implementing a series of web accessibility workshops, this research focuses on instilling fundamental accessibility features such as color contrast and alternative text among participating businesses. These interventions are designed to enhance the digital inclusivity of small enterprises by equipping them with the necessary tools and knowledge to implement and maintain accessible web practices. The evaluation of these businesses will occur longitudinally, providing insights into their ongoing capacity to uphold accessibility standards. This study aims to address the critical need to reduce accessibility barriers for small businesses in rural areas. Consequently, the anticipated impacts include the empowerment of rural businesses through increased digital presence and engagement, and the fostering of a more inclusive digital environment, which contributes to the diversification of local industries and enhances overall community resilience in the digital age.

Continue reading Aura Chuck Hernandez »

Exploring Expansion of Biogas Energy Production on Homesteads, Small-Scale, and Large-Scale Farms

This project analyzes how the perception and implementation of biogas differs across large-scale farms, small-scale farms, and homesteading operations. Its end goal is to better understand the economic feasibility and practicality of biogas at different scales with the hope of establishing a more solid foundation for the sustainability community to operate on and more widespread use of biogas. Both a survey and in-person interviews were conducted during this research. The results of both indicate that existing literature does not accurately represent the state of biogas in Pennsylvania. While public perception and existing studies indicate that biogas is most effective on large-scale farms, this study finds that biogas on a micro scale is overall more affordable, accessible, and easy to maintain. With 17% of the large scale farms using biogas in Pennsylvania responding to the survey and on-site visits to two large scale farms, the results show that the cost to maintain a large biogas digester (all of which were over $1 million to build) are potentially prohibitive for the long term viability of large scale systems. In contrast, the small scale users who are building smaller household scale systems for on-site use for energy generation (all of which were under $1,000 to build) report minimum expenses necessary for maintenance.

Continue reading Morgan Powell »

Clonal dynamics in leukemia and microenvironments

This summer I had the opportunity to work in Dr. David Scadden’s lab in the Department
of Stem Cell and Regenerative Biology at Massachusetts General Hospital. I joined post-doctoral fellow, Trine Kristiansen, and lab tech, Samuel Keyes, on their ongoing research project studying how clonal changes in the stroma influence the leukemic cell, and differential sensitivities to
treatment from specific leukemic clones. We are specifically studying Acute Myeloid Leukemia
(AML), as it kills over 50% of the almost 18,000 adults in the U.S. diagnosed each year (Aitbekov, et al. Asian Pac J Cancer Prev, 2022). In practice, we use two methods of barcoding cells to obtain clonal information from both the stroma and leukemia: the CARLIN-Cas9 model and lentiviral integration. Both systems require a barcode library to obtain single cell resolution, and are designed to track single clones. The CARLIN model was developed by Dr. Fernando Camargo’s lab as a mouse line capable of in-vivo generation of transcribed barcodes in response to doxycycline induction. We use the CARLIN mouse model to obtain information about the
genetic diversity of the stroma. Unlike hematopoietic stem cells, stromal cells cannot be transplanted. Use of the CARLIN model allows us to barcode stromal cells without transplantation or irradiation, which might otherwise cause architectural changes in the stroma. In the CARLIN system, there are 10 guide RNAs and 10 target sites on the DNA which are always expressed. In order for the DNA to be cut to create a unique barcode, the protein Cas9 must be activated. We use an inducible system by controlling when Cas9 is activated in the
mouse by introducing doxycycline in their water or by injection. The guide RNAs bind to the Cas9 and guide it to the DNA target sites, where the Cas9 makes random cuts to produce a unique barcode per each cell. This barcode is then read out through sequencing, allowing us to identify and categorize clones. In the second barcoding system, we introduce barcodes into cells via lentiviral integration. This method allows us to control the number of barcodes made, because the diversity is determined by the random base pairs and lengths. This method involves
transplantation, but we use it for leukemia because radiation will not structurally affect it. Radiation can be used to eliminate HSCs within the marrow in preparation for transplantation. Lentiviral transduction is performed on HSCs cultured in vitro (in PVA media), which are then transplanted into the irradiated mice. The hematopoietic system is therefore replaced with barcoded cells. The barcodes are read out by sequencing before and after treatment and leukemia are introduced into the leukemia and stroma, respectively. These barcode readouts determine if certain clones are more resistant to leukemia treatment. If resistant clones are identified, treatments can be modified to target these specific clones so that relapse in AML patients is less likely.

I conducted my own in vitro experiment testing the three most common AML drugs in
clinical settings, Venetoclax, Azacitidne, and Cytarabine, on our EAS12 leukemia cell line. The
drugs were only introduced to the cells for 24 hours, because we wanted to observe the
immediate response without the possibility of resistant clones persevering throughout 24 hours of
exposure to treatment. Venetoclax takes longer to kill leukemic cells, so this experiment could be
done with a longer drug exposure time next.

From the data that I was able to obtain this summer, I was able to conclude that the AML
treatments are successful in killing the leukemic cells, the combination of Venetoclax (300 nM)
and Azacitine (3 uM) was the most successful treatment in three groups of different cell
numbers, and we had successful barcoding of our EAS12 cells that were injected into our mice
on July 14.

Continue reading Zoe Carlson-Pietraszek »

Crawling gait design for a caterpillar-inspired robot with tendon-driven flexible bending segments
Soft crawling robots can potentially access locations that are unreachable by humans and traditional rigid robots, playing a crucial role in conducting missions like environmental monitoring or search and rescue. Due to their flexible body structures, soft robots can adapt to uncertain environments and operate safely in contact with humans. We present a new design for a caterpillar-inspired soft robot in the form of a series of 3D printed flexible tendon-driven bending segments with individual motor control. A constant-curvature quasi-static kinematic model of the robot locomotion is developed, and we describe periodic gait inputs that coordinate bending in multiple segments to lift the prolegs and move forward in a traveling-wave motion. We present simulations and experimental results for locomotion in a straight line, along with experimental demonstration of a modified segment design with an additional degree of freedom for steering navigation.

Continue reading Harry Shi »

Is It Okay to Help Students Pray? A Constitutional Analysis of Chaplains in Public Schools

“Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof.” Most analysts understand the First Amendment as requiring the separation of church and state while allowing for individual religious liberty. Though seemingly straightforward, the application of these principles is highly contested – especially in the context of public schools. The Supreme Court is often tasked with determining how to maintain a careful balance between avoiding religious establishments and protecting free exercise. The current posture of the Court and the convergence of recent rulings indicate an increasingly permissive attitude towards the commingling of religion and schools. The landmark cases of Kennedy v. Bremerton and Carson v. Makin in 2022 established a new era of the contemporary Court: protections for public school employees to exercise their religion on school grounds, and allowing the use of public funds for religious education. Since then, many states have proposed bills that allow religious symbols and practices in public schools, including requiring classrooms to display the Ten Commandments, mandating a daily moment of silence, and allowing teachers to pray during the school day. Perhaps most intriguing are policies permitting religious chaplains to serve as counselors in public schools. Already enacted in Texas, more than a dozen other states have recently proposed similar legislation. This presentation analyzes the constitutionality of these policies. I argue that allowing chaplains to work as counselors in public schools ultimately undermines the principles set forth in the Constitution.

Continue reading Lea Tarzy »

Broadway Analytics

Broadway musicals can amass millions of dollars a week, but can also hemorrhage money. Spider Man: Turn Off the Dark lost nearly $60 million throughout its Broadway stint. A common rule of thumb for musicals is that only one in five shows recoup their investment. However, this statistic is usually attributed to “insider sources” and no real data is ever given. This research project explores public data surrounding Broadway musicals to better understand their finances and recoupment rates. We studied all musicals that opened from 2007-2017, comprising 129 musicals, and found that approximately 27% of productions recoup their investments. To find this number, we found two preliminary datasets and scoured online databases for information regarding show recoupment. We were also able to estimate missing values for cost metrics using other related variables. Additionally, this research project looks into the distribution of show profits, revealing that such few shows sustain considerable profits in their productions. For instance, only 8 of the 129 musicals we studied could reasonably have doubled their profits. We also produced a master spreadsheet consisting of every Broadway musical in our studied time period, along with information regarding recoupment, running costs, and other metrics important to our analyses for each show. The findings of this project underscore the inherent difficulty in achieving financial success on Broadway, and provide concrete data to understand what proportion of shows recoup their investment.

Continue reading Chris Kopac »

Follwing the Light

For the first time, I am cataloging and studying ancient lamps that were recently donated as part of the Turnure Collection to the Samek Art Museum. This year I began by focusing on one mold-made style of lamp, lamp TD2020.12.29, which style I determined came from the Eastern Mediterranean. However, through my research, it became clear that this specific lamp did not originate from that location. I started to look at similar later lamps in Italy, which then led me to start considering North African red-glaze pottery. This expanded my investigation to two similar lamps in the Turnure collection, TD2020.12.38, and TD2020.12.28, which may represent two different periods of the lamp’s development. I am now investigating if the lamp may have come from or have been influenced by North African red slip pottery.

Continue reading Morgan Haros »

Development of Soft Gripper and Body for Caterpillar-inspired Robot

This project is designing a caterpillar-inspired robot that can climb on pipes or branches. The project involved creating 3D models of clamps and brackets using Solidworks and Ultimaker Cura and printing hard and soft parts using PLA and Filaflex respectively. The force sensors are connected to the Arduino board to collect force data, which is analyzed using MATLAB. The N20 motor is used to activate and reset the grippers and pull up rigid parts of the body to deform. The design process involved exploring different gripper and body designs, including those with flat and curved stems as well as fin ray designs. Finally, data were collected to evaluate the force ratio metrics and predict the movement of the body. We aim to create a gripper with the highest force ratio and coordinate the body with the gripper to help to robot climb on the pipes. In the experiment, we measured the four forces of each gripper and find the parameters that have the most positive effect on gripping and extracting force and the most negative effect on less closing and opening force which helps the grippers work much better helping caterpillar robots to move, climb and hang. The force required to pull up the body was also measured and analyzed with position.

Continue reading Kevin Wu »

Vehicle alignment measured and adjusted by wheel forces on steer-by-wire systems

To optimize fuel efficiency and tire wear, all modern automotive vehicles have service intervals after which the front wheels are re-aligned. An offset alignment causes unwanted forces and moments on the wheels and steering system that reduce fuel efficiency and increase tire wear. An alignment procedure is normally done using a machine that can measure the angle of wheels, which are adjusted using mechanical linkages on the vehicle. New electronic steering systems, such as steer-by-wire, offer a new alternative to this angular alignment procedure. Since these steering systems can control the angle of wheels independent from the steering wheel position, the alignment of the wheels can be done without adjusting mechanical links. By measuring forces on the wheels with onboard sensors, a relationship can be developed between them and the correct alignment angle of the wheel. A vehicle model was created and tested against an electric research vehicle equipped with a steer-by-wire system. The research vehicle was equipped with a set of wheel force transducers that were able to measure the forces and moments on the front wheels in all directions. It was found that adjusting the wheel angle to minimize both the rolling resistance and slip angle produced the highest increase in fuel efficiency and the largest decrease in tire wear. Additionally, this vehicle model serves as a bench block for an active alignment algorithm that can take real-time wheel force measurements and automatically adjust the steering systems based on these loads.

Continue reading Nick Shopis »