College of

Engineering, Architecture and Technology

ECE Seniors Parker Plank, Dawson Kinser, and Douglas Edmondson were awarded the ECE Best Senior Design Project at the CEAT Senior Design Expo, December 2, 2022. The project, “Automating the Super Air Meter”, was advised by ECE Professor Gary Yen and Civil Engineering Professor Tyler Ley. Prof Nate Lannan provided guidance as the Instructor of record for ECE’s capstone design course, ECEN 4024. According to one judge, their project was “outstanding, interdisciplinary, and innovative.” (Pictured from left to right: Nate Lannan, Parker Plank, Dawson Kinser, and Douglas Edmondson.)

 

      The aim of the project was to automate the Super Air Meter, a quality assurance device that determines the lifespan of concrete. Automation is paramount in the construction industry due to a lack of highly skilled laborers. The automation of the Super Air Meter reduces the complexity of testing concrete as well as the time it takes to do so. The team designed a complex control system to precisely operate sensors, actuators, relays, pumps, vibrators, and solenoids to accurately recreate the steps necessary for a human operator to run the Super Air Meter. In addition, the team designed a practical and easy to use interface equipped with push-button controls, a display, and a removable data storage device.