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Steerable Catheter
A tip on a catheter is bent to steer the distal end of the catheter by displacing a control fluid within an elongated fluid conduit to stretch one longitudinally extending side of the tip relative to an opposite longitudinally extending side of the tip. The stretched side bends about the shorter side with a radius of curvature larger than the radius of curvature for the shorter side of the tip. A longitudinal restraining means may be applied to the tip to assure that the tip always bends in the same direction with the fluid displacement. On the other hand, other catheters may be bent in several and predetermined directions by providing a plurality of discrete fluid control conduits and by establishing a fluid pressure differential in at least one of the conduits to cause its associated side to lengthen and bend relative to a portion of the tip associated with another control conduit. The catheter may be small in dimension, made inexpensively and restrained against expanding in diameter by a circumferential restraining means., Sponsorship: IIT Research Institute, United States Patent
Conversion of a Commercial-Grade Riding Lawnmower to Hydrogen Fuel in conjunction with John Deere and the Chicago Parks District (semester?), IPRO 310
Conversion of a Commercial-Grade Riding Lawnmower to Hydrogen Fuel in conjunction with John Deere and the Chicago Parks District (semester?), IPRO 310
This semester, the IPRO 310 team is continuing the work started by the previous semester’s team. Our work will build off of the previous team’s work and many of our objectives will be an extension of their original objectives. This semester, the team has set forth the following objectives:  Finish benchmark testing on the lawnmower including gas emissions  Further research the safe storing and usage of hydrogen as a fuel  Develop guidelines to create and maintain a safe laboratory area  Investigate avenues to decrease overall conversion cost  Perform the engine conversion  Write a step-by-step conversion manual keeping in mind safety and Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) standards Although the team’s main objective is to provide a safe way to convert a gas-powered lawnmower to a hydrogen-power lawnmower, the team will strive to create an environment in which team collaboration, the application engineering knowledge and ability, and individual passion for the project can flourish thus providing a rewarding and educational experience for all of the participants., Deliverables for IPRO 310: Conversion of a Commercial-Grade Riding Lawnmower to Hydrogen Fuel in conjunction with John Deere and the Chicago Parks District for the Spring 2006 semester
Particle Counter Using a Variable Test Volume
Sponsorship: IIT Research Institute, United States Patent
Agent-based control of spatially distributed chemical reactor networks
Large-scale spatially distributed systems provide a unique and difficult control challenge because of their nonlinearity, spatialdistribution and generally high order. The control structure for these systems tend to be both discrete and distributed as well and contain discrete and continuous elements. A layered control structure interfaced with complex arrays of sensors and actuators provides a flexible supervision and control system that can deal with local and global challenges. An adaptive agent-based control structure is presented whereby local control objectives may be changed in order to achieve the global control objective. Information is shared through a global knowledge environment that promotes the distribution of ideas through reinforcement. The performance of the agent-based control approach is illustrated in a case study where the interaction front between two competing autocatalytic species is moved from one spatial configuration to another. The multi-agent control system is able to effectively explore the parameter space of the network and intelligently manipulate the network flow rates such that the desired spatial distribution of species is achieved., Endnote format citation
Looking for (Lesbian) Love: Social Media Subtext Readings of Rizzoli and Isles
Paper presented at #IR16 the annual conference of the Association of Internet Researchers, Paper presented at #IR16 the annual conference of the Association of Internet Researchers
Tape and Disk Recording and Reproducing Device
Sponsorship: Armour Research Foundation of Illinois Institute of Technology, United States Patent
Design a System to Recycle Condensate from Residential Air Conditioners (Semester Unknown) IPRO 348
Design a System to Recycle Condensate from Residential Air Conditioners (Semester Unknown) IPRO 348
The goal of IPRO 348 is to first find a use for the condensate produced by air conditioners, and then to create a product that will recycle the condensate for said use. The first task for IPRO 348 is to collect information on how condensate is formed, its purity, and the amount that is produced by a central air conditioning system. The end goal of the IPRO is to have a marketable system that will collect and store the condensate produced by the air conditioning units and will then proceed to use the condensate in the form of cleaning water, irrigation water, and possibly various plumbing purposes such as flushing toilets. After creating a viable product, the IPRO team is determined to make the product scalable, expanding its market from residential to commercial industries. To fulfill this goal, the IPRO team has been broken down into subgroups which are each responsible for a different objective. The first subgroup is responsible for the creation of a device that will allow for the condensate to be collected and stored. The second subgroup is responsible for analyzing the collected sample’s composition and checking for bacterial growth. The third subgroup is responsible for setting the parameters and methods for condensate collection. The fourth subgroup is responsible for obtaining the condensate samples from various sites, as well as collecting environmental data. The fifth subgroup is responsible for beginning the marketing aspects of the project. As a whole, the IPRO team will determine how the project should progress., Deliverables
Power Plant Waste Heat Utilization for Greenhouse Applications (Semester Unknown) IPRO 342
Power Plant Waste Heat Utilization for Greenhouse Applications (Semester Unknown) IPRO 342
The goal of this project was to determine the feasibility of using the heated waste water from the Braidwood Generating Station for use in greenhouse applications. Though extremely efficient, the Braidwood Generating Station, like all nuclear power plants, still wastes two-thirds of all energy generated and pumps 1.5 million gallons per minute of warm waste water into its cooling lake. All of this thermal energy pumped into the cooling lake is wasted. IPRO 342 was looking to change that., Deliverables
Design of a Genetically Modified Food Database (Semester Unknown) IPRO 318
Design of a Genetically Modified Food Database (Semester Unknown) IPRO 318
Genetically modified crops have come to play an increasingly large role in our daily lives. Unfortunately these crops remain a mystery to much of the general population. For some, ideas about GM crops are exciting and represent hope for new potential in science and agriculture, for others they represent potential danger, and for others there are simply many unanswered questions. Our goal this semester will be to create a new source of information about GM products and to provide information that will answer the many questions we all have about this important subject. To do this, our objectives will be to: 1. Collect background information in an unbiased and comprehensive manner about laws and regulations regarding genetically modified crops. 2. Gather information about public opinion concerning GM crops. 3. Present facts about the processes and technologies that are used in this industry. 4. Create a database of known genetically modified crops, potential allergens, and traits in order to provide future IPRO’s with a foundation of knowledge concerning GM crops., Deliverables
Improving Abilityy to verify Audio CAPTCHA's (Semester Unknwon) IPRO 316
Improving Abilityy to verify Audio CAPTCHA's (Semester Unknwon) IPRO 316
CAPTCHAs (Completely Automated Public Turing Test to Tell Computers and Humans Apart) are used to prevent automated access to sensitive information online. In its usual format, users are presented with distorted text and asked to enter the displayed text in an answer box. If successful, humans, but not computers, will be able to interpret the distorted text. Another format of CAPTCHAs asks users to identify audio information (usually a string of digits or phrase of words) that has been distorted or placed against a background of noise (\white" noise, reversed speech, etc.). Users type the words they hear into an answer box. The audio format is intended to be accessible to blind and low-vision users who cannot use the visually-based format. Unfortunately, audio CAPTCHAs are di cult for humans to use (Bigham and Cavendar 2009) but relatively easy for computers to solve (Tam et al. 2008), which is exactly the opposite outcome desired. To take two extreme examples, in one recent study (Sauer et al. 2008), users were able to solve only 46 percent of audio CAPTCHAs, while in another study (Burztein and Bethard 2009), a computer program was able to break 75 percent of audio CAPTCHAs. At issue is whether audio CAPTCHAs can be designed so that users can easily solve them but computers cannot. Yan and Ahmad (2008) propose testing di erent kinds of background noise to determine which is the most e ective at blocking computers but admitting humans. To this end, Tam et al. (2008) suggest using other human voices as background noise (to thwart computers) but familiar phrases as the string to decode (to aid listeners). The current project will focus on selecting from a set of potential solutions to test., Deliverables
Electromagnetic Transducer Head
Sponsorship: Armour Research Foundation of Illinois Institute of Technology, United States Patent
A diary study of the disruption experiences of crew members on a jobsite (Working Paper)
This article demonstrates the use of a diary technique in a construction setting. The advantage of a diary study over other methods for capturing subjective experience is its ability to capture the thoughts, decisions, actions, and emotions of individuals in situ – while they are working in their natural setting – at multiple points in time during an individual’s workweek. Hence, the diary method is uniquely designed to answer questions about group-level trends as well as individual behavior. The specific goal of the study reported in this article was to derive an understanding of the types of fast decisions and actions that are made following a workflow disruption and how the disruption impacts the worker’s state of mind. The analyses revealed that there was a group-level positive correlation between experiencing a disruption and initiating a fast improvised decision and action. However, some workers tended to improvise frequently when disrupted while others did not. The analyses also revealed that the workers’ emotions fluctuated throughout the week, and two emotions – determined and interested – tended to decline following a disruption. But, some of the workers also experienced increases in their negative emotions while others did not, suggesting that not all workers react in the same way to disruptions. Consequently, the diary technique provides a novel way to identify the impact of disruptive events on worker decision-making and performance., Sponsorship: National Science Foundation
Anti-Viral Multi-Quinone Compounds and Regiospecific Synthesis Thereof
This invention provides various biquinone and trimeric quinone derivatives. The invention also provides a method for synthesis of a multi-quinone compound including reacting a hydroxyquinone anion with a first quinone possessing a first directing group at a C-2 of the first quinone and a second directing group at a C-3 of the first quinone and obtaining a biquinone having one of the first and second directing groups at a C-3 of a first quinone monomer and a hydroxyl group at a C-3' of a second quinone monomer. The biquinone can be further reacted to obtain various biquinone derivatives or with a second hydroxyquinone anion to obtain trimeric quinone derivatives, including trimeric naphthoquinone derivatives. The biquinones and trimeric quinones of this invention demonstrate antiviral activity and can be used to treat viral infections, particularly HIV infections., Sponsorship: Illinois Institute of Technology, United States Patent
Hybrid Electric Augmentation using Ultra-Capacitors (Fall2003) IPRO 314: Hybrid Electric Augmentation using Ultra-Capacitors IPRO314 Fall2003 Final Presentation
To augment a low-cost capacitor into the energy storage module of a HEV in order to extend the lifetime of the vehicle’s battery., Sponsorship: NA, Project Plan for IPRO 314: Hybrid Electric Augmentation using Ultra-Capacitors for Fall2003 semester
Edutainment (semester?), IPRO 329
Edutainment (semester?), IPRO 329
IPRO 329, Edutainment, has the distinct goal of creating a simulated training program for nuclear health technicians. This program will provide an interactive environment in which to practice the skills necessary to pass the certification test. It focuses on the oral exam portion of this exam where the technician will be presented with a scenario designed to test his problem solving and reasoning skills while applying the general knowledge of radiation health standards required for his profession., Deliverables for IPRO 329: Edutainment for the Spring 2007 semester
Recovery of Liquid Hydrocarbons from Oil Shale by Electromagnetic Heating In Situ
A method of electromagnetic heating in situ recovers liquid hydrocarbons from an oil shale formation containing kerogen in an inorganic matrix where the formation is substantially impermeable to fluids under native conditions. A block of the oil shale formation is substantially uniformly heated in situ with electromagnetic power to a temperature of about 275.degree. C. where there is pyrolysis of a portion of the kerogen to gas and shale oil at a pressure sufficient to overcome the capillary pressure of the shale oil in the matrix, thereby providing substantial fluid permeability to the formation. The gas thereupon escaping from said block and the shale oil driven thereby are recovered, thereby further increasing the permeability of the formation. The magnitude of the electromagnetic power is controlled to raise the temperature of the block relatively slowly to increase the rate of pyrolysis of the kerogen as the permeability of the formation increases to produce gas at pressures above the necessary to overcome the capillary pressure and below that at which there is substantial escape of the gas bypassing shale oil within the formation rather than driving the oil before it., Sponsorship: IIT Research Institute, United States Patent
Magnetic Pickup Head and Mount Therefor
Sponsorship: Armour Research Foundation of Illinois Institute of Technology, United States Patent
Spirometer
A spirometer for measuring fluid flow, particularly associated with exhalation of respiratory patients. The spirometer of this invention preferably has a fluidic oscillator wherein the fluid oscillates within a chamber of the fluidic oscillator. An oscillation frequency of the fluid flow within the chamber is correlated to a flow rate. A computer is used to process input data, such as data representing frequency of the oscillatory flow within the chamber, to a flow rate passing through the spirometer. The spirometer of this invention may have no moving parts, which results in the need for only a design calibration and no periodic calibrations throughout use of the spirometer., Sponsorship: Illinois Institute of Technology, United States Patent
Comparative Industrial Operations Analysis (semester?), IPRO 312
Comparative Industrial Operations Analysis (semester?), IPRO 312
IPRO 312 for Spring 2007 was initially intended to research rapid response manufacturing of casters for Colson Associates; however, as objectives of the company shifted course, IPRO 312 was left without a target of research. A new idea of pharmaceuticals arose as a topic of study. The teammates were determined to hunt for information pertaining to problems in the pharmaceutical field, but this determination was cut short by the realization that it is a very secure, secretive, and private business. The teammates of this IPRO were not discouraged by this obstacle and kept pressing for information. The advisor, Prof. Maurer, brought in speakers from the field and helped the class change its direction into what it is today: Comparative Industrial Operations Analysis., Deliverables for IPRO 312: Comparative Industrial Operations Analysis for the Spring 2007 semester
Integration of Plug-in Hybrid Electric Vehicles and Renewable Energy Systems (Semester Unknown) IPRO 311
Integration of Plug-in Hybrid Electric Vehicles and Renewable Energy Systems (Semester Unknown) IPRO 311
To achieve synergy through the integration of wind energy and plug-in hybrid electric vehicles (PHEVs) in order to reduce the amount of coal/ gas energy generating sector, Deliverables

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