Electrical Engineer Senior Design Project Ideas

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Steamroller22

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Currently, my senior design team from the University of Illinois Urbana Champaign is looking for ideas for our project. We had an idea of creating a flight data logger, but the market seems to be pretty well saturated with similar devices. Can you guys on the rocketry forums helps us come up with an idea that innovates on existing flight data loggers or is a electronic devise that serves a different function on a amateur rocket. The requirements for the project are that it must contain an electric circuit and not be a copy of an exiting devise but can improve on an existing devises functionality. We have 16 weeks to complete a prototype.

Thanks,
 
I haven't seen a data logger with a Bluetooth link to display data on an iPhone.

You might also think about staging and recovery altimeters with wireless connectivity so you don't have to run harness across deployment joints.


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Make a 'Pinpoint Lander'.

Specifically, a GPS-based multi-servo device that is in control of the length of the parachute shroud lines. It would 'steer' the descending rocket to a pre-programmed landing spot.

Steering would be accomplished by lengthening or shortening appropriate shroud lines.
 
Hi, UIUC student and 15 year rocketeer here. PM me and I can help you get in contact with either the UIUC AIAA chapter or Illinois Space Society, our SEDS chapter (the latter which does more rocketry). Might help you out to get in contact with a rocket-type group.

Adam
 
Hi Steam,

I did a data logger and flight event controller for my senior project. I wanted one that would fit in, and could be powered by a rocket with an Estes C engine.

There are some great suggestions here, I really like the bluetooth suggestion. I wanted to do it but I had to do my project alone, so I went with a simple :)lol:) USB interface.

If I would have had a team, I would have been really tempted to do a gyro stabilized rocket. i.e. no fins!

It's been a while since I did this, but feel free to ask any questions about how I did things.



Here are a couple of quick pics,

5152351814_e4926af8d9.jpg



5152351906_9e344ce98a_z.jpg

It logs acceleration, air pressure and temp and has 2 high current drivers for staging and or parachutes. I wrote code to detect launch, staging and apogee. This is a datalog of accel and air pressure using the board to kick the parachute.

5152352140_51c6b16a41.jpg
 
A tilt sensor that can be used to inhibit ignition for staging would be nice. Basically a complete timer/altimeter with orientation sensing.
 
Thanks guys for all of the ideas. The pin point lander is a cool idea, but i think it would be to complex for a 12 week design and build period. The tilt sensor actually already exists so I can't do that, unless I add something to it. I was considering using Bluetooth on a timer/altimeter setup.
 
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Might want to aim towards a CANSAT project, or ARLISS. 16 weeks is a looooooong time for a team project. Aim high. Trust me, your classmates (and employers) are paying attention.

The current issue of Sport Rocketry Magazine has a lengthy article on last year's projects. Specifically autonomous rover CANSATs that had to roll to a predetermined GPS location after landing.

Electronics is as much about integration as it is schematics and SPICE models.

My favorite engineering school projects were two sentence problems. I love that you got the same thing! Makes me want to go back.
 
Might want to aim towards a CANSAT project, or ARLISS. 16 weeks is a looooooong time for a team project. Aim high. Trust me, your classmates (and employers) are paying attention.

This is good advice IMHO, I got two offers to come interview after our presentations were finished.
 
How about a rocket 'black box'. Basically a multi-sensor recording device which will survive any catostrophic landing and still provide the collected data to determine what went wrong.
 
How about a rocket 'black box'. Basically a multi-sensor recording device which will survive any catostrophic landing and still provide the collected data to determine what went wrong.

That sounds pretty cool, i'll bring that idea up to the rest of my team.

At the moment, I am working on a plan to create a data logger (IMU, altimeter), that will off load the data to a iphone or andriod at the end of a flight.

That pin point lander looked really cool, I'll bring up the idea to my team we'll take a closer look at it.
 
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