Instead of requiring surgery to insert a solid scaffold, the gel could be simply injected into the knee, a much less invasive procedure
A lifetime of activity can gradually erode the cartilage that cushions our joints. Someday, we might simply inject a gel to repair it, University of Connecticut researchers report in the Oct. 6 issue of Nature Communications.
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by Joanna Giano, Written Communications Assistant
UConn’s team of Mechanical Engineering Graduate students achieved a remarkable victory, securing first place at the national hackathon event hosted by The Computer & Information in Engineering (CIE) Division of the American Society of Mechanical Engineers (ASME). This annual competition featured 34 participants from 18 institutions and took place from August 20 to 23, 2023, at the Boston Park Plaza in Boston, MA.
The dynamic duo of Leidong Xu and Zihan Wang, both PhD students affiliated with Prof. Hongyi Xu’s Computation Design for Manufacturing Laboratory, earned the grand prize of $1,400 for their outstanding performance. The second-place team received $700, while the third-place team received $350.
The ASME-hosted hackathon presented an invaluable opportunity for participants to immerse themselves in the practical applications of data science and machine learning techniques to solve real-world engineering challenges. The primary objective of this competition was to develop realistic textures for solid objects created using computer-aided design (CAD) software. These textures were expected to mimic the behavior of real-world materials like metals and alloys across various scales.
UConn’s triumph at this national event is a testament to the exceptional talent and dedication of its Mechanical Engineering students, showcasing their ability to harness cutting-edge technology to address complex engineering problems. The students and Prof. Xu delved deeper into their journey leading up to and during the hackathon below.
The hackathon event has a tight timeframe, and it is a huge challenge for us to develop a complete and polish project. To overcome it, we allocate time wisely and finally get all results done in one week.
Zihan and Leidong enhanced an existing system that utilized 2D microstructure images to recreate 3D microstructures that are statistically equivalent. Our advanced framework employs a Transfer Learning model to capture essential features from the granular microstructures of alloys. Notably, we’ve augmented computational efficiency through
parallel computing, which also allows our generated microstructures to be incorporated into intricate 3D volumes like tubes, helical gears, and turbo blades. Our methodology integrates transfer learning via VGG-19, style transfer techniques for texture synthesis, and a multi-GPU parallel approach. Beyond its technical prowess, our framework addresses a crucial design hurdle, bridging the gap between microstructures and designers’ vision seamlessly.
With the rapid evolution of machine learning methodologies in recent times, it’s imperative for researchers to first understand the inherent characteristics of their data before selecting an approach. From there, adapting and tweaking existing frameworks or strategies can be pivotal in optimizing results.
We are very familiar with the programming and visualization tools we used during the hackathon. Additionally, we possess sufficient expertise in pre-trained deep learning models, image-processing methods, and style transfer techniques. This proficiency greatly expedited our problem-solving process throughout the hackathon.
With the limited time at hand, we realized that we needed to capitalize on the advantage of using pre-trained deep learning models to tackle the challenge effectively. Initially, we had planned to build our solution from the ground up, training our own models and optimizing them for the specific problem we were addressing. However, given the tight timeframe, this approach would have consumed a substantial portion of our available time. Upon evaluating our situation, we recognized that leveraging pre-trained models could provide us with a significant head start. These models were already trained on vast amounts of data and had learned complex patterns, making them well-suited for our problem as well. This shift in strategy allowed us to save precious time on training and focus more on adapting the model to our specific needs.
Our victory at the ASME 2023 CIE Hackathon has reinforced our drive to further refine and innovate our current framework. We see a multitude of avenues for enhancement. Specifically, we’re eager to develop a fully automated system for image analysis and labeling, which would drastically streamline the process. Another focus is to fine-tune our parallel algorithm to produce microstructure images with even greater resolution. Moreover, in a bid to consolidate our findings and methods, we’re excited about our upcoming collaboration with Sandia National Laboratories. Our joint effort aims to encapsulate our hackathon project into a comprehensive journal paper, sharing our innovations with the broader scientific community.
IDETC/CIE hackathon is an opportunity to engage with real-world engineering problems, moving beyond academic theory. This setting will allow me to apply my technical knowledge in a practical context, enhancing my understanding of the mission and challenges of national labs and leading industry companies. Participating in the hackathon in a team will serve as an excellent opportunity for honing my teamwork and cooperative abilities. The exchange of ideas, innovation, and sense of camaraderie within such events play a critical role in my future career.
We started on our computational research journey during our undergraduate years. For us, coding transcends mere functionality; it is an art form. We firmly believe that the elegance and precision of the code play a pivotal role in determining the quality of the final research output. Consequently, we always strive to craft our code with extra care and refinement, ensuring that it not only fulfills its intended purpose but also stands as a testament to our dedication and passion.
We heavily relied on the PyTorch package, which is based on the Python programming language, to implement our innovative idea. Beyond that, deep learning methods and image analysis techniques are both very important to contribute to our success.
To ensure sustained progress in our coding capabilities and awareness of cutting-edge developments, we’ve mapped out a multi-faceted approach. This includes actively participating in tech competitions, which challenges our problem-solving abilities and exposes us to diverse perspectives. Furthermore, attending conferences allows us to gain firsthand insights from industry leaders and pioneers. Finally, keeping abreast of the latest
By Olivia Drake, Written Communications Specialist
Photos courtesy of Doug Willoughby/SAE and the UConn FSAE team
During the FSAE intercollegiate competition, held May 17-20, 2023, at Michigan International Speedway, the student-run motorsport club placed in the top 10% of 121 teams from the U.S. and Europe. This was UConn’s 13th year competing.
“As a whole, this year’s competition was one of the most successful in the team’s history,” said UConn FSAE President Abhimanyu “Abhi” Sukumaran ’24 (MENG). “The car and team both performed immaculately, and everyone knows that we brought one of—if not the fastest—cars to competition.”
The annual competition, organized by SAE International (previously known as the Society of Automotive Engineers) challenges college students to conceive, design, fabricate, develop, and compete with formula-style vehicles. “Formula” vehicles are small, single-seater racecars characterized by a low-to-the-ground aerodynamic design, an open cockpit, and exposed wheels. These high-performance vehicles can reach speeds over 110 mph on certain tracks.
During the three-day event, teams are awarded points for participation in three static events (cost presentation, design presentation, and business presentation) and five dynamic events (acceleration; skidpad; autocross; fuel economy; and endurance).
UConn’s vehicle—the CT-14 (Connecticut, version 14)—scored an impressive 28/30 for its cost analysis presentation and 88/100 points for the design presentation.
“This year we had very tough judges who grilled us quite a bit and really tested our knowledge,” Sukumaran said. “Luckily we had done a lot of prep work and we managed to get some of the highest scores of the day!”
But the true test of the CT-14 was measured during the dynamic events. UConn’s team scored 12th in the “figure-eight” skid pad event; seventh in the 45-second timed autocross event; and first place in the 75-meter acceleration event—with a time of 4.17 seconds.
“We had been prepping for months trying to get the car setup right and squeeze the most performance out of it,” Sukumaran said. “We were almost a 10th of a second ahead of second place, so we were thrilled with that result. This was the first time in the team’s history that we have ever won an event and we did it convincingly.”
More than 70 students worked on the CT-14 during the 2022-23 academic year; 50 of whom went to the competition in Michigan. Team members learn to design, fabricate, assemble, manage budgets, acquire sponsors, and market themselves and their vehicle.
More experienced members, such as recent alumnus Simon Getter ’23 (MENG) frequently take on leadership roles. Getter joined the FSAE team as a freshman—seeking an extracurricular activity where he could learn practical engineering skills alongside like-minded students. As a sophomore, Getter served as the team’s control systems lead, and during his senior year, he served as the controls and ergonomics lead.
As the controls system lead, Getter’s group made the vehicle’s steering, brakes, seat, and pedals.
“In that position I got a ton of very important experience leading and communicating with other systems of the team,” he said. “Engineering wise, I was able to create parts and validate designs with [Computer Aided Design] software and [finite element analysis]—things we touched on in classes but were greatly expanded on during my time on the team.”
While member participation varies, Getter clocked more than 20 hours a week working on the project—but the dedication paid off. Not only did the team place 11th in the competition, he and 11 other graduating seniors, who were members of the 2022-23 Formula SAE team, had job offers or plans to continue their education well before graduation in May.
“The experience we gain through FSAE complements the more theoretically-based classes at UConn. This keeps our team members balanced and helps us to become the best engineers the school has to offer,” Getter said.
Thomas Mealy, adjunct professor of mechanical engineering and FSAE senior design advisor credits the team’s success to an overwhelming passion for creating the best car possible.
“UConn’s Formula SAE team embodies a spirit of excellence, determination, sacrifice, and collaboration,” Mealy said. “They have not only demonstrated remarkable technical prowess in designing and building a cutting-edge race car, but they have also cultivated a culture of innovation and teamwork that sets them apart. This team stands on the shoulders of hundreds of students that preceded them, many of whom come back and offer their advice and experience. As the advisor of this exceptional team, I am immensely proud of their accomplishments, and they are setting the bar high for future teams.”
For more information, visit the team’s website or follow @uconnformulaasae on Instagram.
Our own UConn Formula SAE team placed 10th overall and in the top ten of multiple different categories in the international Formula SAE competition held at the Michigan International Speedway in May 2022.
https://news.engr.uconn.edu/beyond-senior-design-from-project-to-patent.php
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https://news.engr.uconn.edu/senior-design-journey-2020-rescuing-drones-from-the-ocean-part-1.php
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by Kassidy Manness
ME Communications
kassidy.manness@uconn.edu
Formula SAE Club ready for another exciting year of designing, building, and competing.
“Design. Build. Compete” is the motto that drives the determined and creative minds that make up the Formula SAE club here at UConn. Their club, consisting of many Mechanical Engineering students, is responsible for designing and building, all on their own, a formula style race car that is supposed to compete in two competitions by the time May rolls around.
Every season, the club, headed by president, Cara Connors, breaks up into subteams that are each responsible for one aspect of the car. An average meeting, which happens every Tuesday and Saturday, consists of the head of each subteam reporting out any updates, set backs, or solutions they have and saying what their next steps are. At this point in the year, the main thing each club member is working on is the design portion where they work on calculations and talk with the other subteams to make sure it will all work together. As the year continues, they will then focus more of the building and fabrication work before going into the testing of the car to ensure that it works. Everything is done by students, though; the driving, testing, and manufacturing, even though the do have some help from local and extended sponsors in order to help with the manufacturing costs and equipment.
Consistently, throughout the season, the club looks at the past models they have created and evaluate what went right and what can be developed further. Connors was able to mention a few of the changes and development they were making to the design this year, “Last year was the first year that we had an aerodynamic package, so an undertray on the car. We’re looking to develop that further, validating the design we had last year, and making it better for this upcoming year. We’re looking at better ways to mount that undertray. There’s a lot of weight optimization going on.”
What all of this ultimately leads up to for the club are two competitions, the Formula Michigan, which occurs in May, and the Formula North Competition, which happens in Ontario, Canada at the beginning of June. UConn’s club has done consistently well at each competition, but they usually base the success of their car on the Michigan competition, as it is the largest one. It, generally, has about 120 international teams that come out. This past year, UConn’s Formula SAE placed 11th out of the 120 teams. Connors said that they are hoping to crack the top 10 this year.
At the competition, there is more than just racing that occurs in order to decide the winning cars. There are multiple dynamic events that they compete in to test the car’s physical performance in acceleration, skidpad, autocross, and endurance. There are also static events that are evaluated to look at the cars design presentation, business marketing presentation, cost report, and fuel economy.
Formula SAE is open to any major, not just Mechanical Engineers. They meet every Tuesday at 6:30 pm and Saturday at 12 pm at their shop on Depot Campus. For any interested, new members, you can go to the Visitor’s Center and be picked up by club members thirty minutes before the meeting begins. If you have any other questions, you can email the president, Cara Connors, at cara.connors@uconn.edu.
After a four-year vacation, the Historic Keney Clock is telling time again thanks to senior design project completed by Mechanical Engineering students seniors Henry Courchaine ’19, Garrett Murphy ’19, and Spencer Padget ’19 advised by Thomas Mealy. The project was a collaboration between UConn, the City of Hartford and Friends of Keney Park.
Through our Senior Design Program, directed by Prof. Vito Moreno, industrial sponsors put the bright UConn ME undergraduate students to work on a real-world problem that they are interested in researching, while reaping the benefits of our faculty’s experience and expertise. The renovation of the Historic Keney Clock Tower is one of the more than 65 senior design projects that Mechanical Engineering students worked on during the 2018-2019 academic year.
For additional information, please see the article in UConn Today or the press coverage, including: