Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University
DAYTONA BEACH CAMPUS
BEYOND ENGINEERING A WORLD AND
2024
HANDS-ON, INDUSTRY-INFUSED EDUCATION THAT SPARKS INNOVATION
TABLE OF
CONTENTS
02 College of Engineering
06 Aerospace Engineering
12
Civil Engineering
18
Electrical Engineering & Computer Science
22 Mechanical Engineering
27 Philanthropic Efforts
04
08
22
Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University | College of Engineering 1 Aerospace Boulevard | Daytona Beach, FL, 32114
Dear engineering family and friends, Welcome to the inaugural issue of Beyond. Since joining the College of Engineering in fall 2021, I have been continually impressed by the creativity and innovation that our faculty, students and staff display. This magazine serves to highlight some of their groundbreaking research from 2024. Every day, our graduate students and faculty work to drive new engineering advances forward. From developing a camera system that became the first university student-built project to land on the moon to drawing inspiration from nature to create advances in networked drone security, their efforts are actively transforming our world for the better. Other members of the college are also applying their efforts to solving critical real- world problems. Our talented faculty and students are investigating the impact of forest fires on plastic pollutants, creating solutions to infant joint disorders like hip dysplasia and employing virtual reality technology to make driving safer. I invite you to read about each of these advances — and more! — in the pages that follow. As always, it is a pleasure to lead the Daytona Beach College of Engineering and to share its many accolades with you now.
Sincerely,
Dr. Jim Gregory Dean, College of Engineering
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COLLEGE OF ENGINEERING
DAYTONA BEACH CAMPUS
INNOVATING ON A GLOBAL SCALE
Home to a U.S. Fulbright Scholar and a Fulbright Specialist, the College of Engineering is pushing the boundaries of engineering research in Daytona Beach, Florida, and around the globe.
INSIGHTS
X The Fulbright Scholar Program for academics and professionals awards more than 1,700 fellowships annually, enabling 800 U.S. Scholars to go abroad and 900 Visiting Scholars to come to the United States. X In 1984, Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University’s Daytona Beach Campus had our first participant in the Fulbright Scholar Program. That makes four decades of exciting opportunities for scholars who call Embry-Riddle home. X The Fulbright Specialist Program is a unique opportunity for U.S. academics and established professionals to engage in two- to six-week project-based exchanges at host institutions across the globe.
The U.S. Fulbright Program recently honored two Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University engineering faculty members. Dr. Sirish Namilae, professor and Ph.D. program coordinator in the Department of Aerospace Engineering, plans to develop biodegradable natural fiber composite materials that incorporate nanoscale interfacial features. As a Fulbright Scholar, Namilae will partner with colleagues at the Indian Institute of Technology Madras on research that will set the stage for more environmentally friendly, next-generation composite materials. Namilae’s multidisciplinary research efforts will also leverage
insights from materials processing, solid mechanics and polymer transport. Dr. Sandra Boetcher’s appointment as a Fulbright Specialist is likewise focused on creating a more sustainable future. Faculty Fellow and Professor of Mechanical Engineering, Boetcher will focus on heat transfer during her Fulbright experience once she matches with an institution. Both Fulbright honors recognize academic and professional achievement, demonstrated leadership and efforts to foster long-term cooperation between institutions in the United States and around the world.
X More than 160 countries around the globe participate in Fulbright programs.
Source: fulbrightscholars.org/institution/embry-riddle-aeronautical-university-florida
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COLLEGE OF ENGINEERING
DAYTONA BEACH CAMPUS
REACHING FOR THE STARS
We seek discoveries and technology development for space electronics that will both energize our space coast industry and bring new knowledge and opportunities to our students.” Dr. Eduardo Rojas Associate Professor, Electrical & Computer Engineering
Researchers from Embry-Riddle, the University of Florida, Florida A&M University and Florida Institute of Technology are partnering to launch the Center for Science, or C-STARS. The demand for in-space manufacturing to drive the new space economy has never been higher. C-STARS aims to meet that demand by advancing the production of unique medicines, electronics and bioenergy systems in space. The center will also develop new corporate mentoring programs, curricula, certifications and internship programs for students aspiring to enter space careers.
The C-STARS initiative has proposed several ambitious projects, including using lunar regolith to manufacture circuits on the moon, creating recyclable electronics to help reduce electronic waste and advanced manufacturing of photonic electronics for use as biomedical sensors. If the NSF awards an additional round of funding, C-STARS will begin its research projects in earnest in late 2025.
“This National Science Foundation (NSF) planning grant allows the team to expand and deepen Embry-Riddle’s research activities on space technologies,” said Dr. Eduardo Rojas, associate professor of electrical and computer engineering at Embry-Riddle and site director. “We seek discoveries and technology development for space electronics that will both energize our Space Coast industry and bring new knowledge and opportunities to our students.” More than 50 aerospace, government and industry partners have expressed interest in collaborating with C-STARS. The group will work with these partners
to outline their goals and scope of work. They will also collaborate with Tennessee-based Oak Ridge Associated Universities to enhance outreach.
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AEROSPACE ENGINEERING
ADVANCING IN-SPACE MANUFACTURING
If moon and planetary dust called regolith can be used to build sensors in space, it could help make space exploration safer and yield fundamental insights to propel space-based manufacturing.
With a new $600,000 NSF grant, Dr. Michael Kinzel and his students plan to leverage a “direct ink writing” process — a form of additive manufacturing akin to 3D printing — to make ceramic nanocomposites in a microgravity environment. The project’s primary goal is to better understand how low-gravity space conditions impact material processing and properties. His team also hopes to create new ceramic and regolith-based sensors by finetuning manufacturing parameters. Ensuring the safety of astronauts in space will require high-performing new sensors to detect chemicals and gases, monitor significant temperature changes and identify damage to supporting structures. For the NSF-funded project, dubbed BRITE-PIVOT (Boosting Research Ideas for Transformative and Equitable Advances in Engineering), Kinzel will explore the field of light-matter interactions — the study of how matter can absorb, emit, transmit, reflect and refract light — to characterize the mechanics of ceramic materials under extreme conditions.
“We are working with students to explore complexities of mixing particles in microgravity,” Kinzel noted. “The technology developed in this effort creates the tools to build, rather than ship, complex sensors for lunar operations. This is just one step to what could be a game-changing approach to cost reduction that can enable these colonies to thrive.” As a first step in the three-year project, Kinzel’s team will begin developing an “acoustic levitation device,” in collaboration with Oak Ridge National Laboratory, to simulate aspects of manufacturing in a microgravity environment. The Embry-Riddle research team will then develop unique measuring devices to study how microgravity changes heat transfer and fluid flow during material processing and how those changes impact the microstructure of materials.
Lunar infrastructure will rely on sourcing materials directly from the moon’s surface and transforming them into structures. A practical first step is developing precision sensors using the most accessible surface soils.”
Dr. Michael Kinzel Associate Professor, Aerospace Engineering
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AEROSPACE ENGINEERING
STUDENT FINDS HER SPACE
Born in the Dominican Republic and raised in Coral Springs, Florida, Ashley Tirado Pujols (’24, ’26) recently graduated with a B.S. in Aerospace Engineering with a concentration in Astronautics and a minor in Applied Mathematics.
Ashley Tirado Pujols has a long history of excellence. In 2021, Pujols was chosen as an Embry-Riddle representative in the NASA RASC-AL research competition, where she oversaw space operations. In 2023, she was named Outstanding Undergraduate Researcher in Fundamentals of Engineering by the College of Engineering, thanks to her hard work and accomplishments on and off campus. That same year, Pujols was named a NASA M-STAR (Minorities in Space Technology Artemis Research) Fellow and interned at NASA Langley Research Center in Virginia. Her research focused on finding ways to mitigate the effects of lunar dust on ceramic-coated materials used for the Artemis missions. “My time at NASA Langley was amazing. I had so much fun, trained a lot and made wonderful lifelong connections,” said Pujols. “I had two wonderful mentors and many
others who would drop anything to help me make my experiments work.” Pujols was recently chosen as one of five women to win a Women in Aerospace Foundation scholarship, which recognizes young women poised to become the next generation of leaders in the aerospace industry. In her free time, Pujols serves as a mentor for teens through ITWomen, a volunteer- based nonprofit that aims to increase the number of women in technology and engineering careers. “I want other young girls and women to know that they can do it and not to doubt themselves for even a second,” she said. “I hope to be someone who can represent them while being a role model.” Pujols is now pursuing her M.S. in Aerospace Engineering at Embry-Riddle, with goals of eventually earning her doctorate degree and becoming a professor and mentor to others.
FINDING PURPOSE IN A NEW HOME
Gabriela Gavilánez Gallardo’s (’22, ’24) journey from Ecuador to Embry-Riddle is a story of determination and discovery. At age 20, she left home with dreams to study aerospace engineering at the highest level. When arriving at Embry-Riddle, she faced the challenges of a new culture and academic environment but quickly found her stride. “Earning my B.S. in aerospace engineering, especially with summa cum laude honors, is more than an academic milestone; it symbolizes perseverance, resilience and adaptability,” she said. “It represents my dedication to personal growth and overcoming challenges.” Gabriela’s research under faculty member Dr. Hever Moncayo, Aerospace Engineering graduate program coordinator, focuses on artificial intelligence. She specializes in developing generative machine-learning models to improve the
precision of vision systems for better target identification and navigation, especially in challenging environments. Her dedication and leadership caught the attention of Dr. Moncayo, who nominated her for the prestigious 20 Twenties recognition. Aviation Week Network named her one of the 2024 recipients, acknowledging her courage and commitment to her research. “I nominated Gabriela for this award because of her exceptional dedication to academic excellence, leadership qualities and unconditional commitment to community service,” Moncayo said. “Her research efforts have the potential to make a profound impact across various engineering applications, including urban air mobility, aviation safety, space exploration and the operation of both crewed and uncrewed aerial systems.” Gabriela’s remarkable dedication and innovative contributions underscore her potential to make a significant impact. This accolade reflects not only her hard
work but also the supportive community at Embry-Riddle. “I was very lucky that during my time at Embry‑Riddle I have met marvelous people who now have become my second family,” she said. “These experiences serve as a reminder of the importance of perseverance, and every challenge boosts my determination to make meaningful contributions to the field.”
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AEROSPACE ENGINEERING
STUDENTS SHOOT FOR SUCCESS IN SPACE
On Feb. 22, 2024, students, faculty and staff watched as Intuitive Machines’ Nova-C class lunar lander, named Odysseus, touched down on the moon. After years of design and development, EagleCam — the student-built miniature camera system housed within a CubeSat — had finally landed. But the team’s work was not done yet.
As the lunar lander began its final descent onto the moon, the plan was for EagleCam to spring into action, ejecting from the spacecraft before touchdown to snap photos of Odysseus as it settled onto the lunar surface. After complications forced EagleCam to shut down during landing, preventing the ejection mechanism from triggering, the EagleCam team had to pivot. For days, they worked tirelessly to adapt their mission plans and procedures in order to deploy its camera system. On Feb. 28, EagleCam was ultimately reactivated and ejected, landing about four meters away from the lunar lander. However, EagleCam could not return an image because Odysseus tipped over after landing. “This was an incredibly ambitious project, from start to finish,” said Dr. Troy Henderson, director of Embry‑Riddle’s Space Technologies Laboratory (STL), where EagleCam was dreamed up and built from scratch. “I couldn’t be more proud of what these students accomplished.” In addition to Henderson, faculty members working on the EagleCam project have included Dr. Eduardo Rojas-Nastrucci, associate professor in the Department of Electrical
Engineering and Computer Science (EECS) and director of the Wireless Devices and Electromagnetics Laboratory; Dr. M. Ilhan Akbas, associate professor in EECS; and Dr. Jennifer Smith, professor in Aerospace Engineering, as well as more than two dozen undergraduate and graduate students. “Being able to say that this team came out of the classroom, applied what they’ve been learning in a whole variety of ways and were able to successfully complete this project and deliver it, that in and of itself is a great thing,” Henderson added. Nor is EagleCam the only hardware students delivered in 2024. In Sept., the team watched as LLAMAS, for Literally Looking at More Astronauts in Space, launched as part of the Polaris Dawn mission. The LLAMAS camera unit was the first piece of hardware not built by SpaceX to be mounted inside a Dragon capsule. The all-commercial Polaris Dawn crew utilized the camera to record crew activities, offering an inside look at this historic mission.
I’m deeply impressed by the innovation, dedication and creativity of the STL team. The students and faculty have accomplished great feats, and we’re extremely proud of all that they have learned, experienced, developed and achieved.”
Dr. Jim Gregory Dean, College of Engineering
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CIVIL ENGINEERING
THE HIDDEN HAZARDS OF WILDFIRES When wildfires ravage populated areas, they burn everything in their path, including substantial amounts of plastic, from furniture and paint to flooring and textiles. This burning process releases a complex mix of harmful chemicals into the air, posing significant health risks. But what exactly are these pollutants, and how do they impact our health?
Over the years, Embry-Riddle students and faculty alike have conducted various forms of research on wildfires, including using drone technology for tracking and prediction purposes, analyzing large-scale atmospheric events and their impact on fires and reviewing data to improve evacuation practices.
“When these items are being burned by wildfires, there is a whole new world of pollutants being released into the air that we don’t know much about,” said Dr. Marwa El-Sayed, assistant professor of Civil Engineering, as well as the director of the Sustainability and Environmental Engineering Lab (SEEL). El-Sayed, honored as one of only 17 global scientists to receive an exploratory research award from the Environmental Molecular Sciences Laboratory (EMSL), will investigate micro- and nano-plastics released during biomass burning. Funded by the Biological and Environmental Research program, this year’s EMSL awards support research on aerosols, plastic pollution, methane emissions and global climate change. Her groundbreaking nine-month project will quantify plastic particles, examining their concentrations, size distributions and chemical compositions under different burning conditions. “Wildfires are a major issue in the U.S. and around the world,” said El-Sayed. “Air moves freely, so we are all impacted, and we need to know what we are inhaling.” The award grants access to EMSL’s innovative facilities at the Pacific Northwest National Laboratory in Richland, Washington,
where El-Sayed will conduct at least six controlled biomass-burning experiments that will generate samples that will be meticulously analyzed. “There is a lot more we want to study, but we first have to investigate on a small scale what is being emitted, so we can better understand their behavior later on,” she said. El-Sayed’s research will provide insights into the emissions from homes affected by wildfires, controlled burns and plastic waste incineration processes as these pollutants have a lifetime in the atmosphere, and, in the atmosphere, they can undergo several chemical and physical process changes. She received an NSF Faculty Travel Grant to attend the American Geophysical Union annual meeting to speak about her work. Looking ahead, El-Sayed plans to publish her findings and is eager to build on her work through continued collaboration with EMSL. “Using the results of this exploratory study, we will be able to develop more focused questions to address in future studies,” she said. “I envision this as not just a one- time collaboration, but the start of a longer collaboration between Embry‑Riddle and the Environmental Molecular Sciences Laboratory.”
Wildfires are a major issue in the U.S. and around the world. Air moves freely, so we are all impacted, and we need to know what we are inhaling.” Dr. Marwa El-Sayed Assistant Professor, Civil Engineering Director, Sustainability and Environmental Engineering Lab
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Now a graduate of the accelerated five-year bachelor’s and master’s program in Civil Engineering, Megan Butcher won Graduate Student of the Year in Spring 2024 for her notable achievements, hard work and dedication in the field. ADVANCING SUSTAINABLE MATERIALS RESEARCH
As an undergraduate, Butcher completed an internship called the Natural Hazards Engineering Research Infrastructure (NHERI) Research Experience for Undergraduates, an initiative of the NSF. The first Embry‑Riddle student to be awarded the internship, Butcher studied performance and design parameters for a sustainable form of construction known as mass timber. A 10-story mass timber test building named the NHERI TallWood test structure — constructed on an earthquake simulation device called the Large High-Performance Outdoor Shake Table at the University of California San Diego — is one such project. Butcher was a member of an all- woman research team, interviewing representatives of companies partnered on TallWood to get information about
the mass timber industry and its potential for high-rise buildings that can withstand seismic activity. “It helped me expand my skillset, as I had to reach out to different companies and conduct informative interviews, which is not usually in the wheelhouse of traditional engineering,” Butcher said. Butcher’s involvement continued on campus in the American Society of Civil Engineers, where she served as vice president as an undergraduate and conference chair as a graduate student. During her time as a graduate student, she was also awarded the Dwight David Eisenhower Transportation Fellowship and the ASCE East Central Branch Legacy Endowment Scholarship. In 2023, she co-authored a paper that won the Engineering Structures Best Paper Award.
Now, Butcher is gaining experience as a construction project development process engineer in training at FINROCK, a design-builder based in Central Florida. Through this role, Butcher is able to engage in practical engineering experience with the support of a supervisor before entering the workforce as an independent engineer.
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CIVIL ENGINEERING
CONNECTING RESEARCH TO REAL-WORLD IMPROVEMENTS
Dr. Payal Kotecha, an assistant professor of Civil Engineering, recently secured a $200,000 research grant from the Florida Department of Transportation (FDOT). This funding will support a groundbreaking project focused on inspecting pipe-to-structure connections across several districts in Florida using state-of-the-art zoom camera technology.
“The project aims to provide valuable insights into the in-service performance of these connectors, serving as an initial step in informing decision making regarding the potential statewide deployment of resilient connectors,” explained Kotecha, who is leading the research as the principal investigator. Over the next two years, the project will involve a comprehensive evaluation of both flexible and rigid pipe-to-structure connections at various sites throughout Florida. This initiative aims to assess the effectiveness of these connections. According to Kotecha, during the mid-
2000s, FDOT District 7 implemented a new type of flexible connector for most pipe-to-structure connections. This study will evaluate the performance of these new connectors and explore the possibility of their broader application. The grant will not only fund the research but also support academic growth, covering the support of one graduate student for a year, plus hourly wages for two undergraduate students. Dan Su, an associate professor of Civil Engineering, will join Kotecha as the co- principal investigator, adding his expertise to the project.
Fieldwork for the project is anticipated to begin this spring, with preliminary findings potentially paving the way for significant improvements in stormwater drainage systems and overall efficiency throughout Florida. Florida is hurricane prone, so improvements in drainage systems are vital to the resilience of infrastructure.
+ 100 % of graduates from undergraduate and graduate civil engineering programs at Embry-Riddle are employed or continue their education within one year of graduation.
Institutional Research, 2024
With urban expansion, the improvement of underground infrastructure becomes increasingly vital, necessitating the adoption of innovative materials and structural components,” said Kotecha. Dr. Kotecha and her team aim to push the boundaries of civil engineering with their research, tackling urgent infrastructure needs and enhancing the resilience of Florida’s transportation networks.
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ELECTRICAL ENGINEERING & COMPUTER SCIENCE
ENABLING SPACE EXPLORATION
Dr. Eduardo Rojas, an associate professor in the Department of Electrical Engineering and Computer Science, has been awarded a patent for his revolutionary technology. This innovation promises to significantly enhance spacecraft operations by providing accurate, real-time propellant distribution and quantity measurements.
Their dedication and expertise were instrumental in bringing this innovative concept to life. Extensive research and experimentation in the Wireless Devices and Electromagnetics Laboratory demonstrated the technology’s capabilities successfully. The implications of Dr. Rojas’ breakthrough are far-reaching. Accurate propellant measurements are crucial for mission planning, fuel efficiency and overall spacecraft performance. By providing real- time data, this technology can enable more efficient fuel management, reducing the risk of fuel shortages and improving the reliability of space missions. Dr. Rojas’ achievement is a demonstration of the dedication and talent of the faculty and students at Embry-Riddle. As this technology continues to be developed and refined, it has the potential to revolutionize the field of space exploration and pave the way for exciting discoveries.
Dr. Rojas’ invention involves using electromagnetic probes strategically
placed within spacecraft propellant tanks. Meticulously designed and calibrated probes emit electromagnetic waves that interact with liquid propellant. By analyzing the reflected signals, the technology can precisely determine the propellant’s spatial distribution and quantity. The development of this technology was a collaborative effort involving Dr. Rojas and two of his students, Nicholas Moline (’20) and Daniel Sommer (’19).
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ELECTRICAL ENGINEERING & COMPUTER SCIENCE
TRANSFORMING ROBOTICS WITH SMART RESEARCH
energy and provide security and speed to the group. Research aims to model this behavior and quantify energy savings in hopes of promoting similar movement patterns and ideas in robotics. X Cricket Communication: A species of cricket changed the way it communicates to avoid a parasite that followed its communication pattern. This could potentially be applied to communication security in computer networks with malicious listeners.
he received the SMART offer, he was “overjoyed, because it takes a lot of
pressure off my shoulders.” Hand, who originally came to
Embry-Riddle for his M.S. in Uncrewed and Autonomous Systems Engineering, says that experience sold him on pursuing his doctorate. “I fell in love with the work being done here,” Hand said. Hand is studying insect behaviors to tie those behaviors into practical applications for drones and robotics. His research areas include: X Eusocial Insect Multi-Agent Fault Resilience: How can the ways ants, termites, bees and wasps resist parasites be used to improve the strategies that drones, robots and other systems use to resist malicious control? X Millipede Movement: Millipedes conduct swarm behaviors to save
Between 2009 and 2023, Embry‑Riddle students were awarded a total of 46 U.S. Department of Defense SMART Scholar awards. This year alone, they earned 12 full-ride scholarships, which include full tuition for up to five years,
mentorship, summer internships, a stipend and guaranteed post- graduation employment.
James Hand (’26), in the second year of his Ph.D. in Electrical Engineering and Computer Science, said that when
Buzzing with Innovation Hand’s research on eusocial insect behavior won first place in graduate student research at Embry-Riddle’s Student Research Symposium in 2023.
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Improving Safety Through Biologically Inspired Design Could nature hold the key to infrastructure resilience? Dr. Bryan Watson, assistant professor in the Department of Electrical Engineering and Computer Science, is betting on it. Watson, who directs Embry-Riddle’s Biologically Inspired Design-for-Resilience Lab, believes natural systems hold the key to engineering safer, more secure multi-agent networks. A $200,000 Engineering Research Initiation (ERI) grant from the NSF will enable Watson to explore this idea over a two-year period. Multi-agent systems like drone swarms are important to national defense, but they can be vulnerable to threats. Watson and his students will model the spread of cuticular hydrocarbon in ant colonies to learn how ants identify intruders and mitigate their impacts. Then, Watson’s team will develop a faulted agent detection algorithm and test it via simulations and a real-world robotic swarm. The outcome? A new approach to systems resilience that is decentralized, scalable and can be implemented without onboard machine learning. ERI grants are awarded to new academic researchers who show significant promise and the ability to contribute to America’s engineering research capacity. Watson is also the recipient of a College of Engineering seed grant, is the college’s 2024 Teacher of the Year and is 2024 Embry-Riddle Research Mentor of the Year.
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MECHANICAL ENGINEERING
PIONEERING SOLUTIONS TO REAL-WORLD CHALLENGES
With the help of National Science Foundation CAREER awards, two Mechanical Engineering professors hope to better understand infant joint disorders and automobile driving behavior. Associate Professor Dr. Victor Huayamave and Assistant Professor Dr. Subhradeep Roy are the recipients of two five-year NSF CAREER awards totaling more than $1,133,000. Huayamave’s research aims to improve the prevention and treatment of infant joint disorders like hip dysplasia. The research builds on extensive work Huayamave has done on the subject
— one of his objectives is to establish a causal link between untreated or mistreated dysplasia in infants and children and the eventual need for hip replacement in adulthood. The research funded by his award will use the hip joint as a test system to then move toward the study of other biomechanical pathologies, such as scoliosis, spina bifida and clubfoot, with the aim of establishing new approaches to better understand and treat those conditions. As part of his own research, Dr. Roy will use virtual reality technology to collect data and quantify and model driving behavior. The project draws inspiration from Roy’s prior work on studying traffic systems and will investigate driving maneuvers like lane changing, passing and stopping.
Roy hopes to shed light on the complexities of driving behavior in a facility with networked simulators. The simulators will collect data from multiple drivers while they drive in shared scenarios, allowing for the study of their interactions and the development of data-based traffic models that will aid in improving traffic safety.
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Previous achievements have focused primarily on simulation and board games, whereas we proposed a new method — a dynamic-aware, data- driven reinforcement learning way to train and control wearable robots to directly benefit humans.”
Dr. Shuzhen Luo Assistant Professor Department of Mechanical Engineering
MECHANICAL ENGINEERING
ADVANCING EXOSKELETON RESEARCH WITH ARTIFICIAL INTELLIGENCE
Astronauts, individuals with disabilities and factory workers may soon benefit from improved mobility and safer, more efficient movements — all thanks to faculty research published in the journal Nature .
Called “exoskeletons,” wearable robotic frameworks for the human body promise a future with easier movement. But technological hurdles have limited their application, according to Dr. Shuzhen Luo of Embry‑Riddle — first author of the Nature paper. Exoskeletons must be pre-programmed for specific activities and individuals based on costly, labor-intensive tests with human subjects. Now, researchers have described a “smart” controller that uses data-intensive artificial intelligence (AI) and computer simulations to train portable, robotic exoskeletons. “This new controller provides smooth, continuous torque assistance for walking, running or climbing stairs without the need for any human-involved testing,” Luo said.
Driven by three neural networks, the controller learns as it goes — evolving through simulation. This approach is believed to be the first to demonstrate the feasibility of developing controllers that bridge the simulation-to-reality gap, while also significantly improving human performance.
human-robot interaction and muscle reactions to generate realistic data. In this way, a control policy can evolve or learn in simulation. “Our method provides a foundation for turnkey solutions in controller development for wearable robots,” Luo said. Future research will focus on unique gaits, for walking, running or stair- climbing, to help people who have disabilities such as stroke, osteoarthritis and cerebral palsy, as well as those with amputations.
Overcoming Technological Obstacles
Exoskeletons have traditionally required handcrafted control laws to handle each activity and account for differences in individual gaits. A learning-in-simulation approach may dramatically expedite the development of exoskeletons for real-world adoption, Luo said. The closed-loop simulation incorporates both exoskeleton controller and physics models of musculoskeletal dynamics,
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MECHANICAL ENGINEERING
INNOVATION IN ACTION
After Casey Troxler (’19, ’22, ’26) earned a B.S. in Mechanical Engineering at Embry-Riddle, he felt that the school was such a good fit that he stayed to pursue a master’s and then a doctorate in the same field. His time, hard work and dedication have opened the door to many opportunities on and off campus. As an undergraduate student, Troxler gained experience as a product development intern at Textron Kautex and as a manufacturing engineering intern at Lycoming Engines. He also interned at the Naval Nuclear Laboratory, operated by Fluor Marine Propulsion, LLC, and defines that internship as one that solidified his interest in heat transfer and thermodynamics. After a few years dedicated to pursuing research on campus, he earned a scholarship as an energy storage intern at the U.S. Department of Energy’s National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL) in Colorado. He returned to intern at NREL the following year.
“There is nothing quite like a national lab. It’s exceptional just to be in that environment,” he said. “It really accelerated my ability to do research. It was life-changing.” Troxler earned distinction as an honorable mention in the Innovation in Buildings Graduate Research Fellowship program, managed by Oak Ridge National Laboratory. Most recently, he was selected for a Graduate Student Grant-In-Aid for up to $10,000 from the American Society of Heating, Refrigerating and Air-Conditioning Engineers. Now a Thermal Science Laboratory research assistant and teaching assistant for Energy Systems capstone courses, Troxler is working on research in phase change materials and additive manufacturing with Dr. Sandra Boetcher, professor of mechanical engineering and faculty fellow.
There is nothing quite like a national lab... It really accelerated my ability to do research. It was life-changing.”
Casey Troxler Mechanical Engineering
PHILANTHROPY
FUELING STUDENT DREAMS
For 13 Embry-Riddle students, their academic and professional goals are now closer than ever, thanks to being named recipients of a new Garmin scholarship at Embry-Riddle. The Garmin Scholarship is an investment in students pursuing degrees in Aviation Maintenance, Engineering and Human Factors at the university’s Daytona Beach, Florida, and Prescott, Arizona, campuses. “It is my hope that this scholarship program will help attract the best and brightest students to commit to a career in engineering,” said Dr. Min Kao. “I am honored to be able to assist such talented students in achieving their dreams.”
“Embry-Riddle greatly appreciates Garmin’s partnership on these
The Garmin Scholarship, established by the Kao Family Foundation, provides funding to high-achieving students. These scholarships are made possible through the generosity of Dr. Min Kao, co-founder and executive chairman of Garmin and president of the board for the Kao Family Foundation, which supports STEM education among its priorities. Dr. Kao earned his bachelor’s, master’s and Ph.D. in Electrical Engineering and developed the first GPS receiver certified by the FAA while at King Radio. He and co-founder Gary Burrell launched Garmin to integrate GPS into navigation devices for multiple markets from autos and aircraft to wearables.
transformative scholarships, which will help to significantly reduce educational costs for this diverse and talented group of students, so they may go on to careers in engineering and science fields that are in high demand,” said Embry-Riddle President P. Barry Butler, Ph.D. The inaugural Garmin Scholarship class includes five students from the College of Engineering: X Nichole Fajardo Orozco ( ’ 26), Aerospace Engineering X Seth Miller ( ’ 26), Aerospace Engineering X Osasumwen Omobude ( ’ 27), Aerospace Engineering X Aidan Phillips ( ’ 27), Aerospace Engineering X Sorayda Rios Perez ( ’ 27), Computer Engineering
ENGINEERING THE FUTURE
+ History was made Feb. 22, 2024, about 239,000 miles away from Earth.
Students Shoot for Success in Space, page 10
College of Engineering daytonabeach.erau.edu/college-engineering
COLLEGE OF ENGINEERING
SOARING TO NEW ENGINEERING HEIGHTS
Embry-Riddle prepares students to become engineering problem solvers, innovators and leaders — on Earth, in space and beyond.
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