Engineering And Computer Science

Hello everyone!

Last weekend the International Ground Vehicle Competition was held at Oakland University.  The competition started on Friday with each team giving a presentation on their robot.  From the presentation, along with the submitted team report, the top six teams were picked to compete for the design challenge.

Our team was not one of the six, which made us very worried.  To bring up our spirits a bit, our team qualified for every challenge, and we were looking forward to the start of the challenge events on Monday.  The morning of the competition our team was scrambling to make last-minute changes, and we actually missed the opening ceremony because of that.

When it came time to start the challenges, we were up third.  We started with the Autonomous challenge, then Navigation, and last came JAUS.  There were 3 heats, and each heat included 2 runs.  We knew we had to do well in the challenges because we did not get any points in the design challenge.

We were dominating the Autonomous challenge from the very beginning.  Our team ended up getting the three highest rankings when it was all said and done.  The JAUS challenge was very competitive.  A Japanese team - HOSEI was leading the competition for the most part.  We took the challenge in the last heat, by 1 second.  In navigation, we did not start off that strong.  We came very close to a few runs, but we were overshooting the last waypoint by less than a foot.  We won the event on the last run!

We ended up winning all of the three challenges, and capturing the number 1 overall trophy!

Sergei Gage

Senior

Electrical Engineering

Hey guys,

As I mentioned in the previous blog, our team was setting up for a practice run.  The competition will start June 4th with every team giving a presentation about their robot.  Then, there will be a weekend to get used to the track and make any necessary adjustments.  The actual challenges - Autonomous, Navigation and JAUS, will be held Monday, June 7th.

The two weeks leading up to the competition are very crucial, that is why a practice run was set up.  Unfortunately, the practice run did not go as smooth as hoped.  There were many issues with the configuration files which are necessary to run the robots LADAR and Camera units.  Our team was not able to present a legitimate Demo.

It was not until a few days after the Demo date that the configuration files were fixed, and now our team is working harder then ever to test the robot and debug any mistakes.  I will keep you posted on the progress of this as more news unveil! Talk to you soon.

Sergei Gage

Senior

Electrical Engineering

Hello everyone!

The IGVC is coming up fast, it is in 16 days.  My team and I have been working long hours to ensure this vehicle is going to succeed at this years competition.  To prepare for the course, we will do a practice run on campus.  To do this, we will need to design a test course which will serve as a representation of the track used at IGVC.  First, the outline of the track must be drawn.  Then, the lines have to be painted to mark the lanes.  Third, the obstacles must be places on the track.  All of these have to be done according to the rules specified on the official IGVC guidelines.  I will let you know how the test run goes! Talk to you soon!

Sergei Gage

Senior

Electrical Engineering

Hi readers!

Over the weekend I was recognized as one of the graduates in the 2010 commencement. University of Detroit Mercy’s engineering program is set up for engineering students to graduate at the end of the summer semester.  Engineering students who anticipate having enough credits at the end of their summer semester can apply for graduation and be allowed to participate in the commencement ceremony.  This opportunity is neat because the engineering students can participate in the ceremony along with the rest of their class rather then waiting for next year’s commencement.

The ceremony itself was very well organized.  All students were divided into sections according to the school they belonged to.  I sat in the section with all engineering students.  After a few words of wisdom by the university’s President and a few other people, graduates lined up at the podium where their names were read to the audience.  I felt very proud to have my name called as one of the graduates from the school of Engineering, and I am looking forward to graduating from Graduate School next year!

Sergei Gage

Senior

Electrical Engineering

Hello everyone!

This semester is the last semester of my undergraduate program.  The classes I am enrolled in are Networking, Electronics Manufacturing, Thermodynamics and Senior Design 2.  The class which seems the most interesting to me thus far is Electronics Manufacturing.  The course introduces the student to a different side of engineering.  Instead of being design oriented, this class focuses on product cost and Printed Circuit Board (PCB) design.  The final project for the class will be to design and implement a PCB of some design which has not been picked yet.  I will keep you guys updated on the progress of this course as the semester continues!

Sergei Gage

Senior

Electrical Engineering

Hello again for the last time,

I said it many times now, usually at the end of entry as my signature, but I am a 4th year and a senior. As such, I graduate this term and this will be my last entry. I will admit, that looking back, again lol, I had a lot of fun keeping you guys updated and in the loop with the happenings around campus and with my studies. It was all a great time, but now I am graduating and hopefully another Computer Science major can catch your eye just as well, if not better, than I did. Even though I knew this day would come, it still feels kinda weird and almost surreal. It seems like just yesterday that I started my first entry and now today, is my last. Well I hope you all cheer me on as I enter my next stage and walk across the stage with my diploma in hand. With my head held high, I say THANK YOU to all of you! I wish you all well and hope you have a great summer, from both the University of Detroit Mercy and me!

Chauncey Gilbert
4th Year
Computer Science

Hello again,

I want to be the first to say congratulations to our Titan Women’s Golf team. They were the Horizon League Champions this year. They are the first Horizon League Champions to make it the the NCAA Regional. The team’s Head Coach Teri-Anthony Ryan said “It is great to know that we are the first team from the Horizon League to go to the NCAA’s.” Coach Ryan even ended up being the league’s Coach of the Year. The team’s future looks rather bright, so hopefully we’ll see them becoming the NCAA Champions soon, Good Luck!

Chauncey Gilbert
4th Year
Computer Science

Hello All,

I am on the brink of graduating and getting my Bachelor’s degree in Computer Science. It still hasn’t completely sunk in yet, but it seems kind of weird. In less than a month, I will get a diploma that will be the physical manifestation of all my “blood, sweat, and tears.” It almost seems fantastical that I will no longer be the undergraduate wondering what it’s like to be a senior getting ready to graduate, because now I know and am pondering what the next milestone for me will be like. However, no matter what happens now, I know that I not only had fun and enjoyed myself, but that I truly accomplished a great feat. Fortunately, I also learned some valuable knowledge and skills that will aid me throughout my life, as well as a few friends along the way.

Chauncey Gilbert
4th Year
Computer Science

Hello again,

As I said last week, and as Katelyn pointed out, this was “dead week” and now it is over. We all pushed ourselves to get in our assignments, papers, and projects in on time. Now we have to study and put our thinking caps on as we start our “Finals Week,” where we take the test that is supposed to sum up the entire class for the semester. They are always tough, but with patience, studying, and careful planning we can not only pass, but pass with flying colors. Wish us luck!

Chauncey Gilbert
4th Year
Computer Science

Hey all,

This past week was a very busy week. Although called “dead week,” I was anything but dead. Finishing all of those projects I’ve been talking about and homework assignments has kept me very busy.

This weekend is the wind down/up to finals week. I have five final exams next week, and I will be studying. All weekend. For hours. The trick to doing well on your finals, though, is to balance studying with relaxation. Although studying can really help the day of the exam, de-stressing at the appropriate times can be invaluable. I am looking forward to making it through next week!

Until next time,
Katelyn McCutcheon
Civil and Mechanical Engineering
Senior