The primary objective of this project was to optimize a control system for a single-use inflatable air mattress. This is for the prevention of pressure sores and infectious disease in the hospital setting. The project sponsor was Unisoft Medical Corporation, which is headquartered in Torrington, CT. The mattresses contain three independent air chambers which can be inflated, deflated, pressure controlled, and alternated. The major components optimized were an air pump, power supply, 3-way solenoid valves, 2-way solenoid valves, in-stream pressure sensors, and a programmable logic controller (PLC). Optimization included testing, validation, weight reduction, evaluation of alternative components, and the creation of a hospital bed integrated case with 3D models. The control system was improved to meet design requirements for inflation, alternation, and form factor. The project scope included the creation and testing of various alternation cycles using time and pressure.

The goal of the Mechatronics 545 graduate competition lab was to design, construct, and compete with an autonomous robot that navigates a random maze and “rescues” tennis balls. The robot completed the challenge with the most tennis balls collected and the second fastest maze solve time. The robot featured:

• A proportional-derivative controller based on the input of two staggered IR Sensors.

• A flexible and passive ball collection design

• Finite State Machine code structure in Arduino C.