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Herd Highlights, Issue 26, March 20, 2025
No full textBi-weekly email newsletter for undergraduate and graduate students created by WP
Analyzing Habitat and Avian Community of Wood Thrush
No full textThe Wood Thrush (Hylocichla mustelina),has experienced population declines in its Northeastern US breeding range. This study identified habitat needs and evaluated its role as a bioindicator in Massachusetts. We conducted avian point counts across multiple sites, using the Merlin ID app alongside human observation. Data collected included vegetation and wetland proximity. Statistical analyses revealed there was significance between Wood Thrush presence and wetland proximity. In addition, sites with Wood Thrush supported an avian community with a higher proportion of migratory species. These findings highlight the conservation value of wetland-adjacent forests for this declining species and suggest its potential as an indicator of habitat quality that supports a richer avian community
UP! Sustainable Vertical Expansion for Enhanced Campus Utilization
No full textTo address space constraints from a growing student population, this project proposed a sustainable vertical expansion of existing architecture at Worcester Polytechnic Institute (WPI). Focusing on Salisbury Laboratories and Washburn Shops, historically significant and structurally viable buildings, the design preserved architectural integrity while introducing collaborative and social spaces. Research included structural analysis, historical review, and advanced thermal performance modeling. Using Autodesk Revit, Twinmotion, and RISA, the team produced detailed architectural and structural designs. The resulting thermal strategy aligns with WPI’s sustainability goals, demonstrating that vertical expansion is a feasible, community-centered solution to campus growth
AI-Driven Gameplay Footage Generation
No full textArtificial intelligence agents in today’s world are becoming more powerful every day, and their varying uses are expanding. The use of these agents in the world of video games as well has been changing, where agents are used to produce levels as well as creating challenges for a given player. One aspect that we wish to expand upon is the use of artificial intelligence in creating footage. Due to the surplus of games that are available on the current market, the rating organization ESRB does not have enough time to be able to monitor and rate every game that they are given, which is why many games go unrated. This project incorporates the concepts of artificial intelligence agents and creating an agent that will be able to play a given game without any prior knowledge of the internal workings of the game beforehand. Our team has defined what future work on this project will look like and the ways that the agent can be improved as well as its possible applications for other games and media
CS: MQP: Sun: Security Concentration Eligible: Exploring Automotive Security
No full textThe Controller Area Network (CAN) bus is an outdated yet widely utilized electronic network used for microcontroller-to-microcontroller communication in automotive vehicles. With a sharp incline in the technology implemented in modern vehicles, the CAN bus remains a glaring vulnerability despite being connected to more advanced microcontrollers (known as Electronic Control Units, or ECUs). This MQP explores the vulnerabilities of the CAN bus and creates an open-source testbench to model the network and attacks that can easily be performed while staying within the scope of education. The team was able to successfully replicate both a wired attack and a wireless attack on this testbench. This paper includes the background necessary to understand the CAN bus, a step-by-step guide on how to reproduce the testbench, the timeline of the research and project, and detailed explanations of the attacks
The Roman Dodecahedron: A Surveying Tool?
No full textThis project aimed to test the hypothesis that the Roman Dodecahedron was primarily used for land surveying through modern recreations and contemporary surveying techniques. CAD and SolidWorks Models were created and 3D printed. Using these models, tests were conducted to gather data supporting or refuting the theory that the Roman Dodecahedra were surveying tools. Based on the collected data, the team evaluated the validity of the hypothesis and formed a conclusion about the Roman Dodecahedron's potential role in land surveying
Analyzing the Impact of Frametime Spikes on Navigation-Based Tasks in 2D Platformers
No full textThe impact of frame rate on player performance and quality of experience (QoE) is well-studied in games, particularly in first-person shooter (FPS) games. In general, higher frame rates lead to better player performance and higher player QoE. However, the impact of frametime spikes on player performance and QoE has not been well-researched in navigation-based tasks. Our team modified SuperTux Classic, an open-source 2D platformer, to implement frametime spikes triggered at specific times during gameplay. Then, user study participants played the modified game while completing individual navigation-based tasks. Each round had a set frametime spike size for 8 different tasks, and the 31 users played through each task with each frametime spike size. We found that as frametime spike size increases, QoE scores decrease over all tasks. However, the relationship between performance and frametime spike size was dependent on the individual task. Frametime spike size did not significantly affect performance on combat and collectible tasks, while there was a clear negative correlation for jumping-related tasks
Akyem Dwenase Community Infrastructure Project
No full textAkyem Dwenase is a small village in the Eastern Region of Ghana that is rapidly expanding beyond its current water and electric utility infrastructure. In this paper we present a quantitative method for above-ground infrastructure mapping combining hand-drawn notes, the Map Plus iOS app, and InkScape. We interviewed 17 interviews local experts to gain a full understanding of Akyem Dwenase’s utility usage and layout. The compiled data informs a comprehensive report and a detailed map that outlines existing water and electric infrastructure, identifies underserved areas, and proposes expansions
Fondo Comunitario Monteverde: Measuring What Matters
No full textCommunity projects funded by the Monteverde Community Fund (MCF) struggle to analyze and convey their impact and struggle to have consistent communication with the MCF. Our study examined the current impact analysis and communication techniques employed by the MCF and affiliated projects in order to determine areas of improvement. To meet this goal, our group held interviews with MCF board members, grant recipients, and MCF donors, as well as surveys with the Monteverde community. We found there was a gap in how grant recipients defined a successful project and how they measured a successful project, exemplifying the need for a universal impact analysis tool. Additionally, we found a lack of structure regarding the communication practices leading to infrequent and inconsistent communication. We recommend the MCF adopt the Community Scorecard tool to analyze and convey grantee project impact to Stakeholders as well as the community, and we recommend the MCF adopt a one-to-one meeting style with grant recipients via a volunteer liaison
From Local Flavors to Corporate Tables: Empowering Caño Martín Peña Through Economic Growth for its Restaurants
No full textThe Caño Martín Peña (CMP) community in San Juan, Puerto Rico possesses a rich cultural and culinary heritage, yet its local restaurants face challenges in reaching a broader customer base. This project, sponsored by Proyecto ENLACE del Caño Martín Peña, aimed to bridge the gap between CMP restaurants and the neighboring financial district, fostering economic growth through strategic partnerships. Our team employed a multi-method approach through a series of interviews with CMP restaurants coupled with interviews and surveys with companies in the financial district to understand their lunch preferences. We developed a scalable conceptual model for a food delivery system that provides a lunch-time delivery system of CMP restaurants for financial district employees