48440 research outputs found
Sort by
Second Brain: A Memory Support Application for Early Dementia Patients and Caregivers
No full textMemory loss in early-stage dementia affects daily activities and independence, often increasing caregiver stress. Second Brain addresses this challenge through a mobile app that provides structured reminders for medications, appointments, and tasks. It features an intuitive interface, caregiver access, and secure data handling to streamline daily management. By reducing the need for constant supervision, the app empowers users while easing the burden on caregivers. Through accessible, technology-driven solutions, Second Brain enhances dementia care and supports both patients and caregivers
Creating Social Change on the WPI Campus
No full textThis project analyzes the current social climate and opportunities available for improvement at Worcester Polytechnic Institute (WPI). Socialization and social spaces can be difficult to incorporate in everyday life, despite being an important factor in one’s wellbeing and mental health. To better understand the WPI Community’s opinions on social life, we conducted interviews with key WPI experts, completed archival research to gather a sense of past social events on campus, scraped data from public social medias applications, gathered both on-campus and virtual observations of surrounding college campus’ social spaces, and gathered survey results from campus community members. Through our data collection and project term, we identified and created different levels of recommendations, ranging from short term to long term visions, to initiate social change at WPI
Comparative Game Analysis Project
No full textThrough this project, we searched to create a site for designers and lovers of game design to read through analyses of games quickly and at one place online. While we did create a place for designers and lovers of game design, it became less about the analyses of games and more so how games connect with each other, and how those connections connect with each other (interconnections). Garden of Games is a database of our collective findings surrounding video games and their related aspects and tropes, as well as how these aspects and tropes connect with one another, and how those interconnections connect with one another. Hosted by Miraheze, our wiki contains four games, five connections, and one interconnection
Conceptual Mission Design for Titan Sample Return
No full textSaturn’s moon Titan is a prime target for exploration due to its dense nitrogen-rich atmosphere and carbon-containing molecules, suggesting possible life. Beyond Cassini/Huygens, exploration has been minimal, but NASA's Dragonfly mission (2028) will study Titan's surface. The proposed mission aims to return 30 samples from Selk Crater. Utilizing NASA’s ISRU concept for return propellant, key considerations included trajectory, communication, ADCS, EDL, sample collection, and power. A planned 2051 launch with gravity assists leads to a 19-year total mission length. On the surface, a quadcopter will collect samples, and an ISRU plant will produce fuel for return. Thermal isolation and liquid oxygen will maintain sample integrity of the samples during the return to Earth
International Tour Groups at the British Museum
No full textThe British Museum, located in Bloomsbury, London, attracts millions of international visitors, many of which experience the Museum through private tours. Despite the prevalence of these international tour groups (ITGs), their behaviours, impacts, and needs were not fully understood. This study developed methods for recording and visualizing group behaviours and impacts across the Museum. Sixteen ITGs were observed to construct a typical visit, and five ITG guides were interviewed to understand their experiences. Observations revealed that ITGs visit similar items, take similar paths, and impact other visitors. From these findings, the authors recommended specific changes to the Museum’s group visitation guidelines and the design of galleries to improve the experience of all visitors
Defining and Reporting Historic Buildings and Places’ Casework Impacts
No full textHistoric Buildings and Places (HB&P), a National Amenity Society in London, provides expert consultation on heritage conservation across England and Wales. Limited resources make it challenging to assess and communicate their impact. This project developed sustainable methods to evaluate HB&P’s contributions using data-driven tools. Interviews with Planning Officers identified how HB&P’s advice supports local conservation and informed an online questionnaire for ongoing feedback. We also created Excel-based tools to analyse change-of-use casework, tracking planning trends and heritage outcomes. These tools could strengthen HB&P’s ability to assess its support and advocate for policy changes. We recommended the continued use of these tools and the questionnaire to enhance impact reporting
Design and analysis of a Constellation of CubeSats for the Imaging of Saturn’s Rings
No full textThis project supports the design of a CubeSat constellation to image Saturn’s rings. This MQP presents the design of the Attitude Determination and Control System (ADCS), Guidance Navigation and Communications, and Power. The attitude determination and control systems were developed and simulated in MATLAB. The attitude control required for detumbling is performed with a magnetorquer and pointing control is achieved with reaction wheels. The GNC system presents effective communications based on a coverage analysis developed in Systems Tool Kits (STK). The Power subsystem generates and provides power for each device needed for the CubeSat’s mission and operation. This project was completed in conjunction with another MQP focused on the development of the propulsion and mechanical system
Sensory Driven Design
No full textVisually impaired persons face several barriers when navigating public buildings and natural environments; this inequity leads to a lack of independence and inclusivity in daily activities and social interaction. This project designed an educational facility that prioritizes a sensory experience and landscape interaction through “sensory driven” architectural design choices, such as tactile flooring, auditory cues and an immersive sensory garden. In addition, a hybrid structural design of Glue-laminated Timber and Structural Steel was incorporated due to the high load capacity and visual aesthetic of timber and the high strength-to-weight ratio and sustainability of steel. By designing with sight impairment in mind, this project fosters multisensory experiences in nature and addresses the needs of individuals who interact with the world through more than just sight
Cajas Solidarias Online: A Digital Tool for Women’s Financial Empowerment in Cuenca, Ecuador
No full textCajas Solidarias are community-based microlending groups for women in Cuenca, Ecuador. Sponsored by the Vice-Mayor of Cuenca, Marisol Peñaloza, we developed a digital resource providing tools and information about Cajas. We conducted focus groups with ranking activities to determine the needs of the women in Cajas, then user studies to develop our website. Our findings identified key information and an effective navigation structure for accessibility. This platform aims to support Cajas’ daily operations and empower women through improved financial literacy
Towards Effective Automated Feedback in Math Education
No full textOpen-ended questions play an important role in mathematics education by encouraging critical thinking and fostering mathematical communication among students. However, due to the diverse nature of student responses, online learning platforms offer limited automated support for such questions. Teachers often have to manually evaluate open-ended responses, a process that is both time-consuming and delays feedback for students. This dissertation addresses the critical need for timely feedback on open-ended responses by developing effective automated feedback systems. It explores advancements in automated scoring and feedback methods, leveraging traditional machine learning, natural language processing (NLP), and transformative large language models (LLMs) to enhance feedback strategies on online learning platforms. While LLMs show significant potential for automating feedback, there is limited evidence of their effectiveness in real classroom settings, leaving questions about their impact on learning outcomes unanswered. To bridge these gaps, this dissertation presents: (a) an evaluation process that involves input from educators to assess the quality of LLM-generated feedback, and (b) a study to measure the effects of immediate automated feedback on student learning outcomes. Results show that LLM-generated feedback significantly improved students’ revised responses and supported learning gains on similar problems, especially for lower-performing students. By incorporating input from educators and conducting empirical studies with students, this work aims to improve feedback methodologies in online learning platforms