Preservation of natural habitats is important on a global level, and Costa Rica is one of the leading countries in habitat protection. Protecting Costa Rica is a short documentary that answers the following question: What actions have been taken by this country to reverse decades of environmental damage? The story of this country’s transformational journey is told through interviews of Costa Rican natives, directors of the country’s biological reserves and national parks, and science professors from Kent State University. The narration consists of information extracted from these interviews and from knowledge gathered during a three-week tour of four of the country’s biological reserves. The research reveals that Costa Rica is a proactive nation that values the environmental state of its country. The people of Costa Rica are paving the way for other countries in terms of educational outreach and biological programs that greatly reduce and reverse environmental damage.

Spanish architecture is riddled with various architecture influences over the course of history. Moorish and Jewish influence on Spanish architecture traces all the way back into the times of the Inquisition in Spain. One thing that should be made apparent is that Spain was always in search of “purely” Spanish architectural identity, when in actuality Spain was always a country of many different peoples with many different cultures. This cultural variety brought diversity in what was thought to be “purely” Spanish. Two influences stand out among the rest; Moorish and Jewish architecture. These two groups of people created inspiring architecture that played a key factor in Spain’s architectural history, and has remained as an influence on their modern architecture as well. Moorish and Jewish architectural influence is seen in Spanish modern architecture in form, ornament, and functionality. The importance of knowing whether this connection exists in modern Spanish architecture aides in the analysis of it, as well as further proof of how, though seeming original, it still remains to have remnants of influence from other cultures and not just Spanish alone.

Methods that will assist in this research endeavor will be that of personal observations, analyzing texts from Flores, Mackay, and any primary sources that can be utilized to further argue that Spain’s modern architecture contains influence from Moorish and Jewish influences.

Problem: Social psychology focuses on the complexities of human interaction. As such, I wanted to determine if some of the known social psychology mechanisms and principles could be used to explain the challenges faced and the progress that has been made in the community inclusion of people with disabilities. If in fact this was the case, then I wanted to explore whether additional application of these principles could be used to advance goals for inclusion further.

Method: I pulled relevant information about various phenomena from Social Psychology (Aronson et al., 2013). Then, I consulted several other books and articles related to social psychology and disability studies to intertwine these concepts and consider how they might be related.

Results: I have concluded that an understanding of general social psychology phenomena can be used to explain both some of the barriers seen to inclusion efforts and the progress that has been made to date.

Conclusion: It is quite possible that the deliberate application of social psychological phenomena could be used to facilitate inclusion further. The impact of social psychological principles on inclusion can be divided into three areas: policy, portrayal, and practice. Policy refers to the ways in which systems, rules, and culture are set up. Portrayal deals with how people with disabilities and inclusive situations are depicted. Practice considers how inclusion is carried out. These three areas make up a trifecta of principles under which I suggest alterations that can be used to enact change toward a more inclusive world.

The current project represents Phase 3 of a four-phase endeavor at Kent State University at Tuscarawas. Its general objectives are to design, build and test an UAS consisting of an octocopter as UAV (Figure 1) for data acquisition and capable of operating under manual control, stabilized control and automated control (autopilot). The system has video acquisition and recording subsystem consisting of an SJ 4000 action camera mounted on a 3–axes gimbal for image stabilization (Figure 2) and first person view (FPV) subsystem consisting of an HD camera, 5.8 GHz video transmitter and receiver modules and on-screen display (OSD) for transmitting telemetry data (Figure 3).

The current project represents Phase 3 of a four-phase endeavor at Kent State University at Tuscarawas.

Its general objectives are to design, build and test an UAS consisting of an octocopter as UAV

for data acquisition and capable of operating under manual control, stabilized control and automated

control (autopilot). The system has video acquisition and recording subsystem consisting of an SJ 4000

action camera mounted on a 3–axes gimbal for image stabilization and first person view (FPV)

subsystem consisting of an HD camera, 5.8 GHz video transmitter and receiver modules and on-screen

display (OSD) for transmitting telemetry data

Hybrid Unmanned Aircraft System with Long Flight Autonomy and Capable of Lifting 20 lbs of Payload

Students: Seth Mathew Miller, Cody Thomas Langenfeld, Jim Keyser, Derek Ellinger and Robert Menarcheck

Advisor: Dr. Vladimir Gurau

Engineering Technology Department

Kent State University at Tuscarawas, 330 University Dr. N.E., New Philadelphia, OH 44663

1. Introduction

Unmanned Aircraft Systems (UASs) are systems comprising of an unmanned aircraft vehicle (UAV), its payloads, the control station, its support subsystem and its communication subsystem [1]. UASs can be used for cargo / package delivery or as sensor platforms for data acquisition [2] such as aerial mapping, aerial surveying, precision agriculture (crop health or crop damage assessment), natural resource management (wildlife census, impact of human activities on wildlife), inspection of industrial and civil infrastructure, aerial filming and photography, news reporting or intelligence, surveillance, reconnaissance and emergency response.

1. Objectives

The current project represents Phase 3 of a four-phase endeavor at Kent State University at Tuscarawas. Its general objectives are to design, build and test an UAS consisting of an octocopter as UAV (Figure 1) for data acquisition and capable of operating under manual control, stabilized control and automated control (autopilot). The system has video acquisition and recording subsystem consisting of an SJ 4000 action camera mounted on a 3–axes gimbal for image stabilization (Figure 2) and first person view (FPV) subsystem consisting of an HD camera, 5.8 GHz video transmitter and receiver modules and on-screen display (OSD) for transmitting telemetry data (Figure 3).

Figure 1

The Unmanned Aircraft Vehicle (Octocopter) Built at KSU Tuscarawas

To secure an increased flight autonomy, the power electrical system is hybrid and will consist of six lithium-polymer batteries recharged by a 0.5 kW High-Temperature Proton Exchange Membrane Fuel Cell (HT-PEMFC) stack designed and built at KSU Tuscarawas (Figure 4). The hydrogen fuel for the HT-PEMFC will be produced on-board by a methanol reformer designed and built at KSU Tuscarawas [3] (Figure 5).

Figure 2

The Video Acquisition System on 3-Axes Gimbal for Image Stabilization Built at KSU Tuscarawas

In the first two phases of the project the HT-PEMFC and the methanol reformer, the octocopter, the gimbal for video acquisition system and the FPV system have been designed and built.

In the current phase, we will integrate the flight control system, will calibrate the sensors for stabilized and automated flight control (sensor for global navigation satellite system, electronic compass, altimeter / range finder and accelerometer / gyroscope), will program flight modes, will integrate the video acquisition and FPV system and will test the system in various flight modes.

In a future phase, the HT-PEMFC and the methanol reformer will be integrated to the UAS to secure an increased flight autonomy.

References

[1] R. Austin: “Unmanned Aircraft Systems – UAVs Design, Development and Deployment”, John Wiley & Sons Ltd (2010),

[2] “Introduction to Unmanned Aircraft Systems”, CRC Press, 2nd Edition, D.M. Marshall, R.K. Barnhart, E. Shappee and M.T. Most Editors (2016)

[3] J. Snyder, D. Vonallman and J. Allen: “Design and Fabrication of a Methanol Reformer for Production of Hydrogen as Fuel for High Temperature Proton Exchange Membrane Fuel Cells”, 2nd Annual Undergraduate Symposium on Research, Scholarship, and Creative Activity, Kent State University, March 11, 2015

Figure 3

The First Person View System Built at KSU Tuscarawas

Figure 4

High-Temperature Proton Exchange Membrane Fuel Cell Stack Designed and Built at KSU Tuscarawas

Figure 5

Methanol Reformer Designed and Built at KSU Tuscarawas for On-Board Production of Hydrogen as Fuel for PEM Fuel Cell