List of Suggested Reviewers or Reviewers Not To Include (optional)

SUGGESTED REVIEWERS:
Not Listed

REVIEWERS NOT TO INCLUDE:

Not Listed
 Not for distribution

COVER SHEET FOR PROPOSAL TO THE NATIONAL SCIENCE FOUNDATION

PROGRAM ANNOUNCEMENT/SOLICITATION NO./CLOSING DATE/if not in response to a program announcement/solicitation enter NSF 14-1 FOR NSF USE ONLY

NSF 14-588 10/22/14 NSF PROPOSAL NUMBER

1503853
FOR CONSIDERATION BY NSF ORGANIZATION UNIT(S) (Indicate the most specific unit known, i.e. program, division, etc.)

DUE - IUSE- GEOPATHS-EXTRA

DATE RECEIVED NUMBER OF COPIES DIVISION ASSIGNED FUND CODE DUNS# (Data Universal Numbering System) FILE LOCATION

10/20/2014 1 11040000 DUE 1998 010989619 07/06/2016 10:53am S

EMPLOYER IDENTIFICATION NUMBER (EIN) OR SHOW PREVIOUS AWARD NO. IF THIS IS IS THIS PROPOSAL BEING SUBMITTED TO ANOTHER FEDERAL
TAXPAYER IDENTIFICATION NUMBER (TIN) A RENEWAL AGENCY? YES NO IF YES, LIST ACRONYM(S)
AN ACCOMPLISHMENT-BASED RENEWAL

436003859
NAME OF ORGANIZATION TO WHICH AWARD SHOULD BE MADE ADDRESS OF AWARDEE ORGANIZATION, INCLUDING 9 DIGIT ZIP CODE
University of Missouri-Kansas City
University of Missouri-Kansas City
5100 Rockhill Road
AWARDEE ORGANIZATION CODE (IF KNOWN)
Kansas City, MO. 641102499
0025189000
NAME OF PRIMARY PLACE OF PERF ADDRESS OF PRIMARY PLACE OF PERF, INCLUDING 9 DIGIT ZIP CODE
University of Missouri-Kansas City
University of Missouri-Kansas City
5100 Rockhill Rd
Kansas City ,MO ,641102446 ,US.

IS AWARDEE ORGANIZATION (Check All That Apply) SMALL BUSINESS MINORITY BUSINESS IF THIS IS A PRELIMINARY PROPOSAL
(See GPG II.C For Definitions) FOR-PROFIT ORGANIZATION WOMAN-OWNED BUSINESS THEN CHECK HERE
TITLE OF PROPOSED PROJECT A Quadrotor-based Mechatronics Design Course for Improved Information
Retention

REQUESTED AMOUNT PROPOSED DURATION (1-60 MONTHS) REQUESTED STARTING DATE SHOW RELATED PRELIMINARY PROPOSAL NO.
IF APPLICABLE
$ 250,000 24 months 06/01/15
THIS PROPOSAL INCLUDES ANY OF THE ITEMS LISTED BELOW
BEGINNING INVESTIGATOR (GPG I.G.2) HUMAN SUBJECTS (GPG II.D.7) Human Subjects Assurance Number
DISCLOSURE OF LOBBYING ACTIVITIES (GPG II.C.1.e) Exemption Subsection or IRB App. Date Pending
PROPRIETARY & PRIVILEGED INFORMATION (GPG I.D, II.C.1.d) INTERNATIONAL ACTIVITIES: COUNTRY/COUNTRIES INVOLVED (GPG II.C.2.j)
HISTORIC PLACES (GPG II.C.2.j)
VERTEBRATE ANIMALS (GPG II.D.6) IACUC App. Date
COLLABORATIVE STATUS
PHS Animal Welfare Assurance Number
FUNDING MECHANISM Research - other than RAPID or EAGER Not a collaborative proposal
PI/PD DEPARTMENT PI/PD POSTAL ADDRESS
Civil Mechanical Engineering 5100 Rockhill Road
PI/PD FAX NUMBER
Kansas City, MO 641102499
United States
NAMES (TYPED) High Degree Yr of Degree Telephone Number Email Address
PI/PD NAME
Travis D Fields PhD 2013 816-235-1291 fieldstd@umkc.edu
CO-PI/PD
Gregory W King PhD 2006 816-235-2350 kinggr@umkc.edu
CO-PI/PD
Jacob M Marszalek PhD 2006 816-235-1303 marszalekj@umkc.edu
CO-PI/PD

CO-PI/PD

Page 1 of 3
 Not for distribution

CERTIFICATION PAGE
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By electronically signing and submitting this proposal, the Authorized Organizational Representative (AOR) or Individual Applicant is: (1) certifying that statements made herein are true and
complete to the best of his/her knowledge; and (2) agreeing to accept the obligation to comply with NSF award terms and conditions if an award is made as a result of this application. Further,
the applicant is hereby providing certifications regarding conflict of interest (when applicable), drug-free workplace, debarment and suspension, lobbying activities (see below),
nondiscrimination, flood hazard insurance (when applicable), responsible conduct of research, organizational support, Federal tax obligations, unpaid Federal tax liability, and criminal
convictions as set forth in the NSF Proposal & Award Policies & Procedures Guide,Part I: the Grant Proposal Guide (GPG). Willful provision of false information in this application and its
supporting documents or in reports required under an ensuing award is a criminal offense (U.S. Code, Title 18, Section 1001).

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of AAG Chapter IV.A.; that, to the best of his/her knowledge, all financial disclosures required by the conflict of interest policy were made; and that conflicts of interest, if any, were,
or prior to the organizations expenditure of any funds under the award, will be, satisfactorily managed, reduced or eliminated in accordance with the organizations conflict of interest policy.
Conflicts that cannot be satisfactorily managed, reduced or eliminated and research that proceeds without the imposition of conditions or restrictions when a conflict of interest exists,
must be disclosed to NSF via use of the Notifications and Requests Module in FastLane.

Drug Free Work Place Certification

By electronically signing the Certification Pages, the Authorized Organizational Representative (or equivalent), is providing the Drug Free Work Place Certification contained in
Exhibit II-3 of the Grant Proposal Guide.

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Is the organization or its principals presently debarred, suspended, proposed for debarment, declared ineligible, or voluntarily excluded
from covered transactions by any Federal department or agency? Yes No
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Debarment and Suspension Certification contained in Exhibit II-4 of the Grant Proposal Guide.

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The undersigned certifies, to the best of his or her knowledge and belief, that:
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By electronically signing the Certification Pages, the Authorized Organizational Representative (or equivalent) is providing the Certification Regarding
Nondiscrimination contained in Exhibit II-6 of the Grant Proposal Guide.

Certification Regarding Flood Hazard Insurance

Two sections of the National Flood Insurance Act of 1968 (42 USC 4012a and 4106) bar Federal agencies from giving financial assistance for acquisition or
construction purposes in any area identified by the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) as having special flood hazards unless the:
(1) community in which that area is located participates in the national flood insurance program; and
(2) building (and any related equipment) is covered by adequate flood insurance.

By electronically signing the Certification Pages, the Authorized Organizational Representative (or equivalent) or Individual Applicant located in FEMA-designated special flood hazard areas is
certifying that adequate flood insurance has been or will be obtained in the following situations:
(1) for NSF grants for the construction of a building or facility, regardless of the dollar amount of the grant; and
(2) for other NSF grants when more than $25,000 has been budgeted in the proposal for repair, alteration or improvement (construction) of a building or facility.

Certification Regarding Responsible Conduct of Research (RCR)

(This certification is not applicable to proposals for conferences, symposia, and workshops.)
By electronically signing the Certification Pages, the Authorized Organizational Representative is certifying that, in accordance with the NSF Proposal
& Award Policies & Procedures Guide, Part II, Award & Administration Guide (AAG) Chapter IV.B., the institution has a plan in place to provide appropriate training and oversight in the
responsible and ethical conduct of research to undergraduates, graduate students and postdoctoral researchers who will be supported by NSF to conduct research.
The AOR shall require that the language of this certification be included in any award documents for all subawards at all tiers.

Page 2 of 3
 Not for distribution

CERTIFICATION PAGE - CONTINUED

Certification Regarding Organizational Support
By electronically signing the Certification Pages, the Authorized Organizational Representative (or equivalent) is certifying that there is organizational support for the proposal as required by
Section 526 of the America COMPETES Reauthorization Act of 2010. This support extends to the portion of the proposal developed to satisfy the Broader Impacts Review Criterion as well as
the Intellectual Merit Review Criterion, and any additional review criteria specified in the solicitation. Organizational support will be made available, as described in the proposal, in order to
address the broader impacts and intellectual merit activities to be undertaken.

Certification Regarding Federal Tax Obligations

When the proposal exceeds $5,000,000, the Authorized Organizational Representative (or equivalent) is required to complete the following certification regarding Federal tax obligations.
By electronically signing the Certification pages, the Authorized Organizational Representative is certifying that, to the best of their knowledge and belief, the proposing organization:
(1) has filed all Federal tax returns required during the three years preceding this certification;
(2) has not been convicted of a criminal offense under the Internal Revenue Code of 1986; and
(3) has not, more than 90 days prior to this certification, been notified of any unpaid Federal tax assessment for which the liability remains unsatisfied, unless the assessment is the
subject of an installment agreement or offer in compromise that has been approved by the Internal Revenue Service and is not in default, or the assessment is the subject of a non-frivolous
administrative or judicial proceeding.

Certification Regarding Unpaid Federal Tax Liability

When the proposing organization is a corporation, the Authorized Organizational Representative (or equivalent) is required to complete the following certification regarding Federal Tax
Liability:

By electronically signing the Certification Pages, the Authorized Organizational Representative (or equivalent) is certifying that the corporation has no unpaid Federal tax liability that has
been assessed, for which all judicial and administrative remedies have been exhausted or lapsed, and that is not being paid in a timely manner pursuant to an agreement with the authority
responsible for collecting the tax liability.

Certification Regarding Criminal Convictions

When the proposing organization is a corporation, the Authorized Organizational Representative (or equivalent) is required to complete the following certification regarding Criminal
Convictions:

By electronically signing the Certification Pages, the Authorized Organizational Representative (or equivalent) is certifying that the corporation has not been convicted of a felony criminal
violation under any Federal law within the 24 months preceding the date on which the certification is signed.

AUTHORIZED ORGANIZATIONAL REPRESENTATIVE SIGNATURE DATE

NAME
Lawrence A Dreyfus Electronic Signature Oct 21 2014 5:09PM
TELEPHONE NUMBER EMAIL ADDRESS FAX NUMBER

fm1207rrs-07
816-235-5600 ORS@umkc.edu 816-235-6532

Page 3 of 3
 NATIONAL SCIENCE FOUNDATION
Division of Undergraduate Education

NSF FORM 1295: PROJECT DATA FORM

The instructions and codes to be used in completing this form are provided in Appendix II.

1. Program-track to which the Proposal is submitted: IUSE- GEOPATHS-EXTRA

2. Name of Principal Investigator/Project Director (as shown on the Cover Sheet):
Fields, Travis
3. Name of submitting Institution (as shown on Cover Sheet):
University of Missouri-Kansas City
4. Other Institutions involved in the projects operation:

Project Data:
A. Major Discipline Code: 56
B. Academic Focus Level of Project: UP
C. Highest Degree Code: D
D. Category Code: --
E. Business/Industry Participation Code: NA
F. Audience Code:
G. Institution Code: PUBL
H. Strategic Area Code:
I. Project Features: 1 2 3 4

Estimated number in each of the following categories to be directly affected by the activities of the project
during its operation:
J. Undergraduate Students: 100
K. Pre-college Students: 60
L. College Faculty: 3
M. Pre-college Teachers: 0
N. Graduate Students: 1

NSF Form 1295 (10/98)

 PROJECT SUMMARY
Overview:
The investigators long-term goal is to make the University of Missouri-Kansas City (UMKC)
a recognized regional leader in undergraduate engineering education. In pursuit of this goal,
the immediate objective of this Improving Undergraduate STEM Education proposal is to develop,
and incorporate into existing curriculum, a senior-level course for mechanical engineering
students focused on mechatronics design. The new course, titled Mechatronics System Design,
will build on existing course offerings in instrumentation and controls by incorporating a
central project involving design, construction, and testing of a quadrotor unmanned aircraft
system (UAS). Two overall project objectives have been identified: (1) improve student information
retention via project-based learning and (2) develop UAS test platforms that can be easily
recreated at other institutions with minimal adjustment. The infrastructure development phase
of the proposed work will compare two test stand configurations designed to perform hardware-in-the-loop
testing of a quadrotor UAS. Validation and physical vehicle constraint determination will
be conducted with the use of UMKCs existing Human Motion Laboratory, which is equipped with
a motion capture system. Formative assessments will be conducted throughout course in conjunction
with information retention and self-efficacy assessments that will be conducted one year after
each course offering. By the conclusion of the funded period, an easily transportable mechatronics
curriculum focused on a course-long project will be available for interested parties in addition
to an extensive public and academic dissemination plan.
Intellectual Merit :
Use of a UAS as a student design project is a novel, timely, and efficient means by which
to simultaneously incorporate theory and design principles of instrumentation, controls, and
mechatronics into a single self-contained project. Although the skills acquired and used in
this project are transferrable to other applications, working specifically with UAS technology
is expected to increase the marketability of UMKC Mechanical Engineering graduates given the
growing use of quadrotors in the engineering community. The uses of UASs are likely to support
and advance the research activities currently underway in UMKCs Parachute and Aerial Vehicle
Systems Laboratory. Additionally, improving the UMKC Human Motion Laboratorys capacity for
real-time position tracking has the potential to benefit current research applications in
musculoskeletal biomechanics, such as balance training interventions for age-related fall
prevention that require real-time biofeedback. The curricular benefits of a project-based
information retention oriented course will have significant ramifications throughout the UMKC
engineering curriculum. In the presence of significant increases in student information retention,
self-efficacy, and performance, it is anticipated that similar curricular changes will permeate
through the UMKC engineering curriculum to better prepare students for their future careers.
Broader Impacts :
The proposed work addresses an important need in UMKCs Mechanical Engineering program: a
required mechatronics design experience to complement existing synergies among mechanical
instrumentation, measurements, and controls coursework. Due to significant attention and demand
for unmanned aircraft systems, the proposed work is expected to have tremendous impact at
other institutions. Dissemination will focus on providing an easy-to-implement curriculum
for faculty without specialization in mechatronics or controls. A course website will be developed
and hosted by the investigator team, containing all information and software necessary in
developing a UAS-based mechatronics course. Publication will be sought through professional
organizations (such as ASEE, AERA, and AIAA); however, in an attempt to reach the broadest
reader base possible publication will be sought through electronics hobbyist periodicals (Nuts
& Volts and Make Magazine) and electronics retailer SparkFun.com. STEM outreach activities
will be conducted in partnership with the Kansas City STEM Alliance and area Project Lead
the Way (PLTW) programs. Two open house events will be hosted each academic year, in which
PLTW students will tour SCE laboratories involved in the proposed work. During the first visit,
undergraduate students will introduce PLTW attendees to instrumentation and control theory
and report on quadrotor design progress. In the second visit, the same undergraduate students
will demonstrate their completed designs for PLTW attendees.

Page A
 TABLE OF CONTENTS
For font size and page formatting specifications, see GPG section II.B.2.

Total No. of Page No.*

Pages (Optional)*

Cover Sheet for Proposal to the National Science Foundation

Project Summary (not to exceed 1 page) 1

Table of Contents 1

Project Description (Including Results from Prior 15

NSF Support) (not to exceed 15 pages) (Exceed only if allowed by a
specific program announcement/solicitation or if approved in
advance by the appropriate NSF Assistant Director or designee)

References Cited 2

Biographical Sketches (Not to exceed 2 pages each) 6

Budget 5
(Plus up to 3 pages of budget justification)

Current and Pending Support 3

Facilities, Equipment and Other Resources 2

Special Information/Supplementary Documents 6

(Data Management Plan, Mentoring Plan
and Other Supplementary Documents)

Appendix (List below. )

(Include only if allowed by a specific program announcement/
solicitation or if approved in advance by the appropriate NSF
Assistant Director or designee)

Appendix Items:

*Proposers may select any numbering mechanism for the proposal. The entire proposal however, must be paginated.
Complete both columns only if the proposal is numbered consecutively.
PROJECT DESCRIPTION A Quadrotor-based Mechatronics Design Course for
Improved Information Retention

1. INTRODUCTION

The objective of the proposed project is to develop and incorporate a newly mandated senior-
level course for mechanical engineering students focused on mechatronics design into
existing curriculum. The redesigned course ME 457 Mechatronics System Design builds on
existing course offerings in instrumentation (ME 352 Instrumentation and Measurements
Laboratory) and controls (ME 415 Feedback Control Systems) by incorporating a central
project to design, construct, and test a quadrotor unmanned aircraft system (UAS). While
success in the mechatronics course is heavily dependent on students proficiency in the
preceding course sequence, the implementation of a comprehensive design project requiring
application of concepts learned in the preceding courses will likely facilitate a deeper level of
understanding with less review of old material and better retention rates, in comparison to a
traditionally-implemented mechatronics course design. The proposed project consists of two
objectives:

Project Objective #1: To improve student information retention of instrumentation

and controls material, to increase self-efficacy in engineering, and to increase
motivation to pursue a career in engineering.
Project Objective #2: To evaluate and prescribe infrastructure for reproducing
course content at other institutions.

1.1. Significance
Over the past 20 years there has been a significant increase in the demand for integration of
mechanics, electronics, control systems, and computer science [1]. However, mechanical
engineering students do not typically learn the necessary skills to design these mechatronic
systems as a part of the required core curriculum. The Mechanical Engineering faculty at the
University of Missouri-Kansas City (UMKC) recently introduced a three-course
mechatronics sequence as part of their required curriculum to improve students proficiency
and marketability in the high-demand field of mechatronics engineering. The first course, ME
352 Instruments and Measurements, is already being taught at UMKC and integrates
standard mechanical instrumentation theory with data acquisition and analysis. Typical
instruments and sensors used in mechatronics-related projects are introduced in this course,
including accelerometers, rate gyros, magnetometers, and ultrasonic ping sensors, to provide
students with the necessary hardware foundation prior to the design phase of the course
sequence. The second course, ME 415 Feedback Control Systems, is also an existing course
that introduces students to theoretical components of feedback control design. The proposed
work involves development of a third course, ME 457 Mechatronics Systems Design, which
represents the culmination of the three-course sequence. In Mechatronics Systems Design,
students will design, build, and test a quadrotor unmanned aircraft system (UAS). This course
provides opportunities for students to develop the typically undervalued [2] skill of applying
mechanical design to a complicated mechatronic system. The new course sequence will offer
the highly valued balance between theory and practice [3] by exposing students to a
combination of laboratory and lecture-based courses.

Maintaining a focused theme in the form of a directed student project throughout the
Mechatronics Systems Design course provides an ideal scenario for longitudinal student
assessment of information retention and self-efficacy in comparison to typical capstone

1
design courses generally require each student team to complete a different project. Such
variation in project scope can potentially limit the potential of student learning assessment.

Being cognizant of the difficulties many universities face with limited specialization in
mechatronics and/or aerospace, dissemination will be tailored such that other universities
could easily adopt the Mechatronics Systems Design course developed at UMKC. An
UMKC-hosted webpage will be developed with all course information and software in
addition to typical publication methods. In order to improve widespread dissemination,
publication will be sought through electronics hobbyist periodicals Make Magazine and Nuts
& Volts as well as the wildly popular SparkFun.com online electronics retailer.

1.2. Background
Mechatronics Education and Information Retention.
The Mechanical Engineering faculty at UMKC have decided to modify their curriculum such
that students are required to take a three-course mechatronics sequence including ME 352
Instrumentation and Measurements, ME 415 Feedback Control Systems, and ME 457
Mechatronics Systems Design to better meet ABET obligations. The course sequence
provides opportunities for students to develop hands-on skills and become proficient in
feedback control theory, and apply both in a comprehensive project introduced at the end of
the sequence. The specific focus of this proposal is to develop the third course in the
mechatronics sequence (Mechatronics Systems Design). Such a course is expected to nurture
the teamwork, design, and communication skills typically only achieved in a capstone course.
The course also provides an ideal opportunity to integrate emerging technology into the
classroom, thereby giving students first-hand experience with relevant skills for their future
careers. The benefits of such an immersive hands-on experience have been well documented
in engineering education literature [4-6], and are expected to impact information retention by
incorporating material that relies heavily upon previous course material. By requiring
students to perform experiments and design control systems without instructional review, the
students will be forced to recall/reteach themselves the material they are expected to know. It
is hypothesized that the students will retain more of the curriculum material after the course
sequence has been completed, in comparison to students taking the existing curriculum.

Technological advances over the past few decades have brought cheaper, smaller, and more
powerful microcontroller units to the everyday consumer. Mechatronics education has
needed to adapt to the influx of new hardware available by providing both theoretical lecture
content and hands-on laboratory components [7]. Many universities have adopted elective-
based mechatronics courses, but few mechanical engineering programs have implemented a
required course in mechatronics [8]. Recognizing the increasing need for engineers in this
field, the UMKC Mechanical Engineering faculty has deemed mechatronics an important
core to which each student should be exposed to prior to graduation. The proposed course
prescribes a coherent set of laboratory activities that provide students the opportunity to
develop skills needed to accomplish the semester project task of creating a complete
unmanned aircraft capable of stable flight in a controlled environment.

Quadrotors as a Design Theme.

From a student perspective, the worth of a course is directly proportional to the students
level of motivation and interest in the subject area [9]. Flying vehicles, particularly
multirotors, have seen widespread use in engineering as well as pop culture, making them an
ideal means for capturing student interest. Amazon recently announced a future shipping

2
method in which a multirotor vehicle delivers a package directly to the customers residence
autonomously. Lady Gaga also utilized a multirotor by riding in the worlds first flying
dress in which she was lifted in the air by a 400 lb. multirotor system in front of a live
audience [10]. There has been significant interest in utilizing multirotors for a variety of
applications and, accordingly, mechanical engineering students have shown great interest in
creating their own flying vehicles.

The unmanned aircraft systems industry is expected to grow substantially over the next
decade, tying course content directly into the merging field of UAS. The Federal Aviation
Administration has demonstrated its commitment to the utilization of UAS in the recently
announced decision for the six UAS testing locations; with new airspace integration
procedures expected late 2014-early 2015 (for small UAS) [11]. This course provides
students with the necessary skills and knowledge to successfully enter the emerging UAS
industry by providing students with single, hands-on UAS project. As UAS are integrated
into the national airspace, the number of applications for UAS will greatly increase beyond
the already large range of applications already developed. Prior to completing the course
students will have a strong foundation in mechatronics, instrumentation, feedback control
theory, and will be able to apply these skills to modern problems.

Quadrotors are particularly simple dynamic systems, when compared with other flying
vehicle types. Due to the relative simplicity of a quadrotor vehicle, modeling, parameter
estimation, and control design of the UAS are appropriate for a senior-level mechanical
engineering student [12]. Quadrotors are associated with two major design challenges: (1)
they are inherently unstable, requiring the use of a control system; and (2) they have fewer
outputs than system states. For these reasons, a safe indoor test platform is needed to test and
tune the vehicle prior to free flight. Test platforms range in complexity from simple single-
axis test stands [13] to gravity balanced, five degree-of-freedom test stands [14]. These test
platforms provide the necessary equipment to perform a variety of experiments on a
multirotor system including experimental gain tuning (using methods such as Zeigler-
Nichols), parameter estimation, and full six degree-of-freedom hardware-in-the-loop
simulations.

2. PLAN OF WORK

2.1. Project Objective #1: To improve student information retention of instrumentation

and controls material, to increase self-efficacy in engineering, and to increase
motivation to pursue a career in engineering.
The first project objective specifically targets the mechatronics course as an avenue for
improved information retention of crucial engineering material while also providing students
with an exciting, immersive hands-on project. Two specific outcomes have been identified to
meet the first project objective:
The mean level of knowledge of instrumentation and feedback controls material as
measured on a pretest exam will not decrease by the end of the course, and decrease
no more than 0.50 standard deviations one year after the end of the course.
The mean level of self-efficacy in engineering and motivation to purse an engineering
career as measured by written scales will increase by 0.50 standard deviations by the
end of the course, and will not decrease one year after the end of the course.

3
The primary student-developed course task is to develop, tune, and test an autonomous
quadcopter aerial vehicle capable of maintaining stable flight. In meeting this course task,
students will meet the four course-specific goals.

To meet the specific course goals, a broad course outline has been developed (Table 1).
Throughout the course, students will learn about current mechatronic systems (Course Goal
#4), as the autopilot system they will be using is an Arduino-based microcontroller with the
full attitude realization capabilities via an onboard Inertial Measurement Unit (IMU). To
fully utilize the onboard sensors (accelerometer, gyro, magnetometer, and barometric
pressure transducer), students will conduct experiments to quantify sensor uncertainty,
sampling speed, and calibrate sensors for both quadrotor and test stand instrumentation
(Course Goal #1). In addition to applying instrumentation curriculum material, students will
be applying theory from the Feedback Control Systems course to design a sophisticated
multi-input multi-output control system (Course Goal #2). Students will need to first design
and simulate their controllers and, using the information gathered, design and experimentally
tune the autopilot controller on the quadcopter (Course Goal #3).

Table 1: Specific Course Goals for Mechatronics System Design Course

Course Goal Assessment/Outcome

1. (Instruments-based) Collect, analyze, and improve Homework/Experiments/C
measurement data. ourse Project Report
2. (Feedback Controlsbased) Design and evaluate a Homework/Experiments/C
Multi-Input Multi-Output feedback control system. ourse Project Report
3. (Mechatronics-based) Compare simulated and actual Homework/Experiments/C
experimental data to identify ideal control system ourse Project Report
parameters.
4. (Mechatronics-based) Integrate and utilize Experiments/Course
measurements with physical hardware/actuators/ Project Report
embedded systems in conjunction with a software-
based embedded control algorithm to create an actively
controlled system.

The course will contain both lecture and lab components. A tentative course outline is shown
in Table 2 with specific course goals covered in each subject topic shown in brackets. A
tentative course syllabus is provided in the supplemental documents section of this proposal.

Primary deliverables from Project Objective #1 will include results from (both summative
and formative) assessment instruments administered throughout the three-course sequence
indicating how well course objectives are being met.

Table 2: Tentative Course Outline For Mechatronics System Design Course

Month #2 Month #3 Month #4

Month #1 Objectives
Objectives Objectives Objectives
Introduction to Techniques for Review of Guidance controller
microcontrollers [4] attitude estimation controller design design and tuning
[2,4] [2,3] [2,3]

4
 Components of an Model verification MIMO control Flight testing
autopilot [1,2,3,4] techniques [2,3,4] design for attitude considerations/safety
stability [3,4] [1,2,3,4]
Interfacing with Interfacing with Model/simulation Flight testing in the
embedded actuators [1,4] gain tuning motion capture
systems/sensors [1,4] techniques [2] laboratory [1,2,3,4]
Wireless & wired Experimental system Experimental gain Dissemination of
communication [1,4] identification tuning techniques results [1,2,4]
techniques [1,2,4] [1,2,3,4]

2.2. Project Objective #2: Evaluate and prescribe infrastructure for reproducing
course content at other institutions
Prior to conducting the quadrotor-based mechatronics course, several key infrastructure
components must be developed and tested including a vehicle test platform, hardware-in-the-
loop simulation software, and the software platform on which students will develop their
autopilot systems. Once the infrastructure needs have been adequately tested and validated,
the project software can be downloaded from the course website and off-the-shelf
components can be purchased from identified retailers such that the course can be easily
adopted at other institutions. The specific outcomes for the infrastructure development phase
of the proposed work are:

1. Develop, test, and compare high and low cost quadcopter experimental platforms
(software and hardware)
2. Quantify vehicle geometric envelope for use on experimental platforms
3. Create a vehicle software foundation enabling rapid student-created software

A quadcopter test platform provides the capability to perform

parameter estimation, experimental gain tuning, and vehicle
stability testing prior to free flight testing. Currently bench top
testing equipment for educational purposes are available from
several companies; however, these systems typically have a fixed
rotor system such as the one pictured in Figure 1 (Quanser,
Markham, Ontario, Canada) and can be prohibitively expensive.
By creating a generalized experimental platform, students will
simulate flight on their specific vehicle platforms (which they
will later actually fly). Figure 1: Quanser 3DOF
Hover Test Platform
Two different types of test stands are proposed, in an attempt to
provide an accurate, inexpensive hardware-in-the-loop (HIL) simulation platform that can be
easily recreated at other institutions. During a HIL simulation experiment, data is collected
from the test platform and onboard vehicle sensors, which are then fed to a simulation
(performed in LabVIEW), which computes the current attitude and location of the vehicle.
The location information is then transmitted to the aircraft without requiring the vehicle to
move. In this way students can tune, using both experimental- and simulation-based gain-
tuning techniques, their location controller gains. Any instability will be readily seen during
test stand experimentation. This allows the students to fully test their aircraft prior to
attempting untethered flight, greatly reducing the risk of damage to property or injury to
personnel. Additionally, students gain profound experience in tuning an actual system, and

5
see the results of that tuning first-hand, using standard techniques such as the Zeigler-Nichols
method.

The first test stand utilizes a relatively inexpensive two-axis load cell and spherical joint.
The two-axis load cell provides the vehicle thrust and torque about the vertical axis. In
conjunction with the vehicle attitude derived from onboard sensors, the HIL simulation can
be performed with the two-axis load cell platform as well as stability testing, attitude control
testing, and gain tuning. The major limitation of the two-axis test platform configuration is
the requirement for the two-axis load cell to be mounted on top of the spherical joint. This
greatly changes the rotational axis of the vehicle when compared to the free-flight scenario.
However, it is anticipated that relatively simple vehicle modifications (such as mounting
motors on the lower side of the aircraft frame) can adequately overcome this limitation.

The second test platform utilizes a six-axis load cell

as the sole transducer required to perform HIL
simulations [15]. By measuring the three moments
and forces, the motion can be simulated directly (3D
rendering shown in Figure 2). The six-axis platform
requires no vehicle attitude information, and the
vehicle center of mass can be moved much closer to
the connection point in comparison to the two-axis
platform. These two enhancements (when compared
to the two-axis platform) create a significantly easier-
to-use HIL testing platform. Figure 2: Six-axis load test stand 3D
Rendering
Test platform (six-axis and two-axis variants)
validation and vehicle geometric envelope quantification will be performed in UMKCs
Human Motion Laboratory (HML), a 500 square foot, NSF-funded facility originally
developed for characterizing kinetic and kinematic aspects of human locomotion. Although
the majority of HML research operations are focused on human musculoskeletal
biomechanics, it will be leveraged in the proposed work as a platform for quadcopter position
measurement. Specifically, the HML features a 7-camera near-infrared optoelectronic motion
capture system (Vicon, Los Angeles, CA, USA) which will be used to track positions of
retroreflective markers placed on the quadcopter, test stand, and any other features of interest.
Position data is streamed in real-time to the quadrotor. The accuracy of both test platforms
can be evaluated by analyzing the motion captured flight data and comparing with the HIL
test platform-based flight data. Similarly, the vehicle geometric envelope (quadrotor
size/mass) that each platform design can accurately simulate will be identified. This
information is necessary in providing a fully transportable curriculum. It is important to note
that the curriculum developed for the mechatronics course will be structured to permit
modifications such that the flight testing is conducted in an open space (without the
expensive motion capture system) to maximize transportability.

Each student enrolled in the course will perform a series of simulation tests on each of the
two test stands, in order to develop a comprehensive set of experimentally- and simulation-
derived gains for each configuration (two test stands x two gain configurations = four trials
total). Vehicles will then be flown in the HML under each of the four gain configurations,
during which desired and actual trajectories will be captured and saved for later analysis
(described below).

6
The onboard Arduino-based microcontroller incorporates all of the necessary sensors for use
as an unmanned vehicle autopilot, and fortunately, many hobbyists have teamed together to
create an open-source autopilot software. Using the open-source autopilot as a starting point,
a student development software can be easily created which handles many of the
infrastructure-type requirements of an autopilot (such as sensor communication, remote
control receiver communication, loop speed handling, etc.). The resulting software package
will simply be a skeleton structure for students to incorporate their command and control
routines, without the need for developing the software completely on their own.

3. BROADER IMPACTS

3.1 Benefits to Society

The proposed work addresses an important need in UMKCs Mechanical Engineering
program; namely, a required mechatronics design experience to complement existing
synergies among mechanical instrumentation, measurements, and controls courses. Since
UMKCs School of Computing and Engineering is dedicated to servicing the Kansas City
engineering community, such curricular improvements will have a direct impact on the
quality and caliber of engineers in the area. In addition, the implementation of a quadrotor
design project is timely, as these devices have seen widespread use in all facets of society
ranging from search and rescue to agricultural applications. Mechatronic systems themselves
have also seen tremendous growth in engineering; by educating and training students with
these embedded systems, students will be able to fill a more diverse engineering field in the
Kansas City area and beyond. Additionally, the project-based course will improve the quality
of the students via deeper cognitive development in instrumentation and feedback control
material.

3.2 Enhance Infrastructure for Research and Education

On a local level, the proposed work addresses an important issue in the current Mechanical
Engineering curriculum at UMKC by adding a timely and much-needed mechatronics design
module that focuses on incorporating previous course material through project-based, hands-
on learning. The project-based approach to incorporating previous course material in an
easily assessable and longitudinally traceable way will be greatly beneficial to other
academic institutions. Additionally, as mechatronics-related material becomes increasingly
important in all aspects of society, an easily-adoptable curriculum for various mechanical
engineering programs (especially those without mechatronics expertise) will provide quality
educational material while introducing students to an exciting, hands-on semester project.
All course materials, including lecture notes, laboratory activities, laboratory software, and
homework assignments will be archived posted on faculty websites. All hardware required to
implement a quadrotor-based mechatronics course can be purchased off-the-shelf and readily
used with the aid of the UMKCdeveloped simulation software. To promote the course
material to an audience beyond the readership of typical professional publications, articles
highlighting successes of course implementation will be written and submitted to several
alternative organizations including SparkFun.com, Nuts & Volts magazine, Make magazine.
These electronics/do-it-yourself retailers and periodicals will reach a significantly larger
reader base than those reachable through standard professional dissemination methods alone
and will direct readers to the course website.

In addition to these public outreach efforts, we will take advantage of existing infrastructure
(described below) within the School of Computing & Engineering (SCE) to promote STEM

7
awareness and education among high school and middle school students in the Kansas City
area. Specifically, we will host four open house events, during which area Project Lead the
Way (PLTW) students will tour the SCE laboratories involved in the proposed work. During
the first visit each year (March 2016/2017), selected students enrolled in the course will
introduce PLTW attendees to instrumentation and control theory via short hands-on activities,
as well as report on their quadrotor design progress. During the second visit each year (May
2016/2017), the same group of SCE students will perform flight testing of their completed
designs for PLTW attendees.

3.3 Professional Dissemination

The primary goal of this proposal is focused on improving undergraduate engineering course
design via upper-division project-based learning. The educational improvement will be
measured by the evaluation and assessment plan (described below), generating statistical data
suitable for publication. Potential venues for dissemination include peer-reviewed journals,
such as Journal of Engineering Education, Journal of Research in Science Teaching, and
Science Education; and national or international conferences, such as those held by the
American Society for Engineering Education or the American Educational Research
Association. In an effort to reach engineering faculty not typically involved in engineering
education, additional publication and conference venues within the American Institute of
Aeronautics and Astronautics (AIAA SciTech) and American Society of Mechanical
Engineering (ASME Dynamic Systems and Control Conference) will be pursued.

3.4. Participation of Underrepresented Groups

UMKC is committed to improving the racial climate and increasing campus diversity. While
efforts to accomplish this are succeeding university-wide, the number of students belonging
to underrepresented groups is still low within SCE, particularly among female, African
American, American Indian, Asian, and Hispanic students. Therefore a need exists to actively
encourage and broaden participation of these groups. Research in this area suggests that pre-
college mentorship and campus visits [16-18] are among the most successful strategies for
underrepresented student recruitment and will therefore be implemented in the proposed
work. This will specifically be accomplished through the STEM outreach activities described
above by actively partnering with PLTW programs located in urban areas with larger
concentrations of students who are historically underrepresented in STEM.

4. PROJECT EVALUATIONS AND ASSESSMENT

4.1. Plan of Work - Project Objective #1 Assessment

Information retention is a common problem among US engineering students. The proposed
Mechatronics Systems Design course will expose students to in-depth, hands-on experiences
that reinforce material covered in the first two courses of the three-course sequence
(Instrumentation & Measurements and Feedback Control Systems). The relatively small size
of UMKCs Mechanical Engineering program, coupled with the proposed three-course
sequence, provides the ideal opportunity for assessing and tracking individual students
learning and information retention. The educational aspects of the proposed project most
closely follow an early-stage or exploratory research (Research Type #2) project as outlined
by the NSF Common Guidelines for Education Research and Development. Data will be
collected in accordance with the necessary outcomes of a Type #2 project.

8
Student learning closely couples with student interest and motivation in a particular topic [6];
therefore, motivation to pursue engineering careers will be assessed along with retention of
knowledge about instrumentation and feedback controls material.

Study Design and Data Analysis.

A multilevel model approach will be used to assess growth or change over time in this static-
group longitudinal comparison group design. Knowledge of instrumentation and feedback
controls material will be assessed with a diagnostic pretest based on learning objectives in
prerequisite courses (ME 352-Instrumentation & Measurements and ME 415-Feedback
Control Systems). Pretest scores will be compared to scores obtained with the same test at the
end of the proposed course, and again one year later, providing three measurements that will
be used as the first level (within subjects) in a two-level linear growth model (LGM); the
second level (between subjects) will consist of a grouping variable and various subject-level
characteristics (e.g., gender, ethnicity, GPA, etc.). The static (i.e., pre-existing) groups will be
the students in the proposed course (Spring 2016 and Spring 2017), students in the Spring
2015 course, and a comparison group of students who take neither course. See Table 3 for a
chronological sequence of measurement occasions.

All measures will be psychometrically evaluated by Co-PI Marszalek. Motivation will be

measured at the beginning and end of the course, and one year after the course, with a version
of the Patterns of Adaptive Learning Scale (PALS) customized for engineering by Dr.
Marszalek. It will be analyzed with a similarly constructed LGM. Self-efficacy in
engineering will be assessed on the same three occasions as motivation using a brief
questionnaire to be developed by Dr. Marszalek, and assessed with a similar LGM.

The specific outcomes of Project Objective #1 are expressed in standard deviations, and thus
represent moderate effect sizes (i.e., Cohens d = 0.50). Given a moderate effect size, and
significance level of .05, and three (or four, if comparing the 2016 and 2017 offerings of the
proposed course) groups measured on three occasions, 28-33 students would be needed in
each group (98-113 total) to achieve a statistical power of .80.

Table 3: Chronological Sequence of Measurement Occasions for Proposed Study

Group Beginning of Course End of Course One Year Later

Proposed course January 2016 May 2016 May 2017
January 2017 May 2017 May 2018
Present course January 2015 May 2015 May 2016
Neither course January 2016 May 2016 May 2017

Participants and Procedures.

Dr. Marszalek will recruit students in each course to participate in the study with a brief oral
presentation. An incentive of $20 will be offered for completion of all three phases of data
collection, beginning of the course, end of the course, and one year later. The incentive will
be paid in cash immediately after completion of the third set of measures, and prorated if a
participant drops out of the study. Students in neither course will be recruited through flyers
posted on campus, listserv emails, and brief oral presentations in other engineering courses.
Only participants in the junior or senior year of engineering will be allowed to participate, in
order to make comparisons with students in the present and proposed courses more valid.
Measurements of all course students regardless of study participation will be obtained at the

9
beginning and end of the course for purposes of project evaluation only. Only data from those
students who have gone through an IRB-approved consent process will be used for research
purposes, and only such students will be asked to complete the measures one year after the
course.

For students in the courses, class time will be set aside for completion of the measures at the
beginning and end of the courses. For students in neither course, the measures will be
administered in a group setting in January 2016 and again in May 2016. Several times will be
offered in each month to maximize recruitment. All students will be contacted via email,
phone, or mail one year later and invited to complete the measures a third time in a group
setting. Again, several times will be offered to maximize retention of participants.
Administration of the test of knowledge in a group setting is necessary in order to prevent
some participants from using outside resources to answer questions.

Project Evaluation.
Summative assessment will take the form of results from the data analysis detailed above at
the end of the project in May 2018. Formative assessment will also take the form of the same
data analysis, but at the end of the first proposed course, in May 2016, in order to determine
if adjustments need to be made to the course for the 2017 offering. In addition to this
progress evaluation, an implementation evaluation will be conducted to ensure fidelity to
project objectives.

Plan of Work - Project Objective #2 Assessment

The focus of the infrastructure development phase of the proposed work is on the design,
testing, and validation of a quadrotor-based mechatronics course curriculum. This includes
creating the two vehicle test platform variants, validating the platforms with flight testing
data from a motion capture facility, and development of student materials prior to course
offering.

Quadcopter Experimental Test Platform and Vehicle Envelope Determination.

Two- and six-axis load cell versions of the HIL simulation platform will be evaluated
identically with the UMKC Human Motion Laboratorys (HML) motion capture equipment.
Attitude and translational control will be assessed individually by first performing step
response HIL simulations with the test platforms and comparing with identical step response
inputs in the HML. This experiment enables quantification of HIL simulation accuracy
compared to the flying system as well as determination of model parameters such as
rotational and translation drag coefficients. Using both translational and attitude data, a 2x2
analysis of variance (test stand x gain configuration) will be performed to test for differences
among testing conditions.

To maximize the transportability of the course material, testing will be conducted to

determine the vehicle size and mass range that each test stand configuration can accurately
simulate. Envelope testing is crucial to the transportability as institutions adopting our course
materials may not have the resources to conduct simulation validations. Testing will be
conducted in an identical manner to the initial platform evaluations; however, tests will
include a variety of vehicle shapes and sizes. The goal of this phase of testing is to provide
the HIL simulation parameters for a wide range of vehicle shapes and sizes, enabling rapid
implementation at other academic institutions. The smallest frame configuration to be tested
has a frame span of 10cm with a mass of 21g. The largest frame configuration to be tested

10
has a frame span of 45cm with a mass of 500g. During the testing phase of this study,
additional airframe sizes may be tested to provide a reasonable envelope that can be used
without on-site validation at other institutions.

Vehicle Software Foundation Development.

Using the open-source autopilot software currently developed, a software framework will be
created for students. Assessment of the foundational software will be quantified by
conducting experiments specifically targeting the sensor and user input communication facets
of the hardware/software. As the software is also necessary for HIL simulations, quantitative
data will be collected from the various simulation and flight-testing phase of the proposed
work with regards to the stability and precision of the investigator teams autopilot.
Qualitative assessments will be conducted with the student support team in an effort to create
a well documented and easy-to-use software platform for mechatronics students to quickly
and efficiently integrate their code.

4.2 Broader Impacts

Benefit to Society.
UMKCs Department of Civil and Mechanical Engineering (CME) has an external advisory
board comprised of engineering professionals in the Kansas City community. The board
meets on a quarterly basis to evaluate how well CME degree programs are meeting the needs
of the profession. To provide updates and gain feedback on how well the proposed work
benefits society in terms of enhancing the Kansas City engineering community, the
investigators will meet with the board regularly during the project duration. Additionally,
student employment post graduation data will be used to assist in determining the success of
students entering more mechatronics and embedded systems related positions.

Research and Education Infrastructure.

The success of educational awareness stemming from the proposed project will be assessed
via course website feedback and through formative assessments to PLTW visitors. Course
website feedback will provide information from other faculty interested in the concept as
well as hobbyists and students interested in improving or developing their mechatronics
knowledge base. Statistical data will be collected with regard to website visits and downloads
in an effort to track the information users sought. Articles published in hobbyist periodicals
(Make Magazine and Nuts & Volts magazine) and with electronics retailer SparkFun.com
will provide significant feedback directly with areas for readers to comment on the published
story (for articles posted online). PLTW visitors will fill out questionnaires, based on their
visit with pilot course students, to provide feedback on how well program objectives are
being met in regards to improving STEM awareness and interest. Questions will focus on
students interest in engineering and their awareness of UMKC as a higher education
resource. For example, this instrument would include questions such as How likely are you
to pursue a career in engineering? Analyses of variance (ANOVA) will be used to compare
outcomes across time points throughout the project duration. Results will be monitored
throughout the period of support and, in the event of results not indicating significant
improvement; contingency plans will be made to improve the programs ability to achieve its
objectives.

Professional Dissemination.
The investigators will rely on existing mechanisms to gain feedback on professional
dissemination of the proposed work. This is expected to include peer reviews from journal

11
and conference paper submissions, face-to-face interactions at conferences and seminars, and
citation statistics such as those generated via Google Scholar and ResearchGate.

Participation of Underrepresented Groups.

The number of PLTW participants belonging to underrepresented groups will be monitored
throughout the project duration. In the event that participation of these groups is lower than
expected, the investigators will explore strategies for increasing attendance, such as
partnering with additional schools in Kansas Citys urban core.

5. EXISTING RESOURCES

5.1 Infrastructure

The prerequisite courses serving as the basis for the pilot course developed in this project are
already part of the existing curriculum within UMKCs Mechanical Engineering program.
ME352 Instrumentation and Measurements Lab focuses on measurement theory,
mechanical engineering instrumentation, and experimentation methods. The course features a
lecture portion (taught by 1 full-time faculty member) and a mandatory lab portion (taught by
2 teaching assistants and overseen by the faculty member). ME415 Feedback Control
Systems is focused on control theory for linear dynamic systems, and covers root locus
analysis, frequency response analysis, and introductory controller design. This course also
features several hand-on demonstrations to illustrate lecture concepts.

All laboratory resources needed to complete the proposed work are already in existence at
UMKC. These include: (1) the Instrumentation Laboratory (room 335 Flarsheim Hall),
featuring sensors and data acquisition equipment for measuring voltage, current, resistance,
force, strain, temperature, flow, and pressure (Figure 3 right); the Parachute and Aerial
Vehicle Systems Laboratory (room 334 Flarsheim Hall), featuring embedded systems and

Figure 3: Human Motion Lab (left) and Instruments and Measurements Lab (Right)
sensors, three cargo-carrying multirotors, and aerial vehicle assembly tools; and (3) the
Human Motion Laboratory (room 319 Flarsheim Hall), a fully-equipped gait lab featuring
motion capture cameras to be used for position measurement during testing (Figure 3 left).

SCE houses the Kansas City STEM Alliance (http://www.kcstem.org/), an organization

whose mission includes promoting interest in STEM careers among middle and high school

12
students in the greater Kansas City area. The KC STEM Alliance coordinates the areas
Project Lead the Way (PLTW) and FIRST robotics programs and also serves as a central hub
for facilitating connections between schools and industry. Through the KC STEM Alliance,
the investigators will have access to nearly 20,000 students in 183 area schools with an
interest in STEM. The investigators will work closely with the KCSTEM director (also the
dean of the UMKC School of Computing and Engineering), and his letter of support for this
study is located in the supplemental documents of this proposal.

5.2 Preliminary Work

A proof-of-concept was constructed to verify feasibility of using a test stand for collecting
quadrotor thrust data. The test stand allows for 3-DOF rotational motion, with a single-axis
load cell used to measure thrust (Figure 4 left). The test stand was capable of providing some
140

120

100

Total Thrust [N]

80

60

40

20 3-Cell LiPo Battery

4-Cell LiPo Battery
0
1000 1200 1400 1600 1800 2000
Input Command [PWM]
Figure 4: Preliminary 3-DOF thrust test stand (left) and collected thrust data from proof-
of-concept quadrotor (right).
X Position [mm]

2000
0
-2000
0 10 20 30 40 50 60
Y Position [mm]

2000
0
-2000
0 10 20 30 40 50 60
Z Position [mm]

2000
0
-2000
0 10 20 30 40 50 60
Time [sec]
Figure 5: Post-processed position data from preliminary quadrotor
flight testing in HML.
13
system identification (as the hardware provides only thrust measurements) as shown in
Figure 4 right. The investigators have performed preliminary tests of the motion capture
equipment in UMKCs Human Motion Laboratory to establish feasibility of accurately
tracking quadrotor position with the existing laboratory resources. Figure 5 depicts 3D
position data, in the laboratory reference frame, of a tracking marker placed on a quadrotor
while operating under remote control during a 60-second flight test.

5.3 Project Management

Dr. Fields has a background in Mechanical Engineering and has experience in developing
embedded hardware for use in autonomous parachute control. He is currently developing
limited range tethered unmanned aircraft systems for use in remote inspection applications.
Dr. Fields will be responsible for overseeing and assisting in the development of both test
stands. He will also be responsible for the initial quadrotor platforms, as these vehicles will
quantify the design constraints for the student-built vehicles. Dr. Fields will also be the lead
instructor for the proposed course.

Dr. King also has a background in Mechanical Engineering and is an expert in

musculoskeletal biomechanics. He has performed extensive subject testing in the HML, with
specific research interest in balance assessment and fall prevention among older adults. Dr.
King will be responsible for readying the HML for aerial vehicle flight-testing. In addition,
Dr. King will also be responsible for assisting in developing the visualization and simulation
of the translational motion of the quadrotor. Dr. King will also be involved in the proposed
course as a co-instructor.

Dr. Jacob Marszalek will serve as a Co-Principal Investigator and has a background in
Educational Psychology and expertise in statistics and research design, including multilevel
modeling, with research interests in educational and psychological assessment, quantitative
methodology, motivation, and evaluation of STEM programs for women and minorities. Dr.
Marszalek will be responsible for assessing outcomes for Project Objective #1, including data
collection and analysis, and will assist in assessment of student achievement in the course.

The University has a plan in place to provide appropriate training and oversight in the
responsible and ethical conduct of research to undergraduates, graduate students and
postdoctoral researchers who will be supported by NSF to conduct research.

6. SOLUTIONS TO ANTICIPATED PROBLEMS

Since the proposed work builds on infrastructure and curriculum already in place at UMKC,
the probability of success is very high. However, the investigators have identified several
components of the proposed work that could potentially impact the other activities if not
completed successfully. Contingency plans for these possible conflicts are summarized below
in Table 4.

Table 4: Anticipated Problems with Associated Proposed Solutions

Anticipated Problem Proposed Solutions

Formative assessment Re-evaluate course material and revise
Project
demonstrates educational both lecture and hands-on activities as
Objective #1
specific outcomes not met. necessary.

14
 Student engineering self- Revise hands-on laboratory activities to
efficacy does not increasebe more interactive to students, and tie
sufficiently. lecture content into real-world context.
Six-axis load cell platform is
Attempt to source lower cost six-axis
Project
only viable option to
platform components to reduce other
Objective #2
accurately simulate motion.
institutional acquisition costs and validate.
Include on-board wall detection and
Problems with HML real-
utilize motion tracking for post-processing
time position feedback.
evaluation.

7. SUSTAINABILITY
Funds requested for the proposed work will primarily be used for initial infrastructure and
curriculum development. It is expected that, once implemented, remaining costs associated
with the proposed work will primarily be related to hardware and software upgrades. These
expenses will be covered via existing mechanisms, including departmental funds specifically
dedicated to laboratory upgrades. The quadrotor hardware to be used by the students during
future course offerings will be funded directly from individual students fees.
8. UNIVERSITY SUPPORT
To date, the UMKC School of Computing and Engineering has invested over $20,000 in
computers, embedded sensors and supplies, and a single six-axis load cell. Additionally, the
UMKC Mechanical Engineering faculty has shown support for the new three-course
curriculum with the recent unanimous decision to implement the mechatronics course as a
mandatory course.
9. RESULTS FROM PRIOR NSF SUPPORT
The Co-PI (King) was a co-investigator on an NSF Major Research Instrumentation grant,
MRI: Acquisition of an Experimental Platform to Support Research and Educational
Activities in Human Motion (CBET-0821459; Trent M. Guess, PI).

(a) CBET-0821459, 9/2008 8/2011, $263,685

(b) MRI: Acquisition of an Experimental Platform to Support Research and Educational
Activities in Human Motion
(c) The equipment obtained through this grant mutually supports four SCE research
programs focused on various components of human motion
(d) Although numerous publications resulted from subsequent projects carried out with
this instrumentation, there were no publications directly resulting from its
implementation.
(e) Purchased equipment includes: 1) a Vicon MX-T40 6-camera, marker-based motion
capture system with associated hardware and software; 2) Four AMTI OR6-6 force
platforms with MSA-6 amplifiers; 3) a Basler GigE digital reference video camera;
and 4) a Delsys Myomonitor IV wireless electromyography system; 5) a high-speed
oscilloscope and high-frequency spectrum and network analyzers
(f) The proposal was not renewed for support.

15
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[16] Huntoon JE and Lane MJ, Diversity in the geosciences and successful strategies
for increasing diversity, Journal of Geoscience Education 55:447-457, 2007.
[17] Perna LW, Precollege outreach programs: characteristics of programs serving
historically underrepresented groups of students, Journal of College Student
Development 43(1):64-83, 2002.
[18] Poock MC, A shifting paradigm in the recruitment and retention of
underrepresented graduate students, Journal of College Student Retention
9(2):169-181, 2007.
Travis Fields
Assistant Professor
Department of Civil and Mechanical Engineering
Flarsheim Hall 352
University of Missouri, Kansas City Phone: (816) 235-1291
Kansas City, MO 64110 e-mail: fieldstd@umkc.edu

a. Professional Preparation
University of Nevada, Reno Mechanical Engineering B.S., 2008
University of Nevada, Reno Mechanical Engineering M.S., 2009
University of Nevada, Reno Mechanical Engineering Ph.D., 2013

b. Appointments
2013 Present: Assistant Professor, University of Missouri, Kansas City, MO
2010 2013: Doctoral Researcher, University of Nevada, Reno, NV
2008 2010: Graduate Research Assistant, University of Nevada, Reno, NV
2008 2012: Graduate Teaching Assistant, University of Nevada, Reno, NV

c. Products
Fields, T.D., Development and Feasibility of a Non-Invasive, Wireless Parachute Load
Distribution Measuring System, AIAA Aviation Forum, Atlanta, GA, June 16-20, 2014.

Fields, T.D., Yakimenko, O.A., LaCombe, J.C., and Wang, E.L., Lower Stratospheric
Deployment Testing of a Ram-Air Parafoil System, AIAA Science and Technology
Forum and Exposition, National Harbor, MD, January 13-17, 2014.

Fields, T.D., LaCombe, J.C., and Wang, E.L., Autonomous Guidance of a Circular Parachute
Using Descent Rate Control, Journal of Guidance, Control, and Dynamics, Vol. 35, No.
4, 2012, pp. 1367-1370.

Fields, T.D., LaCombe, J.C., and Wang, E.L., Path Planning of a Circular Parachute Using
Descent Rate Control, 22nd AIAA Aerodynamic Decelerator Systems Technology
Conference and Seminar, Daytona Beach, FL, March 25-28, 2013.

Fields, T.D., LaCombe, J.C., and Wang, E.L., Flight Testing of a 1-DOF Variable Drag
Autonomous Descent Vehicle, 22nd AIAA Aerodynamic Decelerator Systems
Technology Conference and Seminar, Daytona Beach, FL, March 25-28, 2013.

Smith, A.J., Fields, T.D., LaCombe, J.C., and Wang, E.L., Development of a Coupled
Dropsonde-Autonomous Descent Vehicle System, 22nd AIAA Aerodynamic Decelerator
Systems Technology Conference and Seminar, Daytona Beach, FL, March 25-28, 2013.

d. Synergistic Activities

NSF-GK12 fellow from August 2012 July 2013 in which I was immersed in skills
necessary for success in an academic related career. Also spent a minimum of 10 hours
 per week in an environmental science classroom incorporating engineering into the
curriculum.
Technical committee member for AIAA Atmospheric Flight Mechanics May 2014 May
2017.
Developed an upper division/graduate rigid body dynamics course that exposes students
to general rigid body kinematics and kinetics with Kanes method.

e. Collaborators & Other Affiliations

(i)Collaborators
Greg King (Department of Civil and Mechanical Eng., Univ. of Missouri-Kansas City)
John Kevern (Department of Civil and Mechanical Eng., Univ. of Missouri-Kansas City)
Jeffrey LaCombe (Department of Chemical and Materials Eng., Univ. of Nevada, Reno)
Nathan Slegers (Dept. of Mech. And Aerospace Eng., University of Alabama, Huntsville)
Eric Wang (Department of Mechanical Engineering, University of Nevada, Reno)
Oleg Yakimenko (Dept. of Mech. And Aerospace Eng., Naval Postgraduate School)

(ii) Graduate and Postdoctoral Advisors

Doctoral Research Advisors
Eric Wang, Jeffrey LaCombe (College of Engineering, University of Nevada, Reno)

(iii) Thesis Advisor and Postgraduate-Scholar Sponsor

Masters Students Supervised: Crystal Wolfe, John Bazin, Ignacio Hernandez
Undergraduate Student Researchers Supervised: Crystal Wolfe, John Bazin, Ignacio
Hernandez, Nicolas Basore, John Smith, Logan Ellis, Daniel Schroeder, Burton Smith
Gregory W. King, Ph.D.
Associate Professor
Department of Civil and Mechanical Engineering
Flarsheim Hall 352
University of Missouri, Kansas City Phone: (816) 235-2350
Kansas City, MO 64110 e-mail: kinggr@umkc.edu

a. Professional Preparation
University of Kansas Mechanical Engineering B.S., 1999
University of Kansas Mechanical Engineering M.S., 2002
University of Kansas Mechanical Engineering Ph.D., 2006

b. Appointments
2007 Present Assistant Professor of Mechanical Engineering, University of Missouri
Kansas City, Kansas City, MO
2006 2007 Postdoctoral Fellow, Landon Center on Aging, University of Kansas
Medical Center, Kansas City, KS
2003 2006 Graduate Research Assistant, Department of Mechanical Engineering,
University of Kansas, Lawrence, KS
2000 2002 Graduate Teaching Assistant, Department of Mechanical Engineering,
University of Kansas, Lawrence, KS

c. Products
5 most relevant products
1. Mullin DS, King GW, Saripalle SK, Derakhshani RR, Lovelace CT, Burgoon JK,
Deception Effects on Standing Center of Pressure, Human Movement Science 38:106-115,
2014.
2. Saripalle SK, Paiva GC, Cliett TC, Derakhshani RR, King GW, Lovelace CT,
Classification of Body Movements Based on Posturographic Data, Human Movement
Science 33:238-250, 2014.
3. Shirey M, Hurlbutt M, Johansen N, King GW, Wilkinson SG, Hoover DL, The Influence of
Core Musculature Engagement on Hip and Knee Kinematics in Women During a Single Leg
Squat, The International Journal of Sports Physical Therapy 7(1):1-12, 2012.
4. Shirey M, Hurlbutt M, Johansen N, Wilkinson SG, King GW, Hoover DL, Influence of
Core Musculature Engagement on Knee Kinematics of Females During a Single Leg Squat,
Medicine and Science in Sports and Exercise 43:501, 2011.
5. Guess TM, Derakhshani RR, King GW, Leon-Salas WD, Multi-Disciplinary Collaborations
in Measurement of Human Motion, Missouri Regional Life Sciences Summit, Kansas City,
MO, 2010.

5 other products
1. King GW, Bruetsch AP, Kevern JT, Slip-Related Characterization of Gait Kinetics:
Investigation of Pervious Concrete as a Slip-Resistant Walking Surface, Safety Science
57:52-59, 2013.
2. Kevern FT, King GW, Bruetsch AP, Pervious Concrete Surface Characterization to Reduce
Slip-Related Falls, Journal of Performance of Constructed Facilities 26(4):526-531, 2012.
3. King GW, Akula CK, Luchies CW, Age-Related Differences in Kinetics Measures of
Landing Phase Lateral Stability During a Balance-Restoring Forward Step, Gait and
Posture 35(3):440-445, 2012.
4. King GW, Stylianou AP, Kluding PM, Jernigan SD, Luchies CW, Effects of Age and
Localized Muscle Fatigue on Ankle Plantar Flexor Torque Development, Journal of
Geriatric Physical Therapy 35(1):8-14, 2012.
5. Bruetsch AP, King GW, Kevern JT, Biomechanical Characterization of Slipping on
Pervious and Traditional Concrete Walking Surfaces, 35th Annual Meeting of the American
Society of Biomechanics, Long Beach, CA, 2011.

d. Synergistic Activities
1. Faculty advisor for UMKCs Missouri Phi Eta Chapter of Pi Tau Sigma Mechanical
Engineering Honor Society
2. Developed introductory and advanced level biomechanics courses at UMKC that expose
students to analysis and interpretation of kinematic, kinetic, and electromyographic data
associated with human motion
3. Member of UMKCs multidisciplinary Adopt a School committee, designed to increase
awareness and interest in STEM among Kansas City area high school students
4. Member of an interdisciplinary team of researchers on an NSF Major Research
Instrumentation grant providing infrastructure for experimental research in human motion;
enriching current and future bioengineering courses, and attracting prospective students from
the Universitys urban community, including those from underrepresented groups.
5. Faculty participant in Science Power, a program exposing urban high school students to
hands-on activities designed to generate interest in STEM fields; funded by a United Services
Community Action Agency grant awarded to UMKCs Division of Diversity, Access, and
Equity

e. Collaborators & Other Affiliations

(i)Collaborators
Eduardo Abreu (University of Missouri Kansas City); Marco Brotto (University of Missouri
Kansas City); Judee K. Burgoon (University of Arizona); Steven Davis (University of Missouri
Kansas City); Reza Derakhshani (University of Missouri Kansas City); Travis Fields
(University of Missouri Kansas City); Trent M. Guess (University of Missouri); Don Hoover
(Rockhurst University); Chi-Ming Huang (University of Missouri Kansas City); Stephen D.
Jernigan (University of Kansas Medical Center); Patricia Kelly (University of Missouri Kansas
City); John T. Kevern (University of Missouri Kansas City); Patricia M. Kluding (University
of Kansas Medical Center); Walter D. Leon-Salas (University of Missouri Kansas City);
Christopher T. Lovelace (Shepherd University); Sabrina Madison-Cannon (University of
Missouri Kansas City); Molly A. McVey (University of Kansas); Jeffrey M. Schiffman (U.S.
Army Soldier Systems Center); Antonis P. Stylianou (University of Missouri Kansas City);
Darryl G. Thelen (University of Wisconsin Madison); Steve Wilkinson (Rockhurst University)

(ii) Graduate and Postdoctoral Advisors

Carl W. Luchies (University of Kansas)

(iii) Thesis Advisor and Postgraduate-Scholar Sponsor

Masters Students Supervised: Ghassan Dinn, Chaitanya Akula, Mahitha Malineni, Adam
Bruetsch, Darren Mullin, Vicki Angelini, Elliott Goff, Safeer Siddicky
Undergraduate Student Research Projects Supervised: Ghassan Dinn, Adam Bruetsch, Negar
Khalandi, Grant Meyer, Audrey Barnard, Crystal Wolfe, Chase Franklin, Sierra Shipley, Logan
Ellis, Jonathan Parman, Katherine Polednik, Annie Muller
 Jacob M. Marszalek
Associate Professor of Educational Research and Psychology
School of Education, University of Missouri-Kansas City, Kansas City, MO 64110
Professional Preparation
Illinois State University Psychology B.A., 1995
Emporia State University Psychology M.S., 1998
University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign Educational Psychology Ph.D., 2006
Appointments
2012-Present Associate Professor, School of Education, University of Missouri-Kansas City
2006-2012 Assistant Professor, School of Education, University of Missouri-Kansas City
Five Publications Closely Related to the Project
1. Lee, J., Marszalek, J., Medina, A., & Linnemeyer, S. A. (June, 2008). Student assisted guidance in
engineering (SAGE): A mentoring course to retain freshmen on academic probation. American
Society for Engineering Education Annual Conference and Exposition Proceedings.
2. Choi, J. H., Marszalek, J., & Linnemeyer, S. A. (June, 2009). Programs to support underserved
populations in engineering at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign. American Society for
Engineering Education Annual Conference and Exposition Proceedings.
3. Marszalek, J. M., Linnemeyer, S. A., & Haque, T. (2009). A Cox regression analysis of a womens
mentoring program in engineering. Journal of Women and Minorities in Science and Engineering,
15(2), 143-166.
4. Marszalek, J. M., Santee, J., Charnin, L., Zhang, T., & Youan, B. C. (2011). Assessment of students
learning and perceptions of task value of a physical pharmacy laboratory course. International
Journal of Pharmacy Education and Practice, 7(2).
5. Odom, A. L., Marszalek, J. M., Stoddard, E. R., & Wrobel, J. M. (2011). Computers and traditional
teaching practices: Factors influencing middle level students science achievement and attitudes
about science. International Journal of Science Education, 33(17), 2351-2374.
Five Other Significant Publications (out of 17)
1. Kinney, R. J., Marszalek, J. M., McNally, M. E., Nelson, B. V., Herati, A. S., & Talboy, G. E.
(2008). The effects of race and age on axillary lymph node involvement in breast cancer patients at a
midwestern safety net hospital. The American Journal of Surgery, 196(1), 64-69.
2. Marszalek, J. (2009). Validation of a TAI short form with an adolescent sample. The Journal of
General Psychology, 136(4), 333-349.
3. Marszalek, J. M., Odom, A. L., LaNasa, S. M., & Adler, S. (2010). Distortion or clarification:
Defining highly qualified teachers and the relationship between certification and achievement.
Education Policy Analysis Archives, 18, 27.
4. Nilsson, J. E., Marszalek, J. M., Linnemeyer, R., Bahner, A., & Misialek, L. H. (2011).
Development and assessment of the social issues advocacy scale (SIAS). Educational and
Psychological Measurement, 71(1), 258-275.
5. Marszalek, J. M., & Hamilton, J. L. (2012). Development and validation of a unidimensional
maltreatment scale in the Add Health data set. Measurement and Evaluation in Counseling and
Development, 45(1), 3-17.
Synergistic Activities
Reviewer of: professional articles in Journal of Educational Psychology, Educational Psychology
Review, Journal of Experimental Education, Educational and Psychological Measurement, Child
Maltreatment, Perceptual and Motor Skills, Journal of Experimental Education, and American
Journal of Pharmaceutical Education; college textbooks for Guilford Press, McGraw Hill, and
Sage; and conference presentation proposals for the American Psychological Association, and the

E-1
 American Educational Research Association.
Consultations for educational program evaluations at the University of Illinois at Urbana-
Champaign, College of Engineering, and the University of Missouri-Kansas City.
Collaborations and Other Affiliations
i) Collaborators
Carolyn Barber University of Missouri-Kansas City
Clare Bell University of Missouri-Kansas City
LaVerne Berkel University of Missouri-Kansas City
Debra Bragg University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign
Baek-Young Choi University of Missouri-Kansas City
Christopher Culbertson Kansas State University
Deendayal Dinakarpandian University of Missouri-Kansas City
Michelle Foster University of Missouri-Kansas City
Kathy Fuger University of Missouri-Kansas City
Alan Glaros KC University of Medicine and Bioscience
George Gotto IV University of Missouri-Kansas City
Ronda Jenson University of Missouri-Kansas City
John Kevern University of Missouri-Kansas City
Gregory King University of Missouri-Kansas City
Michael Kruger University of Missouri-Kansas City
Yugyung Lee University of Missouri-Kansas City
Jane Loeb University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign
Tamera Murdock University of Missouri-Kansas City
Deborah OBannon University of Missouri-Kansas City
A. Louis Odom University of Missouri-Kansas City
Praveen Rao University of Missouri-Kansas City
Sanjay Rebello Kansas State University
Jovanna Rohls University of Missouri-Kansas City
Elizabeth Stoddard University of Missouri-Kansas City
Kevin Truman University of Missouri-Kansas City
Bruce Wellman Olathe (KS) School District
ii) Graduate and Postdoctoral Advisors
M.S. Advisor: Baker, K. (Emporia State University, Emporia, KS)
Ph.D. Advisor: Loeb, J. (University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, Urbana, IL),
Dissertation Chair: Roussos, L. (University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, Urbana, IL)
iii) Thesis advisor and Postgraduate Scholar Sponsor
Grotewiel, M. (University of Missouri-Kansas City)
Hager, P. (University of Missouri-Kansas City)
Kirkpatrick-Smiley, R. (University of Missouri-Kansas City)
Kohlhart, J. (University of Missouri-Kansas City)

total number of graduate students: 4

total number of postdoctoral scholars: 0

E-2
 SUMMARY YEAR 1
PROPOSAL BUDGET FOR NSF USE ONLY
ORGANIZATION PROPOSAL NO. DURATION (months)
University of Missouri-Kansas City Proposed Granted
PRINCIPAL INVESTIGATOR / PROJECT DIRECTOR AWARD NO.
Travis Fields
NSF Funded Funds Funds
A. SENIOR PERSONNEL: PI/PD, Co-PIs, Faculty and Other Senior Associates Person-months Requested By granted by NSF
(List each separately with title, A.7. show number in brackets) CAL ACAD SUMR proposer (if different)

1. Travis D Fields - Asst Professor 0.00 0.00 1.00 8,333

2. Gregory W King - Assoc Professor 0.00 0.00 1.00 9,081
3. Jacob M Marszalek - Assoc Professor 0.00 0.00 1.00 7,186
4.
5.
6. ( 0 ) OTHERS (LIST INDIVIDUALLY ON BUDGET JUSTIFICATION PAGE) 0.00 0.00 0.00 0
7. ( 3 ) TOTAL SENIOR PERSONNEL (1 - 6) 0.00 0.00 3.00 24,600
B. OTHER PERSONNEL (SHOW NUMBERS IN BRACKETS)
1. ( 0 ) POST DOCTORAL SCHOLARS 0.00 0.00 0.00 0
2. ( 0 ) OTHER PROFESSIONALS (TECHNICIAN, PROGRAMMER, ETC.) 0.00 0.00 0.00 0
3. ( 1 ) GRADUATE STUDENTS 18,000
4. ( 1 ) UNDERGRADUATE STUDENTS 6,000
5. ( 0 ) SECRETARIAL - CLERICAL (IF CHARGED DIRECTLY) 0
6. ( 0 ) OTHER 0
TOTAL SALARIES AND WAGES (A + B) 48,600
C. FRINGE BENEFITS (IF CHARGED AS DIRECT COSTS) 9,816
TOTAL SALARIES, WAGES AND FRINGE BENEFITS (A + B + C) 58,416
D. EQUIPMENT (LIST ITEM AND DOLLAR AMOUNT FOR EACH ITEM EXCEEDING $5,000.)
6-Axis Load Cell $ 7,298
Edgertronic Camera 5,545

TOTAL EQUIPMENT 12,843

E. TRAVEL 1. DOMESTIC (INCL. CANADA, MEXICO AND U.S. POSSESSIONS) 5,000
2. FOREIGN 0

F. PARTICIPANT SUPPORT COSTS

1. STIPENDS $ 1,120
2. TRAVEL 0
3. SUBSISTENCE 0
4. OTHER 0
TOTAL NUMBER OF PARTICIPANTS ( 56 ) TOTAL PARTICIPANT COSTS 1,120
G. OTHER DIRECT COSTS
1. MATERIALS AND SUPPLIES 22,550
2. PUBLICATION COSTS/DOCUMENTATION/DISSEMINATION 200
3. CONSULTANT SERVICES 0
4. COMPUTER SERVICES 0
5. SUBAWARDS 0
6. OTHER 4,200
TOTAL OTHER DIRECT COSTS 26,950
H. TOTAL DIRECT COSTS (A THROUGH G) 104,329
I. INDIRECT COSTS (F&A)(SPECIFY RATE AND BASE)
Modified Total Direct Costs (Rate: 51.0000, Base: 86167)
TOTAL INDIRECT COSTS (F&A) 43,945
J. TOTAL DIRECT AND INDIRECT COSTS (H + I) 148,274
K. RESIDUAL FUNDS 0
L. AMOUNT OF THIS REQUEST (J) OR (J MINUS K) 148,274
M. COST SHARING PROPOSED LEVEL $ 0 AGREED LEVEL IF DIFFERENT $ fm1030rs-07

PI/PD NAME FOR NSF USE ONLY

Travis Fields INDIRECT COST RATE VERIFICATION
ORG. REP. NAME* Date Checked Date Of Rate Sheet Initials - ORG

Lawrence dreyfus
1 *ELECTRONIC SIGNATURES REQUIRED FOR REVISED BUDGET
 SUMMARY YEAR 2
PROPOSAL BUDGET FOR NSF USE ONLY
ORGANIZATION PROPOSAL NO. DURATION (months)
University of Missouri-Kansas City Proposed Granted
PRINCIPAL INVESTIGATOR / PROJECT DIRECTOR AWARD NO.
Travis Fields
NSF Funded Funds Funds
A. SENIOR PERSONNEL: PI/PD, Co-PIs, Faculty and Other Senior Associates Person-months Requested By granted by NSF
(List each separately with title, A.7. show number in brackets) CAL ACAD SUMR proposer (if different)

1. Travis D Fields - Asst Professor 0.00 0.00 1.00 8,500

2. Gregory W King - Assoc Professor 0.00 0.00 1.00 9,263
3. Jacob M Marszalek - Assoc Professor 0.00 0.00 1.00 7,330
4.
5.
6. ( 0 ) OTHERS (LIST INDIVIDUALLY ON BUDGET JUSTIFICATION PAGE) 0.00 0.00 0.00 0
7. ( 3 ) TOTAL SENIOR PERSONNEL (1 - 6) 0.00 0.00 3.00 25,093
B. OTHER PERSONNEL (SHOW NUMBERS IN BRACKETS)
1. ( 0 ) POST DOCTORAL SCHOLARS 0.00 0.00 0.00 0
2. ( 0 ) OTHER PROFESSIONALS (TECHNICIAN, PROGRAMMER, ETC.) 0.00 0.00 0.00 0
3. ( 1 ) GRADUATE STUDENTS 18,360
4. ( 1 ) UNDERGRADUATE STUDENTS 3,000
5. ( 0 ) SECRETARIAL - CLERICAL (IF CHARGED DIRECTLY) 0
6. ( 0 ) OTHER 0
TOTAL SALARIES AND WAGES (A + B) 46,453
C. FRINGE BENEFITS (IF CHARGED AS DIRECT COSTS) 9,888
TOTAL SALARIES, WAGES AND FRINGE BENEFITS (A + B + C) 56,341
D. EQUIPMENT (LIST ITEM AND DOLLAR AMOUNT FOR EACH ITEM EXCEEDING $5,000.)

TOTAL EQUIPMENT 0
E. TRAVEL 1. DOMESTIC (INCL. CANADA, MEXICO AND U.S. POSSESSIONS) 5,000
2. FOREIGN 0

F. PARTICIPANT SUPPORT COSTS

1. STIPENDS $ 1,120
2. TRAVEL 0
3. SUBSISTENCE 0
4. OTHER 0
TOTAL NUMBER OF PARTICIPANTS ( 56 ) TOTAL PARTICIPANT COSTS 1,120
G. OTHER DIRECT COSTS
1. MATERIALS AND SUPPLIES 2,250
2. PUBLICATION COSTS/DOCUMENTATION/DISSEMINATION 200
3. CONSULTANT SERVICES 0
4. COMPUTER SERVICES 0
5. SUBAWARDS 0
6. OTHER 4,282
TOTAL OTHER DIRECT COSTS 6,732
H. TOTAL DIRECT COSTS (A THROUGH G) 69,193
I. INDIRECT COSTS (F&A)(SPECIFY RATE AND BASE)
Modified Total Direct Costs (Rate: 51.0000, Base: 63790)
TOTAL INDIRECT COSTS (F&A) 32,533
J. TOTAL DIRECT AND INDIRECT COSTS (H + I) 101,726
K. RESIDUAL FUNDS 0
L. AMOUNT OF THIS REQUEST (J) OR (J MINUS K) 101,726
M. COST SHARING PROPOSED LEVEL $ 0 AGREED LEVEL IF DIFFERENT $ fm1030rs-07

PI/PD NAME FOR NSF USE ONLY

Travis Fields INDIRECT COST RATE VERIFICATION
ORG. REP. NAME* Date Checked Date Of Rate Sheet Initials - ORG

Lawrence dreyfus
2 *ELECTRONIC SIGNATURES REQUIRED FOR REVISED BUDGET
 SUMMARY Cumulative
PROPOSAL BUDGET FOR NSF USE ONLY
ORGANIZATION PROPOSAL NO. DURATION (months)
University of Missouri-Kansas City Proposed Granted
PRINCIPAL INVESTIGATOR / PROJECT DIRECTOR AWARD NO.
Travis Fields
NSF Funded Funds Funds
A. SENIOR PERSONNEL: PI/PD, Co-PIs, Faculty and Other Senior Associates Person-months Requested By granted by NSF
(List each separately with title, A.7. show number in brackets) CAL ACAD SUMR proposer (if different)

1. Travis D Fields - Asst Professor 0.00 0.00 2.00 16,833

2. Gregory W King - Assoc Professor 0.00 0.00 2.00 18,344
3. Jacob M Marszalek - Assoc Professor 0.00 0.00 2.00 14,516
4.
5.
6. ( ) OTHERS (LIST INDIVIDUALLY ON BUDGET JUSTIFICATION PAGE) 0.00 0.00 0.00 0
7. ( 3 ) TOTAL SENIOR PERSONNEL (1 - 6) 0.00 0.00 6.00 49,693
B. OTHER PERSONNEL (SHOW NUMBERS IN BRACKETS)
1. ( 0 ) POST DOCTORAL SCHOLARS 0.00 0.00 0.00 0
2. ( 0 ) OTHER PROFESSIONALS (TECHNICIAN, PROGRAMMER, ETC.) 0.00 0.00 0.00 0
3. ( 2 ) GRADUATE STUDENTS 36,360
4. ( 2 ) UNDERGRADUATE STUDENTS 9,000
5. ( 0 ) SECRETARIAL - CLERICAL (IF CHARGED DIRECTLY) 0
6. ( 0 ) OTHER 0
TOTAL SALARIES AND WAGES (A + B) 95,053
C. FRINGE BENEFITS (IF CHARGED AS DIRECT COSTS) 19,704
TOTAL SALARIES, WAGES AND FRINGE BENEFITS (A + B + C) 114,757
D. EQUIPMENT (LIST ITEM AND DOLLAR AMOUNT FOR EACH ITEM EXCEEDING $5,000.)
$ 12,843

TOTAL EQUIPMENT 12,843

E. TRAVEL 1. DOMESTIC (INCL. CANADA, MEXICO AND U.S. POSSESSIONS) 10,000
2. FOREIGN 0

F. PARTICIPANT SUPPORT COSTS

1. STIPENDS $ 2,240
2. TRAVEL 0
3. SUBSISTENCE 0
4. OTHER 0
TOTAL NUMBER OF PARTICIPANTS ( 112 ) TOTAL PARTICIPANT COSTS 2,240
G. OTHER DIRECT COSTS
1. MATERIALS AND SUPPLIES 24,800
2. PUBLICATION COSTS/DOCUMENTATION/DISSEMINATION 400
3. CONSULTANT SERVICES 0
4. COMPUTER SERVICES 0
5. SUBAWARDS 0
6. OTHER 8,482
TOTAL OTHER DIRECT COSTS 33,682
H. TOTAL DIRECT COSTS (A THROUGH G) 173,522
I. INDIRECT COSTS (F&A)(SPECIFY RATE AND BASE)

TOTAL INDIRECT COSTS (F&A) 76,478

J. TOTAL DIRECT AND INDIRECT COSTS (H + I) 250,000
K. RESIDUAL FUNDS 0
L. AMOUNT OF THIS REQUEST (J) OR (J MINUS K) 250,000
M. COST SHARING PROPOSED LEVEL $ 0 AGREED LEVEL IF DIFFERENT $ fm1030rs-07

PI/PD NAME FOR NSF USE ONLY

Travis Fields INDIRECT COST RATE VERIFICATION
ORG. REP. NAME* Date Checked Date Of Rate Sheet Initials - ORG

Lawrence dreyfus
C *ELECTRONIC SIGNATURES REQUIRED FOR REVISED BUDGET
BUDGET JUSTIFICATION
Personnel:
The budget requests funds for one months salary per year for the PI (Fields) and Co-PI
(King) for development and testing of the course infrastructure. One month of salary per
year is requested for the Co-PI (Marszalek) for assessment creation, administration, and
analysis. The budget provides funding for a graduate research assistant ($18,000/year)
and one undergraduate research assistant ($6,000 and $3,000 for year one and two,
respectively) who will assist with designing, constructing, and testing all necessary
course infrastructure (including test stands, motion capture lab setup, and quadrotor test
vehicles). Fringe is charged at 36% of the PI and Co-PI salaries, and 4% for the student
salaries.
Equipment:
One Bertec six-axis load cell is requested ($7,298) for use in constructing a 6-DOF
hardware-in-the-loop test stand. All reaction forces and moments are necessary to
simulate the rotational and translational motion with the no data necessary from the
aircraft itself (only reaction forces and moments).
An Edgertronic camera is requested ($5,545) for use in filming platform testing as well as
free flight testing. The Edgertronic camera is capable of recording at speeds up to 18,000
fps, and up to 700 fps while maintaining 720p HD. This camera is particularly useful in
monitoring the high rotational speeds of the quadcopter rotors, and is capable of
capturing significant qualitative flow data around the vehicle.
Travel:
A total of $4,000/year is requested for the investigators to travel to professional
conferences to present the findings from the proposed project to the engineering
education community. Funding is also requested ($1,000/year) for travel to the annual
NSF meeting for NSF-funded PIs in Washington, D.C.
Participant Support:
Funding is requested to provide study participants with incentives ($20 per person,
$1,120 total/year) in an effort to yield sufficient participant numbers particularly during
the one-year post-course assessment.
Materials and Supplies:
A total of $13,200 is requested for six dual-axis load cells (thrust and Z-moment) for use
in attitude controller tuning and stability test stands. To complete the seven (six-axis + 6
two-axis stands) total test stands, $2,400 is requested for materials and supplies (socket
joint, tripod, mounting bracket, etc.). A total of $4,230 ($2,980 for year one, $1,250 for
year two) is requested for miscellaneous course infrastructure items including battery
chargers, Lithium Polymer batteries (for use during development), construction materials,
2.4 GHz remote control transmitter/receiver units, and electrical materials. A total of
$1,000 is requested for safety netting in the Human Motion Laboratory. The netting
provides a barrier between observers and the aerial vehicles during testing. For
curriculum development and hardware testing, $2,250 is requested for quadrotor parts
and materials ($1,250 for year one, $1,000 for year two). The development quadrotors
will provide the platform for determining size/weight feasibility and verifying test stand
feasibility prior to course offering. A total of $1,720 is requested for development and
production of several single-axis rotation devices and motor/propeller tachometer devices.
These devices are used in the early stages of the quadrotor development process. $200 is
requested per year for publication and printing costs of the assessment materials.
Other Miscellaneous Expenses:
Resident tuition equivalent to six (6) credit hours per semester, per graduate student, is
included as other expenses and is a key component to recruiting qualified masters or
PhD students to this project. It is expected that Resident tuition will be $350 per credit
hour beginning June 2015.
Facilities & Administration (F&A):
The applicable indirect cost rate negotiated by the University of Missouri-Kansas City
with the cognizant negotiating agency is 51% for on-campus research activities. This rate
has been applied to the Modified Total Direct Costs in the proposal budget. Cognizant
Agency: Department of Health and Human Services. Agreement date: 03/17/2014.
Miscellaneous:

A 2% annual inflation increase has been added for salaries, benefits, and tuition for year
two project activities.

The University has a plan in place to provide appropriate training and oversight in the
responsible and ethical conduct of research to undergraduates, graduate students and
postdoctoral researchers who will be supported by NSF to conduct research.
 Current and Pending Support
(See GPG Section II.C.2.h for guidance on information to include on this form.)
The following information should be provided for each investigator and other senior personnel. Failure to provide this information may delay consideration of this proposal.

Other agencies (including NSF) to which this proposal has been/will be submitted.
Investigator: Travis Fields
Support: Current Pending Submission Planned in Near Future *Transfer of Support
Project/Proposal Title: Autonomous Parachute and Aircraft Systems Development and
Hands-on Training

Source of Support: Missouri Space Grant Consortium

Total Award Amount: $ 16,017 Total Award Period Covered: 11/01/14 - 06/30/15
Location of Project: University of Missouri-Kansas City
Person-Months Per Year Committed to the Project. Cal:0.00 Acad: 0.00 Sumr: 0.30

Support: Current Pending Submission Planned in Near Future *Transfer of Support

Project/Proposal Title: Modeling and Identification of a High-Altitude Deployed
Ram-Air Parafoil

Source of Support: Missouri NASA EPSCoR

Total Award Amount: $ 50,065 Total Award Period Covered: 10/01/14 - 09/30/15
Location of Project: University of Missouri-Kansas City
Person-Months Per Year Committed to the Project. Cal:0.00 Acad: 0.00 Sumr: 0.75

Support: Current Pending Submission Planned in Near Future *Transfer of Support

Project/Proposal Title: In-Flight Parachute Load Distribution Measuring System

Source of Support: University of Missouri Research Board

Total Award Amount: $ 51,932 Total Award Period Covered: 01/01/15 - 12/31/15
Location of Project: University of Missouri-Kansas City
Person-Months Per Year Committed to the Project. Cal:0.00 Acad: 0.00 Sumr: 1.20

Support: Current Pending Submission Planned in Near Future *Transfer of Support

Project/Proposal Title: A Quadrotor-based Mechatronics Design Course for Improved
Information Retention (This Proposal)

Source of Support: National Science Foundation

Total Award Amount: $ 250,000 Total Award Period Covered: 06/01/15 - 05/30/17
Location of Project: University of Missouri-Kansas City
Person-Months Per Year Committed to the Project. Cal:0.00 Acad: 0.00 Sumr: 1.00

Support: Current Pending Submission Planned in Near Future *Transfer of Support

Project/Proposal Title:

Source of Support:
Total Award Amount: $ Total Award Period Covered:
Location of Project:
Person-Months Per Year Committed to the Project. Cal: Acad: Summ:
*If this project has previously been funded by another agency, please list and furnish information for immediately preceding funding period.
Page G-1 USE ADDITIONAL SHEETS AS NECESSARY
 Current and Pending Support
(See GPG Section II.C.2.h for guidance on information to include on this form.)
The following information should be provided for each investigator and other senior personnel. Failure to provide this information may delay consideration of this proposal.

Other agencies (including NSF) to which this proposal has been/will be submitted.
Investigator: Gregory King
Support: Current Pending Submission Planned in Near Future *Transfer of Support
Project/Proposal Title: Informatic and Architectural Analysis of Human Performance
in a Clinical Simulation Setting

Source of Support: UM System Interdisciplinary Intercampus Research Program

Total Award Amount: $ 94,640 Total Award Period Covered: 08/01/14 - 07/31/15
Location of Project: UMKC
Person-Months Per Year Committed to the Project. Cal:0.00 Acad: 0.00 Sumr: 0.00

Support: Current Pending Submission Planned in Near Future *Transfer of Support

Project/Proposal Title: A Quadrotor-based Mechatronics Design Course for Improved
Information Retention

Source of Support: National Science Foundation

Total Award Amount: $ 250,000 Total Award Period Covered: 06/01/15 - 05/30/17
Location of Project: University of Missouri-Kansas City
Person-Months Per Year Committed to the Project. Cal:0.00 Acad: 0.00 Sumr: 1.00

Support: Current Pending Submission Planned in Near Future *Transfer of Support

Project/Proposal Title:

Source of Support:
Total Award Amount: $ Total Award Period Covered:
Location of Project:
Person-Months Per Year Committed to the Project. Cal: Acad: Sumr:

Support: Current Pending Submission Planned in Near Future *Transfer of Support

Project/Proposal Title:

Source of Support:
Total Award Amount: $ Total Award Period Covered:
Location of Project:
Person-Months Per Year Committed to the Project. Cal: Acad: Sumr:

Support: Current Pending Submission Planned in Near Future *Transfer of Support

Project/Proposal Title:

Source of Support:
Total Award Amount: $ Total Award Period Covered:
Location of Project:
Person-Months Per Year Committed to the Project. Cal: Acad: Summ:
*If this project has previously been funded by another agency, please list and furnish information for immediately preceding funding period.
Page G-2 USE ADDITIONAL SHEETS AS NECESSARY
 Current and Pending Support
(See GPG Section II.C.2.h for guidance on information to include on this form.)
The following information should be provided for each investigator and other senior personnel. Failure to provide this information may delay consideration of this proposal.

Other agencies (including NSF) to which this proposal has been/will be submitted.
Investigator: Jacob Marszalek
Support: Current Pending Submission Planned in Near Future *Transfer of Support
Project/Proposal Title: A Quadrotor-based Mechatronics Design Course for Improved
Information Retention

Source of Support: National Science Foundation

Total Award Amount: $ 250,000 Total Award Period Covered: 06/01/15 - 05/30/17
Location of Project: University of Missouri-Kansas City
Person-Months Per Year Committed to the Project. Cal:0.00 Acad: 0.00 Sumr: 1.00

Support: Current Pending Submission Planned in Near Future *Transfer of Support

Project/Proposal Title: Building Argumentation Skills Through Team Learning &
Engineering Design (BATTLED) Project

Source of Support: National Science Foundation

Total Award Amount: $ 2,957,898 Total Award Period Covered: 03/15/15 - 03/14/19
Location of Project: Kansas State University
Person-Months Per Year Committed to the Project. Cal:0.00 Acad: 0.00 Sumr: 1.00

Support: Current Pending Submission Planned in Near Future *Transfer of Support

Project/Proposal Title:

Source of Support:
Total Award Amount: $ Total Award Period Covered:
Location of Project:
Person-Months Per Year Committed to the Project. Cal: Acad: Sumr:

Support: Current Pending Submission Planned in Near Future *Transfer of Support

Project/Proposal Title:

Source of Support:
Total Award Amount: $ Total Award Period Covered:
Location of Project:
Person-Months Per Year Committed to the Project. Cal: Acad: Sumr:

Support: Current Pending Submission Planned in Near Future *Transfer of Support

Project/Proposal Title:

Source of Support:
Total Award Amount: $ Total Award Period Covered:
Location of Project:
Person-Months Per Year Committed to the Project. Cal: Acad: Summ:
*If this project has previously been funded by another agency, please list and furnish information for immediately preceding funding period.
Page G-3 USE ADDITIONAL SHEETS AS NECESSARY
FACILITIES, EQUIPMENT, AND OTHER RESOURCES
Laboratory: The Instrumentation and Measurements Laboratory (IML), directed by the
PI, is a 729 square foot facility in Flarsheim Hall on UMKCs Volker Campus. The IML
is dedicated to teaching, primarily through hands-on activities. The majority of student
participation in designing, building, and testing the aerial vehicle will be conducted
within the IML.
The Parachute and Aerial Vehicle Systems (PaAVS) Laboratory, directed by the PI, is a
250 square foot facility housed next door to the IML in Flarsheim Hall. The PaAVS
laboratory supports research related to design and development of improved autonomous
parachute systems and unmanned aerial vehicles.
The Human Motion Laboratory (HML), directed by the Co-PI (King), is a 500 square
foot facility located in Flarsheim Hall. The HML is currently dedicated to
musculoskeletal experimentation research, and will provide the free flight indoor testing
facility.
Computer: The IML features nine Dell Optiplex PCs with 2.90 GHz Intel Core i5 quad
core processors. The PaAVS laboratory contains two Dell Optiplex PCs with 2.90 GHz
quad core processors. The PIs office features an Apple Macbook Pro with a 2.4 GHz
Intel i7 quad core processor with 16 Gb of RAM. Co-PI Kings office features a Dell
Optiplex 980 PC with an Intel Core i5 processor. Co-PI Marszaleks office contains a
Dell Optilplex 980 PC with an Intel Core i5 processor and 8 GB of RAM. The HML
contains a VICON computer workstation with an Intel Core 2 quad processor.
Office: The IML provides undergraduate students with the necessary space to perform
nearly all development and testing for the proposed course. The PIs office, located on
the same floor in Flarsheim Hall as the IML, PaAVS laboratory, and the HML, features
130 square feet of space and a PC (described above) dedicated to research and teaching.
Similarly, Co-PI Kings office, also located on the same floor, features 130 square feet
and a PC dedicated to both research and teaching. Co-PI Marszalek has an office in the
Education Building that is 130 square feet and a PC dedicated to both research and
teaching.
Major Equipment: The HML is a fully equipped gait lab used for biomechanical testing,
and includes a Vicon motion capture system equipped with 7 MX-T40 cameras, a Basler
GigE digital reference video camera; and four AMTI OR6-6 force platforms with MSA-6
amplifiers.
The UMKC Civil and Mechanical engineering department recently invested
approximately $20,000 in the IML by acquiring additional student computers, Arduino
programming platforms, embedded sensors and actuators, and a single BERTEC six-axis
load cell with amplifier.
Other Resources: In addition to the resources and personnel listed above, the outreach
and educational aspects of the proposed work involve several supports, including Dr.
Kevin Truman (Dean, UMKC School of Computing and Engineering); Dr. Mark
McClernon (Chair, Department of Civil and Mechanical Engineering); and Ms. Laura
Loyacono (Director, KC STEM Alliance).
One full time machinist, full time technician, two full time administrative personnel, and
fully-equipped machine and electronics shops (located in Flarsheim Hall) are available
for the duration of the project.
DATA MANAGEMENT PLAN
Expected Data
All course related material will be stored on the course Blackboard website during the
semester in which the material was taught. Upon course completion, all material will be
transferred to a university supported, publically accessible website, where it will remain
indefinitely. The website will contain all files needed for developing a clone course at
another institution, including (but not limited to) quadrotor sample code, test stand design
and validation procedure, instructions for performing the various simulated and
experimental tests, and procedures for conducting safe flight testing operations.
Period of Data Retention
As the course will be taught once per year, the website will be periodically updated to
reflect the most recent course offering. Website material will be hosted indefinitely on
the UMKC PIs webpage.
Data Formats and Dissemination
To ensure student privacy, only the vehicles themselves will be hosted on the course
webpage. All other materials to be distributed are direct products of the investigator team,
and as such, are freely distributed in the public domain. For educational outcomes
tracking, students will be given unique anonymous identification numbers, in order to
permit tracking of particular student progress throughout the three-course sequence. All
electronic data will be stored on password-protected computers by the investigator team
only.
Dissemination will be conducted through usual domains such as professional conferences
(specifically American Society of Engineering Education, American Educational
Research Association, American Society of Mechanical Engineering, and American
Institute of Aeronautics and Astronautics), professional journals (Journal of Engineering
Education, Journal of Research in Science Teaching, Science Education, and Journal of
Aerospace Sciences), science and engineering magazines (Nuts & Volts, Servo Magazine,
and Make Magazine), and electronics retailers such as SparkFun.com. Dissemination
will ultimately refer the interested party to the UMKC hosted webpage, as the website
will contain the most up-to-date information, as well as videos and pictures.
Data Storage and Preservation of Access
All data will be stored electronically on password-protected computers (controlled by the
investigator team only). None of the data collected specifically for the proposed course
development will contain individually identifiable private information. Participant names
will only be used to determine the unique identification number, enabling tracking of
individual students throughout the course sequence. Dr. Fields, Dr. King, and Dr.
Marszalek will routinely perform independent data backup.
MENTORING PLAN
Not Applicable
 Course Syllabus

Course No. & Title: ME 457 Mechatronics System Design

Instructor/Coordinator: Travis Fields, Ph.D.

Required Elective
Course Credit Contact
Information: Selective Elective Hours: 3 Hours: 45
Description: ME 457 is a course for Mechanical Engineering students that introduces the basic principles
of mechatronic applications through course instruction and hands-on activities and
projects. Students use a microcontroller coupled with many embedded sensors. Topics
covered include analog signal processing, microcontroller hardware and programming,
digital communication, analog to digital and digital to analog conversion, actuator control,
sensors, system identification, and applied feedback control. Each student will also conduct
and present a microcontroller-based project.
Prerequisites: ME 352 Instrumentation & Measurements Lab, ME 415 Feedback Control Systems
Co-Requisites:
Successors:

Textbooks Title, Author, Publisher, and Edition/Year:

Supplemental Materials:

Course Objectives:
Instructional Outcomes:
(1) Collect, analyze, and improve measurement data, (2) Design and evaluate
a multi-input multi-output feedback control system, (3) Compare simulated
and actual experimental data to identify control system parameters, (4)
Integrate and utilize measurements with physical hardware and software-
based embedded control algorithms to create active control system.

ABET c) an ability to design a system, component, or process to meet desired needs within realistic
Outcomes: constraints such as economic, environmental, social, political, ethical, health and safety,
manufacturability, and sustainability

f) an understanding of professional and ethical responsibility

Topics Laboratory Homework
Covered Date Lecture Material Activity Assignment
Introduction to Mechatronics
Week 1 None None
and Arduino/microcontrollers
Basic Arduino mini-
Week 2 Microcontrollers & sensors Arduino & A/D
projects
Microcontroller communication
Week 3 Arduino + catapult LED Bar
protocols (Serial, I2C, PWM, ADC)
 Autopilot, control system
Week 4 MultiWii Arduino data logger
architecture, and state estimation
Attitude/state estimation Complimentary
Week 5 MultiWii data logger
Exam #1 filter on MultiWii
Mass-spring-damper
Week 6 Modeling & parameter estimation MultiWii + attitude
parameter estim.
Stepper, brushless, Quadrotor dynamic
Week 7 Actuators and actuator control
and servo actuators model
Quadrotor model MultiWii motor
Week 8 Parameter estimation with actuators
verification control
Feedback control system Teeter-totter control Verified quadrotor
Week 9
architectures system design model parameters
MIMO controller design 2 DOF system
Week 10 None
Exam #2 control
MIMO control gain tuning via Quadrotor help Quadrotor control
Week 11
model & simulation session system framework
Experimental gain tuning Zeigler-Nichols Quadrotor pitch, roll,
Week 12
techniques tuning yaw control
Flight testing techniques, motion
Test stand-based Tuned quadrotor
Week 13 capture laboratory, and safety
flight testing attitude control
considerations
Autopilot/guidance controller Motion lab flight Translational
Week 14
implementation testing quadrotor control
Tuned quadrotor
Week 15 Testing/report assistance Testing assistance
autopilot system
Week 16 Final Project Presentations