Advanced Fitness Metrics: Smart Barbell Attachment

Kevin Zabrowski, Verrazzano Class of 2025, completed major in Electrical Engineering and minor in Mathematics

My senior design project focused on creating a device that measures advanced exercise metrics such as barbell velocity, acceleration, and tilt. These are important for optimizing strength training and rehabilitation but are not captured by traditional methods. To solve this, I developed a smart barbell attachment: a lightweight, wireless sensor system that uses an accelerometer and gyroscope connected to a microcontroller. This system records real-time motion data, which is then processed using algorithms to provide detailed feedback on lifting performance. Through testing, the device successfully distinguished between light and heavy lifts, detected points where lifters tend to struggle, and identified barbell tilts that may indicate muscle imbalances or technique flaws. These results validated that the system could provide athletes, coaches, and physical therapists with useful, actionable data that normally goes unseen during workouts.

I became interested in this research area because of my background in powerlifting and my desire to explore ways to measure lifting performance more precisely. I was motivated by the idea that deeper, more accurate measurements could not only improve athletic outcomes but also prevent injury by identifying poor form early. During my initial research, I reviewed several commercial products and found that while some measured bar velocity, none offered comprehensive tilt angle tracking or gave users access to raw sensor data for deeper analysis. That realization made me confident there was a meaningful opportunity for innovation.

Going into the project, I expected the capstone to be centered on building hardware and running some tests to demonstrate it worked. In reality, the experience was much richer and more complex. It required me to study and apply advanced techniques like sensor fusion through Kalman filtering, coordinate transformations using rotation matrices, and digital signal processing in MATLAB to clean up noisy data. The project became an interdisciplinary challenge, bringing together hardware design, embedded programming, algorithm development, and biomechanical analysis.

One of the hardest challenges I encountered was dealing with sensor imperfections. Accelerometers tend to suffer from noise, while gyroscopes are prone to drift, making raw measurements unreliable. Combining these two sources through sensor fusion to get stable, accurate readings turned out to be a detailed and technical process. Another major challenge was designing an algorithm to detect exercise repetitions based on velocity data. Lifting movements in real life are inconsistent. Pauses, varying tempos, and small deviations made simple threshold detection unreliable. I had to build a finite state machine (FSM) that could adapt to these irregularities without miscounting repetitions. On the other hand, some aspects went more smoothly. Designing and assembling the physical prototype, including the 3D-printed case, was relatively straightforward and satisfying. I was also surprised by how much trial and error went into tuning filters. Extracting clean velocity signals required carefully balancing filter settings to reduce noise without removing valid movement data.

If I were to continue this work, I would first add Bluetooth capability to the device.
Currently, the prototype logs data onto a micro-SD card, which means users have to manually transfer the data for analysis. Wireless streaming to a mobile app would make the system much more convenient and practical. This would also open the door to real-time feedback, such as audio or visual cues when a user’s form begins to break down during a set. Another area for expansion would be adapting the data analysis algorithms to run directly on the device or in the app, so that lifters receive instant feedback rather than having to review reports afterward.

Finally, I would test the device with a broader group of users with different body types and lifting styles to make the repetition detection algorithm more robust and adaptable to diverse patterns. The most important takeaway from this project is a deeper appreciation for the challenge of capturing and analyzing human movement in a reliable way. I developed confidence in building systems from start to finish, from the idea stage through hardware assembly and software programming to producing useful feedback for users. This process also taught me how to comprehensively document my designs and create professional-quality figures and schematics that clearly communicate technical ideas.

Audio Signal Generator to Alter Tomato Plant Behavior

Bryan Rudshteyn, Verrazzano Class of 2024, completed major in Electrical Engineering

I found this capstone project to be a very interesting experience. When I started the beginning phases of it, I never imagined that I would be doing something like this, especially since going into it I had no idea of what I was getting into or even how I would be able to contribute anything to it. Because I am an electrical engineering major, my capstone was based on my senior design project which was about audio signal generator to alter plant behavior.

Due to the nature of my project relying on proving and recreating the scenario in which a published experiment claimed that sound helps tomatoes grow better, I needed to create a sound generator and grow tomatoes with it and then compare it to the results of tomatoes growing without it. This experimental research, while not initially seeming as something difficult or interesting, required very accurate measurements and data capturing techniques to be used, that were not used or taken in previous engineering courses.

There was a lot that I took away from this experience, which yielded interesting results. It was in doing this experiment and research that I was able to truly understand that a real experiment is when you genuinely don’t know what results to expect. With the aid and support of my professor who mentored my team and I through this research, we were able to understand the unique approaches that engineers have and the effectiveness of working as a group instead of just individualized assignments. Additionally, it was with his expertise that I learned how to conduct a proper experiment and how engineers should collaborate effectively to be as efficient as possible.

Furthermore, the completion of this research taught me to believe half of what you measure and a tenth of what you read. Overall, this project provided a unique experience as I was not expecting to grow plants and do a lot of biology research as an electrical engineering student. This, however, would open my eyes as to how diversified an engineer’s skills can be used in various areas of study, regardless of their knowledgeability on the subject matter.

Creating a Crochet Stitch Counter

Danielle Aurilia, Verrazzano Class of 2024, completed major in Electrical Engineering and minor in Mathematics  

My capstone project involved creating a device that could count your stitches while you crocheted. As an avid crocheter, this project was important as it solved a real-life issue I have encountered.

When crocheting, if you miscount your rows and stitches you may end up with a hole in your project, a misshapen project, or some lack of structural integrity. By having a device count for you, the risk would be eliminated, thus ensuring a smooth crocheting experience. There are currently no crochet machines in existence. Any crocheted item that is sold in a store, has been created by hand. The completion of this project could be a step towards the development of a crochet machine.

This project was substantial in allowing me to learn more about the many facets of engineering. Engineering often involves many systems working together to create a cohesive project. Although different components may be studied in different engineering courses, this project was the culmination of all of these components working together.

Working on this project as a group allowed for further insight about what an engineering career may look like in the future. Engineers often work in teams in the field and will very rarely work independently. Working as a team allowed me to learn more about bouncing ideas off of others and delegating tasks.

This project allowed me to learn more about different facets of engineering as my partner could explain ideas that I did not understand as clearly, and vice versa. Lastly, the project further emphasizes the idea that progress is not linear. Many components may need tweaks and edits or overall changes for a successful project. One’s first notion of a project will almost certainly not be the end result.

 

Gaining Confidence to Present Through Research

Jediah Noel, Verrazzano class of 2023, completed major in Electrical Engineering

When I first started college, I dreaded the thought of having to complete a capstone and present it at a conference. I never thought of myself as a good speaker, and I couldn’t envision myself accomplishing the task at that time. I ended up putting it at the back of my mind and eventually forgot about it until my senior year. However, upon completing the project (Solving Excessive Power Consumption in Fans) and seeing the amount of effort I put into it and the support from my peers and mentors, I was actually excited to present it at the conference. I loved the friendly environment and the opportunity to share and explain my research to the college community.

I’m grateful for the extensions given to my partner and me for submitting our capstone and poster. With the extra time given, I was able relieve stress and really make the poster and capstone the best they could be.

I’m thankful for both Professor Jessica Jiang and Professor Dwight Richards. Professor Dwight really helped give us direction with the research in our first semester. Professor Jessica Jiang helped in our second semester with the creation of our poster, and the finalizing of our project. Working with them both was a blessing and I'm happy they were my mentors.

I’m glad Dr. Neo Antoniades allowed my brother to be my partner. Normally, brothers aren’t typically allowed to work on the same project. However, since he knew us both from a previous semester and how well we worked together, he approved. Working together with my brother allowed us to learn from each other's research and test components together. We didn’t have to worry about having to meet up as we lived in the same household.

Overall, I’m just thrilled with our results, experience at the conference, and support from Verrazzano. I’m very proud of our efforts and accomplishment. Thank you Verrazzano and the College of Staten Island.

Creating the Water Sweeper to Remove Surface Water Waste

 Maximilian Golubowski, Verrazzano Class of 2022, completed major in Electrical Engineering and minor in Mathematics 

My senior capstone project is titled The Water Sweeper. This project is about a semi-autonomous boat used to remove waste from the surface of the water. This boat has two functions: 1) the operator mode where a user can control the boat by themselves to collect the waste, and 2) the camera mode where the boat will detect the waste and go to its base on what the camera can detect. Besides these two modes, this project was created to make a cheaper drone to explore machine learning and computer vision, to make a small contribution to climate change, and to delve into drones.

Many parts were required to physically construct the Water Sweeper. To make the boat itself, PVC (polyvinyl chloride) pipes were used as the base due to their low cost and their being used in a variety of water applications like plumbing and water-based drones. Besides the base of the boat, detachable nets were used on the back of the boat to gather waste and to replace these nets easily. To move the boat, a variety of components were used. The component that mainly moved the boats were underwater thrusters in which two were needed to move the thrusters in opposite directions. One thruster has to be clockwise and the other one has to be counterclockwise to make the thrusters move in opposite directions. These thrusters contained brushless motors (BLDC) which fit the application due to being highly efficient, producing less heat, being a light component, and having a longer lifespan than the brushed motor. These motors are often used in boats due to having no sensors and being able to resist water damage for an extended time.  

Although the thruster is an important component, there are more components needed to power them and send them the required signals to function properly. One of these components is the electronic speed control (ESC) which is used to calibrate and control the speed of thrusters. Setting the speeds of the ESC leads to the thrusters desiring more power to operate. To power, the ESC, a LiPo (lithium polymer) battery is necessary as it can supply the power needed for the thrusters to work. To send appropriate signals, a microcontroller is needed to communicate the appropriate speed to the thruster. This describes the power systems of the sweeper. This camera is set high on the boat so it can see where the waste is. This describes the physical appearance of the boat.

The Water Sweeper has two modes, the operator and camera modes. The operator mode requires a transmitter and receiver circuit. For the receiver circuit, a microcontroller with a transceiver module was connected to the ESCs, while the transmitter circuit used the same module with components such as a joystick or potentiometer, were used to control the speed of the ESC. This allowed the user to control the boat at farther ranges and avoid mishaps with wires. The camera mode required an artificial intelligence camera to know what waste needed to be collected. To understand what waste needed to be collected, the camera needed a waste library. Once this library was established, the camera was trained to detect them so the boat could gather them. The microcontroller or in this case the receiver circuit was connected to the camera, then programmed for the camera to move the thrusters of the boat and contain the waste.

When working on the project, many obstacles were faced. The first obstacle was learning how to solder properly, since many parts of the project such as the ESC, the print circuit board (pub) receiver and transmitter, the thruster, and additional wires needed to be soldered to make the project work. This required some practice to better understand how this circuit connecting method worked. It also required a lot of caution since soldering components require a lot of heat so getting burned is possible if you are being reckless.

The second obstacle was learning a new microcontroller, Arduino Uno, and the pro mini, since they have various pins for different operations, require a certain amount of voltage and current to work, and need different drivers as well. Understanding the Arduino IDE (integrated development environment) was necessary so the microcontroller could be programmed using C++ computer language.

The third obstacle faced was the transceiver module, nRF24L01, since it is a sensitive device that requires a certain amount of current and voltage to operate and needs external altercations to make the device work. The device requires a lot of debugging to ensure that the software and hardware configurations are accurate. Overall, these were some of the notable hardships faced throughout the project.

There are many aspects of the project that could be further developed. One of these aspects is the transceiver module. There could be methods to further enhance their communication, although this module is tricky to debug. Another way to further enhance the project is to use a microprocessor since it will allow the user to control the boat via a personal computer or laptop.

Another way to enhance the project is to create a solar panel system meant to charge the batteries but not power the boat. Homemade thrusters could be made but aspects of the brushless motor, the propeller, and waterproofing would need to be considered. Changing the thrusters would change the power system, but it could help it last for a longer amount of time. Additional aspects that could be applied to the boat are water quality sensors, underwater cameras, and improvement of the route planning algorithm.

Creating an Emissions Free Drive System for Cars

 Thomas McCullough, Verrazzano Class of 2022, completed major in Electrical Engineering 

For my capstone project, under the mentorship of Professor Alfred Levine my group and I developed the Dual Flywheel Propulsion system for Cars, an innovative research design to create an emissions free drive system.

Modern energy storage methods such as lithium-ion batteries are inefficient and untenable, demanding rare earth metals and becoming obsolete in a short period. Technological enhancements we've developed will produce hybrid energy storage and recovery systems that are sustainable and cohesive with the environment.

Our goal for the project was to create a microscale energy storage system that could be scaled up to a passenger vehicle. The development predicated the design for a dual flywheel system. While a single flywheel system allowed for kinetic storage, it is prone to fall victim to gyroscopic effects occurring during any change in direction. Instead, with the double flywheels on the same axis, spinning at the same speed in opposite directions completely offsets the gyroscopic effects, allowing for freedom of motion in any direction.

This project has been the most immense engineering learning experience thus far for my undergraduate career. It involved an intense design process from start to finish, beginning with just a simple physics concept and ending with a full working physical model. Under current conditions the design works well, though for our full ambitions to be realized there is still work to be done. By taking advantage of the strength of Carbon fiber composite and the quadratic nature of stored energy a massively large amount of energy can be stored. My team and I hope to continue working on this project even past graduation.

I’m thankful to the Verrazzano Honors program for allowing me the opportunity to grow and succeed as a student during my time here at CSI.  

Engineering and Wireless Power Charging

Dakota Paxton, Verrazano Class of 2019, Completed Major in Electrical Engineering 
This capstone project based on Wireless Power Transfer was very challenging and rewarding. Throughout the process of completing this, I re-learned a lot of theories as well as new theories based upon wireless power transfer, and incorporated them into this project in order to obtain a final product. 
I wanted to choose this as my project because as smartphones are advancing, more and more phones are utilizing wireless charging as a standard instead of a special feature. I wanted to understand how energy could be transferred between two points efficiently. Additionally, I wanted to do this project to step outside of my comfort zone in order to grow as an engineer. Since I use wireless charging with my phone, I wanted to see if it was possible to not only understand how it works, but if it’s possible to optimize this process at all. 
When working on this project, there were multiple steps that had to be completed in order to obtain a working device. From understanding the theories, choosing the right values, creating a simulation, testing it, making it in real life, and repeating this cycle over and over, this project taught me to always double check your calculations before moving on to testing a design in real life. I accidentally ordered parts that later found to be useless because I performed one of the calculations incorrectly which set back the project about two weeks!

As the project progressed, I began to feel more comfortable simulating different coils in order to obtain a suitable outcome. However, there was always something in this project that was challenging that never made me feel complacent. All in all, I would definitely say that this project met my expectations. As I continue to work on this, I will try to work on making the LED power up at a longer distance, then move on to a light bulb and try to incorporate more advanced safety features for the user. This project made me understand how a device is actually created and the steps needed to make a working product. 
The Wireless Power Transfer system influenced me to maybe shift my career to focus on power transfer because this topic seems very interesting. Since an LED can get lit up at approximately a foot away, maybe one day in the future it will be possible to walk into a room and have your device start charging immediately!