The client we received is a group of faculty from Applied Mathematics, Physics and Engineering backgrounds that are investigating several different areas within wave movement in the Fluids Lab at UNC. Their research involves physics (torque, acceleration, power, type of waves), which in turn requires mathematics (differential equations, calculus, and other tools) to manipulate and interpret results. In order to practically test out the theory, engineering has taken a huge role building the entire physical project, the WaveMaker: massive tanks that hold huge amounts of water that get pumped by a set of pistons and create waves. As a software engineering team, we have been selected to improve the interface with which the pistons are controlled. Via python and selected architecture, the pistons have been connected to Studio5000, the program that controls the hardware. During the course of this semester, we have encountered both difficulties and learnings in various different areas that have led to a handful of reflections regarding benefits of teamwork, communication, and organization, and struggles of time constraints, specific needs from the client, and our limited abilities as students.
Wave research has many real world implications. Being able to simulate and study waves in a controlled environment to identify patterns and observe effects helps with understanding the physical characteristics of events like tsunamis and rogue waves. Additionally, there is research being done to understand how density of water can impact wave creation too. This matters as the ocean is a continuous swirl of different water densities and the experiments need to mimic real world conditions as much as possible. Furthermore, the experiments apply to the marine sciences and biomechanics as they can test theories on phenomena, such as internal waves, that affect the ecological health of estuaries. As a software engineering team, we are helping the wavemaker and its researchers complete their goals by adding a database that will ensure wave data is stored in a way that will be useful for future comparison of wave patterns’ different values, while also providing correct functionality of the existing software.
Apples Reflection
https://docs.google.com/document/d/1S-oB-Ls7k54oOvtt3UvIBG1-tZccoF2Zo2gbQsCokpU/edit?usp=sharing