Ring and Peg Simulation for Minimally Invasive Surgical Robot

Surgical procedures utilizing minimally invasive laparoscopic techniques have shown less complications, better cosmetic results, and less time in the hospital than conventional surgery. These advantages are partially offset by inherent difficulties of the procedures which include an inverted control scheme, instrument clashing, and loss of triangulation. Surgical robots have been designed to overcome the limitations, the Da Vinci being the most widely used. A dexterous in vivo, two-armed robot, designed to enter an insufflated abdomen with a limited insertion profile and expand to perform a variety of operations, has been created as a less expensive, versatile alternative to the Da Vinci. Various surgical simulators are currently marketed to help with the rigors of training and testing potential surgeons for the Da Vinci system, and have been proven to be effective at improving surgical skills. Using the existing simulators as a baseline, the goal of this thesis was to design, build, and test a ring and peg simulation that emulates the four degree of freedom minimally invasive surgical robot from UNL. The simulation was created in the virtual reality software platform Vizard using the python programming language. Featuring imported visual models and compound simple shape collision objects, the simulation monitors and generates a metric file that records the user’s time to task completion along with various errors. A preliminary study was done on the simulation that measured seven participant’s performance on the simulation over three consecutive attempts. The study showed that participant’s time to completion and amount of recorded errors decreased across the three trials, indicating improvement in the robot operation with use of the simulation. The validation study provided confidence in continued development and testing of the introductory surgical robot simulation trainer. Adviser: Shane Farrito

Shaking out the Shakedowns : Pre-Discovery Dismissal of Copyright Infringement Cases after Comparison of the Works at Issue

In an era of copyright trolling, digital distribution, and widespread reappropriation of creative works, the specter of “shakedown” copyright infringement litigation looms larger than ever before. Some plaintiffs will hold the prospect of expensive and time-consuming discovery over alleged infringers to provoke settlement. In the wake of the Supreme Court’s decisions in Bell Atlantic Corp. v. Twombly and Ashcroft v. Iqbal, courts are more likely to consider the costs and time requirements of discovery when considering a defendant’s 12(b)(6) motion to dismiss. Several courts have recently indicated a willingness to grant motions to dismiss in copyright infringement cases when discovery is unlikely to produce material evidence. This Article examines the circumstances under which pre-discovery dismissal is likely to be granted, the courts’ reasoning for granting dismissal in such cases, and the potential effects on copyright infringement litigation

A Case Study on the Impact That the Meet & Teach Program Has on Youth Through Experiential Learning

Millions of students continue to struggle academically throughout K-12, which can harm student access and retention in higher education. Also, with arts continually being removed throughout the K-12 education curricula, students have a lack of support toward enhancing their hidden talents and skillsets. This study describes the impact that the Meet & Teach program had on youth through experiential learning in relation to developing and enhancing their skillset in media arts. The two research questions that guide this study are: (a) How does the Meet & Teach program support skill development for higher education through experiential learning? (b) In what ways does experiential learning aid in increasing student’s interest in pursuing higher education? Data was collected from participants using pre and post-surveys, semi-structured interviews, focus groups, as well as filmed and photographed observations. Data indicate that the Meet & Teach program supports skill development for higher education by developing participants’ various skillsets. Data also indicated that experiential learning aids in increasing students’ interest in pursuing higher education by providing access to hands-on experiences in the media arts. Further research is needed to identify other aspects that could strengthen the effectiveness of future media arts programming

Ring and Peg Simulation for Minimally Invasive Surgical Robot

Surgical procedures utilizing minimally invasive laparoscopic techniques have shown less complications, better cosmetic results, and less time in the hospital than conventional surgery. These advantages are partially offset by inherent difficulties of the procedures which include an inverted control scheme, instrument clashing, and loss of triangulation. Surgical robots have been designed to overcome the limitations, the Da Vinci being the most widely used. A dexterous in vivo, two-armed robot, designed to enter an insufflated abdomen with a limited insertion profile and expand to perform a variety of operations, has been created as a less expensive, versatile alternative to the Da Vinci. Various surgical simulators are currently marketed to help with the rigors of training and testing potential surgeons for the Da Vinci system, and have been proven to be effective at improving surgical skills. Using the existing simulators as a baseline, the goal of this thesis was to design, build, and test a ring and peg simulation that emulates the four degree of freedom minimally invasive surgical robot from UNL. The simulation was created in the virtual reality software platform Vizard using the python programming language. Featuring imported visual models and compound simple shape collision objects, the simulation monitors and generates a metric file that records the user’s time to task completion along with various errors. A preliminary study was done on the simulation that measured seven participant’s performance on the simulation over three consecutive attempts. The study showed that participant’s time to completion and amount of recorded errors decreased across the three trials, indicating improvement in the robot operation with use of the simulation. The validation study provided confidence in continued development and testing of the introductory surgical robot simulation trainer. Adviser: Shane Farrito

Ring and Peg Simulation for Minimally Invasive Surgical Robot

Surgical procedures utilizing minimally invasive laparoscopic techniques have shown less complications, better cosmetic results, and less time in the hospital than conventional surgery. These advantages are partially offset by inherent difficulties of the procedures which include an inverted control scheme, instrument clashing, and loss of triangulation. Surgical robots have been designed to overcome the limitations, the Da Vinci being the most widely used. A dexterous in vivo, two-armed robot, designed to enter an insufflated abdomen with a limited insertion profile and expand to perform a variety of operations, has been created as a less expensive, versatile alternative to the Da Vinci. Various surgical simulators are currently marketed to help with the rigors of training and testing potential surgeons for the Da Vinci system, and have been proven to be effective at improving surgical skills. Using the existing simulators as a baseline, the goal of this thesis was to design, build, and test a ring and peg simulation that emulates the four degree of freedom minimally invasive surgical robot from UNL. The simulation was created in the virtual reality software platform Vizard using the python programming language. Featuring imported visual models and compound simple shape collision objects, the simulation monitors and generates a metric file that records the user’s time to task completion along with various errors. A preliminary study was done on the simulation that measured seven participant’s performance on the simulation over three consecutive attempts. The study showed that participant’s time to completion and amount of recorded errors decreased across the three trials, indicating improvement in the robot operation with use of the simulation. The validation study provided confidence in continued development and testing of the introductory surgical robot simulation trainer. Adviser: Shane Farrito

Indigenous Student Retention in Arctic Higher Education

The primary focus of this capstone research is to identify the process of indigenous student retention policy in Arctic higher education institutions and compare these practices to existing retention and social theory. Much of the dominant literature on student retention addresses Euro-centric models, not fully addressing persistence issues with subjugated groups. There is a gap in the research with regard to indigenous Arctic student retention. By conducting a case study, data was gathered via the utilization of a variety of tools including archival records, interviews, direct observations, and document reviews. By adding to the body of work regarding student retention, institutions of higher learning may have greater opportunity to apply strategies to aid in their student persistence plan, particularly for subordinate groups. Most notably, the recognition that the culture from which a student derives may not be well aligned with the expectations of the culture of the institution. Many indigenous groups value group dependence and cohesion, often in direct opposition to frequently espoused higher education goals of economic and social success. A different retention strategy is needed to address the goals of indigenous students, framed around their cultural ideals and community attachments

Rebuilding Our Democracy Constitutionally

A newspaper column by Evan Barrett. Published newspaper columns written by Evan Barrett on this topic, which vary somewhat in content from this commentary, appeared in the following publications: Montana Standard, June 17, 2016 Billings Gazette, June 18, 2016 Missoulian, June 21, 2016 Flathead Beacon, June 22, 2016 Ravalli Republic, June 25, 201

Biography of Bob Brown

https://digitalcommons.mtech.edu/crucible_bios/1005/thumbnail.jp