Computer Engineering Commons^™

Hardware Security Of The Controller Area Network (Can Bus), David Satagaj

Senior Honors Theses

The CAN bus is a multi-master network messaging protocol that is a standard across the vehicular industry to provide intra-vehicular communications. Electronics Control Units within vehicles use this network to exchange critical information to operate the car. With the advent of the internet nearly three decades ago, and an increasingly inter-connected world, it is vital that the security of the CAN bus be addressed and built up to withstand physical and non-physical intrusions with malicious intent. Specifically, this paper looks at the concept of node identifiers and how they allow the strengths of the CAN bus to shine while also …

“My Logic Is Undeniable”: Replicating The Brain For Ideal Artificial Intelligence, Samuel C. Adams

Senior Honors Theses

Alan Turing asked if machines can think, but intelligence is more than logic and reason. I ask if a machine can feel pain or joy, have visions and dreams, or paint a masterpiece. The human brain sets the bar high, and despite our progress, artificial intelligence has a long way to go. Studying neurology from a software engineer’s perspective reveals numerous uncanny similarities between the functionality of the brain and that of a computer. If the brain is a biological computer, then it is the embodiment of artificial intelligence beyond anything we have yet achieved, and its architecture is advanced …

Vehicular Motion Sensor: Developing A Wide-Range Motion Sensing Alarm System, Joshua Isaacson

Senior Honors Theses

Vehicular safety has become a serious concern in recent years. Many drivers have difficulty backing out of parking spaces, especially when large trucks and sport utility vehicles block the peripheral view from smaller vehicles. This can lead to accidents and pedestrian injuries when drivers are unable to see or do not pay careful attention to their surroundings.

Vehicular motion sensor systems can alert drivers of approaching obstacles when attempting to back out of parking spaces with limited visibility. This thesis aims to explain the limitations of current systems and the research conducted by the author to develop a prototype for …

Reconfigurable Systems: A Potential Solution To The Von Neumann Bottleneck, Damian L. Miller

Senior Honors Theses

The difficulty of overcoming the disparity between processor speeds and data access speeds, a condition known as the von Neumann bottleneck, has been a source of consternation for computer hardware developers for many years. Although a number of temporary solutions have been proposed and implemented in modern machines, these solutions have only managed to treat the major symptoms, rather than solve the root problem. As the number of transistors on a chip roughly doubles every two years, the von Neumann bottleneck has continued to tighten in spite of these solutions, prompting some computer hardware professionals to advocate a paradigm shift …