Computational Engineering Commons^™

Commuting By Customized Bus: A Comparative Analysis With Private Car And Conventional Public Transport In Two Cities, Tao Liu, Avishai Ceder, Romain Bologna, Benjamin Cabantous

Journal of Public Transportation

Commuting is a major component in the creation of traffic and travel problems. Thus, more attention should be given to its practice. Private car (PC) transport, the dominant mode of commuting in most of the world’s major cities, creates traffic-related social problems such as traffic congestion, traffic fatalities and injuries, and adverse environmental impacts. This study proposes a novel commuting travel mode—a customized bus (CB) transit system that provides advanced, personalized, and flexible demand-interactive minibus service using Internet, telephone, and smartphone apps. The aim was to assess and compare the performance of CB with PC and with conventional public transport …

The Effects Of Latency On 3d Interactive Data Visualizations, Allen Korenevsky

Master's Theses

Interactive data visualizations must respond fluidly to user input to be effective, or so we assume. In fact it is unknown exactly how fast a visualization must run to present every facet within a dataset. An engineering team with limited resources is left with intuition and estimates to determine if their application performs sufficiently well.

This thesis studies how latency affects users' comprehension of data visualizations, specifically 3D geospatial visualizations with large data sets. Subjects used a climate visualization showing temperatures spanning from the 19th to the 21st century to answer multiple choice questions. Metrics like their eye movements, time …

High-Low, Cameron Burwell, Bryce Cheng-Campbell

Computer Science and Software Engineering

The card game High-Low is a cooperative game that provides a unique problem of where all players have partial information and build off other players guesses to win the game. This problem lends itself to creating an AI bot that can play the game with other human players. By making decisions that change as the other players make guesses through the rounds, we have created an AI bot that plays the game with a good degree of accuracy.

Anex: Automated Network Exploitation Through Penetration Testing, Eric Francis Dazet

Master's Theses

Cyber attacks are a growing concern in our modern world, making security evaluation a critical venture. Penetration testing, the process of attempting to compromise a computer network with controlled tests, is a proven method of evaluating a system's security measures. However, penetration tests, and preventive security analysis in general, require considerable investments in money, time, and labor, which can cause them to be overlooked. Alternatively, automated penetration testing programs are used to conduct a security evaluation with less user effort, lower cost, and in a shorter period of time than manual penetration tests. The trade-off is that automated penetration testing …

Cashtag Ios Application, Kevin J. Tsui

Computer Science and Software Engineering

An iOS Application meant to help manage cash purchases/transactions.

Incorporating Histograms Of Oriented Gradients Into Monte Carlo Localization, Michael K. Norris

Master's Theses

This work presents improvements to Monte Carlo Localization (MCL) for a mobile robot using computer vision. Solutions to the localization problem aim to provide fine resolution on location approximation, and also be resistant to changes in the environment. One such environment change is the kidnapped/teleported robot problem, where a robot is suddenly transported to a new location and must re-localize. The standard method of "Augmented MCL" uses particle filtering combined with addition of random particles under certain conditions to solve the kidnapped robot problem. This solution is robust, but not always fast. This work combines Histogram of Oriented Gradients (HOG) …

Toward Mining Massive And Multi-Dimensional Data For Extreme Hydrometeorological And Climate Event Analyses, Ling Qiu, Francisco Munoz-Arriola, Carlos M. Carrilo

UCARE: Research Products

This poster presents the research on the main patterns of spatial distribution and temporal variability of precipitation and temperature in the Missouri River Basin (MRB). MRB has 117 million acres in cropland, produces of 46%, 22%, and 34% US's wheat, corn, and cattle, respectively. Also, MRB is known for intense weather and extreme climate variability. The approach is to identify different patterns of spatial distribution and temporal variability of precipitation and temperature through the use of a Principal Component Analysis. We have found that precipitation and temperature are the ideal meteorological variable to test spatiotemporal variability of extreme events using …

Source Separation Approach To Video Quality Prediction In Computer Networks, Ruairí De Fréin

Articles

Time-varying loads introduce errors in the estimated model parameters of service-level predictors in Computer Networks. A load-adjusted modification of a traditional unadjusted service-level predictor is contributed, based on Source Separation (SS). It mitigates these errors and improves service-quality predictions for Video-on-Demand (VoD) by :6 to 2dB.

Optical Analysis And Fabrication Of Micro And Nanoscale Plasmonically Enhanced Devices, Avery M. Hill

Physics Undergraduate Honors Theses

Plasmonic nanostructures have been shown to act as optical antennas that enhance optical devices due to their ability to focus light below the diffraction limit of light and enhance the intensity of the incident light. This study focuses on computational electromagnetic (CEM) analysis of two devices: 1) GaAs photodetectors with Au interdigital electrodes and 2) Au thin-film microstructures. Experiments showed that the photoresponse of the interdigital photodetectors depend greatly on the electrode gap and the polarization of the incident light. Smaller electrode gap and transverse polarization give rise to a larger photoresponse. It was also shown that the response from …

Optical Analysis And Fabrication Of Micro And Nanoscale Plasmonically Enhanced Devices, Avery M. Hill

Mechanical Engineering Undergraduate Honors Theses

Plasmonic nanostructures have been shown to act as optical antennas that enhance optical devices due to their ability to focus light below the diffraction limit of light and enhance the intensity of the incident light. This study focuses on computational electromagnetic (CEM) analysis of two devices: 1) GaAs photodetectors with Au interdigital electrodes and 2) Au thin-film microstructures. Experiments showed that the photoresponse of the interdigital photodetectors depend greatly on the electrode gap and the polarization of the incident light. Smaller electrode gap and transverse polarization give rise to a larger photoresponse. It was also shown that the response from …

A Stabilized Finite Element Dynamic Overset Method For The Navier-Stokes Equations, Chao Liu

Masters Theses and Doctoral Dissertations

In terms of mesh resolution requirements, higher-order finite element discretization methods offer a more economic means of obtaining accurate simulations and/or to resolve physics at scales not possible with lower-order schemes. For simulations that may have large relative motion between multiple bodies, overset grid methods have demonstrated distinct advantages over mesh movement strategies. Combining these approaches offers the ability to accurately resolve the flow phenomena and interaction that may occur during unsteady moving boundary simulations. Additionally, overset grid techniques when utilized within a finite element setting mitigate many of the difficulties encountered in finite volume implementations. This research presents the …

Droplet Generation At Megahertz Frequencies, John C. Miers

Mechanical Engineering Undergraduate Honors Theses

Droplet formation has been a fascinating subject to scientists for centuries due to its natural beauty and importance to both scientific and industrial applications, such as inkjet printing, reagent deposition, and spray cooling. However, the droplet generation frequency of common drop-on-demand jetting techniques is mostly limited to ~10 kHz. This paper presents an investigation of the possibility of jetting at megahertz frequencies in order to boost the productivity of drop-on-demand material deposition by ~100 times. The focus of this paper is to understand the limitations of generating droplets at a megahertz frequency and to explore possible solutions for overcoming these …

A Stabilized Finite Element Dynamic Overset Method For The Navier-Stokes Equations, Chao Liu

Masters Theses and Doctoral Dissertations

In terms of mesh resolution requirements, higher-order finite element discretization methods offer a more economic means of obtaining accurate simulations and/or to resolve physics at scales not possible with lower-order schemes. For simulations that may have large relative motion between multiple bodies, overset grid methods have demonstrated distinct advantages over mesh movement strategies. Combining these approaches offers the ability to accurately resolve the flow phenomena and interaction that may occur during unsteady moving boundary simulations. Additionally, overset grid techniques when utilized within a finite element setting mitigate many of the difficulties encountered in finite volume implementations. This research presents the …

“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 …

Ms-Reduce: An Ultrafast Technique For Reduction Of Big Mass Spectrometry Data For High-Throughput Processing, Muaaz Gul Awan, Fahad Saeed

Parallel Computing and Data Science Lab Technical Reports

Modern proteomics studies utilize high-throughput mass spectrometers which can produce data at an astonishing rate. These big Mass Spectrometry (MS) datasets can easily reach peta-scale level creating storage and analytic problems for large-scale systems biology studies. Each spectrum consists of thousands of peaks which have to be processed to deduce the peptide. However, only a small percentage of peaks in a spectrum are useful for peptide deduction as most of the peaks are either noise or not useful for a given spectrum. This redundant processing of non-useful peaks is a bottleneck for streaming high-throughput processing of big MS data. One …

Can A Five Minute, Three Question Survey Foretell First-Year Engineering Student Performance And Retention?, Stephanie M. Gratiano, William J. Palm

Engineering, Computing & Construction Management Faculty Publications

This research paper examines first-year student performance and retention within engineering. A considerable body of literature has reported factors influencing performance and retention, including high school GPA and SAT scores,1,2,3 gender,4 self-efficacy,1,5 social status,2,6,7 hobbies,4 and social integration.6,7 Although these factors can help explain and even partially predict student outcomes, they can be difficult to measure; typical survey instruments are lengthy and can be invasive of student privacy. To address this limitation, the present paper examines whether a much simpler survey can be used to understand student motivations and anticipate student outcomes.

The survey was administered to 347 students in …

Modeling Time-Dependent Performance Of Submerged Superhydrophobic Or Slippery Surfaces, Ahmed A. Hemeda

Theses and Dissertations

The goal of this study is to quantify the transient performance of microfabricated superhydrophobic surfaces when used in underwater applications. A mathematical framework is developed and used to predict the stability, longevity, and drag reduction benefits of submerged superhydrophobic surfaces with two- or three-dimensional micro-textures. In addition, a novel design is proposed to improve the drag-reduction benefits of lubricant-infused surfaces, by placing a layer of trapped air underneath the lubricant layer. The new design is referred to as lubricant–infused surfaces with trapped air, and it is designed to eliminate the long-lasting longevity problem of submerged superhydrophobic surfaces. The effectiveness of …

Use Of Bridging Strategy Between The Ensemble Kalman Filter And Particle Filter For The Measurements With Various Quasi-Gaussian Noise, Sumathi Prabhakaran Jeyakumari

All Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Other Capstone Projects

Filtering and estimation are two important tools of engineering. Whenever the state of the system needs to be estimated from the noisy sensor measurements, some kind of state estimator is used. If the dynamics of the system and observation model are linear under Gaussian conditions, the root mean squared error can be computed using the Kalman Filter. But practically, noise frequently enters the system as not strictly Gaussian. Therefore, the Kalman Filter does not necessarily provide the better estimate. Hence the estimation of the nonlinear system under non-Gaussian or quasi-Gaussian noise is of an acute interest. There are many versions …

On The Applications Of Interactive Theorem Proving In Computational Sciences And Engineering, Amer Tahat

Dissertations, Master's Theses and Master's Reports

Interactive Theorem Proving (ITP) is one of the most rigorous methods used in

formal verification of computing systems. While ITP provides a high level of confidence in the correctness of the system under verification, it suffers from a steep learning curve and the laborious nature of interaction with a theorem prover. As such, it is desirable to investigate whether ITP can be used in unexplored (but high-impact) domains where other verification methods fail to deliver. To this end, the focus of this dissertation is on two important domains, namely design of parameterized self-stabilizing systems, and mechanical verification of numerical approximations …

In-Field Fuel Use And Load States Of Agricultural Field Machinery, Santosh Pitla, Joe D. Luck, Jared Werner, Nannan Lin, Scott A. Shearer

Department of Agricultural and Biological Systems Engineering: Faculty Publications

The ability to define in-field tractor load states offers the potential to better specify and characterize fuel consumption rate for various field operations. For the same field operation, the tractor experiences diverse load demands and corresponding fuel use rates as it maneuvers through straight passes, turns, suspended operation for adjustments, repair and maintenance, and biomass or other material transfer operations. It is challenging to determine the actual fuel rate and load states of agricultural machinery using force prediction models, and hence, some form of in-field data acquisition capability is required. Controller Area Networks (CAN) available on the current model tractors …