Computer Engineering Commons^™

Distributed Fiber-Optic Laser-Ultrasound Generation Based On Ghost-Mode Of Tilted Fiber Bragg Gratings, Jiajun Tian, Qi Zhang, Ming Han

Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering: Faculty Publications

Active ultrasonic testing is widely used for medical diagnosis, material characterization and structural health monitoring. Ultrasonic transducer is a key component in active ultrasonic testing. Due to their many advantages such as small size, light weight, and immunity to electromagnetic interference, fiber-optic ultrasonic transducers are particularly attractive for permanent, embedded applications in active ultrasonic testing for structural health monitoring. However, current fiberoptic transducers only allow effective ultrasound generation at a single location of the fiber end. Here we demonstrate a fiber-optic device that can effectively generate ultrasound at multiple, selected locations along a fiber in a controllable manner based on …

Microfluidic Refractive Index Sensor Based On An All-Silica In-Line Fabry–Perot Interferometer Fabricated With Microstructured Fibers, Jiajun Tian, Yujie Lu, Qi Zhang, Ming Han

Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering: Faculty Publications

We report a microfluidic fiber-optic refractive index (RI) sensor based on an in-line Fabry-Perot (FP) interferometer, which is formed by a silica tube sandwiched by two microstructured fibers (MFs). The sensor reported here can be fabricated at low cost, possess a robust structure, and has microfluidic capability. The micro-sized holes in the MFs naturally function as microfluidic channels through which liquid samples can be efficiently and conveniently delivered into and out of the FP cavity by a pressure/vacuum pump system for high-performance RI measurement. Due to the microfluidic capability enabled by the MFs, only sub microliter sample is required. We …

Segmented Nanowires Displaying Locally Controllable Properties, Eli Anguelova Sutter, Peter Werner Sutter

Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering: Faculty Publications

Vapor-liquid-solid growth of nanowires is tailored to achieve complex one-dimensional material geometries using phase diagrams determined for nanoscale materials. Segmented one-dimensional nanowires having constant composition dis play locally variable electronic band structures that are deter mined by the diameter of the nanowires. The unique electrical and optical properties of the segmented nanowires are exploited to form electronic and optoelectronic devices. Using gold-germanium as a model system, in situ transmis sion electron microscopy establishes, for nanometer-sized Au Ge alloy drops at the tips of Ge nanowires (NWs), the parts of the phase diagram that determine their temperature dependent equilibrium composition. The …

Cpe 200: Small Bear Project, David Burke, Devin Tang

Computer Engineering

CPE 200 is an elective course designed for sophomores in the Computer Engineering Department. This project was intended to design the class, such that, students will understand the skills a computer engineer develops and how to apply those skills.

A Software Tool For The Design Of Critical Robot Missions With Performance Guarantees, Damian M. Lyons, Ronald C. Arkin, Paramesh Nirmal, Shu Jiang, Tsung-Ming Liu

Faculty Publications

Deploying a robot as part of a counter-weapons of mass destruction mission demands that the robotic software operates with high assurance. A unique feature of robotic software development is the need to perform predictably in a physical environment that may only be poorly characterized in advance. In this paper, we present an approach to building high assurance software for robot missions carried out in uncertain environments. The software development framework and the verification algorithm, VIPARS, are described in detail. Results are presented for missions including motion and sensing uncertainty, interaction with obstacles, and the use of sensors to guide behavior.

Implementing A Matlab Based Attitude Determination Algorithm In C Within The Polysat Software Architecture, Dominic Bertolino

Computer Engineering

This project focuses on one component within a complete attitude determination and control system (ADCS) for a small satellite. The component consists of porting the algorithm that determines the current attitude of the satellite developed by AERO students / team members. The original algorithm has been developed in MATLAB code. The actual algorithm will be simulated and tested in MATLAB by the AEROs. The porting consisted of integrating the pieces into the custom PolySat software environment in C. Testing was done to verify the ported component corresponded to the original MATLAB component as well as verify its runtime on the …

Caddy: A 2005 Roborodentia Entry With Vision And Path Planning Abilities, Taylor Braun-Jones

Computer Engineering

Roborodentia is an autonomous robotics competition held each year during Cal Poly’s Open House. For the 2005 competition, robot entries needed to navigate a maze searching for three randomly placed golf balls, collect them, and then deposit the balls in the “nest” at the end of the maze. A newly added aspect for the 2005 competition included two bonus balls that were placed on a platform behind the wall in two predetermined corners of the maze.

Caddy is a robot that was entered into the 2005 Roborodentia competition. Caddy included a vision system that allowed searching for balls down untraveled …

Mickey's Memory Game: A Children's Memory Game Designed For Sifteo Cubes, Anjelica Concepcion

Computer Engineering

Mickey’s Memory Game is a children’s memory game developed on the Sifteo platform. Sifteo cubes are small, interactive devices, which can display colored images and sense neighboring cubes or detect user actions, such as clicking, shaking, or tilting the cubes. Although many classic video games or mobile games can be recreated on the Sifteo cubes, the goal of this project was to utilize capabilities that are unique to the Sifteo gaming platform, while also creating a useful game for child development.

2013 (Spring) Ensi Informer Magazine, Morehead State University. Engineering Sciences Department

ENSI Informer Magazine Archive

The ENSI Informer Magazine published in the spring of 2013.

Discrimination Of Individual Tigers (Panthera Tigris) From Long Distance Roars, An Ji, Michael T. Johnson, Edward J. Walsh, Joann Mcgee, Douglas L. Armstrong

Electrical and Computer Engineering Faculty Research and Publications

This paper investigates the extent of tiger (Panthera tigris) vocal individuality through both qualitative and quantitative approaches using long distance roars from six individual tigers at Omaha's Henry Doorly Zoo in Omaha, NE. The framework for comparison across individuals includes statistical and discriminant function analysis across whole vocalization measures and statistical pattern classification using a hidden Markov model (HMM) with frame-based spectral features comprised of Greenwood frequency cepstral coefficients. Individual discrimination accuracy is evaluated as a function of spectral model complexity, represented by the number of mixtures in the underlying Gaussian mixture model (GMM), and temporal model complexity, …

Semi-Supervised Heterogeneous Fusion For Multimedia Data Co-Clustering, Lei Meng, Ah-Hwee Tan, Dong Xu

Research Collection School Of Computing and Information Systems

Co-clustering is a commonly used technique for tapping the rich meta-information of multimedia web documents, including category, annotation, and description, for associative discovery. However, most co-clustering methods proposed for heterogeneous data do not consider the representation problem of short and noisy text and their performance is limited by the empirical weighting of the multi-modal features. In this paper, we propose a generalized form of Heterogeneous Fusion Adaptive Resonance Theory, called GHF-ART, for co-clustering of large-scale web multimedia documents. By extending the two-channel Heterogeneous Fusion ART (HF-ART) to multiple channels, GHF-ART is designed to handle multimedia data with an arbitrarily rich …

A Quantitative Analysis Of Memory Controller Page Policies, Matthew Blackmore

Dissertations and Theses

Two common goals in computing system design are increasing performance and decreasing power consumption. DRAM-based memory subsystems are a major component of both system performance and power consumption. Memory controllers employ strategies to efficiently schedule DRAM operations to reduce latency and to utilize DRAM low power modes when possible. One of the most important of these is the page policy, which determines when to close pages in DRAM. An effective DRAM memory controller page policy is important to minimizing power consumption and increasing system performance. This thesis explores the impact memory controller page policy has on performance as measured by …

Generating Co-Occurring Facial Nonmanual Signals In Synthesized American Sign Language, Jerry Schnepp, Rosalee Wolfe, John Mcdonald, Jorge Toro

Visual Communications and Technology Education Faculty Publications

Translating between English and American Sign Language (ASL) requires an avatar to display synthesized ASL. Essential to the language are nonmanual signals that appear on the face. In the past, these have posed a difficult challenge for signing avatars. Previous systems were hampered by an inability to portray simultaneously-occurring nonmanual signals on the face. This paper presents a method designed for supporting co-occurring nonmanual signals in ASL. Animations produced by the new system were tested with 40 members of the Deaf community in the United States. Participants identified all of the nonmanual signals even when they co-occurred. Co-occurring question nonmanuals …

Test Advising Framework, Yurong Wang

School of Computing: Dissertations, Theses, and Student Research

Test cases are represented in various formats depending on the process, the technique or the tool used to generate the tests. While different test case representations are necessary, this diversity challenges us in comparing test cases and leveraging strengths among them - a common test representation will help.

In this thesis, we define a new Test Case Language (TCL) that can be used to represent test cases that vary in structure and are generated by multiple test generation frameworks. We also present a methodology for transforming test cases of varying representations into a common format where they can be matched …

Visual Homing With A Pan-Tilt Based Stereo Camera, Paramesh Nirmal, Damian M. Lyons

Faculty Publications

Visual homing is a navigation method based on comparing a stored image of the goal location and the current image (current view) to determine how to navigate to the goal location. It is theorized that insects, such as ants and bees, employ visual homing methods to return to their nest [1]. Visual homing has been applied to autonomous robot platforms using two main approaches: holistic and feature-based. Both methods aim at determining distance and direction to the goal location. Navigational algorithms using Scale Invariant Feature Transforms (SIFT) have gained great popularity in the recent years due to the robustness of …

Multi-Gain-Stage Ingaas Avalanche Photodiode With Enhanced Gain And Reduced Excess Noise, George M. Williams, Madison Compton, David A. Ramirez, Majeed M. Hayat, Andrew S. Huntington

Electrical and Computer Engineering Faculty Research and Publications

We report the design, fabrication, and test of an InGaAs avalanche photodiode (APD) for 950-1650 nm wavelength sensing applications. The APD is grown by molecular beam epitaxy on InP substrates from lattice-matched InGaAs and InAlAs alloys. Avalanche multiplication inside the APD occurs in a series of asymmetric gain stages whose layer ordering acts to enhance the rate of electron-initiated impact ionization and to suppress the rate of hole-initiated ionization when operated at low gain. The multiplication stages are cascaded in series, interposed with carrier relaxation layers in which the electric field is low, preventing avalanche feedback between stages. These measures …

Novel Algorithms For Fair Bandwidth Sharing On Counter Rotating Rings, Mete Yilmaz

Dissertations

Rings are often preferred technology for networks as ring networks can virtually create fully connected mesh networks efficiently and they are also easy to manage. However, providing fair service to all the stations on the ring is not always easy to achieve.

In order to capitalize on the advantages of ring networks, new buffer insertion techniques, such as Spatial Reuse Protocol (SRP), were introduced in early 2000s. As a result, a new standard known as IEEE 802.17 Resilient Packet Ring was defined in 2004 by the IEEE Resilient Packet Ring (RPR) Working Group. Since then two addenda have been introduced; …

A New Look At Azimuthal Wave Propagation Constants Of An N-Layered Dielectric Coated Pec Cylinder, Jason V. Paul, Peter J. Collins, Ronald A. Coutu Jr.

Electrical and Computer Engineering Faculty Research and Publications

A method for determining the azimuthal wave propagation constants supported by an n-layered dielectric coated PEC cylinder is presented. The method, based on a Green's function described in , is designed to optimally handle layered cylinders where the number of layers is extremely large as might be encountered in structures designed using transformational optics. The method is also tractable for any stratification profile without the need for individual layer analysis. We implement a recently developed numerical method to calculate Bessel functions of complex order and argument. Our method is verified by comparison with previously published results. We also present new …

The Evolution Of Successful Service-Learning Courses In The Computing Curriculum: From Infancy To Innovation, Jean F. Coppola Phd, Susan Feather-Gannon, Catharina Daniels, Nancy Lynch Hale, Pauline Mosley

Wilson Center for Social Entrepreneurship

The purpose of this paper is to relate the evolution of successful service-learning courses in a school of computer science and information systems spanning over a 20-year period. The authors share their experiences in developing technology-based service-learning courses for both majors and non-majors. Most recently, these courses have enabled undergraduate first-year students to be exposed to exciting technologies, such as robotics and mobile app development. The challenges, benefits, and lessons learned are discussed.

Ennet: Inferring Large Gene Regulatory Networks From Expression Data Using Gradient Boosting, Janusz Slawek, Tomasz Arodź

Computer Science Publications

Background

The regulation of gene expression by transcription factors is a key determinant of cellular phenotypes. Deciphering genome-wide networks that capture which transcription factors regulate which genes is one of the major efforts towards understanding and accurate modeling of living systems. However, reverse-engineering the network from gene expression profiles remains a challenge, because the data are noisy, high dimensional and sparse, and the regulation is often obscured by indirect connections.

Results

We introduce a gene regulatory network inference algorithm ENNET, which reverse-engineers networks of transcriptional regulation from a variety of expression profiles with a superior accuracy compared to the state-of-the-art …