Classification And Analysis Of Twitter Bot And Troll Accounts,
2023
Air Force Institute of Technology
Classification And Analysis Of Twitter Bot And Troll Accounts, Callan P. Mccormick
Theses and Dissertations
This research trains, tests, and analyzes bot and troll classification models using publicly available, open source datasets. Specifically, it applies decision tree, random forest, feed forward neural networks, and long-short term memory neural networks with hyperparameters tuned via designed experiment to five labeled bot datasets created between 2011 and 2020 and one dataset labeling state-sponsored disinformation accounts or trolls. The first three models utilize account profile features, while the last model applies natural language processing techniques, specifically GloVe embedding, to analyze a user’s Tweet history. Results indicate that the random forest model outperforms the other three models with an average …
An Analysis Of Aircraft Maintenance Leading Indicator Metrics To Unit-Level Aircraft Availability Rates,
2023
Air Force Institute of Technology
An Analysis Of Aircraft Maintenance Leading Indicator Metrics To Unit-Level Aircraft Availability Rates, William C. Hardy
Theses and Dissertations
The purpose of this research is to improve the usefulness of data that is already collected within aircraft maintenance organizations to better identify trends, and outliers, and possibly better explain relationships between leading and lagging indicator metrics. Specifically, this graduate research paper sought to answer two research questions addressing what aircraft maintenance metrics significantly impact aircraft availability, and how to measure those to understand which metrics impact aircraft availability most. The research questions were answered through a comprehensive literature review, and the use of multiple linear regression analysis on data from two specific aircraft maintenance organizations from the same location. …
Optimal Control Of Precision Airdrop Trajectories Using Direct Collocation And Analytical Methods,
2023
Air Force Institute of Technology
Optimal Control Of Precision Airdrop Trajectories Using Direct Collocation And Analytical Methods, Edward J. Maxwell
Theses and Dissertations
The work herein investigates the preliminary designs of an optimal navigation controller for a scalable cylindrical airdrop system controlled with grid fins in planar motion. Precision airdrop capabilities are desired for a range of military and humanitarian missions. Fielded airdrop systems have not met desired performance objectives, particularly regarding accuracy. Direct collocation and analytical methods were utilized to solve the optimal control problem for the grid fin controlled precision airdrop system examined in this work. The optimal control problem was comprised of two phases: controlled descent and parachute descent. Minimum and maximum ranges for the system under varying wind fields …
Inducing Sparsity Within High-Dimensional Remote Sensing Modalities For Lightning Prediction,
2023
Air Force Institute of Technology
Inducing Sparsity Within High-Dimensional Remote Sensing Modalities For Lightning Prediction, Grace E. Metzgar
Theses and Dissertations
The uncertainty of lightning constantly threatens many weather-sensitive fields where the slightest presence of lightning can endanger valuable personnel and assets. The consequences of delaying operations have incited the research of methods that can accurately predict the location of future lightning strikes from the current weather conditions. High-dimensional remote sensing modalities contain information capable of detecting significant patterns and intensities within storms that could indicate the presence of lightning. This thesis induces sparsity into convolutional neural networks (CNNs) and remote sensing modalities through a combination of regularization and tensor decomposition techniques to call attention to sparse features that are most …
An Approximate Dynamic Programming Approach For Solving An Air Combat Maneuvering Problem With Directed Energy Weapons,
2023
Air Force Institute of Technology
An Approximate Dynamic Programming Approach For Solving An Air Combat Maneuvering Problem With Directed Energy Weapons, Elisha A. Palm
Theses and Dissertations
Performing within visual range (WVR) air combat involves the execution of complex air maneuvers and rapid sequential decision making. The complexity of these decisions can increase even further when including additional weapon capabilities. The advancement of unmanned autonomous vehicle technology and weapon capabilities can help combat the hindrance that comes with human limitations. Autonomous unmanned combat aerial vehicles (AUCAVs) and the implementation of advanced weapon capabilities such as Directed Energy Weapons (DEWs) can prove to be vital in a WVR air combat context. This derives the question – Can AUCAV’s possess the proper artificial intelligence and weapon capabilities to attain …
Information System Availability Status And Its Impact On Customer Wait Times,
2023
Air Force Institute of Technology
Information System Availability Status And Its Impact On Customer Wait Times, Joshua A. Cramer
Theses and Dissertations
The Military Personnel Flight relies on Air Force Information Systems, specifically the Defense Enrollment Eligibility and Reporting System (DEERS), to manage the personnel records. When DEERS experiences a failure, then the operational ability of the Military Personnel Flight is affected. This study aims at identifying the impact Air Force information system’s availability status has on customer wait times using linear regression.
The Aerial Refueling Asset Basing And Assignment Problem,
2023
Air Force Institute of Technology
The Aerial Refueling Asset Basing And Assignment Problem, Camryn E. Deames
Theses and Dissertations
With growing tensions in the European theatre and Indo-Pacific theatre, the constraints of aerial refueling impede the missions of Air Mobility Command and USTRANSCOM in their execution of both the National Security Strategy and National Defense Strategy. Introducing and integrating semi-autonomous aerial refueling aircraft is a logical next step due to advantages in endurance, survivability, runway requirements, and fuel offloading capacity. This research frames the Aerial Refueling Asset Basing and Assignment Problem with two model approaches: a baseline model and a fuel shuttle concept model. Whereas the former model considers instances with only manned refuelers or only semi-autonomous refuelers, the …
U.S. Army Force Structure Optimization And Sufficiency Analysis,
2023
Air Force Institute of Technology
U.S. Army Force Structure Optimization And Sufficiency Analysis, Francis P. Gargin
Theses and Dissertations
The United States Army perpetually deploys rotational forces across the globe in support of the National Security Strategy. These forces meet a set of discrete mission demands over an extended time period before redeploying, modernizing, and preparing for the next deployment. The U.S. Army now utilizes the Regionally Aligned Readiness and Modernization Model to execute these cyclical stages for unit deployments. Specific emphasis is placed on aligning forces against a Geographic Combatant Command, which allows units to build readiness and lethality oriented towards the same series of threats, physical terrain, and civilian considerations. This research provides an Integer Programming model …
Hierarchical Federated Learning On Healthcare Data: An Application To Parkinson's Disease,
2023
Air Force Institute of Technology
Hierarchical Federated Learning On Healthcare Data: An Application To Parkinson's Disease, Brandon J. Harvill
Theses and Dissertations
Federated learning (FL) is a budding machine learning (ML) technique that seeks to keep sensitive data private, while overcoming the difficulties of Big Data. Specifically, FL trains machine learning models over a distributed network of devices, while keeping the data local to each device. We apply FL to a Parkinson’s Disease (PD) telemonitoring dataset where physiological data is gathered from various modalities to determine the PD severity level in patients. We seek to optimally combine the information across multiple modalities to assess the accuracy of our FL approach, and compare to traditional ”centralized” statistical and deep learning models.
Designing A Counter-Iads Drone Swarm: Using Evolution To Evaluate Combat Assumptions Underpinning Drone Swarm Target Assignment,
2023
Air Force Institute of Technology
Designing A Counter-Iads Drone Swarm: Using Evolution To Evaluate Combat Assumptions Underpinning Drone Swarm Target Assignment, Olin H. Kennedy
Theses and Dissertations
The original research goal was to combine the best techniques in the drone swarm literature and model a functional combat drone swarm that conducts a Suppression of Enemy Air Defense (SEAD) mission. However, the body of literature regarding Drone Swarm Target Assignment (DSTA) does not model enemy counteraction and assumes that the drones’ targets are compliant against destruction. Therefore, a model of enemy counteraction against drone swarms is developed, and Novel DSTA (NDSTA) is proposed to respond to the weaknesses of the current DSTA. Both methods of target assignment are combined with a tunable trajectory generation model, and the performance …
Air Force Cadet To Career Field Matching Problem,
2023
Air Force Institute of Technology
Air Force Cadet To Career Field Matching Problem, Ian P. Macdonald
Theses and Dissertations
This research examines the Cadet to Air Force Specialty Code (AFSC) Matching Problem (CAMP). Currently, the matching problem occurs annually at the Air Force Personnel Center (AFPC) using an integer program and value focused thinking approach. This paper presents a novel method to match cadets with AFSCs using a generalized structure of the Hospitals Residents problem with special emphasis on lower quotas. This paper also examines the United States Army Matching problem and compares it to the techniques and constraints applied to solve the CAMP. The research culminates in the presentation of three algorithms created to solve the CAMP and …
Advancing Autonomous Swarm Behavior In A Simulated Anti-Access Area Denial (A2ad) Environment,
2023
Air Force Institute of Technology
Advancing Autonomous Swarm Behavior In A Simulated Anti-Access Area Denial (A2ad) Environment, Chad P. Macwilkinson
Theses and Dissertations
Advancements in modern IADS have bolstered A2AD environments and subsequently degraded the advantages that the Air Force once held, prompting a call to reform the nature of warfare in order to challenge these threats. A solution is weapon swarming technology, which has the ability to overwhelm IADS by engagement of a large numbers of low-cost, but lethal air assets that have autonomous functionalities. This research proposes the application of a four dimensional framework for autonomy to a swarm of cruise missiles. A virtual A2AD environment of two opposing forces is constructed using the AFSIM, wherein a manned bomber seeks to …
Simulating Autonomous Drone Swarm Behaviors In An Anti-Access Area Denial (A2ad) Environment,
2023
Air Force Institute of Technology
Simulating Autonomous Drone Swarm Behaviors In An Anti-Access Area Denial (A2ad) Environment, Alexander L. Martinez
Theses and Dissertations
Army senior military leaders are invested in acquiring modernized aerial platforms and equipment to augment the U.S. Army’s ability to overcome A2AD threats imposed by modern IADS. A prominent element of this modernization effort is the employment of autonomous drones to defeat IADS threats while minimizing risk to Army Soldiers. This research utilizes a framework for classifying the levels of autonomous capability along three dimensions: the ability to act alone, the ability to cooperate, and the ability to adapt. A virtual combat model, created using the AFSIM, simulates the engagement between an enemy IADS and a friendly formation comprised of …
The U.S. Army Officer-To-Unit Assignment Problem,
2023
Air Force Institute of Technology
The U.S. Army Officer-To-Unit Assignment Problem, Andrea L. Phillips
Theses and Dissertations
Every two to three years, U.S. Army officers must change duty stations, which entails a selection process based on preferences. Currently, officers are assigned to units using a stable-marriage algorithm. Two impracticalities occur within this process. First, officers are required to submit strictly ranked preferences, not allowing indifference among units. Second, the stable-marriage algorithm does not give flexibility to alternative priorities. This research focuses on two modifications to the current model. First, a mixed integer program is created that allows the user, U.S. Army Human Resources Command, to consider other priorities: unit preferences and maximum officer disappointment. Second, generated data …
Simulation And Analysis Of Dynamic Threat Avoidance Routing In An Anti-Access Area Denial (A2ad) Environment,
2023
Air Force Institute of Technology
Simulation And Analysis Of Dynamic Threat Avoidance Routing In An Anti-Access Area Denial (A2ad) Environment, Dante C. Reid
Theses and Dissertations
This research modeled and analyzed the effectiveness of different routing algorithms for penetration assets in an A2AD environment. AFSIM was used with different configurations of SAMs locations and numbers to compare the performance of AFSIM’s internal zone and shrink algorithm routers with a Dijkstra algorithm router. Route performance was analyzed through computational and operational metrics, including computational complexity, run-time, mission survivability, and simulation duration. This research also analyzed the impact of the penetration asset’s ingress altitude on those factors. Additionally, an excursion was conducted to analyze the Dijkstra algorithm router’s grid density holding altitude constant to understand its impact on …
Analysis And Optimization Of Contract Data Schema,
2023
Air Force Institute of Technology
Analysis And Optimization Of Contract Data Schema, Franklin Sun
Theses and Dissertations
agement, development, and growth of U.S Air Force assets demand extensive organizational communication and structuring. These interactions yield substantial amounts of contracting and administrative information. Over 4 million such contracts as a means towards obtaining valuable insights on Department of Defense resource usage. This set of contracting data is largely not optimized for backend service in an analytics environment. To this end, the following research evaluates the efficiency and performance of various data structuring methods. Evaluated designs include a baseline unstructured schema, a Data Mart schema, and a snowflake schema. Overall design success metrics include ease of use by end …
Probability Of Agreement As A Simulation Validation Methodology,
2023
Air Force Institute of Technology
Probability Of Agreement As A Simulation Validation Methodology, Matthew C. Ledwith
Theses and Dissertations
Determining whether a simulation model is operationally valid requires the rigorous assessment of agreement between observed functional responses of the simulation model and the corresponding real world system or process of interest. This research seeks to extend and formulate the probability of agreement approach to the operational validation of simulation models. The first paper provides a methodological approach and an initial demonstration which leverages bootstrapping to overcome situations where one’s ability to collect real-world data is limited. The second paper extends the probability of agreement approach to account for second-order heteroscedastic variability structures and establishes a weighted probability of agreement …
Factors Influencing Users’ Attitudes Towards Using Brain Computer Interface (Bci) For Non Medical Uses: An Application Of The Technology Acceptance Model (Tam),
2023
Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University
Factors Influencing Users’ Attitudes Towards Using Brain Computer Interface (Bci) For Non Medical Uses: An Application Of The Technology Acceptance Model (Tam), Yichin Wu, Leila Halawi
National Training Aircraft Symposium (NTAS)
While brain-computer interfaces (BCI) are gaining popularity in assisting people with illnesses, there is also increased technical research on incorporating BCI into healthy people’s lives. So far, not much research has focused on user attitudes, although some research has pointed out privacy and trust issues. Understanding potential users’ attitudes, expectations, and concerns early in the technology development stage is crucial for the novelty's success. For this reason, this study aims to understand the general publics’ attitude towards BCI for nonmedical uses using the technology acceptance model (TAM). The study will offer insights into how external factors including technology optimism, familiarity, …
The Sensitivity Of A Laplacian Family Of Ranking Methods,
2023
Claremont Colleges
The Sensitivity Of A Laplacian Family Of Ranking Methods, Claire S. Chang
HMC Senior Theses
Ranking from pairwise comparisons is a particularly rich subset of ranking problems. In this work, we focus on a family of ranking methods for pairwise comparisons which encompasses the well-known Massey, Colley, and Markov methods. We will accomplish two objectives to deepen our understanding of this family. First, we will consider its network diffusion interpretation. Second, we will analyze its sensitivity by studying the "maximal upset" where the direction of an arc between the highest and lowest ranked alternatives is flipped. Through these analyses, we will build intuition to answer the question "What are the characteristics of robust ranking methods?" …
A Holistic Work System Approach To Creating Flow During Transactional Work,
2023
University of Central Florida
A Holistic Work System Approach To Creating Flow During Transactional Work, Steven Clapp
Electronic Theses and Dissertations, 2020-2023
Psychological flow is a positive mental state where one is so fully concentrated in a challenging task that self-consciousness falls away, time seems to stand still, and the reward is the experience of meeting the challenge. Previous research on flow in the workplace has been performed on how to create conditions to promote its occurrence in workers, to describe its attendant individual and organizational benefits, and to measure it through self-reported means and physiologically. Such research has been focused on creative endeavors (such as the arts, sports, medicine, teaching), where individuals have high agency over the execution of activities needed …
