Digital Commons Network^™

Wright State University College Of Engineering And Computer Science Bits And Pcs Newsletter, Volume 19, Number 6, April 2003, College Of Engineering And Computer Science, Wright State University

BITs and PCs Newsletter

An eight page newsletter created by the Wright State University College of Engineering and Computer Science that addresses the current affairs of the college.

On-Line Spatial Processing Systems, James Carswell, Michela Bertolotto

Articles

On-line Spatial Processing (OLSP) delivers high performance spatial systems for the modelling and monitoring of dynamic environments. It provides an ideal solution for the management of networks, land and assets, and the real-time tracking of changing spatial systems. OLSP is server-centric, as opposed to the primarily desktop-centric world of GIS. It places spatial data at the heart of the organisation's IT systems and integrates it with business and attribute data. The result is more effective use of spatial data and improved decision support and spatial intelligence throughout the organisation.

The Virtual Beta: An Interactive Fish Using Java Script And Css, Lauren B. Carroll '03

Honors Projects

My first version of the fish was written in C, because it was the language I was studying at the time. I wanted something that more people could view easily, however and one that could manage images more simply than C. I ended up choosing ]avaScript. At first I tried to translate my C program directly to ]avaScript, but I soon found this was too complex a task.

User Interface Improvement For Mlpq System, Shasha Wu

School of Computing: Dissertations, Theses, and Student Research

This thesis describes the experience of migrating the MLPQ constraint database system, a complex standalone Multiple Document Interface (MDI) application, to a server-based remote accessible application. Centralized, standalone MDI application is a common style for personal software products in Windows. For a database management system, server-based, thin-client computing is a more popular infrastructure. Migrating an existing standalone constraint database application to be a web accessible constraint database server is the main goal of this thesis. This migration process provides a method for the constraint database system to collaborate with other specific applications. We rebuild the desktop MLPQ constraint database system …

Modeling The Decision Process Of A Joint Task Force Commander, John Anthony Sokolowski

Computational Modeling & Simulation Engineering Theses & Dissertations

The U.S. military uses modeling and simulation as a tool to help meet its warfighting needs. A key element within military simulations is the ability to accurately represent human behavior. This is especially true in a simulation's ability to emulate realistic military decisions. However, current decision models fail to provide the variability and flexibility that human decision makers exhibit. Further, most decision models are focused on tactical decisions and ignore the decision process of senior military commanders at the operational level of warfare. In an effort to develop a better decision model that would mimic the decision process of a …

Producing High-Quality Visualizations Of Large-Scale Simulations, Voicu Popescu, Chris M. Hoffmann, Dami Kilic, Mete Sozen, Scott Meador

Department of Computer Science Technical Reports

No abstract provided.

A Framework Of Cooperating Agents Hierarchies For Local-Area Mobility Support, Ayman Adel Abdel Hamid

Computer Science Theses & Dissertations

Host mobility creates a routing problem in the Internet, where an IP address reflects the network's point of attachment. Mobile IP, relying on a mapping between a home address and a care-of address, and a home registration process, is widely accepted as a solution for the host mobility problem in wide-area mobility scenarios. However, its home registration requirement, upon each change of point of attachment, makes it unsuitable to handle local-area mobility, resulting in large handoff latencies, increased packet loss, and disrupted services. In this dissertation, we introduce a local-area mobility support framework for IPv4 based on the deployment of …

Development Of Kohonen Neural Network Application As A Pattern Recognition System For An Electronic Nose, Lori Lynn Evesque

Masters Theses

Electronic noses are used to identify and characterize unknown odors in industry. Chemometrics and neural network algorithms are used as pattern recognition systems for these devices. Experimentation with Kohonen clustering as the pattern recognition system for electronic noses was not noted prior to 1997. [BEG] This thesis investigated the use of a Kohonen neural network algorithm as a clustering algorithm for electronic nose data using the chemometrics algorithms built into the electronic nose as a performance standard. A secondary aim was to improve the clustering and identification capabilities of the Kohonen network.

The unsupervised Kohonen network was not able to …

Avoiding Deadlock In A Multi-Processor Enviroment, Beth Davis

Honors Capstone Projects and Theses

No abstract provided.

Ontology Driven Information Systems In Action (Capturing And Applying Existing Knowledge To Semantic Applications), Amit P. Sheth

Kno.e.sis Publications

No abstract provided.

Dynamic Networks For Motion Planning In Multi-Robot Space Systems, Christopher M. Clark, Stephen M. Rock, Jean-Claude Latombe

Computer Science and Software Engineering

A new motion planning framework is presented that enables multiple mobile robots with limited ranges of sensing and communication to maneuver and achieve goals safely in dynamic environments. The framework is applicable to both planetary rover and free-floating space robot applications. To combine the respective advantages of centralized and de-centralized planning, this framework is based on the concept of centralized planning within dynamic robot networks. As the robots move in their environment, localized robot groups form networks, within which world models and robot goals can be shared. Whenever a network is formed, new information becomes available to all robots in …

An Iterative Loop Matching Approach To The Prediction Of Rna Secondary Structures With Pseudoknots, Jianhua Ruan, Weixiong Zhang

All Computer Science and Engineering Research

Motivation: Pseudoknots have generally been excluded from the prediction of RNA secondary structures due to the difficulty in modeling and complexity in computing. Although several dynamic programming algorithms exist for the prediction of pseudoknots using thermodynamic approaches, they are neither reliable nor efficient. On the other hand, comparative methods are more reliable, but are often done in an ad hoc manner and require expert intervention. Maximum weighted matching (Tabaska et. al, Bioinformatics, 14:691-9, 1998), an algorithm for pseudoknot prediction with comparative analysis, suffers from low prediction accuracy in many cases. Here we present an algorithm, iterative loop matching, for predict-ing …

Gaussian And Mean Curvatures Of Rational Bézier Patches, Thomas W. Sederberg, Jianmin Zheng

Faculty Publications

This note derives formulae for Gaussian and mean curvatures for tensor-product and triangular rational Bézier patches in terms of the respective control meshes. These formulae provide more geometric intuition than the generic formulae from differential geometry.

Providing The Third Dimension: High-Resolution Multibeam Sonar As A Tool For Archaeological Investigations - An Example From The D-Day Beaches Of Normandy, Larry A. Mayer, Brian R. Calder, J S. Schmidt, C Malzone

Center for Coastal and Ocean Mapping

In general, marine archaeological investigations begin in the archives, using historic maps, coast surveys, and other materials, to define submerged areas suspected to contain potentially significant historical sites. Following this research phase, a typical archaeological survey uses sidescan sonar and marine magnetometers as initial search tools. Targets are then examined through direct observation by divers, video, or photographs. Magnetometers can demonstrate the presence, absence, and relative susceptibility of ferrous objects but provide little indication of the nature of the target. Sidescan sonar can present a clear image of the overall nature of a target and its surrounding environment, but the …

Wright State University College Of Engineering And Computer Science Bits And Pcs Newsletter, Volume 19, Number 5, March 2003, College Of Engineering And Computer Science, Wright State University

BITs and PCs Newsletter

An eight page newsletter created by the Wright State University College of Engineering and Computer Science that addresses the current affairs of the college.

Pc–Based Data Acquisition For A Solid Substrate Cultivation Deep Bed Reactor, Mari S. Chinn, Sue E. Nokes, Richard S. Gates

Biosystems and Agricultural Engineering Faculty Publications

This work describes an instrumentation and data acquisition system designed for a deep bed reactor used to cultivate Trichoderma longibrachiatum on wheat bran. The system allowed on–line measurements of substrate temperature, oxygen concentration within the reactor headspace, relative humidity and temperature of the inlet air, and inlet airflow rates while maintaining aseptic conditions and without disturbing the cultivation process. An error analysis for the instrumentation and data acquisition equipment was completed and provided insight into the reliability of the sensor readings. The collected data provided quantitative information about the reactor system dynamics which can be used to evaluate and apply …

Creating And Modifying Dynamic Animation Sequences Using The Tgt_Toolkit, Ross Gore

Department of Math & Statistics Technical Report Series

Creating and modifying the dynamic animation sequences within the TGT_Toolkit is not for the faint of heart. This report contains advice, guidelines and refers to an example of how I went about constructing the dynamic animation sequences within the Linked Lists Tutorial. I have identified three major areas of that seem to be common to all dynamic animation sequences, but distinct from simply extending TGT_Slide as most other slides do; these areas are: dynamically creating animation configurations, providing "undo" and slide saving functionality and sequencing saved slides once they are properly configured. In these areas "slide saving" and "saved slides" …

Explicit Building-Block Multiobjective Genetic Algorithms: Theory, Analysis, And Developing, Jesse B. Zydallis

Theses and Dissertations

This dissertation research emphasizes explicit Building Block (BB) based MO EAs performance and detailed symbolic representation. An explicit BB-based MOEA for solving constrained and real-world MOPs is developed the Multiobjective Messy Genetic Algorithm II (MOMGA-II) which is designed to validate symbolic BB concepts. The MOMGA-II demonstrates that explicit BB-based MOEAs provide insight into solving difficult MOPs that is generally not realized through the use of implicit BB-based MOEA approaches. This insight is necessary to increase the effectiveness of all MOEA approaches. In order to increase MOEA computational efficiency parallelization of MOEAs is addressed. Communications between processors in a parallel MOEA …

Inquisitive Pattern Recognition, Amy L. Magnus

Theses and Dissertations

The Department of Defense and the Department of the Air Force have funded automatic target recognition for several decades with varied success. The foundation of automatic target recognition is based upon pattern recognition. In this work, we present new pattern recognition concepts specifically in the area of classification and propose new techniques that will allow one to determine when a classifier is being arrogant. Clearly arrogance in classification is an undesirable attribute. A human is being arrogant when their expressed conviction in a decision overstates their actual experience in making similar decisions. Likewise given an input feature vector, we say …

Deterministic Intracellular Modeling, Jacqueline B. Young

Theses and Dissertations

The United States Air Force is interested in the potential side effects at the cellular level from exposure to mission-essential chemicals. Presently, Air Force toxicology studies are conducted to help shed light in identifying potential hazards to workers. However, it takes a considerable amount of money, resources, and time to obtain and analyze experimental results from toxicology studies. The necessity for innovative methods that enable researchers to more effectively generate and analyze data is apparent.

A Three-Dimensional Heads-Up Primary Navigation Reference Display For Paratroopers Performing High Altitude High Open Jumps, Brian A. Balazs

Theses and Dissertations

The Department of Defense (DoD) relies on the para-dropping of resources to meet different objectives in order to accomplish missions during peace-time, war-time, or military operations other than war. The resources dropped to the ground via parachute range from supplies and equipment to the most valued asset, people. Tactics have been developed to increase the safety of troops parachuting into areas of conflict. These tactics include high-altitude high-opening (HAHO) jumping and night jumping. HAHO jumping allows paratroopers to travel large distances in the air away from the path of the delivering aircraft. While night jumping, done with the aid of …

A Visual Language For Composable Simulation Scenarios, Carolyn R. Bartley

Theses and Dissertations

Modeling and Simulation plays an important role in how the Air Force trains and fights, Scenarios are used in simulation to give users the ability to specify entities and behaviors that should be simulated by a model: however, building and understanding scenarios can be a difficult and time-consuming process, furthermore, as composable simulations become more prominent, the need for a common descriptor for simulation scenarios has become evident. In order to reduce the complexity of creating and understanding simulation scenarios, a visual language was created, The research on visual languages presented in this thesis examines methods of visually specifying the …

Reverse Geographic Location Of A Computer Node, Clinton G. Carr Iii

Theses and Dissertations

The determination of methods by which a user is able to locate his computer when that user does not know his current location, termed "homestation", will provide the Air Force an advantage over its adversaries. The methods are a combination of different mathematical techniques that enable the user to manipulate data to minimize the effects of delay caused by various factors on the network. The techniques use the smallest round trip time obtained from the ping utility. This time is then converted into miles and plotted on a map of the United States. The methods used to solve this problem …

An Artificial Immune System Strategy For Robust Chemical Spectra Classification Via Distributed Heterogeneous Sensors, Mark A. Esslinger

Theses and Dissertations

The timely detection and classification of chemical and biological agents in a wartime environment is a critical component of force protection in hostile areas. Moreover, the possibility of toxic agent use in heavily populated civilian areas has risen dramatically in recent months. This thesis effort proposes a strategy for identifying such agents vis distributed sensors in an Artificial Immune System (AIS) network. The system may be used to complement "electronic" nose ("E-nose") research being conducted in part by the Air Force Research Laboratory Sensors Directorate. In addition, the proposed strategy may facilitate fulfillment of a recent mandate by the President …

Performance Evaluation And Analysis Of Effective Range And Data Throughput For Unmodified Bluetooth Communication Devices, Timothy F. Kneeland

Theses and Dissertations

The DoD and the Air Force continually seek to incorporate new technology in an effort to improve communication, work effectiveness, and efficiency. Office devices utilizing Bluetooth technology simplify device configuration and communication. They provide a means to communicate wirelessly over short distances thereby eliminating the need for different vendor specific cables and interfaces. One of the key concerns involved in incorporating new communication technology is security; the fundamental security concern of wireless communication is interception. Studies focusing on IEEE 802.11b have shown vulnerability zones around many DoD installations that reflect the ranges at which wireless communications using the 802.11b standard …

Implementing An Information Retrieval And Visualization Framework For Heterogeneous Data Types, Andrew J. Kowalchuk

Theses and Dissertations

In today's information focused world, there is no lack of entities focused on information gathering. However, there is still a widespread epidemic of information starvation in the Department of Defense (DoD). This starvation is attributed to the lack of interoperability between information gatherers and information consumers. To alleviate this problem, the DoD has put forth a vision of a Joint Battlespace Infosphere (JBI). This research proposes a framework for sharing and finding resources in a JBI. The framework uses an extensible metadata specification, agent technology, and the Control of Agent Based Systems (CoABS). It provides several tools for publication and …

Distributed Control Of A Swarm Of Autonomous Unmanned Aerial Vehicles, James T. Lotspeich

Theses and Dissertations

With the increasing use of Unmanned Aerial Vehicles (UAV)s military operations, there is a growing need to develop new methods of control and navigation for these vehicles. This investigation proposes the use of an adaptive swarming algorithm that utilizes local state information to influence the overall behavior of each individual agent in the swarm based upon the agent's current position in the battlespace. In order to investigate the ability of this algorithm to control UAVs in a cooperative manner, a swarm architecture is developed that allows for on-line modification of basic rules. Adaptation is achieved by using a set of …

Uml Assisted Visual Debugging For Distributed Systems, Benjamin R. Musial

Theses and Dissertations

The DOD is developing a Joint Battlespace Infosphere, linking a large number of data sources and user applications. To assist in this process, debugging and analysis tools are required. Software debugging is an extremely difficult cognitive process requiring comprehension of the overall application behavior, along with detailed understanding of specific application components. This is further complicated with distributed systems by the addition of other programs, their large size and synchronization issues. Typical debuggers provide inadequate support for this process, focusing primarily on the details accessible through source code. To overcome this deficiency, this research links the dynamic program execution state …

Using Sequence Analysis To Perform Application-Based Anomaly Detection Within An Artificial Immune System Framework, Larissa A. O'Brien

Theses and Dissertations

The Air Force and other Department of Defense (DoD) computer systems typically rely on traditional signature-based network IDSs to detect various types of attempted or successful attacks. Signature-based methods are limited to detecting known attacks or similar variants; anomaly-based systems, by contrast, alert on behaviors previously unseen. The development of an effective anomaly-detecting, application based IDS would increase the Air Force's ability to ward off attacks that are not detected by signature-based network IDSs, thus strengthening the layered defenses necessary to acquire and maintain safe, secure communication capability. This system follows the Artificial Immune System (AIS) framework, which relies on …

Searching System Call Information For Clues: The Effects Of Intrusions Of Processes, Mark G. Reith

Theses and Dissertations

The United States Air Force extensively uses information systems as a tool managing and maintaining its information. The increased dependence on these systems in recent years has necessitated the need for protection front threats of information warfare and cyber terrorism. One type of protection utilizes intrusion detection systems to provide indications that intrusive behavior has occurred. Other types of protection may include packet filtering, cryptography and strong user authentication. Traditional approaches toward intrusion detection rely on features that are external to computer processes. By treating processes as black-boxes, intrusion detection systems may miss a wealth of information that could be …