Engineering Commons^™

Exploiting Belief Bounds: Practical Pomdps For Personal Assistant Agents, Pradeep Varakantham, Rajiv Maheswaran, Milind Tambe

Research Collection School Of Computing and Information Systems

Agents or agent teams deployed to assist humans often face the challenges of monitoring the state of key processes in their environment (including the state of their human users themselves) and making periodic decisions based on such monitoring. POMDPs appear well suited to enable agents to address these challenges, given the uncertain environment and cost of actions, but optimal policy generation for POMDPs is computationally expensive. This paper introduces three key techniques to speedup POMDP policy generation that exploit the notion of progress or dynamics in personal assistant domains. Policy computation is restricted to the belief space polytope that remains …

How To Start A University Business Plan Competition: The Experience Of San Jose State University, Michael Solt, Asbjorn Osland, Anuradha Basu

Faculty Publications

San Jose State University’s Silicon Valley Center for Entrepreneurship has hosted a business plan competition for the last two academic years. The purpose of the Silicon Valley Business Plan Competition (SVBPC) is to stimulate interest in entrepreneurship among students and help to create new start-ups. The winners have typically been MBA students with an engineering background. This paper documents the process of planning and implementing the SVBPC as it has evolved at San Jose State University (SJSU), the resources required, and the key challenges encountered in organizing this annual event and widening participation in the competition. The paper reports on …

San Jose State University Based Incubators: Loosely Coupled Elements In Silicon Valley’S Entrepreneurial System, Asbjorn Osland, Burton Dean

Faculty Publications

The San Jose Redevelopment Agency (RDA) fostered and continues to nurture incubators. In partnership with the RDA, San Jose State University (SJSU), through its Foundation, operates four fairly autonomous loosely coupled university based incubators (UBIs). Their primary mission is to develop start-ups. They also provide excellent learning opportunities for students. What they have not done is commercialize university or faculty intellectual property. The incubator directors are experienced business people who have the business acumen to nurture start-ups successfully, which they have done. The RDA, SJSU, the UBIs, and the incubator directors are all part of the entrepreneurial system that characterizes …

Comparing F-16 Maintenance Scheduling Philosophies, Konstantinos Iakovidis

Theses and Dissertations

In the F-16 fighter community it is believed that the flying schedule can make or break a wing's maintenance effort. Nevertheless, there is no published scientific support behind many commonly used maintenance scheduling philosophies. The problem is that a generally accepted overall scheduling philosophy to improve the long term health of the fleet does not exist. The purpose of this research is tri-fold: to identify the most important scheduling philosophies, to identify the most meaningful metrics that capture the long term health of the fleet and maintenance effectiveness, and to compare the various philosophies using the performance measures to help …

Thermal Efficiency Characteristics Of Indirect Evaporative Cooling Systems, Ben Costelloe, Donal Finn

Conference Papers

Recent developments in enhancing heat transfer in cooling towers, together with the success of chilled ceilings, have prompted a review of the evaporative cooling technique. in temperate maritime climates. The thermal efficiency of such systems is a key parameter, as a measure of the degree to which the system has succeeded in exploiting the cooling potential of the ambient air. This paper presents the results of experimental research into the thermal efficiency of a water-side open indirect evaporative cooling test rig designed to achieve low (1-4 K) approach conditions. Secondary efficiencies in the range 0.24-0.76 have been achieved.

Stormwater Utility Fees: Considerations & Options For Interlocal Stormwater Working Group (Iswg), New England Environmental Finance Center

Water

Stormwater utilities are a concept whose time seems to have arrived. Established by relatively few communities in the 1970s as a method of funding flood control measures, stormwater utilities now exist in over 400 municipalities and counties throughout the United States. During the next 10 years, their numbers are expected to swell dramatically – by one estimate to over 2,000 by the year 2014.

The reasons for this growth are multifold. Federal stormwater regulations passed in the 1980s (Phase I of the National Pollutant Discharge Elimination System Program, or NPDES), motivated many larger communities to seek alternative funding sources and …

A Case Study On Implementation Of Quality Function Deployment Into The Design Process Of A Small Job Shop, Benjamin A. Thomson

All-Inclusive List of Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The majority of research involving Quality Function Deployment (QFD) was focused on large consumer based companies and not small job shop business-to-business companies. This case study involved the implementation of QFD into the design process at Reynolds & Co., a small job shop in Terre Haute, IN. The specific objectives of the research were to find the QFD concepts that apply to the improvement of Reynolds & Co.'s (small job shop) design process. The next objective was to reduce the average design time associated with Reynolds & Co.'s design process. The final objective of this case study was to reduce …

2005 - The Tenth Annual Symposium Of Student Scholars

Symposium of Student Scholars Program Books

The full program book from the Tenth Annual Symposium of Student Scholars, held on April 8, 2005. Includes abstracts from the presentations and posters.

Santa Clara Magazine, Volume 46 Number 4, Spring 2005, Santa Clara University

Santa Clara Magazine

8 - 'AN EXTRAORDINARY EVENT' By Elizabeth Kelley Gillogly '93. SCU Music Professor Hans Boepple is a gifted pianist and dedicated teacher.

10 - EMBRACING DIFFERENCES By Adam Breen. Senior Aaron Uchikura spent a summer helping children in Moscow orphanages.

12 - THE KOKO CONNECTION By Victoria Hendel De La O. Senior Tierra Wilson's perseverance landed her a job as a gorilla research assistant and caregiver.

16 - A ROTATION IN ETHICS By Rita Beamish '74. Students learn about the ethics of health care by shadowing doctors and nurses at O'Connor Hospital in San Jose.

Controller Area Network Based Distributed Control For Autonomous Vehicles, Matthew J. Darr, Timothy S. Stombaugh, Scott A. Shearer

Biosystems and Agricultural Engineering Faculty Publications

The goal of this project was to evaluate the potential of a controller area network (CAN bus) to be used as the communication network for a distributed control system on an autonomous agricultural vehicle. The prototype system utilized microcontroller-driven nodes to act as control points along a CAN bus. Messages were transferred to the steering, transmission, and hitch control nodes via a task computer. The task computer utilized global positioning system data to generate appropriate control commands. Laboratory and field testing demonstrated that each of the control nodes could function simultaneously over the CAN bus. Results showed that the task …

Assessing The Usefulness Of The Decision Framework For Identifying And Selecting Knowledge Management Projects, Kevin G. Budai

Theses and Dissertations

Knowledge management (KM) is becoming recognized as a valuable tool for the Department of Defense (DoD) in its effort to maintain a competitive, strategic advantage against its enemies in a new threat environment. Decision superiority is the ultimate end result and is only possible through the effective and efficient use of its chief key resource--knowledge. As the Air Force seeks to transform the way it does business the concept of knowledge management has made its way to the forefront of both the Air Force's Information Strategy and Information Resource Flight Plan. This research assesses the usefulness of a knowledge management …

Output Analysis And Comparison Of Deployment Models With Varying Fidelity, Matthew M. Gill

Theses and Dissertations

This thesis explores the changes in insights that result from using different types of models to assess the capability of deploying the Stryker Brigade within specific timeline goals. The thesis uses as its primary base a study conducted in 2002 by USTRANSCOM to evaluate the ability of Stryker to meet stated deployment timeline goals. Specifically, the author compares the outputs from four different models as they change over three different deployment scenarios and 10 different routes. The study investigates the relationships among the outputs of spreadsheet models, spreadsheet models with elements of variability added, and low- and high-level discrete-event simulations. …

Evaluating Management Strategies For Automated Test Systems/Equipment (Ats/E): An F-15 Case Study, Jeremy A. Howe

Theses and Dissertations

The management of United States Air Force ATS/E presents a variety of issues that affect the long-term capability and mission readiness of weapon systems. Traditional procurement processes suggest that individual aircraft platform System Program Offices (SPOs) developed, improved and replaced ATE on an "as-required" basis. Increased obsolescence, however, and a concern for maintaining longer-term viability provided the necessary inertia for a movement towards the procurement and development of consolidated, common test equipment that would support multiple weapon systems. In 1998, the Air Force Chief of Staff directed HQ AFMC to establish a Common Support Equipment office to facilitate the combination …

Optimization Model For Base-Level Delivery Routes And Crew Scheduling, Young-Ho Cha

Theses and Dissertations

In the U.S. Air Force, a Logistic Readiness Squadron (LRS) provides material management, distribution, and oversight of contingency operations. Dispatchers in the LRS must quickly prepare schedules that meet the needs of their customers while dealing with real-world constraints, such as time windows, delivery priorities, and intermittent recurring missions. Currently, LRS vehicle operation elements are faced with a shortage of manpower and lack an efficient scheduling algorithm and tool. The purpose of this research is to enhance the dispatchers' capability to handle flexible situations and produce "good" schedules within current manpower restrictions. In this research, a new scheduling model and …

Barriers To Electronic Records Management (Erm): An Exploratory Case Study Investigating Erm In The Deployed Environment During Operations Enduring Freedom And Iraqi Freedom, Brian G. Hobbs

Theses and Dissertations

Corporate and government organizations can use electronic records as an important strategic resource, if the records are managed properly. In addition to meeting legal requirements, electronic records can play a vital role in the management and operation of an organization's activities. Corporate America is facing challenges in managing electronic records, and so too is the U.S. Air Force (USAF). The deployed environment is particularly problematic for electronic records management (ERM). This research, thus, investigates ERM in the deployed environment to identify and characterize the barriers faced by USAF personnel who deployed to locations supporting Operations Enduring Freedom and Iraqi Freedom. …

Air Force Jp-8 Fuel Distribution System: A Statistical Analysis To Determine Where And When To Sample, Eric J. Heath

Theses and Dissertations

The Air Force Petroleum Office at Wright-Patterson Air Force Base, Ohio collects JP-8 sampling data, but this data doesn't undergo analysis to determine the health of the base-level JP-8 fuel distribution system. Commanders possess no known confidence level when assessing base-level fuel health. Therefore, the objective of this research is to assess Air Force base-level fuel sampling data to determine the base-level sampling point that ensures a quality and healthy product at the aircraft. Also, this research seeks to identify how often correlation sampling should take place. Sample test pass rates are analyzed from three locations, receipt, storage, and vehicles/aircraft, …

A Multiple-Case Analysis Of Lean Six Sigma Deployment And Implementation Strategies, Peter M. O'Rourke

Theses and Dissertations

Lean and Six Sigma are recent developments in continuous improvement methodology that have been popularized by several high-profile companies. The success and complementary nature of these methodologies has led to their combination into a single methodology, commonly called Lean Six Sigma or Lean Sigma. Although there is considerable literature available and many consultants involved with Lean Six Sigma, very little published research addresses the practical experiences of companies that have implemented Lean Six Sigma. The research question for this research is: How and why are certain private sector implementations of Lean Six Sigma successful or unsuccessful? The investigative questions further …

Electronic Purchasing Consortia: A Future Procurement Direction, Bernd Huber, Edward Sweeney, Austin Smyth

Books/Book chapters

No abstract provided.

Santa Clara Magazine, Volume 47 Number 3, Winter 2005, Santa Clara University

Santa Clara Magazine

8 - AFTER AMERICA by Deepa Arora. Thomas J. Reese, S.J., the former editor of the Jesuit weekly magazine, America, is spending a sabbatical year at SCU. He sat down for an exclusive interview with SCM to reflect on what he has witnessed, what inspires him, and the future of the Church.

16 - A HALF-CENTURY OF ART AND HISTORY AT SCU by Victoria Hendel De La O. "Through its exhibitions and collections, the museum allows students and faculty to expand the walls of the classroom," says Rebecca M. Schapp, director of the de Saisset Museum, which is celebrating its …

Robust Temporal Constraint Networks, Hoong Chuin Lau, Thomas Ou, Melvyn Sim

Research Collection School Of Computing and Information Systems

In this paper, we propose the Robust Temporal Constraint Network (RTCN) model for simple temporal constraint networks where activity durations are bounded by random variables. The problem is to determine whether such temporal network can be executed with failure probability less than a given 0 ≤ E ≤ 1 for each possible instantiation of the random variables, and if so. how one might find a feasible schedule with each given instantiation. The advantage of our model is that one can vary the value of ∊ to control the level of conservativeness of the solution. We present a computationally tractable and …

Production Research In China, S. Chaudhry, S. Feng, H. Li, H. Sui, J. L. Zhang, Z Zhang, Li Xu

Information Technology & Decision Sciences Faculty Publications

(First paragraph) China is the world’s largest emerging economy. In recent years, China has moved to an increasingly market-oriented economy that opens to international trade and investment. At the same time, the popularity of China as a manufacturing base, assembling goods for sale worldwide is growing. In addition to global manufacturers who have built their own plants in China, many manufacturing companies are outsourcing production to Chinese subcontractors and branding the products with their own logos. In today’s China, production research is becoming more and more important; advanced production research becomes an important enabler to make its manufacturing industry competitive. …

Multi-National Project Team Communications And Cultural Influences, Morgan E. Henrie

Engineering Management & Systems Engineering Theses & Dissertations

This exploratory case study dissertation examined multinational project teams' communication satisfaction as influenced by the project team's cultural attribute of power distance. Utilizing a exploratory case study, semi-guided interview research approach, ordinal scale data and open-ended contextual based question responses was obtained. This data was gathered from United States---Russia and Canada---Angola multi-national, complex, high technology oil transportation project teams. Triangulation data gathering techniques were utilized to obtain empirical data from multiple sources of data and multiple data types. Subsequent data analyses combined descriptive statistical analysis, graphical analysis, cluster analysis, and content analysis techniques to derive a theoretical construct of multi-national …

Acceleration Management: The Semiconductor Industry Confronts The 21st Century, Melissa M. Appleyard, C. N. Berglund, Craig Peterson, Richard W. Smith

Business Faculty Publications and Presentations

In the recent generations of semiconductor devices, the semiconductor industry has been accelerating towards the limits of the physical sciences. As a consequence, technology managers in that industry face seven major challenges, which will threaten progress: process, complexity, performance, power, density, productivity, and quality / reliability. We believe that confronting these challenges requires a new approach to technology management both within organizations and between organizations that form the backbone of the industry. We call this new approach Acceleration Management. Acceleration Management first requires that firms cultivate deep technical knowledge and inspire creative solutions to seemingly insoluble technical problems. The second …

Complex System Transformation: A System Of Systems Engineering (Sose) Perspective, Charles B. Keating, Andres Sousa-Poza, Samuel Kovacic

Engineering Management & Systems Engineering Faculty Publications

The purpose of this paper is to develop a perspective for complex system transformation from a System of Systems Engineering (SoSE) viewpoint. This is a first attempt to make explicit a SoSE viewpoint on complex system transformation. As such, the formulation is intended to escalate the dialog and integrate the current state of understanding with respect to the nature, utility, and implications of complex system transformation in SoSE terms. To achieve our purpose we will: (1) present a short introduction that provides an essential background for SoSE, (2) provide five fundamental systems concepts that underlie a SoSE perspective of complex …

Information View Of Organization, Bob Travica

Journal of International Technology and Information Management

This article proposes an information view of organization that brings the information systems field closer to organization theory. Although voluminous bodies of literature have been developed within each of these disciplines and links between them do exist, their mutual informing is still insufficient. The proposed view of organization is intended to help convey results of information systems research to organizational scholars, while broadening theoretical horizons of the former. This article discusses the premises, conceptual framework, examples, and preliminary evidence of the information view of organization.

Time Dimension For Business News In The Knowledge Warehouse, Pawel J. Kalczynski

Journal of International Technology and Information Management

This paper proposes a data structure to support the integration of business news and data in the knowledge warehouse using the Temporal Document Retrieval Model (TDRM). Temporal document retrieval takes into account the time context expressed as temporal phrases in the document content. The maintenance and scalability of the proposed data cluster is discussed. The results of temporal document retrieval experiments based on typical and ad-hoc time constraints, performed on a large corpus of business news are reported. The experiments showed that the instantaneous TDRM-based retrieval using the proposed cluster is possible with the currently available database technology and confirmed …

A Framework For Describing And Classifying Multicriteria Portfolio Selection Problems: An Object-Oriented Approach, Heinz Roland Weistroffer, Charles H. Smith

Journal of International Technology and Information Management

Many decisions require not a single solution alternative, but a set or portfolio of alternatives. For example, a business generally produces not a single product, but a portfolio of products, and a project is tackled not by a single individual, but by a team of individuals. Unfortunately, the portfolio selection problem has been largely neglected in the literature. Though many specific problem environments have been discussed using heuristic, ad hoc methods, no general methodology or theory has been developed. This paper proposes an object-oriented framework to provide a theoretical foundation for future research on the portfolio selection problem.

Uml Activity Diagram Semantics And Automated Gui Prototyping, Nancy Winniford Ashley, Timothy E. Meehan, Norman Carr

Journal of International Technology and Information Management

Extended Activity Semantics (XAS) is a notation which can be used with Unified Modeling Language (UML) activity diagrams to specify user interactions with a system and to automatically generate a prototype of the graphical user interface (GUI) that would be used in these interactions. XAS has been incorporated in a CASE tool, Guibot, which has been developed as a plug-in for Rational Rose, a leading UML tool. The notation and tool address a specific gap in UML – the inability to model user interaction.

Internet Technology In 2010: The Issue Of Ipv6 Adoption In The U.S.A., Garry L. White, Jaymeen R. Shah, James R. Cook

Journal of International Technology and Information Management

Computer industry literature suggests that IPv4 Internet addresses are likely to have been depleted by the year 2010, and at least Asia and Europe will be using the new IPv6 Internet addresses. Literature also suggests that the U.S.A. is lagging behind Asia and Europe with the implementation of IPv6. Empirical data supporting the fact that the U.S.A. is lagging behind is not available in the literature. This paper presents the issues regarding IPv6, reasons why Asia and Europe are implementing IPv6, and why the U.S.A. is lagging behind. Empirical data is presented to support the literature’s suggestion that the U.S.A. …

A Critical Time For Ultra-Wide Band, Gary F. Templeton, Mark B. Schmidt

Journal of International Technology and Information Management

Ultra-wideband (UWB) is a promising class of high-speed wireless communications applications that is projected to significantly change local and wide area network architectures. This article describes the technology, its probable application areas, the environmental forces that are constraining and enabling commercialization, and the prospects for short-term growth for UWB services. Commercial sale and distribution of UWB products has been approved, and widespread sale is expected by 2007.