Engineering Commons^™

Fixed Final Time Optimal Adaptive Control Of Linear Discrete-Time Systems In Input-Output Form, Qiming Zhao, Hao Xu, S. Jagannathan

Electrical and Computer Engineering Faculty Research & Creative Works

In this paper, the fixed final time adaptive optimal regulation of discrete-time linear systems with unknown system dynamics is addressed. First, by transforming the linear systems into the input/output form, the adaptive optimal control design depends only on the measured outputs and past inputs instead of state measurements. Next, due to the time-varying nature of finite-horizon, a novel online adaptive estimator is proposed by utilizing an online approximator to relax the requirement on the system dynamics. An additional error term corresponding to the terminal constraint is defined and minimized overtime. No policy/value iteration is performed by the novel parameter update …

Real-Life Vehicle Routing With Non-Standard Constraints, Wee Leong Lee

Research Collection School Of Computing and Information Systems

Real-life vehicle routing problems comprise of a number of complexities that are not considered by the classical models found in vehicle routing literature. I present, in this paper, a two-stage sweep-based heuristic to find good solutions to a real-life Vehicle Routing Problem (VRP). The problem I shall consider, will deal with some non-standard constraints beyond those normally associated with the classical VRP. Other than considering the capacity constraints for vehicles and the time windows for deliveries, I shall introduce four additional non-standard constraints: merging of customer orders, controlling the maximum number of drop points, matching orders to vehicle types, and …

Tesla: An Extended Study Of An Energy-Saving Agent That Leverages Schedule Flexibility, Jun Young Kwak, Pradeep Varakantham, Rajiv Maheswaran, Milind Tambe, Burcin Becerik-Gerber

Research Collection School Of Computing and Information Systems

This paper presents transformative energy-saving schedule-leveraging agent (TESLA), an agent for optimizing energy usage in commercial buildings. TESLA’s key insight is that adding flexibility to event/meeting schedules can lead to significant energy savings. This paper provides four key contributions: (i) online scheduling algorithms, which are at the heart of TESLA, to solve a stochastic mixed integer linear program for energy-efficient scheduling of incrementally/dynamically arriving meetings and events; (ii) an algorithm to effectively identify key meetings that lead to significant energy savings by adjusting their flexibility; (iii) an extensive analysis on energy savings achieved by TESLA; and (iv) surveys of real …

Optimization Of Solar Cell Arrays Using The Fibonacci Search Algorithm, Felicia Tyyan Farrow

Electrical & Computer Engineering Theses & Dissertations

In our energy hungry world, there is a growing demand to develop creative mechanisms to extract, conserve, and use energy from different resources. The use of solar cells to extract and convert solar energy into electrical energy is a growing and popular field of study because solar energy is clean, free, and renewable. One limitation for photovoltaic (PU) or solar technology is its loss in efficiency and availability as a result of shading or partial shading. Shading or partial shading decreases the total capable output power that the PV system can produce because the array is receiving irradiation from the …

Linear Programming Algorithm With Mixed Real-Integer Variables In Matlab Environments, Gelareh Bakhtyar

Civil & Environmental Engineering Theses & Dissertations

Efficient numerical procedures for solving general Linear Programming (LP) problems with mixed real-integer variables are developed in this work. The proposed algorithms employ the revised dual simplex with Branch and Bound (B&B) algorithms, with special procedures for limited search of subsequent branches. Computational time can be significantly reduced by incorporating the updated inverse formulas into the developed procedures. Both generic LP problems and deterministic pavement maintenance and rehabilitation (M&R) problems are used in this study to vaiidate the developed procedures. Medium to large-scale examples ( 11 pavement M&R) presented in this work have demonstrated that the developed numerical procedures consistently …

Http Mailbox - Asynchronous Restful Communication, Sawood Alam

Computer Science Theses & Dissertations

Traditionally, general web services used only the GET and POST methods of HTTP while several other HTTP methods like PUT, PATCH, and DELETE were rarely utilized. Additionally, the Web was mainly navigated by humans using web browsers and clicking on hyperlinks or submitting HTML forms. Clicking on a link is always a GET request while HTML forms only allow GET and POST methods. Recently, several web frameworks/libraries have started supporting RESTful web services through APIs. To support HTTP methods other than GET and POST in browsers, these frameworks have used hidden HTML form fields as a workaround to convey the …

Protein Loop Length Estimation From Medium Resolution Cryoem Images, Andrew R. Mcknight

Computer Science Theses & Dissertations

In the post-genomic era, proteomics research presents a new frontier in life science. Proteins play roles in virtually every biological process, and understanding their atomic structures is the key to unraveling how they carry out their work. Compared to the over half million protein sequences in UniProt, only around 25,000 unique sequences have been atomically modeled and deposited to PDB (Protein Databank). Cryoelectron Microscopy (cryoEM) is an important biophysical technique that produces 3D subnanometer resolution images of molecules not amenable to past approaches like x-ray crystallography or nuclear magnetic resonance. De novo modeling is becoming a promising approach to derive …

A Multi-Configuration Display Methodology Incorporating Reflection For Real-Time Haptic-Interactive Virtual Environments, Mohammad F. Obeid

Computational Modeling & Simulation Engineering Theses & Dissertations

There is a natural need for real-time min-or reflection in many interactive virtual reality applications to achieve visuo-haptic collocation through optical reflection. Its use, however, calls for adjustments to the original model since a mirror reverses image characteristics. This thesis introduces a design and implementation of a generic configuration component for virtual environments that adjusts image characteristics and haptic interfaces to accommodate various display setups while preserving the correct orientation and properties of the original models in the graphical scene. Four different but related approaches were developed for image connection and are compared and contrasted against primary criteria. The haptic …

Multi-Objective Preliminary Design Optimization Of Planing Craft Using Differential Evolution And Artificial Networks, Robert Eugene Weidman

Mechanical & Aerospace Engineering Theses & Dissertations

The differential evolution (DE) algorithm is an evolutionary algorithm that has been utilized as a metaheuristic optimizer in the last few years. A recently developed multi-objective version of DE is utilized in this research in order to optimize the preliminary design of planing craft. The craft performance is evaluated using the planing hull preliminary design software PHAST. The optimization problem objectives are the craft acquisition cost and the overall measure of effectiveness; the latter comprises various performance aspects: ride quality, transportability, payload, and mobility. Static stability and operating constraints are also considered. Each of the aforementioned four measures of effectiveness …

Applied Hypergame Theory For Network Defense, Alan S. Gibson

Theses and Dissertations

Cyber operations are the most important aspect of military conflicts in the 21st century, but unfortunately they are also among the least understood. The continual battle for network dominance between attackers and defenders is considered to be a complex game. Hypergame theory is an extension of game theory that addresses the kind of games where misperception exists, as is often the case in military engagements. Hypergame theory, like game theory, uses a game model to determine strategy selection, but goes beyond game theory by examining subgames that exist within the full game. The inclusion of misperception and misinformation in the …

A Forensic Study Of The Effectiveness Of Selected Anti-Virus Products Against Ssdt Hooking Rootkits, Sami Al-Shaheri, Dale Lindskog, Pavol Zavarsky, Ron Ruhl

Annual ADFSL Conference on Digital Forensics, Security and Law

For Microsoft Windows Operating Systems, both anti-virus products and kernel rootkits often hook the System Service Dispatch Table (SSDT). This research paper investigates the interaction between these two in terms of the SSDT. To investigate these matters, we extracted digital evidence from volatile memory, and studied that evidence using the Volatility framework. Due to the diversity in detection techniques used by the anti-virus products, and the diversity of infection techniques used by rootkits, our investigation produced diverse results, results that helped us to understand several SSDT hooking strategies, and the interaction between the selected anti-virus products and the rootkit samples. …

An Ontology-Based Forensic Analysis Tool, Mohammed Alzaabi, Andy Jones, Thomas A. Martin

Annual ADFSL Conference on Digital Forensics, Security and Law

The analysis of forensic investigation results has generally been identified as the most complex phase of a digital forensic investigation. This phase becomes more complicated and time consuming as the storage capacity of digital devices is increasing, while at the same time the prices of those devices are decreasing. Although there are some tools and techniques that assist the investigator in the analysis of digital evidence, they do not adequately address some of the serious challenges, particularly with the time and effort required to conduct such tasks. In this paper, we consider the use of semantic web technologies and in …

First Glance: An Introductory Analysis Of Network Forensics Of Tor, Raymond Hansen

Annual ADFSL Conference on Digital Forensics, Security and Law

The Tor network is a low-latency overlay network for TCP flows that is designed to provide privacy and anonymity to its users. It is currently in use by many as a means to avoid censorship of both information to be shared and information to be retrieved. This paper details the architecture of the Tor network as a platform for evaluating the current state of forensic analysis of the Tor network. Specific attempts to block access to the Tor network are examined to identify (a) the processes utilized to identify Tor nodes, and (b) the resulting exposure of potentially inculpatory evidence. …

A Thematic Review Of User Compliance With Information Security Policies Literature, David Sikolia

Annual ADFSL Conference on Digital Forensics, Security and Law

The adoption of computer and internet technology has greatly improved the way businesses operate. However the risk to the confidentiality, integrity and availability of organizational data and systems has greatly increased too. Information security is an ever present concern for all organizations. Financial estimates of the impact of security breaches to information and technology resources range from hundreds of billions to over one trillion dollars each year worldwide (D'Arcy et al., 2011b). Organizations have therefore developed a combination of technical, administrative, and physical controls to reduce this risk (D'Arcy et al., 2011a). Administrative measures include the development of information security …

Journey Into Windows 8 Recovery Artifacts, W. K. Johnson

Annual ADFSL Conference on Digital Forensics, Security and Law

One of the most difficult processes of digital forensics is to understand how new technology interacts with current technology and how digital forensic analysts can utilize current Digital Forensics technologies and processes to recover and find information hidden. Microsoft has released their new operating system Windows 8, with this new release Microsoft has added some features to the operating system that will present some interesting complications to digital forensics. Since the initial release of the Windows 8 Release Candidates there have been some research released that focus primarily on the new user created artifacts and a few artifacts that have …

An Image Forensic Scheme With Robust And Fragile Watermarking For Business Documents, Sai Ho Kwok

Annual ADFSL Conference on Digital Forensics, Security and Law

This paper proposes an image forensic scheme with both robust and fragile watermarking techniques for business documents. Through a dual watermarking approach, the proposed scheme can achieve image forensics objectives of (a) identification of source; (b) authentication of documents; and (c) locating the tempered areas of documents due to attacks. An example is presented to prove the concepts of the proposed scheme.

Keywords: Image Forensics, Fragile and Robust Watermarking, Business Document.

Significance Of Semantic Reconciliation In Digital Forensics, Nickson M. Karie, H. S. Venter

Annual ADFSL Conference on Digital Forensics, Security and Law

Digital forensics (DF) is a growing field that is gaining popularity among many computer professionals, law enforcement agencies and other stakeholders who must always cooperate in this profession. Unfortunately, this has created an environment replete with semantic disparities within the domain that needs to be resolved and/or eliminated. For the purpose of this study, semantic disparity refers to disagreements about the meaning, interpretation, descriptions and the intended use of the same or related data and terminologies. If semantic disparity is not detected and resolved, it may lead to misunderstandings. Even worse, since the people involved may not be from the …

System-Generated Digital Forensic Evidence In Graphic Design Applications, Enos Mabuto, Hein Venter

Annual ADFSL Conference on Digital Forensics, Security and Law

Graphic design applications are often used for the editing and design of digital art. The same applications can be used for creating counterfeit documents such as identity documents (IDs), driver’s licences, passports, etc. However, the use of any graphic design application leaves behind traces of digital information that can be used during a digital forensic investigation. Current digital forensic tools examine a system to find digital evidence, but they do not examine a system specifically for the creating of counterfeit documents created through the use of graphic design applications. The paper in hand reviews the system-generated digital forensic evidence gathered …

Money Laundering Detection Framework To Link The Disparate And Evolving Schemes, Murad Mehmet, Duminda Wijesekera, Miguel F. Buchholtz

Annual ADFSL Conference on Digital Forensics, Security and Law

Money launderers hide traces of their transactions with the involvement of entities that participate in sophisticated schemes. Money laundering detection requires unraveling concealed connections among multiple but seemingly unrelated human money laundering networks, ties among actors of those schemes, and amounts of funds transferred among those entities. The link among small networks, either financial or social, is the primary factor that facilitates money laundering. Hence, the analysis of relations among money laundering networks is required to present the full structure of complex schemes. We propose a framework that uses sequence matching, case-based analysis, social network analysis, and complex event processing …

Identifying Peer-To-Peer Traffic On Shared Wireless Networks, Simon Piel, Ej Jung

Annual ADFSL Conference on Digital Forensics, Security and Law

Tracing contraband downloads leads investigators to an IP address, and in turn Internet Service Providers (ISP) can provide a physical location using this IP address. However, most homes and offices share this IP address among many computers using wireless networks. In other words, there needs to be another investigation to find out which computer was responsible for contraband downloads. To make matters worse, these shared wireless networks often have vulnerabilities in access control such as using WEP or using weak passwords. In such cases, any computer in range, not necessarily at the given physical address, could be responsible. We use …

On Resolving The Cloud Forensics Conundrum, John Bagby

Annual ADFSL Conference on Digital Forensics, Security and Law

The “cloud” is idiom for an ill-defined set of online services. The cloud simultaneously offers IT savings and promises advances in functionality (e.g., ubiquity). However, the cloud also imposes poorly understood burdens on security and it may provoke injustice. Thus, the cloud presents a durable and seemingly irreconcilable conundrum for the digital forensics communit(ies). First, cloud proponents make efficiency promises for cloud services (SaaS, IaaS, PaaS). These translate well into the digital forensics domain. Indeed, the cloud may enable crowd sourcing of investigatory data vastly lowering costs of dispute resolution. For example, cloud-based litigation war rooms may reduce electronic discovery …

Cybercrime And Punishment: An Analysis Of The Deontological And Utilitarian Functions Of Punishment In The Information Age, Karim Jetha

Annual ADFSL Conference on Digital Forensics, Security and Law

This conceptual piece analyzes the role of criminal punishment and the nature of cyber crime to investigate whether the current punishment schemes are appropriate given the deontological and utilitarian goals of punishment: retribution, deterrence, incapacitation, and rehabilitation. The research has implications for policymaking in cybercriminal law.

Keywords: cybercrime, criminal law, punishment, retribution, deterrence, information economics

The Development Of Computer Forensic Legal System In China, Yonghao Mai, K. P. Chow, Rongsheng Xu, Gang Zhou, Fei Xu, Jun Zhang

Annual ADFSL Conference on Digital Forensics, Security and Law

The computer forensic discipline was established around 2000 in China, which was further developed along with Chinese judicial appraisal system in 2005. The new criminal and civil procedure laws of the People’s Republic of China was enacted on 1 Jan 2013. The new laws specified electronic data is legal evidence and has great impact on the current practice on handling electronic evidence. This paper introduces the electronic data and electronic evidence examination procedure in mainland China, the general concept of computer forensic legal system, the management of computer judicial experts, the management of computer judicial expertise institutions.

Keywords: China legal …

Equivalence Checking For High-Assurance Behavioral Synthesis, Kecheng Hao

Dissertations and Theses

The rapidly increasing complexities of hardware designs are forcing design methodologies and tools to move to the Electronic System Level (ESL), a higher abstraction level with better productivity than the state-of-the-art Register Transfer Level (RTL). Behavioral synthesis, which automatically synthesizes ESL behavioral specifications to RTL implementations, plays a central role in this transition. However, since behavioral synthesis is a complex and error-prone translation process, the lack of designers' confidence in its correctness becomes a major barrier to its wide adoption. Therefore, techniques for establishing equivalence between an ESL specification and its synthesized RTL implementation are critical to bring behavioral synthesis …

Coupled Flow Field Simulations Of Charring Ablators With Nonequilibrium Surface Chemistry, Hicham Alkandry, Iain D. Boyd, Alexandre Martin

Mechanical Engineering Faculty Publications

This paper describes the coupling of a Navier-Stokes solver to a material response code to simulate nonequilibrium gas-surface interactions. The Navier-Stokes solver used in this study is LeMANS, which is a three-dimensional computational fluid dynamics code that can simulate hypersonic reacting flows including thermo-chemical nonequilibrium effects. The material response code employed in this study is MOPAR, which uses the one-dimensional control volume nite-element method to model heat conduction and pyrolysis gas behavior. This coupling is demonstrated using a test case based on the Stardust sample return capsule. Coupled simulations are performed at three different trajectory conditions. The effects of the …

Volume Averaged Modeling Of The Oxidation Of Porous Carbon Fiber Material, Alexandre Martin

Mechanical Engineering Faculty Publications

Charring ablators remain the premium choice for space exploration missions that involve atmospheric re-entry. This type of ablative material is composed of a carbon matrix, usually made of fibers, which is then impregnated with a resin. During re-entry, the high heat flux produced by convective heating causes the material to chemically react. First, the resin pyrolyzes, and is vaporized into a gas that travels through the material, and is eventually ejected at the surface. Then, as the temperature rises, the surface of the porous matrix recess through ablative processes. For re-entry conditions typical of space exploration missions, this is mainly …

Multi-Dimensional Modeling Pyrolysis Gas Flow Inside Charring Ablators, Haoyue Weng, Alexandre Martin

Mechanical Engineering Faculty Publications

Using an ablative thermal/material response code, the importance of three-dimensionality for modeling ablative test-article is addressed. In particular, the simulation of the pyrolysis gas flow inside a porous material is presented, using two different geometries. The effects of allowing the gas to flow out of the side wall are especially highlighted. Results show that the flow inside the test-article is complex, and that the 0D or 1D assumption made in most Material Response (MR) codes might not be valid for certain geometries.

Inform 7 Usability Precompiler, Chad Robert Brantley, Timothy Phan

Computer Engineering

Inform 7 Usability Precompiler or I7UP is a project which helps Inform 7 authors with their stories by diversifying the possibilities in the author’s interactive fiction. I7UP reads and analyzes the Inform story that is passed in through python and natural language processing then provides the user with a selection of choices to add to his story and lastly automatically generates the corresponding Inform 7 code. By utilizing the combination of Python, Django, and HTML/CSS, I7UP is able to provide an easytouse interface which helps generate additional "Understand" statements and "Conjugated Verb" statements. I7UP is an authoring aid for Inform …

Channels: Easy Video Content Consumption, Alexander R. Ledwith

Computer Engineering

The idea for this project is to take a user’s digital movie and television show library, and organize the individual videos into lists that will continuously and concurrently play like cable TV channels. This means that when a list of channels is switched to, video content will automatically start playing, possibly in the middle, based on a schedule. It should serve the needs of the user by allowing the user to quickly watch any of their existing channels, easily add a new channel based on chosen criteria or manual selection, and easily add new video content. In addition, the product …

Protocases, Christopher M. Polis

Computer Engineering

Design and implementation of a 3D printing web application.