Computer Engineering Commons^™

Smart Fan, Jacob A. Carroll, Joshua B. Blanchard, Peter A. Gross, Joshua D. Riegel

Williams Honors College, Honors Research Projects

Modern box fans offer a simple solution to cooling an area. However, the simplicity that makes these fans appealing also limits their potential. A smart box fan that preserves its original simplicity while providing enhanced technological features such as smartphone connectivity and variable speed selection should lead to ease of use, improved performance, and increased customer satisfaction. To this end, a regular box fan will be instrumented and technology-enhanced, thus “smart fan.” The standard AC motor will be replaced with a DC motor for finer speed selection over the allowable range. The smart fan will offer three categories of operation: …

Gymfo: A Gym Finding Ios App Using Google Maps Api, Clay A. Wyers

Williams Honors College, Honors Research Projects

This project explores iOS mobile app development. I developed a gym finding app in Swift, using Google Maps APIs,and called it Gymfo. Other technologies were studied as well, including the cloud computing service Microsoft Azure. Through this project I learned the basics of XCode and Swift, Google APIs, and sending and receiving HTTP requests. The final product is an iOS app that allows users to search for nearby gyms and displays the results on an interactive map.

System Identification Of A Circulation Control Unmanned Aerial Vehicle, Mohammed Agha

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The advancement in automation and sensory systems in recent years has led to an increase the demand of UAV missions. Due to this increase in demand, the research community has gained interest in investigating UAV performance enhancing systems. Circulation Control (CC), which is an active control flow method used to enhance UAV lift, is a performance enhancing system currently studied. In prior research, experimental studies have shown that Circulation Control wings (CCW) implemented on class-I UAVs can reduce take-off distance by 54%. Wind tunnel tests reveal that CC improves aircraft payload capabilities through lift enhancement. Increasing aircraft payload capabilities causes …

Reducing The Overhead Of Memory Space, Network Communication And Disk I/O For Analytic Frameworks In Big Data Ecosystem, Xuhong Zhang

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

To facilitate big data processing, many distributed analytic frameworks and storage systems such as Apache Hadoop, Apache Hama, Apache Spark and Hadoop Distributed File System (HDFS) have been developed. Currently, many researchers are conducting research to either make them more scalable or enabling them to support more analysis applications. In my PhD study, I conducted three main works in this topic, which are minimizing the communication delay in Apache Hama, minimizing the memory space and computational overhead in HDFS and minimizing the disk I/O overhead for approximation applications in Hadoop ecosystem. Specifically, In Apache Hama, communication delay makes up a …

Improving Usability And Scalability Of Big Data Workflows In The Cloud, Aravind Mohan

Wayne State University Dissertations

Big data workflows have recently emerged as the next generation of data-centric workflow technologies to address the five “V” challenges of big data: volume, variety, velocity, veracity, and value. More formally, a big data workflow is the computerized modeling and automation of a process consisting of a set of computational tasks and their data interdependencies to process and analyze data of ever increasing in scale, complexity, and rate of acquisition. The convergence of big data and workflows creates new challenges in workflow community.

First, the variety of big data results in a need for integrating large number of remote Web …

Blown To Bits Project, David Schmidt

Informatics Open Educational Resources

The book, Blown to Bits, uncovers the many ways that the new digital world has changed and is changing our whole environment. Some changes are incremental but others are more revolutionary. Some of the changes that we welcome are slowly eroding our privacy and are changing the rules of ownership. This book illuminates the complexities of these changes. I have attempted to capture the central points in selected chapters, and in some cases I have added new material or new examples to replace dated material. I picked chapters to summarize that address the following topics (and more). There are many …

Clustering Opportunistic Ant-Based Routing Protocol For Wireless Sensor Networks, Xinlu Li, Brian Keegan, Fredrick Mtenzi

Conference papers

The wireless Sensor Networks (WSNs) have a wide range of applications in many ereas, including many kinds of uses such as environmental monitoring and chemical detection. Due to the restriction of energy supply, the improvement of routing performance is the major motivation in WSNs. We present a Clustering Opportunistic Ant-based Routing protocol (COAR), which comprises the following main contributions to achieve high energy efficient and well load-balance: (i) in the clustering algorithm, we caculate the theoretical value of energy dissipation, which will make the number of clusters fluctuate around the expected value, (ii) define novel heuristic function and pheromone update …

Efficient Reasoning Algorithms For Fragments Of Horn Description Logics, David Carral

Browse all Theses and Dissertations

We characterize two fragments of Horn Description Logics and we define two specialized reasoning algorithms that effectively solve the standard reasoning tasks over each of such fragments. We believe our work to be of general interest since (1) a rather large proportion of real-world Horn ontologies belong to some of these two fragments and (2) the implementations based on our reasoning approach significantly outperform state-of-the-art reasoners. Claims (1) and (2) are extensively proven via empirically evaluation.

Multi-Class Classification Of Textual Data: Detection And Mitigation Of Cheating In Massively Multiplayer Online Role Playing Games, Naga Sai Nikhil Maguluri

Browse all Theses and Dissertations

The success of any multiplayer game depends on the player’s experience. Cheating/Hacking undermines the player’s experience and thus the success of that game. Cheaters, who use hacks, bots or trainers are ruining the gaming experience of a player and are making him leave the game. As the video game industry is a constantly increasing multibillion dollar economy, it is crucial to assure and maintain a state of security. Players reflect their gaming experience in one of the following places: multiplayer chat, game reviews, and social media. This thesis is an exploratory study where our goal is to experiment and propose …

Sched-Its: An Interactive Tutoring System To Teach Cpu Scheduling Concepts In An Operating Systems Course, Bharath Kumar Koya

Browse all Theses and Dissertations

Operating systems is an essential course in computer science curriculum, which helps students to develop a mental model of how computer operating systems work. The internal mechanisms and processes of an operating system (OS) are often complex, non-deterministic and intangible which makes them difficult for students to understand. One such concept is central processing unit (CPU) scheduling. CPU scheduling forms the basis of the multiprogramming in an OS. In practice, OS courses involve classroom lectures describing high-level abstractions of the concepts, and students complete programming assignments to apply the material in a more concrete way. Depending on the programming assignments, …

An Optimization Compiler Framework Based On Polyhedron Model For Gpgpus, Lifeng Liu

Browse all Theses and Dissertations

General purpose GPU (GPGPU) is an effective many-core architecture that can yield high throughput for many scientific applications with thread-level parallelism. However, several challenges still limit further performance improvements and make GPU programming challenging for programmers who lack the knowledge of GPU hardware architecture. In this dissertation, we describe an Optimization Compiler Framework Based on Polyhedron Model for GPGPUs to bridge the speed gap between the GPU cores and the off-chip memory and improve the overall performance of the GPU systems. The optimization compiler framework includes a detailed data reuse analyzer based on the extended polyhedron model for GPU kernels, …

Oclep+: One-Class Intrusion Detection Using Length Of Patterns, Sai Kiran Pentukar

Browse all Theses and Dissertations

In an earlier paper, a method called One-class Classification using Length statistics of (jumping) Emerging Patterns (OCLEP) was introduced for masquerader detection. Jumping emerging patterns (JEPs) for a test instance are minimal patterns that match the test instance but they do not match any normal instances. OCLEP was based on the observation that one needs long JEPs to differentiate an instance of one class from instances of the same class, but needs short JEPs to differentiate an instance of one class from instances of a different class. In this thesis, we present OCLEP+, One-class Classification using Length statistics of Emerging …

Conditional Correlation Analysis, Sanjeev Bhatta

Browse all Theses and Dissertations

Correlation analysis is a frequently used statistical measure to examine the relationship among variables in different practical applications. However, the traditional correlation analysis uses an overly simplistic method to do so. It measures how two variables are related in an application by examining only their relationship in the entire underlying data space. As a result, traditional correlation analysis may miss a strong correlation between those variables especially when that relationship exists in the small subpopulation of the larger data space. This is no longer acceptable and may lose a fair share of information in this era of Big Data which …

Rendering Owl In Latex For Improved Readability: Extensions To The Owlapi, Cogan M. Shimizu

Browse all Theses and Dissertations

As ontology engineering is inherently a multidisciplinary process, it is necessary to utilize multiple vehicles to present an ontology to a user. In order to examine the content of an ontology, formal logic renderings of the axioms appear to be a very helpful approach for some. This thesis introduces a number of incremental improvements to the OWLAPI's \LaTeX{} rendering framework in order to improve the readability, concision, and correctness of OWL files translated into Description Logic and First Order Logic. In addition, we examine the efficacy of these renderings as vehicles for understanding an ontology.

Deep Learning Approach For Intrusion Detection System (Ids) In The Internet Of Things (Iot) Network Using Gated Recurrent Neural Networks (Gru), Manoj Kumar Putchala

Browse all Theses and Dissertations

The Internet of Things (IoT) is a complex paradigm where billions of devices are connected to a network. These connected devices form an intelligent system of systems that share the data without human-to-computer or human-to-human interaction. These systems extract meaningful data that can transform human lives, businesses, and the world in significant ways. However, the reality of IoT is prone to countless cyber-attacks in the extremely hostile environment like the internet. The recent hack of 2014 Jeep Cherokee, iStan pacemaker, and a German steel plant are a few notable security breaches. To secure an IoT system, the traditional high-end security …

Portable Motion Lab For Diagnostic And Rehabilitation Processes, Yogesh Laxman Chavan

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In this thesis research, we have explored the capabilities of a household body-tracking device - Microsoft Xbox Kinect for motion analysis and assessment to assist patient’s rehabilitation after joint replacement and repair surgeries. In particular, we have combined the motion tracking capabilities of Kinect with the 3D modelling of human body for accurate and intuitive movement assessment and feedback. Our prototype system demonstrates the effective and efficient workflow of motion capturing, data processing and analyzing and augmented reality based presentation, resulting in a design which is not only accurate, reliable and robust, but also extremely cost- and space-efficient. Furthermore, we …

Detecting Information Leakage In Android Malware Using Static Taint Analysis, Soham P. Kelkar

Browse all Theses and Dissertations

According to Google, Android now runs on 1.4 billion devices. The growing popularity has attracted attackers to use Android as a platform to conduct malicious activities. To achieve these malicious activities some attacker choose to develop malicious Apps to steal information from the Android users. As the modern day smartphones process, a lot of sensitive information, information security, and privacy becoming a potential target for the attacker. The malicious Apps steal information from the infected phone and send this information to the attacker-controlled URLs using various Android sink functions. Therefore, it necessary to protect data as it can prove detrimental …

Harassment Detection On Twitter Using Conversations, Venkatesh Edupuganti

Browse all Theses and Dissertations

Social media has brought people closer than ever before, but the use of social media has also brought with it a risk of online harassment. Such harassment can have a serious impact on a person such as causing low self-esteem and depression. The past research on detecting harassment on social media is primarily based on the content of messages exchanged on social media. The lack of context when relying on a single social media post can result in a high degree of false alarms. In this study, I focus on the reliable detection of harassment on Twitter by better understanding …

Semantic Web Foundations For Representing, Reasoning, And Traversing Contextualized Knowledge Graphs, Vinh Thi Kim Nguyen

Browse all Theses and Dissertations

Semantic Web technologies such as RDF and OWL have become World Wide Web Consortium (W3C) standards for knowledge representation and reasoning. RDF triples about triples, or meta triples, form the basis for a contextualized knowledge graph. They represent the contextual information about individual triples such as the source, the occurring time or place, or the certainty. However, an efficient RDF representation for such meta-knowledge of triples remains a major limitation of the RDF data model. The existing reification approach allows such meta-knowledge of RDF triples to be expressed in RDF by using four triples per reified triple. While reification is …

Automated Rendering Of Schema Diagram For Ontologies, Nazifa Karima

Browse all Theses and Dissertations

Semantic Web extends the current web, using ontologies, metadata and other technologies to establish links between terms and concepts. This enables machines to automatically integrate information across different platforms utilizing the standard definitions. Furthermore, reasoning agents can infer new knowledge by gathering existing information and these additional connections between them. As a result of being designed and maintained independently, data sources exhibit highly heterogeneous nature. This increases the complexity of data integration and hinders interoperability. However, if we can align the overlapping concepts among different domains of knowledge, the prospect of achieving interoperability and integration without having any intermediate reasoning …

Adapting The Search Space While Limiting Damage During Learning In A Simulated Flapping Wing Micro Air Vehicle, Monica Sam

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Cyber-Physical Systems (CPS) are characterized by closely coupled physical and software components that operate simultaneously on different spatial and temporal scales; exhibit multiple and distinct behavioral modalities; and interact with one another in ways not entirely predictable at the time of design. A commonly appearing type of CPS are systems that contain one or more smart components that adapt locally in response to global measurements of whole system performance. An example of a smart component robotic CPS system is a Flapping Wing Micro Air Vehicle (FW-MAV) that contains wing motion oscillators that control their wing flapping patterns to enable the …

Development Of An Ultra-Portable Non-Contact Wound Measurement System, Anka Babu Billa

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Continuous monitoring of changes in wound size is key to correctly predict whether wounds will heal readily with conventional treatment or require more aggressive treatment strategies. Unfortunately, existing wound measurement solutions don't meet the clinical demand due to their limitations in accuracy, operating complexity and time, acquisition and operation cost, or reproducibility, resulting in unnecessarily lengthy recovery or extra treatment procedures, incurring an excessively high financial cost, and in many cases extended usage of addictive painkillers. In this thesis, we proposed and developed a low cost, a portable non-contact solution that combines multi-spectral imaging and a portfolio of imaging processing …

Investigation Of The Use Of 3-D Printer Platform As Building Block For Rapid Design Of Research And Manufacturing Tool, Handy Chandra

Dissertations, Master's Theses and Master's Reports

This thesis attempts to show how an open source 3-D printer platform, the self replicating rapid prototype (RepRap), could be used to accelerate the development of research and manufacturing tools. Two projects are shown as examples, both utilizing components of the 3-D printer platform.

The first project is to develop an instrument capable of performing automated large-area four-point probe measurements. A modified RepRap 3-D Printer with a four-point probe in place of the 3-D printer head is utilized as a precision positioning platform. The printer together with custom designed measurement circuit and software performs automated measurement on multiple points on …

Low-Cost Open-Source Gmaw-Based Metal 3-D Printing: Monitoring, Slicer, Optimization, And Applications, Yuenyong Nilsiam

Dissertations, Master's Theses and Master's Reports

Low-cost and open-source gas metal arc welding (GMAW)-based 3-D printing has been demonstrated yet the electrical design and software was not developed enough to enable wide-spread adoption. This thesis provides three novel technical improvements based on the application of mechatronic and software theory that when combined demonstrate the ability for distributed digital manufacturing at the small and medium enterprise scale of steel and aluminum parts. First, low cost metal inert gas welders contain no power monitoring needed to tune GMAW 3-D printers. To obtain this data about power and energy usage during the printing, an integrated monitoring system was developed …

Heterogeneous Multi-Sensor Fusion For 2d And 3d Pose Estimation, Hanieh Deilamsalehy

Dissertations, Master's Theses and Master's Reports

Sensor fusion is a process in which data from different sensors is combined to acquire an output that cannot be obtained from individual sensors. This dissertation first considers a 2D image level real world problem from rail industry and proposes a novel solution using sensor fusion, then proceeds further to the more complicated 3D problem of multi sensor fusion for UAV pose estimation.

One of the most important safety-related tasks in the rail industry is an early detection of defective rolling stock components. Railway wheels and wheel bearings are two components prone to damage due to their interactions with the …

Using Lower Extremity Muscle Activations To Estimate Human Ankle Impedance In The External-Internal Direction, Lauren N. Knop

Dissertations, Master's Theses and Master's Reports

For millions of people, mobility has been afflicted by lower limb amputation. Lower extremity prostheses have been used to improve the mobility of an amputee; however, they often require additional compensation from other joints and do not allow for natural maneuverability. To improve upon the functionality of ankle-foot prostheses, it is necessary to understand the role of different muscle activations in the modulation of mechanical impedance of a healthy human ankle. This report presents the results of using artificial neural networks (ANN) to determine the functional relationship between lower extremity electromyography (EMG) signals and ankle impedance in the transverse plane. …

Blossomsttm Hub – An Online Tool For Designing Sttm Vectors And Visualizing Phenotypic Changes Of Sttm Transgenic Lines, Avinash Subramanian

Dissertations, Master's Theses and Master's Reports

Small RNAs including microRNAs (miRNAs) and short interfering RNAs (siRNAs) are widely present in plants. They are transcribed from non-coding small RNA genes and then play as regulators to modulate the levels of messenger RNAs (mRNAs) of protein-coding genes via sequence pairings. This is because a paired complementary double sequence helix structure can trigger mRNA degradation or interfere with mRNA translation. Short Tandem Target Mimic (STTM) is a recently developed technology that can be used to produce a complementary sequence to a miRNA and destroy it or reduce the expression level of this miRNA via the formation of paired double-strand …

A Testbed Design For Monitoring The Long-Term Spatial-Temporal Dynamics Of Underwater Acoustic Channels, Krishna Chaitanya Poduru

Dissertations, Master's Theses and Master's Reports

The underwater acoustic network testbed helps to validate the theoretical results and bridge the gap between experimental results. Characterizing and modeling the spatial-temporal dynamics of underwater acoustic channels is essential to developing efficient and effective physical-layer communication algorithms and network protocols. This work dedicates to designing a testbed system to measure the spatial-temporal dynamics of underwater acoustic channels. The collected measurements will shed insights into the spatial-temporal correlation of underwater acoustic channels and will be used to evaluate the theoretical algorithms that are designed to model the spatial-temporal dynamics and to exploit the spatial-temporal dynamics for more efficient and effective …

Hierarchical Implementation Of Aggregate Functions, Pablo Quevedo

Theses and Dissertations--Electrical and Computer Engineering

Most systems in HPC make use of hierarchical designs that allow multiple levels of parallelism to be exploited by programmers. The use of multiple multi-core/multi-processor computers to form a computer cluster supports both fine-grain and large-grain parallel computation. Aggregate function communications provide an easy to use and efficient set of mechanisms for communicating and coordinating between processing elements, but the model originally targeted only fine grain parallel hardware. This work shows that a hierarchical implementation of aggregate functions is a viable alternative to MPI (the standard Message Passing Interface library) for programming clusters that provide both fine grain and large …

Smart Underground Antenna Arrays: A Soil Moisture Adaptive Beamforming Approach, Abdul Salam, Mehmet C. Vuran

School of Computing: Technical Reports

In this paper, a novel framework for underground beamforming using adaptive antenna arrays is presented. Based on the analysis of propagation in wireless underground channel, a theoretical model is developed which uses soil moisture information and feedback mechanism to improve performance wireless underground communications. Array element in soil has been analyzed empirically and impacts of soil type and soil moisture on return loss and resonant frequency are investigated. Beam patterns are investigated to communicate with both underground and above ground devices. Depending on the incident angle, refraction from soil-air interface has the adverse effects in the UG communications. It is …