Physical Sciences and Mathematics Commons^™

Multicriteria Mission Route Planning Using A Parallel A* Search, Michael S. Gudaitis

Theses and Dissertations

The Mission Route Planning (MRP) Problem falls into the general class of multicriteria path search problems. Multiple criteria are evaluated to select an optimal aircraft mission route through a hostile environment. Criteria for distance travelled and radar exposure are combined into a single cost function for route evaluation. Radar calculations are performed dynamically. The A* search algorithm is applied to the MRP problem, and a parallel implementation is developed and tested. A unique combination of distributed OPEN lists with a global CLOSED list strategy produced fast execution times on the Paragon. Test cases for scenarios with 15 radars took less …

Program Modeling And Control Synthesis For Robotic Manipulators, Ramiz N. Ballou, Arlan R. Dekock, David D. Ardayfio

Computer Science Technical Reports

The control and programming methodology of industrial robots is becoming increasingly important. The speed and accuracy of data generation, and the performance of the robot are considered the most important factors in robotics control. This paper presents and discusses algorithms that solve for the inverse solution for a given point in space at a very high speed based on the top down abstract method. The algorithms are independent of any specific type of manipulator configuration or programming language. The algorithms were implemented for the IBM-PC™ using the FORTRAN language to control the Armdroid™ robot. The program generates 500 sets of …

Wright State University College Of Engineering And Computer Science Bits And Pcs Newsletter, Volume 10, Number 10, December 1994, College Of Engineering And Computer Science, Wright State University

BITs and PCs Newsletter

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

Transportable Agents, Keith D. Kotay, David Kotz

Dartmouth Scholarship

As network information resources grow in size, it is often most efficient to process queries and updates at the site where the data is located. This processing can be accomplished by using a traditional client-server network interface, which constrains the client to the set of queries supported by the server, or requires the server to send all data to the client for processing. The former is inflexible; the latter is inefficient. Transportable agents, which support the movement of the client computation to the location of the remote resource, have the potential to be more flexible and more efficient. Transportable agents …

Interactive Shape Control And Rapid Display Of A-Patches, Chandrajit L. Bajaj, Jindon Chen, Guoliang Xu

Department of Computer Science Technical Reports

No abstract provided.

Ariadne User Manual Version 2.0, Edward Mascarenhas, Vernon J. Rego, Vaidy Sunderam

Department of Computer Science Technical Reports

No abstract provided.

Display User Manual Version 1.1, Edward Mascarenhas, Vernon J. Rego

Department of Computer Science Technical Reports

No abstract provided.

Topologies Invariant Under A Group Action, Paul Bankston

Mathematics, Statistics and Computer Science Faculty Research and Publications

We study links between faithful group actions on a set and topologies on that set. In one direction, a group action has its invariant topologies (so we may regard members of the action to be homeomorphisms relative to those topologies); in the other direction, a topology has its preserving group actions (i.e., the subgroups of the homeomorphism group of the topology). This two-way passage allows us to discuss topological features of group actions as well as symmetry features of topologies.

Toward Scalable Parallel Software: An Active Object Model And Library To Support Von Neumann Languages, George K. Thiruvathukal

Computer Science: Faculty Publications and Other Works

Scalable parallel processing has been proposed as the technology scientists and engineers can use today to solve the problems of tomorrow. Many computational Grand Challenge problems require between two and three orders of magnitude than can be provided with the scalable parallel hardware of the early nineteen-nineties. While hardware continues to become more scalable and cheaper, software is not advancing at the same pace and remains a very expensive part of systems development.

A great deal of emphasis on software technology to support scalable parallel processing is placed on von Neumann languages. One of two approaches is common: (a) augment …

The Fat-Pyramid And Universal Parallel Computation Independent Of Wire Delay, Ronald I. Greenberg

Computer Science: Faculty Publications and Other Works

This paper shows that a fat-pyramid of area Θ(A) requires only O(log A) slowdown to simulate any competing network of area A under very general conditions. The result holds regardless of the processor size (amount of attached memory) and number of processors in the competing networks as long as the limitation on total area is met. Furthermore, the result is valid regardless of the relationship between wire length and wire delay. We especially focus on elimination of the common simplifying assumption that unit time suffices to traverse a wire regardless of its length, since the assumption becomes more and more …

Generalized Probabilistic Reasoning And Empirical Studies On Computational Efficiency And Scalability, Eric P. Baenen

Theses and Dissertations

Expert Systems are tools that can be very useful for diagnostic purposes, however current methods of storing and reasoning with knowledge have significant limitations. One set of limitations involves how to store and manipulate uncertain knowledge: much of the knowledge we are dealing with has some degree of uncertainty. These limitations include lack of complete information, not being able to model cyclic information and limitations on the size and complexity of the problems to be solved. If expert systems are ever going to be able to tackle significant real world problems then these deficiencies must be corrected. This paper describes …

Next Generation Real-Time Systems: Investigating The Potential Of Partial-Solution Tasks, Robert E. J. Caley

Theses and Dissertations

While the cyclic executive and fixed-priority scheduling strategies have been sufficient to handle traditional real- time requirements. they are insufficient for dealing with the complexities of next-generation real-time systems. New methods of intelligent control must be developed for guaranteeing on-time task completion for real-time systems that are faced with unpredictable and dynamically changing requirements. Implementing real-time processes as partial-solution tasks is one technique that may be beneficial. This type of task. when combined with intelligent control, has the potential for increasing pre-runtime schedulability, system maintainability. and runtime robustness. This research investigates the benefits of partial-solution tasks by experimentally measuring the …

Factors In Human-Computer Interface Design (A Pilot Study), Susan Stewart

Theses and Dissertations

The DoD has budgeted over $9.8 billion for 1995 for information technology, yet many government office workers let their existing systems sit idle. This thesis explores why these computers are sitting idle. This researcher's initial hypothesis was that certain features of the human-computer interface can positively or negatively affect efficiency, retention, and satisfaction level of workers. Although some research is being done in this area, interfaces continue to be of poor quality, especially in the DoD, where long procurement cycles, forced purchases, and limited budgets result in out-of-date software. Intuitively most programmers know the human-computer interface impacts on a person's …

Improving Intrusion Detection In Unix-Based Networks, David R. Landry

Theses and Dissertations

Computer security has not kept pace with the rapid growth of networked systems. Through its connection to the Internet, the Department of Defense is vulnerable to computer-based attacks. Current intrusion detection systems are still unproven, too complicated, or too costly for most system security officers to implement. The attack methods used by system intruders are known and can be represented as groups of commands called attack signatures. This thesis investigates methods for detecting intruders by monitoring command usage. Testing was conducted in both controlled and uncontrolled circumstances. With controlled testing, it was shown that 7 of the 11 signatures could …

A General Object Model Transformation System, John P. Mullaney

Theses and Dissertations

Cecil and Fullenkamp developed a program that transforms knowledge captured in an object-model in one environment into a different object-model in a different environment. This program worked well for the intended purpose, but if one of the object-models is replaced by a different object-model then this transformation program has to be re-engineered. As the object-modeling paradigm becomes more prevalent, many systems are experiencing this problem. The primary goal of this research was to determine what reusable knowledge could be extracted from these types of program and used to build a general object-model transformer that generalizes such transformation programs. Toward this …

Unification Of Larch And Z-Based Object Models To Support Algebraically-Based Design Refinement: The Z Perspective, Kathleen M. Wabiszewski

Theses and Dissertations

This research established a foundation for formalizing the evolution of based object models to theories, part of a dual approach for formally extending object-oriented analysis models using the Z and LARCH languages. For the initial phase, a comprehensive, consistent, and correct Z language parser was implemented within the SOFTWARE REFINERY™ Programming Environment. The Z parser produced abstract syntax trees (ASTs) of objects, thereby forming the basis for analyzing the similarities and differences between the based and LARCH-based object representations. The second phase used the analysis of the two languages to identify fundamental core constructs that consisted of similar syntactic and …

A Comparison Of Error Categorization Schemes For Use In Software System Safety Programs, Richard Escobedo, Jim Thomas

Theses and Dissertations

Software safety is becoming increasingly important in the development of DoD advanced weapon systems. To make software safer, hazard conditions must be avoided along with the errors that accompany them. The first step in identifying errors is classifying error data. The area of software error classification is not as advanced as other software development areas. The technical literature lacks examples of comprehensive taxonomies that can be applied to various computer software domains and applications. The predominant approach is to organize errors into categories particular to the program currently in work. The typical error scheme is made of narrow categories that …

Predicting Protein Structure Using Parallel Genetic Algorithms, George H. Gates Jr.

Theses and Dissertations

The protein folding problem is a biochemistry Grand Challenge problem. The challenge is to reliably predict natural three-dimensional structures of polypeptides. Genetic algorithms (GAs) are robust, semi-optimal search techniques modeling natural evolutionary processes. Fast messy GAs (fmGAs) are variants of messy GAs that reduce the exponential time complexity to polynomial. This investigation evaluates the merits of parallel SGAs and fmGAs for minimizing the potential energy of a pentapeptide, (Met)-enkephalin. AFIT's energy model is compared to a similar model in a commercial package called QUANTA. Differences between the two models are identified and resolved to enhance GAs' abilities to correctly fold …

Designing And Implementing An Ada Language Binding Specification For Odmg-93, Stephen R. Lindsay

Theses and Dissertations

Object-oriented database management systems (ODBMSs) represent the latest advancement in database technology, combining the reusability and maintainability of the object-oriented programming paradigm with the ability to efficiently store and retrieve a wide range of data types as well as code to manipulate stored data. Unfortunately, programmers developing software in the Ada programming language do not have the ability to interface to object databases without significant customized code development. One important reason for this has been the absence of a standard defining the constructs accessing ODBMS functionality. This thesis documents the creation of an Ada language binding to the ODMG-93 standard …

Modeling Workload Effectiveness And Efficiency Of Air Force Wing Command And Control, Michael D. Sarchet

Theses and Dissertations

This research investigated the feasibility of applying software engineering technology to the Air Force wing command and control (C2) domain. As part of this research, domain analysis and object-oriented techniques were investigated and a specific approach was chosen to analyze the domain. Analysis of the domain resulted in an object-oriented domain model that captured the key objects, operations, and associations of wing C2. The domain model was used to design and implement a prototype software tool that enables wing decision makers to make assessments about automation's impact on wing C2 operations.

Multiple Model Adaptive Estimation And Head Motion Tracking In A Virtual Environment: An Engineering Approach, James E. Russell

Theses and Dissertations

Software engineering tools and techniques were applied to design and implement an application that reduces lag typically present in virtual environment displays. The application was a Multiple Model Adaptive Estimator (MMAE), composed of three Kalman filters, that predicted head orientation one sample period into the future. The environment rendering software used these predictions to generate the environment display. Each of the filters in the MMAE was designed for a different assumed head motion type (benign, moderate, or heavy), which allowed the MMAE to adapt to changes in head movement characteristics. The use of Ada 9X as an implementation language for …

Survey And Implementation Of Commercial Manual Controllers For A Generic Telerobotics Architecture, Thomas E. Deeter

Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this study is to determine an input device for the Air Force's generic telerobotics architecture for large aircraft maintenance and repair. One area of concern is the human to machine interface, more specifically, which manual controller should be used for the specified tasks in this architecture. We mailed a survey to 68 companies in order to compile a list of possible input devices that the telerobotics architecture could use. 32 companies responded which gave me enough data to generate a list that described the physical traits of the input devices. We then divided the required tasks into …

Image Perception Wavelet Simulation And Enhancement For The Visually Impaired, Lemuel Ray Myers Jr.

Theses and Dissertations

This research delves into the area of image enhancement for the visually impaired. Binocular macular degeneration a visual impairment, affects many Americans; since this condition could not be corrected with conventional glasses the literature suggested using an enhancement system which used a pre-emphasis algorithm to enhance the input image for output to the observer. The work of Dr. Eli Peli, a pioneer in the field of image enhancement, is examine and reproduced. Since his work concentrated mainly on frequency analysis of images, the bulk of this research involves using discrete wavelet analysis to augment that work. A biorthogonal wavelet set …

A Correlational Study Of The Sei's Capability Maturity Model And Software Development Performance In Dod Contracts, Robert M. Flowe, James B. Thordahl

Theses and Dissertations

The Software Engineering Institute's (SEl's) Capability Maturity Model (CMM) is to measure an organization's software development process maturity. The Department of Defense (DoD) has model with the belief that a more mature software development process will result in a more successful software subject. Although there is a growing body of anecdotal evidence supporting this presumed correlation, there is empirical evidence. Thus, the goal of our research was to determine the nature of the correlation, if any, :ware process maturity and software project success, where process maturity is based on a CMM rating and success based on the parameters of cost …

Artificially Intelligent Air Combat Simulation Agents, Daniel E. Gisselquist

Theses and Dissertations

The Advanced Research Projects Agency (ARPA), in an effort to improve military simulations, has proposed a standard for Distributed Interactive Simulation (DIS). This network protocol will allow dissimilar applications to communicate simulation information. In the field of air combat, this will allow pilots in remote simulators to fly in a common simulation. The success of this standard is dependent on applications being able to work within that standard, as well as a large variety of Computer Generated Forces (CGFs) to complement interactive forces. CGFs are needed to help simulate the large combat scenarios that can only occur in wartime. By …

The Photo-Realistic Afit Virtual Cockpit, Milton E. Diaz

Theses and Dissertations

The Air Force Institute of Technology (AFIT) has pursued research in virtual environments since 1988. This research expands the current capabilities of the AFIT Virtual Cockpit (VC) by increasing the realism of the cockpit environment and improving the pilot's command interface. Realism is improved creating console elements from texture maps and polygonal models; these elements include working dials, switches and circuit breakers. The pilot command interface is improved in part by adapting the AFIT Information Pod using a two-dimensional mouse input to the virtual three-dimensional environment. This immersive virtual environment is also improved by modifications to the Head Mounted Display …

Using Object-Oriented Database Technology To Develop A Multiple Domain Capability For Domain-Oriented Application Composition Systems, Alfred W. Harris Jr.

Theses and Dissertations

This thesis describes the design and implementation of a multiple domain capability for a domain-oriented application composition system, named Architect. The research goal was to show how object-oriented database management system (OODBMS) technology can be used to provide simultaneous access to multiple domain-oriented knowledge bases. Since the Architect system was originally designed using the object-oriented paradigm, insertion of OODBMS technology was relatively simple and many of the object-oriented concepts, such as inheritance and aggregation, proved beneficial. Inheritance was used to encapsulate domain knowledge by defining each domain as a subclass of Architect's software architecture. Aggregation was used to allow applications …

Analytic Performance Models For Parallel Discrete Event Battlefield Simulation With Conservative Synchronization, James B. Hiller

Theses and Dissertations

This study investigated the development and use of analytic models for performance analysis of parallel discrete event battlefield simulation using conservative synchronization. A simulation architecture with layered application, simulation, and host machine services provided the model development basis. Simulation entities were modeled with set-theoretic definitions. Deterministic performance models using these definitions were developed for event prediction, scheduling, and execution in sequential battlefield simulation. The sequential model was expanded to include relative bounds for overhead factors introduced when the simulation is spatially decomposed for a parallel distributed memory machine. Comparison of sequential and parallel models instantiated for a simulation with uniform …

A Numerical Model To Predict The Fate Of Jettisoned Aviation Fuel, Karl D. Pfeiffer

Theses and Dissertations

While airborne, military and civilian aircraft must occasionally jettison unburned aviation fuel into the atmosphere. This research investigates the fate of a jettisoned fuel (e.g. JP-4, JP-8, etc.) from initial release to final ground fall by numerically modeling the physical phenomena governing the fate of this fuel: evaporation, advection, and dispersion. Using previous work in evaporation and free fall of fuel droplets as a foundation, this thesis presents an integrated evaporation advection and dispersion model designed to run under the resources of a typical personal computer. This integrated model is capable of using near real-time meteorological data (i.e. vertical profiles …

The Re-Engineering Of The Air Force Institute Of Technology Student Information System, Douglas J. Wu

Theses and Dissertations

This research describes the design and implementation issues associated with re-engineering the Air Force Institute of Technology Student Information System (AFITSIS). Currently, AFITSIS executes on aging relational database technology and has unfriendly user interface mechanisms. The two research objectives met were to research current AFITSIS requirements, design, and implementation, and use object-oriented methods to design an alternative implementation based on proposed object database management system standards. This research explores how AFITSIS performance and capabilities might be enhanced by taking advantage of new object-oriented software engineering techniques. One of the primary benefits of this research is a detailed object modeling technique …