Computer Systems Lab Research at TJHSST

22 Research Areas in CS Artificial Intelligence and Machine Learning: Can I write a program that can learn on its own to accomplish a particular task or solve a problem? 3D Computer Graphics: Can I visualize a physical situation realistically with a computer program? Computer Vision: Can a computer program see, distinguish, and analyze objects in an image? Modeling of Complex Systems, numerically and graphically: Can I simulate a complex environment and mathematical model. How closely can my simulation match and predict reality?

333 Research Areas in CS Distributed and Parallel Programming methods for high performance computing: For a complex programming task, can I take advantage of processing in parallel across multiple processors? Software Design, Object Oriented Programming: What are optimal techniques for large scale applications with large user bases and a need for long term modifications and updates?

44 Research Models (from Pasteur's Quadrant (1997) Donald Stokes) Pure basic research: Can I create a logarithmic, randomly accessible data structure? Can I create a hybrid machine learning system? Use-inspired basic research: Can I create a 3D visualization package for graphics modeling for a Physics course? Can I create a program that can learn on its own how to translate text from one language to another for people to obtain web-based translations? Pure applied research: Can I write a student Intranet program for a high school? The program needs to be robust and maintainable by future students for many years.

55 Software Testing and Analysis of Your Program Dynamic Testing: Random tests, Structural tests, Functional tests, Path and branch testing. Process Modeling: - Finding a formula to verify and validate your program's behavior. Requirements and Specifications: - Defining requirements and the specifications for verifying these requirements.

66 Lifecycle Models for the Development Process (from Rapid Development by McConnell) Spiral Model - breaks a software project up into miniprojects. Each miniproject addresses one or more major risks. Each iteration moves your project to a larger scale. Evolutionary Prototyping - develop the system concept as you move through the project. You may begin by developing the most visible aspects of the system. Useful when requirements may change throughout your project or when you're unsure of the optimal architecture or algorithms to use. Staged Delivery - you show software results in successively refined stages. Unlike evolutionary prototyping, when you use staged delivery, you know exactly what you're going to build when you set out.

77 Computer Systems Lab Example Projects

88 Student Intranet – Software Engineering A new platform is developed implementing paradigms in object-oriented programming and collaborative development.

99 Development of an Object- Oriented Module-based Extensible Student Intranet Web Application in PHP5 A new platform, known as Intranet2, implements paradigms in Object-Oriented programming and collaborative development in the creation of a new student Intranet.

10 NetChat Communications System – Software Engineering, Distributed platforms The creation of a network communication system that will use methods of transferring data between a server and a client using an XML protocol.

11 NetChat Communication s Systems The project involves creating a method of transferring data between a server and client using an XML-based protocol. This framework would be extended into the form of an application called “NetChat”. Using the developed framework, NetChat would be capable of sending data back and forth in the form of instant messages, , news feeds, along with various other means of communication.

12 Graphical Display of a Physics Simulation – Computer Modeling The purpose is to make a physics simulation that will display objects placed by the user graphically and display information about those objects on a graphical user interface. The goal is to allow the user to place any combination of objects, including particles, springs, and ramps, in a graphical display, input values for these objects, and run a simulation that will track these values and display the interactions and positions of the objects graphically in two-dimensions.

13 Computer Graphics and Physics Simulations A physics simulation, in order to adequately demonstrate physical laws and predict an unlimited number of scenarios, must implement a broad range of mathematical equations and provide the user with the ability to set up a scenario with whatever number of objects and arrangements of these objects that he desires. The goal of this project is to create such a simulation.

14 Machine Learning and Computational Linguistics Using statistical processes in text translation.

15 French/English Translation and Computational Linuguistics This project uses computational linguistics to serve students of French or English as a second language as well as those who know only one of these languages. The program will translate French to English and English to French well enough to be understandable to someone who knows only the output language. This is useful for surfing the web, reading texts in a foreign language, and communication with someone from another country. It can also be used for students to check their writing by translating back to their native tongue.

16 Computer Modeling: TJ's Hallways and Student Traffic The purpose of this project is to create a simulation of the students and teachers at Jefferson moving around the building. This simulation is meant to be accurate based on time and location.

17 TJ Hall Modeling The purpose of this project is to model TJ students in their school environment throughout a typical school day. The goal is to have dots to represent the students moving on the basis of probability to various parts of the building. If the project were completed it would allow the user to control various aspects of the day. This project is worth doing to demonstrate just how big the need is for a new building; to indirectly show that TJ is overcrowded. Students and teachers alike might be interested in seeing the results, mostly to avoid the crowded areas during their travels.

18 Music Compositional Software Development – Computer Music Music editing software may be expensive, complicated, and could be improved as a teaching tool. A new, free software designed for amateur composers and music students requires a less powerful editing system and can incorporate learning tools to aid teachers in teaching music theory to students.

19 Compositional Software Development The purpose of this project is to make an easy to use composition aid software that incoporates a simple and intuitive GUI into a robust highly capable system of music display.

20 Evolution Simulator – Computer Modeling of Environments, Artificial Life Simulate the evolution of different organisms within an environment. There will be a genetic variability that will allow the organism species to evolve, or die out. The hope is a demonstration of natural selection, showing that after many generations the collective gene will be more advanced than the original.

21 Evolution Simulator The purpose of this project is to create an AGENT-based model that simulates the evolution of different organisms within an environment. These organisms will be a simulation of real-world organisms, with the need for food, the ability to breed and die, and so on. Their function and lifespan will be based on dozens of genetic characteristics, such as metabolism, eyesight, etc., and these characteristics will be passed on to offspring. There will be a genetic variability that will allow the organism species to evolve, or devolve. The hope is a demonstration of natural selection, and after several generations the collective gene will be more advanced than the original.

22 Traffic Light Simulation – Computer Modeling, Traffic This project simulates a busy traffic light. The cars follow all necessary rules of the road so that the simulation is realistic. The program recognizes patterns in the intersection and makes the light as efficient as possible by minimizing waiting time and queue length plus maximizing green light usage for cars. The patterns in the intersection can change hourly to match the real world.

23 Traffic Light Simulation This project is meant to simulate a busy traffic light. The program tries to recognize patterns in the intersection and make the light as efficient as possible by minimizing waiting time for cars, both average waiting and total waiting time. The patterns would be related to the time of day and the day of the week. At first I would purposely input recognizable patterns and see if the program would catch it, but eventually the plan would be to possibly use this program using a real intersection's data.

24 3D Visualization Package – Computer Graphics Develop a 3D graphics simulation engine designed to simplify the task of coding 3D simulations, while still giving the developer control over every aspect of the rendering and simulation process.

25 Development of a 3D Visualization Engine The purpose of my project is to investigate the workings of a 3D graphics simulation engine, and develop an engine designed to simplify the task of coding 3D simulations, while still giving the developer control over every aspect of the rendering and simulation process. Hopefully, this engine will simplify the visualization process to the point where it is worthwhile to code a 3D representation of some problem. I also hope to make it possible for the developer to use my engine without any knowledge of OpenGL or SDL, but rather do all the necessary code behind the scenes when using the default rendering methods.

26 Hybrid Machine Learning System – Machine Learning Designing a system that combines the capabilities of multiple types of AI and machine learning systems, such as neural networks and subsumption architectures, to produce a more flexible and versatile hybrid system.

27 Hybrid AI and Machine Learning Systems The purpose of this project is to design a system that combines the capabilities of multiple types of AI and machine learning systems, such as neural networks and subsumption architectures, to produce a more flexible and versatile hybrid system. The end goal is to produce a set of basic library functions and architecture descriptions for the easy manipulation of the AI/ML subsystems (particularly neural networks), and use those to build an AI system capable of teaching itself how to complete tasks specified by a human-defined heuristic via either supervised training or trial-and-error and inference, and of altering learned behaviors to cope with changes in its operational environment with minimal human intervention.

28 Ant Colony Optimization (ACO) – Algorithms, Machine Learning, Path Finding Finding optimal paths in a complex network. ACO is an algorithm that is used to find near optimal solutions to NP problems.

29 Ant Colony Optimization Algorithms Ant Colony Optimization (ACO) is an algorithm that is used to find near optimal solutions to NP problems. This research aims to study the differences in strengths and weaknesses between various implementations of ACO (as applied to the Traveling Salesman Problem), suggest or conduct development into improving performance of ACO algorithms, and study the general application of ACO algorithms to the Traveling Salesman Problem.

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31 Computer Systems Lab Mentorship TASC Component Architecture and Simulation Environment: Systems Modeling, Northrop Grumman IT Implementation of Artificial Physics Using AIBO Robot and the Pyro Programming Environment: AI Robotics, NRL Development of a Practical Social Network Analysis Program: IT.COM

32 Computer Systems Lab Mentorship Fairness and Justness in Non-Cooperative Game Theory: Experimental Economics Modeling, GMU Analysis of Driver Patterns in a Simulated Environment: Computer Modeling, Turner- Fairbank Highway Research Center Advanced Speed Guidance for Merging and Sequencing Techniques: MITRE

Thanks and have fun computing!