Research Projects
During my years in HMS, I've had the opportunity to work on many research projects to varying extents...
QuickTime Demo
Project Website
|
.
|
Untethered Motion Capture Evaluation for Flightline Maintenance
With Norm Badler, Liming Zhao, and Catherine Stocker
(2007-present)
The purpose of this effort is to explore and evaluate the utility of novel motion capture technologies within the Air Force maintenance domain. A primary objective is to determine the potential of untethered motion capture capabilities for real-time human subject motion capture and performance data collection with full scale physical props. A resultant objective will be to evaluate data collected during maintenance task performance validation for the purpose of instruction generation, and maintenance training. This effort will consist of a domain analysis, a conceptual design definition, a prototype development, and a performance evaluation within relevant operational maintenance scenarios. Program objectives will be achieved by using both university laboratory and field based research to evaluate the efficacy of untethered motion capture for obtaining human performance data from tasks involving full scale physical props, and the reuse of this information within augmented procedural instructions.
|
.
|
Full Paper (PDF)
Presentation Slides (PPT)
|
.
|
All-Pairs Shortest-Paths for Large Graphs on the GPU
With Gary Katz
(Feb 2008 - April 2008)
The all-pairs shortest-path problem is an intricate part in numerous practical applications. We describe a shared
memory cache efficient GPU implementation to solve transitive closure and the all-pairs shortest-path problem
on directed graphs for large datasets. The proposed algorithmic design utilizes the resources available on the
NVIDIA G80 GPU architecture using the CUDA API. Our solution generalizes to handle graph sizes that are
inherently larger then the DRAM memory available on the GPU. Experiments demonstrate that our method is
able to significantly increase processing large graphs making our method applicable for bioinformatics, internet
node traffic, social networking, and routing problems.
|
.
|
Class Website
|
.
|
CIS 665: GPU Programming and Architecture
With Gary Katz, Norm Badler, Milo Martin
(Spring 2007, 2008)
In the Spring of 2007 and 2008, I helped to instruct CIS665: GPU Programming and Architecture with Gary Katz. This course examined the architecture and capabilities of modern GPUs (graphics processing unit). Topics covered included architectural aspects of modern GPUs, with a special focus on their streaming parallel nature, writing programs on the GPU using high level languages like Cg, CUDA, SlabOps, and using the GPU for graphics and general purpose applications in the area of geometry modeling, physical simulation, scientific computing and games.
The course was very ‘hands-on’; there were regular weekly programming assignments, a couple paper assignments, and a half semester final project which was either a larger programming endeavor or a theoretical examination of a research topic.
|
.
|
QuickTime Demo
Progress report (April 2006)
Close out presentation (Dec. 2006)
Project Website
|
.
|
Air Force: AVIS-MS: Advanced Visual and Instruction Systems for Maintenance Support
With Norm Badler, Matt Kuruc, Adam Micciulla, and Jan Allbeck
(2005-2007)
Complexity, customization, and packaging of military platforms and systems increase maintenance difficulty at the same time as the available pool of skilled technical personnel may be shrinking. In this environment maintenance training, technical order presentation, and flight-line operational practice may need to adopt "just-in-time" procedural aids. Moreover, the realities of real-world maintenance may not permit the hardware indulgences and rigid controls of laboratory settings for visualization and training systems, and at the same time the actual activities of maintainers will challenge requirements for portable or wearable devices. This project investigates technologies that maybe used in the maintenance of Air Force equipment.
|
.
|
Distribution Map Demo (avi)
Distribution Map Blemish Demo (avi)
Rust Blemish Demo (avi)
All Blemishes Demo (avi)
|
.
|
Trashing Virtual Environments
With Norm Badler, Paul Kanyuk, Sonya Teich, Ray Forziati
(2004-2006)
This system is a series of procedural techniques and tools for creating dirty virtual environments. Often in computer graphics, rendered images are created too pristinely and do not reflect natural aging and blemishes. Using distribution maps the user may specify a maximum relative probability where blemishes will be created. The user hand annotates the distribution map or automatically creates it from the geometry allowing for robust control in Maya.
|
.
|
System Demo (avi)
|
.
|
Indirect Motion Capture: Head Tracker
With Norm Badler, Catherine Stocker
(2006)
In this project we attempted a first step in an indirect motion capture system. The system measures the head location from motion capture data and tracks the output on screen where the subject is looking in real-time. |
.
|
System Demo (Quicktime)
|
.
|
Virtual Checkpoint
With Norm Badler, Seung-Joo Lee, and Anton Dubkov
(2003-2004)
This project implemented real time gesture recognition of a motion capture subject which controlled a virtual character. The virtual environment interacted with the characters gestures in real time. The system was robust for a wide range of motion capture subjects (I am rather tall) and demoed at the (I/ITSEC) conference.
| .
|
Class Projects
During my years at Penn, I've had the opportunity to take some great classes. Here are a few projects I enjoyed...
|
.
|
Motion Capture Classification
(Seminar on Physically Based Character Animation, Alla Safonova, 2007)
This paper presents a method for developing a system that correctly identifies a task a user is performing in a maintenance environment. The purpose of this effort is to explore and evaluate the utility of real time classification methods in determining the task a user is currently executing. The collected data will be analyzed with various machine learning algorithms. The results of this work are twofold: (1) we hope to show a reasonably well method to identify the logical motion a user is performing with a motion capture system and cyber data glove. (2) To present a comparison of various machine learning methods and determine the best performing classification method for a real-time motion recognizer. |
.
|
|
.
|
N-Cut Segmentation on the GPU
With Liming Zhao
(GPU Programming, Suresh Venkatasubramanian, 2005)
Segmentation is an important part of practically any automated image recognition system S. Yu and J. Shi proposed an algorithm to perform k-class Normalized Cut on an input image efficiently. We represent the image as a graph, where vertexes are pixels in the image and edges are the pixel-pixel relationship. If two pixels belong to the same group, the edge value between them is larger. To obtain a segmentation of the image is equivalent to find a cut in this graph. Normalized Cut is such a cut that both minimizes cut cost and maximizes group association. Our methods for the tridiagonal reductions and QR\QL algorithms on the GPU to help solve the k-class Normalized Cut. |
.
|
|
.
|
Motion Capture Playback and Blending
(Computer Animation, Stephen Lane, 2004)
This project implemented a BVH file player for a deformable figure driven by motion capture data from the LiveActor. The system implemented "Motion Graphs" to allow motions to be stitched and blended together to form longer motions not originally motion captured.
Demo 1 (avi),
Demo 2 (avi),
Demo 3 (avi),
Demo 4 (avi)
|
.
|
Web Development Work
During my years, I've had the opportunity to work as a web developer as an undergrad
at CUA for 4 years
at CPIT for Dr. William Landry. Today, I still occasionally dabble in my free time putting sites together as
side projects to fund my (expensive addicting) photography hobby. Here are just a few...
|
.
|
Digital Media Design (Upenn)
(Main Design was active 2004-2006)
This site features php with a mysql backend. It allowed students to upload their own work and display it on their own personal pages through a user interface.
| .
|
|
.
|
Builder 3 : (Naval Research Lab)
With Kelly Deckelman (Notre Dame) , Joseph Kider (UPENN), Brian Sjoberg (NRL)
(Main Design is active 2003-Present : Go to Website...)
The Builder3 (NRL) website features a JSP and mySQL architecture that allows for the user to easily modify the data. Registered Users can download updates and run Builder from a Java Webstart interface.
| .
|
|
.
|
Virtual Tour (Catholic University)
With Annie James (CUA), Joseph Kider (UPENN)
(Main Design is active 2001-present : Go to Website...)
This CUA virtual tour features a Bryce model that will interactive based on Flash technology, numerous 360-degree panoramic Java images of various points of campus, and images of all the buildings on campus. This page is database driven and implants Flash, Bryce, Java, Cold Fusion, CSS, and Javascript.
This was state of the art in 2001, it is a bit dated now.
| .
|
|
.
|
Healthy Horizon (Columbia University)
With Rita-Marie John
(Main Design is active 2004-Present : Go to Website...)
The healthy horizon website features a fully functional bulletin board system written in Cold Fusion where foster parents can interact with each other and ask private questions to nurses. Graphics were done using Photoshop and Corel Paint to create a rich personal feel.
| .
|
|
.
|
Web Development Team (CUA)
(Main Design was active 2000-2004)
This site features a Flash site design for those who love graphics. The graphics and text for the Flash templates are generated by using database interaction and Cold Fusion. This allows for a dynamic client side interface to easily modify the flash templates.
This was my first big flash adventure.
| .
|
|
.
|
Campus Ministry Team (Wayne State University)
(Main Design was active 2003-2006)
The WS Ministry team website includes a robust content management system written in Cold Fusion. This allows any registered administrator to modify everything on the website template easily with no coding. The menu offers a JavaScript interaction to allow the user more choices when browsing the website.
| .
|
|
.
|
Alumni Career Network (CUA)
With Annie James (CUA)
(Main Design was active 2002-2005)
The alumni career network website features an Oracle database and search engine that allows students to connect with CUA alumni in fields and graduate studies that they are considering. For a student or career/job changing alum, this is a great way of networking and getting extremely helpful information and advice through an interactive searching environment.
| .
|
|
.
|
School of Arts and Sciences (CUA)
With Cherish Mendez (CUA)
(Main Design was active 2002-2005)
This site was designed for School of Arts and Sciences at CUA. This site features a description of the school and a client side data management system. This site features Cold Fusion, Javascript, and CSS.
| .
|
|
.
|
Counseling Center (CUA)
(Main Design was active 2000-2005)
This site was designed for Counseling Center at CUA. This site allows the member of the center an interface to manage their content easily with little computer experience and heartache. This site implements Cold Fusion, HTML, and Javascript.
| .
|
|
.
|
Pope John Cultural Center
(1st Design was active 1999-2002, Second: 2002-2004)
This site was designed for the Pope John Cultural Center in Washington DC. This site has a special client side interface for content management. This is site features dynamic content, a news ticker in Java, JavaScript, and will soon include a flash design and a Interactive Virtual Tour.
| .
|
|
.
|
Department of Electrical Engineering (CUA)
With Joseph Lauer (MSU)
(Main Design was active 1999-2002)
This site was designed for the Department of Electrical Engineering and Computer Science at CUA. This site allows students to browse the course catalog to see the courses the department offers, find faculty websites, and events in the department. This site implements HTML, CSS, Javascript, and rich descriptive Photoshop graphics.
| .
|
|
.
|
Senior Design (CUA)
With Diran Nazarian and Mike Kemp
(Main Design was active 2002-2004)
This site essentially shows off my senior design project. It features graphics done in photoshop, DHTML, CSS, and Javascript.
| .
|
|
|
