---------------------------------------------------------------------------- CIS 4914 -- Senior Project - Idea List as-of: 09 Jan 12 ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- *** ALL SENIOR PROJECTS ARE TO BE ONE SEMESTER DURATION *** You can have any faculty member as an advisor, or a supervisor at an off-campus site where you are working on a project, or have worked (for example, during a summer internship). Please visit the UF/CISE departmental web page at www.cise.ufl.edu to locate faculty whose areas of research interest match with the project you would like to do. Also, look through the project descriptions listed below and see if there are any that interest you: PROJECT DESCRIPTIONS: -------------------- TOPIC: Haptic feedback simulator for dental training ADVISOR: Jorg Peters EMAIL: jorg@cise.ufl.edu SUMMARY: Use force-feedback devices to train better dentists SOFTWARE: OpenGL, Haptic SDK SKILLS: OpenGL, C++ ---- TOPIC: Analysis of surfaces ADVISOR: Jorg Peters EMAIL: jorg@cise.ufl.edu SUMMARY: Port the BezierView package to WebGL -- you will learn about curved surfaces and texture mapping along the way. SOFTWARE: OpenGL, WebGL, BezierView SKILLS: OpenGL ---- TOPIC: Implementing Mesh-based algorithms in the CGAL framework ADVISOR: Jorg Peters EMAIL: jorg@cise.ufl.edu SUMMARY: CGLA is a template C++ environment for computational geometry. Try your had at published mesh modification algorithms (simplification, morphing, interactive deformation with force feedback) SOFTWARE: CGAL SKILLS: C++ ---- TOPIC: Biomedical Informatics - Personalized Medicine ADVISOR: Su-Shing Chen EMAIL: suchen@cise.ufl.edu SUMMARY: From electronic patient records, we will collect genotypes to infer about prevention, diagnosis, and treatment. A website called PHW (Personalized Health and Wellness) will be established. SOFTWARE: MATLAB, Apache, ODBC SKILLS: Basic C, Java, or MATLAB programming and Internet technology COMMENTS: See Dr. Chen for details. ---- TOPIC: Biomedical Informatics - Gene Expression Data Analysis ADVISOR: Su-Shing Chen EMAIL: suchen@cise.ufl.edu SUMMARY: Gene expression data from a NCBI database will be analyzed using clustering and data mining techniques. SOFTWARE: MATLAB, Apache, ODBC SKILLS: Basic C, Java, or MATLAB programming and Internet technology COMMENTS: See Dr. Chen for details. ---- TOPIC: Biomedical Informatics - Traditional Chinese Medicine ADVISOR: Su-Shing Chen EMAIL: suchen@cise.ufl.edu SUMMARY: Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) uses codes to model diseases that are different from Western medicine. These codes will be analyzed using MATLAB. SOFTWARE: MATLAB, Apache, ODBC SKILLS: Basic C, Java, or MATLAB programming and Internet technology COMMENTS: See Dr. Chen for details. ---- TOPIC: Web site development for Solarcity Gainesville ADVISOR: Harald Kegelmann, Bob McPeek EMAIL: harry@ast-solar.com, bmcpeek@cox.net SUMMARY: Develop website for local non-profit organization, Solarcity Gainesville. The group is dedicated to the promotion of solar and renewable energy in Gainesville. The site is supposed to be a major resource for people interested in energy related issues (conservation, weatherization, technologies, renewables) but also function as a center for communication, collaboration, and cooperation using a blog. We would like to include links to video clips, audio files, books and PDFs, as well as interactive forms and surveys. SKILLS: Basic knowledge of HTML, PHP, and MySql required. Graphic design capabilities are a plus. SOFTWARE: Considering Joomla (http://www.joomla.org/) content management system, but open to other possibilities. COMMENTS: Up to two students can work on this project ---- TOPIC: An Animated Discovey of Neuroscience ADVISOR: Dr. Arunava Banerjee, E336 CSE Building, 392-1476 EMAIL: arunava@cise.ufl.edu SUMMARY: This project is already in an intermediate state of development. Please check out the following URL: http://www.cise.ufl.edu/class/neuro/ after reading the following introduction to get a better sense of what the project is all about: Introducing neuroscience (the brain, the central nervous system, etc.) to undergraduates majoring in computer science and/or math is a major challenge for the reason that they seldom have a background in the biological sciences. At the same time bioinformatics has become a major area of research and discovery and is drawing scores of computer science, math, and engineering students into its fold. This longterm project is aimed at generating a web-based animated instructional software that can teach the advanced undergraduate and new graduate student the basics of neuroscience. Students involved in building this software will mostly learn about the field and turn their knowledge into an instructional tool. SOFTWARE: The student will have to learn programming in FLASH Actionscripts to contribute to the project. SKILLS: Students will be required to learn about neuroscience from an assigned text and then design and create animated instructional material to be made available on the web. COMMENTS: Several students, project duration would be several semesters. This is a high visibility project with longer term implications. The software will be made available for free and is expected to help budding computational neuroscientists all around the country. ---- TOPIC: Develop a web-based applet to aid student learning of statistical sampling concepts. ADVISOR: Kenneth Portier ph: 392-3067 522 McCarty Hall C DESCRIPTION: Working with students I have developed a simple Java tool that allows students in my statistics classes to point to locations on a map and obtain values of various soil characteristics at that location as well as the location coordinates. I need to enhance this project to allow the user to create (draw in) strata (geographically closed designated areas), assign a name/code to each strata and have that strata information translated with other information when the samples are collected. Extending this project I would like to incorporate more detailed area maps, provide the user the capability to zoom into selected strata maps, to further stratify the selected area and facilitate nested selection of sampling units. The application needs to be a stand-alone Java or C++ application but should have the ability to mail or transmit to the instructor a log of the student's interactions with the application. LANGUAGES: Java, C++, C, ActionScript, HTML Student must be able to program graphical interaction into Java or C++ applications. COMMENT: This could be a group project but seems more in the scope of an individual project. There are some database issues with the work that is being done, but primarily it is programming of the graphical interface that will present the most challenge.cise.ufl.edu ---- TOPIC: Development of web pages, databases, drawings, design procedures, etc. related to the design of commercial aircraft and based on my design handbook ADVISOR: P.M. Sforza ph: 392-0512 MAE-A 218 SUMMARY: A design handbook is available from which it is desired to produce a web-based version. The handbook includes the development of databases and correlations derived from various industry sources, the development of some spreadsheet-based design procedures, the development of specific design blocks for drawing aircraft and their components, e.g., cabin design, and developing a template for the required student design report, a document that typically runs to 100-150 pages. COMMENTS: Familiarity with computer and information skills relevant to the modern design process: text, drawings, links, spreadsheets, presentations, etc. COMMENT: One or two students should be adequate. The work should be relatively easy because this is a new approach for this course (and for me), but it probably will be demanding in effort and industriousness. ----- TOPIC: Algorithms for Clustering Data ADVISOR: Dr. Sanjay Ranka EMAIL: ranka@cise.ufl.edu SUMMARY: Develop algorithms and software for clustering and classification of large array based medical data SKILLS: C, C++, or Java programming; Strong background in Algorithms SOFTWARE: You will develop a software package ---- TOPIC: TRIP Traffic Records Database Configuration ADVISOR: Mark Schmalz, Ray Issa EMAIL: mssz@cise.ufl.edu SUMMARY: Develop software for translating between two forms of traffic records databases SKILLS: C, C++, or Java programming; Database courses are required SOFTWARE: You will develop a software package COMMENTS: One or two students, one-semester project ---- TOPIC: MIDI Format Translation Program ADVISOR: Mark Schmalz, Allen Miller EMAIL: mssz@cise.ufl.edu, ztronics@tiac.net SUMMARY: Develop software for translating between two forms of MIDI protocols for musical pipe organs and pianos SKILLS: C, C++, or Java programming; Translators course helpful SOFTWARE: You will develop a software package COMMENTS: One or two students, continuation of previous project ---- TOPIC: Optimization Algorithms for Grid Scheduling ADVISOR: Sanjay Ranka EMAIL: ranka@cise.ufl.edu SUMMARY: Develop algorithms and software for scheduling workflows on grids SKILLS: C, C++, or Java programming; Strong background in Algorithms SOFTWARE: You will be part of a development team COMMENTS: --- ---- TOPIC: Adaptation of multi-person secure chat software ADVISOR: Joos, Kristin EMAIL: SUMMARY: Adapt open-source code for a secure, multi-person online chat system to be used in student advisement. Code should run on an IBM-PC compatible platform, should be customized to operate under UF/CIRCA wireless network protocols. Provide training to Honors Office employees in use of software. SKILLS: C, C++, or Java programming; Excellent network programming and wireless networking skills SOFTWARE: Depends on the type of open-source code chosen COMMENT: 2-3 students working in a group ---- TOPIC: Simulating questionnaire and sample survey design ADVISOR: Dr. Kenneth M. Portier (522 McCarty Hall C, 392-3067) EMAIL: portier@ufl.edu SUMMARY: I have designed, on paper, an environment that would allow students studing sample survey methodology to practice much of what is presented in class in a simulation environment. The environment consists of two related databases; one database of potential questions that could be incorporated into a questionnaire and the other a large database of responses to these questions for a each individual in the "population" being studied. I would define the questionnaire and "create" the answers database. It would be the job of the student/developer to create applications that would allow the student to1) organize the answers database to facilitate easy access to information, 2) select questions from the question database to create a questionnaire "instrument", 3) facilitate the creation of selection rules for drawing individuals from the populations (survey design), 4) applying the rules to the population to create the sample population, 5) apply the instrument to the sample population to create the sample responses and 6) output the responses so that the student could proceed to statistical analysis. Both the questions and answers databases would need to reside on a server and hence the applications would have to communicate to the server-based databases. All student-used applications would have to be clear and easy-to-use. The answers database would consist of a minimum of 1,000,000 individuals and I envision at least 100 questions in the question database. It would be nice if the whole system could be made "reusable" allowing a different question and answer database pair to be used with minor changes to the user interface. SKILLS: HTML, Java and/or C and/or C++, DBMS skills, client/server communications, interface design, project management. COMMENT: This is definitely a challenging group project. There are multiple interconnected applications, database organization and retrieval issues, as well as user interaction and look-and-feel issues that would have to be addressed. ---- TOPIC: Develop a web-based applet to aid student learning of statistical sampling concepts ADVISOR: Dr. Kenneth M. Portier (522 McCarty Hall C, 392-3067) EMAIL: portier@ufl.edu SUMMARY: Working with students I have developed a simple Java tool that allows students in my statistics classes to point to locations on a map and obtain values of various soil characteristics at that location as well as the location coordinates. I need to enhance this project to allow the user to create (draw in) strata (geographically closed designated areas), assign a name/code to each strata and have that strata information translated with other information when the samples are collected. Extending this project I would like to incorporate more detailed area maps, provide the user the capability to zoom into selected strata maps, to further stratify the selected area and facilitate nested selection of sampling units. The application needs to be a stand-alone Java or C++ application but should have the ability to mail or transmit to the instructor a log of the student's interactions with the application. SKILLS: HTML, Java and/or C and/or C++, Flash. Student must be able to program graphical interaction into Java or C++ applications. COMMENT: This could be a group project but seems more in the scope of an individual project. There are some database issues with the work that is being done, but primarily it is programming of the graphical interface that will present the most challenge. ---- TOPIC: Hardware-in-the-loop Simulations ADVISOR: Rick Lind (MAE/A-321, 392-6745) EMAIL: ricklind@ufl.edu SUMMARY: Develop a hardware-in-the-loop facility that merges computer simulations with an aircraft system. The researchers would connect communication hardware with MATLAB and Viz-E C-code. The resulting system would enable closed-loop control virtual flights. SKILLS: C-code, Matlab-code, software/hardware links, COMMENT: 2-5 students working in a group ---- TOPIC: Visual Techniques for Control Design/Teaching ADVISOR: Rick Lind (MAE/A-321, 392-6745) EMAIL: ricklind@ufl.edu SUMMARY: Develop software to allow visual design of control systems. The researchers will design graphics of block diagrams for a large display, then connect laser pointing devices to that block diagram, and allow the laser to select feedback gains to be changed. A flight simulator will be running throughout so the effects of the changed gains can be seen in the aircraft responses. SKILLS: C-code, Matlab-code, connecting laser pointing hardware COMMENT: 2-4 students working in a group ---- TOPIC: Learning Modules for Flight Systems ADVISOR: Rick Lind (MAE/A-321, 392-6745) EMAIL: ricklind@ufl.edu SUMMARY: Develop multi-media presentations to teach basics of flight for airplanes and birds. The researchers will combine video and pictures with computer graphics for a set of learning modules. SKILLS: Web programming, multi-media COMMENT: 1-3 students working in a group ---- TOPIC: Database for lab management of a research group ADVISOR: Dr. Weihong Tan (CLB 114, Tel:352-846-2410) EMAIL: tan@chem.ufl.edu SUMMARY: Web-based database of chemicals and expensive items of a chemistry lab with interactive interface and search capability. On-line sign-up book for multiple instruments. SOFTWARE: Programs for website design SKILLS: Experience in building websites COMMENT: One student should be ok. Not difficult but might be time-consuming. ---- TOPIC: Development of shipping case aggregation system based on radio frequency identification (RFID). ADVISOR: Dr. Bruce Welt, 111 Frazier Rogers Hall, 392-1864 x 111 EMAIL: bwelt@ufl.edu SUMMARY: Companies are racing to implement RFID technologies in order to improve supply chain efficiency. Wal-Mart and the US-DOD have required RFID implementation by major vendors by January 2005. We have developed an approach for helping companies integrate RFID into their operations. The project will involve working with a development team including UF faculty and one or more external companies to develop a working prototype by the end of the semester. SOFTWARE: Visual Studio suite (VB 6.0, VB.Net, C#.Net), SQL Server SKILLS: Student should be familiar with VB and C#. Student should be capable of creating software for use by non-programmers (GUI and error-handling). Student should be comfortable interfacing with data collection hardware (RFID, machine vision cameras, barcode scanners). COMMENT: This is a high visibility project with longer term implications. If successful on this project, opportunities for a graduate assistantship to continue related work in graduate school are virtually assured. ---- TOPIC: Modeling diffusion of toxic molecules ADVISOR: Christopher Batich (392-6630,cbati@mse.ufl.edu) SUMMARY: Modeling diffusion of toxic molecules (like superoxide) from mitochondria into the cell and out into interstitial space where it reacts. Many of the mobilities are known, but a graphical demonstration of the effects of changes in permeability do would be useful for teaching and research. SOFTWARE: Matlab, possibly MathCad SKILLS: Mathematical modelling and graphics programming COMMENTS: One or two students. Probably somewhere in between hard and easy depending on how many species we add (2-8 are possible) ---- TOPIC: Redesign of image processing and analysis code for measuring the motions of implanted joint replacements. ADVISOR: Scott A. Banks, PhD, MAE-A 318, 392-6109 EMAIL: banks@ufl.edu SUMMARY: Legacy data processing code written in proprietary scripting language needs updated, expanded, and ported to platform neutral C/C++ environment. Application requires graphical user interface, image processing, object rendering and numerical optimization. SKILLS: C/C++, OpenGL, GUI Design/Implementation COMMENT: Several students working in a group should be able to complete a functionally equivalent application in a semester. ---- TOPIC: Development of web pages, databases, drawings, design procedures, etc. related to the design of commercial aircraft and based on my design handbook ADVISOR: Dr. P.M. Sforza, Room 218 in MAE-A Building, 392-0512 EMAIL: sforzapm@ufl.edu SUMMARY: A design handbook is available from which it is desired to produce a web-based version. The handbook includes the development of databases and correlations derived from various industry sources, the development of some spreadsheet-based design procedures, the development of specific design blocks for drawing aircraft and their components, e.g., cabin design, and developing a template for the required student design report, a document that typically runs to 100-150 pages. SKILLS: Familiarity with computer and information skills relevant to the modern design process: text, drawings, links, spreadsheets, presentations, etc. COMMENT: One or two students should be adequate. The work should be relatively easy because this is a new approach for this course (and for me), but it probably will be demanding in effort and industriousness. ---- TOPIC: Develop CD-ROM and interactive material on WebCT Vista of EMA 3080C and 3013C courses ADVISOR: Claudia Milz, 158 RHN, 846-3780 EMAIL: cmilz@mse.ufl.edu SUMMARY: Develop a CD-ROM based presentation of EMA 3080C and EMA 3013C laboratory classes. This will include still images, audio, video, and animated graphics, and will access a variety of media resources. Interactive quizzes on WebCT Vista. This can be a group project with 2-3 people. SKILLS: CD-ROM production, multimedia & audio experience COMMENT: 2-3 students, complex, could be one or two semester project ---- TOPIC: The objective of the project is to develop a web environment to support a DARPA Challenge project. ADVISOR: Carl Crane, MAE-B 326, 392-9461 EMAIL: ccrane@ufl.edu SUMMARY: The web environment would have a public section and a private section. The private section would contain design documents and an interactive scheduling calendar. We also would like help in establishing a software Concurrent Version System (CVS) to help with our configuration management of the software that is used in the project. The public web page we used for the last DARPA Challenge is at http://cimar.mae.ufl.edu/grand_challenge. SOFTWARE: Specific software tools to be determined SKILLS: HTML, CGI, other Web programming skills COMMENT: The project could probably be done by one or two students. ---- TOPIC: Japanese Cinema Site ADVISOR: Joseph A. Murphy (urj7@ufl.edu, 392-2422, Grinter 460)) SUMMARY: Task is to resize and animate a website on Japanese film studies: http://www.clas.ufl.edu/users/jmurphy/Burchindex.html The site consistes of a sequence of about 130 film images, with accompanying text, illustrating various points of editing, camerawork, etc., and noting important differences between conventions in Japanese film and Hollywood film. The site was written from html back in 1996, and while its content is solid, its presentation is badly dated, simply a scrolling series of images with explanation. Eight years later, it is clear that this could be resized and animated, with an enormous leap in its usefulness and explanatory power. SOFTWARE: I suspect this could be done using Dreamweaver, or other available software. SKILLS: computer graphics, design sense COMMENTS: I don't think this project will be technically difficult, but requires ability to animate, institute fade in/fade out, design sense and attention to detail. One or two students is sufficient. I get comments from all over the world about the site, and it is linked to KineJapan, so there is some visibility. More than 1 person. ---- TOPIC: Log File Parsing and Analysis ADVISOR: Stephen Ulmer SUMMARY: Extend the open source log analysis tool Lire to generate reports for additional log types SOFTWARE: Perl SKILLS: knowledge of XML, XSLT, parsers, user-level *nix skills STUDENTS: several, working independently COMMENTS: The Lire web site is at http://logreport.org/lire/ . New log types may include: DB/2, AIX and Linux process accounting, MIMEDefang, ---- TOPIC: Gatorsieve implementation ADVISOR: Stephen Ulmer SUMMARY: Gatorsieve allows end-users to edit their Sieve scripts on the Gatorlink IMAP/POP server. Sieve is a server-side mail sorting language. SOFTWARE: JAVA, JSP, Cyrus IMAP Server SKILLS: TCP/IP concepts, parsers, knowledge of MVC model helpful STUDENTS: 1 to 4, working independently but integrating results COMMENTS: Students can work on one or more of several sub-modules: MANAGESIEVE protocol module, Sieve script language parser, script creation wizard(s), or script upload/download manager. ---- TOPIC: Virtual Interactive Characters ADVISOR: Benjamin Lok (lok@cise.ufl.edu) SUMMARY: Use computer graphics and image processing to create realistic interactive virtual people SOFTWARE: C++ SKILLS: Computer graphics COMMENTS: Up to 4 students will work together on a team project to apply virtual interactive characters to help people w/ disabilities. This project is extremely difficult (requires at *least* 100 hours). Results will look to be published and would help in graduate school admissions. --- TOPIC: Virtual Reality ADVISOR: Benjamin Lok (lok@cise.ufl.edu) SUMMARY: Use computer graphics to create compelling experiences SOFTWARE: C++ SKILLS: Computer graphics COMMENTS: Up to 2 students will work together on a team project to create a virtual reality experience using new VR software. You must be an expert in computer graphics. This project is extremely difficult (requires at *least* 100 hours). Results will look to be published and would help in graduate school admissions. ---- TOPIC: Windows-based data acquisition and interpretation from a medical device ADVISOR: Peter Andrews, MD, Dept. of Ophthalmology, Shands/UF, email: pandrews@ufl.edu (BS, CISE, 1987) SUMMARY: Create a Windows-based system to acquire data from an eye-drop monitoring device, interpret the data, and provide a graphical user interface for use by eye physicians monitoring glaucoma treatment and other eye conditions. The student will create a database schema, implement the interface (using an existing RS232 interface), between the device and the database and design and program the application. SOFTWARE: Visual Basic, C++, or Java would be acceptable development tools. The likely database system would be MS Access. SKILLS: Windows programming knowledge, Access, VB, C++, or Java experience. Also, a course in database management is helpful. ---- TOPIC: System for analyzing "think aloud" verbal reports ADVISOR: Peter Delaney SUMMARY: This system would allow investigators to work with .wav audio files in a user friendly fashion, to analyze verbal reports from psychology experiments. Existing source code in C is already available that performs desired functions with text files. SOFTWARE: C++, Win98 user interface builder SKILLS: Good working knowledge of Visual C++, Win98 ---- TOPIC: Curvature analysis of surfaces ADVISOR: Jorg Peters (jorg@cise.ufl.edu) SUMMARY: Learn about curved surfaces and texture mapping SOFTWARE: OpenGL, OpenInventor SKILLS: OpenGL ---- TOPIC: Implementing Mesh-based algorithms in the CGAL framework ADVISOR: Jorg Peters (jorg@cise.ufl.edu) SUMMARY: CGAL is a template C++ environment for computational geometry. Try your hand at published mesh modification algorithms (simplification, morphing, interactive deformation with force feedback) SOFTWARE: CGAL, OpenInventor SKILLS: C++ ---- TOPIC: Enhanced Image Manipulation Library for UNIX ADVISOR: Dr. Mark Schmalz, CISE Dept., email: mssz@cise.ufl.edu SUMMARY: Enhance existing image statistical analysis package to run from UNIX command line, similar to "combine" command in Solaris, but more elaborate. SKILLS: Must know C programming, basic statistics, some knowledge of image processing helpful. OTHER: This can be a single-person or team project. ---- TOPIC: Enhanced Error Analysis Tool for MATLAB ADVISOR: Dr. Mark Schmalz, CISE Dept., email: mssz@cise.ufl.edu SUMMARY: Continue enhancement of existing statistical error analysis package designed and implemented by previous senior project teams for MATLAB, to include spatial analysis functions for analysis of image compression transform performance, as well as linear and nonlinear convolution. SKILLS: Must know Matlab programming, including GUIs, Must have good knowledge of basic statistics, Some knowledge of image processing helpful. OTHER: This can be a single-person or team project. ---- TOPIC: Enhance, Reinstall, and Test Senior Project Database ADVISOR: Mark Schmalz EMAIL: mssz@cise.ufl.edu SUMMARY: Enhance existing Senior Project online database to allow CEN and CIS registration separately, also to have several new features including statistical reporting. Additionally, perform security analysis and upgrades as-needed. SKILLS: Excellent Web programming, CGI/ASP, security (esp. CIRCA) and HTML skills, knowledge and experience in Web applications and computer security. COMMENTS: 2-3 persons, maximum ---- TOPIC: Develop Courseware Support and Authoring System ADVISOR: Mark Schmalz EMAIL: mssz@cise.ufl.edu SUMMARY: Develop IT/CS Courseware support and authoring system for large course support effort. This involves webpage development including audio, video, frames, menus, html webpages, etc. SKILLS: Excellent Web programming, PHP,CGI,ASP, security (esp. CIRCA) and HTML skills, knowledge and experience in Web applications COMMENTS: 2-3 persons, maximum -EOF-