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Wait, I\u27m tagged?! Toward AR in Project Aquaticus
Get PDFHuman-robot teaming to perform complex tasks in a large environment is limited by the human’s ability to make informed decisions. We aim to use augmented reality to convey critical information to the human to reduce cognitive workload and increase situational awareness. By bridging previous Project Aquaticus work to virtual reality in Unity 3D, we are creating a testbed to easily and repeatedly measure the effectiveness of augmented reality information display solutions to support competitive gameplay. We expect the human-robot teaming performance to be improved due to the increased situational awareness and reduced stress that the augmented reality data display provides
Detection of Seasonal Artic Terrain Change Using A Small Unmanned Aircraft System (sUAS) on the Alaskan North Slope
No full textNumerous locations across the Arctic have exhibited signs of landscape change due to permafrost thaw. However, due to the remoteness of much of the Arctic, ground-based measurements are difficult to make. Remotely sensed platforms provide promise for characterizing broad areas of the landscape. We analyzed landscape change associated with permafrost thaw (i.e., thermokarst development) near seasonal rivers and streams flowing from the Brooks Range to the Beaufort Sea on the North Slope of Alaska. This multidisciplinary project is investigating variability in arctic river chemistry, material fluxes, and thermokarst terrain change during summer season thaw. Photogrammetric topographic surveys were conducted at four selected study sites using a fixed-wing small unmanned aircraft system (sUAS). Ground control points (GCPs) were emplaced throughout the study areas and coordinates were established with post-processed Global Navigation Satellite System (GNSS) occupations. Digital imagery was acquired at an altitude of approximately 75 m above ground level (AGL) resulting in ground sample distances (GSDs) of around 1.3 cm. This paper presents terrain change results spanning a three-month period (June-September 2019) for one of the study sites and discusses some of the challenges of performing sUAS-based change detection in a remote arctic tundra environment
Investigation of Diurnal Fluctuations of Heat and Water Distributions Around Landmines Impacted by Soil Heterogeneity
No full textThe environment in which landmines are placed is heterogeneous. Such differences in soil type, packing and moisture, combined with changes in surface and climate conditions can oftentimes mask the presence of a mine. Understanding the impact of heterogeneity on heat and mass transfer behavior near landmines is paramount to properly identifying landmine locations for demining operations. This study investigates the impact of soil heterogeneity on soil moisture and temperature distributions around buried objects to increase understanding of environmental conditions most dynamic to mine detection performance. A ten-day field experiment was conducted with sensors monitoring atmospheric, surface, and subsurface conditions relative to four different conditions associated with landmine emplacement. Experimental results demonstrate distinct behaviors in soil moisture and temperature distributions above and around buried objects that change due to soil heterogeneity and different climate conditions (i.e., temperature and rain events)
A Bayesian Adjusted Plus-Minus Analysis for the Esport Dota 2
Get PDFAnalytics and professional sports have become linked over the past several years, but little attention has been paid to the growing field of esports within the sports analytics community. We seek to apply an Adjusted Plus Minus (APM) model, an accepted analytic approach used in traditional sports like hockey and basketball, to one particular esports game: Defense of the Ancients 2 (Dota 2). As with traditional sports, we show how APM metrics developed with Bayesian hierarchical regression can be used to quantify individual player contributions to their teams and, ultimately, use this player-level information to predict game outcomes. In particular, we first provide evidence that gold can be used as a continuous proxy for wins to evaluate a team’s performance, and then use a Bayesian APM model to estimate how players contribute to their team’s gold differential. We demonstrate that this APM model outperforms models based on common team-level statistics (often referred to as “box score statistics”). Beyond the specifics of our modeling approach, this paper serves as an example of the potential utility of applying analytical methodologies from traditional sports analytics to esports
Warrant officers should be the next cyber operators
No full textOur proposal is straight forward.
There is too much turnover among non-commissioned officer (NCO)/enlisted cyber operators to match the expanding need for a highly qualified and technically cognizant cyber force. But there are lessons to be learned from other military career fields, which there is a high educational and technical investment upfront (Think of Army aviation or the medical field.) We propose that the cyber force, instead of relying on NCO/enlisted operators, replace these positions with warrant officers with a longer initial time commitment, higher return on the initial investment, and the potential for consolidating organizational knowledge in a more mission effective way
Infusing Principles and Practices for Secure Computing Throughout an Undergraduate Computer Science Curriculum
No full textIn recent years, all computing disciplinary communities and curricular guidelines have increased their expectations of and requirements for incorporating cybersecurity into their discipline. For computer science, this has been a daunting task for a number of reasons, including the fast-paced evolution and expansion of the discipline, the perceived challenge of finding space in the curriculum, and the difficulty of selecting the best content. This paper takes the position that infusing security concepts pervasively into an undergraduate Computer Science program is a crucial and attainable best practice. A five-step methodology is presented to incorporate cybersecurity into a traditional computer science curriculum in a way that maintains disciplinary integrity without adding significant new curricular content. This methodology is consistent with the philosophy and recommendations of the latest computer science and cybersecurity curricular guidelines. The paper also illustrates the application of these techniques to a typical Computer Science program
Design of a Printed Circuit Board (PCB) for Electrical Integration on the Agile Ground Robot (AGRO)
No full textA custom Printed Circuit Board (PCB) was designed and fabricated to integrate several electrical sensing and actuation components and their communication circuits for the rapid development of robots such as the Agile Ground Robot (AGRO). AGRO is a hybrid wheeled/legged robot designed to be quickly deployed by emergency teams and operate autonomously or by remote control to perform tasks such as reconnaissance, inspection, mapping, or object detection. The central computer for such a robot requires the use of motor controllers, servomechanisms, and sensors such as Inertial Measurement Units (IMUs) to operate. AGRO in particular requires inter-device digital communication using CAN, RS232, and S-Bus interfaces. The PCB was designed to meet these requirements through component selection, schematic design, circuit layout, and fabrication. The PCB is mountable as a “shield” on top the AGRO’s Mbed microcontroller, controlling all on-board components and systems through its firmware. The board also features additional pins, switches, and power breakouts for expanding its capabilities
Deliberate Development of Creative Engineers
No full textThe ability of engineers to create and innovate is an essential part of delivering design value. The engineering profession has made this clear in The Engineer of 2020 and it is also a central part of the Civil Engineering Body of Knowledge, 3rd Edition. Many programs provide an opportunity for students to demonstrate creativity and innovation in their capstone projects but few provide foundational instruction or opportunities to hone creativity skills throughout the curriculum. Inspired by the need to develop creative and innovative engineers and encouraged by the literature about how the necessary skills and attitudes can be developed through education, this paper describes how creativity has been deliberately and explicitly integrated in a required senior-level civil engineering course. Although early in implementation and assessment, the data suggests that integrating creativity into existing engineering courses is viable, does not detract from the traditional technical content, and is appreciated by students. The authors argue that we must aggressively continue to develop creative skills through targeted actions across our curriculum and this paper suggests potential areas for future development in this endeavor
Initial Testing and Constitutive Modeling of Cellular Rubber Subjected to Large Strains and High Strain Rates
No full textIn order to allow for the numerical modeling of impacts for the design of live fire facilities commonly used by military and law enforcement personnel against next generation and environmentally friendly ammunition currently in development, constitutive models for novel target materials must be developed. Many existing facilities are constructed from AR500 steel, coupled with a layer of cellular rubber to reduce impact velocities and contain projectile fragments. High strain rate models, such as the commonly used Johnson-Cook constitutive model, are widely available to characterize AR500 steel, but calibrated models do not currently exist to characterize the cellular rubber. This project seeks to address this shortfall and provide a suitable material model for designers of these facilities in order to ensure the safety of users and the public. Appropriate constitutive models that account for the large strain, high strain rates, and temperature effects experienced during ballistic events and the porosity of the material were researched and a plan developed for future materials testing. Three suitable models were selected for further analysis — A Non-Linear Elastic Model described by Johnson in his work with polyurethane coupled with a Mie-Gruneisen equation of state to account for the porosity of the material, an Osborn-Hull model developed for use with crushable solids, and the Holmquist-Johnson-Cook Model commonly used for cementitious materials
Dean\u27s Significant Activities Report 01-10-2020
Get PDFThe Dean’s Weekly Significant Activities Report lists all activities conducted within the Departments, Centers & Staff. The Report is provided to the Dean and Directorate personnel for situational awareness.https://digitalcommons.usmalibrary.org/sigact/1024/thumbnail.jp