ASPiRe 5th Annual Symposium

Fred DeMatteis School of Engineering and Applied Science

ASPiRe Advanced Summer Program in Research

·HOFSTRA·

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FRED DEMATTEIS SCHOOLOF ENGINEERING AND APPLIED SCIENCE

5th Annual Symposium Hofstra University 208 Adams Hall Streaming Live

August23,2021 9:00 a.m. - 3:00 p.m.

Fred DeMatteis School of Engineering and Applied Science

ASPiRe Advanced Summer Program in Research ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS This is the fifth annual Advanced Summer Program in Research (ASPiRe) Symposium to be hosted by the Fred DeMatteis School of Engineering and Applied Science and I am pleased that over twenty-five students have participated. A key component in its success and growth is the most generous financial support it receives from distinguished benefactors of the DeMatteis School.

This year special recognition is due to: Mr. John D. Cameron, P.E. Mr. James K. Donaghy ’90 Mr. Joseph M. Heaney III, P.E. Dr. Sina Y. Rabbany Mr. Thomas J. Sanzone ‘82 Mr. Paul R. Saueracker ’78 Mr. Casimir S. Skrzypczak ’78 Robert Silman Associates, D.P.C Walter P Moore and Associates, Inc. Their support of these exceptional researchers is of immeasurable value to the students themselves and adds luster to all our educational endeavors.

Sina Y. Rabbany, PhD Dean Fred DeMatteis School of Engineering and Applied Science

TABLE OF CONTENTS

Presentation Schedule ....................................................................................................... 2 Design of a Multi-Frequency Single Element Piezoelectric Ultrasonic Transducer ............ 3 Contributing Practical Algorithms to the GAP Software...................................................... 3 Solar Balloon-Supported Structures ................................................................................... 4 Recellularization and Shear Stress Pre-Conditioning of PTFE Graft in a Pulsatile Flow ................................................................................................................. 4 Decellularization, Mechanical Assessment, and Recellularization of Black-eyed Susan Leaves............................................................................................... 5 Extraction of Keratin Macrofilament Bundles from Human Hair ......................................... 5 Organoid-on-the-Chip Platforms for Vascular Biomimicry .................................................. 6 Wound Area Detection ....................................................................................................... 6 Target Tracking Using Visual Servo ................................................................................... 7 Study of Cognitive Radio Ad Hoc Wireless Communication Systems ................................ 7 PCP and Interactive Oracle Proof Friendly Design of ZeroAudit ........................................ 8 Real-time Novelty Assessment from Text .......................................................................... 8 The Creation of Autonomous Robots Using Single-Board Computers ............................... 9 Observational Differences Between Expert ASL Interpreters when Interpreting ASL Phrases and Novice Interpreters When Learning ASL Phrases ...................................... 9 Aerodynamic Performance of Tandem Delta Wings ........................................................ 10 Experimental Investigation of Vortex Shedding Patterns of Tapered Cylinder Pairs ........ 10 Evaluating Baseball Batter Strike Zone Discernment Using Data Analytics ..................... 11 Investigation of Dynamic Heterogenous Behavior of Virtual CPUs on Multi-Tenant Cloud Systems ......................................................................................... 11

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PRESENTATION SCHEDULE TIME 9:00

STUDENT/ADVISOR Joaquin Santos-Moran Dr. Sleiman R. Ghorayeb Daniel Dimijian Camila Larsson Dr. Gretchen Ostheimer Prof. Dr. Bettina Eick (Technische Universität Braunschweig) Robbie Humrich Esther Zhang Dr. Edward Segal, P.E. Dr. M. David Burghardt Sheykha Gada Lucia Galindo Dr. Nicholas Merna

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9:05

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9:20

3

9:40

4

10:00

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10:20

Gianna Rinaldi Dr. Nicholas Merna

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10:35

Mariana Cabral Dr. Roche deGuzman

PROJECT TITLE Dean Rabbany Welcome Design of a Multi-Frequency Single Element Piezoelectric Ultrasonic Transducer

Contributing Practical Algorithms to the GAP Algebra Software

Solar Balloon-Supported Structures

Recellularization and Shear Stress Pre-Conditioning of PTFE Graft in a Pulsatile Flow

Decellularization, Mechanical Assessment, and Recellularization of Black-eyed Susan Leaves Extraction of Keratin Macrofilament Bundles from Human Hair

10:50 7

11:00

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11:15

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11:30

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11:45

BREAK Rahul Ramanathan Dr. Sina Y. Rabbany Jumana Rahman Dr. Edward Currie Dr. Yimin Zhao Mofoluwaso Adesanya Dr. Edward Currie Dr. Yimin Zhao David Chacko Dr. Wing Kwong

Organoid-on-the-Chip Platforms For Vascular Biomimicry Wound Area Detection

Target Tracking Using Visual Servo Study of Cognitive Radio Ad Hoc Wireless Communication Systems LUNCH BREAK

12:00-12:45 11

12:45

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1:00

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1:15

14

1:30

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1:50

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2:05

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2:25

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2:40 3:00

Michael Raymond Dr. Xiang Fu David Fisher Dr. Simona Doboli Jason Cheung Alexander Rosenberg Noah Green Russell Burghard Angelique Vega Dr. S. Rojas-Murillo Nicholas Belitsis Dr. John Vaccaro Matthew O'Donnell Christopher Barbera Dr. David Rooney Dr. John Vaccaro Elise Prete Dr. Richard Puerzer Matthew Elbing Dr. Jianchen Shan

PCP and Interactive Oracle Proof Friendly Design of ZeroAudit

Real-time Novelty Assessment from Text The Creation of Autonomous Robots Using Single-Board Computers Observational Differences Between Expert ASL Interpreters When Interpreting ASL Phrases and Novice ASL Interpreters When Learning ASL Phrases Aerodynamic Performance of Tandem Delta Wings

Experimental Investigation of Vortex Shedding Patterns of Tapered Cylinder Pairs

Evaluating Baseball Batter Strike Zone Discernment Using Data Analytics Investigation of Dynamic Heterogeneous Behavior of Virtual CPUs on Multi-Tenant Cloud Systems ASPiRe Group Photo

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Design of a Multi-Frequency Single Element Piezoelectric Ultrasonic Transducer Researcher: Joaquin G. Santos-Moran Advisor: Dr. Sleiman R. Ghorayeb Ultrasonic Transducers are used in various applications including Non-Invasive Testing and Evaluation, from Medical Imaging to Flaw Detection. Ultrasonic probes are designed and manufactured to operate at a certain frequency to fit the desired testing applications. Lower frequency probes have deeper test material penetration, whereas higher frequency probes provide higher resolution at shallower depths. This research focused on the design of a multi-frequency transducer and simulated using the circuit analysis program PSpice and finite element modeling program SimNDT. This will allow for multiple applications with one single probe. Using transmission line theory and the Redwood-Mason model, PSpice was capable of simulating the single element piezoelectric transducer. Using a standard 10 MHz transducer, a variable tuning network was designed to achieve multiple frequency spectra in the range of 2 – 10 MHz. The finite element simulation program (SimNDT) was used to further evaluate the multi-frequency transducer in various ultrasonic testing scenarios. Using the results of the latter in conjunction with MATLAB helped analyze the behavior of the transducer and optimize the design of the tuning network. The various computer simulations serve as the pre-prototyping stage in the eventual goal of building a functional transducer.

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Contributing Practical Algorithms to the GAP Software Research Team: Daniel Dimijian, Camila Larsson Advisors: Dr. Gretchen Ostheimer (Hofstra) Prof. Dr. Bettina Eick (Technische Universität Braunschweig) The GAP (for Groups, Algorithms, and Programming) software package is a tool that allows theoretical mathematicians to run computations on various abstract algebraic structures, with a particular focus on group theory. GAP has been cited in over 1500 publications in the last 10 years, including in prestigious journals in mathematics. It is free and open source software, and can be freely modified and extended by anybody with the necessary computer science and mathematics background. We are double majoring in these fields, and significant technical knowledge in both is required for our work. We have spent the summer familiarizing ourselves with requisite group theory at the level of a second-year mathematics graduate student and familiarizing ourselves with the usage and structure of GAP in preparation to go into a full year of independent study to complete the project. We are working under the guidance of Dr. Gretchen Ostheimer at Hofstra and Prof. Dr. Bettina Eick at Technische Universität Braunschweig in Germany. Prof. Dr. Eick is one of the world's leading experts in solvable groups, and is highly-involved in GAP as a member of the GAP council, which maintains the project.

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Solar Balloon-Supported Structures Research Team: Robbie Humrich, Esther Zhang Advisors: Dr. Edward M. Segal and Dr. David Burghardt Large-scale balloons are commonly used in a wide variety of applications. These balloons are often made of costly material and either require helium or an external heat source (such as a propane burner) to create a lift force, making these balloons expensive and energy intensive. Solar balloons are a potential alternative. By relying on solar radiation to heat the air inside the balloon, these structures are less expensive and less energy intensive than balloons with helium or external heat sources. While solar balloons have been studied for meteorological and energy-generating applications, they may also have potential in architectural applications, such as overhead shading structures. Other pneumatic structures have already captured the imagination of architects; what do designers need so that solar balloons can become another structural option to be explored? The main objective of this research was to develop a computational tool that helps engineers and architects design overhead solar balloon structures.

To develop this tool, different factors were analyzed, including balloon material, tether material, heat generation/temperature difference, shape, size, and cost. The data informing this tool was collected through experiments, background research on material properties, and previous scientific literature. For example, the temperature difference was tested using thermocouples and various types of plastic/plastic configurations.

Using this data, we estimated the expected temperature change one would achieve within the balloon based on the balloon design, which directly corresponds to the amount of lift the balloon generated. The tool was used to inform a series of prototypes that were built to test the ease of construction and efficiency of the designs. The latest prototype has a ‘pillowcase’ shape that is approximately 16 ft. by 16 ft. in plan and 7 ft. tall and is made of 0.7 mil thick, black high-density polyethylene plastic.

Our future research aims to expand this design tool to include a wider variety of materials, shapes, and environmental circumstances. We intend to perform additional prototyping to further calibrate the design tool and to improve construction guidelines.

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Recellularization and Shear Stress Pre-Conditioning of PTFE Graft in a Pulsatile Flow Research Team: Sheykha Gada, Lucía Galindo Advisor: Dr. Nicholas J. Merna Approximately 500,000 coronary artery bypass graft operations are performed each year in the United States.

To combat challenges surrounding the unavailability of healthy autologous vessels, PTFE has been used but resulted in thrombosis in small caliber grafts. Thrombosis can be prevented by endothelialization of the graft but the exposure of pressures and stresses in the human body can cause removal of endothelial cells. To address this, we have built a pulsatile flow chamber which can condition recellularized PTFE grafts with pulsatile pressure and fluid shear stress to mimic the human body. Thus, our objective is to effectively maintain a confluent monolayer of endothelial cells after recellularization and shear stress conditioning of PTFE grafts.

Sheets of Gore-Tex PTFE graft were seeded with human umbilical vein endothelial cells (HUVECs) and evaluated at 24 and 120 hours. The cells were then stained with DAPI nuclear counterstain to visualize cell density and therefore quantify the success of cell adhesion. The PTFE sheets were seeded with HUVECs at a cell density of 165,000 cells/cm 2. The assessed sheets had average cell densities of 103,899 cells/cm 2 and 65,389 cells/cm 2 at the 24h and 120h time points, respectively.

In order for the vessel to remain patent and successfully anastomose to the vasculature, the graft must have similar mechanical properties as the vessel. These properties were determined through tensile testing. The average elastic modulus of the PTFE vascular stretch graft was 0.26 N/mm 2.

The flow chamber created for the project exhibited a perfect seal and ability to run shear stress. The flow of the system would be controlled by a controller that senses the pressure and flow that the vessel is under to produce the adequate flow. Connections in the system, such as an Arduino microcontroller which would control a solenoid valve, are under development.Currently, a protocol for seeding is being developed to later transfer the seeded vessel onto the chamber.

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Decellularization, Mechanical Assessment, and Recellularization of Black-eyed Susan Leaves Researcher: Gianna Rinaldi Advisor: Dr. Nick Merna Coronary artery disease is very common in the U.S. with over 3 million cases a year. Each year there is an increasing demand for vascular grafts. The gold standard is the autologous saphenous vein, however they aren’t always readily available. Plant tissues have been minimally tested in labs as potential candidates for vascular grafts. One challenge we face is removing the stomata which contain DNA from the plant tissue. The objective was to identify a method of decellularization that best maintains the mechanical properties of the leaves (such as burst pressure and elastic modulus), while still removing 90% of the DNA (to prevent thrombosis and immune rejection). Freshly picked Black-eyed Susan leaves were decellularized using a combination of enzymatic treatments and detergents for six days. One leaf was treated for two days with 0.02% Trypsin, two days with 1% Tergitol, and two days with 0.05% EGTA. Another leaf was treated for two days with 0.02% Trypsin, two days with 1% Tergitol, and two days with 1% SDS. The scaffolds were seeded with endothelial cells (ECs) for 24 and 72 hours with a seeding density of 176,500 𝑐𝑒𝑙𝑙𝑠/𝑐𝑚2 to evaluate cytotoxicity and cell adhesion. The reseeded scaffolds were stained with a DAPI nuclear counterstain and underwent fluorescent imaging to quantify the number of cells. A tensile test was conducted to compare the mechanical strength of the decellularized leaves to that of the non-decellularized leaves. The decellularization yielded DNA removals of 64.5% and 59.8%, respectively, when compared to the intact leaf. The final cell densities were 134,772 𝑐𝑒𝑙𝑙𝑠/𝑐𝑚2 and 72,869 𝑐𝑒𝑙𝑙𝑠/𝑐𝑚2 at the 24 and 72 hour mark (Fig 1A and 1B), and 176,353 𝑐𝑒𝑙𝑙𝑠/𝑐𝑚2 and 106,164 𝑐𝑒𝑙𝑙𝑠/𝑐𝑚2 (Fig 1C and 1D), respectively. The elastic modulus of the conditions were found to be 8.99 𝑁/𝑚𝑚2 and 1.98 𝑁/𝑚𝑚2 compared to the elastic modulus of the intact Black-eyed Susan which was 14.96 𝑁/𝑚𝑚2 . Our future plans include seeding smooth muscle cells onto the leaf scaffolds to generate 3D vascular grafts.

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Extraction of Keratin Macrofilament Bundles from Human Hair Researcher: Mariana Cabral Advisor: Dr. Roche de Guzman Protein hydrogels made from purified keratin biomaterials have great potential for regenerative medicine. Our lab has used crude extracts for bone tissue engineering research, but now transitioning to the pure form for improvement. In this study, we developed an initial process for the alternative extraction of keratins from human hair. Keratin associated proteins (KAPs) embed keratin macrofilament bundles in hair. Dissolving these matrix KAPs while keeping keratins insoluble using reducing agents and alcohol is the hypothesized strategy. Hair clippings were treated with various combinations of reducers, alcohol, denaturant, and buffers, then supernatants and residual hairs collected, and analyzed through gel electrophoresis and electron microscopy (SEM) and tensile testing, respectively. SEM confirmed the cuticle opening thereby releasing the soluble cortex materials.

Addition of ethanol extracted mainly small molecular weight (MW) KAPs that can crosslink (X-link) due to oxidation to disulfides after dialysis (figure, left). Treatment with dithiothreitol reverted KAPs back to their < 37kDa MWs. The residual hair showed the insoluble keratin macrofilament bundles with < 10-µm diameters (figure, right). Fiber mechanical testing resulted in an exponential decrease in ultimate tensile strength over time with regular replacement of extraction buffers including thioglycolic acid, but still preserved their gel intactness even after 8 days, suggesting increased keratin purity (with increased loss of KAPs responsible for strength). We accepted the study hypothesis, and the next steps will involve further characterization of the macrofilament bundles. Acknowledgement: Atara Israel for help with the experiments.

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Organoid-on-the-Chip Platforms For Vascular Biomimicry Researcher: Rahul Ramanathan Advisor: Dr. Sina Y. Rabbany The smallest vessels in our body, capillaries, are composed of a single monolayer of endothelial cells (ECs) that deliver oxygen and nutrients to every layer of our tissues. When blood moves through capillary networks, the flow imparts biomechanical forces on the ECs which impact the cells’ morphology. The magnitude of the flow rate will determine the shear stress–a mechanical stimuli on the inner surface of ECs–and transmit a signal into the interior of cells, triggering a variety of mechanotransductory cellular responses. A microfluidic system can be designed to create human relevant models of vascularization by replicating capillary networks in a specific micro-organ. We have designed and developed a microfluidic platform to mimic molecular signature and architecture of human tissue in vitro by allowing vascularization of organoids which would otherwise remain avascular. A 3D printer is used to form negative molds, and, subsequently, a biocompatible PDMS based microfluidic device is fabricated. Thereafter, organ cells and ECs can be seeded into the device to form an organoid which under different flow regimens allow for generation of vascular networks with perfusable lumens in the 3D organoid. This device ensures laminar flow, a necessary condition for flow through a capillary network. Successful cell seeding has shown growth and formation of an organoid in the microfluidic device. Moreover, a complete vascular network has been formed which mimics the 3D physiology of human organ systems. We conclude that vascularization is a necessity in the formation of in vitro organoid platforms that can be used for to develop alternatives to murine drug testing and experimentation.

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Wound Area Detection Researcher: Jumana Rahman Advisors: Dr. Edward Currie, Dr. Yimin Zhao The goal of my research during the Aspire Program was to explore different methods that can successfully be applied to the robotic wound closure system that currently exists so that it can detect the wound area in a given image by distinguishing between the wound area and the background. To do so, several image processing and segmentation techniques such as OTSU threshold image segmentation, color space, and contour based wound area detection were studied. The OTSU threshold image segmentation is a step up from the usual global thresholding technique where we find and use a certain chosen value as a threshold. However, the OTSU method avoids the issue of finding the optimized threshold value and determines it itself automatically and is able to use that threshold value to segment the wound portion from the entire image. This segmentation technique works well if the wound is on a surface of the skin that has no other dark lines. For example, if the wound is on the inner palm of the hand, it will also pick up the palm lines. Wound area detection in the color space works by using color to find the wound area as long as the color of the wound is a shade of red due to the fact that the program uses an upper and lower bound of the shades of red. Lastly, the contour-based wound area detection method works by turning the image into a black and white image and then detecting the area of the wound by the shade of gray and drawing contours around the wound's edges.

After studying these techniques and their results, the wound detection techniques of the color space and contours were combined to create an algorithm that can detect the wound using the color space technique and draw contours around the wound in real time. The algorithm was successful in detecting the wound area and created a bounding box around the wound along with a center point for the wound. Work is underway to apply the algorithm created to the robotic wound closure system so that the robot can detect and follow the wound in the case that the patient moves.

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Target Tracking Using Visual Servo Researcher: Mofoluwaso Adesanya Advisors: Dr. Edward Currie, Dr. Yimin Zhao The goal of this research project was to implement target tracking using Visual Servoing (VS). VS refers to the control of a robot using visual feedback information. This project used the Phantom Vision Tracking Kit, a PanTilt turret system with a webcam at the end effector. To implement target tracking using this robot, I first learned about ROS - Robot Operating System with software libraries and tools for controlling robots, and ROS parameters for communicating with robots using Python or C++ executable code. Luckily, ROS comes with pre-built packages for implementing VS, and I studied these packages to implement VS with the robot.

Although ROS implements two methods for achieving VS - Colour Segmentation and AR Tag Tracking, this project focused only on the package that implemented VS using Colour Segmentation. This is because the final goal of the project is to track a wound target (based on its colour) in video images. Colour Segmentation works by defining certain upper and lower threshold limits based on the Hue, Saturation and Value parameters of an Image. The threshold values reveal a particular shade of a colour such that given an image, the camera will detect the specific colour from the image. In real-time, any object that falls within the range of the specified HSV value is detected by the camera, and tracked. I achieved VS by supplying a spreadsheet file containing HSV threshold limits that define certain colours such that the camera detects the specific image that was intended and tracks it. Following the implementation of target tracking using random objects based on colour, the next step in this project is to track a wound target by specifying the location of the target. This choice to provide the location, rather than specifying the colour is based on certain realistic considerations such as size, and colour of the target. Although colour segmentation worked adequately for this project, the goal is to have it work suitably for real life wounds and realistically, wounds can vary in Hue, Saturation and Value parameters that may require different threshold limits.

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Study of Cognitive Radio Ad Hoc Wireless Communication Systems Researcher: David Chacko Advisor: Wing Kwong With recent advancements in 5G and IoT technologies, capacity and throughput demands in wireless communication systems are expected to grow exponentially and create spectrum scarcity. Cognitive radio (CR) is an important modern wireless/mobile technology for such contemporary applications because it can support a dynamic multiple-user environment and alleviate the traffic-load and spectrum scarcity problems. The channel-hopping (CH) rendezvous protocol in CR-based systems is receiving attention due to its various advantages. In the CH protocol, the selection of rendezvous (frequency) channels among wireless/mobile devices is dynamically and distributively governed by their assigned CH sequences.

This project first designed new asynchronous CH sequences that could maximize spectral efficiency, carried out quick and frequent rendezvous, supported a larger number of devices, and enhanced data throughput. To discover and validate the design, MATLAB programming was utilized to quickly and efficiently create the CH sequences. Afterward, an experimental testbed was developed through Simulink to test the new CH sequences along with FM modulation to send and receive audio. To demonstrate the CR technology, three ADALM-PLUTO software-defined radios (SDRs) developed by Analog Devices, Inc. was used as two transmitters and one receiver in the testbed. They each cycled through their own CH sequences and transmitted and received information when their channels aligned. This testbed allowed for addition of multiple users, more channel overlaps, and greater usage of the frequency spectrum. Using PLUTO-SDR and Simulink programming, the testbed is extendable for futher studies, such as performance validation of the CH sequences by means of bit-error-rate measurement through BPSK modulation, development of a collisionresolution mechanism, and implementation of larger-scale experimentations.

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PCP and Interactive Oracle Proof Friendly Design of ZeroAudit Researcher: Michael Raymond Advisor: Dr. Xiang Fu This summer, we extended the following conference paper into a journal paper. Aman Luthra, James Cavanaugh, Hugo Renzzo Olcese, Rina M. Hirsch, Xiang Fu: ZeroAUDIT. ACSAC 2020: 798-812. In the ACSAC’20 paper, the ZeroAudit system is designed for detecting Ponzi schemes, but without knowing any details of financial transactions. Its key contribution is a confidential Merkle tree membership zero knowledge proof. Recently, there is rapid progress in the area of probabilistic checkable proof for verifiable computing. We investigated new cryptographic constructions, such as new accumulators and hash, which are “cost” friendly to these new zero knowledge proof systems. We then implement these constructions and tackle the same zero auditing problem, and compare their performance with the ACSAC’20 work. We have Prover Hash Constraints Building Time (ms) Proving Time (ms) implemented the scheme using a Sha 22663 (1.0x) 7046 (1.0x) 3501 (1.0x) ZKSnark circuit construct software and implemented the algorithm Platform 1 Pedersen 4595 (4.9x) 1920 (3.7x) 641 (5.5x) fully. Experiments show that it ZKSnark-Friendly 385 (58.9x) 432 (16.3x) 174 (20.1x) achieves, at minimal, 58.9 times fewer constraints, 12.4 times faster Sha 32768 (1x) 11551 (1.0x) 620 (1.0x) building time and 11.4 times faster Platform 2 Pedersen 8192 (4x) 2646 (4.4x) 196 (3.2x) proving time against Sha whereas Pedersen’s best is 4.9 times fewer ZKSnark-Friendly 512 (64x) 191 (60.5x) 24 (25.8x) constraints, 4.4 times faster building time and 5.5 times faster Sha 32768 (1x) 2748 (1.0x) 2262 (1.0x) proving time against Sha. These Platform 3 Pedersen 8192 (4x) 1215 (2.3x) 1020 (2.2x) results will be incorporated in the paper to be submitted at the end of ZKSnark-Friendly 512 (64x) 222 (12.4x) 198 (11.4x) the summer. Details shown:

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Real-time Novelty Assessment from Text Researcher: David Fisher Advisor: Dr. Simona Doboli There is a value in creative, novel ideas; be it their utility or practicality, that makes them particularly valuable to identify. While a novel idea is easily identifiable by a domain expert, the process of identifying many novel ideas interspersed throughout a dataset spanning thousands of entries then tends towards diminished speed and quality.

The advantage therefore in a computational method for identifying novel ideas in real-time is evident; unmatched speed without faltering quality, and an objective method for assessing novelty that doesn’t deviate between domain experts both demonstrate the benefit of a computational means of assessing novelty; of our research.

In assessing novelty of ideas, we explored two different qualities of a proposed idea; novelty and relevance. The novelty of an idea was found by comparing it to both past ideas and to a domain dataset. Relevance was found by comparing the frequency of an ideas words in both a domain dataset and general dataset; if the words composing an idea are more likely to be found in the general dataset, the idea is has low relevance. The significance of both of these qualities being assessed is that while an idea may be novel and thus distinct from other ideas and domain data, it may not necessarily be relevant but an outlier and naturally, irrelevant.

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The Creation of Autonomous Robots Using Single-Board Computers Researcher: Jason Cheung Advisor: Alexander J. Rosenberg As technology slowly evolves each year, the usage of low-cost credit card-sized computers, otherwise known as single-board computers, are becoming more popularized. The reason for this is due to its power, affordability, and multiplicable applications. As a result, this allows people of all skill levels, especially hobbyists, to have the opportunity to learn and explore the different fields of AI (artificial intelligence). By doing so, it will hopefully allow people to become more immersed and create new powerful robots for real-world applications especially for education, industries, and emergency services. Some examples of single-board computers today are the Raspberry Pi, Nvidia Jetson Nano, Onion Omega2+, and Arduino Mega2650.

Using these single-board computers, the goal of this project is to explore multiple popular AI and ML (machine learning) libraries which would then be used to create an autonomous robot on an open-source platforms such as TensorFlow, Keras, OpenCV, PyTorch, and ROS (robot operating system). Provided that autonomous robots are now viewed as beneficial and are commonly used around the world; the inspiration to create one grew. Thus, with the usage and capability of single-board computers, we attempted to tackle various high-level tasks such as object recognition, path navigation, map-building, obstacle avoidance, and object-delivery on an existing robot called the Adeept Dark Paw Robot.

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Observational Differences Between Expert ASL Interpreters when Interpreting ASL Phrases and Novice Interpreters When Learning ASL Phrases Research Team: Russell Burghard, Noah Green, Angelique Vega Advisor: Dr. Salvador Rojas-Murillo American Sign Language (ASL) is a visual language that requires the interpretation of a combination of visual cues performed by ASL signers such as fingerspelling, facial expressions, and arm and hand movements. Hearingimpairment is a prevalent disability. Individuals with hearing-impairment often experience communication barriers with family members. Unfortunately, the tools available to assist families and the general public with learning ASL are insufficient. We sought to analyze where novice ASL interpreters visually fixate most to aid advances in ASLteaching software efforts. We recruited two expert and six novice ASL interpreters. The interpreters were asked to wear Tobii eye-tracking glasses and view a video of an ASL interpreter performing 17 ASL phrases. Differences in novice and expert areas of visual fixation were observed. We discovered that the expert interpreters focused 77.86% of their fixation duration at the interpreter’s upper face alone while the novices fixated most on the lower face and chest (upper body) regions as they spent 74.98% of their fixation duration in these two areas. These results will help engineers and computer scientists develop more effective ASL learning platforms to bridge the communication gap with the hearing-impaired.

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Aerodynamic Performance of Tandem Delta Wings Researcher: Nicholas Belitsis, Advisor: Dr. John Vaccaro Delta wings are highly swept wings utilized on aircraft that travel at trisonic speeds. The wings are characterized by a triangular planform and feature a sharp leading edge that create vortices as flow passes over them. At subsonic speeds, these vortices dominate flow and are highly influential to wing performance. A tandem configuration consists of an upstream wing and downstream wing. The aim of the research is to investigate and understand the interaction between the vortices of the upstream wing and the downstream wing. In doing so, we hope to determine an optimal configuration in order to maximize aerodynamic performance.

Figure 1. Schematic of Delta Wings where U ∞ represents the freestream velocity of flow

Testing was conducted using steel delta wings and an Aerolab OpenCircuit Subsonic wind tunnel. An ATI Gamma Load cell capable of measuring both forces and torques in the x, y, and z directions was used to collect force data on the downstream wing. The angle of the upstream wing was held constant while the angle of the downstream wing was varied from 0º to 50º in increments of five degrees. This process was repeated for multiple angles of the upstream wing.

Data showed that increasing the angle of attack of the upstream wing both softened and delayed the onset of stall for the downstream wing.

However, increasing the angle of the upstream wing also lead to a decrease in the overall lift of the downstream wing. This likely occurred due to unfavorable vortex interaction. When the upstream wing was at an angle of -10º, the lift characteristics of the downstream wing increased across all angles. We can infer that at this angle, the vortex of the upstream wing enhanced the vortex of the downstream wing. Future research entails vertical and horizontal variations in wing positioning and Particle Image Velocimetry [PIV] tests. PIV is an optical flow measuring technique that would allow us to see how the vortices of the wings form and interact with each other.

Figure 2. Coefficient of lift of the downstream wing plotted against the angle of attack of the downstream wing at varying angles of the upstream wing. A drop in the lift curve is indicative of wing stall occurring.

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Experimental Investigation of Vortex Shedding Patterns of Tapered Cylinder Pairs Research Team: Chris Barbera, Matt O’Donnell Advisors: Dr. David Rooney, Dr. John Vaccaro An experimental wind tunnel investigation was carried out on the wake flow patterns generated by the interaction of a steady uniform upstream flow with both single and paired tapered circular cylinders mounted on a flat ground plane.

Three pairs of cylinders were examined, each pair having a distinct aspect ratio and taper ratio. The cylinders were mounted on a rotatable surface, which allowed for multiple spacings between the cylinders and multiple angles between the cylinders and the oncoming flow. Special attention was devoted to examining the wake flow for dominant frequencies which would indicate the presence of organized vortex shedding. For each configuration studied, data were collected at 59 span-wise relative heights to allow for analysis of span-wise changes in vortex shedding frequencies.

The results were plotted three-dimensionally with the x-axis being the dimensionless frequency distribution, the y-axis being the relative height along a given cylinder, and the z-axis being the power spectral density of the analyzed signal at each location. These cascade plots of PSD clearly show the presence of organized cells of constant shedding frequency for many of the cases examined, consisted with the presumption that a tapered cylinder wake will naturally organize into such cells. This study represents the first known attempt to analyze vortex shedding patterns behind pairs of tapered cylinders, where the wakes of each cylinder will interact in different ways depending on their distance apart and their orientation.

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Evaluating Baseball Batter Strike Zone Discernment Using Data Analytics Researcher: Elise Prete Advisor: Dr. Puerzer This goal of this project was to develop a metric to evaluate the discernment of the strike zone for professional baseball batters. Previously, data had only been available on a batter’s performance per at-bat. Now, data is accessible and collected on every pitch: location of a pitch as it crosses plate, pitch type, velocity and spin rate of a pitch, a batter’s action (swing, no swing, foul ball, etc.), and the result of the pitch. This data was used to develop the percentage of strikes swung at and balls taken for each player. The sum of these two values can provide a discernment score. There are also very important situations of an at bat that impacts player choice.

Examples include: 0-0 pitch count, 3-2 pitch count, pitcher and batter handedness (lefty/righty), type of pitch, game situation on batter, personal decision for each pitch. Working with the Statcast dataset that MLB uses, the data set contains the count, pitch type, event, etc. This is important data that was used when coding the discernment values. To code the metric that was worked on, the formula, Discernment Score = % strikes swung at + % balls taken, was defined. Upon finding this metric, there was a large amount of data extraction that needed to take place. This included removing bad data, organizing all of the New York Yankees into a sub-data set, classifying each pitch based on where the pitch was. Fastballs and 3-2 pitch counts were also looked at to see how that affected the players’ discernment scores. The data was found to show differences in the skill level of players with regard to strike zone discernment.

18.

Investigation of Dynamic Heterogenous Behavior of Virtual CPUs on Multi-Tenant Cloud Systems Researcher: Matthew Elbing Advisor: Jianchen Shan Our experiment shows that the Linux load balancer performs poorly in virtualized environments. Specifically, the CPU time available to a virtual machine (VM) cannot be fully utilized. The Linux load balancer assumes that the virtual CPUs (vCPUs) of a VM are symmetric, since the VM will equally assign CPU time to each vCPU with the intention of emulating the underlying multicore machine. But in a multi- tenant cloud where time sharing is employed for high resource utilization and low cost, the vCPU capacity is also determined by the VMs of other users on the server. Thus, this assumption no longer holds true and may mislead the load balancer into making incorrect scheduling decisions.

Our observation indicates that the vCPUs are dynamically asymmetric when the physical machine is timeshared by multiple VMs. A vCPU can reach its maximal capacity when all other vCPUs co-located on the same core are idle. In this case, all the CPU time of the core can be utilized by the vCPU due to the work-conserving principle, which may even allow a vCPU to consume more CPU time than it was assigned. On the other hand, a vCPU would have lower capacity on a core that is highly contended by multiple co-running vCPUs. A vCPU’s capacity varies when the contention on the core changes. This makes the vCPU capacity dynamic.

Our major contribution is to experimentally reveal that Linux load balancer is unaware of the dynamic asymmetry of vCPUs, which results in vCPU time wasted and low re- source utilization within a cloud VM. We propose dynamically collecting and exposing the vCPU capacity to the Linux scheduler.

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