| Computer
Science
McAdams Hall dedicated
The newly extended and renovated McAdams Hall, in the center of
the Clemson University campus, is home to the department of computer
science and state-of-the-art technology. The addition comprises
24,000 square feet of new space and 11,000 square feet of renovated
space, with more than $3 million in computer equipment and infrastructure.
A burgeoning area of computer science, digital production arts (DPA)
has expanded its studio space for major motion picture quality animation
and effects, along with video editing and sound booths.
“We are now the envy of the West Coast,” computer science
associate professor John Kundert-Gibbs said of the facility and
equipment. According to Kundert-Gibbs, his graduate students are
offered major motion picture animation jobs in places across the
country. “With this space and equipment, we are able to compete
on a technical level that very few other universities offer.”
In addition to DPA, the new McAdams Hall has five instructional
laboratories and one general access laboratory. That translates
into 2,800 square feet of laboratory space for research in virtual
reality, computer networks, sensor networks, parallel computing,
eye tracking and Web applications (see related stories, this page).
The ribbon cutting makes it official!
The recently-renovated McAdams Hall is now home to Clemson’s
computer science department. Joining in the dedication are (from
left to right) Pradip Srimani, computer science department chair;
Clemson President, James Barker, Provost Doris Helms, and CoES Dean,
Tom Keinath.
Computer science wins top awards from Eurographics
Clemson University students and professors won top awards at the
international 2005 Eurographics research conference at Trinity College
in Dublin, Ireland, for their research and animation.
Computer science professors Robert Geist and James Westall, and
Ph.D. student Karl Rasche, of Clemson received the Gunther Enderle
Award for best research paper. Re-coloring Images for Gamuts of
Lower Dimension, addresses a technique for automatically re-coloring
images, such as those seen on computer displays, so that the full
information contained in the images can be seen by viewers with
color-deficient vision.
Digital production arts director John Kundert-Gibbs and graduate
student Jerry Gardiner received the Best Animation Award for Demons
Within. Although a short animation, Demons Within contains graphic
images that left a strong impression on its viewers.
“This is a big award with international significance,”
said Kundert-Gibbs. “I’m proud that Clemson University
was so successful that all five of our submissions were selected
for presentation at Eurographics.”
Computer science professor, John
Kundert-Gibbs runs the Vicon motion capture system while Adam Blank
acts out animation.
Clemson researchers enable large-scale sensor testing
As our roads and bridges age, imagine them talking to engineers
to let them know when they’ve reached their structural stress
point.
What about an individual tree in an orchard letting a farmer know
if it is getting its share of light and water or has hazardous materials
in the dirt surrounding it?
And then there’s the tracking of a bullet’s movement
in real time so that a sniper’s location can be revealed to
authorities.
These three scenarios have a common element known as “motes”
– tiny wireless computer devices small enough to be held in
one hand. When they work together, they form a network of sensors
that track light, sound, humidity, temperature, motion and a host
of other environmental stimuli. Some of the sensors are so sensitive,
they can detect the sound of a beating heart through a brick wall.
When these devices are placed in groups of two, 20, 100 or even
1,000, they talk to each other and to other computers that collect
and analyze the data transmitted.
Computer science researchers at Clemson University have developed
a wireless sensor network (WSN) testbed for researchers to test
and debug their WSN systems. The testbed is currently being expanded
to support 50 motes, and will eventually support hundreds of devices.
The software developed at Clemson allows university researchers
to quickly deploy, test and study their WSN systems without having
to invest in costly equipment.
Clemson computer science assistant
professor Jason Hallstrom (foreground) and Ph.D. student Andrew
Dalton prepare a wireless sensor network testbed.
Computer Science conducts eye-catching research
Computer users look at monitor screens, and in one Clemson University
computer science lab, the screens look back.
Clemson researchers use an eye-tracking system to locate where a
person’s gaze is targeted on a computer screen. Built into
the computer monitor, the technology follows eye movement using
eye reflection and infrared light. A camera in the monitor allows
computers to make assumptions about user behavior.
The potential applications for the technology are eye-popping:
• smarter cars signaling a driver when his eyes are closing
or when he is not
paying attention;
• disabled people communicating by moving a mouse with their
eyes, navigating around the computer screen when they can’t
move their limbs;
Funding from the National Science Foundation paid for three Tobii
Technology, A.B. eye-tracking workstations, giving Clemson one of
the largest eye-tracking installations in the nation.
Computer science associate professor
Andrew Duchowski assists graduate students John Heminghous and Akshay
Katrekar with eye tracking technology.
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