Computer Science & Engineering

What is an Computer Scientist/Engineer?

Computer Scientist apply problem solving technique to the design of computer software. They are more than just programmers, as they must be able to bend the requirements of the languages to fit their needs. These needs vary by interest but can include teaching a robot how to find a human under several feet of rubble or using artificial intelligence to have a computer tell the difference between a table and a camera in a picture.

A Computer Engineer mainly focuses on the hardware side of computers. They design the placements of the wires or design the chips that will be used in the machines. The applications of a Computer Engineer are not limited to a PC, but are used to create the logical circuits needed to make a robotic arm operate. They work in close connection with computer scientists and in fact need to know some programming themselves in order to get the job done.

What does the USF Computer Science/Engineering Department have to offer?

From the undergraduate level, Computer Science & Engineering majors are encouraged to do research. This research consists of projects and collaborative learning with the faculty and graduate students. With over 9 centers for research with various projects underneath, there is certianly a lot to do at the department of computer science and engineering. Focus areas for research include the Center for Microelectronics Research, the Perceptual Robotics Lab, Graphics and Geometric Modeling Lab; Software Usability and Design Studies Lab; Intelligence Systems Lab; Networks/Informations Systems Lab; Computer Vision and Image Informatics Lab; VLSI Computer Architecture and Parallel Processing Lab; and the National Institute for Systems Test and Productivitiy.

Projects currently being worked on are improved MRI imaging techniques, security research, use of robots in urban search and rescue.

Click here to see more administrative information about the USF - Computer Science/Engineering Program.

Or visit the Computer Science Department Website at http://www.csee.usf.edu/

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Perceptual Robotics Laboratory

The focus of this laboratory is to reduce human intervention in high risk situations. One of the best examples of the robots being put to work are in the aftermath of September 11, where robots were deployed to aid search workers find disaster victims under the rubble.

For more information please visit http://www.csee.usf.edu/robotics/

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Intelligent Systems Laboratory

Research done in this Laboratory encompasses more than 10 different projects which deal with various areas of artificial intelligence, data mining, and fuzzy logic. Projects in under this laboratory include applying Neuro-Fuzzy systems to medicine, dynamic computing (explained below), exchanges for complex commodities (explained below), improving search performance in large databases, and pattern recognition.

Dynamic Computing and Attractor-Based Computing

This project is working on changing the way computers work. Current computers use transistors that have only two states on or off. The idea behind attractor-based computing has the information being collected in a series of dynamic states. These will eventually lead to the development of computers that behave like a human brain in the way information passes between elemental members (t-ganglion) much like neurons pass information to other neurons in the brain.

Exchanges for Complex Commodities

This work is being done by Eugene Fink, the basic idea is to enable rapid trading of goods and services. Kind of like the stock exchange but on a larger scale where the stocks are complicated objects like cars. A large point of focus is to match buyers and sellers.

For more information please visit http://morden.csee.usf.edu/

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Computer Networks Group/ Information Systems Laboratory

High-Speed Switching with Variable Length Packets

This work is being done by Ken Christensen and his students which are working on new architectures for the next generation of high-speed packet switches. The focus of this work is to eliminate the fixed-width packets which cause an overhead to develop. Variable length packets get rid of the overhead and allow for higher transfer rates. Work is being done to directly affect the URL/web layer. Models of Virtual Output Queued and Combined Input and Crossbar Queued switches have been developed and released to other research interests.

This is also being worked on by Ken Christensen and his students which are working on a way of increasing the use of video for improving the security of Cape Canaveral. One interesting requirement of the project is that no video be lost due to network problems. In addition, the project will work on wearable video cameras, which will be used by the spaceport technicians. These cameras will allow the technicians to consult with experts or save video in use for training materials. This project is working on coordinating high amounts of video cameras in a small area.

For more information please visit http://www.csee.usf.edu/~christen/islab.html

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Computer Vision and Image Informatics Laboratory (CVIIL)

For humans, it is easy to receive visual information. However it is a different story with computers. How do you tell a computer what is the difference between an apple and an orange? The CVIIL program is in charge of designing intelligent computer algorithms for extracting information such as identifying 3D structures, 3D motion, object or person identity, material property, or geometric shape from images. A great deal of focus is being put to use in medical and marine applications, and addressing the unresolved problems in the areas of perceptual organization, evaluation, and gait analysis.

CVIIL is well equipped with computational material. An 8 node Sunfire computer server with 32 Gigs of on-board memory, another 4 node Sum computer server and workstations, a Cyberware 3D range scanner, and many other photographic and imaging devices. CVIIL has a major presence in vision conferences and journals, and are renown world wide for state-of-the-art research.

For more information please visit http://figment.csee.usf.edu/index.html

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National Institute for Systems Test and Productivity (NISTP)

The NISTP began in the spring of 2001 and became a type II Research Center in June of 2002. The goal of NISTP is to provide an environment in which research and development can be performed with regard to software testing and system productivity on both theoretical and practical levels. NISTP teaches government and industry professionals new techniques in the testing of software. All actions done under NISTP are designed to comply with its mission to provide tools that will improve the testing of software. Some projects being worked on include automated generation and simplification of test cases; intelligent methods and tools for automated search and verification of web-based information; intelligent test data generation using fuzzy risk backtracking; and large-scale software systems research.

For more information please visit http://www.csee.usf.edu/softec.html

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VLSI Computer Architecture and Parallel Processing Group

The group is composed of 5 faculty members and 20 graduate students. Specific areas of research include computer architecture, interconnection networks, ASIC design, VLSI algorithms and architectures, high level synthesis, low power VLSI, logic simulation, parallel processing, VLSI for data compression, image processing, pattern matching and coding theory.

For more information please visit http://figaro.csee.usf.edu/

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Computer Graphics and Geometric Modeling Lab

This lab was founded in the 1980s and has seen a variety of projects. Fields of interest include faster algorithms, fractal geometry, radiosity, object tessellations. Some of the research projects include fitting simple surfaces to measured data (where a model is scanned and using the point information the model is virtually reconstructed), handling 3-D input with 2-D devices, and real-time building walkthrough.

For more information please visit http://www.csee.usf.edu/graphics/graphics.html

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Laboratory for Software Usability and Design Studies

Coordinated by Dewey Rundus, this lab's focus is on the study of computer user interfaces. Various projects include voice control of applications, special keyboard input for the handicapped, use of hierarchal and networked website structures, and ways of testing user interfaces.

For more information please visit http://grad.csee.usf.edu/suds/docs/suds.html

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Center for Microelectronics Research (CMR)

This is a college-wide center with 8 laboratories in the engineering complex. Two of these labs are used by the Computer Science department, which are the Microelectronics Design Laboratory and the Rapid Prototyping Laboratory. The center's mission is to conduct advanced research and development of microelectronics materials, devices and process and to develop state-of-the-art capabilities in microelectronics design, prototyping and test techniques and promote the transfer of these technologies to industry and government.

For more information please visit http://www.cmr.eng.usf.edu

The descriptions of the Research facilites are courtesy of the Department of Computer Science and Engineering

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