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141-150 of 204 results

  • Matrix Analysis and Operator Theory

    PI Edward Poon

    Matrices and operators are ubiquitous throughout science, engineering, and mathematics; they are the transformations that arise whenever one studies a linear system (or approximates a nonlinear system by a linear one). Examples include rotations and reflections (rigid motions of space), spin operators (quantum mechanics and quantum computing), stress tensors (mechanics), regression and curve fitting (statistics and data analysis), derivatives and linear differential operators (dynamical systems), to name just a few.  By studying various properties, relations, and transformations of matrices and operators one may obtain insight into a wide range of phenomena.

    One particular class of problems of interest is the study of preservers.  For example, if M_n denotes the space of n x n matrices, one might ask for a complete classification of the isometries preserving a fixed norm.  More generally, given any (possibly multi-valued) function f of a matrix (such as its determinant, rank, eigenvalues, singular values, numerical range, etc) one can ask for a description of the maps T:M_n -> M_n satisfying f(T(A)) = f(A) for all A in M_n; in this case one says that T preserves f.  Usually one imposes some additional structure on T, requiring that it be linear, or simply additive, or multiplicative, and so on.  One might also wish to describe those maps T leaving certain special subsets of matrices invariant (such as projections, unitaries, rank one matrices, etc.).  A broad range of tools and concepts are used in solving such preserver problems; for example, consideration of the dual norm, coupled with convexity arguments, can be handy in classifying isometries, while majorization may appear in problems involving eigenvalues, singular values, and unitarily invariant norms.  Currently, investigation is being conducted on isometries of certain matrix subalgebras, as well as preservers of certain collections of projections.

    Categories: Faculty-Staff

  • UAV-based tools in forest environments

    PI Scott Post

    Measuring turbulent wind forces in forests to understand the forces on UAVs in flight, with a goal of being able to keep a UAV in position to mm tolerance. 

    Categories: Faculty-Staff

  • Astronomy

    PI Pragati Pradhan

    CO-I Brian Rachford

    CO-I Noel Richardson

    Astronomy is one of the oldest sciences, as people have been observing and learning from the stars for thousands of years. Astronomy has expanded beyond visible light to include the full spectrum of electromagnetic waves, from radio to x-rays and gamma rays, as well as cosmic messengers beyond the electromagnetic spectrum.

    Embry‑Riddle Prescott's astronomy research covers a broad range of topics and observation techniques, with a particular focus on binary star systems. Our Campus Observatory includes 20-inch and 16-inch optical telescopes, several radio dishes and cameras for meteor observations. Student and faculty researchers work with data from both space-based satellites spanning the electromagnetic spectrum from the high-energy X-rays through the thermal infrared, as well as ground-based optical and infrared telescopes across the globe. Our astronomy faculty has a strong track record of publications with student authors and receives external funding from various sources, including NASA and the Space Telescope Science Institute.

    Categories: Faculty-Staff

  • Investigate Detect and Avoid Track Classification and Filtering

    PI Richard Prazenica

    CO-I Troy Henderson

    CO-I Morad Nazari

    CO-I Tyler Spence

    This research will identify key sources of uncertainty in representative detect and avoid architectures and assess the downstream risks and effects of spurious information on downstream system performance

    In this project, which is funded by the FAA ASSURE program, the research team consisting of The Ohio State University, Embry‑Riddle Aeronautical University, Mississippi State University, University of North Dakota and Cal Analytics will work together to:

    • Identify the key sources of misleading surveillance information produced by airborne and ground-based detect and avoid (DAA) systems. Develop risk modeling and analysis tools to assess the system-wide effects of false or misleading information on alerting and separation, as well as impacts on pilots in command (PIC) and air traffic operators.
    • Provide guidance and recommendations for track classification and filter performance and safety requirements to standards bodies, including Radio Technical Commission for Aeronautics (RTCA) and American Society for Testing and Materials (ASTM) DAA working groups, and inform Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) rulemaking on DAA operations.

    Current guidance provided by the Federal Aviation Administration has made beyond visual line of sight (BVLOS) missions an executive priority. Key to the success of these missions is the development of DAA systems capable of providing accurate pilot in the loop, or autonomous deconfliction guidance. Current standards for DAA services provided by RTCA and ASTM do not address the requirements for system performance with respect to generation of false or misleading information to the PIC or autonomous response services of the unmanned aircraft system. This research will identify key sources of uncertainty in representative DAA architectures and assess the downstream risks and effects of spurious information on downstream system performance. Additionally, recommendations will be developed for track classification accuracy requirements that provide sufficient safety margins for enabling DAA services in support of BVLOS missions.

    Categories: Faculty-Staff

  • Argumentative Knowledge Construction in Asynchronous Calculus Discussion Boards

    PI Zackery Reed

    CO-I Darryl Chamberlain

    CO-I Karen Keene

    Social learning tasks can provide additional cognitive benefits to students. These tasks are necessarily different in an asynchronous environment though. Our proposed study will investigate how instructors can encourage students to socially construct knowledge during asynchronous discussions. 



    Categories: Faculty-Staff

  • Researching How You Teach Holistic Modeling (RHYTHM)

    PI Kelsey Rodgers

    CO-I Matthew Verleger

    CO-I Lisa Davids

    "Models are a critical part of the analysis and design of engineered systems. The purpose of multiple types of models (physical, mathematical, computational, and financial) is to provide a simplified representation of reality that mimics the features of the engineered system, and that predicts the behavior of the system. This project, a collaboration between Embry‑Riddle Aeronautical University, San Jose State University, and the University of Louisville, aims to improve engineering students' modeling competence. The project plans to achieve this goal by transforming first-year engineering courses to teach modeling as an engineering tool. The project will change existing course materials, pedagogy, and assessment methods across the three institutions. Each institution will implement its own specific strategy to teach mathematical, physical, computational, and financial modeling, thus providing three different approaches. By comparing student's modeling abilities across the institutions and approaches, the project aims to identify the most impactful approaches for teaching multiple modeling in introductory undergraduate engineering courses.

    The project is guided by a "holistic modeling perspective" theoretical framework, that builds on the successful "Models and Modeling Perspective" and "Computational Adaptive Expertise" frameworks. The objectives of the project are to: (1) implement, test, and refine holistic modeling environments for institutions that have flexibility in changing curriculum and for instructors that have different degrees of interest in changing their course(s); (2) implement, test, and refine methods to assess students' modeling abilities; and (3) evaluate and present the results of modeling abilities attained by students at three different universities. A unified language and discussion around modeling will be adopted in all revised courses. An assessment tool to measure students' modeling competence will be developed and implemented at each university. This work builds upon existing research in the development of more easily adaptable and adoptable modeling pedagogies and modeling languages. The following broad research question guides the research: How do students' definitional knowledge, ability to apply, and ability to create models change based on different degrees of modeling integration in the classroom?

    This award reflects NSF's statutory mission and has been deemed worthy of support through evaluation using the Foundation's intellectual merit and broader impacts review criteria."



    Categories: Faculty-Staff

  • EXTENDING THE LAUNDERED FUNDS DESTINATION THEORY: APPLYING THE WALKER-UNGER GRAVITY MODEL TO RUSSIAN-BASED MONEY LAUNDERER COUNTRY PREFERENCE FROM 2000-2020

    PI Juan Roman

    CO-I Thomas Schaefer

    CO-I Ana Machuca

    Determine Russian-based money launderer destination preferrence.

    The quantification of illicit finance practices along with the generated revenue from transnational criminal activity and their presence within the global financial system is still a new phenomenon.  Careful examination of the effects of money laundering is needed in order to develop strategies to combat the problem.  The literature suggests attempts to quantify the presence of laundered funds in the global economy are inaccurate.  This research applied the modified Walker-Unger model to show the degree of attractiveness of a country for Russian-based money launderers to send their illicit funds for the 2000-2020 time period.  The theoretical justification for this investigation is that once the scale of unlawful financial flows are known, the likely impact on society can be analyzed.

    Categories: Faculty-Staff

  • A Knowledge-based Consultant for Diagnosing Toxic Exposures

    PI Joel Schipper

    Joel Schipper of Electrical and Computer Engineering works with the Florida Poison Information Center to develop a knowledge-based system to aid in the timely diagnosis of exposures to unknown toxins.

    Categories: Faculty-Staff Undergraduate

  • Transfer and Retention of Training in Real and Virtual Spaceflight Environments

    PI Erik Seedhouse

    This research compared how effectively suborbital tasks are learned in an actual NBE compared with a VR-rendered NBE. This study demonstrated the efficacy of NBE-type training as a means to improve the effectiveness of training suborbital SFPs. 



    ​Manned suborbital spaceflights are just around the corner. SpaceShipTwo, operated by Virgin Galactic and New Shepard, operated by Blue Origin, will most likely fly fare-paying passengers sometime in 2020. Each passenger will pay $250,000. And, with just four minutes (240 seconds) of actual microgravity time, that equates to almost $1000/second. For spaceflight participants (SFPs) a category which will include tourists and scientists, the cost of incorrectly performing even simple tasks will be extremely costly.

    In spaceflight, even for highly trained astronauts, the tactile-kinesthetic and vestibular systems are affected by weightlessness. Of course, astronauts traveling to the International Space Station (ISS) have plenty of time to adapt, but SFPs will have no time at all – the time from rocket ignition to microgravity is less than 5 minutes. Compounding this lack of adaptation is the fact that suborbital SFPs will generally only have 3 days of training (compared with many years of training for an astronaut headed to the ISS).  To overcome the aforementioned difficulties this study evaluated two spaceflight analogous training systems specific to suborbital spaceflight: one that will take place in an actual neutral buoyancy environment (NBE) and one that will take place in a virtual reality (VR) NBE. 

    To date, there have no studies that have evaluated the effectiveness of VR as a means of training suborbital SFPs. Nor have there been any studies that evaluate the utility of NBE-type training for suborbital SFPs. Not only did this study assess the effectiveness of each of these methods of training. It also developed a training tool for the commercial suborbital spaceflight industry. To that end, this study sought to achieve three objectives:  

    1. Measure the effectiveness of neutral buoyancy dive training while wearing the EasyDive system as a means to train suborbital SFPs in a swimming pool 
    2. Measure the effectiveness of neutral buoyancy dive training in an underwater-simulated VR environment as a means of improving maneuvering and performance of tasks in microgravity.  
    3. Based on the results of objectives #1 and #2 a training program for SFPs will be devised. 

    Categories: Faculty-Staff

  • An Empirical Study of the Evolution of Homeland Security Definitions in Federal Documents

    PI Alexander Siedschlag

    CO-I Andrea Jerkovic

    This ongoing empirical study (quantitative systematic review) systematically tracks the evolution of official homeland security definitions from related federal strategies, frameworks, guidelines, the Quadrennial Homeland Security Reviews (QHSRs), enterprise agencies’ strategic plans, and pertinent legislation. Continuing and changing ingredients of the sprouting public policy and strategy definition of homeland security will be identified.

    Twenty years after 9/11, the field of homeland security has benefited from several conceptual studies. Those assessed and made recommendations on main domains of homeland security from scholastic and normative viewpoints, how the concept of homeland security should be mirrored in curriculum development, evolution, and program learning outcomes, and what competencies a homeland security graduate, scholar, and educated practitioner needs. However, few studies and texbooks address the evolution of the term of homeland security in the homeland security era from 9/11 to now. While valuable analyses of how homeland security predates and transcends 9/11 have increased, systematic study of how the concept and meaning of homeland security have evolved over the past 20 years continues to be scarce. This ongiong empirical study (quantitative systematic review) systematically tracks the evolution of official homeland security definitions from related federal strategies, frameworks, guidelines, the Quadrennial Homeland Security Reviews (QHSRs), enterprise agencies’ strategic plans, and pertinent legislation. Continuing and changing ingredients of the sprouting public policy and strategy definition of homeland security will be identified.

    Categories: Faculty-Staff

141-150 of 204 results