Maurice F. Aburdene

A proposal for a remotely shared control systems laboratory

The authors present a futuristic approach to sharing one of the most expensive components of engineering education, the laboratory. The objective of the shared laboratory is to improve the effectiveness of the control and instrumentation laboratory experience for undergraduates. An experimental station can be operated from a computer in a classroom, or from a computer at a remote location or another campus. A multimedia configuration using a graphical user interface and remote logon capability is envisioned. The system will provide the tools to predict system performance with a simulation, show data as they are generated, analyze data after they are taken, and show a visual presentation of the experimental configuration with video disc. This facility will permit cooperative development of laboratory experiments and comparison of pedagogical approaches with others who use the experimental packages (software and hardware).<<ETX>>

The discrete Pascal transform and its applications

We introduce a new discrete polynomial transform constructed from the rows of Pascals triangle. The forward and inverse transforms are computed the same way in both the one- and two-dimensional cases, and the transform matrix can be factored into binary matrices for efficient hardware implementation. We conclude by discussing applications of the transform in digital image processing, such as bump and edge detection.

Multivariate median filters and their extensions

The authors consider a new class of multivariate median filters, based on the radial medians. The radial medians and the minimum-distance median are then investigated for their use in defining multivariate L-filters, for better smoothing in the presence of Gaussian noise. Examples of filtering performance are presented.<<ETX>>

Differential block coding of bilevel images

In this correspondence, a simple one-dimensional (1-D) differencing operation is applied to bilevel images prior to block coding to produce a sparse binary image that can be encoded efficiently using any of a number of well-known techniques. The difference image can be encoded more efficiently than the original bilevel image whenever the average run length of black pixels in the original image is greater than two. Compression is achieved because the correlation between adjacent pixels is reduced compared with the original image. The encoding/decoding operations are described and compression performance is presented for a set of standard bilevel images.

Computer-controlled laboratory experiments

Inexpensive, safe, computer-controlled laboratory experiments which use modern sensors, digital storage oscilloscopes, and data acquisition units were developed for National Science Foundation Faculty Enhancement Workshops offered at Bucknell University. Although the experiments are simple in construction, rather complex data analysis using MATLAB or Excel applies. Detailed descriptions of the experiments will be available on the Internet.© 1996 John Wiley & Sons, Inc..

On the computation of discrete Legendre polynomial coefficients

A new and fast method to find the discrete Legendre polynomial (DLP) coefficients is presented. The method is based on forming a simple matrix using addition only and then multiplying two elements of the matrix to compute the DLP coefficients.

Interpolation Using the Discrete Pascal Transform

We present new techniques for performing upsampling and interpolation on discrete-time signals using the Pascal transform. These methods can be classified into two general categories: global interpolation and local interpolation by windowing. Global interpolation fits the entire signal to one continuous polynomial, which is evaluated to fill in the intermediate points. Local interpolation chooses only a subset of the signal to fit to a polynomial of lower degree, and the position of the window is shifted so as to eventually cover the entire signal. We will compare the global and local methods of Pascal interpolation to a more common technique that uses the Fourier transform.

A hardware implementation of the discrete Pascal transform for image processing

The discrete Pascal transform is a polynomial transform with applications in pattern recognition, digital filtering, and digital image processing. It already has been shown that the Pascal transform matrix can be decomposed into a product of binary matrices. Such a factorization leads to a fast and efficient hardware implementation without the use of multipliers, which consume large amounts of hardware. We recently developed a field-programmable gate array (FPGA) implementation to compute the Pascal transform. Our goal was to demonstrate the computational efficiency of the transform while keeping hardware requirements at a minimum. Images are uploaded into memory from a remote computer prior to processing, and the transform coefficients can be offloaded from the FPGA board for analysis. Design techniques like as-soon-as-possible scheduling and adder sharing allowed us to develop a fast and efficient system. An eight-point, one-dimensional transform completes in 13 clock cycles and requires only four adders. An 8x8 two-dimensional transform completes in 240 cycles and requires only a top-level controller in addition to the one-dimensional transform hardware. Finally, through minor modifications to the controller, the transform operations can be pipelined to achieve 100% utilization of the four adders, allowing one eight-point transform to complete every seven clock cycles.

Discrete polynomial transform representation using binary matrices and flow diagrams

This paper presents a new method for computing discrete polynomial transforms. The method is shown for the Hermite, binomial, and Laguerre transforms. The new method factors Pascals matrix into binary matrices. Constructing the flow diagrams for the transform matrices requires only additions and N-2 multipliers for N-point Hermite and binomial transforms, and 2N multipliers for an N-point Laguerre transform. The method involves a three-stage process where stages 1 and 3 are identical for all three transforms.

Project Catalyst: promoting systemic change in engineering education

Project Catalyst is an NSF-funded initiative to promote systemic change in engineering education by integrating instructional design techniques, transforming the classroom into a cooperative learning environment, and incorporating the use of information technology in the teaching/learning process. A conceptual framework is described to aid in shifting and supporting students and instructors activities in a transition from a traditional mode to a collaborative mode of instruction. In the first year of Project Catalyst, a core group of engineering faculty has begun implementing this focused shift by introducing a greater emphasis on team building, teamwork, cooperative learning, problem-based learning, and information technology. This paper discusses our enhanced instructional model and the supplementary skills modules that we will develop and use to implement this model. It concludes with the future work for the remaining two years of the NSF-funded project.