Physical Sciences and Mathematics Commons^™

Investigation Into Model-Based Fuzzy Logic Control, Michael W. Logan

Theses and Dissertations

This thesis investigates the feasibility of a proposed hybrid linear/Fuzzy controller for nonlinear plants. The proposed controller concept is based on the use of multiple linearizations of a nonlinear plant, which describe the dynamics of perturbations about equilibrium points throughout the desired envelope of operation. A bank of linear compensators is developed, each corresponding to a linearized plant about a different equilibrium. The multiple control signals generated by the bank of compensators are then weighted and summed using Fuzzy Logic to produce a composite control perturbation signal, which is used to drive the nonlinear plant. Experiments were conducted to test …

Using Database Technology To Support Domain-Oriented Application Composition Systems, Danny A. Cecil, Joseph A. Fullenkamp

Theses and Dissertations

This research designed and prototyped an OODBMS technology base to store and retrieve various types of domain artifacts for domain-oriented application composition systems (DOACS). We developed object-oriented database schemas for a validating domain and the Object-Connection-Update software architecture. We implemented an inheritance relationship between the schemas so a domain model can inherit an architectural structure from an architecture model allowing us to isolate domain-specific knowledge from architecture-specific knowledge. We also developed a meta-model to formally define domain models in the database. We then developed a set of database methods to transform a domain model into a database schema for storing …

A Numerical Study Of High-Speed Missile Configurations Using A Block- Structured Parallel Algorithm, Douglas C. Blake

Theses and Dissertations

A numerical analysis of the aerodynamic phenomena associated with the high-speed flight of a sharp-nosed, four-finned, high-fineness ratio missile using a block-structured, parallel computer algorithm is presented. The algorithm, PANS-3EM, utilizes a second-order-accurate, shock-capturing, Total Variation Diminishing scheme and incorporates a Baldwin-Lomax turbulence model. PANS-3EM allows for extreme flexibility in the choice of computational domain decomposition and computing machine of implementation. Developmental work consists of conceptualization and verification of the algorithm as well as parallel performance and scalability studies conducted on a variety of computing platforms. Using PANS-3EM, the aerodynamic characteristics of the missile are investigated. Drag and pitching moment …

Developing Realistic Behaviors In Adversarial Agents For Air Combat Simulation, George S. Hluck

Theses and Dissertations

This thesis describes an initial effort into creating a rule-based, reactive system for air combat simulation. This program uses the object-oriented extension of the expert system tool known as the C Language Integrated Production System CLIPS. This effort rose out of the need for creating and integrating semi-autonomous forces for the Distributed Interactive System DIS. This thesis describes the basic maneuvers a pilot uses in present air-to-air combat. The methodology includes the design decisions, knowledge-base development, phase architecture, and maneuver architecture development. The actual implementation of the selected architecture is described. This thesis also discusses the results of experimental runs …

A Parallel Computational Fluid Dynamics Unstructured Grid Generator, Deborah E. Davis

Theses and Dissertations

This research addressed the development of a parallel computational fluid dynamics unstructured grid generator using Delaunay triangulation. The generator is applied to simple elliptical and cylindrical two-dimensional bodies. The methodologies used included Watsons point insertion algorithm, Holmes and Snyders point creation algorithm, a discretized surface definition, Andersons clustering function, and a Laplacian smoother. The first version of the software involved a processor boundary exchange at the end of each iteration with no inter-processor communications during the iterations The second version used inter-processor communication during each iteration instead of the boundary exchange. Version 1 demonstrated a speedup of 1.8 for some …

Graphical Tools For Situational Awareness Assistance For Large Battle Spaces, Brian B. Soltz

Theses and Dissertations

As virtual environments grow in complexity and size, users are increasingly challenged in assessing situations in large-scale virtual environment. This occurs because of the difficulty in determining where to focus attention and assimilating and assessing the information as it floods in. One technique for providing this type of assistance is to provide the user with a first-person, immersive, synthetic environment observation post, that permits unobtrusive observation of the environment without interfering with the activity in the environment. However, for large, complex synthetic environments, this type of support is not sufficient because the portrayal of raw, unanalyzed data in the virtual …

A Method For Populating The Knowledge Base Of Afit's Domain-Oriented Application Composition System, Russell M. Warner

Theses and Dissertations

This research developed a formal method for adding new domains to Architect, a domain-oriented application composition system being developed at the Air Force Institute of Technology AFIT to explore new software engineering technologies. Using canonical formal specifications of domain objects, Architect rapidly composes these specifications into a software application and executes a prototype of that application as a means to demonstrate its correctness before any programming language specific code is generated. Architect is implemented in the Software Refinery environment, which allows Architect to create and manipulate object-oriented specifications. As a part of this research effort, domain-oriented application composition systems were …

Vulnerability Assessment Using A Fuzzy Logic Based Method, Richard W. Fleming

Theses and Dissertations

This thesis demonstrates the feasibility of using qualitative analysis methods to evaluate computer security vulnerabilities. Although many risk analysis systems exist, few provide for the adequate analysis of identified vulnerabilities. While the main focus of this thesis is to evaluate computer security vulnerabilities, the methods involved have application in other areas requiring evaluation using qualitative methods. It is proposed, and demonstrated by this thesis, that the use of qualitative analysis using linguistic variables to describe the impact of computer security vulnerabilities is not only feasible, but intrinsically easier to understand and use than quantitative methods.

Developing Realistic Cooperative Behaviors For Autonomous Agents In Air Combat Simulation, Dean P. Hipwell

Theses and Dissertations

This thesis investigated, developed and implemented cooperative decision-making behaviors in an air combat simulation by using a knowledge-based system. Knowledge-based systems were well suited for this task because of built- in features such as inference engines and rule-based constructs. This thesis addresses the specific problem of generating autonomous forces for inclusion in the Advanced Research Projects Agency Distributed Interactive Simulation program. Existing autonomous forces implementations lacked flexibility, realistic behaviors, real-time planning and other features. The simulation system in this thesis addresses the problem of realistic behavior by modeling pilot decision processes rather than aircraft platforms. The system is based on …

Developing A Graphical User Interface To Support A Real-Time Digital Signal Processing System, Jeffrey C. Miller

Theses and Dissertations

A graphical software user interface for a VMEbus-based real-time digital signal processing system was designed. Use, requirements were defined and the Rumbaugh object-oriented analysis and design technique was applied to analyze the requirements and produce an object-oriented design. The software design includes a graphical, mouse- and keyboard driven user interface, specialized hardware driver modules, and operating system interfaces. An implementation plan was also developed to map the design into the C programming language using existing system code, automatically generated code, and newly written code. Based on the implementation plan, a limited software system prototype w successfully developed and demonstrated. The …

Object Interaction In A Parallel Object-Oriented Discrete-Event Simulation, Walter G. Trachsel

Theses and Dissertations

This thesis investigates object interaction issues involved in developing an object-oriented parallel discrete-event simulation and develops a simulation model that provides object interaction capabilities. The research covers issues in object representation, object interaction, object management. discrete-event simulation, and parallel simulation. There are three primary types of objects that the research discusses. The first type is a basic simulation object, whose size and behavior is insignificant compared to the size of the simulation as a whole. The second type is an aggregate object which consists of smaller component objects that interact and affect the performance of the larger object as a …

Universal Wormhole Routing, Ronald I. Greenberg, Hyeong-Cheol Oh

Computer Science: Faculty Publications and Other Works

We examine the wormhole routing problem in terms of the "congestion" c and "dilation" d for a set of packet paths. We show, with mild restrictions, that there is a simple randomized algorithm for routing any set of P packets in O(cdη + cLηlog P) time, where L is the number of flits in a packet, and η = min {d,L]; only a constant number of flits are stored in each queue at any time. Using this result, we show that a fat-tree network of area Θ(A) can simulate wormhole routing on any network of comparable area with O(log 3 …

Developing A Sophisticated User Interface To Support Domain-Oriented Application Composition And Generation Systems, Jay A. Cossentine

Theses and Dissertations

This research refined the visual presentation and usability of a previously developed visual interface for a domain-oriented application composition and generation system. The refined visual interface incorporated domain-specific bit-mapped graphics and sophisticated user interface design concepts to reduce user workload. User workload was reduced through object layout, window design, and color utilization techniques; by combining repetitive procedures into single commands; and reusing, rather than recreating, composition information throughout the application composition process. The Software Refinery environment, including its graphical interface tool INTERVISTA, was used to develop techniques for visualizing and manipulating objects contained in a formal object base. INTERVISTA was …

The Afit Multielectrode Array For Neural Recording And Simulation: Design, Testing, And Encapsulation, James R. Reid Jr

Theses and Dissertations

A two-dimensional, X-Y addressable, multiplexed array of 256 electrodes (16 x 16) has been fabricated using conventional semiconductor processing techniques. The individual electrodes are 16O microns x 160 microns, approximating the size of the cortical columns; the overall array size is 3910 microns x 3910 microns. The array has been fitted to a chronically implantable package and tested for several days in a simulated neural environment. EEG-like data were collected successfully from individual electrodes in the array. This array improves on a previous design of a 16 electrode (4 x 4) array that was chronically implanted on the cortex of …

Development Of Computer Software To Aid Environmental Decision Makers In The Education And Training Of Air Force Remedial Project Managers, Roger R. Ouellette, Bruce K. Lyman

Theses and Dissertations

By the end of Fiscal Year 1991, the Air Force had identified 4,354 contaminated sites. Much like the 177 toxic sites at McClellan AFB, bases across the country and throughput the world are filled with chrome, lead, paint solvents and many other toxics that are rendering water supplies unusable and endangering the health of millions of people living in and around these bases. Air Force officials continue to identify contaminated sites with no end in sight. Since the cleanup of these toxic materials involves diverse, complex activities, the Air Force created the duty position of Remedial Project Manager to manage …

The Development And Use Of An Evaluation Mechanism For The Assessment Of Software Configuration Management Tools, Wayne M. Descheneau, Neil W. Robinson

Theses and Dissertations

This study investigated the development of a mechanism for use in the evaluation of Software Configuration Management SCM tools. An examination of applicable DoD standards identified the SCM requirements that could be levied on a development contractor, and a literature search revealed the functionality common to various automated tools. These two sets of information were organized into a matrix, and for each requirement that was met, the intersection on the matrix of the requirement and each functionality used to meet that requirement was checked. In addition to the matrix, the mechanism consisted of general information about a given tool and …

Investigation Into Formalization Of Domain-Oriented Parallel Software Development, Daniel P. King

Theses and Dissertations

This research investigates the conceptual design of a semi-automated platform for parallel software development. The proposed semi-automated environment applies transformational techniques and domain-specific knowledge to a parallel software development process. Domain-specific and software design knowledge interact within the transformational development process in the creation of a software application. The underlying parallel specification language requires a set of parallel composition operators in order to capture an application’s concurrent properties. A set of parallel composition operators is proposed that consists of parallel composition, parallel enumeration, nondeterministic choice, sequential composition specific communication and synchronization variable types are also proposed. A semi-automated environment based …

Performance Measurement Of Three Commercial Object-Oriented Database Management Systems, Timothy J. Halloran

Theses and Dissertations

The goal of this thesis was to study the performance of three commercial object-oriented database management systems. The commercial systems studied included Itasca, sold by Itasca Systems Incorporated Matisse, sold by Intellitic International and ObjectStore, sold by Object Design Incorporated. To examine performance of these database management systems two benchmarks were run the OO1 benchmark and a new AFIT Simulation benchmark. The OO1 benchmark was designed, implemented, and run on all three database management systems. ObjectStore was our top performer on all configurations of the OO1 benchmark. The AFIT Simulation benchmark was designed, implemented, and run on the ObjectStore database …

Design Of A Shared Coherent Cache For A Multiple Channel Architecture, John A. Reisner

Theses and Dissertations

The Multiple Channel Architecture MCA is a recently proposed computer architecture which uses fiber optic communications to overcome many of the problems associated with interconnection networks. There exists a detailed MCA simulator which faithfully simulates an MCA system, however, the original version of the simulator did not cache shared data. In order to improve the performance of the MCA, a cache coherency protocol was developed and implemented in the simulator. The protocol has two features which are significant: (1) a time-division multiplexed TDM communication bus is used for coherency traffic, and (2) the shared data is cached in an independent …

Objectsim - A Reusable Object Oriented Dis Visual Simulation, Mark I. Snyder

Theses and Dissertations

This research designed and implemented a reusable Distributed Interactive Simulation DIS visual simulation architecture for Silicon Graphics platforms. The goal was to research software architecture technologies and to create a design and implementation using these ideas. The architecture was designed using object oriented techniques to provide the ability to customize it via inheritance extension. The resulting design was implemented using C and applied to several DIS visual simulation projects in the Graphics Lab at AFIT. The architecture, named ObjectSim, was successful in its goal of providing a reusable core for the DIS visual simulation projects in the Graphics Lab at …

Processing Of Wide-Angle Synthetic Aperture Radar Signals For Target Detection, Kurt W. Knurr

Theses and Dissertations

This study investigated methods of targets detection using Wide-Angle Synthetic Aperture Radar (WASAR). WASAR uses multiple aspect angle Synthetic Aperture Radar (SAR) images of the same scene. The SAR images were generated using a pre-release software package from package from Loral Corporation. The software was able to generate 512 by 512 pixel SAR images that contained various vegetation return which for our purposes we classified as clutter. Within this clutter, targets (M35 trucks) could be placed at random location and orientations. The software also had the capability of generating fully- polarimetic WASAR images with multiple depression angles. This data was …

Failure Mechanisms Of High Temperature Semiconductor Lasers, David H. Leicester

Theses and Dissertations

The primary intent of this research was to determine the influence of three common degradation mechanisms, dark area defects, facet degradation, and contact degradation, on the operational lifetime of GaAs edge-emitting semiconductor lasers driven by continuous current at 100 deg C. Inherent to this work was the quantified characterization of the lasers during their operation. This characterization arose as the power output as a function of driving current at room temperature before and after laser exposure to 100 deg C ambient temperature. These power vs. current characterizations were conducted at room temperature on each laser before and after exposure to …

Handwritten Word Recognition Based On Fourier Coefficients, Gary F. Shartle

Theses and Dissertations

A machine which can read unconstrained words remains an unsolved problem. For example, automatic entry o handwritten documents into a computer is yet to be accomplished. Most systems attempt to segment letters o a word and read words one character at a time. Segmenting a handwritten word is very difficult and often, the confidence of the results is low. Another method which avoids segmentation altogether is to treat each word as a whole. This research investigates the use of Fourier Transform coefficients, computed from the whole word, for the recognition of handwritten words. To test this concept, the particular pattern …

Filtering, Coding, And Compression With Malvar Wavelets, Stephen R. Hall

Theses and Dissertations

This thesis develops and evaluates a number of new concepts and tools for the analysis of signals using Malvar wavelets lapped orthogonal transforms . Windowing, often employed as a spectral estimation technique, can result in irreparable distortions in the transformed signal. By utilizing the Malvar wavelet, any signal distortion resulting from the transformation can be eliminated or cancelled during reconstruction. This is accomplished by placing conditions on the window and the basis function and then incorporating the window into the orthonormal representation. Paradigms for both a complex-valued and a real-valued Malvar wavelet are summarized. I-lie algorithms for the wavelets were …

Design And Development Of A Heterogeneous Parallel Computing System, Eruch R. Rustomji

Masters Theses

A parallel and distributed processing environment can be defined as one where a set of workstations is configured in a certain topology (such as completely connected linear chain) to simulate the working of a particular parallel architecture. Such an environment provides an extremely useful means of experimenting with parallel algorithms, without the use of expensive dedicated parallel machines.

Several parallel and distributed processing environments exist, such as Parallel Virtual Machine, The Condor System and the Reactive Kernel System/ Cosmic Environment System. Each of these systems has some unique features and limitations. Other systems include p4, Hermes, Linda and Express.

This …

Genetic Algorithms And Their Application To The Protein Folding Problem, Donald J. Brinkman

Theses and Dissertations

The protein folding problem involves the prediction of the secondary and tertiary structure of a molecule given the primary structure. The primary structure defines sequence of amino-acid residues, while the secondary structure describes the local 3-dimensional arrangement of amino-acid residues within the molecule. The relative orientation of the secondary structural motifs, namely the tertiary structure, defines the shape of the entire biomolecule. The exact, mechanism by which a sequence of amino acids protein folds into its 3- dimensional conformation is unknown Current approaches to the protein folding problem include calculus-based methods, systematic search, model building and symbolic methods, random methods …

Alternative Architectures For Domain-Oriented Application Composition And Generation Systems, Warren E. Gool

Theses and Dissertations

This thesis presents a formalized framework for comparing the structure and semantics of software architectures. The framework uses object diagrams for analyzing the structure of the architectures and the axiomatic approach for analyzing the semantics. This framework is used to compare the Object Connection Update OCU model developed by the Software Engineering Institute against four other software architectures VHDL defined by Lipsett, MetaH defined by Honeywell, microRapide defined by Luckham, and hierarchical software systems as defined by Batory. The goal of the comparison was to evaluate the OCU model for suitability within prototype application composition and generation systems. This research …

Synthetic Battlebridge: Information Visualization And User Interface Design Applications In A Large Virtual Reality Environment, Kirk G. Wilson

Theses and Dissertations

With shrinking budgets and fewer personnel, future military training will rely heavily on simulated environments. The goal for this training is to reduce cost while maintaining readiness and unparalleled capability for all levels of military command. This thesis effort, the Synthetic Battle Bridge SBB , provides a real-time simulated environment for military commanders to observe on-going computer simulations of varying participation levels and helps them wring the most from a simulation. The SBB, designed for higher ranking personnel with little time to spend learning how to run the system, must exhibit three capabilities ease-of-use, long-term retention, and adaptability. Based on …

Identity Verification Through The Fusion Of Face And Speaker Recognition, John G. Keller

Theses and Dissertations

In this research, face recognition and speaker identification systems are each converted into verification systems. The two verification systems are then fused to form a single identity verification system. Finally, the use of the Karhunen-Loeve Transform (KLT) for dimensional reduction is examined for suitability in the verification task. The base face recognition system used the KLT for feature reduction and a back-propagation neural net for classification. Verification involved training a net for each individual in the database for two classes of outputs, 'Joe' or 'not Joe.' The base speaker identification system used Cepstral analysis for feature extraction and a distortion …

Failure Detection, Isolation, And Recovery In An Integrated Navigation System, William B. Mosle Iii

Theses and Dissertations

An Inertial Navigation System (INS), the Global Positioning System (GPS), and a ground based transponder system (RRS) can all be used to provide the user with a navigation solution. Yet by integrating these three navigation systems with an extended Kalman filter (EKF), a navigation solution is attained that benefits from the information of all three subsystems. This research develops a multiple model EKF failure detection, isolation, and recovery (FDIR) algorithm using a Chi-Square failure test to provide robust navigation solution to measurement failures. The algorithm specifically counters failures in the GPS and RRS range measurements. Analysis is conducted using a …