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Theses and Dissertations

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Articles 7651 - 7680 of 8341

Full-Text Articles in Physical Sciences and Mathematics

Graphical Tools For Situational Awareness Assistance For Large Battle Spaces, Brian B. Soltz Dec 1993

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 …

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A Method For Populating The Knowledge Base Of Afit's Domain-Oriented Application Composition System, Russell M. Warner Dec 1993

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 …

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Vulnerability Assessment Using A Fuzzy Logic Based Method, Richard W. Fleming Dec 1993

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.

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Developing Realistic Cooperative Behaviors For Autonomous Agents In Air Combat Simulation, Dean P. Hipwell Dec 1993

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 …

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Developing A Graphical User Interface To Support A Real-Time Digital Signal Processing System, Jeffrey C. Miller Dec 1993

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 …

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Object Interaction In A Parallel Object-Oriented Discrete-Event Simulation, Walter G. Trachsel Dec 1993

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 …

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Color Image Segmentation, Kimberley A. Mccrae Dec 1993

Color Image Segmentation, Kimberley A. Mccrae

Theses and Dissertations

The most difficult stage of automated target recognition ATR is segmentation. Current AFIT segmentation problems include faces and tactical targets previous efforts to segment these objects have used intensity and motion cues. This thesis develops a color preprocessing scheme to be used with the other segmentation techniques. A neural network is trained to identify the color of a desired object, eliminating all but that color from the scene. Gabor correlations and 2D wavelet transformations will be performed on stationary images and 3D wavelet transforms on multispectral data will incorporate color and motion detection into the machine visual system. The thesis …

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Experimental Verification Of Tomographic Reconstruction Of Turbulent Air Flow Structure Using Optical Wavefront Measurements, Bryon L. Pedersen Dec 1993

Experimental Verification Of Tomographic Reconstruction Of Turbulent Air Flow Structure Using Optical Wavefront Measurements, Bryon L. Pedersen

Theses and Dissertations

The performance of an aircraft based optical system is degraded by aero-optic turbulence. The varying index of refraction within the turbulent field causes phase perturbation in an optical wave. In order to compensate for aero-optic turbulence effects, the nature of the turbulence must be understood. Large scale, organized structure within the turbulence has been found to contribute significantly to the overall phase perturbation caused by a turbulent field. A unique approach was devised to determine the turbulence structure using tomographic reconstruction techniques. Tomography provides an excellent means to determine the underlying structure within a turbulent field. The tomographic reconstruction produces …

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Objective Image Quality Metrics: Applications For Partially Compensated Images Of Space Objects, David J. Lee Dec 1993

Objective Image Quality Metrics: Applications For Partially Compensated Images Of Space Objects, David J. Lee

Theses and Dissertations

Digital image reconstruction tasks currently require human intervention for a subjective evaluation of image quality. A method for unsupervised measurement of digital image quality is desired. This research investigated various parameters metrics that can be automatically extracted from a digital image and tested how well they correlated with image quality. Specifically, images of orbiting satellites captured by a partially compensated adaptive optics telescope were dealt with. Two different types of quantities were investigated 1) Fourier spectral parameters, based on the spatial- frequency sensitivities of the HVS; and 2) Histogram shape parameters i.e image statistical moments giving quantitative insight into the …

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Developing A Sophisticated User Interface To Support Domain-Oriented Application Composition And Generation Systems, Jay A. Cossentine Dec 1993

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 …

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The Afit Multielectrode Array For Neural Recording And Simulation: Design, Testing, And Encapsulation, James R. Reid Jr Dec 1993

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 …

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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 Dec 1993

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 …

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The Development And Use Of An Evaluation Mechanism For The Assessment Of Software Configuration Management Tools, Wayne M. Descheneau, Neil W. Robinson Dec 1993

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 …

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Investigation Into Formalization Of Domain-Oriented Parallel Software Development, Daniel P. King Dec 1993

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 …

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Performance Measurement Of Three Commercial Object-Oriented Database Management Systems, Timothy J. Halloran Dec 1993

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 …

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Design Of A Shared Coherent Cache For A Multiple Channel Architecture, John A. Reisner Dec 1993

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 …

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Objectsim - A Reusable Object Oriented Dis Visual Simulation, Mark I. Snyder Dec 1993

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 …

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Processing Of Wide-Angle Synthetic Aperture Radar Signals For Target Detection, Kurt W. Knurr Dec 1993

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 …

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Failure Mechanisms Of High Temperature Semiconductor Lasers, David H. Leicester Dec 1993

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 …

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Optical Wavelet Transform For Fingerprint Identification, Robert P. Macdonald Dec 1993

Optical Wavelet Transform For Fingerprint Identification, Robert P. Macdonald

Theses and Dissertations

The Federal Bureau of Investigation FBI has recently sanctioned a wavelet fingerprint image compression algorithm developed for reducing storage requirements of digitized fingerprints. This research implements an optical wavelet transform of a fingerprint image, as the first step in an optical fingerprint identification process. Wavelet filters are created from computer generated holograms of biorthogonal wavelets, the same wavelets implemented in the FBI algorithm. Using a detour phase holographic technique, a complex binary filter mask is created with both symmetry and linear phase. The wavelet transform is implemented with continuous shift using an optical correlation between binarized fingerprints written on a …

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A Theoretical Investigation Of Electrically Tunable Birefringent Optical Filters As The Special Discriminator In Hyperspectral Imaging Systems, Duane A. Sauve Dec 1993

A Theoretical Investigation Of Electrically Tunable Birefringent Optical Filters As The Special Discriminator In Hyperspectral Imaging Systems, Duane A. Sauve

Theses and Dissertations

This study investigated electrically tunable birefringent optical filters for use as the spectral discriminator in hyperspectral imaging systems. Spectral discrimination requirements for hyperspectral systems were defined using specification from two state-of-the-art hyperspectral imaging systems. The spectral discrimination requirements led to the definition of the ideal tunable optical filter for spectral discrimination purposes. Analytical and computer an analysis was performed for known birefringent filters which showed promise of electrical tunability excluding acousto-optic filters. No perfect match was found to the ideal tunable optical filter for hyperspectral imaging defined in this thesis. Both Lyot and Solc based filters exhibited two drawbacks for …

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Handwritten Word Recognition Based On Fourier Coefficients, Gary F. Shartle Dec 1993

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 …

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Filtering, Coding, And Compression With Malvar Wavelets, Stephen R. Hall Dec 1993

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 …

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High Resolution Fourier Transform Absorption Spectrum Of 79Br2 B3Π(0U+) ← X1ΣG+, Robert E. Franklin Dec 1993

High Resolution Fourier Transform Absorption Spectrum Of 79Br2 B3Π(0U+) ← X1ΣG+, Robert E. Franklin

Theses and Dissertations

High Resolution Fourier Transform Spectroscopy has been conducted for the 79Br2 B3π(0u+) ← X1Σg+ system of 79Br2. A total of 64 vibrational levels, including v"= 0-3 and v' = 10-33, have been observed and assigned. Rotational levels as high as J=76 were observed. A global fitting routine has been developed to fit the rotational spectra to the Dunham Expansion. Using Bv and Dv for both the X and B state, rotational transitions were calculated to within 0. 02 cm-1. The expansions of …

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The Effects Of Optical Feedback On Polarization Of Vertical Cavity Surface Emitting Lasers, Gregory J. Vansuch Dec 1993

The Effects Of Optical Feedback On Polarization Of Vertical Cavity Surface Emitting Lasers, Gregory J. Vansuch

Theses and Dissertations

Vertical Cavity Surface Emitting Lasers VCSELs are a type of semiconductor laser with a cavity oriented orthogonally to the planes of material growth. These lasers differ from conventional edge emitting lasers in several important ways. They have symmetric output beams and they are easily built into two dimensional arrays, making them very attractive as photonic components. The characteristic of interest in this thesis is polarization. While the asymmetric cavities of edge emitters exhibit a clear preference for light polarized in a particular direction, the cylindrically symmetric cavity of a VCSEL has no clear preference. Therefore, it should be relatively easy …

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Genetic Algorithms And Their Application To The Protein Folding Problem, Donald J. Brinkman Dec 1993

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 …

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Alternative Architectures For Domain-Oriented Application Composition And Generation Systems, Warren E. Gool Dec 1993

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 …

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Predicting Nonlinear Time Series, James C. Gainey Jr. Dec 1993

Predicting Nonlinear Time Series, James C. Gainey Jr.

Theses and Dissertations

Predicting future values of a time series has many practical uses in real-time signal processing and understanding. This thesis implements an Adaptive Time Delay Neural Network ATNN capable of user-defined degeneration to the more common Time Delay Neural Network TDNN. Time delays along axons or at the synapses, which vary in biological systems, motivate this research. The ATNNTDNN test results and time series prediction capabilities are compared to those of the Real-Time Recurrent Learning RTRL algorithm. To show the advantages and disadvantages of using TDNN and ATNN for prediction versus the RTRL, the networks were applied to two problems incommensurate …

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Synthetic Battlebridge: Information Visualization And User Interface Design Applications In A Large Virtual Reality Environment, Kirk G. Wilson Dec 1993

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 …

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Identity Verification Through The Fusion Of Face And Speaker Recognition, John G. Keller Dec 1993

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 …

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