INFRASTRUCTURE 2001
Malek Adjouadi
Center for Advanced
Technology and Education, Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering
Florida International
University, Engineering and Applied Sciences, Miami, Florida 33174
Florida International University (FIU) is an urban, multi-campus, institution located in Miami, Florida, with campuses at University Park (Main Campus) and North Miami (Biscayne Bay Campus), and more recently a new campus, one mile away from University Park, the Engineering and Applied Sciences Campus. Chartered by the Florida Legislature in 1965, the University opened its doors in 1972 to the largest entering class in United States collegiate history. FIU is a member of the State University System of Florida. FIU currently serves 32,196 students with 1,100 full-time faculty, and has 90,000 alumni. FIU is the largest university in South Florida, and awards more baccalaureates for minority students than any other institution in the continental United States. The percentage of African American enrolled at FIU (nearly 15%) places us second only to FAMU in the State of Florida. FIU now offers 135 major programs at the Bachelor’s degree level, 125 major programs at the Master’s degree level and 48 major programs at the Doctoral degree level. FIU is over the next decade projected to become a national leader in the conferral of master’s and doctoral degrees to minority candidates.
1.1.2
Minorities and Women Enrollment Statistics:
Today, nearly 68% of FIU's 32,196 students are minority, of whom nearly 53% are
Hispanic and 15% are African-American.
Female students constitute about 57% of the total student population.
The NSF-MII support has allowed us to enhance greatly an academic
infrastructure; we call the Center for Advanced Technology and Education
(CATE). The center constitutes a multidisciplinary research environment
engaging researchers as well as facilitating classroom and laboratory-based
instruction in key technology areas.
The integrated infrastructure is viable for cutting-edge educational
activities in support of both undergraduate and graduate students, many of whom
are women and minority.
With the establishment of the Center for Advanced
Technology and Education (NSF-CATE) since 1993 from early NSF-IIMI support, we
have expanded our research and educational activities to include:
-
Image Processing and Computer Vision - EEG-Based Brain
Research –Human (Brain) Computer Interfaces - Robotics for Motion Planning and
Automated Guidance - Biosignal Processing and Biomedical Applications in
Confocal Microscopy and Flow Cytometry - Parallel and Distributed Processing -
Web Design and Development - Computer Networking.
The continued NSF-MII support have led to the
following important accomplishments:
1.
Establishment
of an enhanced infrastructure viable for cutting-edge research and education
2.
Exploration
of research avenues that are broad in scope but focused in their objectives
3.
Development
and enhancement of curriculum to meet industry demand and reflect technological
change
4.
Investment
on human capital involving faculty and students from different disciplines
working on shared research/educational goals
5.
Laying
down the research foundation for strong industry and medical partnerships.
Our
main URL is: http://cate.fiu.edu. Links to
our work is provided at the University level http://www.fiu.edu/centers.html and
through some industry like NeuroScan - (http://www.neuro.com/neuroscan/index.htm)
2.1.1 Increasing the Numbers of Women in the Program: Of the 18 graduates the center supports, 10 (55%) are women; and of the 23 undergraduates, 12 (52%) are women. Details are provided in section 4.1
2.1.2 The networking research group: Given the visibility of
our research themes, we have strengthened the networking of our research group
to include research colleagues from the School of Computer Science, Miami
Children’s Hospital, and Beckman-Coulter Corporation, Baptist Hospital,
Fraunhofer Institute, and Intelligent Hearing Systems.
2.1.3 Research Projects: The new research themes of
this year, with the anticipated designs that will spawn from them, run the
spectrum from electronic system design for safe and optimized brain recordings
and stimulation, to the implementation of new information processing techniques
that will localize and detect foci of key brain functions/ dysfunctions, and
extend to the development and design of human-computer interfaces that will
serve as integrated real-time assistive systems that answer to the issue of
universal accessibility.
2.1.4 Summer Programs: Each year, our students
participate in summer internships with industry and Hospitals, such as Lucent,
Motorola, NASA, Microsoft, Miami Children’s Hospital, Baptist Hospital, IBM and
Beckman-Coulter.
2.1.5 Laboratory Creation: This past year, we have established the following
laboratories:
-
Web-Design
Laboratory. Funded jointly by ONR and
NSF-MII - Housed within the Engineering Information Center (EIC) facility.
-
FIU-MCH Brain Functions Laboratory (BFL). Funded by NSF-MRI - Housed within the
Neuroscience Center at Miami Children’s Hospital.
-
The
Distributed System Laboratory Funded
jointly NSF-MII
- 3-D Sound Research Laboratory, Funded by NSF-EIA - Housed with the ECE department
2.1.6 Outreach: We continue to perform the following activities: Comprehensive summer programs; FIU Women in Science and Engineering (WISE)/GTE Foundation for the recruitment of women in engineering - Participation of students in research facilities early in their career - Visits of parents to our institution and touring of our laboratory and research facilities; Regularly scheduled site visits and lectures by FIU faculty to different local high schools - Regularly scheduled visits from high schools students and their teachers to our facilities - Working with high school principals, teachers and counselors to share with them the research and educational objectives of FIU -Hosting annual meetings with the high school and college advisors for the Miami-Dade County Public Schools (this year’s meeting was successfully attended by 40 advisors)- Dual enrollment of high school students to a 2-credit course “Introduction to Engineering” with the participation of Carrolton School of the Sacred Heart, North Miami Beach High, Coral Reef High, Miami Coral Park High, American High, Mast Academy, Belen Jesuit Preparatory Schools for Boys, Coral Gables High, and Michael Krop High.
2.1.7 Curriculum Development: This year, we have created
the following new courses:
New undergraduate courses: - Experimental Course
on Web Development and Design - New Course on
Development of Dynamic Web Databases - Redesign of the Microcomputers II Course to include Parallel and Distributed Processing
with Lab experiments
New graduate courses: - Introduction to Brain Topography - Electronic Neural Systems.
2.2.1 Physical Capital:
The main equipment include - ONYX parallel machine with 4 R10000 microprocessors - Electrical Source Imaging with 256 electrodes (ESI-256) for EEG brain research and EEG/fMRI integration - An 8-node (octopus) Computer cluster for Distributed Processing - Eye-gaze tracking systems with remote and head-mounted optics – Integrated Nomad Roving Robot - Coulter flow cytometer - Confocal Microscope.
Institutional matching has allowed us to establish two undergraduate laboratories (Web Design Lab, and the Interactive Design Lab).
Faculty: Malek Adjouadi, Armando Barreto; Ana
Pasztor; Gustavo Roig; Mark Weiss; and Maria Martinez - Consultants: Julie Jacko, Georgia Tech. - in the area of Human-Computer Interaction
and Interface Research, and Richard Alo, University of Houston Downtown – in
the areas of Outreach programs and Computing - Post Doctoral Fellow: Gualberto Cremades, Ph.D., Managing
the ESI-256 EEG-Brain Machine Lab - Student Support Staff: Sheldon Silvera
(MS student):
Assistant Manager of the CATE center; Amado Gonzalez (MS student): Manager of the Web Design and
Development Lab; Oscar Silvera (Ph.D. student): Manager of the
Interactive Design Laboratory.
-Coordinator for Student
Recruitment:
Ms. Nola Garcia, Miami Dade US FIRST Robotics coordinator.
Furthermore, this year, we have supported 1 postdoctoral fellow, 6 Ph.D. students, 12 MS students, and 23 undergraduates. Section 4.1 provides a more detailed account on these students. It is noted that graduate students are assigned 20hrs per week contractually. Undergraduates as OPS are on time cards performing 10 to 20 hrs a week depending on their course load and other academic activities. Participating faculty perform 25 to 40% of their time on CATE center related activities.
Direct support has been provided to a total of 21 Graduate students (7 Ph.D. and 14 MS), and to 23 undergraduates. We also support about 60 to 80 students per term indirectly in the Web design and Interactive Design laboratories for interactive teaching and project development.
B.S.
degree (10): Luz
Camacho, Claudia Rodríguez, Kirenia Nunez, Tarla Toomer, Mercedes Cabrerizo,
Alexis Bussiere, Robert Hazbun, Orfirio Sánchez, Michel Martinez, and Alejandro
Simon.
M.S.
degree (7): Erika
Suarez; Daniela Viegas; Danmary Sánchez; Alison Valdivieso; Oscar Silvera;
Ovidio Sanchez, and Euton Lyons.
PH.D.
degree (2): Patricio
Vidal, and John Riley, expected to defend in the fall of 2001.
Researchers in the CATE center attempt to bring their research findings into the realm of practicality. New algorithms and techniques are being developed for such things as diagnostics in medical applications, and human-computer or brain-computer interfaces that will better the lives of those among us who live with disabilities, focusing on visual impairment and motor disability. Applications of neuroscience are also performed in the context of brain functional mapping and the neuro-analysis of key brain disorders such as epilepsy. We publish on the average 15 to 20 publications per year mainly in the areas of signal/image processing, biomedical applications, human-computer interfaces, and rehabilitation.
Some
of the relevant projects we have worked on this past year include:
- Use of multidimensional flow cytometric data for blood cells classification, and allowing the discrimination of healthy blood cell subpopulations from unhealthy ones.
- We have worked on three different HCI prototypes to help people with disabilities:
(1) A prototype based on portable eye-gaze tracking (EGT),
(2) A prototype based on integrated EMG (electromyogram)/EGT;
(3) A prototype based on 3-D sound as a computer interface to help people with visual disabilities.
With enhanced understanding of EEG-based brain
research, we intend to bring added insight to the theoretical foundation and
the practical implications of the following research ideas:
1.Non-invasive EEG analysis using the
ESI-256 for the Detection of interictal spikes in epileptic seizures.
2.
Development
of a new approach to understanding EEG activities using
visual stimuli with the ESI-256
3.
Design
of an Electronic Neural Pulse (ENP) system for optimized and safe brain
stimulation.
The infrastructure has been augmented with the establishment of new labs for interactive teaching, project development and research (refer to section 2.1). All of our stated objectives have been met successfully, especially in student recruitment and in innovative research. We have taken new research directions in neuroscience and HCI applications, which are expanding our potential for more critical research and theoretical findings. Such noted success is a precursor for more peer-reviewed publications, as we increase our prospects for more funding from other sources such as NIH and the Whitaker foundation.
This project has created new research opportunities, new teaching laboratories, and new curriculum, all in areas of critical technology need. Our graduating students are taking leadership roles in industry. Our institution has recognized our contributions and has been very generous in meeting our space requirements and promised matching funds. We have been featured on TV, and on several FIU brochures and catalogs. We are at the center of every visit by dignitaries, colleagues, and students from other institutions and local colleges, all for the increased visibility we have given to our institution.
With the integration strategy we are pursuing (education-research-training), we seek to link the world of theoretical development to the realm of practicality and system design with significant potential for discovery and societal impact. The notion of assistive system as means to improve the functional capabilities of individuals with disabilities will constitute one major impact. The other objective that of eliciting the functional mapping of the brain and the causality of key brain disorders will constitute another major impact.
Post Doctoral Fellow (1): Gualberto Cremades, Ph.D.,
Manager, ESI-256 EEG-Brain Lab- Now assistant Professor at Barry University - Students working as Support Staff (3): Sheldon Silvera
(Af.A):
Assistant Manager of the CATE center; Amado Gonzalez (Hisp): manager of the Web
Design and Development Lab; Oscar Silvera (Hisp), Manager
of the Interactive Design Lab. Sheldon and Amado are MS students and Oscar is a
Ph.D. student
Graduates - (18): Ph.D. Students (6): Patricio Vidal (Hisp); John Riley (W); Julio
Blandón (Hisp); Navarun Gupta (Asian); Weiting Cai, (Asian); and Noemi
Fernandez (Hisp). MS Students (12): Erika Suarez – NSF Fellow (Hisp); Daniela
Viegas (Hisp); Danmary Sánchez – NSF Fellow (Hisp); Natasa Mirkovic (W); Alison
Valdivieso (Hisp); Wei
Yao (Asian); Mark Rossman (W); Oscar Silvera (Hisp); Mercedes Cabrerizo (Hisp);
Celso Duran (Af.A); Kirenia Nunez (Hisp); Ovidio Sanchez (Hisp); and Euton
Lyons (Af.A)
Undergraduates - (23): Female
Students (12): Christine Bedia (Hisp); Luz Camacho (Hisp); Anaelis Sesin (Hisp);
Kirenia Nunez (Hisp); Tarla Toomer (Af.A.); Erica Carmentero(Hisp); Claudia
Rodríguez- (Hisp); Mercedes Cabrerizo (Hisp); Liza Demitrius (Af.A); Dalila
Landistoy (Hisp); Grettel Frias (W); Suzie Diaz (W); Male Students (11):
Alexis Bussiere (W); Robert Hazbun
(W); Orfirio Sánchez (Hisp); Michel Martinez(Hisp); Helton Lopez
(Af.A.); Herbert Reddick (Af.A.); Alejandro Simon (Hisp); Eddy Caballero
(Hisp); Luis Arencibia (Hisp); Michael Valdes (Hisp); Walter Tisher (W); Elmer
Joseph (Af.A)
New Graduates (17):
BS degree
(10): Luz Camacho, Claudia Rodríguez, Kirenia Nunez, Tarla Toomer, Mercedes
Cabrerizo, Alexis Bussiere, Robert Hazbun, Orfirio Sánchez, Michel Martinez,
and Alejandro Simon. MS degree (7):
Erika Suarez;
Daniela Viegas; Danmary Sánchez; Alison Valdivieso; Oscar Silvera; Ovidio
Sanchez, and Euton Lyons (Af.A).
1.
Adjouadi
M., Reyes C., Riley J., and Vidal P., “Adaptive FIR Smoothing Techniques for
Flow-Cytometric Histogrammed Data”, Particle & Particle Sys
Characterization Wiley-VCH, 17 (2000), pp. 01-08.
2.
Adjouadi
M., Reyes C., Vidal P, Barreto AB, “An Analytical Approach to Signal
Reconstruction Using Gaussian Approximations Applied to Randomly Generated Data
and Flow Cytometric Data”, IEEE Transactions on Signal Processing, Vol.
48, No. 10, pp. 2839-2849, October 2000.
3.
G.
Cremades, D. Sanchez, M. Adjouadi, and A. Barreto, “An empirical study in
human-computer interface research using EEG signals recorded with an ESI-256
machine”, International Conference on Signal Processing Applications &
Technology (ICSPAT), Dallas, Texas, October 16-19, 2000.
4.
S.
Chen, N. Rishe, X. Wang, and M. A. Weiss, "A User-Friendly Multimedia
System for Querying and Visualizing of Geographic Data," Systemics,
Cybernetics and Informatics, Vol. II, Information Sys. Development: pp.689-694,
July 23-26, 2000, Orlando, Florida.
5.
S.
Chen, X. Wang, N. Rishe, and M. A. Weiss, ``A High-Performance Web-Based System
Design for Spatial Data Accesses," 8th ACM Symp. on Advances in
Geographic Information Sys. (2000), 33-38.
6.
C.
Alacaci, E. McClintock, and A. Pasztor, “What Exactly do we teach in Math? A
Study of the Math Culture in Assessment Systems”, Psychology in Math Education
25, Netherlands, July 2001.
7.
Adjouadi
M. and Fernandez N., “An Orientation-Independent
Technique for the Classification of Blood Cells”, to appear, Particle
and Particle System Characterization, Wiley-VCH, 2001.
The following major fields of research and education would not have been possible without MII support:
-
Real-time
assistive systems design towards universal access for people with disabilities.
-
Human
(Brain)-Computer interfaces and EEG-brain research.
-
Dynamic
3-D imaging and physiological studies using confocal microscopy
-
Multidimensional
signal processing and pattern classification using flow cytometry
-
Real-time
systems and processing using parallel and distributed platforms and networks
This past year, we have moved the ESI-256 Machine to
the neuroscience center at Miami Children’s Hospital and have established a modern
FIU-MCH Brain Functions Laboratory (BFL). The vision in establishing this multidisciplinary
research and educational lab is to have it serve as a catalyst for our
graduates to train and develop their creative thinking in the fields of
neuroscience and human/brain-computer interfaces. In the merging of these technologies, we see a fertile ground for
the development of new methodologies and scientific discovery that (1) will
meet the impending needs in neuroscience as we elicit both the functional
mapping of the brain, and the causality of key brain disorders; and (2) perform
HCI research that responds to the call of the National Science Foundation on
the issue of Universal Accessibility
and takes as its mission the Assistive
Technology Act of 1998 (Public Law 100-407).
The development of Human-Computer Interfaces as
assistive real-time systems will come to improve the life of people with motor
disabilities and visual impairment. We are currently working on prototype
designs that will merge the benefits of Eye-Gaze Tracking (EGT),
Electromyograms (EMG), Electroencephalography (EEG) and three-dimensional sound
technologies. Such designs will be
supported by critical scientific procedures, experimental evaluations, and
feasibility studies.
The CATE center supports students, graduates and undergraduates alike, where more than 75% are minority, and where 53% are women. The disciplines include computer engineering, electrical engineering and computer science.
All of our students are capable of taking their theoretical know- how with strong background in Mathematics and apply it into applications and system design in relevant fields of science such as biomedical and medical.
Copyright © 1999 Center for Advanced Technology and Education