This project will provide an opportunity for ten undergraduate students to participate in the ongoing CVMA (Computer Vision and Multi-Agent) research activities in the CS department at USU. The REU students will receive formal instruction on CVMA and an introduction to each project during the first week and a half. They will then directly work with the faculty mentor to generate computer programs for testing hypotheses and new techniques, and to demonstrate the feasibility of the specific ideas. Students will also participate in weekly individual meetings, alternated bi-weekly REU group meetings and brown- bag research group meetings, and social events. They are required to accomplish three oral presentations and writing tasks at three stages to improve communication skills essential to professionals in any discipline. Our goals are to provide undergraduate students with the opportunities to learn the research process, assimilate latest research, assess their own research, present their own work and experimental results, prepare publications, and prepare for admission to graduate school. This site will ensure at least four participants are underrepresented students and at least six participants are from other institutions, especially undergraduate institutions where research programs are limited.
Intellectual Merit: The program will build a "real-world" working environment to help undergraduate students to develop an ability to think independently, a willingness to explore a multitude of approaches, a tenacity to face obstacles, and a background to learn state-of-the-art technical knowledge. Multiple projects will be defined to support and broaden current research efforts. These research projects include semantic-based CBIR (Content-Based Image Retrieval), image forensic and authentication, fire and flame detection, coalition organization with agent leadership, trust of robotic systems, and cooperative network monitoring. The proposed work will address the broad spectrums and challenging issues in CVMA using hands-on stimulating research projects. Some projects, designed for highly talented students, seek to advance knowledge and understanding by addressing unsolved problems. Others seek to employ CVMA techniques to solve the real-world problems. An intellectual approach will be applied to encourage students in active learning, free and open exchange of ideas, team spirit, and recognition and rewards for achievements.
Broader Impacts: The program will impact the disciplines of CS and the competitiveness of our nation by seeding the next generation of researchers.The program will impact the individual participants by promoting the development of their independent thinking and problem-solving skills. The program's focus on students from primarily undergraduate institutions and on members of underrepresented groups will further enhance these impacts. Finally, the research itself has the potential for positive social impact due to its focus on real-world applications. Early exposure to research activities will substantially further students' learning process, significantly enhance their research experience, quickly develop their skills in CVMA related research, actively promote their interests in research, and effectively inspire their desire to pursue advanced degrees.
