Honours Projects 2008

Projects supervised by David Shi

Please contact for comprehensive info on these proposed projects.

Stress and cognitive load analysis for HCI (Human Computer Interaction) Applications

Joint Supervisor
Mr. Ronnie Taib ()

Research Areas
Human computer interaction
Stress analysis
Usability evaluation

Abstract of Research Project
Physiological measurements such as skin conductance, heart rate and blood pressure can be used as part of usability evaluation framework for HCI (human computer interfaces). These measurements can provide indication as to whether a user is under stress when completing a task using a computer or application.

The GSR (Galvanic Skin Response) is one type of physiological measurement that can be used to indicate whether a user is under stress compared to relaxed state, and can potentially indicate user’s cognitive load levels.

This project aims to validate the above hypotheses/statement. Main tasks include understanding of GSR, designing user studies, developing real-time automated GSR analysis tools using Java or a script language.

The design of a user study to validate and test several hypotheses is a research process, which will be carried out with help from researchers. The user study will be carried out by the student with help from researchers. And a tool set to automate the GSR data acquisition, real-time display and analysis will be completed by the student.

Details:

• Learn some basics about physiological sensors, and especially about GSR
• Understand the goals and requirements of user study and analysis tools
• Design user study with the goal of designing tasks that can produce different levels of cognitive loads and especially can induce different types of stresses.
• Develop s/w modules for GSR acquisition, visualisation, analysis
• Run user study
• Data analysis
• Document the design and implementation
• Run a demonstration, prepare report and give a seminar presentation

Expected Outcomes
Software to acquire and analyse computer user stress levels in real time, for selected applications.

Developing an FPGA-based Smart Camera for Car Tracking and Counting

Research Areas
Image Processing
Embedded multimedia systems
FPGA and VHDL

Abstract of Research Project
Aim of research is to develop a smart camera prototype using FPGA platform. The camera will detect, analyse, track vehicle movement and count them.
Different from desktop and PC-based image and video processing, building a camera from scratch using FPGA as central processor is a challenging piece of work. It allows student(s) to learn state-of-the-art embedded system technologies.
Student(s) will learn to use hardware description language to program FPGA. Implement algorithms already developed by researchers. Extensive coding, debugging and testing.

Novelty and Contribution
Smart camera can perform detection and decision-making all by itself, without having to send video to remote PC for processing. Developing image processing algorithms suited for embedded environment without sacrificing performance.

Expected Outcomes
The outcome of the project will be a smart camera as an FPGA-based embedded system that can detect and track vehicle movement on the roads and count them.

Developing and implementing algorithms for video-based hand tracking for human computer interface applications

Research Area
Image Processing
Human computer interaction

Abstract of Research Project
This project aims to develop and implement, under guidance by researchers, hand-tracking algorithms using either skin-color segmentation, or shape and motion based segmentation. Applications include human computer interfaces.
Students will research into different types of algorithms, test and select algorithms based on application requirements. Coding implementation, test and debug. Language can be C, C++, Java, or VHDL.

Novelty and Contribution
Main contribution will be to develop hand-tracking function for a camera that can recognise computer user’ hand gestures.

Expected Outcomes
Working algorithms satisfying design requirements. Building prototype and demonstrator.


Developing an FPGA-based Smart Camera development platform

Research Area
Embedded systems
FPGA and programmable logic devices
Image and video processing

Abstract of Research Project
An FPGA is a high performance computing platform widely used in networking, image/video processing and other high processing power demanding applications.

This project aims at researching into efficient ways of integrating various image processing modules into an FPGA based intelligent camera platform. The project will involve HDL and C/C++ coding, debugging and real-time testing.
Working alongside a senior researcher, the student will have a great opportunity to gain skills in advanced FPGA technologies and computer/machine vision, he/she will also learn how to do research on real-time video processing and build an intelligent video camera and gain insight into embedded imaging system.

Novelty and Contribution
A smart camera is a vision system in which the primary function is to produce a high-level understanding of the imaged scene and generate application-specific data to be used in an autonomous and intelligent system. The reason a smart camera is ‘smart’ lies in the fact that there exists inside the camera a processing unit which performs application specific information processing. Using an FOGA to build a smart camera, from scratch, is a challenging piece of work. The primary function of the camera to be built – gesture recognition – has a wide range of applications.

Expected Outcomes
The outcome of the project will be both a smart camera development platform and a camera prototype that can track simple moving objects.