Undergraduate Lecture SeriesThe Computer and Information Technology Institute (CITI) and the Rice Innovation, Creativity, and Enterprise (ICE) project have jointly conceived an undergraduate lecture series which was inaugurated October 7, 2002 with the first lecture in the series.
This lecture series is designed primarily for an undergraduate audience, covering topics from the creativity of engineering and science to entrepreneurship, ethics, and the advantages of pursuing an advanced degree. Speakers are drawn from industry and academia. Each lecture lasts approximately 50 minutes and is followed by a question and answer session and a reception honoring the speaker.
Our goal in establishing this lecture series is to bring undergraduate engineering and science majors into the culture of attending lectures for professional development. We wish to challenge researchers and industry participants to convey to the students why they love whatever it is they do. Our hope beyond exposing the students to a variety of ideas is to make CITI and ICE more visible to undergraduates and introduce them to broad concepts in research and innovation.
This series is generously supported by Schlumberger.
Fall 2004
Richard Baraniuk
Professor of Electrical and Computer Engineering
Rice University
Title TBA
Thursday, October 7, 2004
4 p.m.
Duncan Hall McMurtry Auditorium
Spring 2004
Michael M. Carroll
Burton J. and Ann M. McMurtry Professor of Mechanical Engineering and Computational & Applied Mathematics
Rice University
Hot Bats are Too Hot to Handle!Abstract
Because of a growing concern about the impact of high performance metal bats on collegiate baseball, the NCAA established a Baseball Scientific Panel, in 1999, to advise its Baseball Rules Committee. The concern was two-fold: (a) there was a safety issue of a perceived increased risk, especially to the pitcher and (b) there had been a clear shift in the traditional balance between offense and defense. The panel's recommendations have led to the new BESR (Ball Exit Speed Ratio) bat certification process. This talk will treat the scientific and other issues that affect the assessment and regulation of baseball bat performance.(Footnote) The wondrous events in Omaha in June of last year showed that we got it right!
Thursday, March 18, 2004
4 p.m.
Duncan Hall McMurtry Auditorium
Fall 2003
Manuela M. Veloso
Professor
School of Computer Science at Carnegie Mellon University
Multi-robot coordination in highly dynamic environmentsAbstract
In recent years, many researchers have invested significant effort on investigating multi-robot systems. Robot soccer, as a pioneering multi-robot task, has offered a challenging research testbed. In robot soccer, a team of multiple robots faces a uncertain and dynamic environment created by a opponent team of robots.We have researched in robot soccer developing single-robot and multi-robot perception, cognition, and action algorithms. To form an effective team of robots, individual robots need to be robust. We have developed effective object recognition, localization, and behavior-based algorithms. In addition, to achieve a reliable team of robots, we research on team coordination strategies, team response to a dynamic world, behavior recognition, opponent modeling, and multiagent learning. In this talk, I will present our contributions to multi-robot coordination for our team of communicating four-legged Sony AIBO robots. I will also present our skills-tactics-plays architecture for adaptation of team plays to different opponent teams
I will conclude setting my research goals in perspective and discussing some of the fascinating open questions to be addressed towards creating teams of truly autonomous robots.
About Manuela Veloso
Manuela Veloso is Professor of Computer Science at Carnegie Mellon University. She received her Ph.D. in Computer Science from Carnegie Mellon in 1992. She received a B.S. degree in Electrical Engineering in 1980 and an M.Sc. in Electrical and Computer Engineering in 1984 from the Instituto Superior Tecnico in Lisbon. Prof. Veloso researches in the area of Artificial Intelligence. Her long-term research goal is the effective construction of teams of intelligent robots where cognition, perception, and action are combined to address planning, execution, and learning tasks, in particular in uncertain, dynamic, and adversarial environments. Prof. Veloso has developed teams of robot soccer agents in three different leagues that have been RoboCup world champions several times: simulation, CMU-built small-wheeled robots, and Sony four-legged robots, the latter team being the 2002 RoboCup world champion. Prof. Veloso is a Fellow of AAAI (American Association for Artificial Intelligence), and she was awarded an NSF Career Award in 1995 and the Allen Newell Medal for Excellence in Research in 1997. She was recently elected for Program Chair of the coming 2007 International Joint Conference on Artificial Intelligence.
Richard A. Tapia
Noah Harding Professor of Computational and Applied Mathematics and Director, Center for Equity and Excellence in Education
Rice University
Math at Top Speed: Breaking Myths in the Drag Racing FolkloreAbstract
Throughout his life, either as participant, support individual, or involved spectator, the speaker has been involved in some aspect of drag racing. As such, he has witnessed the birth and growth of many myths concerning dragster speed and acceleration. In this talk the speaker uses his mathematical training to identify rather elementary mathematical frameworks for the study of a particular popular belief and then apply mathematics to better understand the belief at hand. In this manner, some myths are explained and validated, while others are destroyed. Included in these examples will be attempts to determine how fast dragsters really are going and what the maximum acceleration achieved by today's dragsters is. The speaker will explain why dragster acceleration is greater than the acceleration due to gravity, an age-old inconsistency. The first part of the talk will be a historical account of the development of the sport of drag racing and will include shots of various family members. A component of the presentation will be several lively videos used to illustrate points.
Spring 2003
Bonnie J. Dunbar, PhD, NAE
Assistant Director of University Research and Affairs
NASA Johnson Space Center
Human Space Flight: from Apollo into the New MilleniumAbstract
Included in this talk will be an overview of the research NASA JSC is conducting on the international space station and space shuttle (including a short video from my last shuttle flight); recent work on Mars meterorites at JSC and the implications for life on that planet; engineering research at JSC to enable future exploration (including collaborative work with Rice on carbon nanotubes); and the importance of education and university research to ensuring that the U.S. continues to be preeminent in human space exploration.About Bonnie Dunbar
Bonnie J. Dunbar is a NASA mission specialist astronaut and veteran of 5 space flights. She has logged more than 50 days in space and has served as the payload commander on two flights, including the 8th docking mission to the Russian Space Station MIR.Dr. Dunbar holds BS and MS degrees in ceramic engineering from the University of Washington, and a doctorate in mechanical/biomedical engineering from the University of Houston. Prior to working for NASA, she was a senior research engineer with Rockwell International Space Division, where she helped develop the equipment and processes for manufacturing the thermal protection system for the space shuttle. She has been awarded the NASA Space Flight Medal, the NASA Exceptional Leadership Medal and the NASA Distinguished Service Medal. Dr. Dunbar is a registered Professional Engineer and in 2002 was elected to the National Academy of Engineering.
Wednesday, March 26, 2003
4pm
Duncan Hall, McMurtry Auditorium
Fall 2002
John Treichler, Chief Technology Officer
Applied Signal Technologies
Using Technology to Keep Other Countries HonestAbstract
This talk presents an historical view of how signal processing technology has been used to provide the intelligence needed to protect nations from one another. Examples from the First World War through the Cold War are used to illustrate the impact that technical intelligence collection can have in the verification of treaties meant to prevent war and, where necessary, in the conduct of war.About the Speaker
John Treichler received his BA and MEE degrees from Rice University in 1970 and his PhDEE from Stanford in 1977. He served as a line officer in the US Navy from 1970 to 1974. In 1977 he joined ARGOSystems in Sunnyvale CA and then helped found Applied Signal Technology, Inc. in 1984. Applied Signal designs and builds advanced signal processing equipment which is used by the United States government and its allies. He is currently their Chief Technical Officer and a member of the board of directors.During the 1983-1984 academic year he was an Associate Professor in the School of Electrical Engineering at Cornell University. In 1991 he was selected as a Fellow of the IEEE and in 2001 was given the IEEE Signal Processing Society's Technical Achievement Award and an IEEE Third Millennium Award.
Monday, October 7, 2002
4pm
Duncan Hall, McMurtry Auditorium