Search

The main purpose of this project was to find a secure streaming solution for audio files within the VT Library, specifically regarding the recital collection audio files that were donated by the Department of Music. Within the context of this project, the definition of secure streaming is a method of online streaming that ensures that copyrighted audio files are streamed while respecting copyright law. The practical application of solving this problem has partially to do with advancement in mobile and internet technology as well as copyright issues (as stated above). In regards to mobile technology, many mobile devices currently being used are able to stream internet content such as audio and video, provided that the content is streamed efficiently. With regards to the internet technology, there has been increasing push towards using HTML5. Also with regards to internet technology, there has been a push for going away from Real Time Streaming Protocol (RTSP) due to internet security issues. After researching several methods that are used for streaming media content on the web, including things such as URL hashing, Kaltura, a Linux implementation of HTTP Live Streaming, etc, we decided to use Apple’s HTTP Live Streaming. Apple’s HTTP Live Streaming, which favors Apple products over other products, is both a practical and easy to implement solution for the library staff. In this document, we will go over three main points. The first point is the implementation of HTTP Live Streaming which includes the use of HTTP Live Streaming with regards to client side use, server side use, and the installation utility software. The second point is our procedure and project timeline. The third point will be the main problems that we confronted regarding both inherent issues (such as copyright issues, efficiency, etc) as well as implementation and research issues (such as system requirements and false leads in research).

The Intelligent Systems And Autonomous Controls (ISAAC) robot is an experimental autonomous research platform being developed to advance current dismount following applications. Specifically, vision based following using pedestrian detection. The current standard in mule applications is the following of GPS waypoints. ISAAC is designed to follow a specific person using solely vision based techniques. The core of the vision based algorithms used in this application is based on years of research from a collaboration of government and university partners. Stereo vision techniques determine a person, identify them as the leader, and map a path for autonomous following. This paper focuses on the initialization of these algorithms and the control scheme used to implement them on a real-world platform.

The 2005 DARPA Grand Challenge was a "Huge Leap Forward for Robotics R&D" according to the DARPA Grand Challenge tracking website. Similar to the transatlantic flight competition that spurred commercial flights all over the world, the Grand Challenge was a step forward in the area of navigation for unmanned ground vehicles. However, questions like "What are the important technologies brought forth by the Grand Challenge?" and "How can these technologies can assist our soldiers in the field?" should be addressed. This paper will look at the 2005 DARPA Grand Challenge from the perspective of individuals involved in some of the Army's unmanned ground vehicle programs. Information will be presented contrasting this year's competition to the one held in 2004. Details of the enabling technologies from many of the competitors will be discussed along with problems they encountered at the National Qualification Event (NQE) and on Race Day. Finally, thoughts will be presented on how these technologies may be harvested in commercial and DOD R&D, current, and future systems., Published in Proceedings of SPIE, Unmanned Systems Technology VIII, v6230, paper 62302H, May 2006.

The combination of high-resolution multi-spectral satellite imagery and advanced COTS object-oriented image processing software provides for an automated terrain feature extraction and classification capability. This information, long with elevation data, infrared imagery, a vehicle mobility model and various meta-data (local weather reports Zobler Soil map, etc...), is fed into automated path planning software to provide a stand-alone ability to generate rapidly updateable dynamic mobility maps for Manned or Unmanned Ground Vehicles (MGVs or UGVs). These polygon based mobility maps can reside on an individual platform or a tactical network. When new information is available, change files are generated and ingested into existing mobility maps based on user selected criteria. Bandwidth concerns are mitigated by the use of shape files for the representation of the data (e.g. each object in the scene is represented by a shape file and thus can be transmitted individually). User input (desired level of stealth, required time of arrival, etc...) determines the priority in which objects are tagged for updates. This technology was tested at Fort Knox, Kentucky October 11th - 15th 2004. Satellite imagery was acquired in a near-real-time fashion for the selected test site. Portions of the resulting geo-rectified image were compared with surveyed range locations to assess the accuracy of the approach. The derived UGV Path Plans were ingested into a Stryker UGV and the routes were autonomously traversed. This paper will detail the feasibility of this approach based of the results of this testing., submitted to SPIE Defense and Security Symposium

The fighting effectiveness and force projection capability of the U. S. Army's Future Force will be significantly increased with deployment of Future Combat Systems (FCS), which include significant numbers of unmanned vehicles and robotic systems to conduct missions ranging from reconnaissance to re-supply to direct assault. Successful application of these robotic systems requires new levels of objective-based autonomous behavior in mixed-fleet scenarios. To meet these requirements for robotic fleet dynamics, designers and integrators should apply autonomous agent concepts and recent research results. As the concepts are demonstrated and improved in challenging environments, they can be further extended to additional applications for the military as well as new ones in the commercial/civil sector. This paper defines the autonomous agent concept and describes its important elements, including goal seeking, resourcefulness, and the optional ability for agents to transfer themselves or clone themselves among physical hosts. Fleet dynamics are discussed as applicable to robot coordination in group maneuvers, complex missions, and rapidly changing conditions and constraints. Multiple aspects of fleet dynamics are considered including distinction of multiple roles, transfer of roles under triggering conditions, and the impact of various strategies of information sharing, whether local, near neighbor, or wide-area broadcast, on fleet performance, robustness, and adaptability. This paper includes a review of promising research results for autonomous agent concepts in academic and military settings and identifies specific methods that appear useful for application to robotic and mixed fleets. Several military and commercial/civil applications are identified for which the autonomous agent concept is especially useful. Technology gaps where additional research and development is justified to overcome current limitations are highlighted.

The DARPA Grand Challenge was a competition between autonomous ground vehicles racing between Los Angeles and Las Vegas in March of 2004. According to DARPA, "The purpose of the challenge is to leverage American ingenuity to accelerate the development of autonomous vehicle technologies that can be applied to military requirements." This paper focuses on some of the innovations, in mobility and perception, utilized on vehicles at the competition from the perspective of DOE volunteers involved with vehicle inspection, start line qualification, vehicle following, and finish line verification., Presented at the NDIA Conference held on 21 June 2004.