This is the 2010 BDPA IT Showcase Guide. It was published for the IT Showcase that took place in Philadelphia on July 27-29, 2010.
This guide contains information on the participants and presentations given by high school and college students at the 2010 IT Showcase.
4. TABLE OF CONTENTS
WELCOME ...................................................................................................................................................... 3
HISTORY ......................................................................................................................................................... 4
PREVIOUS IT SHOWCASE WINNERS ...................................................................................................... 5
IT SHOWCASE JUDGES ............................................................................................................................. 19
IT SHOWCASE PRESENTATIONS SCHEDULE .................................................................................... 20
PRESENTATION SCHEDULE (YTC)........................................................................................................ 21
PRESENTATION SCHEDULE (ITS).......................................................................................................... 22
THE ROLE OF INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY IN THE RESPONSE OF THE CDC TO THE
H1N1 OUTBREAK ........................................................................................................................................ 26
INKJET PRINTERS...................................................................................................................................... 37
SOME ARTIFICIAL INTELLIGENCE APPLICATIONS IN THE MILITARY .................................. 47
MILITARY ROBOTICS ............................................................................................................................... 55
ROBOTICS AND BIOINFORMATICS IN THE HEALTHCARE INDUSTRY..................................... 64
CLOUD COMPUTING ................................................................................................................................. 73
THE SECURITY UP THERE....................................................................................................................... 81
THE AVATAR MACHINE........................................................................................................................... 89
CYBER SECURITY THREATS .................................................................................................................. 97
VIRTUAL REALITY IN THE MEDICAL FIELDS ................................................................................ 107
ARTIFICIAL INTELLIGENCE ................................................................................................................ 118
BUSINESS INTELLIGENCE..................................................................................................................... 127
FOR FINANCIAL SERVICES ................................................................................................................... 127
COMPUTER SECURITY IN THE HOME............................................................................................... 140
ERGONOMICS OF PORTABLE DEVICES............................................................................................ 148
IPHONE APPLICATIONS ......................................................................................................................... 161
NANOTECHNOLOGY ............................................................................................................................... 173
OPEN SOURCE SYSTEMS........................................................................................................................ 186
THE REAL LIFE IRON MAN ................................................................................................................... 197
DISASTER VULNERABILITY ASSESSMENT ...................................................................................... 207
THE BERLIN HEART ................................................................................................................................ 218
UNMANNED AERIAL SYSTEMS ............................................................................................................ 232
2010 NATIONAL IT SHOWCASE PROCEEDINGS 2
5. WELCOME
Welcome and thank you for participating in the 8th Annual National BDPA IT Showcase. This will be an
exciting three days!!!!
These proceedings have papers from 21 students, IT Showcase history, a list of past winners and the photos
of winners since 2008.
The Presentations/Projects were judged earlier this morning in two categories, college (undergraduate) and
high school. Three awards will be made in each category for 1st, 2nd, and 3rd place. The awards will be
presented at the IT Showcase Awards Presentation at the end of the IT Showcase session on Thursday.
During the first seven years, 2003-2009, of the IT Showcase, there were 25 undergraduate papers and 46 high
school papers presented. The students represented 13 states, 19 high schools, 12 universities and one
community college. Their papers covered database technology, web design technology, wired and wireless
communication technology, IT security, data mining, soft computing, high performance computing, virtual
humans, robotics, operating systems, IT certification, cloud computing, etc.
Again, thanks for joining us at the NBDPA IT Showcase!
Jesse L. Bemley, Ph.D.
NBDPA IT Showcase
Conference Manager
2010 NATIONAL IT SHOWCASE PROCEEDINGS 3
6. HISTORY
The idea that led to the creation of the IT Showcase has taken several twists and turns over the years. As far
back as the late 1980s, a UNISYS communications engineer in Philadelphia talked about a BDPA computer
science fair. The computer science fair would be patterned after the traditional high school science fair.
The idea was put on the back burner because of the all-consuming activities of the pilot HSCC which was
held in Atlanta in 1986. During the New Orleans Convention in 1987, the Artificial Intelligence Model of a
Black Teenager was presented by three teenage girls. The model was an expert system developed from the AI
language Prolog. The student presentation was a component of Dr. Jesse Bemley’s workshop.
Bemley’s National Conference workshops included high school students from 1989 – 1992. The students’
names were not a part of the conference program. Instead the workshops had separate programs as handouts.
In 1993 Margaret Jennings suggested that Bemley’s students participate in the Youth Conference as the High
School Computer Science Fair at the BDPA National Conference in Kansas City, MO. For the very first time
students names were published in the official conference Youth Activities Guide. Five high school students
presented papers. Their research areas included expert systems, logic puzzles, neural networks, and fractals.
The activity continued until the 1997 conference in Houston, TX.
There were no further computer science fairs. The national conference co-coordinator did not want students
making presentations to Youth Conference participants, only adult presenters.
In 2001 Dwight Huggett, then HSCC coordinator, proposed an IT Showcase where the projects of college and
high school students would be highlighted. The effort did not get off the ground. There was a subsequent
attempt in 2002. Again, the resources were not available.
In 2003, BDPA President Elect Wayne Hicks asked Bemley to accept the challenge, which he did. Hicks
wanted an event that would keep the HSCC alumnae moving academically toward the Ph.D. Bemley
modified the requirements for participation to include: a 10-page paper in a leading edge topic, a 15-minute
PowerPoint presentation, a 3ft by 4ft poster which graphically depicts the paper, a one page bio with photo,
and a trip report due a week after the conference. The 2003 National BDPA Conference in Philadelphia
hosted the first IT Showcase. Atlanta hosted the 2008 National BDPA Conference and 6th NBDPA IT
Showcase. Raleigh hosted the 2009 National BDPA Conference and 7th NBDPA IT Showcase.
The Cincinnati Chapter hosted a regional IT Showcase in 2005. There have been several unsuccessful
attempts at regional/local IT Showcases in subsequent years. The Northeast Regional Technology
Conference in Washington, DC in 2007, 2008 and 2009 held very successful IT Showcases. In addition, the
Northern Delaware Regional IT Showcase was held on May 15, 2010. This event is slated to be an annual
one. It is to become a model for other regional IT Showcases for those who don’t wish to use the traditional
IT showcase paradigm.
2010 NATIONAL IT SHOWCASE PROCEEDINGS 4
7. PREVIOUS IT SHOWCASE WINNERS
2003- Philadelphia, PA
High School Division
° 1st place: Mr. Bryan Bemley, Washington, DC
° 2nd place: Mr. Eric Lamison-White, Bowie, MD
° 3rd place: Ms. Jessica Eggleston, Columbia, SC
College Division
° 1st place: Ms. Swathi Nibhanupudi, University of Cincinnati
° 2nd place: Mr. Wesley Williams, University of Chattanooga
° 3rd place: Mr. Ayyub Wright, University of Memphis
2004- Dallas, TX
High School Division
° 1st place: Andre Strong, Thomas Edison HS, Alexandria, VA
° 2nd place: Eric Lamison-White, Bowie HS, Bowie,MD
° 3rd place: Julian Waller, Carroll HS, Washington DC
College Division
° 1st place: Robert Garcia, DePaul University
° 2nd place: Jessye Bemley, North Carolina A&T University
° 3rd place: Chris Holt, Southern Illinois University,
2005- Detroit, MI
High School Division
° 1st place: Bryan Bemley, Carroll HS, Washington, DC
° 2nd place: Eric Lamison-White, Bowie HS, Bowie, MD
° 3rd place: Joshua Wallace, Duval HS, Lanham, MD
College Division
° 1st place: Chris Holt, Southern Illinois University
° 2nd place: Darrell Edmonds, North Carolina A&T University
° 3rd place: Darren Lamison-White, Bowie State University
2006- Los Angeles, CA
High School Division
° 1st Place: Eric Lamison-White, Bowie High School, Bowie, MD
° 2nd Place: Malcom Parker, Mayfair High School, Los Angeles, CA
° 3rd Place: Alicia Simmonds, Frederick Douglass HS, Upper Marlboro, MD
College Division °
° 1st Place: Raymond McGill, Jr. Cornell University
° 2nd Place: Jessye Bemley, North Carolina A&T State University
° 3rd Place: Myles Singleton, Illinois State University at Normal
2007- Washington, DC
High School Division
° 1st Place: Jahmal Chase, School for Creative and Performing Arts, Cincinnati, OH
° 2nd Place: Amber Gosby, Mt. Healthy High School, Cincinnati, OH
° 3rd Place: Christian Loggins, Eastern High School, Washington, DC
College Division
° 1st Place: Delano Robinson, University of Minnesota Crookston
° 2nd Place: Jessye Bemley, North Carolina A&T State University
° 3rd Place: Darren Lamison-White, Bowie State University
2010 NATIONAL IT SHOWCASE PROCEEDINGS 5
8. 2008- Washington, DC
High School Division
° 1st Place: Frederick Smith, III, Charter School of Wilmington, Wilmington, DE
° 2nd Place: Tyrell Ferguson, North Point High School, Waldorf, MD
° 3rd Place: Cadeal Chase, Patapsco High School and Center for The Arts, Baltimore, MD
College Division
° 1st Place: Tiffany McCormick, North Carolina A&T State University
° 2nd Place: Bryan Bemley, Bowie State University
° 3rd Place: Jessye Bemley, North Carolina A&T State University
2009- Raleigh, NC
High School Division
° 1st Place: Naaman Cephas, Hodgson Vocational Technical High School, Newark, DE
° 2nd Place: Marcus Smith, Pencader Charter High School, New Castle, DE
° 3rd Place: Whitney Wilson, Charter School of Wilmington, Wilmington, DE
College Division
° 1st Place: Frederick Smith, III, California University of Pennsylvania
° 2nd Place: Bryan Bemley, Bowie State University
° 3rd Place: Jovanna Foreman, North Carolina Central University
2010 NATIONAL IT SHOWCASE PROCEEDINGS 6
9. FIRST PLACE UNDERGRADUATE 2008
TIFFANY MCCORMICK
NORTH CAROLINA A&T STATE UNIVERSITY
TVC.MCCORMICK@GMAIL.COM
2010 NATIONAL IT SHOWCASE PROCEEDINGS 7
10. 2ND PLACE UNDERGRADUATE 2008
BRYAN BEMLEY
BOWIE STATE UNIVERSITY
QUANTUMSTAR1@GMAIL.COM
2010 NATIONAL IT SHOWCASE PROCEEDINGS 8
11. 3RD PLACE UNDERGRADUATE 2008
JESSYE BEMLEY
NORTH CAROLINA A&T STATE UNIVERSITY
JLBDREAMS@YAHOO.COM
2010 NATIONAL IT SHOWCASE PROCEEDINGS 9
12. FIRST PLACE HIGH SCHOOL 2008
FREDERICK L. SMITH
CHARTER SCHOOL OF WILMINGTON
WILMINGTON, DE
2010 NATIONAL IT SHOWCASE PROCEEDINGS 10
13. 2ND PLACE HIGH SCHOOL 2008
TYRELL FERGUSON
NORTH POINT HIGH SCHOOL
WALDORF, MD
2010 NATIONAL IT SHOWCASE PROCEEDINGS 11
14. 3RD PLACE HIGH SCHOOL 2008
CADEAL D. CHASE
PATAPSCO HIGH SCHOOL AND CENTER FOR THE ARTS
BALTIMORE, MD
2010 NATIONAL IT SHOWCASE PROCEEDINGS 12
15. FIRST PLACE UNDERGRADUATE 2009
FREDERICK L. SMITH, III
CALIFORNIA UNIVERSITY OF PENNSYLVANIA
FREDERICKSMITHL@AOL.COM
2010 NATIONAL IT SHOWCASE PROCEEDINGS 13
16. SECOND PLACE UNDERGRADUATE 2009
BRYAN C. BEMLEY
BOWIE STATE UNIVERSITY
QUANTUMSTAR1@GMAIL.COM
2010 NATIONAL IT SHOWCASE PROCEEDINGS 14
17. THIRD PLACE UNDERGRADUATE 2009
JOVANNA FOREMAN
NORTH CAROLINA CENTRAL UNIVERSITY
2010 NATIONAL IT SHOWCASE PROCEEDINGS 15
18. FIRST PLACE HIGH SCHOOL 2009
NAAMAN REGINALD CEPHAS
PAUL M. HODGSON VOCATIONAL TECHNICAL HIGH SCHOOL
NEWARK, DELAWARE
2010 NATIONAL IT SHOWCASE PROCEEDINGS 16
19. SECOND PLACE HIGH SCHOOL 2009
MARCUS J. SMITH
PENCADER CHARTER HIGH SCHOOL
NEW CASTLE, DELAWARE
2010 NATIONAL IT SHOWCASE PROCEEDINGS 17
20. THIRD PLACE HIGH SCHOOL 2009
Whitney E. Wilson
Charter School of Wilmington
Wilmington, Delaware
2010 NATIONAL IT SHOWCASE PROCEEDINGS 18
21. IT SHOWCASE JUDGES
Gregory E. Brown PMP, MCSE, MCSA, ITIL Foundation
CHIEF JUDGE
I hail from the wonderful city of Chicago, IL and have been
living and working in the Washington D.C. Metropolitan
area for over 10 years. I have managed numerous
information technology projects for various companies to
include Private, U.S Government, Public Safety and Law
Enforcement agencies throughout the continental U.S. I am
employed with the Information Technology Division of
Amtrak, managing a variety of I.T projects. I also facilitate
the Project Management Exam Prep class for National
BDPA thru Auburn University.
RENARD J. ALEXANDER, MCTIP-SA, MCTIP, MCSE, MCSA, MCP
I have been a Microsoft Certified Engineer for the past 13 years and have been in the
electronics industry since 1988. I hail from Tampa, FL and am currently holding a position
as a Systems Engineer with Amtrak's Information Technology department. I have been
with the company for 10+ years and am responsible for a number of projects, including
managing Amtrak's remote application migration.
CHRISTOPHER WHITE, MCITP SA, MCITP EA, MCSE, MCSA, MCP
I have been working in the computer arena for over 17 years now. I have managed
numerous information technology projects for various companies to include Private and
U.S Government. I currently work in the Information Technology Division of Amtrak
managing a variety of IT projects.
MIGUEL A. SYLVESTER
Born at Ramey Air Force Base, in Puerto Rico, I am from the Panama City, Panama. I have
lived in many countries and states due to my father’s Air Force career of travel duties. I
have resided in the United States 50 years. I currently live in our Nation’s Capitol,
Washington, DC since 1977. I have designed, engineered and managed numerous
information technology systems for various companies in the private sector and U.S
Government. I currently work for Amtrak (National Railroad Passenger Corporation) in
the Information Technology Department. I am an IT Director responsible for managing
Application Delivery (Citrix) and Infrastructure Service Level Performance Monitoring.
2010 NATIONAL IT SHOWCASE PROCEEDINGS 19
22. IT SHOWCASE PRESENTATIONS SCHEDULE
YTC
WEDNESDAY 3:00PM – 4:00PM
WEDNESDAY 4:15PM – 5:15PM
POSTER PRESENTATION JUDGING
THURSDAY 8:00AM-9:25AM
(CLOSED TO THE PUBLIC)
WELCOME AND INTRODUCTIONS
9:30AM
DR. JESSE BEMLEY, IT SHOWCASE DELIVERY MANAGER
MORNING PRESENTATIONS
10:00AM – 12:00PM
LUNCH
AFTERNOON PRESENTATIONS
1:30PM – 4:30PM
IT SHOWCASE
AWARDS PRESENTATION
5:00PM – 6:00PM
CLOSING REMARKS
Yvette Graham, NATIONAL BDPA PRESIDENT
2010 NATIONAL IT SHOWCASE PROCEEDINGS 20
23. PRESENTATION SCHEDULE (YTC)
WEDNESDAY
3:00PM – 4:00PM
YTC
PRESENTATIONS TO HIGH SCHOOL STUDENTS
4:15PM – 5:15PM
YTC
PRESENTATIONS TO HIGH SCHOOL STUDENTS
2010 NATIONAL IT SHOWCASE PROCEEDINGS 21
24. PRESENTATION SCHEDULE (ITS)
10:00AM – 12:00PM
IPHONE APPLICATIONS
THE ROLE OF INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY IN THE RESPONSE OF THE
CDC TO THE H1N1 OUTBREAK
INKJET PRINTERS
SOME ARTIFICIAL INTELLIGENCE APPLICATIONS IN THE MILITARY
DISASTER VULNERABILITY ASSESSMENT
MILITARY ROBOTICS
ROBOTICS AND BIOINFORMATICS IN THE HEALTHCARE INDUSTRY
CLOUD COMPUTING
UNMANNED AERIAL SYSTEMS
THE SECURITY UP THERE
12:00PM – 1:25PM
LUNCH
1:30 – 4:30
UNMANNED AERIAL SYSTEMS
THE SECURITY UP THERE
THE AVATAR MACHINE
2010 NATIONAL IT SHOWCASE PROCEEDINGS 22
25. BUSINESS INTELLIGENCEFOR FINANCIAL SERVICES
THE REAL LIFE IRON MAN
CYBER SECURITY THREATS
THE BERLIN HEART
OPEN SOURCE SYSTEMS
ERGONOMICS OF PORTABLE DEVICES
COMPUTER SECURITY IN THE HOME
NANOTECHNOLOGY
VIRTUAL REALITY IN THE MEDICAL FIELDS
ADDITIONAL OPPORTUNITIES FOR RESEARCH PRESENTATIONS
5:00PM-6:00PM
AWARDS PRESENTATION
2010 NATIONAL IT SHOWCASE PROCEEDINGS 23
26. ARIEL YOUNG
THE GEORGE WASHINGTON UNIVERSITY
WASHINGTON, DC
Ariel Young is an upcoming freshman at The George Washington University located in
Washington, DC. She plans to major in biology and blend her interest in science with
information technology and law in order to pursue a career in public health law.
Her interest in science began at an early age, and blossomed into fruition in middle school
with her participation in Science Olympiad. She earned numerous gold, silver, and bronze
medals at the state and local competitions throughout her two years of participation, and
helped her team advance to the national competition. In high school, Ariel continued her
interest in science, taking many rigorous courses and excelling in them all. She took many
Advanced Placement courses, and in the summer of 2009, was recognized nationally as an
Advanced Placement Scholar with Distinction for earning an average grade of at least a 3.5
on all AP exams and scoring a 3 or higher on five or more AP exams. She also developed
an interest in law, and was a member of the Gwinnett Law Post. She distinguished herself
as an exceptional student overall, making the honor roll seven out of the eight semesters of
her high school career, and was recognized on a national level as a National Achievement
Finalist in the spring of 2009. Ariel graduated with honors from Dacula High School in
Dacula, GA for maintaining an A average over her entire four years of high school, and
2010 NATIONAL IT SHOWCASE PROCEEDINGS 24
27. received a College Preparatory Diploma with distinction for completing 24 Carnegie Units
(two more than the requirement) and maintaining an 80 percent or above in her core
classes.
Ariel also realizes the importance of proficiency in math in relation to a science career, and
has excelled in the field throughout all the years of her schooling. She was a year ahead of
her peers in math, and took AP Calculus BC her junior year of high school, and AP
Statistics her senior year. Her abilities in the field of math have allowed her to apply her
analytical skills to science, hence her aptitude in information technology. She plans to
blend elements of information technology needed in the science field into her curriculum at
The George Washington University in the fall, and pursue her interest in public health law.
2010 NATIONAL IT SHOWCASE PROCEEDINGS 25
28. THE ROLE OF INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY IN THE RESPONSE OF THE
CDC TO THE H1N1 OUTBREAK
Ariel A. Young
The George Washington University
Norcross, GA
INTRODUCTION
The recent H1N1 outbreak caught many people by surprise. But through the efforts of
epidemiologists, lab technicians, doctors, and other research and healthcare workers, the
threat of widespread illness is no longer eminent, and significant steps have been taken to
contain the virus. The development and distribution of the H1N1 vaccine was a very
effective and necessary way to combat the virus, which required the cooperation of all
fields within the CDC. Though most of the credit generally goes to the researchers and
leadership of Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) for the progress that has
been made thus far, those involved with the IT aspect of the response play a vital role in
responding to health crises and continue to contribute to the effort of containing and
preventing the H1N1 virus. The organization of the vast amount of data sent to the CDC on
a daily basis regarding potential cases of H1N1 was the responsibility of the IT
professionals at the CDC. The use of such technologies as BioNumerics, epidemiology
identification numbers, Access databases, mapping technologies, Excel spreadsheets, and
secure sites for downloading information, all assisted IT professionals at the CDC in
compiling data into a simple format that could be used to accurately reflect the scope and
other aspects of the virus.
PUBLIC HEALTH SURVEILLANCE
As in all health related crises in the United States, the CDC took the lead in identifying the
virus, developing solutions to the widespread outbreak, and coming up with preventative
measures. In order to accomplish this, they utilized multiple tools to ensure the accuracy
and simplicity of the data they received and disseminated. The process they used to collect
data on potential cases is called public health surveillance. Due to the large amount of data
received each day concerning the myriad diseases, viruses, chronic illnesses, and so forth, a
reliable system was put in place to eliminate some of the complexity associated with
receiving such large amounts of information on a regular basis. When a patient exhibits
symptoms of a certain illness, information is sent to the lab for analysis. The two types of
data that each case warrants are data from the lab as a result of the tests done on the
samples they receive, and case information forms. In the case of the H1N1 outbreak, the
2010 NATIONAL IT SHOWCASE PROCEEDINGS 26
29. laboratory data was then sent to the public health department in an Excel spreadsheet
format. The IT professionals within the CDC then assigned each case an epidemiology
identification number and stored the information in an Access database. This provided the
CDC with a simple way to store vital information and provided them with easy access to it
as well. The epidemiologists then cleaned the data by checking the database for
inconsistencies. Once the data had been cleaned, the information was forwarded to the
management of the CDC, and from there forwarded to media outlets. The efficiency
provided by the effective use of information technology by the CDC allowed the public to
have expedient access to reliable information on health issues. Whether the issue is an
outbreak situation or a chronic illness, the speed with which the public and CDC officials
have access to vital information is largely due in part to the wonders of information
technology.
PUBLIC HEALTH SURVEILLANCE TECHNOLOGIES
Many technologies are required to receive and compress all of the information received by
the CDC each day. One such technology is the use of Excel sheets. When the results from
the tests done in the lab are completed, all the information is entered into Excel
spreadsheets. That information is then forwarded to the CDC. There is a secure website
where the data can be downloaded, and the information in the spreadsheet is then
compressed and assigned an epidemiology identification number. The numbers assigned to
each case allow for a unique identifier for each individual case, so no information is lost
among the vast amount of information flowing into the system. The numbers, along with
the compressed data, are then stored in an Access database. This reduces the amount of
data sitting around and provides easy access to information when it is needed. Workers are
able to look up specific cases and group them according to specific characteristics
identified by lab technicians and epidemiologists. Once the data is stored in the database, it
is available for review by the epidemiologists. They check for anything out of the order
and summarize the information before it is forwarded to the CDC management and media
outlets.
BIONUMERICS: WHAT IT DOES
Before the CDC was able to formulate a response to the H1N1 virus, they first had to
identify what they were dealing with. Once again Information Technology played an
integral role in this process. Through a technology called BioNumerics, CDC workers were
able to tell in a short period of time that the virus was something that they had not
previously seen. BioNumerics is a large Microsoft Access database that can be used to
identify various viruses and bacteria by processing biological data uploaded to the database
and checking them against the system to find a match. Public health labs at the local and
state level process data through the BioNumerics technology and then send the information
to the national database via the BioNumerics Server. The uploaded information is then
processed by the national database administrator and the data is checked to see if it is a new
strain of an existing virus or bacteria. The database can compare the data to other similar
2010 NATIONAL IT SHOWCASE PROCEEDINGS 27
30. entries in the database by clustering them together and determining if they are related. One
useful feature of BioNumerics is the ability of individual labs to search the database for
matches. This prevents a backlog of data for the database administrator to process, leaving
the most important and more complex issues to the administrator, like H1N1. Although the
administrator does not have to process every bit of data uploaded by local and state health
labs, they are still responsible for organizing and verifying the data uploaded to
BioNumerics. Since the database is used by public health laboratories nationwide, even a
small discrepancy could prove disastrous, especially in the wake of deadly illnesses that
can spread at a rapid pace. The ability to organize data submitted to the national database is
critical and vital to controlling and preventing outbreaks. The information used to
formulate strategies for the use of the public health officials and the general public must be
accurate in order to benefit everyone.
HOW IT WORKS
In contrast to the previous system, which was comprised of myriad databases each of
which dealt with different viruses and required separate passwords, the BioNumerics
system brings all of the separate databases together, allowing researchers to check any
virus or strain of bacteria against the records of the CDC to possibly identify it. The
database houses information on each virus and bacterium identified to date and
consolidates a previously longer and more complicated process into one step. Instead of
each researcher having to search manually for a match or access multiple databases, they
can simply scan a sample of DNA and the database will collect close matches which the
researchers can then analyze to catch any mistakes the system may have made.
BioNumerics processes the biological data it receives through a component of the database
called the Assembler. The Assembler is embedded in the system and analyzes. For viruses,
such as H1N1, the Assembler analyzes the nucleotides of the sample to determine if it is an
existing virus, a strain of an existing virus, or a virus that has not been seen before.
Looking at the nucleotides of samples is the most effective way to determine information
on the data submitted to the database. Nucleotides bases form codons (three nucleotide
bases) which code for amino acids, which form polypeptide chains and then translate into
proteins. The proteins are what carry out the functions prescribed to it by the DNA. The
most precise level of scrutiny at which every possible amino acid can be formed occurs at
the sequences of nucleotides, specifically triplet sequences. So by analyzing the
nucleotides, BioNumerics gets the most accurate genetic information about the specimens
and is able to match it to existing strains in the database or determine that it is a new virus.
One unique capability of the technology is the ability to trace the evolution of a particular
specimen through the use of phylogenetic analysis tools. Through phylogeny, tracing the
origins of organisms, BioNumerics can accurately detect similarities between new and
older strains which allow workers to properly respond to the virus. This helps significantly
reduce the risk of human error that can occur by a researcher analyzing the data. DNA
fingerprints of many bacteria and viruses look similar when viewed, but the phylogenetic
tools utilized by BioNumerics uses reliable data from the evolutionary history of the
organism to determine if the strains are related. Overall efficiency is increased because of
the decrease in the amount of time required to identify and analyze the biological data.
2010 NATIONAL IT SHOWCASE PROCEEDINGS 28
31. COORDINATING THE RESPONSE
Once it was determined that the virus in question had not been seen before and a vaccine
was developed, Information Technology greatly contributed to the next step in response:
disseminating the H1N1 vaccine. The CDC was in charge of distributing doses of the
vaccine to the entire country as well as territories of the United States. In order to distribute
a vaccine in low supply to a demanding and needy public, a carefully coordinated plan with
key elements of information technology was implemented. The Countermeasure Response
Administration (CRA), an administration within the CDC, was assigned the task of creating
guidelines for reporting information on vaccines that were administered. They also
received information from all states and territories on how many vaccines were distributed,
the age groups they were administered to, what vaccination period they were administered
in, the project area ( a geopolitical area which is usually a state or metropolitan area), the
doses they were administered in, and description of the type of doses administered (nasal
spray, preservative free, etc.). Project areas collected this information because they are
required to submit reports to the CDC. In the context of countermeasure events, a report is
an aggregate count for events, countermeasures, and specific time frames when vaccines or
other resources designated for a response to a public health event are distributed. In the
data file sent to the CRA, the counts are identified by Project Area, Event, Start Date, End
Date and Vaccine Type. The CRA gives project areas specific instructions for submitting
their reports. To begin with, project areas are provided with three options for reporting their
counts of administered vaccines. The first option, called the Data Exchange Option, was for
project areas with their own CRA system already in place. These project areas were
allowed to submit files to the CRA themselves in file in a
Pipe-Delimited
Partner Value|Event Value|Start Date|End Date|Vaccine Type Value|Total Count|CountCategory Code
1^Doses Administered|Count Category Code 2^Doses Administered|CountCategory Code 3^Doses
Administered|Count Category Code n^Doses Administered<CR>
XML
<?xml version="1.0" encoding="UTF-8" ?><upload><aggregate sending="Partner Value"
event="Event Value" start_date="Start Date"
end_date="End Date" countermeasure_name="Vaccine Type Value" total_count="Total
Count"> <count category_code="Count Category Code 1" number_treated="Doses
Administered" /><count category_code="Count Category Code 2" number_treated="Doses
Administered" /><count category_code="Count Category Code 3" number_treated="Doses
Administered" /><count category_code="Count Category Code n" number_treated="Doses
Administered" /></aggregate> </upload>
or Health Level 7 (HL7)format.. The HL7 format is a program that supports the electronic
transfer of aggregate data on vaccine administration. Project areas can upload or message
files to the CRA. The Data Exchange Option for reporting countermeasures to the CRA has
very specific criteria to be met for the count and aggregate sections of the report. Each
2010 NATIONAL IT SHOWCASE PROCEEDINGS 29
32. criterion must be met and validated by the CRA system. For the aggregate section of the
report the following data elements must be recorded as in Table 1:
Table 1, Aggregate Section
Data Valid Values / Data Validation
Element
# Name Description Data Type Length Req'd
1 Partner Partner Jurisdiction or Alphanumeric 5 Yes See Project Area
Project area reporting
the aggregate counts.
2 Event Public Health Event Alphanumeric 20 Yes
for which the
aggregate counts were
collected.
3 Start Date Start date of the Date 10 Yes yyyymmdd
reporting time period
for the aggregate
counts.
4 End Date End date of the Date 10 Yes yyyymmdd
reporting time period
for the aggregate
counts.
5 Vaccine Vaccine type for which Alphanumeric 20 Yes See Vaccine Type
Type the counts apply.
6 Total Count Total number of doses Integer Yes Validated against the sum of the
administered for the Doses Administered for the
Partner, Event, Date Category Codes within
Range, and each Count Category.
Countermeasure. For example, the sum of the Doses
Administered for all Age
Group Category Codes
reported must equal the
Total Count.
For the Counts section of the report, these are the data elements that must be included as in
Table 2.
Table 2, Counts Section
Data Element Valid Values / Data
# Name Description Data Type Length Req'd Validation
1 Count Identifier for the counts Alphanumer 20 Yes See Count Categories If
Category Code being collected within a ic the Doses Administered
Count Category. for a Count Category is
zero, that Count Category
does not have to be
reported.
2010 NATIONAL IT SHOWCASE PROCEEDINGS 30
33. 2 Doses Total number of doses Integer 10 Yes The sum of the Doses
Administered administered of the Administered for the
vaccine type in the Category Codes within a
partners’ jurisdiction Count Category is
that corresponds to the validated against the
count category code. Total Count in the
Aggregate section of the
file.
In order to report vaccine type, the CRA provides codes specific to the options each project
area uses. The main code is 128 which is used for all forms of the vaccine. Other codes
such as 125, 126, and 127 are for Web Detail Users who submit information on the
individual level. Since the CRA does not require such detailed reporting, they ask the
project areas to record the detailed information with the 128 code for the purposes of
reporting. The values used to report vaccine types are in Table 3.
Table 3, Vaccine
Table 3, Vaccine Short Description Full Vaccine Name Notes
Type Value
128 Novel Novel Influenza-H1N1-09, all Novel Influenza – H1N1
InfluenzaH1N1-09, formulations vaccine type This code is used
all formulations whenever the actual
formulation is not determined
or when aggregating all Novel
H1N1 Influenza-09
immunizations for reporting to
CRA. It should not be used for
seasonal influenza vaccine that
is not otherwise specified.
(NOS)
Please refer to the Notes section for code 128 before using codes 125, 126 and 127.
125 Novel Novel Influenza-H1N1-09, live virus Novel Influenza – H1N1
InfluenzaH1N1-09, for nasal administration vaccine type Nasal route of
nasal administration
126 Novel Novel influenza-H1N1-09, Novel Influenza – H1N1
InfluenzaH1N1-09, preservative-free, injectable vaccine type Injectable
preservative-free vaccine, preservative free
127 Novel Novel influenza-H1N1-09, injectable Novel Influenza – H1N1
InfluenzaH1N1-09 vaccine type Injectable
vaccine
There are also requirements for reporting age group and the number of doses administered.
The values that the CRA will accept for these categories are in Table 4 and Table 5,
respectively.
2010 NATIONAL IT SHOWCASE PROCEEDINGS 31
34. Table 4, Age Group Count Category
Value Valid Date
Numeric (Code Range for
Code ) Short Name Code Description
71 AGE1 6-23 m 07/2009 Ages 6 through 23 Months
72 AGE2 24-59 m 07/2009- Ages 24 through 59 Months
73 AGE3 5-18 y 07/2009 Ages 5 through 18 Years
74 AGE4 19-24 y 07/2009 Ages 19 through 24 Years
75 AGE5 25-49 y 07/2009 Ages 25 through 49 Years
76 AGE6 50-64 y 07/2009 Ages 50 through 64 Years
77 AGE7 65 + 07/2009 Ages 65 years and above
Table 5, Dose Number Count Category
Valid Date
Numeric Value Range for
Code (Code) Short Name Code Description
721 DS1 1st 08/2006- First Flu shot
365 DS2 2nd 08/2006- Second Flu shot
243 DS3 Unk 08/2006- Flu shot – Unknown
The second option available for project areas is the Web Entry Aggregate option, in which
project areas can collect data in a manual or electronic form, and then submit it in a special
screen for aggregate reporting in the CRA system. The third and final option is called the
Web Entry Detail option, in which detailed data is collected, and the minimum amount of
information required by the CDC is automatically aggregated when sent to the CRA. The
range of submittal options for project areas accounts for the many different resources that
are readily available in different regions, municipalities, metropolitan areas, etc. The
designated times during which the doses were administered are called public health events.
A public health event is an act or acts that prevent or respond to an outbreak or disease.
Public Health Administrators (PHAs) are assigned jurisdictions, and are responsible for
confirming all the data collected in their project area and reporting it to the CDC. PHAs are
also able to assign individuals and organizations to events. One such individual the PHA is
responsible for assigning to organizations is a Data Entry Specialist (DES). The DES has
access to the data of the organization they are assigned to, and are responsible for reporting
the information to the CRA. In addition to DES users, PHAs are also allowed to assign
Data Entry Specialist Lite (DESLite) users. Those who use the Web Entry Aggregate and
Web Entry Detail options are able to have DESLite users access the system without a
Secure Data Network (SDN) digital certificate. DESLite users can access the system with a
username and password and have limited access to the features of the system DES users
have access to. DESLite users can add aggregate counts of countermeasure data, add
patients and countermeasures for patients, as well as view patient data for their current
session. DESLite users are not allowed to view data from previous sessions or view data
once it has been entered. They also cannot run reports or search for and see the type of data
entered into the system. DESLite users would have been very useful during the H1N1
outbreak due to the large amount of patients and the consequentially large number of doses
that had to be administered and reported. Enabling the PHA to assign DESLite users
streamlined the process of certifying Data Entry Specialists since regular DES were
required to obtain a Secure Data Network digital certificate by contacting the Public Health
2010 NATIONAL IT SHOWCASE PROCEEDINGS 32
35. Informatics Network (PHIN). So to accommodate the markedly increased numbers of
patients requesting the H1N1 vaccine, DESLite users performed the basic functions of DES
in order to prevent a massive delay in the distribution and reporting of countermeasure
activities. In addition to the PHA having the ability to assign DESLite users to assist in data
entry, the PHA was also able to assign secondary Points of Contact (POC) to be their
second in command. Secondary POCs were assigned the role of a PHA in the system in
order to have the ability to enter aggregate data and confirm data. In contrast to DESLite
users, secondary POC were required to have an SDN digital certificate. As a result of
assigning secondary POC, the project area PHA was able to spread some of the data
confirmation duties and once again prevent a huge delay in the reports being sent to the
CDC. Web Entry Aggregate and Web Entry Detail users also have another feature they can
use when submitting their reports. If they are entering data at the organization level
(whichever organization is administering the countermeasure), then a map can be generated
once the data is entered and submitted to the CRA. This feature of the CRA system
provides project areas with a visualization tool they can use to quickly summarize the
countermeasure counts. Instead of going into the system and looking up all of the counts,
the PHA can simply view the map and get an overview of the data. Each jurisdiction is
required to submit reports for each reporting period, which is defined as Sunday through
Saturday. The reports must include all counts for all clinics in the jurisdiction even if no
doses were given out in the reporting period. In addition, the counts of the previous
reporting periods must be reported as well as the counts of the current period. This is called
full replacement of the aggregate data. An example of this method is given below in Table
7.
Table 7, Full Replacement for Reporting Weeks
Aggregate Reporting Reporting Weeks
Full Replacement of
Week 1 Report Week 3 Report Week n Report
Doses Administered Week 2 Report
Week 1 Doses 100 105 (week 1 data 105 (week 1 data
Administered updated with 5 updated with 5 105 (no change)
additional doses) additional doses)
Week 2 Doses 250 250 (no change 200 (week 2 data
Administered from previous updated with 50
week’s report) fewer doses)
Week 3 Doses
Administered 100 100 (no change)
Week n Doses
Administered
375
The final report that is submitted to the CRA includes valid dates and values for all of the
information required. An example of the final report is given in Table 8.
Table 8, Valid Values and Data Validations
Aggregate Section Valid Values / Data Validation
Partner The value for your project area as found in the Project Area Valid Value list. For
example, Alabama is AL.
Event NovelH1N109
Start Date The beginning date of the reporting period in yyyymmdd format. Must be greater
than or equal to 20060730, and be the Sunday (first day) of an MMWR reporting
week
2010 NATIONAL IT SHOWCASE PROCEEDINGS 33
36. End Date The ending date of the reporting period in yyyymmdd format Must be the Saturday
(last day) of the MMWR reporting week Together, the Start Date and End Date
represent one MMWR reporting week
Vaccine Type Vaccine Type Values for this event are: 128
Total Count Total Doses Administered for the Partner, Event, Start Date, End Date, and Vaccine
Type
Counts Section Valid Values / Data Validation
Count Category Count Category Codes for this event are: All codes for the Age Group Count
Code Category All codes for the Dose Number Count Category Either the Numeric Code
or the Value (Code) may be used
Doses Total Doses Administered for each Count Category Code The sum of the Doses
Administered Administered in each Count Category must equal each other, and the Total Count
The CRA provides explicit instructions for reporting the distribution of vaccinations in
order to ensure accurate methods are implemented which prevent delays in distribution of
the vaccine as well as information to the CDC and the public. As a result efficiency is
maintained from the time the virus is identified to the time the CDC provides preventative
measures for the public to take.
CONCLUSION
The CDC effectively and actively uses Information Technology as part of its strategies to
combat disease. From consolidating vital information and transporting it to the public in a
timely fashion, to streamlining the process of identifying and treating the virus, IT makes a
significant contribution to the CDC. Not only does it make information easier and faster to
get, but it provides accurate information as well as a secure way for it to be stored and
transported. Safety is not compromised for expediency which is a main focus of the CDC,
which houses information on every case of illness or injury reported to them by physicians.
Public Health demands that information be accurate and easy to obtain, so we as humans
can adapt our lifestyles to new information. Without reliable and quick information on the
H1N1 virus, many more people would have become ill and certainly more people would
have died. But through the extensive and skilled efforts of the CDC, specifically
Information Technology workers, the situation was contained through effective
communication and preventative measures. Much gratitude should be shown towards these
exceptional professionals. We owe them our health, and maybe even our lives.
REFERENCES
http://www.cdc.gov/phin/activities/applications-
services/cra/docs/Questions_and_Answers_H1N1_2009_10_30_09.pdf
http://www.cdc.gov/phin/activities/applications-
services/cra/docs/H1N1_Data_Exchange_Specification_Document.pdf
Sridhar R. Papagari Sangareddy, Public Health Informatics Fellow, SISB/GID/NCIRD
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention CDC, Atlanta, 2008-Present
2010 NATIONAL IT SHOWCASE PROCEEDINGS 34
37. Brian West (2010) CDC BioNumerics Contact, BioNumerics Applied Maths, Inc.
(http://www.applied-maths.com/contact.htm)
Leslie Barclay (2010) CaliciNet Scripts, The National Calicivirus Laboratory,
(CDC/OID/NCIRD)
http://www.applied-maths.com/bionumerics/bionumerics.htm
2010 NATIONAL IT SHOWCASE PROCEEDINGS 35
38. GADEER ALZABIT
NORTH CAROLINA CENTRAL UNIVERSITY
GALZABIT@EAGLES.NCCU.EDU
Gadeer Alzabit is a rising senior at North Carolina Central University in the School of
Business, Computer Information Systems (CIS). She is a member of Phi Beta Lambda,
Inc., Phi Eta Sigma Honor Society, and the Golden Key International Honor Society.
Gadeer has received several awards such as the Academic Recognition Program, the
Dean’s List, and the recipient of the Academic Competitiveness Grant.
2010 NATIONAL IT SHOWCASE PROCEEDINGS 36
39. INKJET PRINTERS
Gadeer Alzabit
North Carolina Central University
Durham, North Carolina
INTRODUCTION
The inkjet printer was not the invention of one person, but a group of individuals bringing
their ideas together that will open the doors to new and innovative ways to print (“Who
Invented the First”). An inkjet printer is a type of printer that reproduces an image by
putting different size droplets of liquid material onto a page at high speeds. They are
relatively inexpensive but produce a high quality image in color or in black. Inkjet printers
had been under development for over twenty years before it was first introduced to the
market in the mid 1980’s (“Inkjet Printers”).
INKJET PRINTING FROM 1950-1993
Albert Blake Dick III, was the
grandson of the founder of the
A.B. Dick Co., in the 1950s,
believed that stencil and offset
technology could and should be
improved. He began working on
ways to improve that
technology by hiring many
scientists, including Jim Stone
who was responsible for coming
up with new technologies for
the company. The company’s
mission at that point was to “put
marks on paper.” Engineers
were hired to make that mission
possible; they began to think of
ways to generate characters
through machines by using
electronically charged droplets
of ink. After years of
experimenting, AB Dick’s
division introduced the first
commercial inkjet printer in
June of 1969: the Videojet 9600. Inkjet technology required a lot of extra care to keep them
running which resulted in the inability to have them in offices. The engineers and scientists
went back to work focusing on improving that technology to make it work. This type of
2010 NATIONAL IT SHOWCASE PROCEEDINGS 37
40. printing became a hit with a can manufacturer that wanted to print onto beverage cans. The
beverage industry had spent billions of dollars trying to figure out ways to date-code
beverage cans and Videograph printing happened to be the perfect solution. (Romano,
2008).
Many companies began to take interest in inkjet technology and began to research ways to
make printing faster, to improve quality, and most importantly to be feasible for office
applications. Among these companies, Mead Paper, in 1984 launched its new Mead
Imaging division. Their main focus was to develop light-sensitive papers for low-cost color
printing. Early on in 1967, Mead began their research hoping to find better ways to print.
Their effort paid off with the invention of the Mead Dijit inkjet printer in 1973. Even
though it embodied all the principles and techniques of those in the Sweet-Cumming
patent, which is a recording system that used a dense array of wire styluses located above
and across a specially treated paper. Mead’s research was independent of the research by
Sweet and Cumming. The Dijit printer was then thought of as an application of the Sweet-
Cumming patent. (Romano, 2008).
Inkjet technology continued to move forward with much improvement in quality. At this
point many companies were jumping on board and providing lots of research and
experiments to bring in as many ideas as they possibly could to insure the best equipment
available. In 1977, Canon conducted research on printing technologies that would lead
everyone into the next generation of copying machines. This experiment was held at the
Canon’s Product Technology Research Institute. In the process of focusing on developing
piezoelemental data necessary for inkjets they discovered a new technology instead. This
new technology was the discovery of Canon’s principle of vapor explosion that happened
accidentally, when a hot iron fell over on an ink bladder. Ichiro Endo, a scientist at Canon,
witnessed the whole incident and observed what had just happened. He saw the iron‘s hot
tip fall over the neck of the syringe that caused a small in splash. By the next three days,
Endo and his team built a working model to test his theory, and that was the result of a
thermal inkjet printer. This new technology led the way to more experiments by various
companies that took interest in this new thermal way of printing. (Romano, 2008).
In 1978, a group of
Hewlett Packard
engineers began
considering the
possibility of a
high-resolution
color inkjet printer.
The only issue
with inkjet printers
is that they are
messy, unreliable
and very
expensive. Hewlett
Packard’s two
2010 NATIONAL IT SHOWCASE PROCEEDINGS 38
41. main engineers, John Vaught, and Dave Donald took charge and began experimenting with
various methods and materials. After ongoing experimenting he ran into limitations that
many others had came across as well. He then realized he needs to come up with different
techniques. (Romano, 2008).
After many experiments of ways to produce heat, they established a technique that included
a set of resisters mounted inside small tubes. Tiny explosions of ink are produced by
quickly turning the resistors on and off. This marked the invention of the modern thermal
inkjet technology that prints by shooting small, controlled amounts of ink onto the paper.
At that point, the process of “vapor explosion” was not well known or understood, and did
not get the recognition it deserved due to the fact that not many people believed it would
work. After months of showing and explaining to companies about their new technology,
not many customers wanted to join. HP management and Hewlett Packard were the only
ones to stand forward and join hands with this breakthrough technology that would lead the
way to commercial based products. (Romano, 2008).
The launching of this new technology took four years to get it into the market and it was an
instant success. Their success was mainly due to the fact that they are easy to maintain and
operate. The most important factor of the thermal inkjet printer is that they use disposable
cartridge that makes it more convenient to the consumer. In 1993, Epson introduced the
Stylus 800 inkjet printer that would become the direct competition against thermal and
bubble jet technology. This product was the first time a low-cost electric inkjet printer was
successfully launched. A year later Epson, introduced the color version. (Romano, 2008).
The invention of
the thermal inkjet
printer was the
most successful
development so
far. It opened the
doors to many
opportunities and
possibilities that
led the way to a
new and improved
world of
technology. Its
many
characteristics
provided the
consumer with
more options to
choose from
affordable prices.
It became an
essential product
to those who
2010 NATIONAL IT SHOWCASE PROCEEDINGS 39
42. owned a home computer, and it was more convenient for them to print from home or their
office. It also became the solution to a variety of applications. (Chen, 2007). This product
of course was not perfect, like all products ever made, compromises were made between
performance and cost. This issue is an important factor in the success of the product,
especially in the early phases when people still don’t know the implications behind these
new technologies. (Chen, 2007).
Steps are taken when a company decides to launch a new product. These steps are called
phases, along with phases they also set up a controller design where they study and
experiment on every possible bad outcome. A controller design procedure is when a
proposal is submitted to incorporate the design and control of the media in thermal inkjet
printers. This procedure is done to show the worst case outcome of system uncertainty but
still be able to compensate and achieve the desired performance. It can also be used to
show what changes can be made to achieve their goal. The main goal of this procedure is to
ensure that the uncertainty factor can be managed and is less than the worst case scenario,
and then the overall product has a higher rate of success and is guaranteed to perform well.
(Chen, 2007)
INKJET PRINTING TECHNIQUES
Thermal Inkjet printers at this point are not a hundred percent guaranteed product on the
market yet. Therefore a lot of experimenting and formulating is still in progress with many
of the companies. Many other different types of control or procedures are done to ensure
the performance of the product. In many product development practices, the design
decisions are made well before the prototype is built and introduced to the market. Many
studies have been made about inkjet printing, including a simple large-scale droplet
generator. This study or experiment provided a large-scale model for real inkjet printing. In
this experiment physics takes an important role in explaining how inkjet printers work and
how it can improve existing products. The physics of droplets was a subject studied by
many authors. These studies were conducted to better understand the formation and
behavior of jets. The main focus of these studies is to improve the control of the position,
number and the direction of drops. Two techniques are commonly used in the orienting
industry. (Castrejón-Pita, Martin, Hoath & Hutchings, 2008).
The first technique that is commonly used is known as the drop on demand (DoD). In this
technique drops are created sporadically when triggered by a digital signal. This technique
works through a method in which the drop is usually ejected from a nozzle by distinct
pressure. The second technique that is commonly used is known as the continuous jetting.
This technique works through streams of liquid that is broken up into a never-ending
stream of drops. It can also be steered by electrostatic to reach the desired printing effect. It
is achieved by a method of modulating a harmonic disturbance and is often applied to the
flowing jet. (Castrejón-Pita, Martin, Hoath & Hutchings, 2008).
Commercial inkjet printers are very complicated to perform experiments on because they
produce very small droplets that are traveling at high speeds. The print heads on
2010 NATIONAL IT SHOWCASE PROCEEDINGS 40
43. commercial printers are designed to work only within a short range, which adds to the
complexity of having experiments done on them. These printers are not designed to give
the user full freedom to change the jetting parameters, and the reason for that is that inkjet
printers were meant for basic printing needs. Its simplicity is the major reason for its
success in the market. For that reason a large-scale model was created to study the
processes of jet and drop formation. This experiment is easy to setup and construct, and
offers many advantages over commercial printers. For example, it can be operated by
waveforms. It is tested by a range of module fluids mixtures and used as the jetting liquids.
An important concept in the study of generation of drops is the breakup of the main jet into
separate satellite droplets. Satellite production in many inkjet applications is unwanted and
avoided due to the need of more speed or voltage. The generator consists of a loudspeaker,
a thin membrane and a three-part transparent PolyMethyl Methacrylate (PMMA) structure
that forms the liquid chamber. The PMMA structure is mainly made of Plexiglas, and
Perspex. The DoD drop generators are difficult to design and operate because they require
high-voltage power supplies. These generators must satisfy certain requirements to produce
droplets that can be reproduced and relied on. There must be a method to control the
position of the liquids. Also the system must include an actuator that is responsible for the
production of droplets in a reliable way. The image below demonstrates what the DoD
droplet generator looks and like and how it is set up. (Castrejón-Pita, Martin, Hoath &
Hutchings, 2008).
2010 NATIONAL IT SHOWCASE PROCEEDINGS 41
44. The DoD droplet generator is not the only commonly used technique, there is the CIJ
printing which is another technique used to produce identical sized droplets. In this method
there is a liquid jet that is being
broken up by stimulating and
exciting it, then a continuous
fluctuating pressure is applied to
the liquid. Once it is stable, we can
then determine the velocity and
size. The liquid properties, the
frequency at which the liquid is
excited, the nozzle diameter and
the pressure at the nozzle site, are
the ways the drops are separated.
The CIJ printer consists of a few
parts such as a single nozzle, a
periodic actuator and a system to repel the jetted drops. Like any experiment or systems,
complications occur. In the DoD systems, errors are usually related to the control of the
meniscus positions. The typical problems that occur in the CIJ systems have something to
do with the mechanism that maintains the standard liquid pressure. When it comes to the
size, CIJ operates over a wider area of jetting parameter, because the pressure at the nozzle
creates faster drops than in the DoD. (Castrejón-Pita, Martin, Hoath & Hutchings, 2008).
Through this experiment, scientists were able to identify what modes operate the systems.
They were able to setup simple and ready to go prototypes of the DoD and the CIJ systems.
They observed how fluid moves within the nozzle and how the fluid is jetted through the
system. This particular experiment is still being used and improved on to compare the
behavior of large-scale droplets to the smaller scale ones. (Castrejón-Pita, Martin, Hoath &
Hutchings, 2008).
Many companies took and examined all experiments and studies being conducted and
began to launch more and more printers that will benefit all different types of consumers.
Companies such as HP, Kodak, Versamark and Epson all launched new top of the line
products and technologies. Starting with HP, they introduced a new inkjet technology
known as Edgeline Technology. It includes wide arrays of print heads, moving the paper
beneath the print heads. It also includes an ink system that is specified for a certain market
and improved for high performance with high quality. In addition it saves time by not
having to scan the paper from side to side, instead the paper moves continuously beneath
the print head at up to 35 inches per second. This new technology offers faster printing
speeds of up to a dozen normal 4x6 photos or 71 regular A size pages per minute. Edgeline
technology provides the ability to use different types of paper motion systems, such as
drum-based, moving pattern and roll to roll. It also gives you the option to print borderless
photo prints. This new HP technology provides precision printing with high quality
printing. (Romano, 2008)
Another well known company that launched new products to the market is Kodak. Their
new technology that is being introduced is known as the Stream Concept Press. This will
2010 NATIONAL IT SHOWCASE PROCEEDINGS 42
45. mark Kodak’s new generation of CIJ technology that will turn it from an average-quality
and direct mail technology to one that will challenge for speed, quality, and cost. Brands
such as Agfa, Oce, Miyakoshi, and Impica printers will all come forward with high-speed
inkjet printers. All of the brands mentioned above use DoD technology except for the
Versamark by Kodak that uses CIJ technology. Till the present day, the highest speed
printers use the CIJ systems. DoD is used for more flexibility in ink choices, higher quality
but at slower speeds. (Romano, 2008)
The newest product by Kodak that uses DoD inkjet print heads is the Versamark VL2000.
It consists of wide array heads. Each array can print two colors at a speed of 75 meters per
minute which is equivalent to 250 feet per minute. It is also equivalent to printing 500 letter
size images per minute. This new top of the line printer has two arrays that allow you to
print a total of four colors at a time. This product put Kodak on the charts as the first maker
of a pull sized photo printer. It combines high performance with high quality. (Romano,
2008)
CONCLUSION
Printers have come a long way since they first came out. It all began with a few inventors
needing to create a machine that will reproduce documents without having to hand write
them. Back when they were first being introduced printers were meant for duplicating
important documents to the present day that printing has become second nature and
2010 NATIONAL IT SHOWCASE PROCEEDINGS 43
46. improved greatly. Printing is now an essential part of our everyday life, where printers are
found everywhere in all shapes and sizes. Thanks to the internet and the media, there has
been a lot of pressure to print shorter and shorter runs and only printing what is needed at
that moment. Printing has become the most important source of advertising; whether it’s
for magazines or billboards you see on the streets. Digital printing has become so popular
that they are found almost everywhere. Today one can print online and prints will be
delivered to your house. This marks the initial transaction or traspromo printing, where
prints are made in high volume.
As of 2010, almost every house hold has at least one printer that is used for normal
documents and or high quality photo prints. Photo print centers are also in high demand
because ink and cartridges are getting costly to print at home. Internet printing has
increased as well because it is more convenient for the consumer to order prints without
having to leave their house and be hassled.
New technology is always in demand and is constantly changing for the better. Companies
continuously are trying to find enhanced and improved technologies that will create faster
and superior quality printing. Competition is another deriving factor that increases the
amount of products being released to the market. Consumers want variety and the
opportunity to be able to choose the features they want. Many things may start to fade
away or lose their excitement but technology is the one thing that never gets old because
there is always something new out there, just waiting to be found.
REFERENCES
• Castrejón-Pita, J., Martin, G., Hoath, S., & Hutchings, I. (2008). A simple large-
scale droplet generator for studies of inkjet printing. Review of Scientific
Instruments, 79(7), 075108. doi:10.1063/1.2957744.
• Chen, C., T. (2007). Design and control integration of media advance systems for
thermal inkjet printers. Proceedings of the institution of Mechanical Engineers –
Part C – Journal of Mechanical Engineering Science, 221(6), 739-750.
doi:10.1243/0954406JMES542.
• Inkjet Printers – A History Lesson. Retrieved from http://www.castleink.com/_a-
inkjet-printer-history.html
• Romano, F. (2008). Welcome to Inkjet 2.0. Seybold Report: Analyzing Publishing
Technologies, 8(5), 7-14. Retrieved from Academic Search Premier database.
• Who invented the first Inkjet Printer? The History of Inkjet prints. Retrieved from
http://printerinkcartridges.printcountry.com/printer‐ink‐cartridges‐information‐facts‐
downloads/who‐invented‐the‐first‐inkjet‐printer/
2010 NATIONAL IT SHOWCASE PROCEEDINGS 44
47. KHADIJAH CELESTINE
I am currently a student at New York City College of Technology (CUNY’s City Tech),
pursuing my passion, computers and technology. This fall I will be a sophomore and by
the time I graduate in June 2013, will have obtained a Bachelor of Science degree in
Computer Information Systems and an Associate of Science degree in Computer Science.
My studies include designing web sites using HTML, Cascading Style Sheets (CSS),
Javascript and Actionscript. In a continuous effort to better myself, I am also pursuing a
professional certificate in Web Design and improving secondary interests in graphic design
and video game design. I am an active member in City Tech’s Computer Science Club.
During high school, I was introduced to Black Data Processing Associates (BDPA). What
started out as a high school extracurricular activity has become a very important part of my
life.
My first year with BDPA, I represented the New York Chapter and took part in the
National High School Computer Competition (HSCC) in Washington, D.C. I interacted
with other students from around the country and was impressed and in awe of their
interests in computer programming and development. With the help of my computer
science teacher, Mr. Destine; BDPA-NY Education Director, Ms. Denise Hamilton and
BDPA-NY President Mrs. Judaea Lane, I received an opportunity to learn how to compete
and increase my technical knowledge of computers to another level. Also I received the
opportunity to network with other African Americans who are taking a more active role in
this.
In addition to my computer and technology pursuits, I gain significant satisfaction from
tutoring and improving others lives. On Saturdays, I tutor adults in reading at the Flatbush
2010 NATIONAL IT SHOWCASE PROCEEDINGS 45
48. Avenue Public Library. This opportunity opened up a whole new for me as I ignorantly
believed that every adult could read. Being able to help someone do something as simple as
read makes me understand what I can contribute to others. Furthermore, my life plans
changed for the better when I had the honor of tutoring a woman who had grown up in
foster care. When I found that children in foster care are in need of something more than
the ability to read, I couldn’t pass up the chance to get involved. I am currently working on
my certification as a Mentor.
My passion for dance rounds out my academic and volunteer efforts. I started to dance as a
sophomore in high school and was quickly elevated from a “back line” dancer to a “front
line” dancer. This was no easy task, since I had no prior training and was very shy.
Nevertheless, my passion for dance as an art, permeated through each and every pore,
every time music touches my soul. There isn’t a piece of music that passes by without an
accompanied movement from me.
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49. SOME ARTIFICIAL INTELLIGENCE APPLICATIONS IN THE MILITARY
Khadijah Celestine
New York City College of Technology
New York, NY
INTRODUCTION
When it comes to making complex judgment calls, computers can’t replace people. But
with artificial intelligence,computers could be trained to think like humans do. Artificial
intelligence allows computers to learn from experience, recognize patterns in large amounts
of complex data and make complex decisions based on human knowledge and reasoning
skills. It is currently used in any system that makes automatic decisions from the GPS
navigational systems in our cars to the control systems of unmanned aerial vehicles
(UAVs) Artificial intelligence has become an important field of study with a wide spread
of applications in fields ranging from medicine to agriculture. This paper introduces
Artificial Intelligence as a technology, and specifically examples of the AI technology used
in advanced military planes.
BRIEF HISTORY OF AI
The beginnings of artificial intelligence are traced to philosophy, fiction, and imagination.
Ever since Homer wrote of mechanical "tripods" waiting on the gods at dinner, imagined
mechanical assistants have been a part of our culture. Early inventions in electronics,
engineering, and many other disciplines have influenced AI. Some early milestones include
work in problem solving which included basic work in learning, knowledge representation,
and inference as well as demonstration programs in language understanding, translation,
theorem proving, associative memory, and knowledge-based systems.
Essentially, the history of AI has many milestones.
COMPONENTS OF ARTIFICIAL INTELLIGENCE
Logic is generally used for knowledge representation and problem solving, but it can be
applied to other problems as well. Several different forms of logic are used in AI research.
Propositional or sentential logic is the logic of statements which can be true or false. Fuzzy
logic is a version of first-order logic which allows the truth of a statement to be represented
as a value between 0 and 1, rather than simply True (1) or False (0). Subjective logic
models uncertainty in a different and more explicit manner than fuzzy-logic: a given
binomial opinion satisfies belief + disbelief + uncertainty = 1. Default logics, non-
monotonic logics and circumscription are forms of logic designed to help with default
reasoning and the qualification problem.
2010 NATIONAL IT SHOWCASE PROCEEDINGS 47
50. An expert system is software that attempts to provide an answer to a problem, or clarify
uncertainties where normally one or more human experts would need to be consulted. A
wide variety of methods can be used to simulate the performance of the expert however
common to most or all are 1) the creation of a knowledge base which uses some knowledge
representation formalism to capture the Subject Matter Expert's (SME) knowledge and 2) a
process of gathering that knowledge from the SME and codifying it according to the
formalism, which is called knowledge engineering. Expert systems may or may not have
learning components but a third common element is that once the system is developed it is
proven by being placed in the same real world problem solving situation as the human
SME, typically as an aid to human workers or a supplement to some information system.
Expert systems are applications of heuristics. A specific example of a expert system is
PXDES which is a pneumoconiosis, a lung disease, X-ray diagnosis.
An artificial neural network (ANN), usually called "neural network" (NN), is a
mathematical model that tries to simulate the structure and/or functional aspects of
biological neural networks. It consists of an interconnected group of artificial neurons and
processes information using a connectionist approach to computation. In most cases an
ANN is an adaptive system that changes its structure based on external or internal
information that flows through the network during the learning phase. Modern neural
networks are non-linear statistical data modeling tools. Modern neural networks are usually
used to model complex relationships between inputs and outputs or to find patterns in data.
The Perceptron is a type of artificial neural network invented in 1957 at the Cornell
Aeronautical Laboratory by Frank Rosenblatt.
Natural Language processing is a field of computer science and linguistics concerned
with the interactions between computers and human (natural) languages. Natural language
generation systems convert information from computer databases into readable human
language. Natural language understanding systems convert samples of human language
into more formal representations such as parse trees or first-order logic structures that are
easier for computer programs to manipulate. Many problems within NLP apply to both
generation and understanding; for example, a computer must be able to model morphology
(the structure of words) in order to understand an English sentence, and a model of
morphology is also needed for producing a grammatically correct English sentence.
WHO USES ARTIFICIAL INTELLIGENCE?
AI is widely used today for a number of applications and institutions. Stock portfolios are
automatically modified. Spell-check uses surrounding letters and a list of words to
correctly determine your misspelled word. Online advertisers show you ads based on you
searches. Bills and deposits are automatically managed because computer systems have
learned your payment schedule. Drug researchers can utilize the intelligence for intensive
bio-computational modeling in relation to the enormous amount of data from the human
genome project to help find cures in ways never thought of. Military planes perform decoy,
reconnaissance and combat tasks.
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51. ARTIFICIAL INTELLIGENCE IN OUR MILITARY PLANES
Unmanned Aerial Vehicles (UAVs), are essentially planes without onboard human pilots.
Despite the lack of use, the term Unmanned Aerial System (UAS) is also used as this
acronym reflects the fact that these complex systems include ground stations and other
elements besides the actual air vehicles. They take the place of manned aircraft where areas
are too “dull, dirty and dangerous”, allowing the military to deploy aircraft into hostile
regions without fearing the loss of soldiers. UAVs can be remotely controlled or can fly
autonomously based on pre-programmed flight plans or more complex dynamic automation
systems.
UAVs no longer only perform only intelligence, surveillance, and reconnaissance (ISR)
missions, although this still remains their predominant type. Their roles have expanded to
areas including electronic attack, strike missions, suppression of enemy air defense
(SEAD), destruction of enemy air defense (DEAD), network node or communications
relay, combat search and rescue (CSAR), and more. Since they can be very small, UAVs
can often pass completely undetected, which can be great for stealthy intelligence
gathering. Some modern UAVs have been equipped with weaponry, and in the United
States, they are being used to phase out piloted air-to-land combat missions. The field of
UAVs is advancing so rapidly that, the next generation of UAVs are being developed right
now, and within the next decade, they will begin to be deployed to arenas of war.
Above all advantages, the fact that human loss is largely reduced, is the most beneficial. In
addition, much equipment necessary for a human pilot (such as the cockpit, flight controls,
oxygen, seat/ejection seat, etc.) can be omitted from an unmanned vehicle, resulting in a
decrease in weight possibly allowing greater payloads, range and maneuverability.
UAV TECHNOLOGIES
UAVs span a wide range of autonomy. The simplest UAVs being controlled solely by
radio with no independent action are called drones. The most complex posses a wide
variety of names and, have sophisticated A.I. technology, allowing them to undertake entire
missions once programmed. Compared to the manufacturing of UAV flight hardware, the
market for autonomy technology is fairly immature and undeveloped. The current push in
this UAV technology is towards a vehicle that can be programmed with a general route and
target, which will then take off, fly to the mission area, destroy the target, return to base,
and land, all without the need for a human handler. Even in this scenario, however, a
controller would be responsible on the ground for giving the order to fire or drop a payload.
This fits into current military doctrine and ensures that there will always be a responsible
agent in the event of an incorrect target.
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52. TASK ALLOCATION
It is important for the UAV Control System to effectively allocate tasks to different parts of
the system optimizing its sensibility, and ability to be implemented. Task allocation is not a
simple task of handing over the work lists to the respective systems. There is much more to
it than that. The task allocator knows what each component’s capability and allocates
sufficient complexity of tasks to match. This technology is the most important to every
mission and is mostly done by a human pilot. In order for the UAV to gain independence as
a fully autonomous aircraft it must be able to allocate tasks efficiently.
Motion Planning is aimed at allowing the UAV to automatically decide and execute a
series of motions in order to achieve a task without colliding into other objects. It can be
described as: “A process to compute a collision free path between the initial and final
configuration for a rigid or articulated object among obstacles”. The goal of the path
planner is to generate a way-point path from the plane's current position to a goal using a
terrain containing obstacles of various types. Our UAV path planner uses Rapidly-
exploring Random objects to explore the terrain and find a path to a goal. Trajectory
generation creates paths between specified points that can be realized by an unmanned air
vehicle. Paths can be created that preserve straight-line path length, minimize flight time,
or guarantee observation of a given area. Determining an optimal path for vehicle to go
while meeting certain objectives and mission constraints, such as obstacles or fuel
requirements can be quite a task.
SENSOR FUSION
UAV remote sensing functions include electromagnetic spectrum sensors, biological
sensors, and chemical sensors. A UAV's electromagnetic sensors typically include visual
spectrum, infrared, or near infrared cameras as well as radar systems. Other
electromagnetic wave detectors such as microwave and ultraviolet spectrum sensors may
also be used, but are uncommon. Biological sensors are sensors capable of detecting the
airborne presence of various microorganisms and other biological factors. Chemical
sensors use laser spectroscopy to analyze the concentrations of each element in the air.
Sensor fusion combines these technologies, to optimize the identification of anything.
USES OF UAVs
Unmanned Aerial Vehicles or UAVs have been around for almost a century and they are
currently utilized in several different capacities within civilian and military use. A vast
majority of uses revolve around the military and its specific needs and examples include
target and decoy, reconnaissance, combat, and research and development. UAVs are
currently used by the Army, the Air Force, and the Marines as well as armed force in
other countries around the world.
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53. INFORMATION, SURVEILLANCE AND RECONNAISSANCE (ISR)
ISR UAVs perform a variety of surveillance, observation and data-relay missions. For
combat troops on the ground, small UAVs, including micro-UAVs (handheld/hand
launched), provide “over-the-hill” scouting, to avoid ambushes and scare off insurgents. At
the divisional levels, larger unmanned aircraft provide broad-area surveillance,
communications relay and data transfer, giving commanders at all levels greater battlefield
awareness than before. Globally UAVs are preferred for satellite constellation because they
are cheaper and are not as stationary.
TARGET AND DECOY
The US Military began to use target and decoy UAV drones in World War II. They would
build small inexpensive drones and place them where the enemy will spot them and try to
take them down. Small caliber machine guns and rifles wouldn’t be able to do the job, but
they would need missiles to take one down. Then they would attempt to take you down,
and by the time they realize - if they do realize - they are shooting down harmless decoy
UAVs, they have already used enough of their missiles to deplete their inventory. Another
decoy strategy is radar decoys, which are designed to subvert, confuse or fool enemy radar
systems.
COMBAT
UCAVs or Unmanned Combat Aerial Vehicles are still in their experimental state. They
differ from ordinary UAVs, because they are designed to attack targets. Current UCAV
concepts call for an aircraft which would be able to operate autonomously. It will be
programmed with route and target details, and conduct the mission without help from
human controllers. Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency DARPA (DARPA), the
Navy and the Air Force combined their intelligence to form the Joint Unmanned Combat
Air Systems (J-UCAS) program. It was formed to demonstrate the “technical feasibility,
military utility and operational value for a networked system of high performance,
weaponized unmanned air vehicles to effectively and affordably prosecute 21st century
combat missions, including Suppression of Enemy Air Defenses (SEAD), surveillance, and
precision strike within the emerging global command and control architecture”. The most
famous of these next generation combat UAVs is the Predator, which is equipped with
Hellfire missiles in order to take out ground installations
CONCLUSION
UAVs are very beneficial to other entities aside from the military. Environmentalists can
collect air samples and UAVs can be used to control satellite constellations.
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54. REFERENCES
Articles
Hamrita, Takoi. "What is Artificial Intelligence". April 1999. Internet Resource:
http://interests.caes.uga.edu/eai/ai.html
McCarthy, John. "What is Artificial Intelligence". November 2007. Internet Resource:
http://www-formal.stanford.edu/jmc/whatisai/
Moy, Chris. "Artificial Intelligence, Today And Tomorrow". March 2008. Internet
Resource: http://www.insiderreports.com/storypage.asp?storyID=20001623&ChanID=WB
Pappalardo, Joe. "4 Forgotten Facts About Combat UAVs". September 2009. Internet
Resource: http://www.popularmechanics.com/technology/military/4330155
Red, Chris. "The Outlook For Unmanned Aircraft". April 2009. Internet Resource:
http://www.compositesworld.com/articles/the-outlook-for-unmanned-aircraft
Winslow, Lance. "UAV Decoy Stategies, Theories and The Modern Art of War". Internet
Resource: http://www.webadvise.org/articles/politics/23514.php
Books and PDFs
Best, Richard. "Intelligence, Surveillance, and Reconnaissance (ISR) Programs: Issues for
Congress". February 2005.
DeTurris, Dianne; Ervin, Jon; & Alptekin, Sema. "Optimization of the Fuzzy Logic
Controller for an Autonomous UAV". 2001.
Hendrik J., Jang J., & Potier A. "Cooperative Multiple-Sensor Fusion For Automated
Vehicle Control". October 2004.
Sharma, S. "Trajectory Generation and Path Planning for Autonomous Aerobots". 2005.
Internet
"Advanced Flight Control Concepts For UAVs".
http://www.uavnet.com/DL/Document_Library/Warsaw_Meeting/Flight_control
"American Aircratf of WWII". http://www.militaryfactory.com/aircraft/american-aircraft-
of-world-war-2.asp
"Branches of Artificial Intelligence".
http://www.iscid.org/encyclopedia/Branches_of_Artificial_Intelligence
2010 NATIONAL IT SHOWCASE PROCEEDINGS 52
55. "How Stuff Works - A Brief History of UAVs".
http://science.howstuffworks.com/reaper1.htm
"An Introduction to Unmanned Aerial Vehicles".
http://www.draganfly.com/news/2008/08/24/introduction-to-unmanned-aerial-vehicles-
uavs/
"The Joint Unmanned Combat Air Systems (J-UCAS)". http://www.darpa.mil/j%2Ducas/
"The UAV - Unmanned Aerial Vehicle". http://www.theuav.com/index.html
"UAV Helicopter Completes First Ever Autonomous UAV Helicopter Flight at Parc
Aberporth". http://www.asmeurope.eu/component/content/article/33-uav-helicopter-
completes-first-ever-autonomous-uav-helicopter-flight-at-parc-aberporth.htm
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56. BRANDON HOGAN
NORTH CAROLINA CENTRAL UNIVERSITY
BHOGAN@EAGLES.NCCU.EDU
Brandon Hogan is a North Carolina Central University Junior in the School of Business,
Computer Information Systems (CIS) and Business Management. Brandon transferred
from Averett University in Danville, Virginia where he played football for the varsity team
and studied Computer Information Systems. Brandon has been an active member of the
CIS Club serving as the Event Committee Chair (Spring 2009/Fall2010). Brandon is also
studying to be a Cryptologic Linguist in the Army National Guard. In the next year,
Brandon will be looking forward to joining North Carolina Central's Army ROTC program.
2010 NATIONAL IT SHOWCASE PROCEEDINGS 54