Tag Archives: Study

The Honours Project Outline.

Posted on by Brad Heap

This is the next 10 months of my life:

Traffic Simulation

Purpose:

To construct a real time three dimensional simulation of congested traffic flows in Java and to test various ideas surrounding the build up of congestion.

Such tests may include but are not limited to:

  • Testing various algorithms for effectively navigating already congested traffic in the shortest amount of time
  • Testing algorithms to determine the best approach to reduce the build up of congestion
  • Investigating the impact of various events such as an accident, construction of a new road or lane on the amount of congestion in the model.

Expected Outcomes:

  • Project constructed in object orientated and model-view-controller code in Java
  • Use of Open GL or other three dimensional rendering tools
  • Interactive GUI allowing end user to construct traffic model
  • Ability to import satellite images in standard JPEG format to be used as ground textures.
  • Road network data structure to be based on Graph Theory
  • Cars implemented as artificial intelligence agents with real world physical control models, collision detection and awareness, environmental awareness.
  • Ability to perform controlled tests on simulation, including testing of algorithms for avoiding congestion once built up, algorithms for avoiding congestion build up, and impacts on varying road network design and events on traffic flows.
  • Ability to extract data and results from the model.

Planned Project Timeline:

  • February
    • Project planning
    • Initial prototyping and skeleton of code class layouts.
    • Skelton of thesis written in Latex.
  • March
    • Research into existing traffic simulation, causes of congestion, real life techniques for reducing congestion, and other relevant topics.
    • Coding of basic 3D GUI controls and viewers.
    • Thesis introduction written
  • April
    • Research and design of various tests to be performed on traffic simulator.
    • Coding of road network design controls.
    • Results of research written into thesis.
  • May
    • Review of possible tests and design of artificial intelligence controls to implement tests.
    • Coding of simulator controls and agents/cars on network.
    • Testing ideas written into thesis.
  • June
    • Correct realistic implementation of cars and interactions with road network within simulator.
    • GUI ideas written into thesis.
  • July
    • Implementation of initial tests on simulator.
    • Simulation controls written into thesis.
  • August
    • Review of results of simulator with expected outcomes and possible real world examples for validity, recoding of artificial intelligence controls if mistakes are discovered.
    • Summary of initial tests written into thesis.
  • September
    • Second set of tests on simulator, either the corrected versions of the initial tests or new tests developed as a result of initial tests.
    • Summary of second round of tests written into thesis.
  • October
    • Conclusions and review of thesis made.
    • Review of final version of thesis.
  • November
    • Thesis due on 11th.

Competition or Cooperation?

Posted on by Brad Heap

http://melissa-network-news.blogspot.com/2008/05/healthy-competition.html

I read an interesting blog post today about supposed “healthy competition” between universities (see link above).

Now I want you to ponder this. Should universities be in competition with each other?
What marks the difference between “healthy” and “unhealthy” competition?

This is something that the Tertiary Education Commission (TEC) has been focusing on over the past few years and trying to stamp out. Universities and other tertiary providers should not be in competition with one and other but should rather be working together. At the end of the day cooperation benefits everyone far greater then competition.

Think about this. With cooperation in research people can move forward on ideas faster. How many different universities need to invent the wheel? Cooperation in research also allows for more open, honest and transparent findings and less allegations of faking results because rather then being the first to do something, as a team you are the best at doing it and therefore you have the best result. Competition does not drive improvements in research but rather forces researchers to work harder and rush things often making mistakes rather then actually doing something beneficial.

So how does this apply to undergraduate and postgraduate taught classes? Well the reality is this, in New Zealand you are forced to pay for your education. Therefore the education that you receive should be the highest possible quality education and you should get value for money. Money aka your fees should not be wasted on competition between universities such as advertising that trades off one university against another and neither should it be spent on anything other then the provision of your courses. Universities should not set up courses to compete with each other and steal students off one an other but should rather be introducing courses to meet the need of the market – something the TEC is trying to implement through its investment plans.

So is any form of competition healthy? No. Competition should not be permitted between universities. There are only 8 universities in New Zealand we are a small country and the majority of our funding to our universities comes from the government and at the end of the day they are all owned by the crown so in a round-a-bout way you only end up competing with yourself. Cooperation not Competition!

The Predictions

Posted on by Brad Heap

Data Mining: A+

Project Implementation: A+

Internet Programming: A

Concurrent Programming and Operating Systems: A-

I am predicting straight A’s. I have done this before and been wrong. Oh well maybe I will be again. I always get crooked A’s (3A and a B) so used to it now.

100%

Posted on by Brad Heap

I am on cloud nine (to steal a commonly used quote from my GF).

I got informed today that for one of my papers last semester I scored 100%. In other words, 15/15 for Assignment One, 15/15 for Assignment Two, 70/70 for the Exam.

I am only the second person ever in the history of the paper to do this.

Now I just have to find a way to celebrate.