Research
Our team worked on the development of an educational and entertaining video game, targeted for middle school students, to introduce them to research at the Polar Regions. We enhanced an existing video game, improving the visual quality of the game, and incorporating biologically inspired aspects into the game play. The game consists of a colony of penguins that must be tagged for a science mission in order for the scientist to track the penguins’ movements throughout the year. The penguins move around to avoid being tagged (walk, run, and, slide) and hide behind snow mounds or other obstacles.
In developing this game, we were involved in specifying, designing, implementing, and testing the software for the game. The platforms and packages that were utilized included Visual C++ Express Edition and Microsoft Platform SDK (Software Development Kit). We generated enhanced images for penguins and other objects in the game. We researched the behavior of penguins in order to make the game more realistic, such as studying the walking and running speeds of penguins. The game play was also improved based on the results of testing performed using human subjects, incorporating the feedback from the players. Conducting this research and being involved in developing this game have improved our programming and software engineering skills, while resulting in an entertaining educational resource for middle school students in order to get them interested in STEM disciplines.
Developing Standard and Practices for Archiving Multimedia Material
Mentor: Jeff Wood
Abstract
Developing Standards and Practices for Archiving Multimedia Material
The Center for Excellence in Remote Sensing Education and Research (CERSER) at Elizabeth City State University is an umbrella for several funded projects. These projects include: The Northeastern Chapter of the IEEE-GRSS Society, The Center for Remote Sensing of Ice Sheets (CReSIS), NOAA's Educational Partnership Program at ECSU, The Undergraduate Research Experience in Ocean and Marine Science Program (URE OMS), as well as the Undergraduate Research Experience Program supporting undergraduate research at ECSU. These programs entail numerous special events that generate both video and photographic images. Reports and other documentation are also created to record the success and progress of each program.
A standard method of digitizing images, movies, and documents and documenting the attributes of these digitized files was developed during this project. Standard procedures utilizing the equipment currently in place were developed, tested, and refined in order to convert VHS formatted tapes and developed photographs into digital files. Software such as CapWiz and Hewlett-Packard flatbed scanning software were used to complete this process. These files were then annotated in a Microsoft Access database utilizing the Dublin Core Element Set as a standard. A combination of Microsoft Access and Active Server pages was then utilized to provide access to the digitized images and the attached metadata via the web.