i++ School Newsletter

Week commencing 9 February 2011

Previous Newsletters

Facebook Monthly Contributions Prize

The University of Essex Computer Science and Electronic Engineering Facebook page has launched a monthly competition for contributors to the page. At the end of each month 3 unique names will be drawn at random. The prizes will be given in the order of the names drawn out of the hat. First prize for the first name, second prize for the second name and third prize for the third name.

For more details click on the link and become a Facebook fan of the University of Essex Computer Science and Electronic Engineering page.

Computer Science and Electronic Engineering Conference 2011 (CEEC 2011)

The third Computer science and Electronic Engineering Conference (CEEC) will be taking place on 13-14 July 2011 at the University of Essex.

CEEC is an ideal venue for postgraduate researchers in the disciplines of mathematics, computer science, engineering, physics, biology and finance to meet fellow researchers in their field. The conference, organised by a group of research students from the University of Essex, aims to create a forum in which the participants can work together, discuss, compare and debate different innovative ideas and solutions.

CEEC aims to present the current and recent works of postgraduate researchers and provides them with the following opportunities:

• To formally record their work in a recognised published proceeding.
• To present, discuss and get feedback on their research with a friendly audience of colleagues as well as experts in the field.
• To form new contacts, providing professional networking prospects that help with integration into the scientific community.
• To win prizes for the best papers/presentations.

Postgraduate researchers are hereby invited to submit papers related to their current and recent research. The conference will be hosted by the School of Computer Science and Electronic Engineering.

See the CEEC website for further details.

Papers accepted

Riccardo Poli, Mathew Salvaris and Caterina Cinel, Evolution of a Brain-Computer Interface Mouse via Genetic Programming, European Conference on Genetic Programming 2011.

Abstract - We propose the use of genetic programming as a means to evolve brain-computer interfaces for mouse control. Our objective is to synthesise complete systems, which analyse electroencephalographic signals and directly transform them into pointer movements, almost from scratch, the only input provided by us in the process being the set of visual stimuli to be used to generate recognisable brain activity.

Experimental results with our GP approach are very promising and compare favourably with those produced by support vector machines.

Mario Graff and Riccardo Poli, Performance Models for Evolutionary Program Induction based on Problem Difficulty Indicators, European Conference on Genetic Programming 2011.

Abstract - Most theoretical models of evolutionary algorithms are difficult to apply to realistic situations. In this paper, two models of evolutionary program-induction algorithms (EPAs) are proposed which overcome this limitation. We test our approach with two important classes of problems --- symbolic regression and Boolean function induction --- and a variety of EPAs including: different versions of genetic programming, gene expression programming, stochastic iterated hill climbing in program space and one version of Cartesian genetic programming. We compare the proposed models against a practical model of EPAs we previously developed and find that in most cases the new models are simpler and produce better predictions. A great deal can also be learnt about an EPA  via a simple  inspection of our new models. E.g., it is possible to infer which characteristics make a problem difficult or easy for the EPA.

Riccardo Poli, Mathew Salvaris and Caterina Cinel, Evolutionary Synthesis of a Trajectory Integrator for an Analogue Brain-Computer Interface Mouse, European Conference on the Applications of Evolutionary Computation, 2011.

Abstract - Recently significant steps have been made towards effective EEG-based brain-computer interfaces for mouse control. A major obstacle in this line of research, however, is the integration of the noisy and contradictory information provided at each time step by the signal processing systems into a coherent and precise trajectory for the mouse pointer. In this paper we attack this difficult problem using genetic programming, obtaining extremely promising results.

Adam J. Hill, Malcolm O. J. Hawksford, Adam P. Rosenthal and Gary Gand, Kick-drum signal acquisition, isolation and reinforcement optimization in live sound, 130th Convention of the Audio Engineering Society, London, 13-16 May 2011.

Abstract - A critical requirement for popular music in live-sound applications is the achievement of a robust kick-drum sound presented to the audience and the drummer while simultaneously achieving a workable degree of acoustic isolation for other on-stage musicians. Routinely a transparent wall is placed in parallel to the kick-drum heads to attenuate sound from the drummer’s monitor loudspeakers, although this can cause sound quality impairment from comb-filter interference. Practical optimization techniques are explored, embracing microphone selection and placement (including multiple microphones in combination), isolation-wall location, drum-monitor electronic delay and echo cancellation. A system analysis is presented augmented by real-world measurements and relevant simulations using a bespoke Finite-Difference Time-Domain (FDTD) algorithm.

Forthcoming Seminars

Wednesday 16 February, 16.00, 1N1.4.1

IP multicast modelling

Sean Monaghan, University of Essex

Abstract - tba

Optoelectronic Seminar Series

The Optoelectronic Seminar Series continues this term. These seminars will be  presented by professors, researchers and second and third-year PhD students in CSEE, focusing on their activities in nonlinear and quantum optics, novel semiconductor materials, and optoelectronic devices.

They will take place every Wednesday from 13.00 - 14.00pm in room 4.311.

9 February, Adrian Boland-Thomas, The Clean Room

Logic Seminar Series

We will be running a regular series of informal logic seminars starting this week on Thursday, at 17.00 - 18.00pm in 1N1.4.1. They are open to all staff and students.

The full programme of talks can be found here.

This week's talk, taking place on Thursday 10 February, is with Ray Turner, Typed Predicate Logic.

The basic introduction is here.
Slides.