New Jersey Institute of Technology
A Systematic Approach to Disassembly Line Balancing
Ying Tang (1st place - graduate)

The increasing importance of a product's relationship and
effects on the environment has prompted active research in demanufacturing
systems. A disassembly process, in which the old, discarded, and/or faulty
products are taken apart, is a critical element of a demanufacturing
system.  Its optimal design and efficient operation can generate 
positive financial and environmental impact on parts/subassemblies 
to be reused, materials to be recycled, and amount of waste to be
disposed. Current disassembly processes are generally manual and 
labor intensive. Their dynamic configuration and real-time
operation proves a technically challenging research issue in order to
optimize the use of resources (labor, money and time). This is especially 
true when these processes are subject to resource breakdown, maintenance,
performance degrade and other exceptions. Our previous work presented an 
integrated approach to disassembly planning and demanufacturing
operations. However the system efficiency issue remains open when it is 
subject to a changing environment. Motivated by the success of a virtual
production line design algorithm in a back-end semiconductor manufacturing 
system, this work proposes a systematic approach to optimal design and 
efficient operation of demanufacturing systems. This is done by
considering the previous mentioned factors and unique characteristics of 
disassembly, e.g., disassembly termination goals are not necessarily
fixed. An innovative algorithm is then developed to facilitate the 
disassembly line design and optimization. It can allow one to dynamically 
configure a large system into many disassembly lines based on system 
status and demanding sources while guarantees the line balance
and efficiency. The key point is to keep speeds of all workstations in a
disassembly line as close as possible to satisfy the corresponding
demanufacturing demands. An example considering multiple batches of
various incoming products to be disassembled is also presented to 
illustrate this approach. Both the baseline configuration, which 
reflects the present practice, and the proposed configuration with our 
algorithm implemented are compared. From this case study, the proposed 
methodology is found to be highly effective in increasing system 
efficiency and machine utilization.


Fairleigh Dickenson University
Non-Invasive Blood Glucose Monitoring
Anthony J. Gaeta (2nd place - graduate)


Diabetes affects over 16 million people in the United States. For 
these patients, constant monitoring of blood glucose levels is essential.  
Blood glucose testing is done by applying a small drop of blood to a
chemical reagent strip. This method is inconvenient and painful.   
A better method of blood glucose monitoring would be the ability to make 
this measurement non-invasively. Currently, there is at least one company 
working on such a device. This paper will discuss the technology required
to accomplish this as well as the application of this technology to the 
development of an implantable insulin pump.


New Jersey Institute of Technology
Fuzzy Reasoning Petri Nets for Production Rule Reasoning
Meimei Gao (3rd place - graduate)

Efficient reasoning for a complex fuzzy production rule-based system
is a very important research issue and has many applications in
unstructured environments with incomplete/imprecise information only. 
This paper presents a fuzzy reasoning Petri net (FRPN) model to represent 
a fuzzy production rule-based system. Based on the model, a formal
reasoning algorithm using the operators in max-algebra is proposed to 
perform fuzzy reasoning automatically.  The algorithm is consistent with 
the matrix equation expression method in the traditional Petri nets and 
allows one to exploit maximum parallel reasoning potential embedded in 
the model. Its legitimacy and feasibility are proved and
validated through an example.


Fairleigh Dickinson University
DIGITAL HOLOGRAPHY
Ricardo Martins (1st place - undergraduate)

An introduction to holography will be presented to illustrate a
technique on capturing a digital representation of a hologram. This modern
procedure being researched will develop holograms in order to avoid
hazardous chemicals and save time, money and patience. We need to setup a
transmission hologram system in the optics lab with a reference and object 
beam so that an interference wave front is established. Then capturing a 
digital hologram will consist of recording the interference wave front 
pattern onto a CCD camera.  Once, the CCD camera has stored the wave front 
image a computer, high-resolution printer, and translucent paper will be
required to replace holographic film. The goal of the project will be to 
avoid chemical developers and a dark room.


Fairleigh Dickinson University
ECG SIMULATOR
Arthur Skupinsky (2nd place - undergraduate)


The fundamental principle of this project and study is the
identification of what ECG feature, if any, is affected by the  
Autonomic Nervous System (ANS), using subjects with normal ECG's  
and subjects with Mitral Valve Prolapse (MVP).  The possibility that  
the ANS is involved in ECG changes occurring in patients with MVP is  
currently the subject of much investigation. A reason for speculation that
this is the case is that experiments have shown that the Mitral Valve has
both muscle and nerve tissues.     We have achieved a working instrument 
that measures the RR interval, QT interval and the QRS complex as well as
the interval standard deviation and Power Spectrum HF/LF ratios.   
Furthermore, we have filtered out much of the noise that was present due 
to 60Hz interference and due to muscle tension.  We have also made  
the instrument very easy to use by untrained personnel.   What is  
needed now is a way to test and, hopefully, validate the instrument and
the data that it produces.  Therefore I designed an ECG Simulator which
can be controlled to imitate the ECG of a human heart, with  the pulse rate
varied in specific ways.


Fairleigh Dickinson University
The SETI "Problem" - SETI PROJECT -THE APPLICATION DEVELOPMENT.
David Vanunu (3rd place - undergraduate)

This is my personal opinion and how I perceive the SETI project from 
a software development perspective. I have taken it upon myself the 
freedom to develop an object model that will satisfy the requirements 
of a SETI station application/object.  I have decided to implement the 
SETI application requirements using OO (object oriented) modeling. 
The main reason that encouraged me to approach the problem using OO 
modeling is because it's a powerful concept adapted in many
industries through out the world. There are various programming
languages/tools that enable programmers and IT personal to develop and
implement different OO models.  In the following sections I will try and 
give you a rough idea of how I approach the SETI problem in hand.   

Model Creation 
The model creation and model revision is a repetitive process by nature. 
There is always a place to improve, enhance or change a model according 
to the client (in our case the SETI station) needs. However there should be 
a fundamental model to start from.   There are several steps that should
be taken in the model creation: A)  There is a need to determine the
area/industry where  the   problem takes place. B) Determine if its 
an open/closed system (is/isn't affected by other systems)  C) Understand 
the nature of the problem and the nature of its objects.  D) Determine 
how the objects will behave as whole  E)  Determine how objects will 
interact with each other  F) Determine interfaces.  There are few more 
steps that should be applied but these steps are sufficient enough to 
handle the SETI problem (at the moment).

OBJECTS   An object has three properties   A)   State - Models memory  B)
Behavior - Model dynamic process  C)    Encapsulated - Can hide complexity
I derived the SETI objects by observing the diagram of the SETI station
presented to us by professor Lewis. The objects will be listed according 
to signal flow from outside into the system. The objects composing the
SETI system are:  A) DISH object B)  RADIO object  C) DSP object
D) ALARM object  E) ERROR object  Each one of these objects is meaningless
unless we combine them all together into one model, which I define as the
SETI OBJECT MODEL (SOM).  The need to define a SOM is due to the fact that a
SETI station is one of many (Other SETI objects) stations out there.   Why do
we need an object model? what are the benefits ?   

Project Argus
Project Argus is an effort to deploy and coordinate roughly 5,000 small
radio telescopes around the world, in an all-sky survey for microwave 
signals of possible intelligent extra-terrestrial origin. When fully
operational, Project Argus will provide the first ever continuous 
monitoring of the entire sky, in all directions in real time.  The SOM  
will deal with the complexity of messaging between SETI Stations in real
time (with a delay factor as a result of transporting information over 
the interent).  The SOM will enable people from  all over the world to 
view SETI stations data in real time (again with a delay factor beacause 
of the interent). 
      
The topics that I will cover during the presentation are :      
The SETI object model and how it becomes essential in Project Argus. 
Sharing infomration between objects/application using XML  
Using the Publish /Subscribe approach to share information over
the interent. Develope a platform independent object/application to view
SETI stations information.