IBM Research: Autonomic Computing
http://www.research.ibm.com/autonomic/
IBM's Autonomic Computing research site examines a dangerous trend in the information technology (IT) industry and proposes an unprecedented solution. Citing a serious lack of skilled IT workers and constantly growing complexity in computer systems, IBM envisions a time in the near future when maintaining these systems will become an impossible task. To prevent this, a drastic change in computer design and operation is required. Autonomic computing, IBM believes, is the answer. This technology could create computer systems that largely maintain themselves with little to no human involvement. The Web site offers an overview of autonomic computing and implications for business and academia. There is also a manifesto in Adobe Acrobat (.pdf) format that delves further into the technology. [CL]
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NAS Systems Division at NASA Ames Research Center [.pdf]
http://www.nas.nasa.gov/index.html
The NASA Advanced Supercomputing (NAS) division is part of the Ames Research Center Information Sciences and Technology Directorate. The NAS home page describes "leading-edge high performance computing and its role in many of NASA’s critical missions for the 21st century." The site provides news and feature stories of NAS projects, but most of the site's information is in the Research & Technology section. There, you will find descriptions of many research areas and their corresponding papers and reports. Several software packages are available for download; however, some are restricted. Sample datasets of research simulation results are also offered for scientific use. [CL]
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Aerobiological Engineering
http://www.engr.psu.edu/www/dept/arc/server/wjkaerob.html
In light of the tragic events of September 11, research into airborne pathogen containment is becoming increasingly important. Aerobiological engineering examines methods of ventilation system design that can effectively minimize the spread of harmful spores or microbes. The Web site at Pennsylvania State University explores many aspects of this subject. Large databases of airborne pathogens contain information about particle size and shape, which could be useful in air filtration systems. There are very good sections of the site such as Bioterrorism and Immune Building Technology and The Spread of Disease in Office Buildings. Both current and developmental airborne pathogen control technologies are thoroughly explained. [CL]
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The Spatial Imaging Group
http://spi.www.media.mit.edu/groups/spi/
The Spatial Imaging Group (SPI) at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology Media Lab researches new techniques to develop three-dimensional displays. This involves extensive study of holograms, with potential implications for computer graphics, automotive design, and scientific visualization, to name a few. The SPI home page has information about the various areas of research conducted at the lab. The methods and processes used to create different types of holograms are described with step-by-step illustrations and explanations. A particularly interesting section deals with holographic video and two prototype displays that SPI has created. This site is suitable for experienced researchers or people simply interested in learning more about holograms. [CL]
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Robotics at Space and Naval Warfare Systems Center, San Diego
http://www.spawar.navy.mil/robots/
The robotics division of the San Diego Space and Naval Warfare Systems Center is very active in research and development. Its home page has a good deal of information about the many projects currently underway. There are several categories of robotic systems to browse, including autonomous land robots; unmanned ground, air, and undersea vehicles; and telepresence and virtual reality. Image and movie galleries show the operation and features of many of the center's robots, and a quarterly newsletter is also given on the site, describing the most recent activities and research conducted at the center. [CL]
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University of Ulster: Centre for Communications Engineering
http://www.ether.ulst.ac.uk/index.html
The Centre for Communications Engineering is a small but very active program at the University of Ulster. It opened less than three years ago with support from Nortel Networks, and since then, the center has been involved with several research projects covering many aspects of communication technology. The center's home page has a news section and information about its facilities and laboratory equipment. Perhaps the most interesting part of the site is the research activities section. This includes discussions of radio communications systems, bioelectromagnetics, mobile and broadband data systems, medical and biological telemetry, and visual computing. There are also project posters available for download that illustrate some of the center's research. [CL]
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DjVu Zone
http://djvu.research.att.com/
DjVu is a product of the AT&T research labs that provides superior image compression technology over traditional formats such as JPEG and GIF. The DjVu Web site provides extensive documentation and examples of the software's incredible performance and specifications. There is a digital library that shows images "ranging from renaissance printed leaves to the latest scientific papers" that have been compressed with DjVu (to view these images, the free DjVu plugin is required). Technical papers about DjVu are also given, as well as in-depth tutorials about using the software. There is even a free conversion service on the site, where anyone can upload their own documents and have them converted to DjVu without having to download the software. [CL]
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The Mizar Home Page
http://mizar.org/
Mizar is a system used to represent mathematical vernacular so that it can be read and manipulated by humans and verified by computers. The Mizar Project began in 1973 and continues at the University of Bialystok in Poland. The computer formalization of mathematics is a daunting task; currently, the project has created a database with over 2,000 definitions of mathematical concepts and more than 30,000 theorems. The project's Web site has a complete description of the Mizar language syntax and offers free downloads of the Mizar system and mathematical library for non-commercial use. In the Journal of Formalized Mathematics section, there is information about submitting articles to contribute to the project. This site is mainly geared toward researchers and mathematicians. [CL]
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