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Surface modelling and editing is one of important subjects in computer graphics. Decades of research in computer graphics has been carried out on both low-level, hardware-related algorithms and high-level, abstract software. Success of computer graphics has been seen in many application areas, such as multimedia, visualisation, virtual reality and the Internet. However, the hardware realisation of OpenGL architecture based on FPGA (field programmable gate array) is beyond the scope of most of computer graphics researches. It is an uncultivated research area where the OpenGL pipeline, from hardware through the whole embedded system (ES) up to applications, is implemented in an FPGA chip. This research proposes a hybrid approach to investigating both software and hardware methods. It aims at bridging the gap between methods of software and hardware, and enhancing the overall performance for computer graphics. It consists of four parts, the construction of an FPGA-based ES, Mesa-OpenGL implementation for FPGA-based ESs, parallel processing, and a novel algorithm for surface modelling and editing. The FPGA-based ES is built up. In addition to the Nios II soft processor and DDR SDRAM memory, it consists of the LCD display device, frame buffers, video pipeline, and algorithm-specified module to support the graphics processing. Since there is no implementation of OpenGL ES available for FPGA-based ESs, a specific OpenGL implementation based on Mesa is carried out. Because of the limited FPGA resources, the implementation adopts the fixed-point arithmetic, which can offer faster computing and lower storage than the floating point arithmetic, and the accuracy satisfying the needs of 3D rendering. Moreover, the implementation includes Bézier-spline curve and surface algorithms to support surface modelling and editing. The pipelined parallelism and co-processors are used to accelerate graphics processing in this research. These two parallelism methods extend the traditional computation parallelism in fine-grained parallel tasks in the FPGA-base ESs. The novel algorithm for surface modelling and editing, called Progressive and Mixing Algorithm (PAMA), is proposed and implemented on FPGA-based ES’s. Compared with two main surface editing methods, subdivision and deformation, the PAMA can eliminate the large storage requirement and computing cost of intermediated processes. With four independent shape parameters, the PAMA can be used to model and edit freely the shape of an open or closed surface that keeps globally the zero-order geometric continuity. The PAMA can be applied independently not only FPGA-based ESs but also other platforms. With the parallel processing, small size, and low costs of computing, storage and power, the FPGA-based ES provides an effective hybrid solution to surface modelling and editing.

<p>Purpose/Aim: The aim of the paper is to find out if there is a correlation between playing MMORPGs and having better skills in using multi-channel communication.</p><p>Material/Method: A media-skill test was conducted in the internet testing the participants’ ability to respond to targets in three different channels and media at the same time. The results of the study where used for statistical comparisons of the different groups of participants sorted according to their media use.</p><p>Main results: People who use the internet more and who play computer games, especially MMORPGs, have a better Multi-Media Multi-Channel Communication Literacy. There is fast learning visible for people with a use of the respective medium of up to five hours a week. Playing makes you better, not playing a lot.</p>

Purpose/Aim: The aim of the paper is to find out if there is a correlation between playing MMORPGs and having better skills in using multi-channel communication. Material/Method: A media-skill test was conducted in the internet testing the participants’ ability to respond to targets in three different channels and media at the same time. The results of the study where used for statistical comparisons of the different groups of participants sorted according to their media use. Main results: People who use the internet more and who play computer games, especially MMORPGs, have a better Multi-Media Multi-Channel Communication Literacy. There is fast learning visible for people with a use of the respective medium of up to five hours a week. Playing makes you better, not playing a lot.

In an era of digital convergence, people in related fields are devoted to activities of digitalization, especially in digital TV. This research is based on the Information System Success Model from Technology Acceptance Model (TAM) and aimed to understand the factors that affect user satisfaction and acceptance behavior. The researcher adopts the methodology of questionnaire survey. After statistical data analyses, the results show the main factor that influences MOD users¡¦ intention to use is perceived usefulness. Furthermore, perceived usefulness is influenced by perceived ease of use and user satisfaction. Three factors related to perceived ease of use and user satisfaction are program content quality, system quality and service quality of MOD. However, the influence of information quality is not significant. This research successfully constructs a technology acceptance model for MOD development and contributes for reference not only to future researches on users concerning innovative technologies but also to specific guidance for MOD operators to improve their services, expediting the development of digital TV in Taiwan.

Title from PDF of submission page. / Document formatted into pages; contains 49 pages. / Thesis (M. Arch.)--University of South Florida, 1999. / Includes bibliographical references. / Text (Electronic thesis) in PDF format. / ABSTRACT: Civilization seems barely able to keep up with the new information technology. Therefore, I propose a place where the technologies of the future may be interacted with like the comfortable knowledge of the past. I propose a place where technology may be interacted on as in the realm of the past with the doors of the future ahead. The Museum of Science and Industry, where the grasp of our technological history is displayed, would be an ideal site for the creation of a Prototypical Computer Museum. With its close proximity to the University of South Florida, resources and participants would be abundant. The Prototypical Computer Museum will be a place where the education and explanation of new technology is continued. / This would also provide an arena for the development and interaction of state-of-the-art computer technologies and will be considered the cultural centerpiece for the new millenium. Activities at this Multi-Media Center range from basic explanations of initial computer inventions to on-site research and development of future technologies. Permanent and traveling exhibitions would attract and expose people of all ages to the new waves of technological devices and inventions that engulf our daily activities. This simple ideal is blanketed with a variety of complicated sociological issues that will be addressed throughout the thesis research and its fruition. The fundamental paradox is the borderlessness of the technology, which is continually at odds with the structures housing and exhibiting such technologies. Another major concern is the development of virtual reality and its dwindling necessity for the development of the architecture that contains it. / This is a technology that is accessible anywhere but located nowhere. As Otto Riewoldt states, "By reacting to the digital dematerialization of the world, architecture becomes increasingly individualized."1 In the words of American architectural critic Herbert Muschamp, "subjectivity takes command. Like surrealists these architects seem determined to blur the border between waking reality and the dream state." / System requirements: World Wide Web browser and PDF reader. / Mode of access: World Wide Web.

Recent Advancements in Solid State Memories have resulted in packing several Giga Bytes (GB) of memory into tiny postage stamp size Memory Cards. Of late, Secure Digital (SD) cards have become a de-facto standard for all portable handheld devices. They have found growing presence in almost all embedded applications, where huge volumes of data need to be handled and stored. For the very same reason SD cards are being widely used in space applications also. Using these SD Cards in space applications requires robust radiation hardened SD cards and Highly Reliable Fault Tolerant File Systems to handle them. The present work is focused on developing a Highly Reliable Fault Tolerant SD card based FAT16 File System for space applications.

In this thesis, a high precision motion and position control system has been developed and applied to a high voltage sphere gap control and measurement system. The system is able to support up to 3-axes position and motion control. The control system includes a microcontroller card, three DC servo motor driver cards and a data storage unit. To provide communication between computer and motion control system, the Universal Serial Bus (USB) port is used. The microcontroller card is equipped with an USB interface and a PIC (Peripheral Interface Controllers) microcontroller. This microcontroller controls the dedicated motion control processors (LM629), on servo motor driver cards and read/write operations of data storage unit, which consists of a Multi Media Card.

The Memory and The Legacy: The Whittlin' Whistlin' Brigade - The Young Company 1974-2001, is a history of the children's theatre of Brigham Young University. The Whittlin' Whistlin' Brigade - The Young Company acts as a training ground for graduate students working in theatre for young audiences. Then directing a production for The Whittlin' Whistlin' Brigade - The Young Company, students are instructed to perform all functions required of a professional company. As the The Whittlin' Whistlin' Brigade - The Young Company (WWB-TYC) spends much of its performance time on tour, those responsibilities are relegated to the students. Developed and headed by Dr. Harold R. Oaks of Brigham Young University, WWB-TYC produced children's theatre for local, regional, national and international audiences. The history includes production photos, budgets and business plans. A survey of former company members was conducted assessing the long-term affect on participants in relationship to their personal and professional life. This thesis is also in electronic form using animation, musical and narrative audio, an interactive menu and a photo-gallery. Text is available in HTML and PDF format with 'print' capability. A tutorial is included to aid in possible navigational concerns. Working within an electronic medium has facilitated the accessibility of a considerable collection of material highly diverse in nature. Twenty-seven years of production notes, performance programs, production photos, music, scripts, budgets, permissions, required licensing, travel arrangements and itineraries, performance schedules, educational/clientele data and historical developmental notes of the children's theater program itself presented not only volumes of material but also brought specific inclusion needs. In addition, the results of a program survey of the program will be presented in graph and chart format. Determined needs include: 1. A history of children's theater both nationally and at Brigham Young University. 2. Supporting documentation of program development and implementation. 3. Survey results of WWB-TYC participants.

Science teaching at the secondary level can be made more effective with the judicious utilization of a multi-media approach involving modem information and communication technologies that is entering the Indian educational system in general and the schools in Jammu region (J&K State), in particular, surely but slowly. A major impact of technology today in the field of education is that at all levels classrooms are becoming technology-rich learning environments and as such there is a need to conduct research to study the learning environments of technology-supported classrooms. The study described in this thesis utilized the Technology-Rich, Outcomes-Focused Learning Environment Inventory (TROFLEI), to study the perceptions of students' actual and preferred classroom learning environment in a technology-supported science classroom at the secondary level in an Indian school situation. An important aspect of this research was to determine the reliability and validity of this scale for use in Indian classroom settings. An attitude scale derived from the Test for Science Related Attitudes (TOSRA) for studying the attitude of students towards science was also employed and lastly the Questionnaire on Teacher Interaction (QTI) was used to analyze the teacher student interactions in a technology-supported science classroom environment. Data for research were collected from 700 secondary students in a co-educational Indian school in the city of Jammu. / The study reported that the TROFLEI and the QTI were reliable and valid instruments for assessing the psychosocial learning environments III a technology-supported classroom and the teacher-student interactions III such environments. Significant associations are also reported between the students' perceptions of their technology-supported learning environment and their perceptions of the teacher-student interactions with three learner outcomes; attitude towards science, academic efficacy and academic achievement. Significant gender differences in technology-supported learning environments have also been reported in this study. This research study happens to be the first of its kind in this region and should provide a thrust towards the use of technology-supported classrooms for effectively teaching other school subjects.