Resume

• 2000

  Doctor of Philosophy (PhD)

  Computer Science

  University of Central Florida

  eCommerce

  Human Computer Interaction

  Distributed Web Systems Design

  Cyber Security and Data Encryption

  Advanced Statistics

  Networks and Data Communication

  Advanced Web Interfaces

  Handheld and Ubiquitous Computing

  Teaching Online Courses

  Georgia Southern University

  Project Management

  Sun Microsystems

  Online Teaching Certification

  Office of Online and Blended Learning - ASU

  Online Interaction Facilitation and Pedagogy

  North Georgia College and State University

  Financial Management

  Georgia School Boards Association

• 1994

  Bachelor's degree

  Computer Science

  Technical University of Cluj Napoca

• Felix Hamza-Lup—Home

  Felix Hamza-Lup's Homepage

  Felix Hamza-Lup—Home

  The ACM Computing Reviews database is the largest and most comprehensive database of reviews covering the computing literature

  providing practitioners

  researchers

  educators

  and students with an unparalleled resource that provides a unique road-map to the vast ocean of scholarly and practical information in one of the fastest moving fields of knowledge today (http://computingreviews.com).

  ACM Computing Reviews

  Advisory Board Member

  Monthly meetings to review progress and provide advice to the school's Principal and teachers constituents.\nhttp://www.oglethorpecharter.org/

  Oglethorpe Charter School

  Windows

  Distributed Systems

  High Performance Computing

  Java

  E-Learning

  Haptics

  Project Planning

  Algorithms

  Motion Tracking

  OOP

  Artificial Intelligence

  C++

  JavaScript

  Web Applications

  Testing

  Project Management

  Software Engineering

  Computer Science

  Architecture

  Programming

  Haptic Technology and eLearning

  Haptics

  from the Greek word \"haptesthai\" pertains to the sense of touch. Computer-based haptic technology recreates the sense of touch by applying forces or vibrations to the user's tactile system.

  Haptic Technology and eLearning

  The use of computer-aided and web-based educational technologies such as Virtual Learning\nEnvironments (VLE) has increased significantly in the recent past. One example of such a VLE\nis Virtual Interactive Engineering on the Web (VIEW). VIEW is a 3D virtual

  interactive

  studentcentered

  \nframework of web-based modules based on the Extensible 3D standard. These modules\nare dedicated to the improvement of student success and learning. In this paper

  an overview of the\nrecent developments in VIEW along with associated assessment results is presented. An experimental\nstudy was also performed to compare the learning experience and performance of students\nin a physical dissection activity vs. that in a virtual dissection activity using a VIEW module. The\nresults of this study show that students can meet given learning objectives and that there is limited\ndifference in their learning and performance irrespective of a physical or virtual setting.

  VIEW – A Virtual Interactive Web-based Learning Environment for Engineering

  Some forces in nature are difficult to comprehend due to their non-intuitive and abstract nature. Forces driving gyroscopic precession are invisible

  yet their effect is very important in a variety of applications

  from space navigation to motion tracking. Current technological advancements in haptic interfaces

  enables development of revolutionary user interfaces

  combining multiple modalities: tactile

  visual and auditory. Tactile augmented user interfaces have been deployed in a variety of areas

  from surgical training to elementary education. This research provides an overview of haptic user interfaces in higher education

  and presents the development and assessment of a haptic-user interface that supports the learner's understanding of gyroscopic precession forces. The visual-haptic simulator proposed

  is one module from a series of simulators targeted at complex concept representation

  using multimodal user interfaces. Various higher education domains

  from classical physics to mechanical engineering

  will benefit from the mainstream adoption of multimodal interfaces for hands-on training and content delivery. Experimental results are promising

  and underline the valuable impact that haptic user interfaces have on enabling abstract concepts understanding

  through kinesthetic learning and hands-on practice.

  Kinesthetic Learning – Haptic User Interfaces for Gyroscopic Precession Simulation

  The combination of the synchronized electrical activity of all the neurons in the brain - brainwaves - can be captured in real-time using Brain-Computer Interfaces (BCIs). Portable and affordable BCIs emerged recently

  and have the potential to objectively quantify attention and improve learning.

  Learning Assessment Using Brain-Computer Interfaces: Are You Paying Attention?

  Erik Leon

  The 3D surface representation (S-rep) is a widely used scheme to create 3D models of physical objects. 3D S-reps have been successfully used in CAD/CAM and

  in conjunction with texture mapping

  in the modern gaming industry to customize avatars and improve the gaming realism and sense of presence. We are proposing a cost-effective method to extract patient-specific S-reps in real time and combine them with the treatment system geometry to provide a comprehensive simulation of the XRT/PT treatment room.

  Interactive X-Ray and Proton Therapy Training and Simulation

  Design and Assessment for Hybrid Courses: Insights and Overviews

  Virtual environments constitute the support platform for various teaching and learning activities. Instead of a local application for this purpose

  this paper explores the effects of using distributed virtual reality environments in the educational process. The architecture of the presented system is based on the recently developed web-based technology called AJAX (Asynchronous Javascript And XML)

  implemented on a Linux operating system configured to run Apache with PHP and MySQL support; i.e.

  LAMP architecture

  which contributes to the portability and ease of installation of the application. The platform is designed to support the integration of lesson modules such as the EngView environment which is discussed in more detail in this contribution. Pedagogical

  technical

  and implementation-related aspects are presented in conjunction with the virtual environment used in the engineering training curriculum. Statistical information resulted from the training shows a significant increase in task completion time when the virtual setup is used.

  3D virtual spaces supporting engineering learning activities

  Intelligent Tutoring Systems (ITS) and Augmented Reality (AR) provide powerful paradigms for the next generation advanced learning systems. We independently define ITS

  AR as well as the merger of these systems into a highly complex Intelligent Augmented Reality Tutoring System.

  Intelligent Tutoring Systems And Augmented Reality

  Medical simulation techniques have become an important aid for understanding and perceiving the fundamentals of clinical procedures. Under the clinical envelope

  key training applications such as the development of dynamic anatomy visualization for teaching and computer-assisted guidance in surgery couple medical simulation with visualization frameworks. The usage of subject-specific anatomy and physiology further enhances the medical simulation and visualization applications from training paradigm to diagnostics and subject-specific planning of clinical interventions. Examples of applications include visualization of human models under normal and diseased states and minimally invasive surgical guidance.

  Generating Classes of 3D Virtual Mandible Models for Augmented Reality Applications Using Morphometrics

  As human beings

  from an early age

  learning and discovery are enabled by senses: visually exploring the 3D world around

  holding and touching objects or listening to others and asking questions. In a traditional education environment

  training setup or collaborative work

  the majority of the interaction modalities and written materials are still designed for a 2D visual space (e.g.

  books

  course web pages

  articles

  videos

  and images). With the rapid advances in technology

  new interaction modalities become widely available and have the potential to improve

  and often revolutionize the way we interact

  learn and cooperate with each other. The chapter explores new interaction paradigms and systems enabling the shift from a 2D visual space to 3D user interfaces

  as well as the addition of a new interaction modality

  the tactile or touch modality

  through haptic user interfaces. The International Standards Organization’s extended 3D (X3D) open standard provides a considerable opportunity to design and implement innovative and revolutionary Web-based interfaces to support and augment engineering courses and design activities. Haptics devices and associated APIs are enabling a revolution in engineering interaction design and engineering education. Several use-cases and example Web3D applications are presented to provide an overview of the existing trends. A concise presentation of the human tactile system

  followed by a survey on current haptics hardware accompanied by several successful implementations for engineering education

  highlights the near future trends.

  Designing Knowledge Sharing Interfaces with Improved Interaction: Haptics and Web3D

  Medical simulations of lung dynamics promise to be effective tools for teaching and training clinical and surgical procedures related to lungs. Their effectiveness may be greatly enhanced when visualized in an augmented reality (AR) environment. However

  the computational requirements of AR environments limit the availability of the central processing unit (CPU) for the lung dynamics simulation for different breathing conditions. In this paper

  we present a method for computing lung deformations in real time by taking advantage of the programmable graphics processing unit (GPU). This will save the CPU time for other AR-associated tasks such as tracking

  communication

  and interaction management. An approach for the simulations of the three-dimensional (3-D) lung dynamics using Green's formulation in the case of upright position is taken into consideration. We extend this approach to other orientations as well as the subsequent changes in breathing. Specifically

  the proposed extension presents a computational optimization and its implementation in a GPU. Results show that the computational requirements for simulating the deformation of a 3-D lung model are significantly reduced for point-based rendering.

  Simulating 3-D Lung Dynamics Using a Programmable Graphics Processing Unit

  The emergence of several trends

  including the increased availability of wireless networks

  miniaturization of electronics and sensing technologies

  and novel input and output devices

  is creating a demand for integrated

  full-time displays for use across a wide range of applications

  including collaborative environments. In this paper

  we present and discuss emerging visualization methods we are developing

  particularly as they relate to deploy-able displays and displays worn on the body to support mobile users and apps.

  Beyond the Desktop: Emerging Technologies for Supporting 3D Collaborative Teams

  Radiation therapy is an effective and widely accepted form of treatment for many types of cancer that requires extensive computerized planning. Unfortunately

  current treatment planning systems have limited or no visual aid that combines patient volumetric models extracted from patient-specific CT data with the treatment device geometry in a 3D interactive simulation. We illustrate the potential of 3D simulation in radiation therapy with a web-based interactive system that combines novel standards and technologies. We discuss related research efforts in this area and present in detail several components of the simulator. An objective assessment of the accuracy of the simulator and a usability study prove the potential of such a system for simulation and training.

  Online external beam radiation treatment simulator

  Dialogue implies listening

  then generating a \"tailored\" response. With the \"renaissance\" of machine learning

  deploying an automated system that \"learns\" from the learner's data and makes decisions with minimal human intervention

  producing intelligent dialogue

  becomes a tangible reality.

  How Machine Learning

  Intelligent Dialogue

  And eMentoring Impact eLearning

  Ionut E. Iacob

  A large number of sensors deployed in recent years in various setups and their data is readily available in dedicated databases or in the cloud. Of particular interest is real-time data processing and 3D visualization in web-based user interfaces that facilitate spatial information understanding and sharing

  hence helping the decision making process for all the parties involved.\nIn this research

  we provide a prototype system for near real-time

  continuous X3D-based visualization of processed sensor data for two significant applications: thermal monitoring for residential/commercial buildings and nitrogen cycle monitoring in water beds for aquaponics systems. As sensors are sparsely placed

  in each application

  where they collect data for large periods (of up to one year)

  we employ a Finite Differences Method and a Neural Networks model to approximate data distribution in the entire volume.

  Web-enabled Intelligent System for Continuous Sensor Data Processing and Visualization

  Crenguta Bogdan

  This paper brings into discussion some of the most relevant technological challenges involving haptic systems in medical education. One of these challenges is choosing the suitable haptic hardware

  API or framework for developing a visuo-haptic e-Learning system. The decision is based on several criteria such as the multi-modal resources needed by the software system

  compatibility with haptic devices and the dynamic configuration of the scene. Another challenge is related to the software system reactivity in conjunction with the user’s actions. The immediate haptic feedback from the virtual models

  together with the synchronization of the rendered haptic and visual cues seen by the users are essential for enhancing the user’s learning ability. Visuo-haptic simulation facilitates accurate training scenarios of medical protocols and surgical processes.

  Haptic Feedback Systems in Medical Education

  Rabi N. Mahapatra

  Amar Rasheed

  Vehicular Ad Hoc Networks (VANETs) are a particular subclass of mobile ad hoc networks that raise a number of security challenges

  notably from the way users authenticate the network. Authentication technologies based on existing security policies and access control rules in such networks assume full trust on Roadside Unit (RSU) and authentication servers. The disclosure of authentication parameters enables user‘s traceability over the network. VANETs’ trusted entities (e.g. RSU) can utilize such information to track a user traveling behavior

  violating user privacy and anonymity. In this paper

  we proposed a novel

  light-weight

  Adaptive Group-based Zero Knowledge Proof-Authentication Protocol (AGZKP-AP) for VANETs. The proposed authentication protocol is capable of offering various levels of users’ privacy settings based on the type of services available on such networks. Our scheme is based on the Zero-Knowledge-Proof (ZKP) crypto approach with the support of trade-off options. Users have the option to make critical decisions on the level of privacy and the amount of resources usage they prefer such as short system response time versus the number of private information disclosures. Furthermore

  AGZKP-AP is incorporated with a distributed privilege control and revoking mechanism that render user’s private information to law enforcement in case of a traffic violation.

  Adaptive Group–based Zero Knowledge Proof–Authentication Protocol (AGZKP–AP) in Vehicular Ad Hoc Networks

  Mihai Machedon

  Autonomous Wireless Sensors (AWSs) are at the core of every Wireless Sensor Network (WSN). Current AWS technology allows the development of many IoT-based applications

  ranging from military to bioengineering and from industry to education. The energy optimization of AWSs depends mainly on: Structural

  functional

  and application specifications. The holistic design methodology addresses all the factors mentioned above. In this sense

  we propose an original solution based on a novel architecture that duplicates the transceivers and also the power source using a hybrid storage system. By identifying the consumption needs of the transceivers

  an appropriate methodology for sizing and controlling the power flow for the power source is proposed. The paper emphasizes the fusion between information

  communication

  and energy consumption of the AWS in terms of spectrum information through a set of transceiver testing scenarios

  identifying the main factors that influence the sensor node design and their inter-dependencies. Optimization of the system considers all these factors obtaining an energy efficient AWS

  paving the way towards autonomous sensors by adding an energy harvesting element to them.

  Design of Wireless Sensors for IoT with Energy Storage and Communication Channel Heterogeneity

  Web3D Graphics enabled through Sensor Networks for Cost-Effective Assessment and Management of Energy Efficiency in Buildings

  The process of learning involves interaction with the learning environment through our five senses (sight

  hearing

  touch

  smell

  and taste). Until recently

  distance education focused only on the first two of those senses

  sight and sound. Internet-based learning environments are predominantly visual with auditory components. With the advent of haptic technology we can now simulate/generate forces and

  as a result

  the sense of touch. The gaming industry has promoted the “touch” on the “wire

  ” allowing complex multi-modal interactions online. In this article we provide a brief overview of the evolution of haptic technology

  its potential for education

  and existing challenges. We review recent data on 21st century students' behaviors

  and share our experiences in designing interactive haptic environments for education. From the “Community of Inquiry” framework perspective

  we discuss the potential impact of haptic feedback on cognitive and social presence.

  The Haptic Paradigm in Education: Challenges and Case Studies

  Mediapps

  Bangkok University

  Nivis

  Tirrion Technologies LLC

  Armstrong State University

  Georgia Southern University

  Orlando

  Florida Area

  As a Chief Technology Officer (CTO) for Tirrion Technologies I was in charge of creating policies for the technology advancement

  I oversaw and implemented SBIR and STTR research proposals. I did my best to align technology-related decisions with the Tirrion Technology goals.

  CTO

  Tirrion Technologies LLC

  Bangkok Metropolitan Area

  Thailand

  Fulbright Scholar

  Bangkok University

  Georgia Southern University

  Nivis

  Greater Atlanta Area

  Project management for e-Panaceea

  software framework for software package lending.

  Project Manager

  Paris Area

  France

  Consultant for Data Management Services LLC. Development of Portal Data Aggregator (Mediapps)

  Paris

  France. I was heavily involved in all the software development. life cycle from Analysis to Design

  Implementation and Testing.

  Project Manager

  Mediapps

  Savannah

  Georgia Area

  Associate Professor

  Armstrong State University

  Savannah

  Georgia Area

  Assistant Professor

  Armstrong State University

  Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers

  Member

  IEEE

  The Association for Computing Machinery is an international learned society for computing. It was founded in 1947

  and is the world's largest scientific and educational computing society. The ACM is a non-profit professional membership group

  claiming nearly 100

  000 student and professional members as of 2019.

  Member

  ACM

  https://www.cies.org/about-us/what-fulbright

  Fellow

  Fulbright

  Romanian

  Hungarian

  German

  English

  Fulbright Fellow

  \"The Fulbright Foundation is one of the most prestigious internationally recognized scholarship exchanged programs in the world. This scholarship program is a network of extremely competitive

  merit based scholarship opportunities for international exchange students that was originally established by the late United States Senator J. William Fulbright in the year 1946.\n\nThe intent of these prestigious scholarships is for scholars from all around the world

  through many intricate partnerships between the United States government and foreign governments

  to be able to enter educational exchange programs. The purpose is so that outstanding students are awarded opportunities to broaden their horizons abroad as well as allow international applicants the same opportunities within the United States.\" [http://scholarship-finder.org/]

  Fulbright

  US Department of State

  Transilvania Research Fellowship

  Research Fellowship.

  Transilvania University of Brasov

  Fulbright Specialist

  Fulbright Specialist program.

  US Department of State

  Hillman Award for Excellence in Research

  Hillman Foundation