Brendan James Babb

Brendan James Babb
University of Alaska Anchorage | UAA · Department of Computer Science and Engineering

M.S., B.S. Mathematics

About

31
Publications
7,847
Reads
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199
Citations
Introduction
Currently doing research on improving image compression for the Mars Rover images using Genetic Algorithms and GPUs at University of Alaska, Anchorage working with Frank Moore and JPL on a NASA contract. Looking for opportunities to use genetic algorithms, GPUs, Biomimicry, supercomputers to optimize Renewable Energy solutions.
Additional affiliations
January 2005 - present

Publications

Publications (31)
Article
Full-text available
State-of-the-art image compression and reconstruction schemes utilize wavelets. Quantization and thresholding are commonly used to achieve additional compression, but cause permanent, irreversible information loss. This paper describes an investigation into whether evolutionary computation (EC) may be used to optimize forward (compression-only) tra...
Conference Paper
Full-text available
Six Degrees of Kevin Bacon refers to a game where you try to link any actor to Kevin Bacon by the fewest movies. Every actor has a Bacon number. If an actor appears in the same movie as Kevin Bacon his Bacon number is 1. This paper creates a new movie with a cast that lowers the weighted average for Kevin Bacon, which could be useful for increasing...
Article
Full-text available
Previous research demonstrated that a genetic algorithm (GA) can utilize supercomputers to evolve image compression and reconstruction transforms that reduce mean squared error (MSE) by more than 22% (1.126 dB) under conditions subject to quantization, while continuing to average the same amount of compression as the Daubechies-4 (D4) wavelet. This...
Conference Paper
Full-text available
Most of the images transmitted from deep space probes to Earth are subject to lossy compression. Recent NASA missions (such as Mars rovers Spirit and Opportunity) have used the ICER progressive wavelet image compressor to achieve state of-the-art compression performance. The purpose of the research described in this paper was to demonstrate that it...
Conference Paper
Full-text available
This paper describes the evolution of new wavelet a nd scaling numbers for optimized transforms that consistently outperform the 9/7 discrete wavelet transform (DWT) for fingerprin t compression and reconstruction.
Conference Paper
This paper describes a methodology for evolving image reconstruction transforms consisting of an arbitrarily large, user-selected number of wavelet and scaling numbers. Given images previously subjected to lossy compression using NASA's wavelet-based ICER compressor, these novel transforms are capable of reconstructing those images with less error...
Article
Several recent NASA missions have used the state-of-the-art wavelet-based ICER Progressive Image Compressor for lossy image compression. In this paper, we describe a methodology for using evolutionary computation to optimize wavelet and scaling numbers describing reconstruction-only multiresolution analysis (MRA) transforms that are capable of acce...
Article
This paper describes research that uses the CMA-ES evolution strategy to optimize multiresolution analysis (MRA) transforms that outperform wavelets for the lossy compression of images transmitted from Mars Exploration Rovers. Our approach first evolves wavelet and scaling numbers for a k-1-level transform that reduces both the information entropy...
Article
Full-text available
The research described in this paper uses the CMA-ES evolution strategy to optimize matched forward and inverse transform pairs for the compression and reconstruction of images transmitted from Mars rovers under conditions subject to quantization error. Our best transforms outperform the 2/6 wavelet (whose integer variant was used onboard the rover...
Conference Paper
Full-text available
Space missions currently rely upon wavelet-based techniques for image compression and reconstruction. Recent research has established a methodology for using evolutionary computation to optimize image reconstruction transforms that outperform wavelets under lossy conditions. This paper describes new research that builds upon previous work by evolvi...
Conference Paper
Full-text available
Cost-effective storage and timely transmission of medical images are very difficult technical challenges. Compression and reconstruction techniques must guarantee no significant loss of clinical information. This paper presents a convenient technique for improving the quality of reconstructed computed tomography (CT) images previously subjected to...
Article
Full-text available
The 9/7 wavelet is used for a wide variety of image compression tasks. Recent research, however, has established a methodology for using evolutionary computation to evolve wavelet and scaling numbers describing transforms that outperform the 9/7 under lossy conditions, such as those brought about by quantization or thresholding. This paper describe...
Conference Paper
State-of-the-art lossy compression schemes for medical imagery utilize the 9/7 wavelet. Recent research has established a methodology for using evolutionary computation (EC) to evolve wavelet and scaling numbers describing novel reconstruction transforms that outperform the 9/7 under lossy conditions. This paper describes an investigation into whet...
Conference Paper
State-of-the-art image compression and reconstruction schemes utilize wavelets. Quantization and thresholding are commonly used to achieve additional compression, but cause permanent, irreversible information loss. This paper describes an investigation into whether evolutionary computation (EC) may be used to optimize forward (compression-only) tra...
Article
Full-text available
This paper describes the automatic discovery, via an Evolution Strategy with Covariance Matrix Adaptation (CMA-ES), of vectors of real-valued coefficients representing matched forward and inverse transforms that outperform the 9/7 Cohen-Daubechies-Feauveau (CDF) discrete wavelet transform (DWT) for satellite image compression and reconstruction und...
Conference Paper
In this paper, we describe how an evolution strategy optimizes multiresolution analysis (MRA) transforms that outperform wavelets for satellite image compression and reconstruction under conditions subject to quantization error. At three multiresolution levels and 64:1 quantization, our best evolved transform reduces mean squared error (MSE) in rec...
Article
A wide variety of signal and image processing applications, including the US Federal Bureau of Investigation's fingerprint compression standard [3] and the JPEG-2000 image compression standard [26], utilize wavelets. This paper describes new research that demonstrates how a genetic algorithm (GA) may be used to evolve transforms that outperform wav...
Article
Full-text available
A wide variety of signal and image processing applications, including the US Federal Bureau of Investigation's fingerprint compression standard [3] and the JPEG-2000 image compression standard [26], utilize wavelets. This paper describes new research that demonstrates how a genetic algorithm (GA) may be used to evolve transforms that outperform wav...
Conference Paper
Full-text available
This paper summarizes the results of a continuing investigation into the evolution of transforms that minimize the error present in satellite images compressed and subsequently reconstructed under conditions subject to quantization error. Using coefficients describing the Daubechies-4 (D4) discrete wavelet transform (DWT) as a starting point, our g...
Conference Paper
Full-text available
State-of-the-art image compression and reconstruction techniques utilize wavelets. Beginning in 2004, however, a team of researchers at Wright-Patterson Air Force Base (WPAFB), the University of Alaska Anchorage (UAA), and the Air Force Institute of Technology (AFIT) has demonstrated that a genetic algorithm (GA) is capable of evolving non-wavelet...
Conference Paper
Modern fingerprint compression and reconstruction standards, such as those used by the US Federal Bureau of Investigation FBI), are based upon the 9/7 discrete wavelet transform. This paper describes how a genetic algorithm was used to evolve wavelet and scaling numbers for each level of a multiresolution analysis (MRA) transform that consistently...
Conference Paper
Modern image processing applications often require robust performance in noisy or bandwidth-limited situations. In this research, we employ genetic algorithms (GAs) to evolve image transforms that reduce quantization error in reconstructed signals and images. The resulting transforms produce higher quality images than current wavelet-based transfor...
Conference Paper
Full-text available
The research described in this paper uses a genetic algorithm (GA) to evolve wavelet and scaling coefficients for transforms that outperform discrete wavelet transforms (DWTs) under conditions subject to quantization. Compression and reconstruction transform pairs evolved against a representative training image reduce mean squared error (MSE) by mo...
Conference Paper
This paper describes the evolution of new wavelet and scaling numbers for optimized transforms that consistently outperform the 9/7 discrete wavelet transform (DWT) for fingerprint compression and reconstruction.
Article
Full-text available
Previously reported research efforts demonstrated that a genetic algorithm can evolve coefficients describing transforms that outperform standard wavelets, by reducing the mean squared error (MSE) apparent in reconstructed signals under conditions subject to quantization. This paper describes new results that substantially improve the state-of-the-...
Conference Paper
This research established a methodology for using a genetic algorithm to evolve coefficients for matched forward and inverse transform pairs. Beginning with an initial population of randomly mutated copies of the coefficients representing a standard wavelet, our GA consistently evolved transforms that outperformed wavelets for image compression and...
Article
Full-text available
This report describes a genetic algorithm that evolves optimized sets of coefficients for signal reconstruction under lossy conditions due to quantization. The primary goal of the research described in this final report was to establish a methodology for using genetic algorithms to evolve coefficient sets describing inverse transforms and matched f...
Article
Full-text available
The use of digital images is increasing all the time in personal digital photography, medical imaging, and fingerprint image databases. The goal of this research is to improve the image quality of a given compressed digital image while maintaining the same file size of the image. Wavelet based image compression is improved upon by using Genetic Alg...
Article
Full-text available
Image compression is used on a day to day basis by nearly everyone. The JPEG 2000 standard is used to compress images that appear on websites, are stored on digital cameras, are displayed on cell phones, are transmitted by satellites, etc. The JPEG 2000 standard uses a wavelet for compressing and decompressing images. Previous research at UAA has b...
Article
Full-text available
Most of the images transmitted from deep space probes to Earth are subject to lossy compression. Recent NASA missions have used the ICER progressive wavelet image compressor to achieve state-of-the-art compression performance. The purpose of the research described in this paper was to demonstrate that it is possible to evolve wavelet and scaling nu...

Questions

Questions (8)
Question
I am not a battery expert. From my understanding the more surface area you have the more charge you can get. The problem is the anode swells during charging and then can break or get coated during charge and discharge, reducing the lifetime of the battery. What if you had a fractal space filling curve for the anode that was intertwined by a second space filling curve that remained stationary or receive a small percentage of the total charge so it expanded slightly at the same time as the first curve. The second curve would keep the first curve from expanding too much and breaking and also provide support as it discharged. If you grew the structures as fractals they could possibly self assemble in the battery or grow to fill the battery without swelling too much. 
Question
I was working on one research project/paper and was staying up until 3-4 am every night drinking herbal tea and listening to Bon Iver's "For Emma, Forever" on repeat.It was making good progress and their was just a certain academic romantic mood to the whole thing. I regret I didn't thank the album in the paper. If it was more acceptable in academic papers, what would you have thanked?
Question
I know that many Genetic Algorithm problems are different and have different constraints. But it seems that there might be problems from disparate fields that look the same to the computer. An over simplification, say 3 real variables, a,b,c and the fitness is f=100-(a^2+b^2+c^2). Could you have a dictionary that shows what the GA or Evolutionary Computation problem looks like to the computer but might be problems from different fields. The use would be that many GA runs take a ton of computation and if someone has already done that computation or has lessons learned you could take advantage of that in your research.
Question
In Alaska we have wind - diesel set ups where the wind turbine generation offsets the use of diesel in a generator or the wind is paired with hydro. If the wind drops down you want to ramp up the hydro or diesel so you have a consistent amount of power. Large fly wheels are used to even out the load. When would supercapacitors be more cost efficient than fly wheels in general and what would there specs need to roughly look like? Based on the recent advances in graphene superconductors in the link.
Question
Instead of noise cancelling do noise adding. Assuming you can predict and calculate the waveform to add to the ambient noise in realtime (low power GPUs, Machine Learning) just add the waveform at the ear in the headphones. Ideally if you used it in a gym or running you could harvest energy to power it from motion, ever present radio waves, thermocouple, etc. and the headphones would have a small rechargeable battery but use no external energy. What are the challenges? What are the potentials?
Question
Wind can be influenced by hot land masses and cold air or vice versa. In an Arctic region (I live in Anchorage, Alaska) the air is already cold. Could use some of the electricity generated by the turbines to heat up a pad at the base of the turbines or nearby so that you increase the updrafts or turbulence that increases the wind captured by the turbines? Possibly for vertical turbines. Given the efficiency losses of wind turbines could the energy used to produce heat be less than the extra generated electricity? Or could you use dark materials that soaked up heat in the day and gave it off when the sun went down? How can you efficiently enhance the wind next to wind turbines?
Question
Active noise control allows you to cancel dominant frequencies in noise cancelling headphones by playing the inverse wave. Given the speed of GPUs and evolutionary computation, could you use sensors a few feet in front of a boat to measure waves and generate an inverse wave in real time that would cancel the waves for just an inch in front of the bow? So from the bow's perspective it was just sailing through calm water. I know there are waves coming across other parts of the hull and it might require a lot of energy to cancel waves in front of the boat. But assuming you could calculate the correct inverse wave to produce in real time, how would that impact the energy efficiency of the boat.
Question
I work with image compression. If you had a compression algorithm that worked well on images of interest and performed badly on noise images, what percentage would that be out of the whole 256^(512*512) image space.

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