Ignite is a fast paced event which was started in Seattle in 2006 by Brady Forrest, Technology Evangelist for O’Reilly Media, and Bre Pettis of Makerbot.com. Ignite has been an international phenomenon since then, having hosted events in more than 100 cities. At the events the Ignite presenters are given five minutes each, during which they share their personal and professional passions, using 20 slides that auto-advance every 15 seconds.

This is the beginning of the semester where all of us are looking for something fun to do. Fun need not be restricted to parties or sports. We bring to you Ignite to prove just that. The event is being organised by NUS STUDENT CHAPTER OF ACM in which eight speakers come to ignite the passion of the audience. The eight speakers include lecturers, entrepreneurs, alumni and current students bringing to you varied topics ranging from passion to creating softwares and working in pyjamas   

                Venue: Multi-purpose Room COM2 -04, School of Computing, NUS

                Date: 1.2.2012

                Time: 16:00 until 18:00

Please register HERE

For further details please refer HERE

Imagine being able to access data from anywhere in the world.

Imagine being able to use one of the most powerful computer servers on the planet with just a phone.

Move files, use applications, live online.

Welcome to the world of Cloud Computing….

Facebook, Skype, Twitter, and many such web apps have become an integral part of the daily routine for many, if not an obsession. These web apps are a reality today, thanks to the evolving concept of “Cloud Computing”. You use clouds every day without ever realising it- almost every time you pull out your netbook, tablet, smartphone and yes, computer. Every time you check Google Maps for directions, place a file in Dropbox, save notes on Evernote, share a file on Google Docs and even check emails and schedule on your calendar, your applications are being synced with the cloud. So what does this “cloud thing” refer to?

Cloud Computing refers to performing computer tasks using services delivered entirely over the Internet. It consists of services that can be accessed from anywhere in the world, depicting the model of single point access for all of our computing needs. Cloud computing allows you to have various services shifted onto a ‘cloud’ which can be accessed via the Internet from anywhere in the world using almost any platform. Data of all forms, service applications, software and much more-all saved on the cloud, presenting us with a safe and secure repository available for use across multiple platforms. Cloud computing requires no special hardware or software, no installation – just plug and use utility. And in the event that your system fails you can always move to another and the risk of losing information is completely eliminated as everything has been saved on the cloud. There is location transparency, privacy and ease of access – what more could you ask for?

It goes without saying that the future is out there on the clouds. That’s why NUS Student Chapter of the ACM (Association for Computing Machinery) feels that there is a need to spread knowledge about this rapidly-progressing technology. We’re proud to announce our CLOUD COMPUTING WORKSHOP AND DEMO which will give you a sneak-peek into the world of cloud computing and teach you to work on a cloud. This event is aimed at all of you who believe that this rapidly-progressing field is the future and for those of you who are interested in seeing a world where computing has no physical constraints. As for the future of cloud computing, who knows what other possibilities are yet to be discovered? The sky is the limit –rather, in this case, limitless!

Taking cue from our last workshop, there may even come a time when the androids of the future have access to the cloud and are artificially intelligent enough to operate independently using cloud control. It truly gives us something to ponder over-why not have one giant cloud that all users (humans and robots alike) on Earth can access? Our world’s progress depends on the power of future Internet connectivity.

Ultimately it’s time our networks become untethered.

Let’s keep our heads in the Clouds and see where it takes us.

Filed under: Technology ]]> http://nusacmsc.wordpress.com/2011/10/14/life-on-the-cloud/feed/ 3 nusacmsc Cloud Computing http://nusacmsc.wordpress.com/2011/10/04/38/ http://nusacmsc.wordpress.com/2011/10/04/38/#comments Tue, 04 Oct 2011 13:42:57 +0000 nusacmsc http://nusacmsc.wordpress.com/?p=38 ]]>

“It is with horror, frankly, that he rejects all responsibility for the idea that metal contraptions could ever replace human beings, and that by means of wires they could awaken something like life, love, or rebellion. He would deem this dark prospect to be either an overestimation of machines, or a grave offence against life.”

This is how Karel Capek , one of the most influential Czech writers of the 20th century and a pioneer author of Science Fiction, argued against the practical usage of robots in the real world. Incidentally, he also happens to be the one to have coined the term ‘robot’. But today’s wide-spread application of robots to all fields from space probes and military applications to fruit harvesting and day-to-day household activities has shown the escalating predominance of robots in our lives.

Robotics is an extremely dynamic field with recent developments ranging from automated production and service systems and fully functional humanoids to abstract elements such as integration of emotional quotient. While amateur robots have human controllers, the advanced ones are being programmed to operate independently giving birth to “Artificial Intelligence”. Humanoids are another interesting category of robots with the first ones having been developed as early as the 1990s. The latest android programmed humanoids have been in use since 2002 and have cool features such as speech-recognition and communication capabilities. But there are several challenges facing researchers today as well, the most critical of them being the achievement of stability and fluidity of movement, not to mention integrating a human’s sixth sense into a computer.

What has been mentioned above is but a tiny piece of the whole picture. If you are getting excited by all these nitty-gritty details about robots, then you can delve deeper into the field of robotics at the “Robotics Night” event conducted by NUS Student Chapter Of the ACM. Our guest speaker, Prof.Prahlad, is the Associate Editor of “The International Journal Of Humanoid Robots” and the General Secretary of “Federation of International Robotsoccer Association”. He will be giving us an insight into the developments taking place in robotics today and also show live demos with the many robots that he has created. While all the exciting details mentioned before may fascinate robot developers, to a normal person they will convey an entirely different meaning. To non-developers, the pioneer robot refers to Robby in “The Forbidden Planet” and humanoids are visualised as “The Terminator” and “Transformers”. These movies have shown the extent of harm that a humanoid embedded with artificial intelligence could do to the earth, thereby biasing people against their development. But Prof.Prahlad believes that robots can coexist with humans in harmony. He hopes to develop a positive outlook towards robots among the student community. The judicious development of robots with care taken to ensure that they are being put to the right uses, can help humanity in enormous ways such as disaster scenarios to minimise human casualties. For the action-lovers, there is a Robotics Challenge immediately following this event where you will get to see robots face-off each other in a do-or-die battle.

Robotics is the one field that integrates design, programming, mechanics and what-not. So doesn’t matter which course you are studying, come join us at the “Robotics Night” for a memorable evening with our machine friends!! To register click here NOW!!

Why do we need robots? A simple enough question with a simple answer – to ease the life of humans and share part of the workload (if you are in NUS though, workload might be interpreted in many ways). In recent years, with the rapid advancements in Artificial Intelligence & Robotics, robots no longer remain a term fit for science-fiction movies. But still, a basic problem remains. Most of the models are designed to run on wheels or tracks. This works well in a living room maybe, but what about the world beyond that??

Robots have undoubtedly been inspired by humans. They are built to imitate human ability to talk, to see, to hear and to move. But there might be a cliché, have you seen any breed of humans with wheels instead of legs? The answer would be ‘NO’ for most of us (it is, at least to me). So the important inference is that if we want robots to be efficient and useful, they must have the ability to walk on uneven terrain. The next obvious question will be “How do we do that?” The answer to this might not be too far to seek as humans and animals both have the ability to travel on uneven terrain and robots have simply to imitate that. Undoubtedly, building a walking robot is no child’s play. That is the reason why BigDog created a YouTube sensation a couple of years back.

BigDog is now being being upgraded to LS3 which, upon development, will be used by the US military to offload weapons, ammunitions, back packs etc. from soldiers’ backs. The key trait of BigDog (which will be true for LS3 in the future) was its ability to adjust to multiple rough terrains and lateral forces (like nudges or pushes) automatically without intervention or help.

But still, BigDog was a four-legged beast and not a two-legged gentleman. However, University of Michigan researchers have come up with the answer to that problem – MABEL. MABEL, currently the world’s fastest bipedal robot with knees, might not be the first of its kind. But it has considerable advantages over others in the category.

MABEL has clocked a record speed of 6.8 miles per hour which is almost twice the speed at which an average human walks. It can switch between running and walking like a normal person. Even though it is 2 legged, its feedback algorithms allow it to balance itself even on uneven terrain. MABEL is designed to have almost a human physiology — her weight is distributed like a human’s namely she has a heavier torso and “light, flexible legs with springs that act like tendons”.

Another big step forward in MABEL’s case is its air time while walking. Like a real runner, MABEL is in the air for approximately 40% of each stride. In all other walking robots, this air time is less than 10%.

What is really interesting to note are the possibilities that MABEL has opened up. Hurst, an assistant professor in the Department of Mechanical, Industrial and Manufacturing Engineering at Oregon State University, says that MABEL’s achievement could have implications for the development of human exoskeletons. He says: “We envision some extraordinary potential applications for legged robot research: exoskeletons that enable wheelchair-bound people to walk again or that give rescuers super-human abilities, and powered prosthetic limbs that behave like their biological counterparts.” For SpiderMan fans, this literally translates to a real living Dr. Octopus.

Another more immediate application would be the creation of so-called “robot rescuers”. Firemen may expect some job cuts as MABEL family might be out to replace them.

“The robotics community has been trying to come up with machines that can go places where humans can go, so a human morphology is important. If you would like to send in robots to search for people when a house is on fire, it probably needs to be able to go up and down stairs, step over the baby’s toys on the floor, and manoeuvre in an environment where wheels and tracks may not be appropriate.”

MABEL might just be the right bot for the job. Just imagining the impact that these robots will have on the human population and the world, as a whole can be mid-boggling. And we can be sure that in the future, Artificial Intelligence & Robotics will continue to enthral us with their path-breaking inventions.

Filed under: Technology Tagged: ACM, Artificial Intelligence, NUS, Robotics, Technology ]]> http://nusacmsc.wordpress.com/2011/09/06/dr-octopus-might-be-fiction-no-more/feed/ 0 nusacmsc http://nusacmsc.wordpress.com/2011/09/06/gui-development-workshop/ http://nusacmsc.wordpress.com/2011/09/06/gui-development-workshop/#comments Tue, 06 Sep 2011 09:46:55 +0000 nusacmsc http://nusacmsc.wordpress.com/?p=6 ]]> We have all worked with GUIs our entire life. It has become such a norm in all present day computer applications that it would be unimaginable to even think of a Command Line Interface. Wikipedia defines Graphical User Interface as “a type of user interface that allows users to interact with electronic devices though images rather than text commands”. In the present times, it has become an unwritten rule that GUIs be used in all types of electronic equipment from computers and smart phones to office equipment and even household appliances. The term ‘GUI’ had historically been used to refer to two-dimensional interfaces only but with its present omnipresent role in all computer appliances, it has evolved into three-dimensional graphics as well which are becoming increasingly common in mainstream operating systems to make the UI more attractive and user-friendly.

GUI is especially an integral component of any good software application and as budding software engineers many of us need to develop the necessary design and architecture skills. Developing GUIs has become easier with the origin of WPF Applications in IDEs such as Microsoft Visual Studio, Eclipse, NetBeans, etc. Yet we still feel the absence of a good source from where we can learn all the intricacies involved in developing user-friendly and attractive GUIs. While we may be able to use the IDEs to develop a GUI many of us are still clueless on how to make use of the available features to make a suitable prototype with a good sense of software design and architecture.

Recognizing this short-coming faced by SoC and Computer Engineering students, NUS Student Chapter of the ACM has come up with its first event for this year- a GUI Development Workshop.

This workshop aims to give aspiring software developers in-depth knowledge on how to use IDEs to develop a good Graphical User Interface and what elements it should incorporate to make it more appealing and user-friendly. The 2-hour long workshop will be conducted on 15 September from 6.00-8.00 pm at the I3( ICube) Auditorium, NUS. The speaker is  Mr.Eugene Siow, a fourth year Computer Engineering student and an expert in GUI Development. Come join us on September 15 to learn the secret to good software design for free in just 2 hours!!

Limited number of seats available. So what are you waiting for? Register here NOW !!