Worcester Polytechnic Institute

About: Worcester Polytechnic Institute is a education organization based out in Worcester, Massachusetts, United States. It is known for research contribution in the topics: Computer science & Population. The organization has 6270 authors who have published 12704 publications receiving 332081 citations. The organization is also known as: WPI.

Harvesting Energy From Asphalt Pavements and Reducing The Heat Island Effect

Abstract: A rise in temperature of asphalt pavements contributes towards the urban heat island effect, causes problems with air quality and increases the power requirement for cooling buildings. A high temperature would also lead to the potential of rutting failure in asphalt pavements. The concept of mining heat from asphalt pavements, utilising an appropriate fluid flowing in pipes installed within the pavement, has been proposed. Theoretical considerations and results of laboratory testing and modelling simulation have been presented. The results indicate that the concept is feasible, and that the efficiency of heat mining can be improved by selecting appropriate surface layer and aggregates for pavement materials. The use of this proposed method would lead to a significant reduction in pavement and near-surface air temperature, and extension of asphalt pavement life.

Latency can kill: precision and deadline in online games

Abstract: The growth in network capacities and availability has been accompanied by a proliferation of online games. While online games perform well under many network conditions, Internet delays can often degrade online game performance. The precise impact that latency has on online gameplay depends upon the game type and the actions within the game. While the effects of latency on specific games has been studied, knowledge about the effects of latency on classes of games and about the effects of latency on different player actions is lacking. This paper presents a broad, perspective-based classification of games based on player control and camera view. The foundation of the game classification are player actions, each of which is defined by its precision and deadline requirements. Experiments with controlled amount of precision, deadline and latency support the classification. This classification of games should prove useful for game designers, network engineers and game players themselves as they build and play on tomorrow's networks.

A wearable reflectance pulse oximeter for remote physiological monitoring.

Abstract: To save life, casualty care requires that trauma injuries are accurately and expeditiously assessed in the field. This paper describes the initial bench testing of a wireless wearable pulse oximeter developed based on a small forehead mounted sensor. The battery operated device employs a lightweight optical reflectance sensor and incorporates an annular photodetector to reduce power consumption. The system also has short range wireless communication capabilities to transfer arterial oxygen saturation (SpO(2)), heart rate (HR), body acceleration, and posture information to a PDA. It has the potential for use in combat casualty care, such as for remote triage, and by first responders, such as firefighters.