Students Excel at Regional Computer Science Conference

9 laptop or computer science college students recently offered their capstone initiatives as element of the Consortium for Computing Sciences in Colleges’ Northeastern Area convention, with just one crew capturing initial spot in the event’s poster contest. The University’s Computer system Programing Club also acquired large praise in the event’s programming contest.

May 1, 2022

By Renee Chmiel, Business of Marketing and Communications

University of New Haven students at CCSCNE at Pace University.
A team of University of New Haven students represented the University at CCSCNE at Tempo University.

Benjamin Placzek ’22 and his classmates lately developed an smart parking procedure that aims to lower down on the time put in getting a parking house at the University as properly as reduce carbon emissions. They created SmartPark to determine parking availability in genuine time and to forecast potential parking availability.

A pc science big, Placzek accomplished his function on SmartPark was part of his capstone job. The program, which utilizes the University’s safety cameras to scan parking heaps, characteristics an intuitive person interface and a stability dashboard for College law enforcement.

He and his teammates recently presented their function as aspect of the Consortium for Computing Sciences in Colleges: Northeastern Region (CCSCNE) meeting, where by they competed towards a lot more than 30 teams from other universities to capture the most effective poster award.

“CCSCNE permitted us to find out much more about our discipline and to make connections with computing specialists in the northeast,” mentioned Placzek. “As for our undertaking, I was capable to learn a good deal about performing with several technologies as properly as doing the job with a workforce and dealing with what it is like to do the job on a massive software task.”

Jim Durante ’22 (left) and Jason Smith ’22.
Jim Durante ’22 (remaining) and Jason Smith ’22.

The meeting enabled Placzek and his classmates to attend workshops, community, and share their perform with pros in the discipline of computer system science, as well as other learners.

“Taking part in CCSCNE was a terrific option,” provides Benjamin Greenfield ’22, Placzek’s teammate and a fellow computer science important. “We have been capable to look at other students’ tasks from other universities and discuss their analysis though acquiring responses on our have venture.”

‘The University prepared us as perfectly as we could have hoped for’
InfinAI group photo
Still left to right: Joshua Bartholomew ’22, Mehdi Mekni, Ph.D., Brandon Olah ’22, and Anthony Radziunas ’22.

Held at Tempo University, CCSCNE provided a poster session in which nine Chargers presented 4 laptop or computer science capstone assignments. Their initiatives integrated a racing online video video game identified as InfinAI: Non-Player Characters (NPCs) Get Good, as effectively as tasks concentrated on gaming and real-time-user-action fingerprinting.

“I am proud of our learners, and their achievements are a recognition of the good quality of their challenging and soft techniques,” stated Mehdi Mekni, Ph.D., an associate professor and coordinator of the University’s undergraduate system in computer science. “This also demonstrates the value of our Accreditation Board for Engineering and Technological innovation (ABET)-accredited laptop science plan and the excellent do the job our faculty are carrying out within and outside their school rooms.”

“I am quite very pleased of our faculty and students for their wonderful accomplishment,” added Ibrahim “Abe” Baggili, Ph.D., Elder Relatives Endowed Chair and founding director of the University’s Connecticut Institute of Technologies. “This is really the result of our undergraduate analysis and hands-on learning in computing mentorship, a main priority at the Connecticut Institute of Know-how and the Tagliatela College of Engineering. The students labored really hard, and the fruit of their get the job done is obviously obvious.”

As aspect of the party, pupils in the University’s Personal computer Programing Club also took part in a programming contest, answering a sequence of tough concerns in C++, a programming language. The College captured sixth position in the contest.

Joshua Bartholomew ’22, whose capstone undertaking entailed producing a racing video activity in which a non-player character opponent works by using artificial intelligence (AI) technological know-how to prepare in order to present a certain level of problem, took section in the competition.

“My total workforce agreed the troubles felt just like homework assignments we have completed for preceding classes,” reported Bartholomew, a computer science big. “We have been functioning with associates on many programming assignments about the yrs, so collaborating was really common. The only variation was the rigorous time constraint, and even that was a thing we expert in exams that experienced coding sections. The College ready us as nicely as we could have hoped for.”

‘Ignited my inspiration and motivation’
Smart Park group
Steve Atilho ’22, Mehdi Mekni, Ph.D., Benjamin Placzek ’22, and Benjamin Greenfield ’22.

For Steven Atilho ’22, having section in CCSCNE was an remarkable prospect to share SmartPark, an application he aided establish and that he hopes to continue on to improve. He was grateful for the option to obtain constructive suggestions from college students and college members from universities all over the northeast, and to share an software that, he hopes, will carry on to supply an significant provider to users of Charger Country.

“The recognition we gained at CCSCNE ignited my inspiration and drive to proceed bettering on our prototype and to get started reaching out to faculty and workers who can support us in scaling our remedy to be beta-tested on campus,” explained Atilho, a computer system science key. “We are actively looking for feedback or tips from likely consumers of our application so that we can satisfy the wants of our University group and increase their overall parking practical experience.”