ECE 59500 - Perception-Based Engineering
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Course Details
Lecture Hours: 3 Credits: 3
Counts as:
Experimental Course Offered:
Catalog Description:
This course combines techniques from perceptual psychology and engineering and provides a unique opportunity to learn techniques that bridge the gap between these sometimes disparate fields. The class will involve two distinct parts. In the first half of the semester, we will explore human research techniques that might not be familiar to engineers who want to be able to characterize the properties of humans. At the end of this part (due on week 7) you will write up and propose group research projects. In the second half, we will explore engineering techniques that might not be familiar to psychologists who want to be able to characterize stimuli and processes. This will include learning how to implement research for your proposed group project. Psychology and engineering students will team together to participate in the design and completion of experiments throughout the duration of the class that require both measurement of human perception and control of stimuli in various sensory modalities. These projects will be submitted and presented during the final 2 weeks of class.
Required Text(s):
None.
Recommended Text(s):
None.
Learning Outcomes:
- Recognize psychophysical organization in a range of human perceptual systems. [None]
- Identify a design problem related to psychophysical properties. [None]
- Formulate the problem as a detection, discrimination, reconstruction or identification experiment. [None]
- Determine range of physical parameters that are meaningful for the specific problem. [None]
- Understand experimental methodology and design related to human subjects research. [None]
- Determine experimental parameters such as number of subjects and total trials with consideration for the statistical robustness of experimental data. [None]
- Predict possible experimental outcomes based on literature survey;. [None]
- Analyze experimental data in terms of threshold or information transmission. [None]
- Form mathematical model of the relationship between physical stimuli and perceptual judgments. [None]
- How to work in multidisciplinary teams that include applied and theoretical researchers. [None]
Lecture Outline:
| Week | Topics |
|---|---|
| 1 | Introduction to course; human subject issues, ethics, and IRB |
| 2 | Design and conduct of human research |
| 3 | Psychophysical methods (methods of constant stimuli, adjustment, and signal detection) |
| 4 | Other measurement methods (reaction time, image classification, identification) |
| 5 | Data analysis (statistics, signal detection theory), SAS |
| 6 | Data handling / organization |
| 7 | Group Proposal Presentations |
| 8 | Linear systems, DSP, and image processing I |
| 9 | Linear systems, DSP, and image processing II |
| 10 | Color science, colorimetry, color systems calibration |
| 11 | Acoustics, haptics, and vibration I |
| 12 | Acoustics, haptics, and vibration II |
| 13 | Acoustics, haptics, and vibration III |
| 14 | Student Project Presentations |
| 15 | Student Project Presentations |
Assessment Method:
An outcome is considered achieved if the student attains a score of 50% or greater on any assigned homework, project proposal and final project. The first half of the class will emphasize points 1-7 and the will be evaluated by in-class assignments and homework. A project proposal paper during week 7 requires good comprehension of these points as well as point 10. The second half of the class will focus more strongly on points 8 and 9 as the research project is implemented. Additionally, the instructors monitor students performance and use in-class question-and-answer to help students with outcomes that s/he is deficient with. The instructors use the project proposal presentation and final presentation as additional opportunities for helping students achieve all course outcomes.