Exploration Trail: Research at Bitcamp
The Department of Computer Science at the University of Maryland and Iribe Initiative for Inclusion and Diversity in Computing are pleased to present the first year of Exploration Trail: Research at Bitcamp. This is a research workshop geared towards engaging undergraduate students who are traditionally underrepresented in computing (Black, Indigenous, People of Color [BIPOC]) held in collaboration with Bitcamp. During this workshop, student teams will come together and collaboratively work together to use technology to solve pressing issues. The April 2021 workshop is supported in part by explore CSR.
Exploration Trail: Research at Bitcamp will be held virtually in 2021!
Parallel to Bitcamp, students will participate in the Exploration Trail: Research at Bitcamp workshop; The weekend event will bring together computing faculty from institutions across the state of Maryland to serve as mentors on projects in their research areas. Along with providing hands-on research experience in a dynamic hackathon setting, the weekend workshop will include virtual sessions introducing attendees to the basics of computer science research (CSR) and highlight the exciting opportunities that come with pursuing a graduate degree in computer science.
Note: Please be aware that this event involves separate programming from Bitcamp and that the majority of the programming will take place with the Maryland Center for Women in Computing and the Iribe Initiative for Inclusion and Diversity. However, you will have full access to Bitcamp including the Career Fair and Keynote Speakers.
IMPORTANT: YOU MUST REGISTER FOR BOTH BITCAMP AND EXPLORATION TRAIL: RESEARCH AT BITCAMP
Purpose
This workshop hopes to give undergraduate BIPOC students an opportunity to learn about future computer science research opportunities and to provide hands-on experience engaging in CS research in a hackathon setting. Additionally, we plan for this event to give undergraduate BIPOC students to meet computing faculty and current graduate students as well as to socialize and collaborate with like-minded peers. By providing a positive intellectual, social, and emotional environment for the participants to meaningfully engage in computing research, we hope to directly address the underrepresentation of BIPOC in CS departments and higher education.
Attendees of this event will expand their computer science skills and be given the opportunity to meet and network with many individuals who are a part of the computer science community at the University of Maryland.
Workshop participants will:
- Meet others who share their curiosity and interest in computer science.
- Explore the research experience in computing related domains.
- Work hands-on with researchers.
- Work in a team to tackle a research problem.
- Present their research with their team.
- Broaden understanding of the possibilities of graduate school and the application process.
Surrounding area schools and departments were invited to submit research projects. Projects from the following departments have been submitted:
University of Maryland, College Park
- Department of Computer Science
- Department of Electrical and Computing Engineering
- College of Information Systems
- College of Education
Projects
Internet censorship is a problem that affects billions of people around the world. Nation-states engage in automated, in-network censorship of their citizens, and citizens frequently are not told what is blocked or why. In this project, students will analyze very large open source datasets from tools that monitor the occurrence of network censorship. Students will determine where around the world network censorship is occurring, what content is censored, and when. The goal of this project is to have a mechanism to detect new censorship events as they happen. Students will also be encouraged to ask their own research questions about the data. Examples include: are censorship events correlated with political events at the same time? How long do censorship events usually last (and how does that change between regions of the world?) and are there patterns to what data is censored?
Researchers
Assistant Professor, UMD Department of Computer Science
Graduate Student, UMD Department of Computer Science
Final project
To see the final project, click here
The quality of photographs from smartphone cameras has reached levels that were reserved for professional equipment just a few years ago. Smartphones produce sharp, high resolution images without graininess, and they provide special modes for nighttime or portrait photography that lead to almost professional quality pictures. In this project we will explore the AI-based processing techniques that have made this possible. We will use Google Colaboratory to investigate fundamental concepts in image processing with deep neural networks. Participants will also gain hands-on experience in building their own AI techniques for improving photographic image quality.
Researchers
Acting Chair, Reginald Allan Hahne Endowed E-nnovate Professorship, UMD Department of Computer Science
Graduate Student, UMD Department of Computer Science
Final project
To see the final project, click here
There is a growing interest in technologies designed to foster ‘aging in place’ in today’s world. Imagine growing older in a familiar place, with a variety of technology supporting your lifestyle, health & safety at any and every age! ‘Aging in Place’ technologies range from health-monitoring wearables to motion sensors that remind you of daily activities. Nowadays many researchers and developers are taking an interest in designing technology for people with dementia. While the advancements in this domain are impressive, the acceptance & adoption rates of these technologies remain quite low. This is partly due to the lack of employing a user-centric approach while designing technologies meant particularly for people with dementia. Join us as we immerse ourselves in designing to address these technological challenges! Your design contributions and evaluation ideas will aid important and real research that is currently being conducted by UMD researchers. We are looking for fresh perspectives and creative minds. No prior experience with design or technology is required!
Researchers
Assistant Professor UMD College of Information Studies
Graduate Student
Graduate Student
Graduate Student
Graduate Student
Independent Researcher
Independent Researcher
Independent Researcher
Final project
IoT devices of the future will not live on power from batteries, rather they will harvest energy from radio signals in the air. Sensors will be able to operate perpetually without any human intervention. This will transform every aspect of our lives including healthcare, transportation, disaster recovery, weather monitoring, and warfare. However, such a future is not possible without several crucial advancements in computation techniques. For instance, energy-harvesting systems need extremely low-power computation to sustain under such power-deprived modes and traditional sampling and analysis methods do not meet these criteria. This project aims to develop sensing strategies and computational algorithms that sample only a fraction of the signals but enable the sensing system to understand its environment with the same accuracy as its traditional counterparts. The learning algorithms will be able to sustain occasional interruptions due to power outages. This project will focus on the applications of such energy-aware computation systems particularly in human-centric sensing and health monitoring.
Researchers
Assistant Professor, UMD Department of Computer Science
Graduate Student, UMD Department of Computer Science
Final project
To see the final project, click here
Continuously tracking the location of a drone is an essential part of the control mechanism when a swarm of drones is performing a self-coordinated task. Whether it is exploring dangerous environments or performing light shows in the air, each drone must precisely know its location with respect to the neighboring drones. This can be a challenge for small drones because the traditional localization systems like cameras, LIDARs, and arrays are too heavy and power-consuming for them. This project explores the idea of using sound signals and a 3D-printed microstructure to solve this problem. The system comprises anchor speakers transmitting specific sound signals and drones equipped with a microphone and a microstructure covering the microphone. The sound reaches the microphone by traveling through the microstructure that leaves a signature in the received signal unique to the sound's angle-of-arrival.
Researchers
Assistant Professor, UMD Department of Computer Science
Graduate Student, UMD Department of Computer Science
Final project
To see the final project, click here
Have you wondered how your smartphone answers questions (and when it sometimes can't)? Computers understand text through representations, including the application of question answering: taking a piece of text and finding the right answer. We'll talk about three kinds of representations: tf-idf, word vectors, and contextual representations. We'll then show how these representations can match questions and answers: you turn both the question and the answer into a representation, find the closest answer to the question representation, and then decide whether you should trust this answer or not.
Researchers
Associate Professor, UMD Department of Computer Science
Graduate Student, UMD Department of Computer Science
Final project
To see the final project, click here
Schedule of Events
| Thursday | 4/8/2021 | Location |
|---|---|---|
| 7:00pm-8:00pm | Student Kick-off and Introductions | Virtual (Zoom) |
| Friday | 4/9/2021 | Location |
| 10:00am-12:00pm | Bootcamp #1 | Virtual (Zoom) |
| 12:00am-12:30pm | CS Alumni Guest Speaker | Virtual (Zoom) |
| 12:30pm-12:50pm | Lunch | Virtual (Zoom) - Optional |
| 12:50pm-1:20pm | Overview of CS Grad Programs and UMD and Grad Panel | Virtual (Zoom) |
| 1:20pm-1:25pm | Welcome from Bitcamp Organizers | Virtual (Zoom) |
| 1:25pm-3:00pm | Bootcamp #2 | Virtual (Zoom) - Optional |
| 3:00pm-3:15pm | Project Introduction and Transitions | Virtual (Zoom) - Optional |
| 3:15pm-5:30pm | Project Breakout Rooms or separate Zooms | Virtual (Zoom) |
| 7:00pm-8:30pm | Bitcamp Opening ceremony | Virtual (Zoom) |
| 8:30pm | Hacking Begins | Virtual (Zoom) |
| 8:30pm-9:00pm | Bitcamp 101 | Virtual (Zoom) |
| 9:00pm-9:30pm | Team Formation | Virtual (Zoom) |
|
Saturday |
4/10/2021 | Location |
| All Day | The schedule depends on each project | |
|
Sunday |
4/11/2021 | Location |
| 9:30am-10:00am | Hacking Ends | Virtual (Zoom) |
| 12:00pm-3:00pm | Project Expo | Virtual (Zoom) |
| 1:00pm-2:30pm | Final Research Presentation | Virtual (Zoom) |
| 3:00pm-4:00pm | Closing Ceremony | Virtual (Zoom) |
Register to Attend
Who Can Attend?
We welcome all students undergraduates with a specific focus on Black, Indigenous and students of color (BIPOC) from all colleges and universities to apply. Current master's students considering a PhD program may apply and will be considered on a case by case basis.
Registration Process and Fees
All participants will experience this workshop remotely through the Zoom virtual platform.
All gear (water bottle, pens, stickers) will be shipped to your personal address. Students will be responsible for their own meals but are welcome to share the lunch space via Zoom.
REMEMBER: YOU MUST REGISTER FOR BOTH BITCAMP & EXPLORATION TRAIL: RESEARCH AT BITCAMP
Register for the Exploration Trial: Research at Bitcamp Workshop by filling out the following form:
REGISTRATION FOR EXPLORATION TRAIL: RESEARCH AT BITCAMP
Register for the Bitcamp here:
Participant Information
Logistical Information for Attendees
Tech Requirements and Access
More information coming soon.
General Information
All students participating in the research workshop must join the Zoom meeting by 10am on Friday morning. We have an important bootcamp event to prepare you for the research projects. If you cannot make it by this time, you need to let us know immediately.
You will not be working on your own idea or hack during Bitcamp. During Bitcamp, you will be working with your research team on a specific project you selected as an interest.
You will be assigned your research group the week before Bitcamp. Each team will have their own Slack channel to communicate. Researchers may send out a small amount of pre-reading to help you prepare for the project.
Spread the Word
View the Bitcamp Flyer Here
View the Bitcamp Flyer Here.
Follow MCWIC and The Iribe Initiative on social media!
Questions about the registration process, workshop, or logistical information can be sent to mcwic@cs.umd.edu
Questions about Bitcamp can be addressed to hello@bit.camp
About Bitcamp
Bitcamp is a place for exploration. You will have 36 hours to delve into your curiosities, learn something new, and make something awesome. With world-class mentors and 1,200+ fellow campers, you're in for an amazing time. Whether you’re a seasoned hacker or completely new to the world of hacking, we’ll have something for you. If you're ready for an adventure, we'll see you by the campfire!
The idea of Bitcamp was conceived by a group of UMD students back in 2013. “Camp” represented an event that evoked togetherness, warmth, and adventure. “Bit” was the embodiment of tech. Bit+camp = Bitcamp! The first ever Bitcamp focused on the idea of YOU+TECH, where participants (“Bitcampers”) were encouraged to take something they loved and fuse it with technology. The team focused on collaboration, fun, and a commitment to the Bitcamp experience, which are all values we carry forward today.
Since its inception, Bitcamp has always been about bringing people together through their love for technology. This year, we want to bridge the gap between our hackers and the rest of our community with our theme “Build With Purpose.” We want to focus on directly impacting local businesses and nonprofits by incorporating real-world problems at the forefront of our challenges. Hoping to shed light towards key issues that are prevalent in our local community, we launched this year’s program, Compass Challenge.
