Disrupting Complex Systems with Emerging Technologies: A Study on United States Airport Operations

The number of United States domestic commercial flight passengers are growing every year, which means the number of people checking-in, dropping off their bags, and going through TSA within airports is equally growing. With the increasing number of passengers and aging airports, there are several areas of pain points within airports where passengers hit a bottleneck due to the current systems that airports have in place. There are three main areas that we are going to reference. First the check-in process, where customers have to get their tickets, input identification information, and check-in for their flight. Second, baggage-drop off, where customers get their baggage weighed and tagged. Lastly, is Transport Security Administration (TSA). This is where consumers get their carry-on bags scanned as well as their person. In each of these areas, there are some levels of inconvenience imposed on the customer by the current system. With technological advancements being used in other industries, the goal of this thesis is to look at what existing technologies can be modified and used within airport operations to reduce the long lines that customers face every time they travel

Biometric surveillance in schools : cause for concern or case for curriculum?

This article critically examines the draft consultation paper issued by the Scottish Government to local authorities on the use of biometric technologies in schools in September 2008 (see http://www.scotland.gov.uk/Publications/2008/09/08135019/0). Coming at a time when a number of schools are considering using biometric systems to register and confirm the identity of pupils in a number of settings (cashless catering systems, automated registration of pupils' arrival in school and school library automation), this guidance is undoubtedly welcome. The present focus seems to be on using fingerprints, but as the guidance acknowledges, the debate in future may encompass iris prints, voice prints and facial recognition systems, which are already in use in non-educational settings. The article notes broader developments in school surveillance in Scotland and in the rest of the UK and argues that serious attention must be given to the educational considerations which arise. Schools must prepare pupils for life in the newly emergent 'surveillance society', not by uncritically habituating them to the surveillance systems installed in their schools, but by critically engaging them in thought about the way surveillance technologies work in the wider world, the various rationales given to them, and the implications - in terms of privacy, safety and inclusion - of being a 'surveilled subject'

Formal Analysis of Vulnerabilities of Web Applications Based on SQL Injection (Extended Version)

We present a formal approach that exploits attacks related to SQL Injection (SQLi) searching for security flaws in a web application. We give a formal representation of web applications and databases, and show that our formalization effectively exploits SQLi attacks. We implemented our approach in a prototype tool called SQLfast and we show its efficiency on real-world case studies, including the discovery of an attack on Joomla! that no other tool can find

Focal Spot, Summer/Fall 2008

https://digitalcommons.wustl.edu/focal_spot_archives/1109/thumbnail.jp

Structural design of a vertical antenna boresight 18.3 by 18.3-m planar near-field antenna measurement system

A large very precise near-field planar scanner was proposed for NASA Lewis Research Center. This scanner would permit near-field measurements over a horizontal scan plane measuring 18.3 m by 18.3 m. Large aperture antennas mounted with antenna boresight vertical could be tested up to 60 GHz. When such a large near field scanner is used for pattern testing, the antenna or antenna system under test does not have to be moved. Hence, such antennas and antenna systems can be positioned and supported to simulate configuration in zero g. Thus, very large and heavy machinery that would be needed to accurately move the antennas are avoided. A preliminary investigation was undertaken to address the mechanical design of such a challenging near-field antenna scanner. The configuration, structural design and results of a parametric NASTRAN structural optimization analysis are contained. Further, the resulting design was dynamically analyzed in order to provide resonant frequency information to the scanner mechanical drive system designers. If other large near field scanners of comparable dimensions are to be constructed, the information can be used for design optimization of these also

Comparative Analysis of Mobile 3D Scanning Technologies for Design, Manufacture of Interior and Exterior Tensile Material Structures and Canvasman Ltd. Case Study

This report aimed to investigate mobile 3D Scanning technologies to improve the 3D data capture and efficiency into Canvasman’s CAD design and manufacturing processes with focus on accurate resolution. The Santander funded Collaborative Venture Fund (CVF) project has provided research, survey data, evaluation and analysis for Canvasman Ltd. on 3D portable scanning hardware and software. The project solutions recommended in this report offers impartial product information on the current appropriate 3D scanning technology that potentially could improve efficiency of data capturing, design and manufacture of interior and exterior spaces, boats, vehicles and other similar constructions for creating and installing flexible coverings and indoor and outdoor structures