The GVU Center and Institute for People and Technology (IPaT) support research initiatives committed to building on our success in interdisciplinary research and innovation in the human experience of computing. These investments create a path for external funding as the research prospers. 
 
The GVU Center and IPaT 2015-2016 Research and Engagement Grants Program awarded funding for four projects. The following three will present their research efforts and results from the year. The final project presented at the April 14 Brown Bag. The grants are designed to support two separate types of collaborations: Research Grants support seed funding for research, and Engagement Grants seek to grow new forms of internal and external community engagement and collaboration.
 
Applying Design Studio Pedagogy in STEM Learning with Novel Presentation and Sensing Technologies
 
Betsy DiSalvo, Mark Guzdial, Blair MacIntyre
(Supported by GVU and IPaT)
This project takes the open collaboration teaching methods of design studios and uses them in STEM learning, with the goal of creating more motivation to learn.
 
Promoting Cognitive Systems Research at Georgia Tech
 
Ashok Goel, Elizabeth Whitaker
(Supported by GVU, IPaT, and GTRI)
The recent advent of famous cognitive systems such as Apple’s Siri and IBM’s Watson has ushered a new era in the development of artificial intelligence. Cognitive systems are intelligent systems characterized by human-level, human-centered and human-like intelligence. We seek to foster internal collaboration and enhance external visibility in cognitive systems with the goal of establishing an interdisciplinary Center for Cognitive Systems. In particular, we will organize a seminar series on cognitive systems with distinguished external speakers, monthly meetings of the internal cognitive systems faculty and staff, and yearly workshops of the local cognitive systems community including research students. In addition to the two PIs, the proposal also includes Timothy Boone, Michael Hoffmann, Margaret Loper, Julie Linsey, Keith McGreggor, Janet Murray, Amy Pritchett, Mark Riedl, Eric Schumacher, and Alan Wagner, indicating both the deeply interdisciplinary nature of cognitive systems research and broad support across the institute.
 
Real-Time Control to Replace Schedules on the Atlanta Streetcar
 
Kari Watkins, Russ Clark
(Supported by GVU, IPaT, and the Center for Urban Innovation)
Almost all public transportation in the US runs on a schedule, but schedule-based service may not be the most effective way to control operations. When transit routes are very frequent, passengers tend to arrive at stations randomly and typically disregard the schedule. Maintaining a schedule, however, requires long buffer time that wastes passengers’ time and agencies’ resources. To avoid the need for schedules while maintaining stable operations, we have developed a bus dispatching system that uses real-time information to maintain even spacing between transit vehicles. In partnership with GVU Center, IPAT, Center for Urban Innovation, and City of Atlanta, we will test this control method on the Atlanta Streetcar using tablets inside the streetcars to communicate driving instructions to the operators. The objective will be to maximize the quality of service only using available resources. The implementation has the potential to drastically reduce passenger waiting time on the Streetcar corridor, and later on other transit routes in Atlanta, and throughout the country.