ECE516 (ECE516H1S): Intelligent Image Processing

Labs and authentic direct mentorship

The most important part of this course is the labs which offer authentic direct mentorship with high degree of involvement from the professor and other leading experts in sensing, meta-sensing, and machine learning.

Our goal for the undergraduates is to help you get into grad school at MIT (Prof. Mann's alma mater) or Stanford, or to build the skills you need to found a great startup or be the world's leader in your chosen field.

Lab topics:

1. Fourier transform, wavelet transform, and chirplet transform;
2. Machine learning for computer vision: Radar Vision and LEM neural network (world's first transform with machine learning built-in);
3. Biosignals and biosensing. In this lab ou will build an ultrasound system to image your own heart. [Analysis of Seismocardiographic Signals Using Polynomial Chirplet Transform...].
4. Brain-Computer Interfaces (InteraXon company co-founded by Mann and his students));
5. Fluid User Interfaces: Build a musical physiotherapy machine based on an array of ultrasonic lock-in amplifiers for phase-coherent sonar;
6. See and photograph sound waves, radio waves, and light waves using your lock-in amplifier.
7. Passive vision: Many courses on computer vision fail to teach the fundamental concepts of what sensing is and does. We'll begin with fundamental principles by exploring first a 1-pixel camera and 1-pixel display, quantigraphic (quantifiable) sensing, and meta-sensing.
   • Begin with fundamental 1-pixel display;
   • Build your own 1-pixel camera;
   • Quantigraphic sensing: Comparametric Equations;
   • Self-driving vehicles, sensing, and meta-sensing;
   • Phenomenological augmented reality with Metavision;
8. Understanding 3 phase motors and electric vehicles;
9. Build your own autonomous "ehicle" (e-vehicle)...
10. Complex-Valued Signal Generators
11. Build your own signal generator that produces a complex-valued output. You can't buy these anywhere! (We should all start a company selling them!!!). Here you will learn all about complex numbers and understand them and "feel" what they mean at a deep level. You will fundamentally understand the difference between positive and negative frequencies and be able to explain that difference to a 5-year old child! In later labs you will use this signal generator as the foundation upon which to build autonomous electric vehicles!
12. Phase-coherent detection for active computer vision:
    • Active vision systems (sonar, radar, lidar): Build your own extreme broadband lock-in amplifier;
    • Build a sonar vision system for the blind;
    • Your final project of your own choosing...

Lab schedule:

Jan 16,  Lab 1, Build a very simple camera
--Jan19 is "add date" ... get bonus points like a "finder's fee" = bring talent
Jan 23,  Lab 2, What do cameras measure?
Jan 30,  Lab 3, The Photoquantigraphic Camera
Feb 06,  Lab 4, The Human Eye as a Camera
Feb 13;  Lab 5, Metavision and meta-sensing
--Reading Week; possible trip to California; IEEE SMC; NSERC UTEA + USRA-----
Feb 27,  Lab 6, Machine Learning, LEM, active vision
Mar 05,  Lab 7, VR, AR, display fundamentals
Mar 12,  Lab 8, Robotics, vision, HDR sonar
Mar 19,  Lab 9, Active vision and passive vision (Comparametric Equations, etc.)
Mar 26,  Lab 10, Final projects, Moveillance, Polyphase Machine Learning, G-code, etc.
Apr 22, 10am to 1pm, Wearables HII Workshop: Final Presentations at Workshop

• Machine learning, polyphase machine learning, LEM, radar, sonar, lidar
• RGB moveillance;
• Echocardiography;
• Self-driving vehicle;
• 3-phase signal generator for smart cars.
• Metaveillance standards: smart car certification
• Wearable computing and Intelligent Image Processing: smart vision

Course instructor: Prof. Steve Mann

TAs: Jessie and Phillip