James M. Keller, Professor of Electrical and Computer Engineering, has been engaged in interdisciplinary and collaborative research throughout his career. Currently, he is working on a project that draws upon the latest technological advances to improve elder care with a team led by fellow electrical and computer engineer Marjorie Skubic and a group of people from MU’s Schools of Nursing, Social Work, Health Management and Informatics, Physical Therapy, and Engineering, along with colleagues from the Medical Automation Research Center (MARC) at the University of Virginia.
Interdisciplinary and collaborative projects on technology for elder care at TigerPlace, especially applying “fuzzy logic” to these problems.
How “fuzzy set theory” and “fuzzy logic” are useful in dealing with events that are vague or contain variation. Getting computers to think more like humans do. How fuzzy logic is used in modern technology (e.g., video camcorders). Why many scientists in the West have been suspicious of fuzzy logic. More on why it is a useful tool to make so-called “soft decisions” that call for intervention.
Funding for the TigerPlace project and how fuzzy logic technology is beginning to be implemented in elder care (e.g., assessing mobility and range of motion, detecting accidents, and identifying the need for early intervention by health care providers).
Another interdisciplinary project involving cognitive psychology, computer science, and engineering. Robotics applications of fuzzy logic and simulating human “working memory” in computers.
Keller’s work in the realm of bioinformatics-trying to make sense of microray experiments with DNA and cancer treatment.
Applying fuzzy logic to landmine detection.
Using technology for early detection of “lazy eye” in infants.
Applying image processing and pattern recognition to new challenges: roadside bombs.
Using sensors. The problem of possessing an overload of sensory data and how to effectively summarize sensory data.
The history of fuzzy logic and why it didn’t catch on right away in the U.S., in contrast to its quick adoption in other countries.