Computer Science and Information Technology in Malta

On one of the sites we were mapping, we had the pleasure of meeting the head of the Engineering Department from the University of Malta and two students in order to let them view our data collection process. Erik and I got to interview them about our cultural research projects for our ethnic studies class.

My cultural research project is on the role of Computer Science and Information Technology in Malta. The idea of my project came from the startling fact that Malta has very few natural resources. One of the papers I was reading reported that there are "four extractive industries on which manufacturing might be built-- mining,forestry, fishing, and agriculture"[1]. It concluded that Malta has an insufficient environment for any of these industries[1]. Having few local resources for manufacturing severely limits what Malta's economy can do.

This challenged me to think of possible major industries for Malta. I came up with the idea that if the country couldn't base it's economy on making physical products then why can't it make information based products?

Upon talking to the students and the department head, I was informed that unlike Cal Poly, Computer Science is not part of Engineering but is part of their relatively new department of Information and Communication Technology. This didn't affect the quality of the information that they gave me.

They told me that there is heavy investment in Computer Science and Information Technology. In the latest Business Research and Innovation report from the National Statistics Office of Malta, they reported that 29.47% of all intramural research and development expenditures in 2004 were in computer and related activities[2].

Also, Maltese government research and development expenditures have increased from €4.1 million to €15.7 million in 2010[3]. Research and development specifically in Engineering and Technology has doubled since 2008 making it the most funded major field of science in Malta. This can be seen in the graph below.

The idea of heavy investment in Computer Science and Information Technology wasn't only reaffirmed by them but was also mentioned by Timmy Gambin who has been helping coordinate our research in Malta. He informed me that the University is constructing a building dedicated to Information and Communication Technology. Upon further research I found that the University was awarded a sum of €17.3 million for the project from the European Regional Development Fund[4]. It was said to be built because of the high demand for Information and Communication Technology graduates[4].

This is some of the information I have come across and I will be reporting on more very soon.

Works Cited

1. Young, B. S. "SocietyThe Maltese Islands: Economic Problems and Prospects for Industrial Development." Geographical Review 53.2 (1963): 263-86. Print.

2. Malta. National Statistics Office. Business Research and Innovation 2004-2006. 2008. Print.

3. Malta. National Statistics Office. Expenditure on Research and Development in the General Government Sector: 2008-2010. 2011. Print.

4. "New ICT Facilities Building at University of Malta." Gozo News. 17 May 2009. Web. 17 Mar. 2012 .

Meetings and Technical Update

It truly has been a busy week. As that all us Cal Poly students leave tomorrow, much preparation was done this week. Many of us had to take one or more final exams, and finish final projects for our classes. Thursday night the team went out to dinner to take a small break from preparations and plan the packing of our technical equipment. On Friday we packed everything we needed from the Lair and confirmed some last minute details.

For a little more than the last week I have been helping Sara with the water and society part of ICEX. I worked to install the Omeka database system on the server space provided by the Cal Poly Computer Science Department. Due to my lack of experience in database installation it took longer than expected but on Friday it was successfully installed. The website for the database is not currently in a state that we would like to share with the public but I expect that it won't be very long until it is. Unfortunately, due to the time it took me to set up the database among the other work for this past week, I have not had the chance to work on the programming side of my project but Tyler and Tim have gotten some work done on the mounting of the Otter Box cases.These will house the salinity sensor, the pressure/temperature sensor and the PAM. See the post below for more details.

Brent's Cultural Research Project

All the ICEX students from Cal poly are doing a cultural research project and my project is on Computer Science and Information Technology as a major source of national income in Malta. The topic came out of the startling fact that Malta has very few natural resources that it can base it's manufacturing sector on. My idea was that if Malta couldn't make physical products then why not make information based products?

In Malta I plan to talk to Computer Science and Information Technology professors to get their view of the current state of the industry and what they believe might happen in the future. The final product for my project will be a piece of writing explaining the findings of my research.

Introduction to Malta

All of the ICEX students from Cal Poly are taking an Ethnic Studies class, taught by Dr. Jane Lehr, called Global Engineering. It is a "comparative examination of historical and contemporary engineering institutions in different national contexts" in which Malta is a major case study. Just recently we started reading about Malta. In class we started to discuss what we believe were some of the major people, ideas and events that affected Malta throughout it's history. Some of what we discussed can be found below.

For all of you who don't know, Malta is a small country made up of 3 islands located South of Sicily and East of Tunisia. It has an area of 316 square kilometers which is about 2.5 times the size of San Francisco. With such a small area and a population of approximately 408,000 people, it is the country with the highest population density in Europe and one of the countries with highest population densities in the world. Of the 408,000 people, 98% are Roman Catholic. Malta has two national languages, Maltese and English. The Maltese language is Semitic (meaning that it descended from Arabic) but also has Italian influences.

Malta has very little freshwater and gets more than half of its drinking water from desalination. It's economy is based heavily on trade. Its location in the Mediterranean Sea makes it a prime transshipment point. This fact has been realized by many groups throughout history making Malta consistently a spot for military contention. It has been attacked or ruled by the Arabs, the Normans, the Knights of Saint John, Napoleon, and Great Britain, among others. Malta won its independence in 1964, joined the European Union in 2004 and in 2008 adopted the Euro .

(Photo taken from Ramon Baile on flickr)

IRB Forms, Omeka and Water and Society Project

The Water and Society Project, I am working on is mainly targeted at educators and classrooms that are interested in learning more about water and its impact on Malta and its culture. Envisioned for this project is to be able to set up curriculums and lesson plans based around gathering information from sources and references that ICEX has collect throughout its research on Malta.

This past week and a half, I have been working with Jane to fill out and submit IRB forms for my part of the project. For my project, specifically, we needed to gather information about the cisterns and interview people who came into contact with them. However, to be able to interview individuals and use the information we receive from them we needed to submit three forms to the Human Research Committee, who would determine whether the research we are doing will not harm any of the individuals we come into contact with and that the research is acceptable. We spent quite a bit of time, writing, revising and changing the forms to describe all aspects of the project. I submitted the forms this morning, so we are hoping the Committee will review our documents and approve our project soon, before we leave we hope!

Jane, Erik, Brent, and I also decided that Omeka was going to be our UI & database. It will hold all of the sources and information we collect. Zoe introduced Jane, Erik and I to Alan in the Computer Science Department and we discussed with him the possibility of us using Cal Poly server space to hold the Omeka information. We decided that was probably the best for this project, however, Alan said that usually projects that use the Cal Poly server space are not permanent and thus get little bits of space. We don't think that the project will use a lot of space, so we think this will be alright for the time being at least. Once we get to the point where we need more space or want to change the duration of the project, etc. we will decide the next step then.

Lastly! The four of us also had a skype session with John Lester about unity 3D and Jibe products and their abilities and limitations. I think we will use this for Erik's project, specifically for the archeologist side, however, Jane and I have bounced around the idea of using it in collaboration with Omeka for the Water and Society Project as well. We haven't figured out all the details yet, but from my knowledge it would be really cool to use.

The program is a virtual world program, which enables a person to create a character and walk around and interact with a world that we (the ICEX members) can build. Characters can come into contact with each other, have meetings, presentations, look at specific locations, and do a bunch of other things that can make it more user friendly to get information about Malta and its cisterns.

The part that Jane and I were most interested in for the Water and Society Project, was the ability to hold tours or classroom 'field trips' to the various locations in Malta with the information that we will collect once over there. I think this would be a great tool for educators to be able to use and I would love to try and work with it for the project, but due to the cost and some other factors, we haven't decided yet whether we will officially try to use it yet or not.

That's the most of it so far! I will be working more with Omeka and looking at unity 3D and Jibe in more detail in the near future and we will be waiting anxiously from the Human Research Committee to see if our study has been approved and we can move forward!

Pacheco Elementary Labs and 3D Visualization Update

Hi everyone,

Today was our second of 6 robotics demos for the kids at Pacheco, and things went great! We have done lab #1 both weeks for different classes so far, and the kids love it. The lesson goes something like this:

We show up, the kids come in from recess, and Mrs. Banfield introduces us to them and tells them that we are there to talk about robotics, at which point every kid in the class gasps "OHHHHHHH ROBOTS!!!".

From there I start off with a powerpoint that shows Wall-E bumbling around on the screen collecting balls, and we split up into groups to talk with students about what the know and what they would like to learn about robots. I walk back to the front to ask them questions about better known robots like Roombas, and then Billy gets up to talk about one of the robots that was sitting around in the LAIR. After Billy talks about the brains, arms, and eyes of that robot, we split up into groups again to let the kids design a robot of their own on paper.

After that the fun begins. Tyler and Sara have a competition to see who can build a Lego robot the fastest, and then we ask the kids what they think these robots do. We tell them that the robots brains were programmed to follow lines, so when you lay white masking tape on the black carpet, the robots know how to stay on track. We then demonstrate by allowing each kid to lay down a piece of tape so that a track is made. We put the lego robots on the track and the kids watch as the robots follow the lines (and sometimes collide with each other). After that, we get back into groups to talk about what they learned today, and then I head back up to the front to introduce the solar robots that we will be playing with next time we meet them.

The kids are so enthusiastic about the lesson, and Mrs. Banfield is right there with them. Hopefully we can keep up the great work at Pacheco elementary in the next 4 weeks!




On the 3D visualization front: Jane, Sara, Brent, and I skyped with John "Pathfinder" Lester, who works at ReactionGrid developing 3D environments with which people can model things. He told us about some software (Unity3D and Jibe) with which we can carry out our project for our archaeologist friends. Unity3D is a video game development software that seems to be just what we need. I plan on getting some bigger projects up and running so that in the end, we can have a map of malta with specific sites that can be zoomed into. On clicking a site, a 3D textured version of it will pop up (hopefully with a 3D model of the cistern in it) that will have triggers that bring up descriptions of the area. More from me later!

My Learning Goals

My overall goal is to walk away with a priceless experience that I would try to have again. I want to learn as much as I possibly can both culturally and academically, so these experiences can help to shape me as I move forward through college and my future career.

Some smaller goals I have are to learn more about the robotics and computer science fields. I don't know much about robotics or computer science, so I'm very excited to learn about them and then to compare them to my own engineering field.

My last goal is kind of cliche but I want this program/trip to help me become a better leader and teammate. I know that always seems to be a goal for everything, but I really do think that this would be a great experience to learn something new about being a leader or a team player since we will be working with people of all ages, interests and beliefs.

Going with what Bret did. One of my favorite quotes is "Don't let your schooling get in the way of your education." by Mark Twain. I want to learn as much as possible through this experience, but as I already said, that doesn't strictly mean academic knowledge. I want to learn the culturally stuff too.

I am so excited for this and I hope you all are too!

Thrilled to be a part of the 2012 ICEX Program

Gozo, March 2011

My name is Jane Lehr and I am another of the faculty members involved in the 2012 ICEX program, specifically as the cultural & global engineering lead. The ICEX Program is one of the very best parts of my job at Cal Poly, and I very much look forward to all the learning and thinking and talking and coding and roboting that will be part of this year's trip! This is my 3rd year in ICEX, 2nd trip to Malta, and 1st trip to Sicily.

My research focuses on the relationships between science, technology & society, with a specific focus on science and engineering education. I am a faculty member in the departments of Ethnic Studies and Women's & Gender Studies at Cal Poly, as well as the Equity & Access Programs Director in the Center for Excellence in Science and Mathematics Education (CESaME).

Hi Everyone

I am really excited to be a part of this year’s ICEX team and cannot wait to meet all of you. My name is Jeffrey Forrester and I am a junior studying computer science at Cal Poly. I am interested in computer graphics and enjoy learning and solving difficult problems. For this year’s ICEX project I will be improving the surface extraction of sonar data created by last year’s team. When I’m not working on schoolwork I enjoy relaxing with friends, exercising, and being outdoors. I look forward to working with all of you.

looking forward to another great ICEX project

Hello. I am looking forward to another great ICEX program! My name is Zoë Wood and I am one of the technical leads on the computer graphics side of the ICEX program (this year will be my second year). My background includes computer graphics and scientific visualization. I enjoy traveling, art and spending time with my family. I am excited to work with all the participants of this years program!

Greetings

Hello ICEX!

My name is Tyler Vitti. I am a fourth year Computer Engineering student originally from Cameron Park, CA (outside Folsom), but now proud to call San Luis Obispo home. I'm an experienced programmer with a love for robotics, and I am absolutely ecstatic to be participating in this year's ICEX expedition! When I'm not at school or working on a project, you can find me off camping somewhere, scuba diving, motorcycling, or flying. I can't wait to meet you all as we prepare for our adventure to Malta!

Another Great Adventure!

Hi Everyone,

My name is Billy McVicker. I'm a Computer Engineer in the Computer Science 4+1 program. I'm from Grass Valley, CA and when I'm not studying/facebooking (which is rare) I like to swing dance and hangout with friends. I really enjoy solving puzzles, fixing things, and taking things apart. I was a member of the ICEX team last year and was invited back this year to help out with the robotics side of things. I had an amazing time last year, learned a whole lot, and know that this year will be just as great. (The picture attached is a good representation of how much fun we have in Malta).

Welcome All!

Welcome everyone to this years ICEX program! My name is Chris Clark and I have been one of the technical leads on the robotics side of the ICEX program for 3 years. My background includes mobile robots, controls, motion planning, and multi-robot systems. I often like to apply my ideas to underwater robots in the field. If not playing with these toys, you can find me hanging out with my family or surfing, (when my location permits). Since we created the ICEX program in 2008, the number of students and faculty participants have grown - and so has the research and cultural learning. I am excited to work with all the new participants (as well as the old!)

Brent's Bio

Hi everyone,

My name is Brent Williams I am a third year computer science major. I have been programming for a little over 4 years now . My passions are technology and art. In my free time I love to play beach volleyball and create traditional and digital art. I plan to get a master's degree in computer science and work in the field of computer graphics. When not in school I can usually be found in my home town of San Ramon, California. I cannot begin to express how excited I am to be a part of this team!

The World Says Hello!!

Hey Everyone!

My name is Sara Lillard and I am super excited to work with all of you on this amazing program! A little bit about me: I'm a second year Aerospace Engineering from Denver, Colorado. I like to hang out with friends, listen to music, draw, read, hike, etc. when I get done with homework and studying. I have never been outside the continental US, with the exception of going to the Canadian border when I was a year and a half. I don't have a lot of experience programming, but I ready and willing to learn anything I need to!! I am really excited and can't wait to get to know all of you next quarter!

See you all soon!!

(P.S. I'm going to apologize for my title too, but reading Erik's post, I was inspired.)

Hello World!

Hi everyone,

I'm Erik, and it looks like I'll get to know all of you pretty well in the next half a year. The fact that I'll be tagging along this March makes me feel like a five year old on Christmas Eve. I'm a Junior Materials Engineering student at Cal Poly, and spend my time (or whatever's left of it after the heaping pile of schoolwork has been subdued) rock climbing, distance running, and playing the guitar. I do a little bit of coding on the side, and I'm interested in pursuing some sort of graduate degree in computer science a little further down the line.

Anyways, I can't wait to meet everyone. This is going to be a fun quarter! See you all soon!

Here's a picture in case you see me around:

(P.S. sorry about the post title. Someone had to do it.)