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2023 Engineering Summer Undergraduate Research Program (SURP) - AI for Search and Rescue (S&R) - Locating a Missing Person
The College of Engineering Summer Undergraduate Research Program (SURP) is a unique opportunity for college of engineering undergraduate students to engage in hands-on research with a faculty mentor while using critical thinking, collaborative, and entrepreneurial skills. SURP is an 8-week long program (can be non-contiguous), and students are expected to spend at least 20 hours/week working on their research projects and additional time preparing and presenting their poster for the annual SURP symposium; SURP students and their faculty mentor will agree upon a start date and timeline for their research project (with a suggested start date of June 26th, 2023). The goals of SURP are to:
- Help Cal Poly Engineering students develop professionally and enhance their portfolios for future employment.
- Give opportunities for CENG faculty (including lecturers) to advance their research/project agendas over the summer quarter.
- Build lasting student-faculty mentoring relationships
- Provide opportunities for industrial and other external sponsors to work with Cal Poly faculty and students to advance connections, gain access to Cal Poly talent and capabilities, and engage in valuable collaborative activities.
Our Summer 2023 SURP will support over 30 projects (with some projects taking 2 students) for 39 students. You can apply to up to 3 projects on MustangJobs (each project has its own job posting). You need not be in the same department as the faculty advisor to apply to a given project.
Each SURP student participant will receive a CENG Summer Research Grant of $3,500.
Please note that the grant amount is fixed, and additional funding is not available. This grant will be disbursed through the Financial Aid Office toward the end of the summer. Preference will be given to students who have not yet participated in SURP.
This Project
Project Title: AI for Search and Rescue (S&R) - Locating a Missing Person
Faculty Advisor: Franz Kurfess, Lynne Slivovsky
Faculty Department: CSSE
Number of Students for this project: 2
Description of Research Project: Building on the work done initially as a SURP 2021 project and continued through 2021-23, the focus for this summer project will be on the use of computer technology for locating a missing person. Over the last year, we developed the digital equivalents of about 30 paper-based S&R forms and the infrastructure to collect the respective information. In their current use, these paper forms are filled out by search teams, collected in a command post, and reviewed by search coordinators. This process is time-consuming, prone to errors and loss of information, and relies heavily on the experience, skills, and mental acuity of the search coordinators. At the core of this process is the Lost Person Questionnaire, a lengthy and complex form that collects relevant information about the subject of the S&R mission. For this SURP effort, we will explore the use of Artificial Intelligence and Machine Learning to combine information about the ongoing search effort, past missions with similar profiles, and general knowledge such as terrain and travel routes to identify areas of high priority for the search.
In collaboration with two Cal Poly CSC alumni with a long involvement in S&R activities, we will
focus on the following aspects:
1. Lost Person Information: Relevant information from a variety of sources is
consolidated in a systematic manner.
2. Scenario Analysis: Based on information like the lost person's intent, their last known
location or their habits, the AI component develops multiple scenarios and ranks them
according to plausibility and priority. Search managers will then review and revise these
scenarios and make final decisions.
3. Search Plan: This plan for the operational activities of the current mission will include an
assessment of priorities and probabilities for multiple scenarios. The planning scenario
will be continually updated with information gathered from the ongoing S&R activities.
The scope of the work conducted within SURP may depend on the background and experience
of the students selected for the team. This project includes collaboration and coordination with
two related activities: Cal Poly’s Data Science Strategic Research Initiative, an ad-hoc effort of a
group of faculty and staff interested in data collection at Cal Poly’s Swanton Pacific Ranch, and
a project on Drones for Marine Science and Agriculture sponsored by the Santa Rosa Creek
Foundation. It has the potential to involve students from a wide range of disciplines from all
colleges at Cal Poly. We are especially interested in working with students who already have
experience with Search and Rescue, or are engaged in related activities.
HOW TO APPLY:
PLEASE SUBMIT THE FOLLOWING TWO DOCUMENTS VIA HANDSHAKE AND SEE RUBRIC BELOW FOR EVALUATION CRITERIA. YOU CAN APPLY TO UP TO THREE SURP PROJECTS, BUT CAN ONLY BE AWARDED ONE.
- Submit your resume
- Submit a cover letter that answers the following three questions:
- Describe why you are interested in this research project.
- Describe how participating in SURP and working on this research project, will help you advance your academic and professional development goals
- Describe how your past experiences have helped prepare you for your participation in SURP. This includes relevant academic, other formal, and informal preparation.
INCOMPLETE APPLICATIONS COULD DISQUALIFY YOU FROM FURTHER CONSIDERATION.
Note that applications are due April 30; selected students will be notified by no later than May 12.