Research Areas
The faculty in the Department of Computer Science aim to advance modern technologies — and create new ones — through their work. Explore their research areas below.
Bioinformation and Systems Biology
Our faculty use advanced computational and statistical methods to solve various biological problems including:
- Gene protein interactions
- Gene regulation
- RNA genomics
- Drug design
- Metabolic networks
Computer Architecture
Improving the performance and efficiency of computers is the focus of our computer architecture researchers. These are a few topics they cover:
- Design of processors, memory systems and networks
- Modern file system design
- Energy efficient architectures
Computer Graphics
Pushing the boundaries of animation and simulation, our faculty figure out how to produce images from mathematical descriptions. Their research includes:
- How to render realistic objects
- How to animate objects
- Computer vision and image processing
Computer Security and Digital Forensics
Our faculty design new mechanisms to keep data safe from the threat of cybercriminals, and address the problem of evidence recovery when a digital attack occurs. These are just a few of the issues they tackle:
- Intrusion prevention and detection
- Malware propagation modeling and analysis
- Wireless network security
- Cloud security
Computer Vision
Our faculty develop innovative ways to help computers “see” by processing visual information, including photos and videos. Problems they cover include:
- Recognition and detection of objects or people
- Segmentation of videos
- Using image or video data in computational processes
Database
Information must be stored efficiently and conveniently, and our faculty figure out how to make data retrieval easier for the end user. Here are some topics they cover:
- Processing large data sets
- Database management as a service
- Moving object databases for mobile computing
- Querying multimedia databases
- Database management in the Internet of Things
Image and Video Processing
Our researchers aim to make the acquisition, storage and retrieval of data easy for humans, robots and autonomous systems. Their research covers:
- Design and analysis of imaging sensors
- Compression methods
- 3D sensing and modeling
- Space imaging
- Medical imaging
Machine Learning and AI
In the cutting-edge areas of machine learning and artificial intelligence, our researchers solve problems related to:
- Complex systems
- Data mining
- Natural language processing
- Neural networks
- Robotics
- Multi-agent systems
Networking and Mobile Computing
Our faculty design efficient communications protocols and architectures for exchanging data among computers and mobile devices. These research areas include:
- Intruder tracking in sensor networks
- Underwater tracking
- Intelligent sharing of wired and wireless bandwidth
- Real time transmission of audio and video
Parallel Computation
Our researchers aim to provide the fundamental tools and techniques for understanding how to design applications and algorithms for the rapidly evolving massively parallel chip architectures. Areas include:
- Design of parallel algorithms
- Models of parallelism
- Creating and adapting parallel software applications
Software Engineering and Systems
It’s important to develop quality software on time and in budget. Our researchers are investigating these areas to help software engineers complete their work efficiently:
- Software system specification
- Computational system verification
- Model checking of hardware and software
Theory of Computing, Algorithms and Quantum Computing
Our faculty strive to understand the fundamental nature and limitations of computing. Areas they study include:
- Finding algorithms for computing problems
- Proving that a given problem requires specific resources
- Using algorithms to solve problems efficiently with quantum information
Virtual Reality and Human-Computer Interaction
Our faculty bridge the gap between reality and fantasy through their work in virtual reality, augmented reality and human-computer interaction. Here are a few topics they cover:
- Computer graphics
- Multi-modal systems
- 3D interactions
- Human factors
- Illusions of presence and telepresence
Faculty Clusters and Initiatives
The faculty in the Department of Computer Science not only manage their own labs but collaborate with researchers across the university through faculty clusters and research initiatives. Learn more below.
Cyber Security and Privacy Cluster
The Cybersecurity and Privacy Faculty Cluster, led by Professor Yan Solihin, explores and develops new methods to keep our data secure. It also studies the social implications of new technologies and the Internet of Things.
Genomics and Bioinformatics Cluster
UCF’s Genomics and Bioinformatics Faculty Cluster, led by Professor Shaojie Wang, uses genomic tools to address a variety of questions in the biological domain.
Learning Sciences Cluster
UCF’s Learning Sciences Faculty Cluster explores the use of technology to improve learning outcomes. The group also explores how we interact and learn from machines.
Synthetic Reality Lab
SREAL is an interdisciplinary lab that is part of the Institute for Simulation and Training as well as the UCF Department of Computer Science. Research covers robotics, mixed reality experiences and digital avatar technology.
UCF RISES Center
UCF’s Resilient, Intelligent and Sustainable Energy Systems Center, or RISES, works to develop sustainable and resilient energy systems and storage to make sure we have power and stay connected when disasters strike.