Research in Applied Computing

The Applied Computing Department is a young department of modest size but is successful in attracting research funding from various sources in the UK and the EU (including industry, research councils and charitable foundations). It supports a significant range of research interest and over the last few years the number of research students has grown steadily. The Department has a history of involvement in EU framework projects. More recently, we were partners in two EU FP6 funded projects: SecurePhone and BroadWan. We have been working and collaborating with many European research institutions including The Technical University Graz, CNUCE, Pisa, Thales, Thomson, TELENOR, RAL, Salzburg, Telephonica – Spain, Atos Origin, The University of Saarbrucken – Germany, INFORMA – Italy, and ENST – France.

The main research areas of interest in the Department cover image / video processing and analysis techniques and applications; wireless mobile network technologies; and biometric-based authentications for constrained devices / environments. In image processing we mainly, but not exclusively, use wavelet transform techniques for facial feature detection and recognition, online image / video compression for constrained devices, visual speech recognition, feature detection in biomedical images, digital watermarking, content-based video indexing for biometric video databases. In the wireless networking area, our research effort focuses on convergence and integration of different wireless technologies and standards, wireless mesh technologies, intrusion detection and prevention, efficiency and stability of ad hoc networks.

Currently the Department has a number of research groups consisting of 5 research active academics, 12 PhD and 3 MSc/MPhil students at various stages of their studies.

Publications

2012

  • I.A. Lami & T. Kuseler, “dLocAuth: a dynamic multifactor authentication scheme for mCommerce applications using independent location-based obfuscation”, accepted to appear in Proc. Mobile Multimedia/Image Processing, Security, and Applications 2012, SPIE 8406, April 2012.
  • A.J. Abboud & S.A. Jassim, “Biometric templates selection and update using quality measures”, accepted to appear in Proc. Mobile Multimedia/Image Processing, Security, and Applications 2012, SPIE 8406, April 2012.
  • W. Hussein, H. Sellahewa & S. A. Jassim, “Adaptive error correction codes for face recognition”, accepted to appear in Proc. Mobile Multimedia/Image Processing, Security, and Applications 2012, SPIE 8406, April 2012.
  • M. Maliki, S. A. Jassim, N. Al-Jawad & Harin Sellahewa, “Arabic handwritten: pre-processing and segmentation”, accepted to appear in Proc. Mobile Multimedia/Image Processing, Security, and Applications 2012, SPIE 8406, April 2012.
  • A.J. Abboud & S.A. Jassim, “Incremental fusion of partial biometric information”, accepted to appear in Proc. Mobile Multimedia/Image Processing, Security, and Applications 2012, SPIE 8406, April 2012.
  • M. Maliki, S. A. Jassim & N. Al-Jawad, “Arabic writer identification based on diacritic’s features”, accepted to appear in Proc. Mobile Multimedia/Image Processing, Security, and Applications 2012, SPIE 8406, April 2012.
  • H. Sellahewa, “Enhancing small group teaching and learning using online student response systems”, accepted to appear in STEM Annual Conference 2012, 12-13 April, London, UK.
  • H. Al-Assam, A. Abboud, H. Sellahewa & S. Jassim, “Exploiting relative entropy and quality analysis in cumulative partial biometric fusion”, accepted to appear in DAGM Special Issue LNCS Transactions on Data Hiding, 2012.

2011

  • H. Sellahewa, “Using an online student response system in small group teaching: a pilot study”, Italics 10.3 (November 2011). Read the article.
  • H. Du, “Data mining project: A critical element for teaching, learning and assessment of a data mining module”, in Proc. BNCOD 28, LNCS 7051, pp. 221-235, July 2011.
  • T. Kuseler, I.A. Lami & H. Al-Assam, “obiometrics: A software protection scheme using biometric-based obfuscation”, accepted to appear in the 2011 African Conference on Software Engineering and Applied Computing (ACSEAC), September 2011.
  • H. Al-Assam, H. Sellahewa & S. Jassim, “Accuracy and security evaluation of multi-factor biometric authentication”, International Journal for Information Security Research 1.1 (March 2011), 13-22.  Full text on the IJISR website.
  • T. Kuseler, H. Al-Assam, S.A. Jassim & I.A. Lami, “Privacy preserving, real-time and location secured biometrics for mCommerce authentication”, in Proc.Mobile Multimedia/Image Processing, Security, and Applications, SPIE vol. 8063, 80630G, May 2011.
  • W. Hussein, H. Sellahewa & S.A. Jassim, “Block error correction codes for face recognition”, in Proc. Mobile Multimedia/Image Processing, Security, and Applications 2011, SPIE 8063, 80630H, May 2011.
  • H. Al-Assam, H. Sellahewa, S. Jassim, “A secure wavelet-based isometric projection for face recognition”, in Proc. Mobile Multimedia/Image Processing, Security, and Applications 2011, SPIE 8063, 80630U, May 2011.
  • W. Al-Obaydy & H. Sellahewa “On using high-definition body worn cameras for face recognition from a distance”, in Proc. BioID 2011, LNCS 6583, 194-205, March 2011.

2010

  • H. Al-Assam, H. Sellahewa & S. Jassim, “On Security of Multi-Factor Biometric Authentication”, in Proc. International Conference for Internet Technology and Secured Transactions (ICITST-2010), 146-151, November 2010.
  • I. Lami, T. Kuseler, H. Al-Assam & S. Jassim, “LocBiometrics: Mobile phone based multifactor biometric authentication with time and location assurance”, in Proc. 18th Telecommunications Forum TELFOR 2010, Belgrade, Serbia, November, 2010.
  • H. Al-Assam, H. Sellahewa & S. Jassim, “Multi-Factor Biometrics for Authentication: A false sense of security”, in Proc. ACM SIGMM Multimedia and Security Workshop,  81–87, September 2010.
  • H. Sellahewa & S. A. Jassim, “Image Quality-based Adaptive Face Recognition”, in IEEE Trans. on Instrumentation and Measurement, vol. 59 (4), 805–813, April 2010.
  • T. Kuseler, I. Lami, S. Jassim & H. Sellahewa, “eBiometrics: an enhanced multi-biometrics authentication technique for real-time remote applications on mobile devices”, in Proc. Mobile Multimedia/Image Processing, Security, and Applications, SPIE vol. 7708, 77080E, April 2010.
  • Naseer Al-Jawad & Sabah Jassim “Wavelet Based Image Quality Self Measurements”, in Proc. Mobile Multimedia/Image Processing, Security, and Applications, SPIE vol. 7708, 77080J, April 2010.
  • Safa Al-Tekreeti, Chris Adams & Naseer Al-Jawad “Creating Wi-Fi Bluetooth Mesh Network for Crisis Management Applications”, in Proc. Mobile Multimedia/Image Processing, Security, and Applications, SPIE vol. 7708, 77080Z, April 2010.
  • Ahmad B.A. Hassanat & Sabah Jassim “Visual words for lip-reading”, in Proc. Mobile Multimedia/Image Processing, Security, and Applications, SPIE vol. 7708, 77080B, April 2010.
  • Ahmad B.A. Hassanat & Sabah Jassim “Color-based lip Localization Method”, in Proc. Mobile Multimedia/Image Processing, Security, and Applications, SPIE vol. 7708, 77080Y, April 2010.
  • A. Al-Sherbaz, T. Kuseler, C. Adams, R. Maršálek & K. Povalač, “WiMAX Parameters Adaptation Through A Baseband Processor Using Discrete Particle Swarm Method”, International Journal of Microwave and Wireless Technologies, vol. 2.2 (2010), 165–171.

2009

  • S. A. Jassim, H. Al-Assam & H. Sellahewa, “Improving Performance and Security of Biometrics Using Efficient and Stable Random Projection Techniques”, in Proc. 6th Intl. Symposium on Image and Signal Processing and Analysis, 556-561, September 2009.
  • H. Al-Assam, H. Sellahewa & S.A. Jassim, “A lightweight approach for biometric template protection”, in Proc. Mobile Multimedia/Image Processing, Security, and Applications, SPIE vol. 7351, 73510P, April 2009.
  • A. J. Abboud, H. Sellahewa & S.A. Jassim, “Image quality approach for adaptive face recognition”, in Proc. Mobile Multimedia/Image Processing, Security, and Applications, SPIE vol. 7351, 73510N, April 2009.
  • Ali Al-Sherbaz, Chris Adams & Sabah Jassim, “WiMAX-WiFi convergence with OFDM bridge”, in Proc. Mobile Multimedia/Image Processing, Security, and Applications, SPIE vol. 7351, 73510T, April 2009.
  • H. Sellahewa & S.A. Jassim, “Image quality based adaptive illumination normalisation for face recognition”, in Proc. Biometric Technology for Human Identification VI, SPIE vol. 7306B, 73061V April 2009.

2008

  • H. Sellahewa & S.A. Jassim, “Illumination and expression invariant face recognition: Toward sample quality-based adaptive fusion”, in Proc. IEEE 2nd Intl. Conf. Biometrics: Theory, Applications and Systems 2008, September 2008.
  • Ali Al-Sherbaz, Chris Adams & Sabah Jassim, “Private synchronization technique for heterogeneous wireless network (WiFi and WiMAX)”, in Proc. Mobile Multimedia / Image Processing for Military and Security Applications, SPIE vol.6982, 698203, April 2008.
  • Fanzhi Li, Ali Al-Sherbaz, Chris Adams & Sabah Jassim, “Credibility based secure route finding in wireless ad hoc networks”, in Proc. Mobile Multimedia / Image Processing for Military and Security Applications, SPIE vol.6982, 698204, April 2008.

Staff research interests

The research interests of the Department extend from the ‘pure’ to the ‘applied’ and include:

Professor Sabah A Jassim: Head of Department, a pure mathematician by training with strong interest in computation reliant on efficient mathematical techniques and structures. Research interests and expertise include: Group theory and Riemann surfaces; Wavelet-based image processing, Biometrics, Image/video compression and indexing; Watermarking; Feature analysis in biomedical images; Security and performance of mobile wireless networks; Image-quality based adaptive face recognition; Visual speech and word recognition; and Biometric CryptoSystems. He has been involved in EU projects including the FP6 SecurePhone and BroadWan, and is in active collaboration with European universities and research institutes.

Mr Hongbo Du: Mr Du’s primary area of research is database systems and data mining. He is interested broadly in data mining techniques and their applications in various problems. He is currently interested in the application of data mining techniques in image and biological data. He is also interested in human-computer interaction and visual languages, and supervising research students in these areas. Mr Du is the grant holder of a European Tempus project (JEP-41058-2006), in developing the MSc in Computer Graphics for the Media Industry at Sarajevo School of Science and Technology, a partner institution of Buckingham.

Dr Naseer Al-Jawad: Dr Al-Jawad has two main research areas; image processing and networks. In image processing Dr Al-Jawad is interested in wavelet-based image/video processing / analysis, feature extraction, image/video feature preserving compression, wavelet based image quality measurements, noise detection, and content-based video indexing and retrieval. The network interest includes cross-technologies wireless networking, and wired & wireless routing. Finally Dr Al-Jawad is interested in multimedia and web techniques research where the two main research areas, image processing and networks, can be pooled together.

Dr Harin Sellahewa: Dr Sellehewa is Research Lecturer in Computer Science conducting research in context-aware biometrics and automated biomedical image analysis and contributes to the supervision of research students. During the latter stages of his DPhil at Buckingham, Dr Sellahewa worked on the EU-funded SecurePhone project as a Research Associate. Besides face recognition for constrained devices, his research interests includes biometric template security and user privacy; sample quality based adaptive biometric systems; automated analysis of biomedical images and biological assays; content-based image/video indexing.

See also:

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