BY GOH YING TING
We were fortunate to be given the opportunity to visit the Institute of High Performance Computing (IHPC) at A* STAR. As a computer science undergraduate, I was undeniably eager to learn more about the various research studies and innovations enabled by computational tools.
Our visit started off with a series of talks by the scientists and researchers at IHPC. Our first speaker, Dr Qin Zheng from the department of Computer Science, shared about data analytics and processing in the context of urban systems. One notable study he shared was the collection of data using the “SENSg” tracker as part of the National Science Experiment. Involving students from all levels, the sensor tracked the mobility patterns of students, shedding light on the modes of transportation students take to commute to and from school. The sensor was able to closely monitor the transportation patterns of the students, providing more precise data as compared to EZ link cards, which could only reveal the initial and final destinations of commuters. Dr Qin Zheng shared about how the scientists analysed the data and the interesting findings gleaned from the study, such as why the actual time students took to commute from one place to another was less than that estimated by tools such as Google Maps. It was actually because students knew how to take shortcuts, such as through a patch of grass, or under HDB blocks, thus reducing the time taken. I found the whole process of analysing and understanding the data collected very interesting as it contextualised the data and findings to our daily lives.
Our second and third speakers, Dr Ho Seng Beng and Dr Prasanta, were from the social and cognitive computing department. Their team had developed cognitive and psycholinguistic tools to analyse data on social media. One particular tool that stood out to me was Crystalace, a social analytical method developed by the team to detect sarcasm. Users can key in any text and the method would measure the sarcasm level of the phrase. I have always found sarcasm something that is hard to detect and explain even for humans, and so was pleasantly surprised to learn that the tool could detect sarcasm rather accurately. Indeed, this tool can help to filter out the sarcastic comments when analysing the vast amounts of data on social media, as sarcastic comments can distort general sentiments, overestimating a positive response when the sentiment is negative in reality. (You can try it out for yourself here: http://crystalace.socialanalyticsplus.net)
The second part of our visit comprised a tour of FusionWorld, an exhibition within A* STAR which showcases inventions and technologies from the research institutes there. Besides viewing the exhibits, we got to try out the Brain Computer Interface (BCI) and play a simple memory game. The BCI tracks the activity of the brain, in turn allowing the user to control devices. This technology can be used in the medical field, such as to help stroke patients rehabilitate. From ultra-thin light emitting films that are used to print advertisements on buses to an application that can track and monitor the safety of a child on school buses, these technologies highlight their relevance to improving our daily lives.
The visit was indeed an insightful one as it underscored the power of science and technology to improve our way of living and daily lives. Furthermore, it showcased computational tools as a means data analysis, providing vast opportunities for research and innovation.