Craig E. Wills

February, 2024

cew@wpi.edu

MQP and IQP Project Topics

CS MQP Topics

General Ideas

CS MQP: Exploring Location in the Internet

This project seeks to understand and potentially map connectivity and the location of selected content on the Internet. For example, this work may include measuring the amount and location of content provided by various servers for a single web page. As part of the project, we will explore which and how much content is provided by cloud and content distribution network (CDN) services as well as from ad services.

Suggested Background: Familiarity with network protocols such as TCP, HTTP and DNS as well as network and scripting tools are desirable. The project may also involve GeoIP services.

CS MQP: Studying Privacy Protection Landscape for Web and Mobile Platforms

User privacy is an ongoing concern for Web and mobile platforms. This project seeks to study current privacy concerns and protection tools (e.g. ad blockers) that are available. This project will gather data on these concerns and the effectiveness of the protection tools.

Suggested Background: Interest in privacy and familiarity with tools for Web and App measurement.

CS MQP: Data Analytics/Visualization

Apply data analytics and visualization to domain-specific problems such as education and sports.

Suggested Background: Familiarity with data analysis, scripting, and visualization.

CS MQP/IQP Project Topics

Projects could be done as either a CS MQP or IQP.

IQP: Study of Home Network Devices

This project seeks to characterize the range of currently available home network devices as well as their actual deployment. As an MQP, this project would involve creation of a mobile app to detect the presence of devices in a network. As an IQP, this project would involve a survey to understand what and why home owners employ the devices they do as well as advantages and disadvantages they perceive.

IQP Project Topics

IQP: Study of Digital Twin Technology Deployments

A Digital Twin is a digital representation of a system (e.g. a manufacturing facility) and is meant to mimic the behavior of its original counterpart for specific sets of physical inputs. This project seeks to study where and how Digital Twins are being deployed in environments such as manufacturing and smart cities.

Suggested Background: Interest in statistics and data analytics.