EAGER: Kinetic Computing Sculpture: A functional parallel cluster of Raspberry Pi computers that inspire computational thinking

EAGER：动能计算雕塑：激发计算思维的 Raspberry Pi 计算机功能并行集群

• 批准号: 1355955
• 负责人: Kirk Cameron
• 金额: $ 15万
• 依托单位: Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University
• 依托单位国家: 美国
• 项目类别: Standard Grant
• 财政年份: 2013
• 资助国家: 美国
• 起止时间: 2013-09-15 至 2017-08-31
• 项目状态: 已结题
• 来源: https://www.nsf.gov/awardsearch/showAward?AWD_ID=1355955&HistoricalAwards=false
• 关键词: EAGER; Kinetic; Computing; Sculpture; functional

Without parallel computational thinking most modern scientific discoveries are impracticable (e.g. sequencing the human genome, confirmation of the Higgs boson). To recruit young minds at an early age (K-12) into the workforce and to encourage governments to continue investment, the parallel computing field must constantly educate non-computer scientists of all ages as to the importance of innovation that uncovers and exploits new capabilities. Unfortunately, educating laypersons as to the importance of parallel systems that grow exponentially large and complicated and change rapidly is wrought with challenges. Distribution of data and computation across a large parallel or distributed system is carried out by complex computer software. While the algorithms and systems used may have taken years to perfect, other than binary data packets and logs, and perhaps the hum of a system, there is little indication of the transmissions. Only a deeply informed individual is privy to the significance of the events taking place on a large parallel or distributed system.In this interdisciplinary project, the PIs are exploring radically different ways to improve our ability to educate non-computer scientists (e.g. students, K-12, funding decision makers, elderly, etc.) as to the importance and sophistication of parallel computation. This transformative approach combines the creation of a parallel or distributed system with mechanisms to visualize computation. With the combined expertise of computer scientists, educators, and artists, the PIs are designing and building a cluster of Raspberry Pi computers in a visually compelling, kinetic sculpture. Each computing device is attached to a compact servo mechanism fitted to an aluminum structure that will react to both computation and data movement of parallel programs running on the system. The PIs are designing displays that allow visitors to the sculpture to interactively select and view the effects of various parallel computation choices that computer and computational scientists make every day. The effectiveness of the proposed approach will be evaluated.

没有并行计算思维，大多数现代科学发现都是不可行的（例如人类基因组测序，希格斯玻色子的证实）。为了在早期（K-12）招募年轻人加入劳动力队伍，并鼓励政府继续投资，并行计算领域必须不断教育所有年龄段的非计算机科学家，了解发现和利用新功能的创新的重要性。不幸的是，教育外行关于并行系统的重要性，这些系统呈指数级增长，复杂且变化迅速，这是一项挑战。数据和计算在大型并行或分布式系统中的分布是由复杂的计算机软件执行的。虽然使用的算法和系统可能需要数年时间才能完善，但除了二进制数据包和日志，也许还有系统的嗡嗡声，几乎没有传输的迹象。在这个跨学科的项目中，PI正在探索完全不同的方法来提高我们教育非计算机科学家（例如学生，K-12，资助决策者，老年人等）的能力。并行计算的重要性和复杂性。这种变革性的方法将并行或分布式系统的创建与可视化计算的机制相结合。凭借计算机科学家，教育工作者和艺术家的专业知识，PI正在设计和构建一个视觉上引人注目的动态雕塑中的Raspberry Pi计算机集群。每个计算设备都连接到一个紧凑的伺服机构，该机构安装在一个铝制结构上，该结构将对系统上运行的并行程序的计算和数据移动做出反应。PI正在设计显示器，允许参观雕塑的游客交互式地选择和查看计算机和计算科学家每天做出的各种并行计算选择的效果。将对拟议办法的有效性进行评价。