Brandon worked with Professor Wayne Schubert and graduate student Chris
Slocum this summer looking at visual patterns to estimate tropical cyclone
intensity. Brandon is a junior at Saint Augustine's University where he is
studying engineering mathematics.
Vernon Dvorak devised devised an elaborate technique for comparing a tropical
system's image to a chart of visual patterns to arrive at a tropical number
(or T-Num) which could be converted to tropical system intensity. Dvorak
realized in the 1970's that tropical systems have unique visual patterns such as
outer curving bands and an eye that allow us to make good estimates about how
intense they are as measured in maximum sustained winds.
Brandon's research objective was to use a genetic algorithm (GA) to teach a
computer to learn for itself how to process the visual patterns of a tropical
system and estimate its intensity through T-Nums without the Dvorak Technique.
His research poster entitled, Using Genetic Algorithms to Estimate Tropical
Cyclone Intensity,
may be found here.
Brandon's research interests back at Saint Augustine's include severe weather
and artificial intelligence. He is from Midway, Georgia and enjoys writing and
producting songs, working on action films and special effects, and programming
and 3D modeling.
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