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Students:

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[added 2025-07-21]

Course: {EECS4480}

Supervisors: Various

Supervisor's email address: Various

Project Description: This is a course restricted to students in the fourth year of the Computer Security program. Each project is to be supervised by a faculty member who is skilled in the area of security. Labs specializing in security at York include http://www.cse.yorku.ca/SecRAY/ and https://www.yorku.ca/lassonde/privacy/; faculty associated with these are therefore potential supervisors. Students are also encouraged to review prior 4480 projects listed in the archive for potential supervisors; see: https://wiki.eecs.yorku.ca/dept/project-courses/projects.

Required skills or prerequisites:

Major in Computer Security and Fourth Year

Instructions: Reach out to security faculty to see if they have the capacity to supervise this term. For questions about eligible security projects, contact the CSec Coordinator (Yan Shvartzshnaider).

[added 2025-07-22]

Course: {EECS4080}

Supervisor: Emily Kuang

Supervisor's email address: emily.kuang@lassonde.yorku.ca

Project Description: Vibe coding is a new paradigm in software development where users describe what they want, and AI tools generate the code. This “prompt-to-code” workflow is part of a growing shift toward low-code/no-code platforms, making it easier and faster to prototype software. This project investigates how UX professionals engage with vibe coding tools, a perspective that has been largely overlooked in favour of software developer-focused studies. The main tasks include:

• Recruiting and running the study with UX professionals
• Collecting and analyzing study data

Required skills or prerequisites:

• Completed TCPS 2: CORE-2022 (Course on Research Ethics)
• Ability to conduct user studies and administer surveys
• Data collection and basic data analysis (e.g., interpreting SUS scores, coding qualitative responses)

Recommended skills or prerequisites:

• Experience with web design tools and languages (e.g., Figma, JavaScript, HTML/CSS)
• Familiarity with AI-assisted development tools (e.g., Replit, Anima, GitHub Copilot)
• EECS 3461 and EECS 4441 or equivalent

Instructions: Email your CV and unofficial transcript to the professor. Put “EECS 4080 Inquiry” in the subject line.

[added 2025-07-22]

Course: {EECS4080}

Supervisor: Emily Kuang

Supervisor's email address: emily.kuang@lassonde.yorku.ca

Project Description: Usability testing is a critical part of designing user-friendly interactive systems. Yet, analyzing usability test videos is often time-consuming and labor-intensive. With recent advancements in AI, there is growing interest in supporting usability analysis through AI-generated insights delivered via natural language. This project focuses on extending the functionality of an existing web-based tool that supports usability testing through on-demand AI-generated suggestions. The main tasks are:

• Designing and implementing new features that improve how users interact with and interpret AI feedback
• Testing and refining the tool to ensure it supports effective human-AI collaboration

Required skills or prerequisites:

• Proficiency in JavaScript and TypeScript and web development frameworks (e.g., React, Node.js)
• Ability to deploy and manage web applications on cloud services (e.g., DigitalOcean or similar)
• Familiarity with version control (e.g., Git/GitHub)
• Strong debugging and testing skills

Recommended skills or prerequisites:

• Understanding of usability testing and UX principles
• Experience with API integration (e.g., for AI models or server communication)
• EECS 3461 and EECS 4441 or equivalent

Instructions: Email your CV and unofficial transcript to the professor. Put “EECS 4080 Inquiry” in the subject line.

[added 2025-07-22]

Course: {EECS4080}

Supervisor: Emily Kuang

Supervisor's email address: emily.kuang@lassonde.yorku.ca

Project Description: This project explores the future of assistive technologies that support individuals with speech impairments, such as those caused by cerebral palsy, multiple sclerosis, or autism. While Augmentative and Alternative Communication (AAC) tools exist, they are often limited by high costs, rigid interfaces, or a lack of adaptability to individual needs. The goal of this project is to investigate current communication technologies, identify their limitations, and generate ideas for more inclusive and flexible mobile applications. Emphasis will be placed on how emerging technologies, such as intelligent interfaces, context-aware design, and customizable user workflows, can improve the communication experience for users with speech impairments. The main tasks include:

• Literature and Technology Review: Analyze existing AAC systems and related research, identify common barriers and usability challenges.
• Ideation and Concept Development: Propose improvements or new interaction designs.
• Design Artifacts: Create mockups or design sketches to illustrate key ideas, reflect on future implementation pathways.

Required skills or prerequisites:

• Literature review
• Ability to create wireframes, mockups, or design concepts using tools like Figma

Recommended skills or prerequisites:

• Human-Centered Design or Accessibility Principles (e.g., WCAG, Universal Design)
• Understanding of Context-Aware Systems: how devices use environmental data (e.g., GPS, cameras, or sensor input) to adapt behaviour
• EECS 3461 and EECS 4441 or equivalent

Instructions: Email your CV and unofficial transcript to the professor. Put “EECS 4080 Inquiry” in the subject line.

[added 2025-07-21]

Course: {EECS4080}

Supervisor: Scott MacKenzie

Supervisor's email address: mack@yorku.ca

Project Description: This project is an empirical research investigation (a user study) of two methods for target selection using single-switch selection. The work involves doing a literature review, configuring the experiment apparatus (provided), doing a user study, analysing data, and writing a research report. The domain is accessible computing. The input methods are “hand pressure” (squeezing a rubber bulb) and “foot switch”. The software is mostly written (in Java) but may require some modifications. The task is modeled after Fitts' law. This work extends previous research. See https://www.yorku.ca/mack/icchp2024a.html for details.

Required skills or prerequisites:

EECS 4080 prerequisites; EECS 4441 or equivalent

Instructions: Email your CV and transcript to the professor. Put “EECS 4080 Inquiry” in the subject-line.

[added 2025-07-17]

Course: {EECS4088 | EECS4070 | EECS4080}

Supervisor: Hamzeh Khazaei

Supervisor's email address: hkh@yorku.ca

Project Description: This project examines how to efficiently serve large machine learning models using modern cloud technologies. Students on this project will focus on serverless computing to build fast, scalable, and cost-effective model-serving pipelines using serverless platforms (e.g., AWS Lambda, Cloud Run).

This is a hands-on opportunity to work with real-world ML systems and cutting-edge cloud technologies.

Required skills or prerequisites:

1. Good understanding of Machine Learning Concepts
2. Good understanding of Computing Systems (OS and Cloud)
3. Good command of the Python language

Recommended skills or prerequisites:

1. Familiarity with Serverless Computing, Microservices Architecture, Distributed Computing, and Virtualization, in general, is a plus.

Instructions: Please email your CV and most recent transcripts to the supervisor.

[added 2025-07-17]

Course: {EECS4088 | EECS4070 | EECS4080}

Supervisor: Hamzeh Khazaei

Supervisor's email address: hkh@yorku.ca

Project Description: This project examines the efficient training of large machine learning models using modern cloud technologies. Students on this project will investigate how to leverage distributed training techniques and cloud infrastructure to train large models in an energy-efficient and performant way. This will require training using cloud GPUs/TPUs with a focus on performance and green computing.

This is a hands-on opportunity to work with real-world ML systems and cutting-edge cloud technologies.

Required skills or prerequisites:

1. Good understanding of Machine Learning Concepts
2. Good understanding of Computing Systems (OS and Cloud)
3. Good command of the Python language

Recommended skills or prerequisites:

1. Familiarity with Serverless Computing, Microservices Architecture, Distributed Computing, and Virtualization, in general, is a plus.

Instructions: Please email your CV and most recent transcripts to the supervisor.

[added 2025-07-15]

Course: {EECS4070 | EECS4080}

Supervisor: Zhen Ming (Jack) Jiang

Supervisor's email address: zmjiang@yorku.ca

Project Description: Software engineering data (e.g., source code repositories and bug databases) contain a wealth of information about a project's status and history. With the recent advances of large language models (e.g., GPT and BERT) as well as their applications (e.g., ChatGPT or GitHub Copilot), many software engineering tasks can be automated or optimized. In this project, the student(s) will explore and investigate various software engineering applications which can benefit from the use of LLMs.

Required skills or prerequisites:

• Major in Computer Science/Software Engineering/Computer Engineering
• Third year and up
• At least B+ for EECS 3311
• Proficient in Python and Java-based programming

Recommended skills or prerequisites: Some knowledge in AI would be preferred but not required

Instructions: Send c.v. and unofficial transcript to the supervisor.

[added 2025-07-15]

Course: {EECS4070 | EECS4080}

Supervisor: Zhen Ming (Jack) Jiang

Supervisor's email address: zmjiang@yorku.ca

Project Description: Artificial Intelligence is gaining rapid popularity in both research and practice, due to the recent advances in machine learning (ML) research and development. Many ML applications (e.g., Tesla’s autonomous vehicle and Apple’s Siri) are already being used widely in people’s everyday lives. McKinsey recently estimated that ML applications have the potential to create between $3.5 and $5.8 trillion in value annually. Foundation models are large AI models trained on a vast quantity of data at scale. FMs can be used to power a wide range of downstream tasks (e.g., chat bots, code assistants, tutors, etc.). However, there remain many challenges in efficiently training, deploying and monitoring such FM infrastructure. In addition, there is a lack of tools and processes to further develop applications or services on top of such FMs. The goal of this project is to develop engineering tools and best practices to support effectively operationalizing FMs.

Required skills or prerequisites:

• Major in Computer Science/Software Engineering/Computer Engineering
• Third year and up
• At least B+ for EECS 3311
• Proficient in Python and Java-based programming

Recommended skills or prerequisites: Some knowledge in AI would be preferred but not required

Instructions: Send c.v. and unofficial transcript to the supervisor.

[added 2025-07-15]

Course: { EECS4080 | EECS4070}

Supervisor: Laleh Seyyed-Kalantari

Supervisor's email address: lsk@yorku.ca

Topics of Interest:

• AI safety and AI alignment.
• Evaluating disparity in care in large GEMINI dataset.

Required skills or prerequisite courses:

• You must have completed a Machine Learning course. Total GPA over B+ (Preferably A/A+)

Recommended skills or prerequisite courses:

• A Deep Learning course is strongly preferred.

Instructions: (To be updated ASAP!)

[added 2025-07-15]

Course: {EECS4088/4080}

Supervisor: Maleknaz Nayebi

Supervisor's email address: mnayebi@yorku.ca

Required skills or prerequisites:

• Proficient in Python programming

Recommended skills or prerequisites: Understanding of Machine Learning and Image Processing

Instructions: Please email your CV and Transcripts to the professor.

[added 2025-07-15]

Course: {EECS4080/4088}

Supervisor: Maleknaz Nayebi

Supervisor's email address: mnayebi@yorku.ca

Required skills or prerequisites:

• Proficient in Python programming

Recommended skills or prerequisites: Understanding of Machine Learning and Image Processing

Instructions: Please email your CV and Transcripts to the professor.

[added 2025-07-15]

Course: {EECS4070}

Supervisor: Song Wang

Supervisor's email address: wangsong@yorku.ca

Instructions: Please email the professor.

[added 2025-07-15]

Course: {EECS4080}

Supervisor: Song Wang

Supervisor's email address: wangsong@yorku.ca

Project Description: This project aims to benchmark the capabilities of LLM-based Integrated Development Environments (IDEs), such as GitHub Copilot, Gemini Code Assist, and Cursor, in performing repository-level code generation tasks. While these tools have shown impressive performance on function or file-level suggestions, their effectiveness in handling project-wide challenges, such as cross-file dependencies, module integration, refactoring, and implementing features based on high-level specifications—remains unclear. We will develop a benchmark suite based on real-world open-source repositories and evaluate multiple LLM-based IDEs using a combination of automated and human-in-the-loop metrics. The goal is to provide a systematic understanding of the strengths and limitations of current LLM-augmented IDEs in supporting large-scale, context-aware code generation.

Required skills or prerequisites: EECS2030, EECS3311, EECS4313/4312

Recommended skills or prerequisites: Python programming

Instructions: Send the transcript to the professor.

[added 2025-07-15]

Course: {EECS4080}

Supervisor: Song Wang

Supervisor's email address: wangsong@yorku.ca

Project Description: This project aims to evaluate the capabilities of Large Language Models (LLMs) in understanding and analyzing code behavior based on execution results. While LLMs have shown strong performance in code generation and completion, their ability to reason about dynamic execution—such as interpreting outputs, diagnosing runtime errors, and explaining unexpected behaviors, in general, remains underexplored. We will develop a benchmark dataset containing code snippets paired with execution outcomes (e.g., outputs, errors, return values) and assess LLMs on tasks including output prediction, behavior explanation, and error diagnosis. The evaluation will consider both quantitative metrics (e.g., accuracy) and qualitative aspects (e.g., reasoning depth), offering insights into the strengths and limitations of current LLMs in execution-aware code analysis.

Required skills or prerequisites: GPA>= B+; EECS3311

Recommended skills or prerequisites: Python programming

Instructions: Send the CV and transcript to the professor.

[added 2025-07-15]

Course: {EECS4080}

Supervisor: Michael Jenkin

Supervisor's email address: jenkin@yorku.ca

Project Description: Having an ‘eye in the sky’ can enhance considerably the sensing ability of a ground-based robot. This project involves planning and constructing a tethered (10m) drone to operate from a moving platform to provide sensor data beyond the line of sight of the ground-based robot. This will involve modifying an existing quadcopter design to support tethered operation and dealing with tether management,

Required skills or prerequisites:

1. Ability to work independently and in groups
2. Good Python programming skills
3. interest in building/flying a tethered quadcopter
4. Knowledge of/interest in ROS2 would be helpful

Recommended skills or prerequisites: None beyond 4080 prerequisites

Instructions: Contact Michael Jenkin by email (jenkin@yorku.ca) if interested.

[added 2025-07-15]

Course: {EECS4080}

Supervisor: Michael Jenkin

Supervisor's email address: jenkin@yorku.ca

Project Description: Much of the surface of the planet is covered by water. Mapping and performing other tasks on these environments can be augmented through the deployment of unmanned surface vessels (USV) that can perform these tasks autonomously. This project involves refining the existing aquatic robot infrastructure to assist in the development of a robot team to support surface and underwater monitoring of freshwater areas. Interest in autonomous systems is key, and this project could be suitable for small groups (two students maximum). The current robots (Eddy 2A-C) have been deployed for a number of years and the intent this summer is to update/upgrade the hardware/software infrastructure to (i) support multi-robot operations and (ii) to ready the hardware for planned work in UAV-USV-UUV teamwork.

Required skills or prerequisites:

1. Ability to work independently and in groups
2. Good Python programming skills
3. Knowledge of/interest in ROS2 would be helpful

Recommended skills or prerequisites: None beyond 4080 prerequisites

Instructions: Contact Michael Jenkin by email (jenkin@yorku.ca) if interested.

[added 2025-07-15]

Course: {EECS4080}

Supervisor: Michael Jenkin

Supervisor's email address: jenkin@yorku.ca

Project Description: Avatars have been proposed as a key element in user interface designs since the development of Microsoft's Clippy, if not before. In the lab we have been developing a Unity-based avatar that operates as the front end of a LLM-based avatar that can be deployed in various environments. This forward facing avatar provides a natural interaction with individuals in the environment, providing audio-based input and output and literally putting a face on the underlying system. The basic goal of the project is to take the operational system and to enhance it in a number of ways, perhaps most critically through the addition of canned animation scripts that can be used by the avatar to provide a natural interaction and non-interaction appearance to the avatar.

Required skills or prerequisites:

1. Ability to work independently and as part of a team.
2. Knowledge/interest in Unity and C# programming
3. Ability to work with external partners

Recommended skills or prerequisites: None beyond 4080 prerequisites

Instructions: Contact Michael Jenkin by email (jenkin@yorku.ca) if interested.

[added 2025-07-15]

Course: {EECS4080}

Supervisor: Michael Jenkin

Supervisor's email address: jenkin@yorku.ca

Project Description: Point to point navigation in an indoor environment requires solutions to a number of problems related to mapping, pose estimation and path planning. Fortunately, existing libraries now exist that support all of these tasks. This project involves deploying standard navigation tools on an omnidirectional robot in the lab and then developing appropriate interfaces to enable an individual to provide high-level instructions to the robot to engage in point-to-point navigation in a previously mapped space.

Required skills or prerequisites:

1. Ability to work independently and as part of a team.
2. Knowledge of ROS would be helpful
3. Ability to work with external partners

Recommended skills or prerequisites: None beyond 4080 prerequisites

Instructions: Contact Michael Jenkin by email (jenkin@yorku.ca) if interested.

[added 2025-07-15]

Course: {EECS4080}

Supervisor: Michael Jenkin

Supervisor's email address: jenkin@yorku.ca

Project Description: Avatars have been proposed as a key element in user interface designs since the development of Microsoft's Clippy, if not before. In the lab, we have been developing a Unity-based avatar that operates as the front end of a LLM-based avatar that can be deployed in various environments. This forward facing avatar provides a natural interaction with individuals in the environment, providing audio-based input and output and literally putting a face on the underlying system. The basic goal of the project is to take the operational system and to enhance it in a number of ways, perhaps most critically through the addition of individual and group-specific control of the avatar interaction structure. Interest in LLMs and Langchain-based user group aware conversational agents.

Required skills or prerequisites:

1. Ability to work independently and as part of a team.
2. Knowledge/interest in Unity and C# programming
3. Ability to work with external partners

Recommended skills or prerequisites: None beyond 4080 prerequisites

Instructions: Contact Michael Jenkin by email (jenkin@yorku.ca) if interested.