Browsing by Author "Tang, Lai Man"

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    Design of Affordable 3D Printers
    (Office of the Vice Chancellor for Research, 2016-04-08) Watson, Brandon; Chen, Guiming; Zhou, Jinyun; Tang, Lai Man; Ayeni, Oyedotun
    The recent expiration of Fused Deposition Modeling (FDM) patents sparked a growth in the 3D printing industry. Fused Deposition Modeling is the most common way of 3D printing parts. It takes a material, usually a plastic, melts it, and then builds a part layer by layer from the molten material. As patents for 3D printing technologies continue to expire, 3D printing will continue to see a large growth in popularity for several different applications; however, there are currently limitations on 3D printers preventing them from entering certain markets. The goal of our project was to address two of the biggest current limitations: the cost of the 3D printer and the ability to print with different materials. We addressed these issues by researching and building two different types of 3D printers along with researching different ways to print different materials. The goal for the first project was to design and assemble an affordable ceramic 3D printer. We researched and purchased an affordable delta 3D printer kit and an affordable ceramic extrusion system. The goal for the second project was to design and assemble an affordable dual extruder desktop 3D printer that could print two different plastics. We successfully built the delta 3D printer and it is working correctly. The dual extruder desktop 3D printer has been assembled. For both projects, we were able to assemble low-cost 3D printers. In conclusion, this research has resulted in two affordable 3D printers with the potential to 3D print different materials.
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    On the Vulnerability of Smart Card Transactions
    (Office of the Vice Chancellor for Research, 2016-04-08) Tang, Lai Man
    Abstract: The number of non-cash transactions is increasing every year at a rapid pace because of the underlying flexibility in the payment mechanism and the improved reliability and protection offered by many networks and debit and credit card issuers and acquirers. According to a study by Capgemini, the growth of the number of non-cash-based transactions per inhabitant in the United States increased by 40% from 2012 to 2013. This clearly indicates a strong shift towards a cashless society. However, the above trend is also coupled with an increasing trend in card fraud schemes ranging from gas pump skimmers to application fraud. Even the most recent chip and pin technology has been the victim of fraud as detailed in performing a man-in-the-middle attack by inserting a programmed chip called FUN card. In this study, we investigate the functionalities of smart cards and their susceptibility to fraud based on interference at the hardware level. We specifically analyze processor cards with a cryptographic processors and research the possibility to change the behavior of the hardware either in offline or online transactions in way that may be able to reveal the private key used to authenticate the transaction between the acquirer and the issuer. The results of these investigations can be used to enhance the current encryption as well as the authentication mechanisms used in card transactions.