Graduate / 'to keep studying advanced computer vision' - Statement of Purpose for Ph.D. in CS [NEW]

Dear all,
Please give me some advice and let me know how you think this statement.
Thanks for your time.

Statement of Purpose
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Working on vision based vehicle safety algorithm triggers my passion on computer vision. It inspires me not only on developing Intelligent Transport Systems (ITS) which is my job, but also arises me interested in different ideas and diverse topics in computer vision issues. I want to utilize computer vision to make people's life more convenient and smart to help people who are disabled to touch this world. For pursuing this goal, I decided to devote myself next few years to boost my knowledge in computer vision field and go back to school working with outstanding professors, keep exploring new technology, and fulfill my enthusiasm.

When I was third grade in university, I joined the Manufacture and Business Integration Lab and did the research with Professor Tung-Kuan Liu. The main assignment was using C language to implement Genetic Algorithm (GA) to improve job-shop scheduling problems. In factory the schedule needs as tied as possible to save money and time. GA is capable to calculate the best schedule under some restrictions such as stock duration, delivery deadline, assembly priority, etc. However, the developing process was not going smooth at the beginning. Although I was clear the goal of the project, the task is still too hard for me because I was not well-understood GA theory and lack of coding abilities at that time. Since then I usually stayed late in the Lab to acquire the background knowledge and asked for other members' assistance at the Lab to figure out the answers. By going through the processing which surprised me that I actually willing to sacrifice many entertainment and rejected temptation in the university because I try to solve some GA problems for only. At that time maybe I was not clear what am I going to do in the future yet, but I thought that I may want to become a good researcher one day. After hard works of doing it, fortunately, I accomplished the program and wrote the technical paper to professor at the end. It is hard to explain the feeling and the self-fulfillment while I saw the whole program is running correctly. Because of this special opportunity, I found that I obsessed with computer program and decided going further in graduated school.

I went graduated school at National Cheng Kung University (NCKU) studied the major as Avionics and Control System after graduating from university. Even I knew that I should instantly transfer my major to Computer Science/Engineering, I still did not have that courage to make this huge decision at that time because transferring major in Taiwan was a very complicated procedure. So without transferring to CS department, I choose Lab which doing research as close to CS research topics as possible instead. Finally, I decided to join the Avionics and Control Application Technology Lab with Professor Chin-E Lin. The Lab research topics are various and including many CS technologies applied in aviation system such as Control Area Network (CAN) bus, GPS, 8051, ARM based embedded system, and magnetic suspension actuator, etc. Primarily, I followed seniors' research methods that utilized GPS, GIS and GPRS to build remote-monitoring system and applied system to manage commercial transportation. In order to execute the plan going well, I selected GPS courses in our department, Embedded Real-time Operating System in Institute of Computer Science and Information Engineering (CSIE), Object-oriented Programming Design in Department of Mechanical Engineering (ME), Digital Signal Processing, and Single Chip System in Department of Electrical Engineering (EE) to improve the research background and acquire more knowledge.

During the second degree in postgraduate, broad using and popularity of RFID system captured my interests. Hence, I proposed using RFID combined with the research I had been working on to construct a system that assists company managing goods and monitoring them on the remote-monitoring system. Professor Lin was appreciated my idea and encouraged me to focus on the idea how to encode RFID tag to help logistics management easier. Finally, professor and I decided the research topic as "Planning on RFID in Master and Slaves Coordination Management System Design Concept and Application." This paper is proposed to reduce luggage missing problems by checking travelers' hand tag (RFID tag) and their luggage tag at airport which all tags had been encoded while travelers check in. Once again I found my passion during research. Working at Lab helped me understood how to conduct research direction and how to focus on specific problem. Since then, I set up my mind I will study abroad if I have chance.

After graduating from postgraduate, I worked for Industrial Technology Research Institute (ITRI). The primary job is developing vision based algorithm for Intelligent Transport System (ITS) which is a whole new area for me. I did not know anything about image processing at that time, however, the barrier was conquered in the short period, and I obsessed with computer vision since then. During past few years, there are many products I involved, including Lane Departure Warning System (LDW), Forward Collision Warning System (FCW), Blind Spot Warning System, Around-View system, and Rear-View Obstacles Detection System that I am working on currently. Learning from the projects, I acquired knowledge of optical flow, machine learning, segmentation, and other image processing skills. In addition, besides the working hours, I often study relevant books of computer vision in my spare time to capture further knowledge.

Because of image processing knowledge and experience I have, I was hired by Tze-Chiang Foundation of Science and Technology (TCFST), and lecturing Image Processing course. In the teaching process, I realized that I enjoyed teaching and like to share knowledge with people who have the same interests. After piling up several years of teaching experiences, I published a text book on October, 2011 named "The 13 Lessons for Image Processing - programming with Qt4" and it drives me want to be a professor in the future stronger.

I eagerly want to keep studying advanced computer vision academic research in the topic of Augmented Reality and Human Interaction to explore more new problems and focus on certain topic in Ph.D. at XXX. My ultimate goal is using computer vision to resolve human beings problems and let human beings get the benefits and live in better life from technology.

I believed that strong mind and aptitude I have will help me to conquer any obstacles during the road to accomplish doctoral degree.

Writing Feedback / TOEFL - working at home V.S. working in the office [2]

Do you agree or disagree with the following statement?
Working at home using computers or telephones is better than working in the office.

Personally, I disagree with the statement. Even though, working at home have many benefits, but I think eventually all the benefits cannot compare the advantages to work in the office.

First, using computer and telephone could handle most of office works, but what to do if you need other office equipment, such as fax machine, expansive mechanisms or developing simulation devices? All, these devices could not get in the individual's house, so working at home have to compromise in tools. Without proper tools to work efficiently this will affect performance.

Second, it is true that home is mush suitable environment for working, but sometimes it is just too casual to work. In my opinion, during the work, people should concentrate on work. The working place is too comfortable that definitely will decrease performance of production, because comfort feeling will slow the actions of people. For example, if homeworkers knew that they won't have to go to office, but working at home. They may easily sleep over, because they suppose there is nobody will find them late for work anyway. This bad habit could repeat over and over. Moreover, it is possible that homeworkers will unconsciously extend lunch time or coffee break only because they think they are not finished it yet. All these minor flaws could lead huge damage to the production in the long term.

Third, working at home usually means working along, but we all need advice and guidance from people. If work home along, all these problem can only through telephone or net meeting for solution. Even though computer technology is thriving these days, sometimes it is still not reliable. The best way to discussion with others is face to face. Interaction with people allows us quickly understand main point and problems. This will make problems be solved quickly. If we working at home, we cannot attend meeting and lost the chance to communicate with others. That will make problems remain or delay a long time to be solved.

In sum, working at home may a good idea or a good dream for the worker, but honestly to say, this is not best way to work.