Finite State Machine with Input and Process Render

Abstract

Finite State Machines are a concept widely taught in undergraduate theory of computing courses. Educators typically use tools with static representations of FSMs to help students visualize these objects and processes; however, all existing tools require manual editing by the instructor. In this poster, we created an automatic visualization tool for FSMs that generates videos of FSM simulation, named Finite State Machine with Input and Process Render (FSMIPR). Educators can input any formal definition of an FSM and an input string, and FSMIPR generates an accompanying video of its simulation. We believe that FSMIPR will be beneficial to students who learn difficult computer theory concepts. We conclude with future work currently in-progress with FSMIPR.