creating leading technologies, educating technology leaders · technologies that have the potential...

Creating Leading Technologies, Educating Technology Leaders

ince the first Engineering Research Centers were foundedin 1985, these pioneering organizations have pushed theboundaries of knowledge across a broad spectrum oftechnology fields while transferring a continuous stream ofcutting-edge technologies to their industrial partners. Inthe process they have revolutionized engineering educationand produced a new generation of graduates who areadept at innovation and primed for technology leadership.

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Section One Bioengineering

ERC for the Engineering of Living Tissues ................................................................8-9

Center for Computer-Integrated Surgical Systems and Technology ..............................10-11

Biotechnology Process Engineering Center ..........................................................12-13

ERC for Biomimetic MicroElectronic Systems ......................................................14-15

VaNTH ERC for Bioengineering Educational Technologies ..................................16-17

Engineered Biomaterials Engineering Research Center ........................................18-19

Section Two Manufacturing and Processing

ERC for Environmentally Benign Semiconductor Manufacturing ..........................22-23

Center for Advanced Engineering Fibers and Films ..............................................24-25

Particle Engineering Research Center ..................................................................26-27

The Center for Environmentally Beneficial Catalysis ............................................28-29

Engineering Research Center for Reconfigurable Manufacturing Systems................30-31

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Section Three Earthquake Engineering

Multidisciplinary Center for Earthquake Engineering Research ............................34-35

Pacific Earthquake Engineering Research Center ................................................36-37

Mid-America Earthquake Center ..........................................................................38-39

Section Four Microelectronic Systems and Information Technology

Center for Neuromorphic Systems Engineering ....................................................42-43

ERC for Extreme Ultraviolet Science and Technology ..........................................44-45

Packaging Research Center ..................................................................................46-47

ERC for Collaborative Adaptive Sensing of the Atmosphere ................................48-49

Center for Wireless Integrated MicroSystems ......................................................50-51

Center for Subsurface Sensing and Imaging Systems..........................................52-53

Integrated Media Systems Center ........................................................................54-55

Center for Power Electronics Systems..................................................................56-57

There is nothing humankind will not attempt when great enterprises hold out the promise of great rewards.

Roman historian Livy

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Introduction

he National Science Foundation-sponsored Engineering Research Centers (ERCs) areinterdisciplinary centers located at universities all across the United States, each in closepartnership with industry. Each ERC provides an environment in which academe and industrycollaborate in pursuing strategic advances in complex engineered systems and systems-leveltechnologies that have the potential to spawn whole new industries or to radically transformthe product lines, processing technologies, or service delivery methodologies of currentindustries. Activity within ERCs lies at the interface between the discovery-driven culture ofscience and the innovation-driven culture of engineering. The centers provide the intellectualfoundation for industry to collaborate with faculty and students on resolving generic, long-range challenges, producing the knowledge base needed for steady advances in technologyand their speedy transition to the marketplace.

ERC faculty, students, and industry partners integrate discovery and learning in an interdisciplinaryenvironment that reflects the complexities and realities of real-world technology. ERCsexpose prospective students (both graduate and undergraduate) to industrial views in orderto build competence in engineering practice and to produce engineering graduates with thedepth and breadth of education needed for success in technological innovation and foreffective leadership of interdisciplinary teams throughout their careers. ERC innovations inresearch and education are expected to impact curricula at all levels, from precollege to life-long learning, and to be disseminated to and beyond their academic and industry partners.

ERCs fulfill NSF’s strategic goal to increase the diversity of the scientific and engineeringworkforce by including all members of society, regardless of race, ethnicity, or gender, inevery aspect of the centers' activities. Because ERCs play critical roles in academe by integratingresearch, education, diversity, outreach, and industrial collaboration, NSF views ERCs aschange agents for academic engineering programs and the engineering community atlarge. And indeed, over the past 20 years these centers have succeeded in changing theculture of academic engineering to include integrative collaboration across engineering andscience disciplines, a greater focus on innovation and engineering systems, and closerinteraction with industry, while producing thousands of graduates who are assuming posi-tions of technology leadership all across U.S. industry.

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Bioengineering

The last thirty years have seen an explosion of knowl-edge in molecular biology and in the application ofthat knowledge to medical devices and technologies,new materials, and other fields ranging from foods todefense, to forensics, to the environment. Bioengineeringis the broad area of technology that lies at the interfacebetween biology and engineering. Six ERCs focus ondifferent aspects of this still rapidly expanding area oftechnology. Their areas of interest encompass tissueengineering; the development of computer-assistedsurgical tools and procedures; therapeutic gene tech-nologies; microelectronic systems that mimic biologicalprocesses to restore neural function; new biomaterialsfor use in long-lasting medical implants; and the devel-opment of advanced techniques and technologies foreducating future bioengineers.

ERC for the Engineering of Living Tissues (est. 1998)Georgia Institute of Technology with Emory University School of Medicine

Capturing Innovation for TissueEngineering and Regenerative Medicine.

he shortage of organs and tissues suitable for transplantation is an ongoingnational medical crisis. The Georgia Tech/Emory Center for the Engineeringof Living Tissues (GTEC) is addressing the shortage of transplantable tissuesand organs through the development of cutting-edge core technologies forthe tissue engineering and medical device industries. These innovative tech-nologies provide therapeutic solutions that cannot be achieved by today’sdrug, biologic, medical device, or organ transplantation approaches. Theproducts they enable are truly novel—inspired by nature but engineered toproduce a specific therapeutic effect.

For the medical implant industry, tissue engineering represents a bridge fromthe revolution in biology to new clinical therapies and treatments for tissuerepair, replacement, and regeneration. While the tissue engineering industryis still in its early stages, the large medical device companies recognize thattheir future will involve the convergence of biologics with their traditional electro-mechanical technologies. Thus, GTEC-developed technologies will providedoctors and patients with the next generation of medical implants and willtransform an industry that is emerging at the interface of biology and engineering.

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Gelling Polymer Repairs Tissue Defects in VivoResearchers in GTEC’s Neural Tissue Engineering thrustarea have developed in situ gelling polymer technology tofill irregular soft tissue gaps in a variety of tissues. Thisincludes spinal cord injuries, wherethese gels will be injected in theirliquid state and gelling will occurwithin seconds at body tempera-ture. This technology has severaladvantages, including: (a) no needfor ‘pre-fabricating’ or pre-meas-uring exact shapes of defects; (b)bioactive agents such as proteins can be coupled to thebackbone to ‘functionalize’ the materials to facilitate growthor differentiation of cells; and (c) cells or slow-release vehiclescan be embedded into the gels at the time of injection tofacilitate controlled differentiation and migration of cells invivo. GTEC scientists and engineers are currently pursuingtwo applications for this technology: bridging spinal cordinjuries and bridging non-healing bone defects.

Response to Hormones Is Gender-specificThe genes that determine gender make men and womendifferent in many ways—from the whole-organism leveldown to the cellular level. A GTEC laboratory was the firstto show that male and female growth plate and articularcartilage cells from rats and humans—as well as humanbone-forming cells—respond to steroid hormones in distinctlydifferent ways. The findings have considerable implicationsfor tissue engineering as well as broader implications fortissue transplantation. Current methods are based on studiesthat have predominantly used cells from male rodents; yettissue engineered products and tissue transplantation areused for both male and female patients. GTEC researchersare now implanting micro-encapsulated human cells intomale and female immuno-compromised rats to test whetherthese sex-specific differences are biologically significant.

Partnership Attracts Diverse Talent to FieldThe ranks of scientists and engineers on university facultiesand in industry do not reflect the vast talent available with-in under-represented minority groups in the U.S. To helpensure that the tissue engineering and bioengineeringworkforce is as strong and diversified as possible, GTEC hasformed a partnership with the Atlanta University Center (AUC),a consortium of Historically Black Colleges and Universitiesin the city of Atlanta. The partnership provides seed grants toMorehouse School of Medicine junior faculty, encouragesresearch collaborations between GTEC and AUC faculty,and provides research opportunities to AUC undergraduatestudents to promote their interest in the fields of tissueengineering and bioengineering.

Harnessing discoveries from biology and engineeringto develop integrated clinical therapies.

The core, enabling technologies resulting fromGTEC’s research will build a strong technicalfoundation for the engineering of living tissues.

■ For more information about GTEC programs

and accomplishments, visit the Center’s website

at: http://www.gtec.gatech.edu

Center for Computer-Integrated Surgical Systems and Technology (est. 1998)The Johns Hopkins University with the Brigham and Women’s Hospital, Carnegie Mellon University,

Johns Hopkins Medical Institutions, MIT, and Shadyside Hospital

Reinventing surgical procedures in the 21st century.

he impact of current developments in Computer-Integrated Surgery (CIS)systems on medical procedures during the next 30 years will be as significantas the impact of Computer-Integrated Manufacturing (CIM) systems hasbeen on industrial production over the past 30 years, and for many of thesame reasons. Systems combining image processing, patient modeling,treatment plan optimization, and real-time monitoring of the surgical environmentwith novel robots, sensors, and human-machine interfaces will fundamentallyadvance the ability of surgeons to plan and perform surgical procedures moreaccurately, more safely, and less invasively. Development of such systems willaddress a vital national need to greatly reduce costs, improve clinical out-comes, and improve the efficiency of health care delivery.

The NSF Engineering Research Center for Computer-Integrated SurgicalSystems and Technology (CISST ERC) provides the multidisciplinary infrastructureand systems focus required to address fundamental science, technology,and educational barriers impeding the rapid development and deployment ofCIS systems.

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■ For more information about CISST programs


at: http://cisst.org

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Steady Hands for Retinal SurgeryRetinal disorders are one of the leading causes of blindnessin people over the age of 60. The delicacy and small sizeof the retinal structures makes surgery to correct thesedisorders extremely challenging and, in some cases,impossible to perform by hand. The CISST ERC has devel-oped a system for eye surgery that combines robotic handstabilization and guidance with information overlays to createa surgical assistant for these delicate procedures. Videoinformation from the left and right “eyes” of the surgicalmicroscope is processed to create a three-dimensionalmodel of the retina and the locations of the surgical instru-ments. With these three-dimensional models, it is possibleto define desirable paths in space to perform the procedureand thus guide the surgeon’s movements using “virtual fix-tures.” At the same time, pre-operative information is reg-istered to the view of the microscope and is also displayed tothe surgeon. This system has the potential to give surgeonsthe “super-human” accuracy and precision necessary todevelop new treatments for these blinding disorders.

Statistical Atlas Allows Targeted Prostate BiopsyThe Center and its collaborators have constructed a statistical atlas of prostate cancer distribution that can significantly improve the ability to determine the optimalsite for biopsy. Diagnosis of prostate cancer is currentlyproblematic, particularly for early-stage and small tumors. Currentbiopsy procedures are performed byrandom sampling in suspect loca-tions. Using histological sections fromnearly 300 radical prostatectomyspecimens, along with deformableregistration methodologies, CISSTpartner institutions—including JohnsHopkins University, The University ofPennsylvania, Brigham and Women’s Hospital, GeorgetownUniversity, and the Center for Prostate Disease Research—have developed a multivariate statistical model of the spatialdistribution of prostate cancer. This statistical atlas can thenbe combined with an individual patient’s images to create apatient-specific optimal biopsy protocol. Simulations per-formed with the protocol have achieved a cancer detectionrate of 96.2 percent, compared with 70.5 percent using thecurrent method. A clinical trial involving 30 patients is under-way at Brigham and Women’s Hospital, along with furtherrefinements in the methodology. Further information isavailable at: http://www.rad.upenn.edu/sbia.

Hands-on Surgery Course For Engineers“Surgery for Engineers” engages students in new andexciting learning experiences, fosters relationshipsbetween engineers and clinicians, identifies and solves rel-evant problems with engineering principles, and enhancesthe undergraduate curriculum for career preparation. Thiscourse teaches engineering students the fundamentalskills and operative procedures for general surgery. It is ahands-on course that is designed for engineers taskedwith the development of computer-integrated surgerytools that will improve upon current technologies in use inthe Operating Room. The impact is made at three levels:undergraduate, graduate, and in the medical field.Undergraduates get a hands-on laboratory experienceunlike any other in their courses, which challenges them tocontinue this experience into their research at the graduatelevel. At the graduate level, Surgery For Engineers providesa complementary experience that is often parallel to theircurrent research projects, exposing them to further innovativeideas. The impact then extends to the medical field, wherethe research continues as engineers work with the medicalstaff to develop leading-edge instruments for use in theoperating room.

Medical procedures will be carried out fasterand more accurately. The result: Better healthcare and reduced costs.

Biotechnology Process Engineering Center (est. 1985)Massachusetts Institute of Technology

New therapies for genetic disorders and cancer treatment.

uring cancer and treating infertility and AIDS—these are lofty goals. Butresearchers are making important progress at the Biotechnology ProcessEngineering Center (BPEC) at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT).

BPEC’s aim is to foster cross-disciplinary, systems-driven research and educationthat merges engineering with molecular cell biology. Advances in mammaliancell bioprocess technology and protein therapeutics made by BPEC—suchas the BioDesigner for bioprocess simulation, algorithms for the rationaldesign of growth media based on fundamental scientific advances, andmethodologies for characterizing protein quality—have enabled the developmentof a wide range of new pharmaceuticals. BPEC alumni have accounteddirectly for many of these pharmaceutical developments. At Genentech, forinstance, they played key roles in bringing new monoclonal antibody cancertherapies to market. BPEC alumni at Merck, for another example, haveplayed key roles in the battle against AIDS by developing new drugs to treatthe disease.

BPEC researchers comprise multidisciplinary teams of molecular biologists,bioengineers, chemists, and medical doctors. Currently, they are focusing ontwo areas of therapeutic gene and stem cell technologies. One is gene deliveryto stem cells that form blood, in order to correct inborn genetic problems.The second area is gene delivery to cells in the liver for treatment of liver cancer.The results of BPEC research will provide a foundation for treating otherdegenerative diseases such as diabetes, the repair of injured tissues (e.g.,spinal cord), and therapies for other types of cancers—as well as preventativeDNA vaccines that can arrest the onset of disease altogether.

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■ For more information about BPEC’s programs


at: http://web.mit.edu/bpec

Creation of a Screenable Library of HumanAntibodiesAntibodies are produced by the body’s immune system as adisease-fighting mechanism. In many medical treatments,antibodies are injected into the human body to seek outspecific proteins on cancerous cells, for example, and targettreatment to those cells. BPEC researchers have captured abroad sample of the myriad types of antibodies present inadult humans and expressed those antibodies on the surfaceof yeast cells in a format suitable for quantitative screening.This work will speed the search for new antibodies—pro-teins that are effective tools for recognizing specific mole-cules. The technology provides a powerful and direct routeto the isolation of useful antibodies outside a living body.As a result, it could replace the need to produce antibodieswithin animals, such as mice.

Breakthrough Findings for Treating Cancer and InfertilityResearchers believe that the key to the unchecked growth of some tumor cells can be found throughthe study of DNA imprinting — the process by which genes are switched on or off during fertilization.In healthy cells there is a balance between genes that promote growth and genes that control growth.In a tumor-producing cell, the on-off switch is disrupted, causing the cell to multiply unchecked.

BPEC investigators have developed novel techniques for culturing primitive germ cells in vitro frommouse embryonic stem cells, which allows them to study how the germ cells’ natural development isdisrupted. They hope that once they fully understand how genes are switched on and off , it might bepossible to seek ways to reverse the faulty growth process in afflicted tumor cells. Understanding howthese primitive germ cells develop into sex cells capable of fertilizing an egg cell will also provide insightinto sperm development, potentially leading to treatments for infertility.

A library of human antibodies represents amajor disease-fighting tool.

A cure for cancer may depend on finding a defective “on-off” switch in certain cells.

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MIT’s First New Field of Study in 29 YearsMIT, the institution that helped establish the academicfields of chemical engineering and electrical engineering,has created an entirely new course of study with their rev-olutionary Biological Engineering (BE)undergraduate degree program. Theprogram had its origins some twentyyears ago when the faculty at theBiotechnology Process EngineeringCenter realized that there is a lot offascinating—and necessary—researchto do in the interface between biology and engineering.Their advocacy helped drive the establishment in 1998 ofa new Biological Engineering Division at MIT, out of whichthe new degree program is a natural outgrowth.

Consider the endless future possibilities of this exciting,emerging academic field: One MIT researcher is studyinghow animals make their shells, and is using what shelearns to develop advanced materials. Another investigatoris building tiny chips with living liver cells to employ in drugtesting. Still another uses DNA sequencing machines tocreate models of vast, shifting ocean microbe populationsthat play a crucial role in the life of the planet. The BE majoris starting with just 20 undergrads and will grow in sizeover time as industry’s demand for BE graduates expands.

ERC for Biomimetic MicroElectronic Systems (est. 2003)University of Southern California with California Institute of Technology

and University of California at Santa Cruz

Restoring neural function through biomimetic microelectronic systems.

esearchers at this ERC are advancing the science and engineering of novel“biomimetic” microelectronic systems (BMES) based on fundamental principlesof biology. The mission of the BMES ERC is to implant into people devicesthat will communicate with tissue and treat incurable diseases such asblindness, paralysis, and cognitive impairment.

This ERC has brought together engineered-system specifications frommedical, scientific, and engineering disciplines with the latest microelectronicand microsystems technology. The ERC gains its strength through the integra-tion of its research thrusts, its testbeds, and fundamental science. The threethrust areas—mixed-signal systems on a chip (SoC), power and data manage-ment, and interface technology—are biologically inspired and geared to satisfyingthe needs of the medical device and diagnostic industry.

Coupled with its research thrusts, the BMES ERC focuses on three testbeds—a retinal prosthesis, a neuromuscular prosthesis, and a cortical prosthesis.The retinal prosthesis is aimed at restoring vision in patients with retinaldegeneration. The neuromuscular prosthesis is designed to reanimate paralyzedlimbs to perform useful movements via functional electrical stimulation.Lastly, the cortical prosthesis uses biomimetic models of the hippocampusto serve as neural prostheses for loss of cognitive function.

This work will vastly increase the quality of life of patients who suffer fromthese disabilities. The benefit to society comes not only from alleviatinghuman suffering, but also through reducing the amount of governmentresources now directed to assist people with disabilities. The developmentof these prosthetics potentially will solve the patient’s medical problem, notmerely treat it.

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■ For more information about BMES’ programs


at: http://bmes-erc.usc.edu

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Systems-on-a-Chip for Powerful ProsthesesThe BMES ERC is developing entire platforms for implantable devices that could one dayrestore vision to the blind, reanimate paralyzed limbs, and overcome certain cognitiveimpairments. This new genre of implantable microelectronic systems will seamlessly integratewith the human body and, in so doing, replace missing or damaged neuronal function. Theessential technologies being developed range from wireless power and data to hermeticpackaging and bioelectrodes, as well as novel low-powerbiomimetic mixed-signal systems on a chip (VLSI solutions).

As a highlight of development in one of these areas, the BMESERC has made great strides in state-of-the-art mixed-signalsystems on a chip. The device shown serves as a vehicle fordeveloping the technology to implement neural functions insilicon. These new mixed-signal circuits will allow centerresearchers to pack more functionality onto each chip, sothat the same piece of silicon will hold both digital circuitsinspired by neural processing and analog circuits able tocommunicate with neurons. Such a device has already suc-cessfully replaced the CA3 part of the hippocampus in the lab and in the future could alsohelp meet the needs of a retinal prosthesis to allow the blind to read and recognize faces.

Delivering Biological Markers Into TissueOne of the subtler tenets of scientific research is that “the necessity for an observer makes perfect observation impossible.” The challenge is to minimize the effect of theobservers and their observational tools. For example,investigations into the neurophysiology of the retina oftenrequire that “functional indicators” of parameters such asion concentrations and protein locations be loaded into livingretinal neurons, so that the parameters can be measured inreal-time.

Until now, the technique for “biolistic loading” of indicatorshas been to inject fluorescent particles into the neurons. Theparticles were relatively large and often caused significantdamage to the living cells during the loading process. Tosolve this problem, researchers at the BMES developed a “gene gun” to propel tiny silver nano-particles coated with fluorescent indicators into the retinal neurons. The particlesare less than one-tenth the size of the standard particlesand cause about 10% of the cell damage — making moreaccurate observation possible.

Incurable diseases such asblindness, paralysis, andmemory loss may somedaybe “cured” using implantablemicro-electronic devices.

High School Student Conducts Professional-Level ResearchMost pre-college programs offered by universities aim to givestudents a glimpse into the world of science and engineeringto spark their interest in further study. The BMES found onestudent in whom that spark became a flame. She was an

11th-grader who became involved withBMES through her science fair project,to develop an intraocular camera for usein retinal prostheses. This young woman’swork, mentored by BMES faculty, was soadvanced that she was accepted as theonly high school student ever to becomea full member of the Optical Materials andDevices Laboratory at USC.

The student was present at an FDA surgi-cal trial of a retinal prosthetic microelec-trode array and participated in the suc-

cessful surgical implantation of the first intraocular camerain a dog’s eye. Not surprisingly, she was recognized asone of the top 300 math, science, and engineering highschool students in the entire country. Now an undergraduateat USC, she is continuing her research on the visual psy-chophysics and optical systems design criteria applicable toboth intraocular and extraocular camera designs for retinalprosthetic devices.

The work of this center will extend the microelectronics revolution in medicine.

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VaNTH ERC for Bioengineering Educational Technologies (est. 1999)Vanderbilt University with Harvard-MIT, Northwestern University, and University of Texas-Austin

Developing the curricula and technologies to educate tomorrow’s bioengineers.

he past decade has seen an explosion of both interest and discovery in bioengineering. This new field lies where biology intersects engineering,physical/chemical sciences, and mathematics. Advances in the basic principlesand practical implementation of devices, materials, and instruments to non-invasively diagnose and treat a wide range of human diseases are beginningto stream out of this activity in academe and industry and will occupy manybioengineers in the years to come. The question is: How do we educatefuture generations of bioengineers in a discipline that is newly emerging andrapidly evolving? While the future of bioengineering is bright with promise,merely extrapolating the present educational paradigm will not fulfill itspotential. To attract and retain talented and energetic learners, bioengineeringneeds a much larger body of integrated, time-tested educational materials.

Like bioengineering itself, the future of bioengineering education also lieswithin an intersection—at the focal point of bioengineering, learning science,and learning technology. The VaNTH Engineering Research Center bringstogether professionals in all these disciplines to determine what bioengineeringstudents should learn, how they should learn it, and how that learning can bemeasured. VaNTH research has specifically targeted methods that can creategraduates who are “adaptive experts” in bioengineering. This goal is directlyrelated to national concerns regarding the need for innovation in the nationalscientific workforce. The overall strategy of the VaNTH ERC is to lay the founda-tion for a new system of bioengineering education that will allow the field torespond rapidly and effectively to immediate and future challenges.

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■ For more information about VaNTH programs


at: http://www.vanth.org The “How People Learn” Paradigm forBioengineersA major goal of VaNTH is to study educational venues andto provide guidance for the design of bioengineeringteaching materials based on the learning science principlesdiscussed in the National Academy of Sciences report“How People Learn” (the HPL Framework). To that end,VaNTH researchers conducted a study that involved interviewing faculty and students; presenting the HPLFramework to bioengineering educators; exploring waysto implement the framework; developing modules; andproducing a design document for the construction of bioengineering courses.

Researchers tested the hypothesis that HPL-based teachingmaterials are effective in bioengineering classrooms.Results show significant gains in learning for VaNTH modulescompared to standard approaches studied as controls inthe investigation.

We’re learning how bioengineers learn—and figuring out what they need to know—so we can develop core curricula for anexciting new field.

Spearheading New Approaches toBioengineering EducationInvestigators at the VaNTH ERC have developed 41instructional modules aimed at presenting modern bio-engineering to undergraduate and graduate students. Aparticularly good example of these educational advances isan introductory biomechanics course where real-life chal-lenges require students to determine which parts of thebiomechanics taxonomy are relevantto the problem at hand.

Students work together on problemsin the classroom. An electronicpolling system is used periodically topose questions on recent material.Many lectures are presented througha web-based course managementsystem and web-based home exercises will eventuallyreplace traditional “homework.” VaNTH believes that thechallenge-driven approach will better prepare students forthe workplace and for life-long learning. Studies show thatthis method makes students more adept in the synthesisof engineering concepts to solve new problems.

CAPE—From Concept to CoursewareHow does a concept for a course get turned into an actualprogram of instruction? CAPE (Courseware Authoring andPackaging Environment) is a courseware authoring systemand an experimental learning management system beingused to deliver modules and other courseware in biome-chanics, biotechnology, bio-optics, and other areas. Whilestill developmental, the system significantly reduces thetime required for instructors to move from concept toimplementation of courseware.

This system is the crucial intermediary technology that willtake instructional elements from a central repository andenable their assembly into a module or course. Mostimportantly, CAPE will allow individualized instruction sothat students can be tutored in the areas where they needthe most help. CAPE will also provide the next generationof “Personal Response Systems” to substantially improvein-class communications and formative assessmentbetween instructors and students.

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Integrated Media Systems CenterUniversity of Southern California

Learning to mimic nature.

Engineered Biomaterials Engineering Research Center (est. 1996)University of Washington

he University of Washington Engineered Biomaterials (UWEB) EngineeringResearch Center is comprised of a cross-disciplinary team of scientists,engineers, physicians, and industry leaders solving important problemsassociated with implanted medical devices.

Biomaterials and medical devices are widely used today. They savelives and improve the quality of life for millions. But the $100 billionmedical device industry faces a major challenge: existing biomaterialdevices do not work as well as the human parts they are intended toreplace. For example, a tissue heart valve after 10 years of reliableservice begins to mineralize and fail. Or a hip-joint prosthesis beginsto loosen after providing 12 years of good mobility for the patient.Prostheses have to be replaced and devices become infected andmust be removed. But these problems can be solved—it is possiblefor medical devices to work better and last longer. Implanted materialscan heal normally in the body if we follow nature’s own approach.That means gaining a better understanding of the biology of healing,including inflammation and thrombosis. UWEB has shown thatadverse tissue and foreign body reactions can be controlled—evenprecision-controlled—using next-generation biomaterials.

UWEB’s role in the medical device industry is vital. The work of UWEBresearchers and industry partners is accelerating the pace at whichearly-stage discoveries can be commercialized. UWEB’s forward-thinking models propel out-licensing potential and spin technologydevelopment companies out into the marketplace. Thus, UWEBdevelopments not only expand fundamental knowledge but are con-tinuing to transform the clinical practice of medicine.

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Creating Tissue-Acceptable BiomaterialsCreating “engineered” materials that mimic or interact withnatural, biological systems is a challenge for scientists andengineers at UWEB ERC. They are at work creating novel biomaterials that deliver the same biological signal(s) to the tissue surrounding an implant that natural tissues would send.UWEB has produced a variety of innovative technologies,including biomaterial matrices that deliver DNA and proteins,special coatings that allow externally controlled delivery ofdrugs from implanted reservoirs, and microfibers that healwithout causing a foreign-body reaction.

Sparking Interest in Science with Guy SimplantHow do you spark the interest of middle, junior and high schoolkids when it comes to science and engineering? UWEB ERCand partner institutions have taken an entertaining multimediaapproach. Their “Youth Take Heart” cardiovascular educationprogram features an interactive web-based computer gamecalled “Guy Simplant—The Case of the Ailing Heart”. The hopeis that students will not only learn about a healthier heart, but willbe enticed into further study and careers in the areas of science,health and engineering.

To find out more about what ails Guy’s heart, and why kids areso interested, go to www.guysimplant.org.

A new generation of biomaterials will trigger the body’s natural healing process.

The paradigm of “learning from nature” has profound implications for engineering, education, and industry — not to mention saving lives.

“Re-Growing” Human Fingers—and LimbsWith over a million Americans undergoing some form ofamputation every decade—most commonly the loss of oneor more fingers —UWEB researchers are exploring treat-ments such as regenerative healing and tissue engineeringof a replacement digit. They’ve found that the cells thatappear at re-growth in response to injury may represent atype of stem cell that could hold the key to digit re-growth.The hope is that this work might lead to better ways to treatall types of extremity injury, including complete limb loss.

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■ For more information about UWEB’s programs


at: http://www.uweb.engr.washington.edu

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Manufacturing and Processing

We tend to think of “manufacturing” as involving assemblylines and machinery for making products. It is that, to besure; but research in this field encompasses much more,including the materials and components and processesinvolved in manufacturing, as well as their environmentalimpacts. ERCs in this technology group are focusing onthe development of novel fibers, films, and particles for usein manufacturing as well as in products; the development ofenvironmentally beneficial and economically sound processesfor the semiconductor and chemical processing industries;and the development of a radically new manufacturing sys-tem to meet the needs of today’s manufacturers.

ERC for Environmentally Benign Semiconductor Manufacturing (est. 1996)University of Arizona with University of California at Berkeley, Cornell University, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, and Stanford University

Developing environmentally friendly manufacturingprocesses and tools for the semiconductor industry.

o make semiconductors requires large amounts of water, energy, and chemicals.The use of these resources, the safe handling of toxic chemicals, and thesafe treatment and disposal of the complex waste that is generated all havemajor environmental implications, if not controlled. The semiconductorindustry strives to safeguard the environmental, safety, and health (ESH)impacts of its operations and develop environmentally benign alternatives.But the industry is one in which processes and products change rapidly.Consequently, it is difficult to foresee and include ESH considerations in thedesign of new products and processes. The challenge lies in developingESH-friendly technology early enough to integrate it into the design of tomorrow’schip manufacturing processes and tools. This is the mission of theEngineering Research Center for Environmentally Benign SemiconductorManufacturing (CEBSM).

Center researchers are developing the science, technology, and educationalmethods necessary to lead the semiconductor industry to a new era of environ-mentally benign manufacturing in which the use of consumables is minimizedalong with emissions of environmentally harmful and unhealthy waste materials.CEBSM attempts to achieve these gains while at the same time reducingcosts and improving process-related quality and performance. Overall goalsinclude developing a methodology for incorporating ESH factors cost-effectivelyin the design of new processes, tools, and protocols for semiconductor manufacturing; integrating research activities with academic programs toprovide unique learning opportunities; and providing a technical forum forexperts to exchange ideas and information.

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Reducing Water Use in IC ManufacturingThe growing semiconductor industry’s use of large quantitiesof highly purified water in integrated circuit (IC) chip manu-facturing is not only costly but also has large potential envi-ronmental implications. Along with its partners, CEBSM setup a unique physical and simulation testbed facility that hasallowed researchers to devise improvedwater conservation and recycling toolsand techniques for IC fabrication. The goalhas been to provide technology that wouldmake it possible to reduce water usage by100% to 600%, depending on the fabricationtechnology being used. Achieving it hasinvolved a series of breakthroughs in low-energy water purification methods, low-water-use wafer cleaning processes, andnew treatment methods for low-cost andreliable water recycling in semiconductorfabrication.

Some of the conservation and resource management tech-niques developed at the facility have already been transferredto industry and are in use, saving between $250,000 and$2,000,000 annually at each manufacturing site. Thisresearch has received a number of high-level national andinternational awards, including from SemiconductorEquipment and Manufacturing International (SEMI) and theSemiconductor Research Corporation (SRC), which hasrecognized the contributions as “major innovations thathave significantly impacted industry and society.”

Program Introduces Science to Students in Remote AreasBecause knowledgeable, enthusiastic, and inspiring teachers play a key role in attractingmiddle and high school students to math, science, and engineering careers, CEBSMlaunched the Teachers Institute in 1997 to “teach the teachers,” and secondarily, to organizeoutreach programs to pre-college students in remote areas.

Recently, teachers from Palo Alto, California, and Phoenix, Tucson, Nogales, San Manuel,and Sierra Vista in Arizona—where several of the participating schools have a high minority pop-ulation (particularly Hispanic and Native American), and several serve small rural communi-ties—participated in the outreach program. It had a strong, positive, and immediate effecton both the teachers and their students. Teachers who participated in the Institute havedeveloped nearly 200 new lab and classroom exercises as a result of their summer research,reaching thousands of students.

CEBSM’s new technologies have been laudedas “major innovations that have significantlyimpacted industry and society.”

Faster, Cleaner, Cheaper ManufacturingCurrently, in the manufacturing of semiconductor and nanodevices, various materials are deposited in layers and thenalmost completely removed after patterning, in what is called“subtractive processing.” Research at CEBSM has laid thegroundwork for a more efficient “additive processing” approachthat promises to improve performance while lessening materialsand energy use and waste.

Researchers made a major breakthrough by developing a newselective deposition process in which metals are added directlyto the substrate to form the gates. They also developed newphoto-imageable materials. Together, these new approacheseliminate steps in the chip manufacturing process that wasteenergy, materials, and water. As a result, the new process isalso much more environmentally friendly and less expensivethan the process it replaces.

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■ For more information about CEBSM’s programs


at: http://www.erc.arizona.edu

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Center for Advanced Engineering Fibers and Films (est. 1998)Clemson University with Massachusetts Institute of Technology and Clark Atlanta University

Creating a new paradigm for fiber and film development.

ibers and films are special material forms that are commonly usedthroughout the manufacturing industries. The Center for AdvancedEngineering Fibers and Films (CAEFF) is an integrated research andeducation environment for the systems-oriented study of fibers andfilms. The Center’s goal is to create a new paradigm for fiber and filmdevelopment that relies on computational materials design instead oftrial-and-error experimentation. CAEFF researchers are pursuing thisgoal by creating integrated, multi-scale models that can be used topredict optimal combinations of materials and manufacturing conditions,for a range of fiber and film manufacturing processes.

The Center’s state-of-the-art materials design environment includesexperimental facilities with pilot-scale extrusion equipment and custominstrumentation for property measurements; a materials database;software that comprises modeling and visualization of data; andadvanced computing hardware and operating systems. The researchfocuses on melt processes for fibers and films (fiber spinning, cast filmextrusion, and blown film extrusion) and on surface processes.Synthetic polymers, bio-based polymers, and carbonaceous oligomersare used as test-case material systems.

Graduates of the Center have a broad, systems-oriented technicalfoundation; skills in modeling, simulation, and visualization; an appre-ciation of the industry perspective; and the teamwork and communica-tion skills necessary to function effectively in collaborative virtualdesign environments. The paradigm shift envisioned by CAEFF will beaccomplished by placing CAEFF graduates in industry positions andby training industry personnel in the use of the modeling approach fordeveloping new products. Disseminating the modeling approach advo-cated by CAEFF is our most important technology transfer activity.

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New Models for Process SimulationCAEFF has created the first simulation package capable ofpredicting the final structure and properties of fibers or filmsproduced at given sets of process conditions. The softwaresimulates melt-spinning (the dominant commercial fiber for-mation process) of synthetic materials, using modules thatsimulate each stage of the process. It can be easily config-ured for a variety of processes. Menu-driven through agraphical user interface, the software features flow modelsat different levels of complexity, which enable the processdesigner to first gain insight with a quick, one-dimensionalsimulation. This knowledge is then used to set designparameters for more accurate simulations. The model isdirectly connected to the CAEFF Polymer Database, whichserves not only as a medium for archiving experimental andsimulation data, but also as a means of accessing all mate-rial data necessary for a simulation by simply specifying thepolymer.

CAEFF has created an integrated process model that industrial userscan employ as a “virtual laboratory” to simulate the processing ofpolymeric fibers and films online.

A High-Tech Display Wall as a Research Tool“Scientific visualization” is a research tool that has becomeincreasingly attractive and effective as computer power hasincreased. CAEFF researchers have constructed a high-reso-lution “display wall” consisting of 24 video projectors, poweredby 240 commodity computers, toprovide high-performance ren-dering. The display wall features“casual alignment” technologydeveloped at CAEFF. Projectorsare placed behind the screenand cameras “watch” the screento dynamically update the gener-ated image to compensate formisalignment between the projectors. This arrangement elimi-nates the need for expensive and labor-intensive hardware forprecision manual alignment.

High-resolution visualization plays an increasing role in gaininginsight from the results of large scientific visualizations. TheERC’s commodity display wall technology makes high-reso-lution systems both much more affordable to build and morereadily accessible to researchers and industry.

■ For more information about CAEFF’s programs


at: http://www.clemson.edu/caeff

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A “Virtual Testbed” for Designing Fibers and FilmsCAEFF’s materials design environment features an online “virtualtestbed” that will allow users to design an entire fiber or film systemby inputting precursor specifications, processing parameters, anddesired properties. This virtual testbed will bring design improvementsto current manufacturing systems and also significantly reduce, ifnot eliminate, trial-and-error experiments needed for the design ofnext-generation fiber and film processes.

Particle Engineering Research Center (est. 1994)University of Florida

Bringing a world of new products and processesthrough innovative particulate systems.

articles are used in a myriad of ways in modern manufacturing, as both tooland product. Particle technology deals with the production, characterization,modification, handling, and utilization of organic and inorganic powders aswell as bioparticles, in both dry and wet conditions. Particulate systems area core technology in many industries including advanced materials, chemical,energy, environmental, mineral, agricultural, pharmaceutical, biotechnology,and food processing.

The aim of the Particle Engineering Research Center (PERC) is to developinnovative particulate-based systems for next-generation processes anddevices that improve the nation’s industrial strength, environmental quality,and public health, while producing top-flight engineers and scientists in thisvital field.

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■ For more information about PERC’s programs


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Inactivating Hazardous BioparticulatesBiological warfare agents encompass bacteria, viruses, fungi,and other microorganisms. Techniques for disinfection includethe use of chemical disinfectants and irradiation with germicidalultraviolet — all of which have some unacceptable shortcomings

including toxic byproducts and surface damage.

Photocatalysis is an alternative technology fordisinfection of air and water environments thatdoes not generate toxic byproducts or causedamage to the surface. Researchers at PERChave synthesized titania-coated multi-wall carbon nanotubes which have been shown tobe twice as effective in photocatalytic disinfectionof spores as commercially available productsare. The improved photocatalysis processcould provide a convenient way to deactivate

biological contaminants — not only for the defense sector, butfor environmental problems in the civilian and industrial sectorsas well.

PERC researchers have found a wayto disinfect biological agents withoutleaving toxic byproducts behind.

Smart Nanotubes for Selective Biomolecule Delivery to Living CellsMost drugs used to treat life-threatening human maladies such as cancer, heart disease,and AIDS cause serious side effects because, in most cases, the drugs are administeredto the whole body, even though they need to act on only a small part of it.Researchers at PERC have developed a major new alternative drug transporttechnology consisting of an assembly of mono-dispersed tubular nano-particleswith and without “chemical sensing” nanocaps at the ends of the tubes. Specifictargeting technology is incorporated into the structural platform.

Simply stated, smart nanotubes are able to deliver drugs to only the target cells(diseased cells), thereby greatly reducing the dose a patient would need to takeand providing targeted and more effective treatment. By allowing the delivery of severalclasses of important therapeutic agents to only those cells or tissues that require themedication, the smart nanostructures will markedly improve drug safety and efficacy.

Training the Next Generation of ResearchersThe field of Particle Science and Technology (PS&T) is importantfor a wide range of industries, from microelectronics to phar-maceuticals. Experts and advanced level students in the fieldare scattered all around the world, and no single institution hasexpertise in all of the multidisciplinary areas that comprise PS&T.

To meet this need, PERC established the Particle ScienceSummer School in Winter (SSIW). The SSIW program is anintensive, week-long program for graduate students that pro-vides advanced training in PS&T topics in an internationalforum, taught by world-class experts from both academia andindustry. The students come from around the country andabroad. In addition to training the next generation of PS&Tresearchers, the program gives these students an opportunityto begin to network and collaborate across continents.

“Smart nanotubes” deliver drugs only to targetedcells, thereby reducing unwanted side-effects.

The Center for Environmentally Beneficial Catalysis (est. 2003)University of Kansas with University of Iowa, Prairie View A&M University, and Washington University in St. Louis

Strengthening the chemical industry throughenvironmentally and economically sustainable

new products and processes.

he Center for Environmentally Beneficial Catalysis (CEBC) was designed toaddress the challenges faced by the chemical industry. This is a $450 billion/yrenterprise that accounts for approximately 10% of U.S. exports and nearlyone million jobs. Synthetic fibers used in clothing, life-saving medicines,technology-enhanced agricultural products, clean fuels, and lightweightmaterials for transportation are a few of its more than 70,000 products. Thisindustry faces many challenges in the 21st century, such as increasing globalizationof markets, demands for improved environmental performance, increasedproductivity to maintain global competitiveness, higher consumer expectationsfor product quality, and the changing workforce required to meet these chal-lenges. Additionally, in the coming decades, fuels and synthetic chemicalswill increasingly have to be produced from non-crude-oil-based feedstocks.

CEBC is addressing these challenges by developing advanced technologiesthat minimize waste generation and protect environmental quality. Envisionedtransformations include: replacement of conventional liquid acids with benignsolid acid catalysts; processes that use benign solvents such as carbon dioxideor water; atom-economical use of raw materials to create desired products;production of fuels and synthetic chemicals from alternate feedstocks such ascoal and biomass; and process intensification for energy efficiency and safety.

The multidisciplinary CEBC research integrates knowledge from chemical,biological, surface, and catalytic sciences to engineer innovative technologiesfor new processes and products. Education and training of CEBC graduatesis also interdisciplinary, with novel graduate curricula that integrate coursesin chemistry, biochemistry, engineering, and the computational fields.

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■ For more information about CEBC’s programs


at: http://www.cebc.ku.edu

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Introducing K-12 Students to Green EngineeringCurrent research on science education confirms the adagethat students learn best and are most engaged when theyare actively involved in scientific research that is directlyrelated to their everyday lives. Guided by this knowledge,CEBC education researchers have developed the first online

collaborative research unit hosted byPathfinder Science (http://pathfind-erscience.net) to address how greenengineering impacts students. Theresearch unit, with componentstargeting both elementary and sec-ondary students, introduces stu-dents to the concepts of environ-mental assessment and green sol-vents by investigating the environ-

mental impact of various technologies used by dry cleanersin their own communities. The data and results of thisresearch are available to anyone through the Pathfinderwebsite, and can be further evaluated by comparing datagenerated by students worldwide with existing informationon air and water quality. CEBC research is integrated intothe background information for the student projects to reinforcethe principles of green engineering and chemistry. Teachersand business owners also benefit from this research experi-ence by learning about how environmentally responsiblepractices improve the quality of life in the community.

Applying Green Engineering and Chemistry Principles in Synthesis of New Solid Acid CatalystsThe use of environmentally benign solid acid catalysts as replacements for highly corrosive mineral acids (such as sulfuric acid andhydrofluoric acid) in chemical processes has been an elusive grand challenge of the chemical industry for decades. The major barrierto commercialization of solid acid catalyzed processes is rapid catalyst deactivation and/or unacceptable product quality. A key to

solving this problem is designing a catalyst that is active enough to rapidly convert the starting materialsto desired products while avoiding side-reactions that lead to fouling and catalyst deactivation. CEBCresearchers have successfully synthesized C-H–type solid acids whose acid strength is greater thanthat of sulfuric acid and that show remarkably high catalytic activity. Traditional methods to synthesizethese types of materials generate large amounts of solid and liquid wastes. CEBC researchers havedeveloped a “greener” and more economical route that employs a solventless catalyst purification stepand produces the solid acid in high (90+%) yields. The Center is now developing novel processesbased on the use of solid acid catalysts.

CO2-Expanded Liquids as SolventsCEBC researchers are leading the way in the rational exploita-tion of CO2-expanded liquids (CXLs) as benign alternativesto conventional organic solvents. A CXL is generated bymixing nontoxic, nonflammable carbon dioxide (from existing,free gaseous sources) with either a conventional organic sol-vent or a binary mixture of the organic solvent and water to forma single-phase liquid. The resulting CXL greatly reduces thepotential for forming explosive vapors and possesses proper-ties desirable as a medium for performing catalytic reactions.Additionally, CXLs reduce the usage of organic solvents andthereby the emissions of organic vapors into the atmosphere.CEBC researchers are exploiting this novel and versatileclass of solvents to develop environmentally benign andeconomically viable alternative processes for a broad rangeof catalytic reaction systems. For example, continuousbench-scale reactors that employ CXLs have been developedto demonstrate stable solid acid catalyzed alkylations. Thisfinding is significant since it eliminates catalyst fouling as amajor barrier impeding the commercialization of solid acidcatalyzed processes.

“Industrial Ecology” is a new paradigm for balancing theindustrial system with the natural ecosystem—sustainably.

Engineering Research Center for Reconfigurable Manufacturing Systems (est. 1996)University of Michigan, Ann Arbor

Creating the new manufacturingparadigm for the new century.

o regain its competitiveness in the global and domestic markets,the U.S. transportation manufacturing industries must possessand operate manufacturing systems that are super-productiveand reconfigurable to accommodate the frequent changes in marketvariables caused by global competition. The goal of theEngineering Research Center for Reconfigurable ManufacturingSystems (ERC/RMS) is to design innovative, reconfigurable man-ufacturing systems that permit rapid response to changes in marketdemand and cost-effective production of new products. In thisnew reconfigurable manufacturing paradigm, production lines arealways providing exactly the production capacity and functionalityneeded, exactly when needed. The ERC/RMS has demonstratedin practice that scientific advances can be integrated even intotraditional production lines on the factory floor to augment theirproductivity.

The Center has proven that its numerous patents and inventionscan enhance U.S. manufacturing industry productivity, reduce itslead-time for new products, and yield systematic high-qualityproducts despite investing less in measurements, while utilizinginnovative measurement instrumentation never seen before.

The ERC/RMS integrates research results into academic programsthat teach strategies and tools that enable graduates to competesuccessfully in the global manufacturing environment. It alsooffers numerous outreach activities to high schools and the public atlarge, aimed at increasing the pool of students interested in pursuingmanufacturing careers

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■ For more information about RMS’ programs


at: http://erc.engin.umich.edu

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Finding Flaws Faster Enhances ProductivityMany critical parts of an automobile (e.g., engine blocks) areproduced with precision machinery at a high rate of 100parts per hour. But what happens when there is a defect inproduction due to a worn or flawed tool? The current practiceis to measure the part using a relatively slow machine thattakes about 3 hours. If a bad dimension isidentified, the production line is stopped.However, during those 3 hours about 300engines have been produced—each con-taining defects.

ERC/RMS has developed a ReconfigurableInspection Machine (RIM) that utilizes newnon-contact sensor technologies to meas-ure—within 30 seconds—features associ-ated with a family of automotive parts. TheRIM is capable of inspecting each part ona real-time basis directly on the machiningline, thereby identifying problems immediately. The RIM is anexample of an innovative idea that was translated to a newmachine. RIM machines are being integrated now into pro-duction lines of US automotive manufacturers in Michigan,and will dramatically change the way that inspection is per-formed—in-process instead of after process.

The Portable Manufacturing System ProjectTo increase the interest in and understanding of manufacturingamong middle and high school students, ERC/RMS designeda short course on manufacturing and built a portable manu-facturing cell that is taken to local schools to provide hands-onexperience. The cell can be also operated via the Internet.

The Portable Manufacturing System Project (PMSP) cell iscomposed of a CNC milling machine, a robot, and a personalcomputer that controls the entire system. In a two-weeklong program, students from the ERC/RMS teach the middleand high school students about basic concepts of manufac-turing, computer-aided design (CAD), computer-aided man-ufacturing (CAM), and simple computer programming. Buildingupon these skills, the young students learn how to use therobot and a milling machine. The PMSP has introducedmanufacturing engineering to over 1000 precollege students.It also reaches the general public through museum exhibits.

Reconfigurable Factory TestbedERC/RMS has built a one-of-a-kind Reconfigurable FactoryTestbed (RFT) consisting of both real and virtual machinesthat are controlled over a communication network and coor-dinated through a unified software architecture. Part of thetestbed is hardware. Another part of the testbed is soft-ware—the “virtual factory.”There is also a suite of open-source, web-based RemoteViewing and Collaborationtools.

The integration of real andvirtual machines together inthe same system with thesame controllers is unique;no similar facility exists in any other university or company.The expandable scale of the RFT, with the integration ofphysical and virtual machines, allows control systems ofunprecedented complexity to be developed, tested, andvalidated in a laboratory environment. The research resultsdeveloped using the RFT are enabling dramatic improvementsin factory design and control, increasing the productivity andprofitability of manufacturing companies.

Instead of taking three hours, defects cannow be identified within 30 seconds —dramatically improving productivity andreducing costs.

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earthquake engineering

Major earthquakes are a relatively rare occurrence in theUnited States. However, extensive fault zones exist notonly on the West Coast but across the continent; and inthe nation’s history major earthquakes have occurred in theMidwest, the Southeast, and other regions. If such eventswere to take place today, they would cause catastrophicdestruction. Three ERCs aim their research and educationprograms at finding ways to reduce the losses anddestruction caused by earthquakes through a variety ofmeans including improved seismic design of structures,protection of critical infrastructure through new technologies,better loss estimation, and faster damage assessment.

Multidisciplinary Center for Earthquake Engineering Research (est. 1997)University at Buffalo with Cornell University, University of California at Irvine, and University of Colorado at Boulder

Engineering solutions for earthquake loss reduction.

arthquakes are perhaps the most devastating of all natural disastersbecause they strike without warning. Like a “surprise attack,” theysneak up unannounced and can instantly transform the everydayinto the unthinkable—bringing death, destruction, and disruptionfor weeks, months, and years into the future.

With at least 39 states at risk of moderate or major earthquakeactivity, how do communities prepare to reduce these potentiallydevastating effects of Mother Nature? How do they become moreresilient in the face of earthquake disaster? Researchers at theMultidisciplinary Center for Earthquake Engineering Research(MCEER) are providing answers to these questions.

MCEER unites a group of leading researchers, students, and partnersin business, industry, and government from numerous disciplinesand organizations throughout the United States. Together theyintegrate knowledge, expertise, and a multidisciplinary perspectivewith state-of-the-art experimental and computational facilities inthe fields of earthquake engineering and socioeconomic studies.The result is a strategic and systematic “engineered” programcombining basic and applied research with education and out-reach initiatives that, together, produce solutions and strategies toreduce the impacts of earthquakes on physical infrastructure andsocioeconomic systems.

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Successful Deployment of Lifeline Resilience SoftwareOne focus of research at MCEER is finding ways to protect the essential utilities infra-structure, or “lifelines,” of cities in the event of an earthquake. MCEER’s team has developeda methodology and software tools to evaluate the seismic resilience of electrical powerand water supply systems. The Center has deployed the new tools to conduct casestudies using the Los Angeles Department of Water and Power’s (LADWP’s) water andpower systems as a testbed.

The software tools incorporate specific information about key subjects such as censusand economic data for societal impact assessment; fragility information on systemcomponents with and without seismic retrofit; and the utility’s organizational and management preparedness. The case studies were able to successfully evaluate — forthe first time — the resilience of actual water and power systems interacting under various earthquake scenarios.

Remote Sensing Saves Lives After EarthquakesEarthquakes can instantaneously destroy property and humanlife, but a speedy and well-organized response can limit theextent of further losses. An emergency manager’s most difficultpost-disaster task is to quickly and accurately assess damageand the disruption in efforts to direct available resources to

areas of greatest need.

Researchers at MCEER are investigating howremote sensing technologies such as syntheticaperture radar and moderate resolution opticalimagery can be used to improve post-disasterdamage/situation assessment. For example,MCEER researchers have furthered the inte-gration of such technologies, and expandedtheir use, in investigations immediately followinganother type of disaster – Hurricane Katrina.

More advances are likely to come from the widening availabilityof high-resolution images and the use of unmanned airbornevehicles and other means to collect data in near-real-time.

Better Buildings via “Darwinian” DesignProtective technologies have revolutionized the design andretrofit of buildings for earthquake loads by absorbing dam-aging shock and vibrations. As building design evolves viause of advanced technologies, MCEER researchers areintroducing a new computational platform that enablesengineers to choose the optimal device and configuration tomeet prescribed standards of performance for protection ofthe building and its contents. The Evolutionary AseismicDesign and Retrofit (EADR) software enables engineers tomodel a structure and encode its genetic make-up (itsimportant structural and nonstructural attributes). A genet-ic-based evolution algorithm is then used to analyze andoptimize the structure’s dynamic behavior to attain thefittest level of performance for prescribed conditions.

Economic losses from recent urban earthquakes inthe U.S. recorded losses in tens of billions of dollars.

■ For more information about MCEER’s programs


at: http://.mceer.buffalo.edu

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Pacific Earthquake Engineering Research Center (est. 1997)University of California at Berkeley with California Institute of Technology, Stanford University,

University of California at Davis, University of California at Irvine, University of California at Los Angeles, University of California at San Diego, University of Southern California, and University of Washington

Developing seismic design technologies to improve safety and manage seismic risk.

arthquakes in the United States and worldwide have oftenbrought death, great economic losses, and societal disruption.PEER pursues programs aimed at reducing earthquake lossescost-effectively, with an emphasis on understanding and mitigatingthe potential for collapse of older buildings and developing per-formance-based approaches to measure the tradeoffs betweenupfront investments in seismic safety and downstream losses.

Advances in the earth sciences related to seismic hazard, and incomputational procedures related to modeling and computation,can be coupled with economic models to simulate the effects ofearthquakes on the built environment and society. The challengeto the PEER research program is to bridge the gaps betweenthese different disciplines in order to develop a performance-based, systems-level approach to seismic evaluation and design.

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Filling the Gap in Ground Motion DataIn collaboration with seismologists and business and industrypartners, PEER is developing a new generation of simulationmodels to predict the characteristics of future groundmotions at a site. The traditional approach has been to useattenuation models that are developed using empirical data

from recordings of past earthquakes.But large earthquakes are rare, andmeasurements of large earthquakesclose to the fault are even rarer.

Rather than wait perhaps hundreds ofyears to record large-magnitude eventsclose to the fault, PEER is predictingground shaking in large-magnitudeearthquakes using computers to simulatefault rupture, propagation of ground

waves, and local site amplification effects. As a result, PEERhas been able to fill in the missing data from large-magnitude,nearby earthquakes without having to wait for the devastatingconsequences of the next “big one.”

Earthquake Performance Simulation ToolsPEER is developing the theory and tools so engineers candesign facilities whose performance is individually tailored to

the resources and needs of the owner as well associety. High-rise buildings can be safer, bridgesand hospitals remain functional, and museumcollections can be protected. A key component isearthquake performance simulation—wherebyspecialized software is used to model seismic

waves; facility response including damage; and conse-quences in terms of repair costs, downtime, and casualties.One software innovation, the Open System for EarthquakeEngineering Simulation, or OpenSees, takes advantage ofmodern high-end computing, grid communications, accessto databases, and scientific visualizations to improve our abilityto model and simulate complex structural and geotechnicalsystems. With advanced seismic simulations, engineers andowners can visualize outcomes and make critical decisionsaffecting future facility performance.

Shake Table Competitions for K-16 StudentsTo attract and inform youth in grades K-12 regarding careeropportunities available in science and engineering, UC-Irvinecreated a great example of student outreach called the“Learning with LEGOs” competition. Led by PEER facultymembers, the university invites hundreds of K-12 studentsfrom the inner city to participate in ashake table competition using LEGOs.This program has spawned an evenlarger nationwide Undergraduate ShakeTable Competition through PEER run bythe center’s Student Leadership Council,which is open to teams from any col-lege in the country.

Both competitions use earthquake engineering to show thatcareers in science and engineering are open to studentsthrough higher education, including graduate school.

Earthquake simulation studiesprovide valuable data withoutwaiting years for the next “bigone” to hit.

Inner-city students “shake it up”at LEGO competition.

■ For more information about PEER’s programs


at: http://[email protected]

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Mid-America Earthquake Center (est. 1997)University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign with Georgia Institute of Technology, University of Memphis,

University of Michigan, University of Puerto Rico, Texas A&M University, University of Texas at Austin, and Washington University

Reducing earthquake losses through research and education.

he Mid-America Earthquake (MAE) Center has become a worldleader in assessing and mitigating the effects of low-probability/high-consequence earthquakes and other natural disasters. Theseries of earthquakes in 1811 and 1812 referred to the NewMadrid earthquakes shook most of the Central and Eastern US, andwere felt as far as Washington, DC. A repeat of those events todaywould cause losses significantly larger than those caused byHurricane Katrina, and would have enormous impacts throughoutthe US and even the global economy. High-impact natural disastersare so infrequent that there is no consensus on how to mitigatetheir anticipated effects. They require an approach capable ofinfluencing many types of organizations and addressing the needsof a complex society.

The MAE Center has pioneered the development, articulation, andapplication of Consequence-Based Risk Management (CRM), where-by engineering and consequential social and economic impacts,alongside mitigation options, are assessed in an integrated fashionand presented through high-end Information Technology platformsto decision- and policy-makers. The CRM framework also servesto develop educational and outreach activities that address thecomplex needs of vulnerable regions and lead to higher risk-awareness and preparedness. The novel integrated approach ofthe MAE Center is also producing a new type of risk managementprofessional who is capable of dealing with engineering, social, andeconomic issues and their interactions. Through the MAE Center’shighly interdisciplinary CRM framework, risk is assessed in theCentral and Eastern US and similar regions around the world, andsuitable plans and prioritization of mitigation actions are developedto protect communities vulnerable to natural disasters.

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“MAEViz” Allows Earthquake Damage VisualizationMAEViz—the MAE Center’s Loss Assessment and Visualization software package—is a framework thatintegrates spatial information, data, and visual information into an environment for performing seismic lossassessment and analysis. Because MAEViz is a single interface that integrates a variety of data sourcesand types, it is useful to engineers, state departments of transportation, emergency managers, insurancecompanies, and others interested in assessing losses due to disasters.

MAEViz capabilities include generating damage estimates; testing multiple mitigation strategies; andsupporting modeling of impacts on transportation and utility networks as well as on social and economicsystems. The different sources of uncertainty in estimating losses are integrated to give the decision-makersufficient information for risk-informed action. Application of different structural strengthening approachesand the outcome of different scenarios are fed into a decision-making module that prioritizes the optionsbased on the loss assessment and mitigation calculations. MAEViz has single and multiple screens, versatilevisualization capabilities, and is deployable in a distributed computing environment on the grid.

GPS Array “Sees” Deformation of Earth’s CrustExcept for a few cases, the deformation of the earth betweenearthquakes—during which time the crust is strained to thebreaking point—has been invisible to scientists. Technologicaladvances have enabled us to see more. The Global PositioningSystem (GPS), which revolutionized navigation, has also revo-lutionized the study of movements of the Earth’s tectonicplates.

The GPS Array for Mid-America (GAMA) is an MAE Centerproject designed to determine if deformation is occurring inthe interior of the North American plate. The GAMA networkcomprises a series of GPS stations located in the NewMadrid seismic zone in the central Mississippi Valley. Resultsindicate that rapid deformation is indeed occurring. Theseobservations are leading to a more rapid and completeexplanation for the causes of New Madrid earthquakes andwill improve seismic hazard estimation.

Educating Tomorrow’s Earthquake Risk ExpertsThe MAE Center is preparing the next generation of earthquakescientists, engineers, and risk managers through a variety ofeducation and research activities. Students can earn a center-wide Certificate in Earthquake Science and Engineering bytaking courses at their home institution, enrolling in a distancelearning credit course taught by Center faculty, and participat-ing in a residential Consequence-based Risk Management(CRM) Institute focusing on interdisciplinary assessment andmitigation of earthquake effects.

The education programs give studentsthe opportunity to learn about topicsranging from seismology to social sci-ence and provide a theoretical andpractical framework for understandingthe consequences of a damaging earth-quake. Learning comes to life throughopportunities for MAE Center studentsto participate in field missions that include travel to earth-quake-prone areas of the world and to interact with industryexperts through internships.

The largest-ever earthquakes in the US were the1811-1812 New Madrid quakes. The same eventstoday would bring losses of at least $200 billion.

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■ For more information about MAE Center programs

and accomplishments, visit the Center’s website at:

http://mae.cee.uiuc.edu

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This area encompasses many of the most advanced fieldsof engineering research—research that underpins the tech-nologies of tomorrow. The eight ERCs in this group areworking at the frontiers of fields as diverse as: intelligentmachines with human-like senses; new light sources for use atthe nanoscale; a novel approach to microelectronic systemspackaging; a radar network that can more reliably detectlow-altitude weather phenomena such as tornadoes; wire-less microdevices for a multitude of uses; technologies forsensing objects hidden beneath any medium; multimediaand internet research; and new technologies for convertingelectric power from one form to another.

Center for Neuromorphic Systems Engineering (est. 1994)California Institute of Technology

Endowing machines of the twenty-first century with human senses.

oday, most machines need a human ‘master’ to tell them what todo via knobs, sliders, keyboards, and pointing devices. But researchersat the Center for Neuromorphic Systems Engineering (CNSE) envisiona future where machines sense, interact with, learn from, and adaptto their environment with the same ease as living creatures. Thehope is that this generation of smarter machines will greatly improveconsumer products, human/computer interaction, healthcare, man-ufacturing, and telecommunications.

CNSE is following nature’s lead by developing special-purpose sys-tems for specific sensory processing tasks. When these special-pur-pose sensors and processing electronics are coupled with learningalgorithms and appropriate computational architectures, the resultingintegrated sensory system can offer robustness in response to envi-ronmental variations and useful performance over a very wide rangeof input magnitude. The goal is to devise technologies and systemsthat, someday, will allow machines to communicate meaningfullywith people.

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Microsoft Products Include DigitalPersona TechnologyPassword management is a growing problem for many computer users. People often have to keep

track of many different passwords and user names in order to get secure access to check e-mail,shop at favorite web sites, and use bank accounts or databases. Microsoft is now shipping prod-

ucts that contain fingerprint identification technology developed by a CNSE start-up company,DigitalPersona.

The new Microsoft products introduce biometric password management using softwarewhich includes a novel engine that makes fingerprint recognition fast and reliable. Theseproducts aim to reduce “password fatigue” by making it more convenient to open password-protected pages while continuing to insure privacy and security. The fingerprint reader isdesigned to be intuitive and reliable. It is expected that this technology will soon becomeubiquitous wherever people use computers.

Chip Transceiver Could Make Driving SaferA team of Caltech electrical engineers has created a “phased-array transceiver”—a silicon chip, smaller than a penny, withradar and communication capabilities that could help vehiclesavoid obstacles. It works much like aconventional radar system, but takesless space, costs less, and does notrequire the rapidly turning antennae.

A chip attached to the front of a carcould be linked to an interior screendisplaying everything in the car's path.The car could then be programmed toavoid obstacles or to stop before crashing—all without humanintervention. The phased-array transceiver chip could also beused in military applications to monitor an area in place ofhuman patrols. Operating at 24GHz (meaning it cycles 24 bil-lion times every second) the chip could be used as a wirelessalternative to optical fibers for clear, high-speed communication.

NEURO: An Exhibition of Art and ScienceNational Science Foundation-sponsored research projectsoften are not easy to explain to the general public — which iswhy the CSNE director and students decided to reach out in acreative way to devise a program to bring a new appreciationof science and engineeringto the public.

The NEURO exhibition, billedas an investigation of “aestheticpossibilities at the intersectionof art, science and engineer-ing,” aimed at attracting bothscientists and gallery-goers through interactive environments.Thousands participated in the exhibition, turning their headsrapidly to experience retinal painting in “Perpetual Perceptual”and moving about the room to trigger brainstorms in “Einstein’sDilemma.” The exhibit “Cheese” attempted to determine whethercomputers could judge the sincerity of a smile.

Neuromorphic engineers seek to design artificial neuralsystems, such as vision systems and autonomous robots,whose physical architecture and design principles arebased on those of biological nervous systems.

As machines acquire sensory systems and beginperceiving the world around them, we can endowthem with autonomous intelligent behavior.

■ For more information about CNSE’s programs


at: http://www.erc.caltech.edu

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ERC for Extreme Ultraviolet Science and Technology (est. 2003)Colorado State University with University of Colorado-Boulder and University of California-Berkeley

Bringing new light to science and nanotechnology.

s the size of the most advanced electronic circuits and nanoscalemachines continues to shrink below the wavelength of visiblelight, conventional optical technologies are rapidly reaching theirlimits. As a result, light in the Extreme Ultraviolet (EUV) region ofthe spectrum (wavelengths of approximately 3 to 50 nm) is poisedto become a key element in technologies of critical importance tothe U.S. economy. Exciting new opportunities in science will arisefrom the possibility of focusing EUV radiation to extremely smallspot sizes, short pulse durations, and very high intensities.Development of EUV technologies will open up new areas ofinvestigation, including EUV nonlinear optics, biological studies,and the development of a new generation of nanoprobes. TheERC for Extreme Ultraviolet Science and Technology (EUV ERC) isexploring the development and application of compact EUV lasersand laser-like coherent sources with the objective of making EUVtechnology widely available to solve challenging scientific andindustrial problems. The Center’s guiding vision is that, after 10years of ERC effort, EUV radiation—now mostly limited to a handfulof large national facilities—will be routinely used in a broad varietyof settings for applications such as high-resolution imaging, spec-troscopy, elemental- and bio-microscopy, dense plasma diagnostics,and nano-fabrication.

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■ For more information about EUV’s programs


at: http://www.euverc.colostate.edu

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Excitement of Light Attracts Students to Science and EngineeringLaser technology and optical science provide exciting opportunities to attract some of the best high schoolstudents into science and engineering. With that in mind, the EUV ERC has embarked upon several educationaloutreach activities targeting K–12 students and teachers. For example, the Center annually offers a two-week workshop with appealing hands-on projects on Lasers and Optics for high school students as wellas the “Let’s Make Light!” workshop aimed at elementary school students. In addition, the ERC also conductsworkshops for middle and high-school science teachers in the Pueblo school districts, provides optics kitsfor them, and provides experiments to aid them in bringing hands-on, inquiry-based learning into theirclassrooms. The goal of this workshop is to develop “optics suitcases” or kits to be used as part of lessonplans in science, to support teachers in communicating the excitement of science to young students. Inthese efforts the EUV ERC strives to attract and mentor a diverse group of students, including groups traditionally underrepresented in science and engineering.

Illuminating the Nanoworld with EUV LightOptical light microscopes have unsurpassed versatility, butare limited in resolution by the long wavelength of the visibleor ultraviolet light used for illumination. The use of EUV lightallows the development of compact microscopes that can“see” objects with dimensions of a few tens of nanometers.In addition, EUV microscopes can rapidly render high resolutionimages covering a relatively large field ofview, require little sample preparation,and allow for the sample’s environmentto be varied. Such capabilities will providea wealth of information about the physicaland biological nano-world. Students andfaculty from the EUV ERC have used anew type of EUV laser to demonstrate acompact microscope that producesimages with a very high resolution—better than 38 nanome-ters—in several seconds. Future work promises practicaland versatile microscopes with even higher resolution thatwill allow scientists and engineers to more readily inspect thenano-world and engineer devices on that scale.

Fibers Convert Visible Laser Beams into EUVThe EUV ERC is creating extremely bright beams of short-wavelength light using two complementary techniques:either the direct generation of EUV light using an EUV laser,or using nonlinear optics to combine many visible laser pho-tons together to generate laser-like beams in the EUV andsoft x-ray regions of the spectrum. With the latter approach,until now the nonlinear media predominantly used havebeen atoms contained in agas jet. Researchers at theEUV ERC demonstratedmore efficient conversion oflaser light into the EUV bycontaining the gas inside ahollow fiber. This approach has several advantages. First, itallows the generation medium to be engineered—for exampleby modulating the fiber, allowing more efficient conversionto short wavelengths. Second, the walls of the fiber alsoguide the laser beam, allowing a long interaction regionbetween the laser beam and the generated x-ray beam,and preventing defocusing of the laser beam. Finally, thelong interaction length in the fiber ensures that the EUVbeams that emerge are truly coherent or laser-like. Thus,applying concepts from photonics to the EUV region allowsfor very compact setups and easy integration into testbedapplications. This discovery generated considerable interestwhen published in a series of articles in Science and Nature.

As technologies move into the nanoscale, compactextreme ultraviolet sources will become essential.

Packaging Research Center (est. 1994)Georgia Institute of Technology

ackaging” of electronic systems requires integration of activeand passive components on system boards. The active componentstypically are integrated circuits (ICs) for computing, communication,and sensing functions, while the passive components that formthe circuits needed to achieve these functions typically are suchthings as capacitors, resistors, inductors, filters, and switches.The leading-edge active components currently are at nanoscale,but the passives typically are at microscale. The system boardsthat interconnect these components to form systems such as cellphones are at milliscale—a million times bigger than the active ICs.Consequently, current systems are bulky in size. In addition, the cur-rent systems are discrete systems: i.e., digital systems performingcomputations, communications systems providing voice-basedfunctions, and so on. The result is that consumers own multipleelectronic systems—computers, cell phones, audio and videosystems, etc. The primary mission of the Packaging ResearchCenter (PRC) at Georgia Tech is to pioneer new ways to enabledigital convergence of all types of consumer electronic productsinto portable and personal systems.

To achieve this convergence, the PRC’s technical vision involvesintegrating all of the components as embedded thin-film componentsat nano to microscale, either into active ICs or as miniaturizedpackages into a single-system package. We term this technology“System-on-a-Package” (SOP). The SOP concept is analogous tothe earlier integrated circuit revolution leading to a system-on-a-chip by means of transistor integration—but now it is componentintegration or system integration through SOP to achieve digitalconvergence.

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Digital convergence of electronicand bio-electronic systems for

the 21st century.

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Partnership Catalyzes SOP-based IndustryThe PRC and its industry partners have jointly designed andimplemented a strategy to cooperatively develop the newSOP technologies, educate the next generation of packagingengineers, and transfer both technologies and graduates toindustry to strengthen its com-petitiveness. This partnershiphas resulted in hundreds ofindustrial internships and wellover 300 PRC graduates hiredby our industrial partners.Industrial practitioners routinelygive distinguished lectures inthe classroom and participate on thesis committees. ThePRC has hosted over 60 visiting industry engineers on campus,documented numerous examples of technology transfer,and disclosed nearly 200 inventions. The PRC is also impactinglocal economic development by creating spin-off companies,attracting spin-in companies, and assisting local start-up com-panies in incubating nascent technologies. By developing aportfolio of critical SOP technologies and graduating wellover 500 skilled SOP engineers, the PRC has enabled anSOP-based industry to emerge.

PRC’s Leading-edge SOP Facility Is UniqueEstablished in partnership with NSF, Industry, and the Stateof Georgia, the PRC has developed a first–of-its-kind systemintegration facility, unique in academia. This $48.9M, Class10-10,000 cleanroom complex houses SOP prototyperesearch spanning mixed signal design, fabrication, integra-tion, assembly, electrical test, and reliability of 300 mm SOP

wafers. This network of laboratories supportsleading-edge fundamental and system-levelresearch by teams of students, faculty, centerengineers, and on-campus industry personnel. Itprovides an environment where these researchteams work collaboratively to fabricate system-level proof-of-concept demonstration test vehi-cles, and where transfer of various SOP tech-nologies to industry is facilitated. In addition,the facility provides for cross-disciplinary educa-tion of graduate and undergraduate students viathe hands-on Design-Build-Operate (DBO)

courses. Thus, it serves as the driving engine for the Center’sSOP research, education, and technology transfer activities.

Packaging:An Academic Subject at Georgia TechThe PRC pioneered the SOP paradigm and developed amultidisciplinary education program with a comprehensiveset of courses and curricula, leading to a track called “Devices,Integration, and Packaging.” The educationprogram involves faculty and studentsfrom four engineering disciplines: Electricaland Computer Engineering, MechanicalEngineering, Chemical Engineering, andMaterials Science and Engineering. The 9undergraduate and 15 graduate coursesdeveloped for this program encompasssystems design, materials, processes, RF,optical, thermal, assembly, and electricaltest. With the availability of these coursesand the recently published “Fundamentals of MicrosystemsPackaging” textbook, a curriculum for both undergraduateand graduate students has been designed and developed.The PRC is now the largest and most sought-after producerof packaging engineers, turning out more than half of all suchengineers in the U.S. Industry’s feedback about these grad-uates emphasizes not only their overall quality but also howquickly “they hit the ground running.”

Our goal is to create highlyminiaturized, multi-functionalsystems that enable digitalconvergence.

■ For more information about PRC’s programs


at: http://www.prc.gatech.edu

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ERC for Collaborative Adaptive Sensing of the Atmosphere (est. 2003)University of Massachusetts–Amherst with Colorado State University, University of Oklahoma, and University of Puerto Rico–Mayaguez

ur ability to monitor, anticipate, and respond to events affectingour physical surroundings is increasingly important—especially inthe context of the atmosphere, where hazardous local weather aswell as chemical, radiological, and biological agents dispersedinto the air can quickly destroy or contaminate life and propertyover vast areas. Despite the tremendous capabilities of existingground-based Doppler weather radars, these systems are funda-mentally constrained in sensitivity and resolution and are unableto observe the lowest few kilometers of the earth’s atmosphere,where hazardous weather forms and causes greatest impact. TheERC for Collaborative Adaptive Sensing of the Atmosphere (CASA)is advancing a new paradigm of Distributed Collaborative AdaptiveSensing networks designed to overcome these limitations. DCASnetworks utilize large numbers of small solid-state radars, closelyspaced to overcome blockage due to the Earth’s curvature andreduce the drop in resolution caused by beam spreading. DCAS net-works will be highly reliable, inexpensive, and capable of targetingmultiple radar beams onto atmospheric regions where threatsexist in order to pinpoint the location of tornadoes, accuratelyestimate rainfall levels near the ground for flood forecasting, anddetect precursors of future storms—all in response to changingend-user needs.

Center researchers are currently installing a DCAS network in tor-nado-prone southwestern Oklahoma. The four-radar network willgather data needed to improve our understanding and modelingof severe storm behavior while also demonstrating a capability topinpoint the location of shear regions within storms for improvedtornado warning. CASA’s cross-disciplinary efforts to research,develop, field-test, and operate prototype system-level testbeds,working in partnership with the manufacturers of the sensors andthe end users of the data, provide a rich environment for educatingthe next generation of engineers and scientists.

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Revolutionizing our ability to observe, understand,and predict atmospheric and airborne hazards.

■ For more information about CASA’s programs


at: www.casa.umass.edu

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Radar Algorithms for Automatically Detecting TornadoesThe first algorithms for dynamically detecting tornadoes, using data from networks of low-powerDoppler weather radars, have been developed. The algorithms are designed to distinguish tornadoesfrom transient but intense low-altitude shear regions within severe storms. The radar now has for the firsttime the ability to see close to the ground and thus locate the tornado and specify its intensity. A notablechallenge lies in determining what observable conditions on radar constitute a tornado, since the officialdefinition requires visual confirmation that the vortex is in contact with the ground and since no thresh-old wind speeds exist that can be used to distinguish tornadoes from other columnar vortices.

The algorithms reconstruct the 3D wind field based upon wind estimates from multiple Doppler radars.Because real data are not yet available from the new radars, extremely high resolution computer simulationsof storms and their associated tornadoes are being used as a proxy. The image shows one such simulateddata set processed by the tornado detection algorithm, with the tornado located in the region of swirlingflow in the right-center portion of the image.

Content Institute Produces “Weather RATS”In July 2004, twenty-two middle school teachers came tothe University of Massachusetts-Amherst to learn about cut-ting-edge scientific and engineering research being done atCASA, at a “Content Institute” hosted by the ERC. TheContent Institute featured lectures by expert faculty, hands-on labs and activities, a field trip to a national radar facility,and development and review of classroom resources utilizingcommunications technologies. The 3-credit graduate-levelContent Institute was designed to enable sixth through ninthgrade teachers to deepen their knowledge and develophands-on classroom activities around the engineering/tech-nology and earth and space science curriculum frameworks. Eight of the participants are continuing to work together ona project called “Weather RATS,” which places wirelessweather stations at their respective schools. The WeatherRATS’ objective is to use wireless weather stations andInternet data sharing capability, along with NOAA andNational Weather Service data, to track and research weathersystems across widely separated geographic areas, as wellas to investigate the structure and behavior of micro-cli-mates within Massachusetts.

Students Design Advanced Radar NetworkAn all-student team of 15 CASA graduate and undergraduatestudents is creating an experimental radar system, to bedeployed in Puerto Rico, that will transform our ability tomonitor rainfall. Comprised of an array of miniature radarsensors, the system produces accurate rainfall data to beused to predict flooding and support other applications suchas crop hydrology that require accurate rainfall estimates. Theradar system should be operational by Fall 2006.

The student-run testbed system offers both a uniqueresearch and educational experience. It requires students towork across disciplinary and geographical boundaries andunderstand all facets of developing and implementing a test-

bed. When the test-bed is up and runningit will cover a crucial1.5 km-high gap inatmospheric weather-monitoring over west-

ern Puerto Rico that traditional radar technology cannotsense. The testbed also will explore methods for more accuratemeasurement of rainfall and wind data than is now possible.And it could be used as a back-up to the current radar systemif the Puerto Rican electrical grid blacks out in heavy weather.One of many student design innovations is a system for allo-cating power-hungry activities (such as computation) tonodes with more reliable access to power, to minimizedowntime.

The new DCAS network can see severe weather thatforms closer to the ground — such as tornadoes.

he Center for Wireless Integrated MicroSystems (WIMS) is focusedon miniature, low-cost integrated microsystems capable of measuringor controlling a variety of physical parameters, interpreting the data,and communicating with a host system over a bi-directional wirelesslink. WIMS are expected to become pervasive over the next twodecades, extending the electronic connectivity represented by personal communications and the worldwide web to informationprovided by (or supplied to) the environment. Implemented as button-sized information-gathering nodes, WIMS will effectively wirethe planet and will form bridges between microelectronics and thecellular and molecular worlds. WIMS will monitor the environment(advanced weather forecasting, global change, air and water quality),control adaptive process tools, improve transportation systems (vehi-cles and infrastructure), provide homeland security (reconnaissance,chemical detection), and revolutionize health care (wearable andimplantable microsystems). Operating at less than 1mW, thesemicrosystems will occupy volumes of less than 1cc and communicateover distances ranging from a few inches to a few miles, packingthe sophistication of a major laboratory instrument in the space ofa sugar cube.

The WIMS Center brings together embedded computing, wirelesscommunications, microelectromechanical systems (MEMS), andadvanced packaging. Embedded microcontrollers running at lessthan 100µW are being developed for data acquisition, and bothmicroelectronic and micromechanical circuits are being exploredfor wireless interfaces. Wafer-level packaging technology basedon deposited coatings and wafer bonding has producedimplantable sensors able to work in the body for decades andvacuum-sealed cavities with extremely low leak rates.

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Integrated microsystems for information gathering and control.

Center for Wireless Integrated MicroSystems (est. 2000)University of Michigan with Michigan State University and Michigan Technological University

Implantable Microsystems for Neuroscienceand NeuroprosthesesBuilding a viable electronic interface to the central nervoussystem is key in understanding the fundamental operation ofneural networks and in developing prosthetic devices fortreating disorders such as deafness, paralysis, Parkinson’sdisease, and epilepsy. The WIMS ERC is developing a cochlearmicrosystem for the profoundly deaf that contains a custommicrocontroller, a digital signalprocessor that executes speechprocessing algorithms, a wire-less chip that derives powerfrom an external radio-frequencycarrier and provides bidirec-tional data transfer, and anultra-flexible thin-film electrodearray that can be inserted deepwithin the cochlea of the innerear. With an order of magnitudemore stimulating sites than commercial implants and with posi-tion sensors to monitor array position in-vivo, such devicespromise significant strides in speech comprehension andsound fidelity. Companion work is also developing a button-sized implant for capturing control signals from the motorcortex. Using 3D electrode arrays and circuitry for in-vivo spikerecognition and wireless communication, such microsystemsmay someday restore limited mobility to quadriplegics as wellas enable the treatment of other neurological disorders.

An Integrated Microsystem for EnvironmentalMonitoringLow-cost distributed gas analysis is badly needed for appli-cations in food processing, homeland security, environmentalprotection, and monitoring global change. An integratedmicrosystem containing a miniature gas chromatograph(µGC) is being developed. The µGC includes an inlet filter,calibration source, preconcentrator, separation columns, amulti-element detector, and an electrostatic vacuum pump.Targeted at the size of a small calculator, such systemspromise to perform better than their table-top ancestors.Monolithic silicon columns separate complex alkanes andchemical warfare simulants in seconds and permit high-speedtemperature programming while operating at a few milliwatts.

Engineering Enterprise in IntegratedMicrosystemsIndustrial managers often say that the technical skills of mostengineering graduates are of high quality, but that their inter-personal and project management skills are not developed towhere graduates can quickly become productive in their jobs.Through WIMS, the Integrated Microsystems Enterprise (IME)has created an undergraduate research program to honethose skills and experiences.

Organized like a real company, the students are developing aPDA-Based Transportable Research Instrument and a WirelessMultifunction Sensor Cube. The system addresses challengesin power sources, embedded systems, signal conditioning,software, curriculum, and documentation. Graduates of theIME get valuable experience operating a virtual company andproviding design and testing services. The program gives thema leg up in being able to quickly become productive in theworld of work.

Fostering vital connections between people,their bodies, and their environment.

■ For more information about WIMS’ programs


at: http://www.wimserc.org

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Center for Subsurface Sensing and Imaging Systems (est. 2000)Northeastern University with Boston University, Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute, and University of Puerto Rico at Mayaguez

ome of the most difficult problems in sensing and imaging involvedetecting, locating, and identifying objects that are obscuredbeneath a concealing medium. Mapping pollution plumes underground,detecting a tumor inside the body, and identifying developmentaldefects in an embryo all share the problem of distinguishing theeffects of a complex covering medium from the details of the sub-surface structure and functionality. The problem is similar whetherthe medium is soil or tissue, or whether the target is a land mineor a tumor. The solution may be similar as well.

The Center for Subsurface Sensing and Imaging Systems (CenSSIS)is revolutionizing our ability to detect and image biomedical andenvironmental or man-made objects or conditions that are under-ground, underwater, or embedded within cells or inside the humanbody. CenSSIS’s approach combines wave physics, sensor engi-neering, image processing, and inverse scattering with rigorousperformance testing to create new sensing system prototypesthat are transitioned to the Center’s industry partners for furtherdevelopment.

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Exploring Hidden Worlds:Diverse Problems–Similar Solutions

■ For more information about CenSSIS’ programs


at: http://www.censsis.neu.edu

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New Imaging Technique Aids in Selecting EmbryosFor 20 years, medical researchers have been searching for methods to accurately identify healthyembryos for in vitro fertilization (IVF), in order to reduce the number of multiple births that can leadto a multitude of problems for mother and children alike. They have determined that an importantmeasure of viability is the number of cells in a developing embryo beyond the eight-cell stage.Unfortunately, present non-toxic imaging technologies, such as Differential Interference Contrast (DIC)microscopy, can’t effectively count cells in the center of a developing embryo.

CenSSIS researchers have developed Quadrature Tomographic Microscopy (QTM), which provides aquantitative image of the phase of light passing through the specimen. Working with biologists,CenSSIS researchers have devised a cell-counting technique that captures, registers, and comparesDIC and QTM images of mouse embryos to determine the position and optical thickness of surfacecells. The phase calculated for a model cell is then subtracted from the QTM image, revealing thebackground of the image or another cell underneath. The process is repeated until accurate cellcounts of up to w26 cells have been produced. This method may improve doctors’ ability to selecthigh-quality embryos for IVF and improve the outcomes for human-assisted reproduction procedures.

The “Mystery Mansion”Increasing the flow in the “pipeline” of students entering scienceand engineering study by increasing their interest in thesesubjects at an early age is a goal of CenSSIS. To present sub-surface sensing problems to children, CenSSIS researcherscreated the first portable “FindingHidden Things with Science” exhibitin collaboration with the JuniorMuseum in Troy, NY.

The exhibit, commonly known asthe “Mystery Mansion,” featuresthree types of subsurface probes:an infrared camera, an EM probe(metal detector), and a Magnetic Field probe (compass). Aninviting “ ? ” on the mansion’s front door signals that it containstreasures inside. Kids quickly learn to use the metal detectorand compass to classify objects as metallic or nonmetallic andmagnetic or nonmagnetic. It’s no mystery why the mansionpiques children’s natural curiosity about science.

Electrical Conductivity DistinguishesSubsurface FeaturesWhat does a breast tumor have in common with radioactivewaste leaking from an underground tank? They are bothserious subsurface problems that are not well imaged byconventional means. Conventional mammography is difficultto interpret because tumors and breast tissue differ by lessthan 15% in x-ray attenuation and are thus hard to distinguish.

In contrast, the electrical conductivity of tumors is seven timesgreater than that of normal tissue. CenSSIS researchers havepioneered the use of a fast, non-iterative mathematical inversionfor electrical conductivity measurements to locate areas ofhigh conductivity in breast tissue. The ACT-4 instrument theydeveloped will be able to image tumors as small as 3 mmfrom electrical measurements at the surface of the skin.

The same mathematical inversion techniques are beingapplied by CenSSIS collaborators at Lawrence LivermoreNational Laboratory to image radioactive pollution plumesby measuring the electrical resistance between bore holesmany meters apart. This technique may detect and locateleaking contaminants that are invisible to conventional seismicmeasurements and allow appropriate remediation measuresto be applied.

“Diverse problems, similar solutions” is a way of thinking that will enableadvances in one subsurface domain to be applied in other domains.

Integrated Media Systems Center (est. 1996)University of Southern California

Revolutionizing the way we communicate, learn, and play.

hen the IMSC was established in 1996 as NSF’s first ERC for multimediaand Internet research, the Internet as an economic engine and entertainmentmedium was in its infancy. The IMSC team saw the potential to leap farbeyond the then-state-of-the-art to develop the technologies that would beneeded to revolutionize the way we work, play, teach, and learn.

Realizing that goal required strong advances in a myriad of new and verydiverse technologies. They included computer vision and computer graphicsalgorithms that can track human motion and gestures and create highly realistic3-D models of faces and objects. Novel database and data compressionmethods were developed to capture and track real-time “immersidata,” thedata associated with user interactions in highly rich and realistic (immersive)audio/video environments. Immersive audio technologies for capturing andrendering sound that is indistinguishable from reality were a first for the IMSC.Major progress is also being made in “haptics” (touch–related technologies).Along the way the Center has revolutionized Internet streaming of high-qualityand precisely synchronized media.

Combining several of these technologies led to the IMSC’s concept ofRemote Media Immersion (RMI), in which immersive content is captured,transmitted, and rendered over the Internet. The IMSC’s goal for immersiveenvironments is for people to interact, communicate and collaborate naturally ina shared virtual space while in distant physical locations. Another goal is toimmerse people in information-rich and interactive environments that aid inunderstanding and relating raw data to high-level problems and tasks and toeducation, health care, and civic engagement.

The IMSC has established itself as the academic leader in developing theemerging Internet and multimedia technologies that are driving economicexpansion and profound social changes.

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Next Generation Surround SoundThe IMSC‘s Immersive Audio Lab is focusing on developingthe next generation of cinema and home theater sound, a10.2-channel surround sound systemthat uses 10 speakers in 10 locations,plus two subwoofers, to create a bettersense of aural immersion. Technologiesfrom the lab that optimize the sound forevery listening environment have alreadyfound their way into home theaterproducts available today.

ImmersiNet: “Hear All About It”IMSC has shown how the Internet can support very high quality mediatransmissions that allow people to collaborate interactively in real time, in ahighly realistic aural and visual environment, from different locations using asophisticated system they created called“ImmersiNET.” They presented a coast-to-coastconcert of a performance by the New WorldSymphony of Miami Beach delivered via theInternet. The musicians and the audience werein different physical locations and intercon-nected by extremely high fidelity, low-latencymultichannel audio and video (immersidata)links. The applause was deafening.

The Internet of the future will surround users with sights, sounds—even smells.

Immersive technology turns the 2D world of TV andcomputers into 3D—and any time into realtime.

■ For more information about IMSC’s programs


at: http://imsc.usc.edu

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Software Adds Blockbuster Special EffectsHollywood special effects house Rhythm & Hues is usingnew “augmented reality” software from the University ofSouthern California’s IMSC toadd computer-generated effectsto movies easier and much faster.Named “Fastrack,” the softwarecuts the tracking time from minutesto just seconds per frame andreduces the need for hand-cor-rections. Fastrack has played astarring role in movies such as X-Men 2, Daredevil and Dr. Seuss’The Cat in the Hat.

Center for Power Electronics Systems (est. 1998)Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University with North Carolina A&T State University,

University of Puerto Rico at Mayagüez, Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute, and University of Wisconsin at Madison

hroughout the world, electric power is used at an average rate of12 billion kilowatts per hour every day of every year. The majorityof this power is not used in the form in which it was initially generated.Rather, it is re-processed to provide the type of power (different volt-age, wattage, and type of current) needed in the type of technologythat is being employed. Power electronics technology uses electroniccircuits to convert and control electric energy with optimum effi-ciency. Today, this technology is part of most electrically poweredmachines and devices, from railroad trains and industrial robots totelephones and stereos.

Power electronics has a powerful impact on our resources andthus in our environment. By the year 2010, power electronics systemsare expected to control up to 80 percent of all electricity used.With the improvements in the power electronics technology thatCPES has planned, the U.S. should be able to reduce its energyconsumption by 30 percent.

Center researchers have made significant contributions in threeareas critical to power electronics evolution: powering of a newgeneration of microprocessors; developing technologies for inte-gration of power electronics components, such as circuits andsensors; and using the integrated components for standardizedmethods of assembling power converters, which are still custom-designed. CPES is also helping to train a new generation of powerelectronics researchers and engineers. In the coming years, CPESwill continue to work toward the goals of increasing energy savingsand U.S. industrial competitiveness by developing more efficientand integrated power electronics devices.

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Changing the way electricity is used.

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“Partnership Team” Reaches Out to Precollege To increase participation in science, technology, engineering,and math programs by precollege students in rural south-western Virginia, CPES has developed programs focusingon outreach to elementary and middle school students andteachers. In one such program, Virginia Tech studentsmajoring in various disciplines of engineering, engineeringscience, and technology education formed a “partnershipteam” to foster participation in the FIRST LEGO League pro-

gram. This initiative provides partic-ipating teachers and students withon-site demonstrations, teacherworkshops, and mentoring by engi-neering undergraduate and graduatestudents. During Fall semester, thepartnership team typically workswith more than 70 children from 10schools, providing mentorship andteaching basic science and engi-neering concepts. In 2005-2006,

the CPES team is developing five computer-based tutorialsfor use in the classroom. Benefits of the program are not lim-ited to the precollege students and teachers. As one under-graduate engineering student mentor noted, “I think thatbeing part of this team has made me realize how much Ireally do eventually want to teach…”

Power Management for Intel Microprocessors“Intel Inside!” Many of the world’s personal computers use aPentium microprocessor manufactured by Intel Corp. Everysuch computer uses a voltage regulator module (VRM) topower the microprocessor. Each new generation of micro-processor operates at lower voltage and higher current, andrequires a faster response time to switch the microprocessorfrom sleep to power mode. This switching of modes is neces-sary to conserve energy, as well as to extend the operating

time for any battery-operat-ed equipment.

The problem was that exist-ing VRMs were too slow torespond to the new genera-tion of microprocessors’energy demand. To meet thechallenge, CPES establisheda mini-consortium of com-

panies to develop new VRMs for current and future genera-tions of microprocessors. The CPES team developed a multi-phase VRM module using an innovative approach based onparalleling multiple Buck mini-converter cells. The new multi-phase VRM has now been adopted by the entire industry asstandard practice.

Integrated Modular Motor Drive (IMMD)The Integrated Modular Motor Drive (IMMD) is a new motor drive architecture that promises reduced cost andincreased reliability. The motor is constructed from a number of modular phase-drive units interconnected ina ring to form the electrical core of the motor. Each of these phase-drive units includes both the iron polepiece with its winding and an integrated power electronic module (IPEM) attached to the end of the pole pieceinside the motor housing. By eliminating the need for a separate housing for the motor drive electronics, theresulting “smart” motor reduces the losses associated with the cables used to connect external drive electronicsto the motor, thereby increasing performance. By allowing standardization and high-volume production, modularphase-drive units promise reduced manufacturing costs. The modularity of the IMMD allows the motor drive tocontinue operating when one or more of the phase-drive units fail, improving overall drive reliability.

Several CPES technology innovations will be incorporated into the IMMD, including the elimination of elec-trolytic capacitors and the use of integrated current and temperature sensors inside the IPEMs. Based onthese advances, the IMMD architecture is being aggressively pursued as the template for future generationsof low-cost, robust motor drives.

Products that are more powerful, more dependable,more durable, smaller, lighter weight, and less costlyare on the horizon.

■ For more information about CPES’ programs


at: http://www.cpes.vt.edu

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National Science FoundationEngineering Education and Centers Division

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