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Space Exploration, Commercialization, and Defense

Study solar winds, explore exoplanets, and transport robots and humans to new places in our solar system.

Are long-term orbital platforms or mining operations on the moon in our future? If private industry leads the way with new rocket development, who will benefit from new scientific findings and technological advances?

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One staff member helps another adjust a telescope overlooking a bright blue sky and a big white air balloon.
Aerospace Engineering
A blood sample flows through a small maze-like "labyrinth" device designed to used to help better detect cancer cells.
Chemical Engineering
A plethora of colorful stop, speed limit, and other street signs lay against a chicken-wire fence
Civil Engineering
A smiling female student points to a wall map lit up in bright yellow, orange, and fushia
Climate & Meteorology
A complicated circuitboard rests against a granola bar with "Strong" written on it.
Computer Engineering
A video-game-esque rainbow outline of a room on a laptop screen
Computer Science
Two male researchers discuss their project outside on a sunny day while working on their laptops
Data Science
A woman working on electric machinery with a green glow
Electrical Engineering
A bright light in the center encircled by a vibrant ring of purple with the shadows of people in the background.
Engineering Physics
A professor pours a liquid from a brown glass bottle onto a growing plant in a farmer's field
Environmental Engineering
A student spins the bottom level of a giant Rubik's Cube
Mechanical Engineering
An experiment for developing better interplanetary transport glows blue and purple in a metal thruster discharge chamber
Nuclear Engineering & Radiological Sciences
Robotics Tile
Robotics
The view of the laboratory room is warped in a convex optical lens
Space Sciences & Engineering

Pallab Bhattacharya to receive 2015 IEEE David Sarnoff Award

Since coming to the University in 1984, Prof. Bhattacharya has pioneered several important technological advances.

Becky Peterson awarded DARPA Young Faculty Award to investigate new materials for power semiconductor devices

Prof. Peterson’s findings could be used in wireless sensing and actuation systems, including those that deal with monitoring of the environment and medical conditions.

Kamal Sarabandi elected President of IEEE Geoscience and Remote Sensing Society

The IEEE Geoscience and Remote Sensing Society is a remote sensing organization with more than 3700 members around the globe.

Space Force establishes $35M institute for versatile propulsion and power at U-M

To optimize power, efficiency and freedom to maneuver, engineers aim to demonstrate new technologies for power generation, electric propulsion and chemical rockets.

The post Space Force establishes $35M institute for versatile propulsion and power at U-M appeared first on Michigan Engineering News.

Could one of Jupiter’s moons support alien life? U-M scientists are on the case

U-M researchers helped find the first evidence for an ocean on the icy moon Europa. Now, with NASA’s return mission, they aim to learn if it’s habitable.

The post Could one of Jupiter’s moons support alien life? U-M scientists are on the case appeared first on Michigan Engineering News.

The corona is weirdly hot—Parker Solar Probe rules out one explanation

S-shaped bends in the sun’s magnetic field don’t form at the sun’s surface, like some scientists thought, and can’t directly heat the sun’s corona.

The post The corona is weirdly hot—Parker Solar Probe rules out one explanation appeared first on Michigan Engineering News.

Bridge in a box: Unlocking origami’s power to produce load-bearing structures

Foldable origami with thick panels opens a world of possibilities.

The post Bridge in a box: Unlocking origami’s power to produce load-bearing structures appeared first on Michigan Engineering News.

Explaining a supernova’s ‘string of pearls’

It looks like the same mechanism that breaks up airplane contrails might be at play in forming the clumps of hydrogen gas that ring the remnant of supernova 1987A.

The post Explaining a supernova’s ‘string of pearls’ appeared first on Michigan Engineering News.

Tracking undetectable space junk

Colliding pieces of space debris emit electric signals that could help track small debris littering Earth’s orbit, potentially saving satellites and spacecraft.

The post Tracking undetectable space junk appeared first on Michigan Engineering News.

Alum Mo Faisal on building a successful semiconductor company

Faisal, the 2023 ECE Rising Star Alumni Award recipient, founded Movellus based on his doctoral research conducted under Prof. David Wentzloff.

Plasma thrusters used on satellites could be much more powerful

It was believed that running more propellant through a Hall thruster would wreck its efficiency, but new experiments suggest they might power a crewed mission to Mars.

The post Plasma thrusters used on satellites could be much more powerful appeared first on Michigan Engineering News.

The storied history of a leading space propulsion lab

Alec Gallimore upcycled a lunar rover testing chamber into a world-class electric propulsion center.

The post The storied history of a leading space propulsion lab appeared first on Michigan Engineering News.

‘Principled action’

A retrospective on the impactful U-M career of departing dean Alec D. Gallimore.

The post ‘Principled action’ appeared first on Michigan Engineering News.

Gregory Robinson details the journey of NASA’s James Webb Space Telescope for Gilleo Lectureship

Under Robinson’s leadership, the James Webb Space Telescope project went from being years behind schedule and billions over-budget to one of NASA’s greatest achievements of the 21st century.

In a new Technical Sales course, students practice the skill set of selling technology to businesses

Alum Eli Neumann, the Senior Vice President of Worldwide Sales Engineers, co-designed the Center for Entrepreneurship course.

Megastorms leave marks on Saturn’s atmosphere for hundreds of years

Massive storms have appeared as “Great White Spots” on Saturn every 20 to 30 years since 1876. The impacts of those older storms have lasted in Saturn’s atmosphere for centuries.

The post Megastorms leave marks on Saturn’s atmosphere for hundreds of years appeared first on Michigan Engineering News.

$9.7M for tools to improve forecasts of harmful space weather

Better forecasting could protect astronauts and instruments from solar eruptions that release damaging, high-energy particles.

The post $9.7M for tools to improve forecasts of harmful space weather appeared first on Michigan Engineering News.

NASA advances U-M’s Mission Concept Study to photograph entire auroras from space

Two satellites could join NASA’s fleet studying the Sun and its impacts on Earth’s magnetic field.

The post NASA advances U-M’s Mission Concept Study to photograph entire auroras from space appeared first on Michigan Engineering News.

ECE Expeditions rides to the Lone Star State for a tour of engineering companies

Students networked with alums, tested demos of new technology, and toured labs at HPE, NASA, Ambiq, Dell, Torc Robotics, and NI.

Andrew Wintenberg awarded Predoctoral Fellowship to support research impacting the safety of smart systems

Wintenberg is developing computer algorithms and tools to improve the security of cyber and cyber-physical systems.

Six ECE faculty will help shape the future of semiconductors as part of the JUMP 2.0 program

Elaheh Ahmadi, David Blaauw, Michael Flynn, Hun-Seok Kim, Hessam Mahdavifar, and Zhengya Zhang bring their expertise and creativity to this nationwide undertaking in the area of semiconductors and information & communication technologies.

Cyber vulnerability in networks used by spacecraft, aircraft and energy generation systems

A new attack discovered by the University of Michigan and NASA exploits a trusted network technology to create unexpected and potentially catastrophic behavior

The post Cyber vulnerability in networks used by spacecraft, aircraft and energy generation systems appeared first on Michigan Engineering News.

Vikram Verma talks the value of engineering and leadership to society as the 2022 ECE Alumni Impact Award winner

Verma credits his distinguished 30-year executive career with leading technology companies, including Savi Technology, Lockheed Martin and 8×8 Inc., to a combination of education, leadership, and luck.

Gravity’s impact on bone cells—experiments heading to the International Space Station

Mechanical engineers at the University of Michigan are tackling mysteries of bone density loss in space and on Earth.

The post Gravity’s impact on bone cells—experiments heading to the International Space Station appeared first on Michigan Engineering News.

ECE at the center of Celebrate Invention: 2022

Wei Lu talked about his innovations as the 2022 Distinguished University Innovator, followed by a panel discussion about the University’s role in fueling new high tech companies in the area.

Engineering Events: Earth Day at 50

Michigan Engineering faculty are hosting teach-ins on a range of Earth Year topics.

The post Engineering Events: Earth Day at 50 appeared first on Michigan Engineering News.

Students give a couple of the best among 3,000 Elevator Pitches

Congratulations to Keith Porter and Patrick Theisen!

EECS Spinoffs recognized as Key Innovators in Business Competition

Congratulations to these winning companies. Go Blue!

UM Computer Science Alumni Create Cribspot.com

The startup helps college students find suitable places to live, while also helping landlords manage their properties.

EECS alums are flying high with drone startup Skyspecs

SkySpecs is currently in the process of launching their first product, the Guardian, which will help prevent collisions.

Health and Fitness Company Founded by CS Alum Gets Acquired by Practo

Entrepreneur Dhruv Gupta bui;d his web and mobile based weight management program that provides customized diet plans and exercises in 2011.

New venture is on the path to build continual learning AIs

Cogitai was formed with the aim of developing AI technology that empowers machines to learn from interaction with the real world.

With over 7 million certificates issued, Let’s Encrypt aims to secure the entire web

In order to bring HTTPS to everyone, Prof. Halderman joined forces in 2012 with colleagues at Mozilla and the Electronic Frontier Foundation to found Let’s Encrypt, a non-profit certificate authority with the mission of making the switch to HTTPS vastly easier.

CSE-based startup receives funding to develop systems based on intelligent personal assistant technology

Clinc has built Lucida, its state-of- the-art, open-source intelligent assistant and machine learning platform that allows developers and the open-source community to easily create and deploy personalized voice and vision-based intelligent assistants.

‘The most interesting tech IPO of the year’ was founded by alums

A Q&A with the Michigan Engineering alumni who founded Twilio, a “unicorn” in the tech industry.

Clinc launches Finie, an AI personal assistant for mobile banking

Finie, which can be referred to as the “Siri” of personal banking, is an artificial intelligence platform for banks that helps customers talk to their bank accounts in a natural and conversational way.

CSE-based startup Clinc receives $6.3M in funding to further develop intelligent banking assistant

Clinc has built Finie, the world’s most advanced voice-controlled A.I. platform for banking.

Eric Vander Weele: Building Bloomberg LP

Since graduating from U-M, Eric N. Vander Weele has helped grow Bloomberg’s technology division and increased efficiency and production for employees and clients.

BMW, Toyota invest in U-M startup May Mobility

Other investors include Detroit Venture Partners, Maven Ventures, SV Angel, Tandem Ventures, Trucks Ventures, and YCombinator.

CSE alum startup SambaNova collects $56m in funding for AI chip research

SambaNova’s approach, stemming from work by Olukotun and co-founder Christopher Ré at Stanford University, seeks to create a new platform from scratch that is optimized specifically for AI operations.

Making education accessible in rural India

Through EduTech, CS student Divyansh Sharma is working to deliver free video courses directly to Indian people in need of basic education.

Student org brings investors to Michigan

UpRound works with national and local firms to accelerate the entrepreneurial ecosystem of the region.

Taking on the limits of computing power

By harnessing the power and speed of graphics processing units, a University of Michigan startup can dramatically accelerate gene sequencing, shortening tasks that took multiple days to a single hour.

Undergrad game developers sign video game development deal

This is the first time that a team from EECS 494 has signed a funded publishing deal.

Josh Meyer has built the software that your kids and teachers need

From his days as an online poker playing undergrad to his current role as a technology developer, Josh has discovered a passion – and built a platform – for online learning.

Can sound be used as a weapon? 4 questions answered

What happened to people inside the U.S. Embassy in Havana?

Michigan researchers discover vulnerabilities in next-generation connected vehicle technology

The vulnerability allows an attacker to manipulate a new intelligent traffic control algorithm and cause severe traffic jams.

Building a security standard for a post-quantum future

A large quantum computer could retroactively decrypt almost all internet communication ever recorded.

Undocumented immigrants’ privacy at risk online, on phones

When it comes to their smartphones, immigrants struggle to apply instinctive caution, according to a study by a team of University of Michigan researchers.

Tyche: A new permission model to defend against smart home hacks

“The work is an important step towards understanding how to make tradeoffs between usability and security.”

A secure future for US elections starts in the classroom

A new special topics course on election cybersecurity gives students an examination of the past, present, and future of US elections.

Study reveals new data on region-specific website blocking practices

A team of researchers unearthed new data on geographic denial of access to web content in a new paper.

Facebook Fellowship for research on web privacy, security, and censorship

McDonald works to develop better privacy and security tools for marginalized communities

Election security: Halderman recommends actions to ensure integrity of US systems

In congressional testimony, professor urges $370M in federal funding to replace outdated machines.

Halderman co-chairs new commission to protect Michigan votes

The effort seeks to protect the integrity of every vote.

Michigan’s new Election Security Commission holds inaugural meeting on U-M Campus

The meeting began the commission’s review and assessment of election security in Michigan.

Best paper award for analysis of a decade of malware reports

The research suggests that common blacklist-based prevention systems are ineffective.

PET Award for making privacy policies easier to read

The research generated a chatbot to help users sift through important details in privacy policies.

Remote attack on temperature sensors threatens safety in incubators and industry

The researchers demonstrated that an adversary could remotely manipulate the temperature sensor measurements without tampering with the targeted system or triggering automatic temperature alarms.

Year of vulnerability hunting uncovers potential attacks on Intel Chips, RAM

All three of these attacks put users’ privacy at risk, exploiting new routes to sensitive data.

New tool combats evolving internet censorship methods

Technology pioneered by Michigan researchers can circumvent many effective website blocking tools

Offensive vehicle security toolbox makes car hacking easier

The new system is designed to save security researchers time and effort spent reverse-engineering the message format of every vehicle they study.

Researchers take control of Siri, Alexa, and Google Home with lasers

The newly discovered microphone vulnerability allows attackers to remotely inject inaudible and invisible commands into voice assistants using light.

Researchers design new solution to widespread side-channel attacks

The proposal provides a chip-level safeguard against sensitive data being transmitted after it’s accessed.

Real-time monitor tracks the growing use of network filters for censorship

The team says their framework can scalably and semi-automatically monitor the use of filtering technologies for censorship at global scale.

Todd Austin Named S. Jack Hu Collegiate Professor of Computer Science and Engineering

Prof. Austin is a creative, outside-the-box thinker who has produced a body of work that has had extraordinary impact in the area of computer architecture.

IEEE security conference features six accepted papers from CSE researchers

The projects impact voting systems, physical sensors, integrated circuit fabrication, and multiple microarchitectural side-channel vulnerabilities.

New collaboration promises greater innovation in medical device security

The two organizations will connect their membership and partner networks to work on advancing security for life-saving devices.

CSE researchers help organize 10th anniversary workshop on internet freedom

Prof. Roya Ensafi and PhD candidate Reethika Ramesh led organizing efforts for USENIX’s Tenth Workshop on Free and Open Communications on the Internet.

Censored Planet: Tracking internet censorship without on-the-ground participation

Censored Planet is releasing technical details for other researchers and for activists.

Major side-channel discovery wins NSA contest

The winning paper broke open a new area of investigation in hardware-based data leaks.

After five years, Let’s Encrypt, a non-profit based on tech developed at Michigan, has helped to secure the internet

Today, over 225 million websites are protected by free certificates issued by Let’s Encrypt.

Hacking reality

Microphones that “hear” light; microprocessors that “tell” us secrets; self-driving cars that “see” fake objects; sensors that “feel” the wrong temperature. Our devices are under attack in new, increasingly sophisticated ways. Security researchers at CSE are exploring the limits of hardware and finding new, sobering vulnerabilities in our computers and homes.

Five ways to keep vaccine cold storage equipment safe from hackers

A medical security expert outlines the risks and how hospitals can protect themselves.

U-M spin-off Agita Labs releases always encrypted computing product

TrustForge, based on U-M research spearheaded by Austin and Bertacco, provides users with the ability to protect data using a process called sequestered encryption

Secure your website now: Let’s Encrypt enters Public Beta

Let’s Encrypt allows anyone to request a free website security certificate without needing an invitation.

Z. Morley Mao elected IEEE fellow for contributions to performance and security of internet routing and mobile systems

Prof. Mao and her students have played an important role in understanding the efficiency, security, and performance of a number of mobile systems.

Bringing smart banking to market

Jason Mars, CEO of Ann Arbor startup Clinc, was named #2 in Bank Innovations’s “10 Most innovative CEOs in Banking 2017” list. Clinc is leading the pack for development of intelligent banking assistant software.

Rackham Predoctoral Fellowship for design of robust, reliable and repairable software systems

Subarno Banerjee uses program analysis to improve software systems’ safety and security.

Virta Labs Introduces PowerGuard™

Virta Laboratories was co-founded in part by Prof. Kevin Fu and former CSE postdoctoral researcher Denis Foo Kune.

Year of growth, experiments for May Mobility

May Mobility intends to gradually acclimate the public to the experience of autonomous driving.

Stephen Forrest receives 2015 Distinguished University Innovator Award

Prof. Forrest is widely acknowledged as one of the most successful academic inventors and entrepreneurs today.

The Mad Scientist’s Lab: A look inside Mitch Rohde and Quantum Signal’s school-sized playhouse

Don’t let the retro arcade games and oscilloscopes fool you – Mitch’s company is as modern as they come.

ECE alumna Ruba Borno to join Cisco’s new executive team

The young executive has an extensive history in both the business and tech worlds.

Four EECS companies make Crain’s list of most innovative companies, and one tops the list

This annual ranking of innovative companies in SE Michigan is based on the quality of patents received during the past year.

EECS students make career connections at NSBE conference

55 U-M engineers attended the convention, themed “Reimagining Your Future,” and developed vital connections in their field.

Engineering friendship

Alum startup Jetivity aims to bring people together around shared interests with a free platform for posting activities.

Claude Gauthier and OmniPhy: Connecting to the ethernet revolution

Dr. Gauthier is co-founder and CTO of the semiconductor interface intellectual property (IP) company, OmniPhy.

Jimmy Hsiao – A local player in a global market

Jimmy founded Logic Solutions, Inc., a consulting company offering website development, web and mobile applications, and other tech solutions to companies around the world.

Ashraf Dahod: 2015 CoE Alumni Medal Award Winner

Dahod has combined an understanding of technology with a knack for recognizing market opportunities and built a string of successful technology companies.

First-ever ECE Career Fair builds student careers and alumni connections

Local companies set up stands in the EECS Atrium to recruit from over 200 graduate and undergraduate students.

Cutting the cost of hearing

MEMStim’s technology is already two phases into pre-clinical testing in preparation for FDA examination. Very few MEMS devices have made it this far.

Engineering a better life for people with diabetes

Hygieia automates and streamlines diabetes treatment, a disease affecting over 29 million Americans.

G is for Google

Larry Page changed the web forever in 1998, now he wants to change the world.

Making Memory Smaller, Better, Faster, Stronger

Prof. Wei Lu and former student Dr. Sung Hyun Jo co-founded Crossbar, Inc. to tackle the physical limitations of conventional memory technology.

MHacks win propels virtual reality startup named Gwydion, focused on child therapy and 3D gaming

EE senior Duncan Abbot and his new startup Gwydion want to make VR worth the while. Their early projects range from therapy in children’s hospitals to helping materials scientists study 3D crystals.

CubeWorks: Solving problems with the world’s smallest and lowest-power computers

Cubeworks receives its first external funding to manufacture millimeter-scale computing devices

ECE Alumnus Kevin Johnson receives IEEE-USA Award

This award is given to those for Distinguished Public Service that is expected to help tech employees

The ‘Power’ of a lunchbox

Vasanthakumar came back to Chennai in 2016 with a goal to reinvent traditional and widely used personal products, starting with one of the most versatile products –— the lunchbox.

A VR-powered crystal structures app (video)

MHacks winner Duncan Abbot wants his VR software startup, Gwdion, to change how humans interact with technology.

Fred Buhler builds better chips for “Aweslome” applications

Fred Buhler founded Aweslome to provide custom-build chips for a broad range of applications, including machine learning, neural networks, security, and circuits testing.

Footsteps all her own

The unexpected journey of father-and-daughter Raytheon engineers.

Evigia founder Navid Yazdi creates essential sensor networks

Alumnus Navid Yazdi develops sensors that accomplish incredible tasks.

Q&A with Mingyan Liu

The incoming electrical and computer engineering chair talks about her vision for the future.

Transformative approach to 5G funded by new Innovator program

Nine technologies competed for $75k in the ECE Innovator Program, which emphasizes a team approach to entrepreneurial success.

Rick Bolander: Entrepreneurship is a team sport

Rick Bolander (BSE MSE EE ’83 ’85; MBA ’94, Harvard) has devoted his career to fulfilling the entrepreneurial dreams of others as much as his own.

U-M startup raises $6 million in venture funding

Movellus is a U-M startup founded by alumni Dr. Mo Faisal (now CEO) and Dr. Jeff Fredenburg (now VP of Engineering).

A Spotlight on Optics

The Optics Society at U-M hosted an Industry Spotlight event, which brought academia, industry, and community together to celebrate all things optics and photonics.

KLA opens new R&D office in Ann Arbor

The global capital equipment company is looking to harness the engineering talent at U-M and power a brighter future with tech.

Blaauw, Sylvester are 2019 Distinguished University Innovators

Pioneering computer technology that is spurring innovation and disruption across industries has earned David Blaauw and Dennis Sylvester, professors of electrical engineering and computer science, this year’s Distinguished University Innovator Award.

Five EECS faculty and alumni recognized for business success

Nominees were selected based on their career accomplishments, impact in their field, and contributions to their community.

U-M startup NS Nanotech unveils new generation of LEDs for high-efficiency, high-performance displays

Brighter, crisper screens that draw half the power and lasts twice as long are possible with NS Nanotech’s next-gen LEDs.

U-M startup SkyGig aims to take 5G to the next level

With new funding in the company, the hardtech startup is bringing revolutionary technologies to reshape mmWave wireless.

Amulya Parmar: One conversation can change everything

Amulya Parmar started his first company at 15, and is committed to positive impact in all of his endeavors.

With Slide, student entrepreneurs aim to make contact sharing frictionless

Built by students and funded by student VCs, the venture marks a new model for launching ideas into ventures.

Fighting cyber crime with data analytics

QuadMetrics offers a pair of services to help companies both assess the effectiveness of their security and decide the best way to allocate (or increase) their security budget.

U-M cyber security startup purchased by FICO

Analytic software company FICO of San Jose, Calif., bought QuadMetrics to help in its development of a FICO Enterprise Security Score.

Two ‘U’ researchers receive Distinguished University Innovator Award

The Michigan Daily profiles Professors David Blaauw and Dennis Sylvester, who are this year’s recipients of the 2019 Distinguished University Innovator Award.

Rick Bergman, CEO of Synaptics – giving tech a sense of touch

ECE alum Rick Bergman, CEO of Synaptics, is working to make tomorrow’s technology user friendly, safe, and reliable. The company hopes to lead what they call “the human interface revolution.”

Silicon valley entrepreneurs help bring WIMS2 technology to the world

Shahin and Sassan discussed everything from the acquisition trends of small vs. large companies to the importance of building a team with a range of expertise.

3 ECE companies make the Silicon 60 List – again!

Ambiq Micro, Crossbar, Inc., and PsiKick, are leading the way in ultra-low power chip design, pioneering computer memory, and ultra-low power wireless sensor platforms.

Googling the physical world

IoT applications are the next wave of computing and the next driving force of the semiconductor industry. The startup PsiKick [now Everactive] is helping shape this future.

Alum startup wins $25,000 at Accelerate Michigan Competition

Movellus Circuits won $25,000 in the University Research Highlight and People’s Choice categories

The next medical markets of Collin Rich

An expert health sciences entrepreneur, Rich is ready to repeat success with revolutionary technology.

Michael Benson receives NASA Fellowship

For his research, Benson plans to utilize SAR in order to estimate variable vegetated parameters and monitor the planet’s crustal movement.

Ruzbeh Akbar receives NASA Fellowship for SMAP Mission Research

SMAP is a satellite mission for mapping surface soil moisture and freeze/thaw states for the purpose of scientific advances and societal benefits.

Chris Berry awarded Michigan Space Grant Consortium Fellowship

Berry is designing an emitter to operate as a light-weight, local oscillator for a terahertz spectroscopy system suitable for use in space.

Chris Berry awarded 2012 Michigan Space Grant Consortium Fellowship

The proposed emitter incorporates plasmonic photoconductors to more efficiently convert power from incident laser light into terahertz radiation.

Using HERCULES to probe the interior of dense plasmas

Thanks to HERCULES, scientists are now able to study very dense plasmas — a crucial step in nuclear fusion and astrophysical research.

Peter Tchoryk: An entrepreneurial CEO

At MAC, Peter’s been able to combine his passions for scientific research and entrepreneurial creation.

Iverson Bell’s small satellite wins big

Iverson developed an experimental facility to simulate key characteristics of the space environment.

Researchers build groundbreaking device for NASA SMAP mission

The SMAP mission is NASA’s most ambitious sensing project yet for measuring global soil moisture levels.

‘Space tethers’ can be used to fling spacecraft into interplanetary space

The tether could be used to deorbit out-of-use spacecraft, push spacecraft from low Earth orbit into higher orbits, or even push spacecraft out of Earth’s orbit altogether.

Iverson Bell – Researching the future of space satellites

Mr. Bell is investigating the potential of electrodynamic tether propulsion technology to enhance the capabilities of an emerging class of smartphone-sized satellites.

Steven Battel elected to National Academy of Engineering

Mr. Battel is an expert on low-noise instrumentation power systems and is internationally recognized for his expertise in the design and development of space high voltage systems.

Student Arun Nagpal develops new ENG 100 section to spotlight space science

UM-SEDS co-President Arun Nagpal develops ENG 100 section to expose freshman to space science and atmospheric sensing.

Student hybrid rocket team takes first place at inaugural competition

The Michigan Aeronautical Science Association (MASA) won the first ever Spaceport America Cup, an intercollegiate rocket engineering competition with over 110 teams from colleges and universities in eleven countries.

Historic satellite launch brings U-M history to space

Planning to launch mid-2018, an exciting team of Michigan students is designing a space-based time capsule.

Professor Leung Tsang Receives 2018 Van de Hulst Award

Prof. Tsang is a world-renowned expert in the field of theoretical and computational electromagnetics, and in particular microwave remote sensing of the earth.

Louise Willingale advancing scientific knowledge of plasmas

Using some of the best lasers in the world, Willingale is shedding light on the impact of solar events on Earth.

SMAP Update: A mission to manage water globally

The satellite mission to collect global data of surface soil moisture can help weather forecasting around the world.

Huanting Huang and the mathematical shape of trees

An award-winning modeling method will help us better understand our natural environment

Mars Rover Team tackles major redesign, places in top 10 at competition

This year’s model, “Phoebe,” received a major design overhaul that gave her a speed boost and new codebase that can be used for years to come.

Deciphering GPS satellites to see inside hurricanes

To dial in on exact wind speeds, researchers needed to reverse engineering the signals from satellites.

Miniature satellites to maximize global communication

Havel Liu is working on a project to revolutionize satellite systems, improving communications during natural disasters and providing a blueprint for receiving future interplanetary voicemails

ECE student Brandon Russell explores space phenomena in a lab

PhD student Brandon Russell is awarded the Rackham International Student Fellowship for his research on magnetic fields in high-energy plasmas, which could help advance the development of clean energy and our understanding of energetic astrophysical phenomena.

Extreme light: Nobel laureate discusses the past & future of lasers

Lasers of tomorrow might neutralize nuclear waste, clean up space junk and advance proton therapy to treat cancer, says Gerard Mourou.

2018 Nobel Prize Laureate Gérard Mourou talks high-intensity optics

Gérard Mourou, Professor Emeritus of EECS, returned to campus to discuss winning the Nobel Prize and his work in high-intensity optics.

Undergrad Michelle Gehner engineers better ways to explore new worlds

Gehner’s academic career includes advancing power electronics and crafting new extraterrestrial vehicles for MRover. She received the IEEE Power and Energy Society Scholarship for her promising future in power and energy.

Michigan Mars Rover Team has best ever finish at the annual University Rover Challenge

MRover placed 7th overall at the annual challenge where rovers use AI to navigate tough terrain while collecting soil samples to practice testing for evidence of life in the universe.

Beyond Apollo 11: U-M ECE’s role in advancing space exploration

For the 50th anniversary of the Apollo 11 moon landing, U-M ECE takes a look back – and a look forward – to how our professors, students, and alums have made their mark on the field.

U-M to become Mount Olympus with ZEUS, the most powerful laser to be built in the U.S.

The three-petawatt system could unlock secrets of the universe, advance cancer treatments, improve security screenings for nuclear threats, and much more.

Katie Bouman wows U-M community with insider’s look at the black hole imaging project

Speaking to a full house in Rackham, Dr. Katie Bouman – Michigan ECE alum – explained the history and science of the project that gave us the first ever photo of a black hole.

Building CubeSats to test electrodynamic tethering in space with MiTEE

Mi-TEE (Miniature Tether Electrodynamics Experiment) is a University of Engineering project directed by Prof. Brian Gilchrist that aims to test the tethering technology in space.

Student works on a NASA quantum satellite link

ECE master’s student Conner Stevons completed a remote internship at the NASA Glenn Research Center where he worked on Marconi 2.0, NASA’s plan to bridge quantum technology with a telecommunications system.

A MiTEE student and her quest to shape the future of space satellites

Maya Pandya, an Electrical Engineering senior, is a key member of the student team working to design a new generation of CubeSats that may revolutionize how we monitor space environments and provide a new method for interplanetary communication.

Anthony England, former NASA astronaut, professor, and dean, retires

England has dedicated more than two decades of his distinguished career helping students reach for the stars to understand more about Earth and other planets.

MRover crowned champions of the University Rover Challenge

From autonomously navigating rocky terrain to testing soil for signs of life, the Michigan Mars Rover team bested their competition and took first place at the international competition.

‘Perfect black’ coating can render a 3D object flat, raises intriguing dark veil possibility in astronomy

The carbon nanotube carpet is about half the thickness of a sheet of paper and absorbs 99.9 percent of the light that hits it.

James McCullagh receives Best Student Paper Award for research to keep bridges safe

McCullagh is working to develop energy harvesting devices and circuits to power wireless sensor nodes which can monitor bridge health.

After Newtown: A new use for a weapons-detecting radar?

The technology could potentially identify a hidden weapon from a distance in less than a second.

New laser shows what substances are made of; could be new eyes for military

By shining the laser on a target and analyzing the reflected light, researchers can tell the chemical composition of the target.

When GPS fails, this speck of an electronic device could step in

The research group developed special fabrication processes that allows them to stack and bond seven different devices in layers.

Shrinking the size of optical systems, exponentially

The researchers believe that metasurfaces could one day be used to completely control the phase, amplitude, and polarization of light.

Prof. Pallab Bhattacharya to receive 2015 IEEE David Sarnoff Award

Since coming to the University in 1984, Bhattacharya has pioneered several important technological advances.

Prof. Becky Peterson awarded DARPA Young Faculty Award to investigate new materials for power semiconductor devices

Peterson’s findings could be used in wireless sensing and actuation systems, including those that deal with monitoring of the environment and medical conditions.

Prof. Kamal Sarabandi elected President of IEEE Geoscience and Remote Sensing Society

The IEEE Geoscience and Remote Sensing Society is a remote sensing organization with more than 3700 members around the globe.

Yelin Kim wins Best Student Paper Award at ACM Multimedia 2014 for research in facial emotion recognition

She computationally measures, represents, and analyzes human behavior data to illuminate fundamental human behavior and emotion perception, and develop natural human-machine interfaces.

Thomas Chen earns NSF Graduate Research Fellowship for research in artificial neural networks for computer vision

Thomas and his group are working to improve upon artificial neural network design through a process called sparse coding.

Two Michigan papers win top awards at IEEE Security and Privacy Symposium

One of the paper describes and demonstrates a malicious hardware backdoor. The other demonstrated security failings in a commercial smart home platform.

Behzad Yektakhah earns paper award for research in seeing through walls

Yektakhah’s system improves on the speed, portability, and accuracy of many commercial models

Time-varying metamaterials for next generation communication, sensing, and defense systems

With $7.5M MURI grant, Professor Anthony Grbic is developing metamaterials for a new generation of integrated electromagnetic and photonic systems.

Xueru Zhang awarded Rackham Predoctoral Fellowship

Zhang is working to improve data security and address important ethical issues related to AI and discriminatory data sets.

First IFIP Workshop on Intelligent Vehicle Dependability and Security

The workshop, co-organized by a team including two EECS faculty, focused on ensuring the safety of Level 3 autonomous vehicles, where humans must be ready to take over control.

Embracing Risk: Cyber insurance as an incentive mechanism for cybersecurity

This new book by Mingyan Liu offers an engineering and strategic approach to improving cybersecurity through cyber insurance

Mingyan Liu, 2018 Distinguished University Innovator, talks about her company and data science commercialization

Mingyan Liu, recipient of the 2018 Distinguished Innovator of the Year award, gave a talk about her startup company and participated on a panel discussing data science commercialiation.

Michigan startup MemryX, Inc. promises faster, cheaper AI processing

The ECE startup builds neuromorphic computer chips uniquely suitable for AI applications

The post Michigan startup MemryX, Inc. promises faster, cheaper AI processing appeared first on Michigan Engineering News.

ZEUS Joins International Community of Extreme Light Virtuosos

As a member of the X-lites program, ZEUS joins an international community of extreme light labs working together to advance laser science for the benefit of society

First light soon at the most powerful laser in the US

The ZEUS laser at the University of Michigan has begun its commissioning experiments

Necmiye Ozay receives NASA Early Career Faculty Award for research in cyber-physical systems

Prof. Ozay’s award-winning work will be used in future space missions

The Wolverines Behind the Next Generation of Autonomous Vehicles

The Center for Entrepreneurship profiles a team of EECS students, who are working to develop the next generation of delivery vehicles.

Prof. Louise Willingale creates extreme plasma conditions using high-intensity laser pulses

Willingale’s research in plasma physics advances many research areas from spectacular astrophysical phenomena to cancer treatment to fusion power.

Prof. Kamal Sarabandi welcomes Emperor and Empress of Japan at IGARSS 2019

Predicting future disasters is an important goal of those participating in the IEEE Geoscience and Remote Sensing Symposium

Leung Tsang elected to the National Academy of Engineering

A professor of electrical engineering and computer science is awarded one of engineering’s top honors.

Katie Bouman talks legacy of the black hole imaging project and favorite U-M memories

Before Bouman became the face of the project that brought us the first ever image of a black hole, she was wowing ECE professors with design projects and hoarding Domino’s pizza with her HKN family.

The post Katie Bouman talks legacy of the black hole imaging project and favorite U-M memories appeared first on Michigan Engineering News.

CSE PhD student Matt Bernhard on the Facebook data breach

In this video, CSE PhD Student Matt Bernhard weighs in on the matter Facebook data harvesting, such as that done by Cambridge Analytica.

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Not enough voters detecting ballot errors and potential hacks, study finds

Researchers carried out the first study on voter behavior with electronic assistive devices, found 93% missed incorrect ballots.

The post Not enough voters detecting ballot errors and potential hacks, study finds appeared first on Michigan Engineering News.

Her fight for your rights

Could censorship end the internet as we know it? Not if Roya Ensafi can help it.

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Honoring the past and sizing up nuclear’s future at the Phoenix rededication

The Michigan Memorial Phoenix Project, conceived as a war memorial following World War II, remains relevant in the face of climate change and international conflict.

The post Honoring the past and sizing up nuclear’s future at the Phoenix rededication appeared first on Michigan Engineering News.

Computer vision: Finding the best teaching frame in a video for fake video fightback

The frame in which a human marks out the boundaries of an object makes a huge difference in how well AI software can identify that object through the rest of the video.

The post Computer vision: Finding the best teaching frame in a video for fake video fightback appeared first on Michigan Engineering News.

In the news: Michigan Engineering experts June 14-18

Highlights include Popular Science, CNet and Science Alert

The post In the news: Michigan Engineering experts June 14-18 appeared first on Michigan Engineering News.

The ocean is full of tiny plastic particles – we found a way to track them with satellites

In The Conversation, Chris Ruf explains how CYGNSS can find the source ocean microplastics and aid in future clean up.

The post The ocean is full of tiny plastic particles – we found a way to track them with satellites appeared first on Michigan Engineering News.

Parker Solar Probe data bolsters theories in long-running solar riddle

University of Michigan researchers were able to accurately predict when and where the probe would cross an important barrier in the sun’s atmosphere.

The post Parker Solar Probe data bolsters theories in long-running solar riddle appeared first on Michigan Engineering News.

The box that rocked the universe

Meet the U-M researcher who helped pioneer the CubeSat—and a new era in space exploration.

The post The box that rocked the universe appeared first on Michigan Engineering News.

Studying Earth’s defenses against solar storms

NASA undertakes a comprehensive look at a critical atmospheric buffer between us and the sun, powered in part by University of Michigan researchers and alumni.

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In the news: Michigan Engineering experts June 21-25

Highlights include Vox and the New York Times.

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In the news: Michigan Engineering experts August 9-13

Highlights include the Los Angeles Times.

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Tracking ocean microplastics from space

Satellites give new insights on the Great Pacific Garbage Patch, plus sources and flows of ocean microplastic.

The post Tracking ocean microplastics from space appeared first on Michigan Engineering News.

Renovated nuclear reactor building opens as world-class labs

Inside the new Nuclear Engineering Labs, researchers in the nation’s top-ranked nuclear engineering program will focus on advancing nuclear security, nonproliferation, safety and energy.

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Sara Pozzi featured in nuclear nonproliferation podcast

Listen to Sara Pozzi and colleagues at Oregon State discuss nuclear nonproliferation today and technologies on the horizon.

The post Sara Pozzi featured in nuclear nonproliferation podcast appeared first on Michigan Engineering News.

Catching nuclear smugglers: fast algorithm could enable cost-effective detectors at borders

The algorithm can pick out weak signals from nuclear weapons materials, hidden in ordinary radiation sources like fertilizer.

The post Catching nuclear smugglers: fast algorithm could enable cost-effective detectors at borders appeared first on Michigan Engineering News.

The Future of Lasers

Story by Colin Barras

The post The Future of Lasers appeared first on Michigan Engineering News.

Nuclear nonproliferation: $1.9M to improve detection of weapons-grade material

Untangling the signatures of smuggled nuclear materials from the radiation background created by shooting neutrons at suspected cargo is the task of U-M research team.

The post Nuclear nonproliferation: $1.9M to improve detection of weapons-grade material appeared first on Michigan Engineering News.

Intercepting an asteroid

In prior posts, two Michigan Engineers worked on the ion engine aboard NASA’s DART probe, set to launch this winter.

The post Intercepting an asteroid appeared first on Michigan Engineering News.

Universities’ crucial role in our spacefaring future

To ensure that our species endures, we must advance space-based technologies and break our interdisciplinary boundaries.

The post Universities’ crucial role in our spacefaring future appeared first on Michigan Engineering News.

Streamlining aircraft

Joaquim Martins pioneers high-fidelity simulations that bring together multiple disciplines. Recently incorporated into NASA’s open-source software, and being considered for adoption by aircraft manufacturers, the approach has the potential to change the game in aircraft design and other engineering systems.

The post Streamlining aircraft appeared first on Michigan Engineering News.

Testing advanced space engines here on Earth

U-M is a member of a new $15M institute to improve physics-based modeling of advanced thrusters for human space exploration.

The post Testing advanced space engines here on Earth appeared first on Michigan Engineering News.

In the news: Michigan Engineering experts May 24-28

Highlights include Bloomberg, New York Times and the Detroit News.

The post In the news: Michigan Engineering experts May 24-28 appeared first on Michigan Engineering News.

Answers Inc. – A brief history of U-M’s Space Physics Research Laboratory

For 75 years, SPRL has sent instruments skyward to help us better understand Earth, space, our sun and more.

The post Answers Inc. – A brief history of U-M’s Space Physics Research Laboratory appeared first on Michigan Engineering News.

Apollo 15 — 50th anniversary

The all U-M crew was the U.S. Apollo program’s fourth lunar landing, and the first to use the Lunar Roving Vehicle.

The post Apollo 15 — 50th anniversary appeared first on Michigan Engineering News.

Apollo 15 at 50: A celebration of the all-Michigan crew’s mission and the future of space exploration

July 30 virtual event highlights future lunar and deep space missions, the technologies to get there, and U-M’s research contributions to space exploration.

The post Apollo 15 at 50: A celebration of the all-Michigan crew’s mission and the future of space exploration appeared first on Michigan Engineering News.

ECE alum Mihir Sheth receives Young Innovator Award from Innovate UK for making a medical device that weans patients off ventilators quicker

Sheth is the co-founder of Inspiritus Health and has developed a simple to use, non-invasive medical device that keeps patients’ muscles engaged when they are on a ventilator to prevent muscle atrophy.

Discover Other Themes

  • Artificial Intelligence

  • Cybersecurity

  • E-commerce / Supply Chain Automation

  • Health and Bio-compatibility

  • Next Evolution of Socialization

  • Renewables, Environment, and Sustainability

  • Smart Cities / Smart Infrastructure