2010 / 2011 College of Engineering Departments Mechanical Engineering 

Mechanical Engineering Research Laboratories

Advanced Materials Process Control Laboratory,Professor Gevelber. The primary research focus of this laboratory is to apply a systems-based approach to improving material processing capabilities. Research projects involve an integrated effort of physical modeling, sensor development, system design, and control development. Current projects include work on plasma deposition for protective coatings, crystal growth for electronic applications, and chemical vapor deposition. An experimental CVD system has been developed for implementing real-time control. A microbalance is used to measure growth rates in situ, and parallel DSP boards are used for data analysis and control. Related research includes development of analysis methods for identifying fundamental process constraints, as well as development of advanced sensors and observers to infer the process state.

Aerodynamic & Fluid Mechanics Laboratory, Professors Isaacson and Wroblewski. Different wind tunnels are available to students and faculty for research and instruction; these are low-speed and smoke tunnels. Using these tunnels, students perform experiments that illustrate the principles of fluid mechanics and aerodynamics. In addition, the laboratory is equipped with electronic and computer-assisted data acquisition systems for experimentation using transducers for measuring temperature, pressure, velocity, flow, displacement, acceleration, force, and strain.

Biomedical Microdevices & Microenvironments Laboratory, Professor Klapperich. This laboratory is focused on materials research activities in the broad areas of tissue engineering and biomedical device design. The laboratory is equipped for polymer and hydrogel synthesis, microfluidic device rapid prototyping, fabrication of tissue engineering scaffold materials, molecular analysis, and tissue culture. The laboratory houses a dynamic mechanical analyzer for time and temperature sensitive testing of gel and polymer macroscale mechanical properties. This facility is a fully functional laboratory for integrated mechanical, chemical, and biological testing of biomaterials. The laboratory is adjacent to the shared bio-micro/nanofabrication center. This cleanroom contains a mask aligner, AFM, DekTak Profilometer, e-beam evaporator, and a spin coater. The lab also maintains a Hysitron Triboscope Nanoindentation Instrument located in the Low Vibration Area of the Photonics Center. Laboratory projects include experiments and modeling of the contact problem for nanoscale probes on soft hydrated biomaterials, cell-biomaterial interactions in tissue engineering materials, and diagnostic microfluidic device design.

Boundary Layer Wind Tunnel, Professors Howe and Wroblewski. This facility is designed for fundamental turbulent transport studies in boundary layers. Specific projects include turbulent heat transport measurements in steady and unsteady junction boundary layers flows, near wall turbulent structure investigations, and development of advanced experimental techniques for fluid dynamics and heat transfer measurements. Experimental capabilities include two-component laser Doppler anemometry, multi-component hot-wire and cold-wire anemometry, liquid-crystal surface temperature measurements, and flow visualization utilizing laser light sheets with helium bubbles or smoke wire techniques.

Computational Nanomechanics Laboratory, Professor Park. The computational nanomechanics laboratory at Boston University is home to an active research program in the behavior and properties of surface-dominated nanomaterials. Our research concentrates on the synergy between computational methods and materials physics, and the advances in the understanding of material behavior that can be possible as a result. Currently, we are interested in understanding not only how nanoscale surface effects impact the mechanical properties of low-dimensional nanostructures such as nanowires, but also the coupling between mechanics and other physical properties (optical, electrical, thermal). Finally, we are interested in fundamental studies of graphene-based nanoelectromechanical systems.

Computer-Aided Design (CAD) Laboratory, Professor Bethune. This laboratory is used by students for research projects and to supplement coursework involving design and analysis. It contains 30 personal computers and complementary printers and plotters. Available software includes AutoCAD 2000 and a variety of other software packages supporting undergraduate and graduate courses.

Control in Nanoscale Systems, Professor Andersson. This facility is used to develop and apply new techniques for the study of dynamics in nanoscale systems. We use advanced systems and control methods to design and analyze algorithms which offer extremely high spatial and temporal resolution. Our target systems lie primarily in the realm of single molecules and molecular systems. The lab includes an optical microscope, a nanopositioning stage, a homebuilt confocal microscope, and laser excitation sources.

Green Manufacturing Laboratory, Professor Gopalan. Research in this laboratory focuses on environmentally benign power generation technologies such as solid-oxide fuel cells (SOFCs). We explore the material science and electrochemistry of SOFCs using tools such as impedance spectroscopy, galvanostats, and potentiostats. Studies in this lab include measurement of the rates of charge transfer reactions that occur at the interfaces of solid-state electrochemical devices, exploration of new materials and processes and modeling of the transport phenomena that occur in such devices. In this lab we also conduct research on ceramic gas separation membranes for the separation of industrially important gases such as oxygen and hydrogen. Ongoing projects conducted in close collaboration with industrial partners include the development of electrode and electrolyte materials for lower operating temperature SOFCs and the development of mixed ionic and electronic conducting materials for separation of hydrogen. The laboratory is equipped with a Perkin Elmer 263 A Potentiostat/Galvanostat used for characterization of electrochemical systems such as fuel cells, ceramic gas separation membranes, batteries, and sensors, a Horiba 910 particle size analyzer capable of obtaining particle size distributions of powders in the range of 0.01 microns to 1 mm using light scattering technique, a Solartron 1255 Frequency Response Analyzer (FRA) used for AC impedance spectroscopy, high temperature furnaces that can operate up to 1,700˚C, and a Spex 8000 mill capable of producing sub-micron particles for use in solid-state electrodes by high-energy ball milling in a very short period of time.

High-Temperature Chemical & Electrochemical Processing of Materials Laboratory, Professor Pal. The laboratory is completely equipped for studying most high-temperature chemical and electrochemical processes involving metals and ceramics. It includes several high-temperature furnaces, residual gas analyzers, CO/CO2 analyzers, potentiostats, impedance analyzers, state-of-the-art thermogravimetric Cahn Balance, high-precision power supplies capable of operating under constant current/voltage mode, viscometers, state-of-the-art data acquisition systems, powder processing facility, and fuel cell test stations. The laboratory currently supports the following research programs: green electrochemical synthesis of high-energy content metals such as magnesium, titanium, calcium, and tantalum; novel materials processing for hydrogen storage; membrane technology for hydrogen production and separation; hybrid one-step processing of solid-oxide fuel cells; and materials for intermediate temperature solid-oxide fuel cells.

High-Temperature Oxidation Laboratory, Professor Basu. The research focus of this laboratory is to investigate high-temperature oxidation behavior of materials by exposing metal and ceramic samples to corrosive atmospheres containing oxygen and sulfur at elevated temperatures up to 1,600˚C. The laboratory is equipped with a CAHN (thermogravimetric) balance and a Mettler microbalance for weight-gain measurements, as well as an apparatus for oxidation in O–18 atmospheres, in order to determine oxidation mechanisms.

Hybrid & Networked Systems (HyNeSs) Laboratory, Professor Belta. Belta’s research group is interested in phenomena that occur when continuous dynamics, described by systems of differential equations, are combined with discrete dynamics, modelled as automata or state transition graphs. Such systems are called hybrid, and examples range from man-made systems such as mobile robots, to naturally occurring systems such as biochemical networks, where the continuous dynamics of metabolic processes is regulated by the logic of gene expression. Its approach to the analysis and control of such systems combine concepts and tools from computer science and control theory. Its current application areas are networked mobile robotics, swarming, gene networks, and genome scale metabolic analysis.

Intelligent Mechatronics Laboratory, Professors Andersson, Baillieul, and Wang. This laboratory is equipped with a wide variety of robotic devices including RF-networked sensor arrays, nearly forty mobile robots, surgical robots, and haptic interfaces. Additional resources include real-time control software, hand-held computing and communication devices, workstations, and a wide variety of sensors and actuators. This equipment is dedicated to research in limited-bandwidth control problems, symbolic control, cooperative systems and control, and image-guided minimally invasive surgery.

Materials Theory Group Laboratory, Professor Lin. The development of predictive modeling and simulation techniques is used to understand materials and electric, optical, magnetic, and mechanical properties. Our current research activities focus on 1) conductive polymer soliton theory: polymeric charge transport, metal-to-insulator transition, and high strain-rate artificial muscles; 2) glass transition theory: viscosity of super-cooled liquids, origin of fragility, strong-fragile-strong transition, glassy water, and protein folding; 3) solid dislocation theory: mechanical strength under ambient and extreme conditions, interacting line and point defects, and dislocation climb; and 4) interfacial charge transfer theory: heterogeneous catalysis and solid-oxide fuel cells.

Microscopy Laboratory, Professor Basu. This laboratory is dedicated to the preparation of electron transparent specimens for observation in the Transmission Electron Microscope (TEM). The specimens have to be reduced to a thickness on the order of 100Å in order to study atomic arrangements by high-resolution TEM. Equipment available for this purpose includes a GATAN dimpler and ion-mill, as well as precision grinding and polishing apparatus. The laboratory is also equipped with a darkroom capable of processing TEM negatives and prints.

Laboratory for Microsystems Technology (LMST), Professor Zhang. The Laboratory for Microsystems Technology (LMST) is dedicated to interdisciplinary research in the design, fabrication, characterization, packaging, and operation of microelectromechanical systems (MEMS) and nanoelectromechanical systems (NEMS). We perform research on MEMS and NEMS. Specifically, we are interested in applying materials science, micro/nanomechanics, and micro/nanomanufacturing technologies to solve various engineering problems that are motivated by practical applications in MEMS/NEMS and emerging nanobiotechnologies. LMST is a cleanroom that provides resources for the design, fabrication, characterization, and testing of MEMS/NEMS devices. LMST is also a general biochemistry laboratory that has a strong collaboration with the medical schools.

Multi-Scale Tissue Biomechanics Laboratory, Professor K. Zhang. This lab was founded in 2006 within the Department of Mechanical Engineering at Boston University. The newly finished lab includes a fully equipped wet lab and computational facilities for characterization and modeling of the mechanical behavior of soft biological tissues and composites at multi-scale. The research in this lab integrates knowledge in biology, nonlinear solid mechanics, and finite element modeling, especially of complex materials and constitutive behavior. Through the research, we hope to provide insights on understanding the relationship between microscopic biological processes and changes in macroscopic tissue mechanics due to diseases, and help the development of diagnostic, therapeutic, and pharmaceutical techniques.

Nanoscale Mechanical Engineering Laboratory, Professor Ekinci. This facility is used to fabricate nanometer-scale semiconductor mechanical devices using electron beam lithography, plasma, and wet etching techniques. After fabrication, various state-of-the-art characterization techniques are employed to study the physical processes dominant in these nanomechanical devices. Among the fundamental phenomena studied are dissipation, fluctuations, and surface effects at the nanometer length scales. The practical aspects of this research involve the design and fabrication of ultra-high-speed nanomechanical sensors and development of surface nano-engineering techniques for improved device characteristics. More information can be found at NEMS Home: Ekinci Group.

Nonlinear & Biomedical Acoustics Laboratory, Professors Cleveland, Holt, Porter, and Roy. This laboratory is equipped for wet and dry experiments supporting a broad spectrum of ultrasound research, including nonlinear acoustics, bubble-related physical and underwater acoustics, therapeutic ultrasound, acoustic cavitation, and transduction. There are two fully instrumented ultrasonic scan tanks with computer-controlled positioners. One is for research into high-intensity-focused ultrasound for surgery and the other contains a peizo-electric array with 170 elements capable of generating intense shock waves for research in lithotripsy. The lab has a scanning acoustic microscope (SAM) which can employ ultrasound pulses with frequencies up to 150 MHz for imaging samples. The lab is well stocked with general-purpose test and measurement equipment such as function generators, multi-meters, power amplifiers, preamps, and analog and digital oscilloscopes. The lab is equipped with a full-size fume hood, a water purification system, and various instruments for fluid and biomaterial control, processing, and measurement.

Orthopaedic & Developmental Biomechanics Laboratory, Professor Morgan. This laboratory uses experimental and computational methods to explore the relationships between structure and mechanical function of biological tissues at multiple length scales. Current research projects include quantification of physiological loading conditions, 3-D visualization and prediction of spine fractures, and the effects of mechanical stimulation on joint and articular cartilage development. The laboratory houses a biaxial (axial-torsional) servohydraulic materials testing system with a variety of extensometers and load cells, a miniature torsional testing system, two micro-computed tomography systems, a multi-channel signal conditional and amplification system, an X-ray cabinet, and various cutting tools including a sledge microtome and low-speed wafering saw. Additional space is dedicated to cell and tissue culture. Computational facilities include PC workstations equipped with software for image processing, finite element analysis, and general computing.

Physical Acoustics Laboratory, Professor Holt. The interaction of sound with fluids, especially those with free surfaces, is at the heart of the work in the Physical Acoustics Lab. The coupling of sound to interfacial motion leads to a variety of interesting phenomena involving free surfaces, bubbles and drops. Many of these phenomena have surprising practical applications. A few of our projects are described below. In one externally funded project, we are investigating the collective collapse of cavitation clusters in high-static-pressure liquids. We utilize high-power pulsed laser beam arrays to control cluster nucleation and investigate the onset of collective bubble effects in high-pressure spherical resonators. Understanding the physics of collective cluster collapse will lead to applications involving high-temperature and high-pressure reactions. In another project, in collaboration with a biomedical device company, we are using ultrasonic acoustic levitation as a technique for investigating the rheology of blood clots. The uniqueness of this non-contact method allows the determination of the intrinsic strength of clots as a function of a variety of control factors, in turn allowing medical device designers to more effectively break up clots. In two other projects we are investigating the unique properties of acoustically driven nonlinear parametric instability waves known as Faraday waves. These waves spontaneously form patterns, and efficiently focus vibrational energy at a free surface. Our efforts are directed at investigating pattern freezing as an alternative to traditional time-consuming approaches, and towards understanding Faraday waves in periodic structures.

Powder Metallurgy & X-Ray Laboratory, Professor Sarin. The powder processing laboratory is equipped to batch, process, and densify a wide variety of materials. Particle size reduction and uniform mixing are essential in any powder preparation. In addition to a 500cc capacity attritor mill for processing small powder batches, an extensive selection of ball mill sizes and a variety of milling media, including silicon nitride and titanium carbide, are available. Dies and presses for powder compaction and component development have been established. Consolidation and sintering capabilities include vacuum, over pressure, and hot pressing up to 25,000 KgF and temperatures in excess of 2,400˚C. These capabilities make the powder processing laboratory uniquely equipped for developing high temperature monolithic and composite materials. The laboratory is also equipped with a Bruker D8 Focus diffractometer with independent theta and two theta axis with copper radiation. This unit extends the laboratory’s capability to perform single crystal back reflection Laue studies for crystal orientation. The standard detector is the scintillation counter, with high dynamic range and low internal background. In addition, several Debye Scherrer powder cameras are also available. This unit is equipped with all necessary components for qualitative or quantitative phase analysis, crystallite size determination, and structure determination and refinement.

Precision Engineering Research Laboratory, Professor Bifano. The Precision Engineering Research Laboratory at Boston University is home to an active program in microelectromechanical systems (MEMS) research. In MEMS, the tools that emerged from the semiconductor manufacturing revolution are employed to design and build electronic, mechanical, and optical devices whose dimensions are measured in nanometers and micrometers. Like their microelectronic counterparts, MEMS devices can be made extremely small and in great numbers economically. The research program at PERL focuses on optical MEMS systems—electromechanical devices to improve the performance of imaging and communication systems. One of the more successful outcomes of this research has been the design, fabrication, and testing of a new class of micromirror array that can be used to improve the resolution of microscopes, telescopes, and biomedical instruments. Two specific types of these devices, developed at the University—MEMS deformable mirrors and MEMS spatial light modulators—have been incorporated into test-beds worldwide to exploit this new technology. Our work on optical MEMS includes design, manufacturing, and testing of these devices. PERL is housed in the Photonics Center, where world-class facilities for modeling, producing, and measuring optical MEMS devices are available.

Production Control of Manufacturing Systems (PCMS) Laboratory, Professors Caramanis, Perkins, and Vakili. The PCMS Laboratory is dedicated to research on the control and design of manufacturing systems. Algorithmic development for dynamic scheduling, stability and performance evaluation, design, and planning of production systems is a major research activity. Development of a framework that facilitates concurrent manufacturing through cooperation of independent decision-making entities in a manufacturing facility is an equally important research goal of the PCMS Laboratory. This effort includes theoretical research on complex system decomposition and coordination, as well as applied work on software architectures and interfaces. Decision-making and analysis activities of interest range from material requirements and capacity planning, to performance evaluation, scheduling, and shop floor tracking. Systems engineering and control theory are relied upon to leverage classical operations research techniques and to provide flexible real-time decision-making capabilities required in a modern manufacturing environment. Resources include a mixed platform of PCs and workstations available in the laboratory, as well as campus-wide computational facilities. The PCMS Laboratory is the home of graduate students primarily—but not exclusively—at the doctoral level, and has established collaborative projects with a number of industrial sites.

Shock Wave Laboratory, Professors Cleveland and Holt. The Shock Wave Laboratory houses a number of shock wave sources for research into lithotripsy (breaking of kidney stones) and shock wave therapy (the treatment of musculoskeletal pain). There are two electrohydraulic (spark-based source) lithotripters: one is a research device which allows control over various aspects of the shock wave and the second is a clinical device complete with fluoroscopic imaging. The lab is also home to two shock wave therapy (SWT) devices for research into the use of shock waves to treat soft-tissue injury. Acoustical and optical cavitation detection systems are used to sense bubble activity generated by shock waves. There is a high-pressure chamber with acoustically transparent windows that is equipped with acoustic and optical ports to allow for the study of shock wave interaction with stones under pressure. The laboratory also houses the Drop Physics Module, an acoustic levitation apparatus that flew on the Space Shuttle in the Space-lab module during the missions STS-50 (First United States Microgravity Laboratory, USML-1) and STS-73 (USML-2). The apparatus enabled the study of drop dynamics and surface rheology in microgravity. This apparatus is currently being refurbished and will be used for studies of the dynamic rheology of foams.

Surface Modification Laboratory, Professor Sarin. This unique state-of-the-art university research laboratory has the capability of R&D activities in both Chemical Vapor Deposition (CVD) and Physical Vapor Deposition (PVD) techniques. It contains two experimental and two pilot scale CVD units capable of producing a wide range of tough, chemically resistant coatings for various applications. Two multiple-range RF sputtering units capable of producing monolithic, multilayered, and composite coatings are available for coating development by PVD. Research and development of diamond coatings is focused on the combustion flame process. Several combustion flame setups have been developed and fabricated to produce diamond coatings of various morphologies on a wide range of materials. Unique equipment and techniques have been developed to evaluate the mechanical, chemical, and structural properties of coatings, such as a microscratch tester to evaluate adherence.

Underwater Sound & Ultrasound Lab, Professors Carey, Cleveland, Holt, Nagem, and Roy. The first focus of this laboratory is the propagation of sound in natural bodies of water. The facilities include a wet lab testing facility with computer-controlled instrumentation for acoustic propagation experiments. The lab also contains two workstations for computational modeling. In addition to lab and computational efforts, at-sea research projects are planned through collaborations with other regional facilities. The current research thrust is the study of sound propagation in the shallow water surf zone. Ongoing projects include the characterization of acoustic propagation through bubble clouds. An in situ device has been developed to measure the acoustic impedance of bubbly assemblages and (eventually) the sea bottom and a novel acoustic array has been developed and successfully towed behind an autonomous underwater vehicle in tests run in conjunction with the Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution. In addition, BU investigators are working in close collaboration with the Naval Surface Warfare Center (Panama City, FL) to develop a novel technique for buried mine detection using time reversal acoustics. Activities include scaled experiments in the BU lab as well as lake experiments at NSWC-PC. The second major facet of the lab is devoted to cutting-edge techniques for ultrasound imaging and for cavitation remediation studies related to the Oak Ridge National Laboratory Spallation Neutron Source (SNS) facility. The Medical Imaging Testbed (MedBED) is one of four research and development laboratory facilities created as part of the NSF Engineering Research Center for Subsurface Sensing and Imaging Systems (CenSSIS). Facilities include a large water-filled, ultrasound scan tank (with precision positioners, supporting computers and acoustic-electronic instrumentation) for general purpose ultrasound research and two diagnostic ultrasound scanners for biomedical imaging research. The SNS work features an acoustic resonator designed for detecting free gas bubbles in flowing mercury and a laser cavitation system for generating reproducible bubble cloud collapse near boundaries under well-controlled aqueous conditions. Cloud collapse diagnostics include high-speed photography, acoustic emission measurements, and boundary surface vibrations measured using a laser Doppler vibrometer.

Vibrations Laboratory, Professor McDaniel. The laboratory offers a full suite of sensors, instrumentation, and software necessary to research the vibrations of complex structures and technologies that reduce vibration and noise. One area of current interest is the spatial mapping of energy removal by damping treatments in order to better design damping treatments for complex structures. Another area is the mitigation of automotive brake squeal.

Research Centers

Research at the College has become so interdisciplinary that research centers are being proposed to administratively manage the diverse interests and faculty. Three more centers, namely Materials Technology, Nanotechnology, and the Center for the Synthesis & Processing of Novel Materials & Devices, are in various stages of formation.

The Center for Advanced Biotechnology (CAB), Codirectors, Professors Cantor, Collins, and Frank-Kamenetskii. This center spans the Charles River and Medical School campuses and has a strong research and development component with emphasis on technology transfer, either through existing companies or through new ventures. The center focuses on developing new methodologies and new biological materials. Among these new materials are genes involved in human behavior and particular human diseases such as schizophrenia and breast cancer, and modified segments of DNA that are potentially suitable as new gene-specific drugs. Among new methodologies are techniques for much more rapid DNA sequencing; improved techniques for faster genetic and physical mapping; methods for controlling the fate of environmentally released microorganisms; and much more sensitive methods for DNA and antigen detection, potentially useful in new diagnostic tests.

Center for Advanced Genomic Technology (CAGT), Director, Professor DeLisi. Biological cells have developed methods for transmission and control of information, for memory and learning, and for error correction and adaptation, which were optimized over hundreds of millions of years of evolution. Recent developments in high throughput experimental and computational biology have placed us, for the first time, in a position to understand these processes and to use them in clinical medicine and engineering in ways that, only a generation ago, could barely be glimpsed. CAGT is positioned to play an important role in such progress through new forms of collaboration and training that will provide the intellectual foundation required for breakthrough technologies in computation, information handling, and engineering.

Center for BioDynamics, Codirectors, Professors Collins, Kopell. The Center for BioDynamics (CBD) involves faculty from the departments of Biomedical Engineering, Physics, Mathematics, Psychology, and Mechanical Engineering. Its mission is to: (1) train undergraduates, graduates, and postdoctoral fellows in leading techniques from dynamical systems theory and its applications to biology and engineering; (2) develop and implement techniques and concepts from dynamical systems theory to gain insight into the functioning of physiological systems; (3) translate basic-science developments in dynamical physiology into improved clinical devices and techniques; (4) use principles from dynamical systems theory to develop improved engineering devices; (5) be a home within the University for the development and sharing of dynamical systems techniques for use in diverse applications.

Biomolecular Engineering Research Center (BMERC), Codirectors, Professors Smith and Vajda. The Biomolecular Engineering Research Center (BMERC) has two major research objectives: to develop statistical and other computational approaches that will detect syntactic and semantic patterns in DNA, RNA, and protein sequences; and to use statistical/computational approaches to identify structure, function, and regulation in these molecules. This identification has led to formulation and testing of major hypotheses in the areas of molecular evolution, gene regulation, developmental genetics, and protein structure/function relationships. In meeting these objectives, the BMERC is continually developing new computer-assisted analytical approaches that address basic problems in molecular biology such as those noted above.

Center for Computational Science, Director, Professor Rebbi. The CCS at Boston University was chartered in 1989 as an interdisciplinary focal point for computational science research and education. In collaboration with Information Technology’s Scientific Computing & Visualization Group (SCV), CCS has made leading-edge computational resources available to researchers and students on a University-wide basis since the installation of its first massively parallel supercomputer in 1988. The installation of the SGI/Cray Origin2000 represents the fourth-generation parallel supercomputing technology at the University. Facilities also include an SGI Power Challenge Array, advanced graphics workstations, virtual reality stations, and very high-speed networking. The University’s support of computational research has been extended to institutions throughout New England by means of the NSF-funded MARINER (http://mariner.bu.edu/) project, a collaboration between CCS and SCV. MARINER offers education and training programs, access to state-of-the-art computing facilities, and opportunities for pilot projects, Internet connectivity, and industrial partnerships. The center is a cooperative venture in which associated members come from a variety of disciplines in the academic and industrial communities to develop and take advantage of leading-edge computer and communications technologies. Under the auspices of MARINER, CCS takes its place as a leader in developing computational applications in collaboration with regional schools and companies. Building on MARINER, the University is extending its programs on a national scale as a partner in the National Computational Science Alliance, one of two national Partnerships for Advanced Computational Infrastructure supported by the NSF.

Fraunhofer Center for Manufacturing Innovation, Professor Sharon, Director; Professor Ivanov. The Fraunhofer Center for Manufacturing Innovation (CMI), in collaboration with Boston University, provides manufacturing solutions to industries in the United States and abroad. The center is located with the Mechanical Engineering Department on campus and employs a staff of approximately 40 people comprised of full-time engineers and scientists, students, and administrative personnel. Fraunhofer works closely with the University to streamline the process of scaling up academic research into real working technologies for industry, bridging the gap between academic research and industrial needs. Activities range from concept development and evaluation through prototyping and factory floor implementation, all on an industrial timetable. CMI’s core competence and focus is in the development of next-generation, high-precision automation systems. The following market segments are primarily targeted, although the center is involved in other high-precision labor intensive applications: optoelectronics, biotechnology/biomedical, specialty semiconductor, and microsystems. Fraunhofer’s activities are supported by a 17,000-square-foot facility. Located with the Department of Mechanical Engineering at 15 Saint Mary’s Street, it offers a full machine development laboratory for high-precision automation, advanced metrology, rapid prototyping, a class 1000 clean room, and a variety of CAD/CAM packages. Additionally, in support of our fabrication needs, the center has an advanced machine shop comprising three- and five-axis milling and turning machines, a high-precision CNC lathe, an ultra-precision diamond machining center, and a variety of CNC controllers.

Hearing Research Center, Director, Professor Colburn. The Boston University Hearing Research Center, formed in 1995, includes 20 faculty members from six departments in four Boston University schools and colleges. The goals of the center are the development and dissemination of knowledge relevant to the nation’s auditory health; specifically, faculty in the center conduct basic and applied hearing research and develop research training and educational programs, primarily for graduate students and postdoctoral fellows. Research activities in the center combine theoretical and experimental studies of auditory processing to understand hearing, including psychophysical and physiological observations of both normal and impaired auditory systems. Our studies span mechanics, physiology, molecular biology, anatomy, and psychophysics. Empirical studies include projects in physical acoustics, otoacoustic emissions, cochlear mechanics and potentials, electrophysiology and anatomy of auditory sensory cells and neurons, functional interactions of neurons as seen through multiunit recordings, and auditory evoked potentials, as well as studies of hearing abilities of human listeners with and without hearing impairments. Theoretical studies, which are closely coupled to the empirical investigations, include mathematical models of cochlear mechanics, single neurons, networks of neurons, and human performance.

Center for Information & Systems Engineering, Codirectors, Professors Castañón and Paschalidis. The Center for Information & Systems Engineering (CISE) provides a home across departments for faculty and students interested in information and systems engineering methodologies and their relevance to application domains encompassing the analysis, design, and management of complex systems. Interdisciplinary methodologies include optimization methods, information theory, control theory, applied probability and statistics, simulation and modeling, and others. Currently, focal application domains of affiliated faculty include automation, robotics and control; communication, networking and information systems; production, service and supply chain management; and signal and image processing. There are 20 affiliated faculty representing the College of Engineering (the departments of Mechanical Engineering and Electrical & Computer Engineering) the College of Arts & Sciences (departments of Mathematics & Statistics and Computer Science), and the School of Management (department of Operations & Technology Management). In the College of Engineering, the PhD in Systems Engineering is available to students interested in focusing their research on interdisciplinary work emphasized within CISE. Graduate students with a strong research interest in optimization, information, decision, and control sciences may select to pursue the PhD in Systems Engineering by gaining admission into an individual College of Engineering department. These students have the opportunity to pursue research topics sponsored, amongst others, by CISE-affiliated faculty. The CISE also invites prominent academic and industrial researchers to present their work to the University audience at a weekly seminar. CISE outreach to industry takes on many shapes and sizes. For example, with the Department of Mechanical Engineering, CISE has co-sponsored Emerging Technologies (ET) and Best Practices Seminars drawing 100–150 industry practitioners. Industry collaborations (with Mitsubishi Research Laboratories, Draper Laboratory and Lincoln Laboratory, amongst others) have provided graduate student support. Center-affiliated faculty also work with industry on specific research projects. Since its initiation in 2002, CISE has created a community with active participation from faculty and students across the University who speak the same technical language while investigating a diverse set of applications. As a result, Boston University offers an enhanced coordinated core of graduate ‘systems’ courses and research opportunities. Access to the breadth of interdisciplinary research in information and systems engineering is available through the CISE web-based Publications Data Base. For more information, please visit www.bu.edu/systems.

Center for Memory & Brain (CMB), Director, Professor Eichenbaum; Associate Director, Professor White. Over the last twenty years, considerable data on both the cognitive and biological aspects of memory have been generated. In addition, major new technologies have emerged that are being employed to reach a new level of discoveries about the functional circuitry of the brain. The purpose of the CMB is to develop a major collaborative research program whose central aim is to combine multiple approaches toward a full understanding of how the brain mediates memory. A fundamental feature of the CMB is that the entire proposed core faculty has this aim as a major research objective. A central feature of the CMB is its focus on three state-of-the-art approaches and technologies to the neurobiology of memory, each shared by subsets of the core faculty. The three approaches represent a continuity of three levels of analysis of memory: functional neuroanatomy; information coding by neuronal populations; and plasticity and self-organized activity in microcircuitry.

Center for Nanoscience & Nanobiotechnology (CNN), Director, Professor Goldberg; Associate Directors, Professors Ünlü and Wong. Boston University formed the Center for Nanoscience & Nanobiotechnology (CNN) to advance academic and technological research and development by extending discoveries in nanoscale materials and platforms toward applications that examine and seek to understand and manipulate biological systems. The center serves as a hub for nanoscience researchers from the Charles River and Medical Campuses and builds interdisciplinary research and training. The center connects scientists and engineers from disparate disciplines with each other in seminars, meetings, joint visitor programs, interdisciplinary courses, industrial collaborations, and seeded projects. The CNN has three core functions: first, to develop interdisciplinary research and education in nanoscience and nanobiotechnology; second, to develop and run an industrial liaison program that partners researchers with external companies for mutual benefit; and third, to connect researchers to resources for technological commercialization. CNN and affiliated faculty are also involved in outreach activities, organizing hands-on activities, discussions, and panels around nanoscience for grade school students and working with local organizations and museums.

NeuroMuscular Research Center, Director, Professor De Luca. The NeuroMuscular Research Center (NMRC) was established as an independent unit at Boston University in October 1984. The NMRC charter focuses on advancing and disseminating knowledge in the fields of biomedical engineering, neuroscience, rehabilitation medicine, and related fields by the application of principles of natural sciences, life sciences, and mathematics. The mission of the NMRC is focused on increasing our knowledge of motor control and improving the quality of health care for neuromuscularly impaired patients. The NMRC is organized into six laboratories:

Design Laboratories, L. Donald Gilmore, Lab Supervisor
Electrophysiology Laboratory, Serge H. Roy, Lab Supervisor
Inquiry Analysis & Prevention Lab, Lars I. E. Oddsson, Lab Supervisor
Motor Control Laboratory, Gerald Gottlieb, Lab Supervisor
Motor Unit Laboratory, Carlo J. De Luca, Lab Supervisor
Muscle Fatigue Laboratory, Serge H. Roy, Lab Supervisor

Each laboratory is supervised by a Boston University faculty member with a scientific staff composed of research associates, research engineers, research assistants, and graduate students. The NMRC brings together faculty, students, and staff from the College of Engineering, the medical school, and Sargent College of Health & Rehabilitation Sciences. This interdisciplinary mingling provides an environment where novel concepts germinate. The center regularly attracts researchers from around the world.

Photonics Center, Director, Professor Bifano. To help industry bridge the gap between basic research and practical application, Boston University launched the Photonics Center in 1994 with $29 million in seed funding from the federal government. The center is now forging true business partnerships in which companies draw on the University’s exceptional expertise and resources in engineering, science, medicine, and management to build actual product prototypes and spawn a growing stream of new companies. The Photonics Center at Boston University is a bold new model for university-industry collaboration. It has been established to work directly with investors and industrial partners to turn emerging concepts in photonics technology into commercial products. The center is staffed and equipped to help industry partners reduce the technical and financial risk involved in developing new ideas, refining them in the laboratory, building working prototypes, and starting up companies. To date the center has forged joint ventures with nearly a dozen companies to develop new products in data storage, environmental monitoring, opto-electronics, and biotechnology. In 1997, the University completed the nine-story, 235,000 square-foot Photonics Building to house this ambitious initiative. The $80 million facility includes a full complement of state-of-the-art laboratories as well as meeting rooms, lecture halls, and an entire floor devoted to incubator space for start-up companies that complements its existing incubator at 1106 Commonwealth Avenue. Faculty affiliated with the center have in-depth expertise in all aspects of photonics technology, including the core areas of opto-electronics, photonic materials, data storage, imaging systems, medical applications, and sensors. Resources available to industry partners, government, faculty, and students through the Photonics Center support development and testing of ideas and products. These resources include several research and development laboratories: Scanning Infrared Near-Field Microscopy Laboratory, Optoelectronic Device Characterization Laboratory, Femtosecond Laser Facility, Photochemical Processes Laboratory, Photonic Systems Engineering Laboratory, Liquid Crystal Display Laboratory, Quantum Imaging Laboratory, Precision Optics Laboratory, Optoelectronic Materials Laboratory, Precision Measurement Laboratory, Optoelectronic Processing Facility, Laser Measurement & Fiber Optic Sensors Laboratory, Magnetic & Optical Devices Laboratory, Near-Field Scanning Optical Microscopy Laboratory, Picosecond Spectroscopy Laboratory, and the Advanced Electronic Materials & Devices Processing Research Laboratory.

Smart Lighting Center, Boston University Site Coordinator and NSF Smart Lighting Engineering Research Center Associate Director, Professor Thomas Little. The Smart Lighting Center at Boston University (SLC/BU) is part of the National Science Foundation’s Smart Lighting Engineering Research Center (ERC) established in September 2008 by Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute, the University of New Mexico, and Boston University. The NSF Smart Lighting ERC focuses on the creation and application of a new generation of smart light sources, whose properties are fully controllable and tunable in terms of their spectral composition, color temperature, polarization, and spatial and modulation properties. These solid-state light sources, adaptable to myriad requirements and environments, will result in tremendous benefits to society and humankind, including:

Reduced pollution and global warming through increased energy conservation;
Novel modes of communication, networking, and sensing for enhanced privacy, security and pervasive connectivity;
Increased automobile safety via localized directional communication that can provide active braking and collision avoidance;
Fundamental advances in biotechnology including the rapid highly specific identification of cells;
Displays with high efficiency and large color gamut enabled by polarized emitters;
Reduced dependency on sleep-inducing pharmaceuticals, reduced risk of cancer, and better support of the natural circadian rhythm, thereby enabling higher productivity and a better quality of life.

These benefits are enabled through the systematic exploration and development of smart-lighting principles in three vertically integrated research thrusts: (i) novel materials, (ii) device technology, and (iii) system applications and impacts. Other key components of the center include an Industrial Advisory Board to drive industry requirements and technology commercialization and a network of educational outreach partners that facilitates the development of a new globally competitive science and technology workforce.

Center for Space Physics, Director, Professor Chakrabarti. The Center for Space Physics provides a focus for research and graduate training in space physics. It is a multidisciplinary center within the Graduate School of Arts & Sciences that includes faculty from the College of Engineering and the College of Arts & Sciences. The mission of the center is to promote and foster space physics research and to provide a central base for that research and for the teaching of space physics, especially at the graduate level. The center seeks to fulfill this mission by creating an intellectual atmosphere conducive to research and to the exchange and exploration of new ideas. The center organizes a seminar series in space physics as well as internal research discussion groups, and often hosts visits of scholars from the United States and abroad. Although the center itself offers no degree program, graduate education is a major component of center activities. Graduate students from programs in astronomy, applied physics, and engineering conduct their thesis research at the center. The center provides a formal link between research groups in the colleges of Engineering and Arts & Sciences, allowing them to co-locate research students and postdoctoral associates to allow greater interaction to everyone’s benefit. The center also provides administrative support for research projects, particularly in the areas of grant management and proposal development.

The Bernard M. Gordon Center for Subsurface Sensing & Imaging Systems (Gordon CenSSIS), Deputy Director, Professor Castañòn. The Center for Subsurface Sensing & Imaging Systems (CenSSIS) is a National Science Foundation Engineering Research Center (ERC) established in 2000. It seeks to revolutionize the ability to detect and image objects that lie underground or underwater, or are embedded within cells, inside the human body, or within manmade structures. CenSSIS is a collaborative effort of four academic institutions: Northeastern University, Boston University, Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute, and the University of Puerto Rico at Mayagüez; and four strategic affiliates: Massachusetts General Hospital, Brigham and Women’s Hospital, Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory, and the Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution. Together, the CenSSIS partnership works with industrial partners who provide their insight into research challenges. The center’s primary focus is on detecting, locating, and identifying objects obscured beneath the covering media, such as underground plumes, tumors under the skin, or developmental defects in an embryo. Utilizing electromagnetic, photonic, or acoustic probes, CenSSIS will engage biomedical and environmental problems, developing techniques for sensing subsurface conditions. Projects integrate new methods of subsurface sensing and modeling, physics-based signal processing and image-understanding algorithms, and image and data information management methods. Research topics being addressed include: humanitarian de-mining, multilayer hyperspectral oceanography, 3-D subretinal visualization, nonlinear ultrasound medical imaging, subcellular biological imaging, electrical impedance tomography, acoustic diffraction tomography, and multi-sensor civil infrastructure assessment. Overall, the CenSSIS program is a vehicle enabling substantial leverage of industrial investments because of the substantial level of funding available for basic research. In addition to research, the center has established programs for education, industry collaboration, and technology transfer.

Computer Facilities. Students and faculty in the College of Engineering have access to a variety of computing facilities within the College and via central resources offered by the Information Technology office. Public facilities within the College include both UNIX and VMS timesharing systems as well as a cluster of graphics workstations. Software available on these systems includes popular word processors and text formatters, a C++ development environment, and packages devoted to digital signal processing, control systems and mathematical manipulation, and graphics visualization. In addition to the public machines, there is a vast array of workstations and computer laboratories available through research associations with departments and individual faculty members. Computer laboratory concentrations include parallel computing, VLSI design, microcomputer simulation and instruction, data acquisition, computer-aided design (CAD), and computer-aided manufacture (CAM).