techcentury A PUBLICATION OF THE ENGINEERING SOCIETY OF DETROIT
V.23 | N.4 WINTER 2019
AI
AND AUTONOMY WATER, VEHICLES AND BEYOND
2018 Student Writing Contest Awardees
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Taking Autonomy to the Water at Michigan Tech
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Will HAL Return? AI for Autonomous Vehicles
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ESD's Members-Only Open House highlighted the society's redesigned space in Southfield. See page 14.
Technology Century
®
A P U B L I C AT I O N O F T H E E N G I N E E R I N G S O C I E T Y O F D E T R O I T
Winter 2019
V.23
| N.4
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PUBLICATION NOTES PRESIDENT’S MESSAGE IN THE NEWS UPCOMING EVENTS UPCOMING DEADLINES IN MEMORIAM CORPORATE MEMBERS
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Lydia Lazurenko: An Engineering Pioneer
13 14
BY SUSAN THWING
TechCentury Engineering Student Writing Contest Awardees
22 Taking Autonomy to the Water
BY ALLISON MILLS
24 2019 Resolution…Develop the Art of Networking
BY TAMMY TURNER
26
The IEEE Global Initiative Addressing the Ethical Challenges of Artificial Intelligence
FEATURES
Foundation Sells Rackham Building while Society Strengthens U-M Ties
BY WILLIAM MOYLAN
28 WILL HAL Return? A Look at Artificial Intelligence for Autonomous Vehicles
BY ROBERT NEFF
Student Chapters: E-Challenge Finalists Present Winning Projects
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Intersecting Human Brain Processes to Benefit Medicine
ESD celebrates Renovation Members-Only Open House Highlights Refreshed Space
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BY SUSAN THWING
Crosspollination: How the Race to Autonomous Vehicle is Redesigning R&D BY CHRISTOPHER VOGELHEIM
COVER: Zhaohui Wang and Jamey Anderson deploy underwater nodes to study how ice alters acoustic communication near the Great Lakes Research Center at Michigan Tech. See page 22. esd.org | The Engineering Society of Detroit | 1
ENGINEER a Boundless Career at University of Detroit Mercy
Detroit Mercy’s College of Engineering & Science offers professional and graduate programs that prepare engineers to become industry leaders. Programs provide a blend of theory and practice, with graduate certificates in Autonomous and Smart Vehicles, Systems Engineering, Advanced Electric Vehicles and Six Sigma, that are online and stackable toward masters degrees.
Is your company a member of Automation Alley? If so, receive a 50 percent discount on your tuition! To learn more, visit eng-sci.udmercy.edu/academics/engineering
techcentury V.23 I N.4 Winter 2019
20700 Civic Center Drive, Suite 450 • Southfield, MI 48076 248–353–0735 • 248–353–0736 fax • esd@esd.org • www.esd.org
TECHNOLOGY CENTURY® EDITORIAL BOARD
CHAIR: Karyn Stickel, Hubbell, Roth & Clark Jason Cerbin, Honeywell Energy Services Group Sandra Diorka, Delhi Charter Township Utpal Dutta, PhD, FESD, University of Detroit Mercy Linda Gerhardt, PhD, General Motors Richard, Hill, PhD, University of Detroit Mercy William A. Moylan, Jr., PhD, PMP, FESD, Eastern Michigan University John G. Petty, FESD, General Dynamics (Retired) Dan Romanchik Matt Roush, Lawrence Technologicial University Larry Sak, PE, Fiat Chrysler Automobiles (retired) Rajiv Shah, PE, ACSCM Michael Stewart, Fishman Stewart Intellectual Property Filza H. Walters, FESD, Lawrence Technological University Cyrill Weems, Plante Moran CRESA Yang Zhao, PhD, Wayne State University
ESD 2018-2019 BOARD OF DIRECTORS
PRESIDENT: Daniel E. Nicholson, PE, General Motors Company VICE PRESIDENT: Kirk T. Steudle, PE, FESD, Econolite TREASURER: Alex F. Ivanikiw, AIA, LEED AP, FESD, Barton Malow Company SECRETARY: Robert Magee, The Engineering Society of Detroit PAST PRESIDENT: Douglas E. Patton, FESD, DENSO International America, Inc. Larry Alexander, Detroit Metro Convention and Visitors Bureau Carla Bailo, Center for Automotive Research Katherine M. Banicki, FESD, Testing Engineers and Consultants Michael D. Bolon, FESD, General Dynamics Land Systems (Retired) Michael J. Cairns, Fiat Chrysler Automobiles Patrick J. Devlin, Michigan Building Trades Council Robert A. Ficano, JD, Wayne County Community College District Farshad Fotouhi, PhD, Wayne State University Alec D. Gallimore, PhD, University of Michigan Lori Gatmaitan, SAE Foundation Malik Goodwin, Goodwin Management Group, LLC Kouhaila G. Hammer, CPA, Ghafari Associates, LLC Ronald R. Henry, AIA, NCARB, Beaumont Health Marc Hudson, Rocket Fiber Leo C. Kempel, PhD, Michigan State University Scott Penrod, Walbridge Robert A. Richard, DTE Energy Bill Rotramel, AVL Powertrain Engineering, Inc. William J. Vander Roest, PE, ZF TRW (Retired) Terry J. Woychowski, FESD, Link Engineering Company
TECHNOLOGY CENTURY STAFF PUBLISHER: CREATIVE DIRECTOR: EDITOR: GRAPHIC DESIGNER:
Robert Magee, Executive Director Nick Mason, Director of Operations Susan Thwing Keith Cabrera-Nguyen
Technology Century® (ISSN 1091-4153 USPS 155-460), also known as TechCentury, is published four times per year by The Engineering Society of Detroit (ESD), 20700 Civic Center Drive, Suite 450, Southfield, MI 48076. Periodical postage paid at Southfield, MI, and at additional mailing offices. The authors, editors, and publisher will not accept any legal responsibility for any errors or omissions that may be made in this publication. The publisher makes no warranty, expressed or implied, with respect to the material contained herein. Advertisements in TechCentury for products, services, courses, and symposia are published with a caveat emptor (buyer beware) understanding. The authors, editors, and publisher do not imply endorsement of products, nor quality, validity or approval of the educational material offered by such advertisements. ©2019 The Engineering Society of Detroit
Publication
NOTES Karyn Stickel Associate, Hubbell, Roth & Clark
Happy New Year to all TechCentury readers. This issue of TechCentury focuses on artificial intelligence (AI). We feature articles that cover this topic in broad areas of engineering, construction and design, including AI in health care and the challenges that face that industry. We also look to AI in the automotive industry with respect to the design of autonomous vehicles. The discussion on autonomous vehicles also goes on to discuss how the race to development is redesigning research and development. This issue also includes articles on the sale of the Rackham Building, the renovations to the ESD office in Southfield, and how Michigan Tech is taking autonomy to the water. Also, don’t miss our next installment of the NAE Grand Challenges for Engineering. In keeping with our AI theme, this article features the concept of reverse brain engineering and how it can help in health care. We are also very excited to present the winning and runner-up essays in the first annual TechCentury Engineering Student Writing Competition. We had many worthy applicants, and are excited to continue this tradition in future years. Special thanks to Fishman Stewart PLLC for sponsoring this year’s scholarship and thanks to all the students that submitted an essay. Also, we will be looking for nominations for the TechCentury Image Award (see details on page 12) in the coming weeks. We hope you enjoy!
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ESD President’s Message
AI in our Daily Lives H
appy New Year! 2019 is a year promising new advances and exciting possibilities in the engineering field. Among the areas taking off with leaps and bounds is Artificial Intelligence (AI). In our businesses, communities and daily lives AI is poised to make our lives easier. In a recent Forbes article regarding the “Impact of Artificial Intelligence in the Daily Lives of Consumers,” author Terence Mills writes “The Internet of Things (IoT) has become one of the biggest technological shifts in recent years. Gartner (a global research and advisory firm) predicts that 20.4 billion ‘things’ will be connected by 2020. IoT technology requires the use of sensors, all of which collect vast quantities of data. Unfortunately, there’s too much data to be successfully analyzed by human operators. Instead, artificial intelligence can sift through this store of data to help make our lives easier.” From deep learning to neural networks, exciting and helpful machine learning-based techniques can be used to improve and enhance many real-world challenges, large or small, via incredible gains in the application of AI techniques and its algorithms. How? Let’s start with the safety and security factor for our personal data. Financial companies—such as banking institutions or credit card companies— Daniel E. Nicholson, PE President, The Engineering Society of Detroit Vice President, Global Propulsion Systems, General Motors Company 4 | TechCentury | Winter 2019
can use artificial intelligence to monitor transactions since algorithms process information so quickly. When a pattern arises that doesn’t match your usual spending patterns, they can alert you to suspicious activity. AI is also used in our travels. The pilot of the airplane taking you on vacation uses GPS, auto pilot, and motion sensors to safely navigate the trip. And, as you’ll read in this issue of TechCentury, AI is gaining speed in our autonomous vehicle industry creating potentially safer and more convenient modes of travel in the future. Other applications make our day-to-day activities easier. Your smart refrigerator can ordering new supplies when food stocks deplete. Google Maps can determine how slow traffic is moving, monitor accidents, and recommend the fastest route for you based on traffic jams, construction work or accidents between you and your destination. Even entertainment is affected. From Pinterest to Amazon to the advertisements you see on your social media accounts, AI algorithms bring the things you are most interested in to the forefront. This is an exciting time in AI technology. The possibilities are endless. It’s up to us as engineers directing this technology, and as consumers using it, to make sure we take full advantage.
Future engineers of Michigan.
From 1,700 to 45,000 middle school students. From 16 teachers to 450. The Michigan Science Teaching and Assessment Reform (Mi-STAR) program has grown since 2015—and it helps teachers like Jennifer Martin from L’Anse focus on teaching the next generation of state scientists and engineers. Michigan Tech leads the initiative along with six partner universities and 110 Michigan school districts, taking abstract STEM concepts and making a real-world curriculum.
Michigan Tech creates the future—get the latest: mtu.edu/news @michigantech Michigan Technological University is an equal opportunity educational institution/equal opportunity employer, which includes providing equal opportunity for protected veterans and individuals with disabilities.
In the News OWN A PIECE OF ESD HISTORY: ART WORK GOES TO AUCTION With the sale of the Rackham Memorial Building (see page 16), ESD has decided to pull some artwork out of storage and put it up for auction at DuMouchelles in Detroit on January 20, 2019. The largest piece for sale will be The Pressing of the Grapes by Clifford West, a monumental tempera on panel mural that hung in the Engineers’ Dining Room in the Rackham Building and was moved to storage in the 1990s. West was an instructor in painting at Kingswood School and a promising young artist of the Cranbrook Academy of Art at the time. Porcelain Other pieces bird for sale include a stunning pair of early 19th century banc de chine porcelain birds, a large credenza with a carved Asian motif, and a 14 ft. × 8 ft. wall hanging by Aris Koutroulis, whose work hangs in the Detroit Institute of Arts. The list does not stop there— other furniture and artwork of all sizes are included. The auction will be on January 20. Items will be posted at esd.org. For questions or information, contact Nick Mason at nmason@esd.org or 248-353-0735, ext. 127.
Pressing of the Grapes by Clifford West
6 | TechCentury | Winter 2019
$1 MILLION GIFT CREATES WSU’S NANCY PHILIPPART AND THOMAS MCGRAIL CENTER FOR GLOBAL ENGINEERING EDUCATION The College of Engineering at Wayne State University has received a $1 million gift from alumni Nancy Philippart, PhD and Thomas McGrail to create a new center for global engineering education. The couple previously created an endowed scholarship at the college for students to pursue overseas educational opportunities. The Nancy Philippart and Thomas McGrail Center for Global Engineering Education will be the primary point of access and coordination for all international programs and global initiatives within Nancy Philippart the College of Engineering. Nancy Philippart, an ESD member since 1983 and a past member of the ESD Board of Directors, serves as an adjunct professor in the College of Engineering, drawing on decades of experience as an engineer and global business executive in the automobile industry. “The ability to work across cultures and countries is essential, particularly in many engineering fields where international offices have teams working together,” she says. “Students who have the opportunity for global learning are going to have life-transforming experiences that shape their future success.” Thomas McGrail The Nancy Philippart and Thomas McGrail Center for Global Engineering Education also will house programs that attract international students to Wayne State, such as the 3 + 2 program. The program allows students from partner universities to study for three years at their home institution, then study at Wayne State for two years to complete a master’s degree. “Innovation and ideas are global,” says Thomas McGrail, an ESD Member since 1988, and Executive Vice President of Motor City Electric Co., who earned his bachelor’s degree in business administration at Wayne State. “Having a base for this knowledge at the College of Engineering increases connections between students and international universities and companies, furthering the economic growth of Detroit’s engineering sector.”
In the News MICHIGAN FUTURE CITY TEAM GOES ON A CROSS-CULTURAL TRIP TO CHINA The Michigan Future City team from St. John Lutheran School, Rochester, spent a week on a cross-cultural trip to China. The team was invited by the International Teenager Competition and Communication Center, which sponsors the China Future City Competition. The China Future City Competition took place at the Beijing Urban Exhibition Center. Over 60 teams from all over China participated. ESD Member and Future City Mentor Linda J. Gerhardt, Ph.D., and St. John Lutheran teacher Tim Grothaus hosted a teacher’s workshop while at the event. On the first day of competition, they also participated in a forum with all of the educators for the China program. While in China, the Michigan team also took the opportunity to see many sights, including The Temple of Heaven, The Summer Palace, Tiananmen Square and The Great Wall. They also visited a vocation high school, learned to cook traditional Chinese food, learned some calligraphy and ate Peking Duck on Thanksgiving.
The delegation from Michigan comprised 14 people total, including all of last year’s presentation team— Ethan Dodson, Reagan Rutkowski, Sloan Kerska, and Prisca Yim, as well as one of presenters for this year, Emerson Kerska).
“Detroit: America’s Newest Tech Hub” — Forbes.com The tech scene in Detroit continues to surge, with major companies like Google and Microsoft opening offices along with dozens of other startups. Billions of dollars in investment has fueled the rise of new attractions, boutique hotels, unique retail and adventurous new restaurants that will please any palate. Along with its convenient Midwest location for non-stop flights and a drive-in market, Detroit has a new energy that will guarantee your meeting is memorable and fun. It is time to consider Detroit for your next Midwest meeting. Call Sheila R. Neal, CASE Associate Director of Sales at 313-202-1930 or sneal@visitdetroit.com. Detroit. It’s GO time.
Photo courtesy of Bill Bowen
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Upcoming Events
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TH
ANNUAL
PERSONAL ENRICHMENT COURSES
SOLID WASTE TECHNICAL CONFERENCE
CONFERENCE
ESD REVIEW COURSES FOR THE STATE OF MICHIGAN PE LICENSING EXAMS
PE CONTINUING EDUCATION CLASSES
29TH ANNUAL SOLID WASTE TECHNICAL CONFERENCE
Let our 70-plus years of experience help prepare you to pass the State of Michigan PE Licensure exam on your first try. You’ll learn in a small classroom-like setting from expert instructors in Southfield. For more details or to register for ESD’s PE review courses, please visit us online at esd.org or contact Fran Mahoney at 248-353-0735, ext. 116, or fmahoney@esd.org.
Michigan professional engineers who want to enhance their personal and professional growth—or who need continuing education hours— can check out ESD’s three and four-hour courses. Current PEs can take ESD review course classes on an à la carte basis to satisfy state requirements. A broad range of topics are offered—over 50 different courses to choose from. The instructor-led courses are taught by academic and industry professionals. All courses are held in the evening on Tuesdays and Thursdays and in the morning and afternoon on Saturdays at ESD Headquarters in Southfield. For more information or to register, visit esd.org or contact Elana Shelef at eshelef@esd.org or 248-353-0735, ext. 119.
The 29th Annual Solid Waste Technical Conference, sponsored by ESD and the Michigan Waste & Recycling Association is designed to educate attendees on cutting-edge technological innovations and solutions related to the solid waste industry. The one-day event brings together national experts to present on issues related to policy, new technologies and what the future holds for the industry. The conference will take place on March 27, 2019, at the Kellogg Hotel & Conference Center in East Lansing, Michigan. For more information or to register to attend, visit esd.org. Sponsorships and exhibitor opportunities are available. For more information contact Leslie Smith, CMP, at lsmith@esd.org or 248-353-0735, ext. 152.
Fundamentals of Engineering (FE) for Civil, Electrical and Mechanical TUES. & THURS., FEB. 5–APRIL 11, 2019
ESD’s Fundamentals of Engineering Review Course is for candidates planning to take the CBT Exam. Classes are held Tuesdays and Thursdays from 6-9 p.m., with additional Saturday classes for civil and mechanical. The Saturday session starts on February 16, 2019.
Principles & Practice of Engineering (PE) SATURDAYS, FEB. 16–MARCH 23, 2019 Our PE Review Course consists of six half-day Saturday sessions, focusing on problem solving techniques to pass the exam on your first try. Civil and environmental meets 8:30 a.m.–12:30 p.m. Mechanical and electrical power meet 1–5 p.m. The state exam date is April 5, 2019.
8 | TechCentury | Winter 2019
FEBRUARY 5—APRIL 11, 2019
WEDNESDAY, MARCH 27, 2019
Visit esd.org to see a complete list of ESD's course offerings, including member networking events, tours and volunteer opportunities.
Upcoming Events
VOLUNTEERS WANTED
TOUR
ESD MICHIGAN FUTURE CITY COMPETITION JUDGES NEEDED
MEMBERS-ONLY TECHNICAL TOUR OF EATON, SOUTHFIELD
Inspire a future engineer by taking part in the Michigan Regional Future City Competition. Future City is a project-based learning program where students in 6th, 7th and 8th grades imagine, research, design and build cities of the future. Judges are needed on competition day to evaluate team presentations and models. The competition will be on January 29, 2019 at the Suburban Collection Showplace in Novi. The training for this phase of judging takes place at 8 a.m. The actual judging is from 9–11 a.m. At that time, teams display their model cities and three presenting students from each team give a five-to-seven-minute presentation to a panel of judges. To volunteer, contact Leslie Smith, CMP, at lsmith@esd.org or 248-353-0735, ext. 152.
Eaton has opened their cutting-edge research facility to ESD members. Eaton’s Research and Technology Labs employ a team of engineering leaders responsible for envisioning future technology offerings. Get an up-close look at the following labs: Engine and Powertrain Dynamometer, Transmission Efficiency Dynamometer, Fuel Tank Slosh and Fill Test, Additive Manufacturing and Materials. The tour begins at 2 p.m. and costs $25 for ESD Members; non-members can join ESD for $99 and attend the tour free. (This offer is for new, first-time members only.) For more information or to register online, please visit esd. org, or call 248-353-0735 to register by phone.
TUESDAY, JANUARY 29, 2019
FRIDAY, JANUARY 25, 2019
SAVE THE DATE GOLD AWARD RECEPTION AND RECOGNITION MARCH 20, 2019
2018 Gold Award Recipient Edward P. Becker, PE, PhD
ENGINEERING & TECHNOLOGY JOB FAIR APRIL 29, 2019
MICHIGAN ENERGY EFFICIENCY CONFERENCE AND EXHIBITION MAY 7, 2019
Hosted by DTE Energy and The Engineering Society of Detroit
ESD ANNUAL GOLF OUTING JUNE 3, 2019
Join ESD for a day of fun and networking in support of engineering. esd.org | The Engineering Society of Detroit | 9
Upcoming Deadlines
HONORS, AWARDS & RECOGNITION ESD HONOR AWARDS & SCHOLARSHIPS
SUBMISSION DEADLINE: FEB. 20, 2019
Outstanding Young Engineer of the Year
This award recognizes a young professional under the age of 35 who has best distinguished him/herself in the engineering and scientific communities. Criteria include education, work experience, and professional and community activities. Applicants must be members of ESD.
Outstanding Student Engineer of the Year
This award recognizes an undergraduate student who has best distinguished him/herself in the engineering and scientific communities. Criteria include academic background, extracurricular activities, and employment experience. The winner(s) will receive a $1,000 scholarship.
Outstanding High School Student of the Year
This award recognizes a graduating high school senior. To be considered, applicants must have a least a 3.0 GPA, plan on pursuing a career in the field of engineering or the life sciences, and participate in volunteer activities. The winner(s) will receive a $1,000 scholarship. Awards will be presented at the ESD Annual Dinner held in June. Applications and additional criteria can be found at esd.org. For more information, contact Sue Ruffner at sruffner@esd.org or 248-353-0735, ext. 117. 10 | TechCentury | Winter 2019
Fellows traditionally wear their Fellow medallions at Society events
ESD COLLEGE OF FELLOWS
NOMINATION DEADLINE: FEB. 28, 2019 It is again time to nominate ESD members for the rank of Fellow, one of the highest recognitions that ESD can bestow on one of its members. Candidates must be ESD members in good standing at least five years at the time of application. Candidates should possess outstanding and extraordinary qualifications and experiences in his or her profession. Help us seek out and recognize engineering leaders within ESD by submitting a nomination. Criteria and instructions can be found at esd.org. For more information, contact Heather Lilley at hlilley@esd.org or 248-353-0735, ext. 120.
ESD CONSTRUCTION & DESIGN AWARDS ENTRY DEADLINE: FEBRUARY 28, 2019
ESD’s 45th Annual Construction and Design Awards are unique in that they honor the three primary members of the building team—owners, designers, and constructors—and recognize outstanding team achievement and innovative use of technology. Submissions are being accepted from project teams composed of owner, designer and constructor. For criteria, visit esd.org or contact Leslie Smith, CMP, at lsmith@esd.org or 248-353-0735, ext. 152.
TECHCENTURY IMAGE AWARD ENTRY DEADLINE: FEBRUARY 28, 2019
The TechCentury Image Award recognizes individuals who have promoted, publicized and enhanced engineering professions to the public-at-large through engagement, mentoring, speaking, writing, and other publicly visible activities. Nominees do not have to be ESD members, but nominators must be. The award will be presented at the ESD Annual Dinner in June. Criteria can be found at esd.org or contact Susan Thwing at sthwing@esd.org.
In Memoriam
Lydia Lazurenko: An Engineering Pioneer
L
ydia B. Lazurenko, PE, FESD, was a woman of “firsts.” A former professor of mechanical engineering at Lawrence Technological University, Lazurenko was the first woman to serve as president of The Engineering Society of Detroit (1992-1993). An ESD member since 1978, she earned the rank of Fellow within the Society. She was also the first female president of the Detroit Chapter of the Michigan Society of Professional Engineers and the first woman appointed to serve on the Boards of Registration for Professional Engineers and Architects. But she didn’t stop there. Lazurenko was also president of the Detroit Chapter of the Society of Women Engineers (SWE), elected a fellow of the Michigan Society of Professional Engineers and SWE, and was selected as Women of the Year by the Michigan Association of Professionals.
The Farmington Hills resident passed away this past August. She will forever be remember for her milestone achievements and notable accomplishments. A native of the Ukraine, she held bachelor’s and master’s degrees from Wayne State University, where she was named to its Engineering Hall of Fame in 1992. Her fields of expertise were turbine and automotive engineering. Before becoming a professor, she worked on the design of gas turbine engines for Continental Aviation and Engineering Co., on the Chrysler automotive gas turbine, and then on the General Motors automotive gas turbine. Always a fan of airplanes, her childhood hobby led her to become a private pilot at age 55. In 1990, Lydia retired from GM and began teaching in the Department of Mechanical Engineering at Lawrence Technological University, from where she retired in 2003.
IN MEMORIAM
With deep gratitude for his participation and service, The Engineering Society of Detroit acknowledges the passing of:
GARY G. WITT, FASM WittConsult, LLC Retired/Chief Engineer, Ford Motor Co. ESD Membership Council Past Affiliate Council Chair Gold Award Selection Committee Member since 1985
Lydia Lazurenko, PE, FESD, was the first woman to serve as President of ESD.
Lawrence Tech President Emeritus Richard Marburger remembers her grace and professionalism when representing the university. “She was Ukrainian but understood Russian well enough that I would frequently utilize her services when we had Russian visitors,” he says. “She was so knowledgeable and professional that she was a wonderful representative who we were honored to have on staff. She was also very well-liked by the students and had a great impact on their successful careers.” During her decades of membership at ESD, Lazurenko was very active, serving on the Strategic Planning Committee, the Education & Professional Activities Board, and the Nominating Committee. For this, she won an ESD Distinguished Service Award in 1994. ESD joins other societies in remembering a pioneering engineer who dedicated her time, talent and energy to strengthening engineering in Michigan.
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The University of Detroit Mercy team
DTE Energy E-Challenge Finalists Present Winning Projects
The Michigan State University team
12 | TechCentury | FALL 12 | TechCentury | Winter2018 2019
ESD Student Chapters
T
he three top university teams from the DTE Energy E-Challenge Competition for Colleges and Universities recently presented their award-winning projects at The Engineering Society of Detroit (ESD). The competition, sponsored by DTE Energy, provides engineering students with an opportunity to develop innovative energyefficiency technology while competing for scholarships.
ready for commercialization and demonstrated with a validation of energy savings. Based on the project, up to $250,000 was awarded to the finalist teams to create the demonstration for their energy savings innovation. Their demonstrations were carried out on site at their college, university campus or at a local business or facility. Members of the three teams received scholarships of up to $20,000. The three finalist teams presenting were:
Michigan State University
The student team studied the economic, environmental, animal comfort and production benefits of long day lighting (LDL) using LED bulbs on dairy farms. The research was conducted at the Car Min Vu Dairy Farm in Webberville, Michigan. The team studied whether longer periods of lighting in the dairy barns—at simulated day to night levels of light—would increase production The Oakland University team and Donald Boza, and efficiency for CEM, Principal Energy Manager, DTE Energy. the farms. The team consisted of Aryn The competition encourages Thomas, a senior majoring in integrating energy efficient biosystems engineering and Ben solutions to challenges using VanZweden, a graduate student under-utilized products studying biosystems engineering. and/or accelerating the They were advised by Aluel commercialization of MichiganGo, Biosystems & Agricultural based energy technologies. The Engineering, their faculty advisor. end-result product—which can Oakland University be any energy saving product, The Oakland University team material, system, structure, studied “Improving the Energy process or methodology that is Efficiency of Air Conditioning innovative in application or use with Novel Dehumidification (including inventions)—must be
Technology.” The goal of the project was to improve the efficiency of building heat, ventilation, and air conditioning (HVAC) systems by developing energy efficient options for dehumidification. The research and testing was completed on the OU campus’ OUIncubator Building. Team members were: Thomas B. Cremonte, BSE student, mechanical engineering; Gayatri Lekshminarayanan, MS student, mechanical engineering; Kyle McCallum, lab technician; Pouyan Pourmovahed, PhD student, mechanical engineering; Jing Xu, MS student, mechanical engineering; and their advisor Jonathan Maisonneuve, PhD, Assistant Professor, Department of Mechanical Engineering.
University of Detroit Mercy
The objective of the University of Detroit Mercy team was to design, develop, and install an energy efficiency living laboratory that will serve as a platform for developing new technologies and testing various control strategies by both undergraduate and graduate students. This included creating a Living Laboratory, a Smart Heating and Cooling System and an End User Designed System. The goals were to increase efficiency of energy use and costs. The students did their research on the Detroit Mercy campus in a section of the Engineering Building. Team members were all junior-year students: Wiley Dressell, robotics and mechatronic systems engineering; Brynne Gustafson, Mechanical Engineering; Michael Brill, mechanical engineering; and Kaegan Kumnick, robotics and mechatronic systems engineering. Their faculty advisor was Nassif Rayess, PhD, Associate Professor of Mechanical Engineering.
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ESD CELEBRATES RENOVATION Members-Only Open House Highlights Refreshed Space
M
TOP: ESD Members Melody Dowell from Carlex Glass America (left) and Dr. Ane Jademi. ABOVE: Gene Suchyta (left) with Alex Jakstys from Walbridge ABOVE RIGHT: ESD’s new Member Café as seen from one of the three meeting rooms, which can be combined to form larger rooms. The space was designed by Davis and Davis Interior Design. The paintings, both by Howard Nordlund, are part of ESD’s collection.
14 | TechCentury | Winter 2019
embers and staff of The Engineering Society of Detroit (ESD) gathered in November to tour the newly renovated meeting spaces and amenities of the Society’s Southfield headquarters. The renovations, designed by Davis and Davis Interior Design, include a high-tech clean look, with floor-to-ceiling glass walls, and state-of-the-art technology. Rental of the space is available to both ESD members and non-members. “This is meant to be a place to meet, with spacious rooms, comfortable lighting and Rocket Fiber technology for transmitting data,” explains Robert Magee, Executive Director of ESD. “The new design also provides us with an optimal place to highlight and display our art collection.” A stand-alone hospitality café with a refrigerator and serving bar area allows for meeting pop-ups and casual get-togethers, he added.
Meeting planners can arrange for coffee service and catering recommendations. The ESD’s three meeting rooms are connected by collapsible walls to provide flexibility in meeting spaces. The areas can be set up in a boardroom, classroom or other setting based on meeting needs.
Other highlights are:
High-tech audio-visual system including new projectors, retracting screens, hand-held and lavalier mics, and built-in speakers available for a nominal fee Free wireless Internet access Ample free parking Centrally located in Southfield near major freeways (M-10 and I-696) Discounted rental rates for ESD corporate members For more information or to reserve your meeting space today, contact Elana Shelef at eshelef@esd.org or 248-353-0735, ext. 119.
ESD SUSTAINING AND CORPORATE MEMBER COMPANIES
SUSTAINING MEMBER BENEFIT PARTNER MEMBERS
AKT Peerless Environmental Services Altair Engineering American Axle Manufacturing American Center for Educational and Professional Services American Society of Employers Aristeo Construction AVL North America The Bartech Group Barton Malow Company Brightwing Central Michigan University Chrysan Industries Citizens Insurance Clark Hill, PLC CMS Enterprises Comfort Engineering Solutions, LLC Construction Association of Michigan Cornerstone Environmental Group, LLC CPCII Credit Union ONE CulturecliQ Danlaw, Inc. DASI Solutions DENSO International America, Inc. Detroit Metro Convention & Visitors Bureau Detroit Transportation Corporation Dow Chemical Company DTE Energy DTE Energy Gas Operations Dürr Systems, Inc. Eastern Michigan University Education Planning Resources, Inc. Electrical Resources Company Electro-Matic Products, Inc. Energy Sciences Experis Farbman Group Fiat Chrysler Automobiles Financial One, Inc. FirstMerit Bank Fishman Stewart PLLC Fusion Welding Solutions Gala & Associates, Inc. Gates Corporation GHD
General Dynamics General Motors Company Gensler George W. Auch Company Ghafari Associates, LLC Glenn E. Wash & Associates, Inc. Golder Associates Inc. Gonzalez Contingent Workforce Services GZA GeoEnvironmental, Inc. Harley Ellis Devereaux Hartland Insurance Group, Inc. Hindsight Consulting, Inc. Hubbell, Roth & Clark, Inc. The Hunter Group LLC IBI Group Ideal Contracting Integrity Staffing Group, Inc. ITT Technical Institute Canton ITT Technical Institute Dearborn IBEW Local 58 & NECA LMCC JNA Partners, Inc. Jozwiak Consulting, Inc. JTL America, Inc. Kettering University Kitch Drutchas Wagner Valitutti and Sherbrook, PC Knovalent, Inc. Kolene Corporation Kostal North America Kugler Maag CIE North America Lake Superior State University Lawrence Technological University LHP Software Limbach Company, Inc. Link Engineering Co. LTI Information Technology Macomb Community College Maner, Costerisan & Ellis, PC Makino McNaughton-McKay Electric Company Meritor MICCO Construction Michigan Regional Council of Carpenters Michigan State University Michigan Technological University Midwest Steel Inc.
Mitsubishi Motors R&D of America, Inc. Monroe Environmental Corporation Myron Zucker, Inc. Neumann/Smith Architecture Newman Consulting Group, LLC NORR Architects Engineers Planners Northern Industrial Manufacturing Corp. NTH Consultants, Ltd. O’Brien and Gere Oakland University Optech LLC Orbitak International, LLC Original Equipment Suppliers Association Pure Eco Environmental Solutions R.L. Coolsaet Construction Co. Rocket Fiber ROWE Professional Services Company Rumford Industrial Group Ruby+Associates, Inc. SEGULA Technologies Saginaw Valley State University Special Multi Services SSI Talascend, LLC Testing Engineers & Consultants Thermal-Netics TRANE Commercial Systems Troy Chamber of Commerce Trialon TRW Automotive Turner Construction Co. UBS Financial Services—Lott Sheth Farber Group Universal Weatherstrip & Bldg. Supply University of Detroit Mercy University of Michigan University of Michigan-Dearborn US Farathane Corporation voxeljet America Inc. Wade-Trim Walbridge Walker-Miller Energy Services, LLC Wayne State University Western Michigan University Whitehall Industries The Whiting Turner Contracting Company WSP
Foundation Sells Rackham Building while Society Strengthens U-M Ties
BY SUSAN THWING
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he Horace H. Rackham Memorial Building, completed in 1942 as a home for The Engineering Society of Detroit and for the University of Michigan’s (U-M) extension services, has held a strong and vital place in Detroit’s engineering community. This year, the Rackham Building, located at 100 Farnsworth Street in Detroit’s cultural center, became the sole property of U-M, which purchased the other half of the building from The Rackham Engineering Foundation. With this sale, the impact of ESD and its relationship with the University of Michigan will become even stronger. “I am very excited that the Rackham Building will be revitalized and used for its intended purpose—to further the growth and support of engineering in Detroit,” says Robert Magee, ESD Executive Director. “Situated in a central, prominent location, the building is a legacy of all things engineering in Detroit. It’s where engineers met and mingled, where history was made, and I am confident this historical legacy will live on. U-M will retain its significance and make it something very central to the growth and comeback of Detroit.” In July, U-M regents agreed to purchase the east wing of the Rackham building and the attached parking garage from the Rackham Engineering Foundation for $5.1 million. Those funds will become part of the Foundation’s corpus, which supports ESD. Previously, the university owned roughly half of the building. The Foundation and U-M leased the building to Wayne State University after ESD moved its headquarters to Southfield in the 1990s. The WSU Department of Communication Sciences and Disorders currently occupies part of the building and the lease continues through July 2019. 16 | TechCentury | Winter 2019
While the relationship between U-M and the Society goes back to 1895—when its graduates came together to form the Detroit Engineering Society—the Rackham Engineering Foundation was created in 1936 specifically to support the newly renamed Engineering Society of Detroit. Although the Society had been thriving and growing, in 1929 the Great Depression hit the nation and within five years the Society lost 75 percent of its members and was close to collapse. That’s when the Horace H. and Mary A. Rackham Fund—and Mary Rackham herself—came to the rescue. (Horace H. Rackham, one of the original stockholders in Ford Mary and Horace Motor Company, had died in 1933.) Rackham The newly formed Foundation was funded by gifts from the Rackham Fund and from Mrs. Rackham. This financial stability, afforded to ESD through the continuing support of the Rackham Foundation, has enabled it to thrive. Because of the infusion of funds in 1936, the Society experienced phenomenal growth from 523 active members in 1930 to 2,396 in 1938. In 1942, the Society officially moved into the Horace H. Rackham Memorial Building. For the next fifty years, the ESD and the Rackham Memorial Building served as the hub for metropolitan Detroit’s engineering community. Many ESD Members
OWN A PIECE OF RACKHAM HISTORY On January 20, 2019, ESD will put several pieces of furniture and art that once graced the Rackham building up for auction at DuMouchelles in downtown Detroit. Funds raised will further the Society’s mission, fostering the next generation of engineers. Objects range from modernist furniture to monumental murals and wall hangings. See page 6 for more details and look out for emails and check esd.org for information as it emerges.
who were titans of engineering in Detroit frequented the Rackham Building, including Charles Kettering, Harold Ellington, Lee Iacocca, and many others. Roy H. Link, Chairman and CEO of Link Engineering Company, and Chair of the Rackham Engineering Foundation Board of Trustees, says the sale of the building was a financial decision that strengthens and enhances the impact of the Foundation and ESD. “Twenty years ago, the reason the ESD left the Rackham building was due to a $1,000 per day cost of maintaining the older building. We leased the building to Wayne State University and moved to Southfield,” he says. “With the WSU lease ending in 2019, it was necessary to determine the direction of the facility going forward. ESD was simply not prepared to return to the facility and incur the initial investment and ongoing expense of maintaining the Rackham Building. However, we all recognized the value of the building, and the resurgence of Detroit. With the proceeds of the Rackham sale, we have raised the balance of the Rackham Foundation’s fund to over $13 million, which raises the annual contribution to ESD and strengthens our support.” Link says the Foundation and ESD will continue to have a presence in the building. “A significant aspect of the agreement with U-M was the inclusion of ESD in the plans U-M has for the facility. We arranged for annual use of the facility for ESD events, and we established an ongoing connection between ESD and U-M, including the involvement of the U-M Dean of Engineering in ESD’s affairs. We also assured our involvement in the planning phase for their use of the Rackham Building,” he says. Link says that the Rackham Foundation contributes approximately 23 percent of the ESD’s revenue,
subsidizing member services and programs. “ESD is a unique organization, supporting the multiple disciplines of engineering, science, architecture, construction, and academia. It provides for a melting pot of technical and social engagement with individuals from the bottom to the top of organizations throughout the region,” Link says. “Metropolitan Detroit is a highly technical community with probably more engineers than anywhere else in the world. ESD provides a home for this family.” Some of the outreach programs for which the funds provide critical support include the Michigan Regional Future City Competition, ESD’s Girls in Engineering Academy, and ESD Student Chapters. ESD also works to create partnerships among industry, academia and government; provides opportunities for engineers of all disciplines to network; engages junior engineers with executives; and provides an identity for the technical community. The University of Michigan’s specific plan for the building is still under discussion. President Mark Schlissel explained in a Crains Detroit Business article that “the university’s purchase earlier this year of the rest of the Horace H. Rackham Education Memorial Building in Midtown could give rise to a ‘more substantial’ physical presence in Detroit for the maize-and-blue.” Magee says the ESD and the Rackham Foundation look forward to working with U-M to continue to use the building for its original intent—the preservation and enhancement of the engineering profession. “Engineering resonates with Detroit. It is the heart of the city and the regrowth of the region. We embrace our ability to be a part of it.” esd.org | The Engineering Society of Detroit | 17
TechCentury Engineering Student Writing Contest Awardees
18 | TechCentury | Winter 2019
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he Engineering Society of Detroit and TechCentury magazine is pleased to announce the winners of the first annual TechCentury Engineering Student Writing Contest. To promote and engage student voices and ideas about the profession of engineering, TechCentury launched the contest this fall. Open to all engineering students attending Michigan universities and studying within any of the engineering disciplines, the top three entries follow. The students were asked to answer one of three questions in a 750 essay. The top award-winning essay, written by University of Michigan senior Andrew Abraham, will receive a $1000 scholarship, sponsored by Fishman Stewart, and recognition at the 2019 Gold Award Reception. Thank you to everyone who participated in this competition. Please enjoy reading the top three essays from these promising engineers!
WINNER: ANDREW ABRAHAM
Andrew Abraham, of Rochester Hills, attends The University of Michigan. He will graduate in May 2019 with a bachelor’s degree in Mechanical Engineering. Andrew answered the question: What inspired you to pursue an engineering career?
Why are You an Engineer?
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ell, you know, I guess I was pretty good at math and science…” Blunt. Logical. Uninspired. My relationship with engineering had always been that way; the decision to pursue engineering in college was always more an acceptance of the inevitable rather than an inspired preference. And naïvely, I assumed that engineering operated in a similar manner—with laboratories operating in sterile isolation, completing experiments while blissfully detached from contemporary problems. I revered the constant certainties found in math and science that were never labored down by reality. However, I soon discovered the beauty in engineering lies in the messy way theory works its way from the classroom into the real world. As irony would have it, I would find myself learning this lesson in a high school physics classroom. It all began on the day of a lab involving the basic application of gravity and projectile motion. My teacher set up the experiment by hanging a marble from a bar about 6 feet in the air with thread. He then took a metal ring with a diameter of about three inches and placed it on the ground several feet away from below the marble. He stated that the objective of the experiment was to simply drop the marble through the center of the ring. Obviously, gravity would allow the marble to drop the vertical distance; however, in order to travel the horizontal distance the marble must be pulled back and released to swing as a pendulum with horizontal velocity. A fixed razor blade would then cut the thread at the bottom of the swing, release the marble, and allow it to fall to the floor. It was a simple, straightforward problem with a clean, mathematical solution. I made quick work of calculating the initial potential energy of the marble, its velocity at the moment the razor blade would cut the thread, and the horizontal distance it would travel before the marble would strike the floor. I proceeded to carefully place the ring, pulled back the marble, and calmly let go. I did not even watch the marble; I already knew the result—the marble would fall through the ring. But it did not. Incredulously, it missed.
Confused, I recalculated the data and tried again. Miss. Re-measured the distances. Miss. The three-inch diameter ring suddenly felt like a pinhole. In desperation, I made several minor adjustments and pulled back the marble again. However, I noticed something was different; my heart was beating fast and my palms sweating profusely. In the same way the marble was tethered to the bar, I suddenly found myself bonded to the experiment. The only thing that could cut me free was success. This time when I released the marble, I watched it intensely. I watched it gracefully accelerate along its circular path. I watched it transitioned smoothly into its parabolic arc towards the floor. And in a burst of euphoria, I watched it pass cleanly through the center of the ring. At the end of class, I approached my teacher seeking an explanation. Had math failed me? Had he been teaching me falsehoods? Had I singlehandedly unraveled the laws of gravity? Smiling, he offered some thoughts that would ultimately propel me toward a career in engineering. He simply suggested “sometimes knowledge does not equal understanding.” In the same way the equations of motion could never predict the joy I would feel after the marble passed through the ring, knowledge of abstract equations did not automatically translate to tangible, real-world success. Over the past few years I have come to increasingly appreciate those sentiments as I have uncovered more and more of their critical implications. I have discovered engineering is not an isolated discipline grounded in knowledge as I had once assumed. Engineering takes knowledge a step further with understanding and application. It pushes people to interact with a complex world to fully comprehend challenging problems and work collaboratively to produce profoundly applicable solutions. Equations and theory are merely tools with which engineers build cities, produce automobiles, design medical equipment, and travel the universe. Ultimately, engineers pursue understanding in order to make the world a better place for those in it and for their children. And that is why I am an engineer. esd.org | The Engineering Society of Detroit | 19
RUNNER-UP: EMILY COLEMAN
Emily Coleman of Troy studies Industrial Engineering at Oakland University. She will graduate in fall 2019. Emily also answered the question: What inspired you to pursue an engineering career?
What Inspired Me to Pursue an Engineering Career?
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hen most people think of Disney World, they think of a princess, a castle or Mickey Mouse. When I think of Disney World, I think amazing engineering and innovation. I have always grown up loving the Disney Company. I have for most of my life marveled at a company that is able to create stories that stay in people’s lives and are passed from generation to generation. I am also amazed at how that company was able to bring those stories to life in a theme-park and that people from all over the world come and visit it. In my junior year of high school, I was asked to write an essay, the topic was “World-Changing & Innovative Technology.” I wrote an entire essay on Disney’s Imagineers, and how they are some of the world’s brightest engineers. This essay outlined the engineering history that created Disney. It included topics of how Disney changed the entertainment industry, with creating the first full-length animated movie drawn by hand. While some would say movies do not fall underneath the engineering umbrella, I would argue that it shows remarkable technological advancement and innovation to reach a milestone like this. As the Disneyland’s blueprints were transitioning from an idea on paper to a real life physical structure, many other technological advancements came about. Animatronics were brought into the parks in the form of Enchanted Tiki Birds and the first ever human animatronic figure, Abraham Lincoln. The present day Abraham Lincoln is an engineering concoction of servo-motors and actuators all functioning underneath a durable silicone skin. This animatronic technology is used across the Walt Disney properties world-wide. As someone who has seen animatronics bring characters and figures to life, it is fun to watch the amazement on peoples’ face as they marvel at how lifelike these figures are. This amazement is something that is consistent with people throughout their entire day at a Disney park. Even the recent revolution from Disney’s Industrial Engineering department, ‘FastPass +’ and Magic Bands, guests can have their vacation almost planned out before they even arrive on Disney Property. This is a true example of what industrial engineers can do with ‘”people engineering” and using statistics to set/forecast park hours, queue times, attendance, and much more. This kind of information helps immensely when planning holiday festivals, scheduling attraction maintenance, and creating park hour schedules. 20 | TechCentury | Winter 2019
The list could go on and on about engineering at Disney, I did not even mention the amazing nighttime spectaculars they put on daily. It is easy to see why there is never a shortage of engineering work going on at Disney World; the place is ran by logistical and technological geniuses. All these reasons add to why the engineering there truly interests me. It is because of the results at Disney World that shows how engineering and innovation truly changes places and people’s lives. From the point of writing the high school essay and beyond, I was hooked on the idea of being a part of the MagicMaking Imagineers. My decision on a college major was an easy one, without much hesitation, I decided on, engineering of course. My second year of college I made another decision, I decided I was going to work for Disney that year. I will never forget getting accepted for the Disney College program; I thought I had won the lottery. As part of the Disney College program, I was going to be able to work ‘on stage’ and interact with guests from all over the world. I moved down to central Florida, having no clue what I was about to experience. While this experience was amazing, I went back to my university the next semester wanting more. The following year came the true dream experience; I got accepted for a Disney Professional Internship in Engineering Analytics. That year I learned so much! Seeing the engineering program at Disney blew my mind as far as the amount of technical work that went into every little detail. The experience at Disney pushed me to keep pursing my engineering career, and I returned to my studies after a year as a professional intern. Overall, what pushed me to pursue engineering? The short answer would be Disney. However, I think it stems far beyond that. Currently, I am working in the automotive industry in Detroit, Michigan. Although I obviously do not work for Disney anymore, that does not mean I am not passionate about what I do. I learned a very important lesson from working in Disney Engineering, and that would be that the work I do every day affects people’s lives. This is an important lesson to learn early on. While I may look at numbers, input and outputs, and machinery all day, it is all to build a product that families will be relying on to get them places safely. I think that is why I do what I do ultimately, because I am passionate about doing work that makes people’s lives better. Whether this work is providing transportation or a vacation they will never forget, it is still impacting people. This is why I am an engineer.
RUNNER-UP: AUSTIN BRIGGS CURTIS
Austin Briggs Curtis of Commerce Township is in Mechanical Engineering at Lawrence Technological University. He addressed the question: How do you think the practice of being an engineer will change over the course of your professional career, and why?
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Engineering as an Exponentially Increasing Demand of Society
he field of engineering is a constantly growing and developing discipline that demands constant investigation, research, and product development to push forward. As a mechanical engineering student studying robotics and control systems, my drive for continuous learning is generated by a deep desire to stay on the cutting edge of technology. With every article I read and class I take, I strive to apply my knowledge to question and validate information presented by the industry. The beauty in engineering, for me, is the ability to grow both as an engineer and as a person, indefinitely, due to the limitless progress of technology. The practice of being an engineer is constantly changing. Regardless of the technological advancements made, the engineer must quickly adapt to new ideas, question their knowledge, and strive to find novel methods for development. Therefore, while I do not know the advancements the field will make during my career, I know that the one thing that will never change is the need for change itself. As I pursue graduate studies and industry employment, my engineering abilities and practices must adapt to this change. Engineers are the creators of the world around us. From vehicles that drive autonomously, to beautiful buildings that stand the test of time, to exoskeletons that can make the paralyzed walk again, engineers are the people responsible for creating a society that we want to live in. As technological breakthroughs are presented at an ever increasing rate, engineering is becoming a pillar of societal development. The products that were once only the ideas of science-fiction novelists are becoming tangible and useful parts of our daily life, which increases the demands of engineering. I believe that this demand on engineers will
continue to increase for my entire career. Since this process has already begun, engineering has become a major topic of discussion. I constantly hear people, with or without technical backgrounds, discussing the new cars presented by Tesla or the latest robot from Boston Dynamics. Whether people realize it or not, this puts engineers as the center of attention for many conversations. Rather than marvel at the accomplishments of other engineers, I strive to actively participate in these advancements as an engineer. We must ask ourselves how we contribute to the development of society and push the technological industry forward. Therefore, the importance of engineering has become an exponentially increasing demand of society. I believe that I am starting my career at the beginning of a technological revolution that will change the way that the world experiences life itself. To be prepared for this, I have taken the path of lifelong learning. I must be ready to face any engineering challenge in my field and develop new ways of solving problems that society has always had. This makes engineering the most rewarding career for me at a time where it has become, arguably, the most important career in the world. As I grow old and look back on my career as an engineer, I believe that I will have seen the world change around me due directly to engineering. I envision a society that, through technology, is able to drastically improve the quality of life for all people, regardless of background. It is not only my desire, but rather my requirement as an engineer: to be involved in the betterment of society by applying my technical knowledge to solve problems. esd.org | The Engineering Society of Detroit | 21
TAKING AUTONOMY TO THE WATER
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ake Superior is less a big lake and more an inland sea. The largest of the Great Lakes, it is cold enough for some polar-like features and the shipping lanes are relatively quiet. That makes it perfect for testing autonomous tech that is not quite ready for the Arctic or high seas. The Great Lakes Research Center (GLRC) is Michigan Technological University’s water mobility flagship. The GLRC does, literally, have ships—a fleet that includes several research and survey vessels, remotely operated vehicles (ROVs), autonomous underwater vehicles (AUVs), and a new addition, a self-driving jet ski, which is an autonomous surface vehicle (ASV). The GLRC also oversees the Lake Superior Marine Autonomy Research Site (MARS), the first freshwater testbed of its kind in the world. “Michigan Tech is ideally situated to help develop the state’s vision for mobility in all sectors, notably in the marine sector,” says Guy Meadows, the director the GLRC and Robbins Professor of Sustainable Marine Engineering. “Not only is Tech’s
22 | TechCentury | Winter 2019
depth and breadth substantial on the technology side, but we are also ideally located as a testbed for year-round autonomous marine systems. Marine traffic, both commercial and recreational, is far less here in central Lake Superior than most places in the world.” Travis White is the backup captain for the GLRC’s R/V Agassiz and also the latest research engineer hired at the GLRC; he focuses on the technology and operational environment behind the center’s autonomy research and helped acquire the autonomous Jet Ski. White explains that the sensors and control systems scale up as ASVs can be classified at different levels of autonomy; the highest levels are able to analyze real-world scenarios and make decisions with minimal human input. An ASV can gather data on water quality, algae blooms, fish populations, and thermodynamics— zigzagging in research surveys for up to five days and 840 nautical miles, pushing into the shoulder seasons and difficult-to-reach areas. One challenge with ASVs, however, is unpredictable—rough water.
“Here in the Keweenaw Waterway is the only US Coast Guard station for all of the Great Lakes that has these 47-foot surf boats designed to go out in over 15-foot seas,” White says. “Anything we learn here about rough water in Central Lake Superior can be applied to the Atlantic or Pacific or other oceans.” Below the waves is another challenge. For underwater mobility, the major obstacles are communication, positioning, and limited energy. That’s why a marine robotics engineer and an underwater acoustics electrical engineer teamed up using reinforcement learning. “Water is less forgivable,” says Nina Mahmoudian, the Lou and Herbert Wacker Associate Professor in Autonomous Mobile Systems. “We want robots to learn from their mistakes.” To do so, Mahmoudian is partnering with Zhaohui Wang, assistant professor of electrical and computer engineering and a member of the GLRC. Together, they are working on a low-cost and high-modularity mobile network infrastructure, including low-cost AUV and ASV systems connected
PHOTOS: SARAH BIRD
BY ALLISON MILLS
The Great Lakes Research Center at Michigan Tech oversees the world’s first freshwater marine autonomous research site in Lake Superior.
Travis White adjusts the display mounted on an autonomous jet ski, one of a fleet of water vehicles used for testing and monitoring at the Great Lakes Research Center.
underwater by soundwave-based communications. The goal is to study fundamental challenges to achieve seamless integration of acoustic communication modules within a fleet of operational vehicles. Coordination, of course, is all about collaboration. On a policy scale, the GLRC is leading the charge on the economics and governance front through the Smart Ships Coalition, a
Michigan initiative to inform the development of rules of the road for autonomous vessels in the Great Lakes. Ultimately, the US Coast Guard will be responsible for implementing and enforcing future regulations on autonomous vessels for commercial and recreational use. “We have to solve a lot of challenges in order to set baseline rules of conduct for autonomous
An autonomous jet ski navigates a simple buoy course in the Keweenaw Waterway right next to the Great Lakes Research Center at Michigan Tech.
boats,” White says, adding a recent parallel can be found in adoption and commercial use of drones, which now requires a drone pilot license. “That’s where I see the GLRC making a difference, to establish a framework and facilitate those conversations.” The Smart Ships Coalition and MARS testbed will allow collaborations between technology developers, university researchers, resource managers, and industry to meet upcoming challenges in marine technology development, application, and workforce creation. As Meadows points out, autonomous vehicles are the future. Here on Innovation Shore, the cold waters of Lake Superior meet the bright ideas of land dwelling entrepreneurs. To meet the challenges of the future, water mobility research has to first navigate the greatest of all lakes.
Allison Mills works as a science and technology writer for Michigan Tech. She earned her master’s degree in environmental science and natural resource journalism at the University of Montana.
esd.org | The Engineering Society of Detroit | 23
A 2019 RESOLUTION…
Develop the Art of Networking BY TAMMY TURNER
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appy New Year! The time of making new goals, resolutions and strategies is upon us. It’s a great time to brush up on old skills and develop new ones. Whether you are beginning your engineering career, mid-way through, or about to retire, networking skills are essential to continuing a productive, engaging, and enjoyable professional experience. Here’s some tried and true tips to get you started: 1.
Develop a Strategy. If you know that you only have an hour to commit to a particular networking engagement, decide how many people you want to connect with (and have a meaningful discussion with) in that hour. I recommend 6-7 people. This allows you to give your 30-second elevator pitch, allows them to give theirs, and provides time for you to exchange additional pleasantries and move along. When you’re at a networking event, remember that everyone is there to network. Being conscious of that ensures that you maximize your time and that you also don’t monopolize the time of the other person.
2. Business Cards. Don’t “collect” business cards for the sake of gathering them, only to return to work the next day and put them in the top right drawer in your office or cubicle along with the other business cards (with the rubber band wrapped around them). Business cards should be looked at as potential partnerships, revenue generators and idea-sharing opportunities. Additionally, if you’re in a networking setting and the person that you’re engaged with tells you something personal or important to them, be sure to write it on the back of the business card to enable you to include it during your follow-up email. Also, don’t forget to be up-to-date on exchanging information on your phone or electronic devices in case the person you meet uses digital cards. 24 | TechCentury | Winter 2019
It’s a great time to brush up on old skills and develop new ones.
3. Comfort Zone. You can’t effectively build a network if you’re only talking to people that you already know. We oftentimes tend to go to networking events and gravitate to people that we know and that we’re comfortable with and thereby missing the opportunity to engage other participants at the networking event. 4. Do Your Research. If possible, find out who will be attending the networking event ahead of time, or who will be on the dais or research the keynote speaker, etc. This enables you to develop a networking strategy (mentioned above) to maximize your time. Additionally, this type of research affords you the opportunity to introduce yourself to the other participant and “wow” them with knowledge that they know you could have only obtained by doing your research ahead of time. 5. Getting to Hello. You will never get a second chance to make a first impression. Be sure that you have practiced your 30-second elevator speech and that it rolls off your tongue. You don’t want to sound robotic or that your speech is rehearsed, however, you also don’t want to stumble over your words. If you are not yet a savvy networker, networking settings can be a bit intimidating and as such we instinctively become nervous in situations that we are not familiar
with. This nervousness can cause you to stumble over your words, which is why it’s important to rehearse them ahead of time. I recommend calling yourself and delivering your pitch on your voicemail which will allow you to critique it. 6. When to Follow Up. Oftentimes we’re not sure when to follow-up or how to follow-up after a networking event. I recommend that you follow up within 48 hours of the event. At this point, individuals and conversations are still fresh in your mind and you, hopefully, are still fresh in the mind of the individuals that you spoke with. My preferred method of communication is email. Email is less intrusive and allows the receiver to respond in their time, versus receiving a phone call from a stranger in the middle of a meeting or lunch. I recommend email unless the receiver has specifically asked you to follow-up with a phone call. 7. Body Language. More than 50 percent of your communication is being conveyed via your body language. As such we should be very mindful of what our body language is saying to others that we interact with. Body language experts encourage you to be conscious about the use of your hands and arms (hands in the pocket or arms folded) as these may be perceived as offensive/ stand-offish to others when you are engaged in dialogue. Arms folded indicating that you are guarded and hands in the pocket indicating that you are hiding something. More often than not, we don’t know what to do with our hands and arms when speaking with others and certainly don’t realize that this behavior can be received negatively by those that we are conversing with. 8. When in Doubt. If you’re at a networking event and you find yourself stuck and unsure of how to initiate conversation, just refer to some of the age-old conversation starters such as the weather, sports, compliments or the common event that you are attending.
Tammy Turner is an author, entrepreneur and public speaker. She is the owner/partner of Kapstone Employment Services in Detroit, and her firm places engineers within the automotive and energy industries. Tammy’s “Elements of Success” program has helped shape the careers of students and business professionals throughout the U.S. and abroad. In this program, she offers training on executive presence, business etiquette and image, dining etiquette, leadership training, and skills to successfully master the art of networking.
esd.org | The Engineering Society of Detroit | 25
Ethics in Engineering
The IEEE Global Initiative Addressing the Ethical Challenges of Artificial Intelligence BY WILLIAM MOYLAN
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The Engineers’ Creed is the professional engineer’s Hippocratic Oath. Adopted by the National Society of Professional Engineers (NSPE) in June 1954, the Engineers’ Creed is a testament to the professional aspirations and ethical conduct of the engineering profession. The Engineers’ Creed reads: As a Professional Engineer, I dedicate my professional knowledge and skill to the advancement and betterment of human welfare. I pledge: $ To give the utmost of performance; $ To participate in none but honest enterprise; $ To live and work according to the laws of man and the highest standards of professional conduct; $ To place service before profit, the honor and standing of the profession before personal advantage, and the public welfare above all other considerations. In humility and with need for Divine Guidance, I make this pledge.
Brave New World
However, does this 60-plus-year-old professional oath truly address the ethical challenges faced by engineers working within the technical upheavals of the 21st century and 26 | TechCentury | Winter 2019
the ensuing social consequences? Artificial intelligence is very much here. Autonomous systems and thinking robots are on a fast pace to replace human workers, including both manual physical activity (brawn) and human problem solving and decision making (brain). Is a brave new world of thinking computers and technology run amok fiction or fact? (Remember HAL 9000 from 2001: A Space Odyssey.) Not so far-fetched issues with chilling concerns. This next wave of automation is profoundly disrupting the world economy and our current social structures. As a concerned engineer, are you ready for the ethical challenges of artificial intelligence and autonomous systems? The Institute of Electrical and Electronic Engineers (IEEE) is addressing these ethical issues and
concerns. The IEEE Global Initiative on Ethics of Autonomous and Intelligent Systems (A/IS), launched in April 2016, has moved beyond the paranoia and the uncritical admiration often associated with artificial intelligence. The IEEE Global Initiative endeavors to align technology development and use with ethical values to help advance innovation while diminishing fear in the process. The goal of the IEEE Global Initiative is to incorporate ethical aspects of human well-being that may not automatically be considered in the current design and manufacture of A/IS technologies. Further, the IEEE Global Initiative reframes the notion of success so human progress can include the intentional prioritization of individual, community, and societal ethical values.
IEEE Steps Up
The IEEE Global Initiative is dedicated to ensure every stakeholder involved in the design and development of autonomous and intelligent systems is educated, trained, and empowered to prioritize ethical considerations so that these technologies are advanced for the benefit of humanity. The IEEE
Global Initiative has two primary outputs. First, IEEE has published “Ethically Aligned Design: A Vision for Prioritizing Human Well-Being with Autonomous and Intelligent Systems.” The second output is standards addressing ethical considerations in A/IS. To ensure A/IS solutions will benefit society, the IEEE Global Initiative has taken on the objective of embedding values into A/IS. Taking a three-pronged approach, IEEE is identifying, implementing and evaluating the appropriate A/IS community norms. Ethically Aligned Design is guide for A/IS engineering teams to ensure their A/IS design does not infringe on human rights, is accountable and transparent, and, extends the benefits and minimizes the risks of A/IS technology. (A complete list of the of IEEE Standards Projects addressing A/IS
ethical considerations can be found at standards.ieee.org.
No Perfect Solution
As with all engineering designs, there is no perfect solution. EAD helps with the engineering ethical issues and concerns surrounding personal data and individual access control, the reframing of autonomous weapons systems, and, the related economic, humanitarian and legal issues. The issues and ethical concerns related to personal data and individual access control includes how an individual defines and organizes her/his personal data, the definition and scope of personal identifiable information, the definition of control regarding personal data, and, how to redefine data access to honor the individual. Autonomous systems that are designed to cause physical harm have additional ethical ramifications as compared to both traditional weapons and autonomous systems that aren’t designed to cause harm. Professional ethics about these can and should have a higher standard covering a broader array of concerns. Broadly, IEEE recommends that technical organizations accept that meaningful human control of weapons systems is beneficial to society, that audit trails guaranteeing accountability ensure such control, that those creating these technologies understand implications of their work, and that professional ethical codes appropriately address works that are intended to cause harm. Technologies, methodologies, and systems that aim at reducing human intervention in our day-to-day lives are evolving at a rapid pace and are poised to transform the lives of individuals in multiple ways. The aim of the IEEE multi-stakeholder committee is to identify the key drivers shaping the humantechnology global ecosystem and
address economical and humanitarian ramifications. It also aims to suggest key opportunities for solutions that could be implemented by unlocking critical choke points of tension. The goal of the IEEE Ethics Committee recommendations is to suggest a pragmatic direction related to these central concerns in the relationship of humans, their institutions and emerging information-driven technologies. The goal is to facilitate interdisciplinary, cross-sector dialogue that can be more fully informed by expert, directional, and peer-guided thinking regarding these issues.
Thoughtful Stewards
The early development of Artificial Intelligence and Autonomous Systems (AI/AS) has given rise to many complex ethical problems. These ethical issues almost always directly translate into concrete legal challenges—or they give rise to difficult collateral legal problems. There is much to do for lawyers in this field that thus far has attracted very few practitioners and academics despite being an area of pressing need. Lawyers should be part of discussions on regulation, governance, domestic and international legislation in these areas and we welcome this opportunity to ensure that the huge benefits available to humanity and our planet from AI/ AS are thoughtfully stewarded for the future.
William Moylan, PhD, PMP, FESD, is an Associate Professor, College of Technology, Eastern Michigan University. A consultant, trainer, educator, expert witness and practitioner in professional Project Management and Construction Engineering, Dr. Moylan has extensive professional experience in all aspects of program and project management, including over eleven years internationally with the Arabian American Oil Co., and since 1983 has been involved in implementing information technology. He serves on the TechCentury Editorial Board.
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Will HAL Return? A Look at Artificial Intelligence for Autonomous Vehicles BY ROBERT NEFF
28 窶ポ窶サechCentury窶ポ窶ジinter 2019
I
n Stanley Kubrick’s using Deep Learning (referring 1968 movie 2001: to the number of layers through A Space Odyssey, which the data is transformed) the computer was and Deep Neural Networks (linked described as “The information pathways similar to a 9000 series is the most reliable biological nervous systems). computer ever made. No 9000 AI has been described as computer has ever made a mistake or developing through four distinct distorted information. We are all, by phases.³ I have combined the any practical definition of the words, phase names and descriptions of foolproof and incapable of error.” MSU Assistant Professor Arend As the movie plays out, character Hintz and Steve Mandelbaum into Dave requests: “Open the pod bay the list below: door HAL.” PHASE I: HAL9000 responds: “I’m sorry Reactive Machines (Toy) Dave, I can’t do that.” The first phase is defined as the Dave: “Why not HAL?” HAL: “I think you know as well as autonomous completion of a simple task or linked tasks. Any deviation I do, Dave.” shuts down the process. We are In the end, the artificial currently in the late stages of this intelligence (AI) computer with a phase and some examples are preservation mindset is deactivated. Roomba, Siri, Google Home, Amazon Now, 50 years later, we are deploying Alexa, and AlphaGo. artificial intelligence products like Alexa and Siri. These obvious PHASE II: AI services are entering our Limited Memory (Servant) automobiles via Apple CarPlay and At this level the machine can Android Auto. Less obvious is the complete complex tasks with one level of Machine Learning and AI request. It will consider many factors being introduced to manage sensor to make an optimized decision. An information, sensor fusion and example might be an autonomous vehicle function. Automated Vehicle USDOT AUTONOMOUS VEHICLE GUIDANCE (AV) levels have been proposed in publications since 2010.¹ In the latest USDOT Automated Vehicle Guidance 3.0, dated October 2018, the six levels of vehicle automation are defined by adopting The Society of Automotive Engineers Specification J3016.² Machine Learning has been defined as the computer system learning without being programmed. In other words, the machine is given rules to work with and then processes information in a learning manner. AI is a form of Machine Learning
vehicle at Level 4. The request could be “Take me to 10 Main Street.”
PHASE III: Theory of Mind (Caregiver)
In the third phase, the machine creates a collaborative effort to accomplish tasks using feelings and motivations. The machine can make decisions about anticipated needs. For example, the request to “Make me a sandwich” would involve the desired construction but also consider consumption rate, inventory of components, delivery of components and their shelf life.
PHASE IV: Self Awareness (Parent)
Finally the machine reaches an understanding of feelings and behavior that relate to itself. It can accomplish tasks much too complicated for humans to handle. The machine becomes a protector and communicates on behalf of its assigned being or itself. An example might be that it senses you are getting sick, schedules a doctor visit, transports you to and from the doctor, and then watches over your needs as you recover.
Version 3.0 Uses SAE J3016b Definitions (June 15, 2018) esd.org | The Engineering Society of Detroit | 29
The phases of AI and the levels of AV are compared in the chart at right. The autonomous vehicle at levels 2 and above requires data input from many smart sensors and a communications system to provide rapid insight about the vehicle’s surroundings. All sensors have strengths and weaknesses that the AV computer system must consider. The current Level 2 semi-automated vehicles available for sale to the public today use less than 1 MB of memory per hour. An AV at today’s capability of Level 5 requires about 1 TB of analyzing power per hour. That’s a lot of data being analyzed, sensor information being fused, decisions formulated, and reactions implemented. Coming up with a decision about what to do is not enough for an operating AV, it must also decide, if necessary, how and how much to implement driving changes using the electromechanical onboard systems such as electronic braking, electronic steering and passenger warnings. This has been referred to as the “Perception— Decision—Action Cycle.” There is a cultural difference between how humans treat traffic laws and how AVs are
COMPARISON OF AI PHASES TO AV LEVELS: AI Phases
0
No Automation – Human all driving tasks, Warnings
1
Driver Assistance - Some parts of the driving task by one system, Human does tasks
I
Reactive Machines (Toy) – Completes designated tasks, deviation causes shutdown or no reaction
2
Partial Automation - Some Parts of driving task and monitors driving environment
I
Reactive Machines (Toy) – Completes linked tasks, deviation shut down
3
Conditional Automation Conducts driving task in limited environments – Human takes control when warned
II
Limited Memory (Servant) – Complex tasks, “Take me to 10 Main Street”
4
High Automation - Conducts all driving tasks in certain environments without human intervention
III
Theory of Mind (Caregiver) – Makes decisions about anticipated actions
5
Full Automation - Performs all driving tasks everywhere without human intervention
IV
Self Awareness (Parent) – Understands feelings and behavior
programmed. Humans treat traffic laws as guidelines, while AVs are programmed to obey them. An
GARTNER—TECHNOLOGY HYPE CYCLE:
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AV Levels
“HAL 9000”
AV traveling at the speed limit is frustrating to drivers used to driving 5 or 10 MPH over the limit on a roadway. Should the AV and its AI system be allowed to operate the vehicle in the same manner as a reasonable driver would? What is the liability of allowing an AV to break the law? How does an AV proceed if the construction zone requires it to cross the double yellow line? What decisions to make and when to make them has led to long debates regarding what ethical parameters should be programmed into AI machines and AV transporters. Moral guidance and ethical choices guided by legislative and judicial practice are going to be required and the lack of such have resulted in dire warnings by Bill Gates, Elon Musk and Steven Hawkings.
In addition, the Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers (IEEE) has published “Ethically Aligned Design” to offer design guidance to ensure users are not harmed by autonomous outcomes. The latest document is available free at ethicsinaction.ieee.org. Robots make decisions based on information we grant them access to or provide to them. The idea that a machine will intentionally operate unethically is more likely to be the result of unintended consequences. Problems are more likely to occur because we haven’t thought carefully enough about how it’s going to operate and interact in our very complex world. The advisory company Gartner publishes their “Technology Hype Cycle” every year. The cycle describes how over time new technologies require a “Innovation Trigger”, climb a curve of “Inflated Expectations”, and decline on a slope of realizations to a “Trough of Disillusionment” where the “Slope of Enlightenment” begins to climb until it reaches a “Plateau of Productivity.” In August of 2018, Gartner published their “2018 Technology Cycle” predictions. Gartner’s 2018 evaluations showed Autonomous
Driving at Level 4 to be heading down the realization curve toward the “Trough of Disillusionment.” Deep Learning and Autonomous Mobile Robots are at the peak of “Inflated Expectations,” according to Gartner and Artificial General Intelligence is moving off the “Innovation Triggers” stage and beginning the climb toward “Inflated Expectations.”4 Autonomous Vehicles are coming and Artificial Intelligence will be in them. Too many large and small companies around the world are committing resources, testing and funding in anticipation of where the future of transportation will be. There will be public relations department news headlines at the same time as quiet advances are taking place in Research & Development departments. The significance of this revolution in automation, connectivity and, possibly, electrification of our transportation needs has been compared to automobiles replacing horses. Some periods over the next few years may be quietly boring, and others will be full of excitement and new announcements. Regardless, it is going to be quite a ride.
References: 1. Legal consequences of an increase in vehicle automation—2010. Publisher: Bundesanstalt für Straßenwesen Brüderstraße 53, D-51427 Bergisch Gladbach 2. SAE J3016b dated 2018-06-15 available free at https://www.sae.org/standards/ content/j3016_201806 3. Arend Hintz, Assistant Professor on Integrative Biology & Computer Science, Michigan State University http://theconversation.com/ understanding-the-four-types-of-aifrom-reactive-robots-to-self-awarebeings-67616 Steve Mandelbaum https://www. linkedin.com/pulse/4-phases-artificialintelligence-steve-mandelbaum 4. https://www.gartner.com/technology/ research/methodologies/hype-cycle.jsp
Robert Neff is engaged in sales and marketing for companies involved in high technology products, projects and people. He is a corporate officer in the Intrass Corporation, which is involved in Vehicle-to-Vehicle (V2V) communications. In addition, Bob is a member of the SAE Vehicle Communications Standards Technical Committee that has written the interoperability protocol standards SAE J2735 and J2945 so vehicles can communicate with each other and with the infrastructure (V2V and V2I). Bob has served since January 2014 as Chairman of IEEE Southeastern Michigan (SEM) Section.
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s e s s e c o r P n i a r B n a m u H g n i t c e s Inter to Benefit M edicine !
EDITOR’S NOTE: This is the seventh in a series of articles addressing key aspects of the National Academy of Engineering’s (NAE) and the National Science Foundation’s (NSF) list of The Grand Challenges of Engineering in the 21st Century. In this piece, we are examining one aspect of the possibilities of “Reverse Brain Engineering.” According to the NAE, Reverse Brain Engineering—the intersection of engineering and neuroscience—promises great advances in health care, manufacturing, and communication. The topic is too large and broad for one article, so in this installment we’re focusing on the aspects of its use in health care and its beginning in AI algorithms.
T
he NAE asks the question: Why should you reverse-engineer the brain? Although smart machines can play chess, the complete mastery of our industrial world using artificial intelligence (AI) remains elusive. Thinking machines will require an adept knowledge of Neuropsychology—the study of the brain’s structure and function. Understanding how the brain works may offer the best guide to engineering the artificial variety. Reverse-engineering the brain promises enormous opportunities for reproducing intelligence, in a similar way assembly lines spit out cars or computers. (NAE, 2018). Currently, big data algorithms are in wide use from tracking advance purchases by shoppers to identifying the financial services a customer may need. Taking the next big step via reverse brain engineering will lead to greater use of AI in health care, science and every aspect of daily life. Natural brain functions are the algorithms of our everyday intelligence. For example, 32 | TechCentury | Winter 2019
when “we recognize someone we know, tune in to a single voice at a crowded party, or learn the rules of physics by playing with toys as a baby, our brain algorithms are at work,” writes author James Dicarlo, PhD, head of the department of Brain and Cognitive Sciences at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, in a February 2018 article in Wired. “Our brain algorithms can be monitored, studied and remanufactured to improve today’s technology. Algorithms built by MIT researchers out of brain-like, multilevel, artificial neural networks have exhibited neural responses similar to those measured in the human brain. Research scientists have proposed the use of mathematical models to teach these deep neural networks to perform visual tasks that humans were found to be especially good at—like recognizing objects from many perspectives. This deep learning revolution launches a new era in AI.” (Dicarlo). Ramin Homayouni, the founding director of the Population Health Informatics program at Oakland
University William Beaumont School of Medicine (OUWB), says eventually this technology may be used in the way we deliver health care. In collaboration with Beaumont Health, OUWB’s health system partner, Dr. Homayouni will lead a team of basic and clinical scientists to establish and implement the vision for population health informatics research and graduate education programs. Homayouni says while, technically, reverse brain engineering is not being used in daily medicine, some AI algorithms are beginning to be tested in this arena. These algorithms have the potential to assist in, improve and expand health care. From predicting drug interactions to radiology image analysis to treatment recommendations, simulating how the brain would process and deduce information, AI algorithms could greatly improve the accuracy of health care delivery. “Al algorithms are being developed with the ultimate goal to use large amounts of data to support evidence-based best practices and to treat patients holistically,” he explains. “Considering a
typical patient—even if they saw the same doctor for years—it is nearly impossible for the doctor to remember or review everything about the patient and to consider all of the data about the patient at the time of the visit. AI can help by alerting the physician to red flags such as potential drug interactions or important social, behavioral and environmental factors from years ago that may be relevant.” Homayouni, whose research focuses on the development of machine learning approaches for analysis of unstructured text, co-founded a start-up analytics company, Quire, which specializes in using the clinical notes in Electronic Health Records (EHR) to predict health outcomes. He says his goal is to analyze all of the data in the EHR and make them available to clinicians at the point of care. “The unique advantage of the Quire AI technology is that it considers everything from lab values and radiology reports to notes that the social workers or nurses write to determine health risks for patients,” he explains. esd.org | The Engineering Society of Detroit | 33
Every bit of information—whether clinical, social or environmental—is essential. “Nurses and doctors know the patient, and the notes they make can be very important for proper treatment. There is information about the patient’s home environment, external stress factors, and personal habits that may affect care but won’t show up on lab tests or diagnosis codes,” he says. “Ultimately informatics is going to help us understand clinical and social nuances and predict risks in populations. It will allow us to care for populations before they get chronic diseases because we will be able to predict and coordinate care before it’s too late.” “Such ‘black box’ medicine has tremendous potential for use throughout the health care system, including prognosis, diagnosis, resource allocation and treatment. AI algorithms are available that can identify skin cancer by analyzing skin lesions, which perform equally as well as board-certified dermatologists,” according to 34 | TechCentury | Winter 2019
W. Nicholson Price II, an assistant professor of Law at the University of Michigan, in TheSCITechLawyer. Reverse brain engineering in this area is making advances, and will take these algorithms to the next level. In a five year study at Carnegie Melon University researchers and collaborators hope to use massive databases to evaluate learning models and thus improve their understanding of the brain’s computational principles. The project is expected to result in machines that have more human-like qualities. In addition, it will build better computer algorithms for learning and pattern recognition. As the NAE reports, reverse brain engineering helps to understand the brain, and may eventually heal the brain: “Simulations will offer more precise methods for testing potential biotechnology solutions to brain disorders, such as drugs or neural implants. Neurological disorders may someday be circumvented by technological innovations that allow wiring of new materials into
our bodies to do the jobs of lost or damaged nerve cells. Implanted electronic devices could help victims of dementia to remember, blind people to see, and crippled people to walk.” Taking the leap from current AI to the potential explored in reverse brain engineering opens the world. “The race is on to see if reverse engineering will continue to provide a faster and safer route to real A.I. than traditional engineering that ignores the brain. The winner of this race will lead the economy of the future, and the nation is positioned to seize this opportunity,” Dicarlo writes. In the meantime, back at the OUWB’s Population Health Informatics program, Dr. Homayouni and his staff will begin their work using algorithms to “further enhance OUWB’s commitment to promote, maintain and restore health to the communities where we learn and serve.” Seems that in the end, AI algorithms and their future, may mean better health for us all.
CROSSPOLLINATION: HOW THE RACE TO AUTONOMOUS VEHICLE IS REDESIGNING R&D BY CHRISTOPHER VOGELHEIM
T
he race to the Autonomous Vehicle has become synonymous with the race to the future. When telling that story, the public narrative has been the battle of titans: two American centers of innovation duking it out for supremacy: Silicon Valley, the young game-changer from the energetic west-coast takes on Detroit, the powerful but aging Midwestern automotive heavyweight. One will move into the future as the birthplace of tomorrow’s solutions, the other to comparative irrelevance. It makes for compelling headlines, but the race to the autonomous vehicle has been less about regional competition than corporate partnerships. After years of watching ambitious startups and industry giants alike circle each other like sharks in a tank, caught up in a broil of competition, acquisition, and uneasy alliances, it’s clear that no one player has what it takes to go it alone—the fortunes of both regions dovetailing in the process. Michigan is already home to the vendors, industry knowledge, manufacturing infrastructure, and largest statewide concentration of engineers in the country1 needed to put cars on the road—but it’s no secret that it’s lacking in younger talent and needs an injection of the energy and ideas that come with it. Silicon Valley isn’t wanting for vigor or talent—it has twice as many engineers per 1,000 workers as any other metro area² and has
become a global brand in innovative workplaces, but lacks the R&D facilities and manufacturing base to turn concept into product. With each region boasting a host of benefits and shortcomings, companies have judiciously chosen to invest in both. As of Spring 2017 General Motors Co. invested over $500 million in Uber rival Lyft Inc. to develop a fleet of autonomous electric taxis; Google has a partnership with Fiat Chrysler to work on autonomous minivans; and Ford has invested $150 million in the California-based laser sensor maker Velodyne and $1 billion in the artificial intelligence company Argo AI. Big Tech and the OEMs have realized that they both have something to offer the other in meeting tomorrow’s mobility challenges, and for all the talk of the shiny new up-andcomer vs. the rusty giant, the Detroit/Silicon Valley connection has never been stronger as industry leaders shore up their positions in both regions. OEM’s have realized that they can no
longer rely on their legacies to attract young engineers—they must modernize how they think, how they work, and how they think about how they work to attract and retain the best and brightest. Meanwhile, high-tech companies are coming to grips with the need for tangible research and development infrastructure to meet the development needs that come with creating complex physical products. To attract and retain talent while solving the challenges presented by modern AV/mobility, industry leaders are turning to modern, hybrid facilities in both regions that are part hands-on R&D, part high-tech office space. Take the current leader in AV technology, Ford Motor Co., which has announced that it intends to expand its campus and double staff at its Research & Innovation Center in Palo Alto by 2018—a facility that focuses on fostering creativity, invention and entrepreneurship while housing tech workshops, machine shops, and fabrication and assembly space. While it expands in Palo Alto, Ford also has announced a 10-year redesign of its corporate headquarters in Dearborn, converting over 7.5 million square feet and 70 buildings into two massive corporate campuses to the tune of $1.2 billion3—and a $60 million renovation to the downtown of Dearborn proper. But perhaps more tellingly, it has also begun to reinvest in growing autonomous
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vehicle engineering talent at the University of Michigan’s Ford Motor Company Robotics building in Ann Arbor, a stone’s throw from their corporate headquarters. The University of Michigan’s new 150,000 ft2 laboratory facility will be dedicated to the interdisciplinary study of robotics with programmatic support dedicated to autonomous vehicles. The facility is designed to bring together researchers dedicated to Robotics, and in true Silicon Valley style, provide open, shared research and support space that enables faculty, students and industry researchers to collaborate on the critical robotics challenges of the next century. The cross-pollination between the regions could not be more palpable, with Ford beefing up its R&D muscle in California with one hand while cultivating talent for its Detroit nerve center with the other. Ford isn’t the only one that has seen value in injecting a little West Coast energy into its Midwest facilities as it strengthens its position in the Valley. Tier One supplier Robert Bosch has recently completed Phase II of its 500,000 square foot office and prototype development center in Plymouth. Part four-story software development/office building, part high-bay electronics and chassis development 36 | TechCentury | Winter 2019
laboratory, the massive new facility consolidates multiple Southeast Michigan locations, bringing several departments and administrative support staff together with engineers and developers under one roof. Equally driven by the competition for talent and changing understanding of projectdriven work, automotive interiors giant Yanfeng, or YFAI, a company that makes panel components for every major OEM, has recently purchased the former automotive offices of Johnson Control Inc. in Novi. In a bid to reposition their role from solely manufacturing into design and product development, YFAI has established a new North American headquarters, consolidating the former Johnson Control locations with over 300 staff into a single reconfigured facility. Designed to generate ideas and facilitate collaboration through utilization of a variety of space-types infused across the floor plan, the Novi facility is comprised of everything from large open multipurpose board rooms and classic collaboration and meeting spaces to intimate alcoves for small team gatherings or solitary individual work, intermingled through open 120-degree island work station configurations.
Like their clients, YFAI has seen value to positioning itself in both Detroit and the West Coast and is also in the process of designing a new advanced manufacturing center to develop modern technologies for Tesla Motors interiors—cyclically, implementing the modern workplace standards established by their Michigan facility for manufacturing in California. While there’s no way to know who will end up dominating the autonomous vehicle market—this competition is one that’s likely to play out over decades—it seems clear that the winner will not be a champion of one region or the other, but rather the brand that can navigate the interconnection between the two.
References: 1. Michigan Economic Development Corporation http://www. michiganbusiness.org/why-michigan/ mobility/ dbusiness: “Study: Michigan Tops U.S. with Number of Engineers Per Capita”—1/9/2014 http://www.dbusiness. com/daily-news/Annual-2014/StudyMichigan-Tops-US-with-Number-ofEngineers-Per-Capita/ 2. Forbes https://www.forbes.com/sites/ joelkotkin/2013/07/31/americasengineering-centers/#60f1d79727e1 Forbes: “America’s Engineering Hubs: The Cities With The Greatest Capacity For Innovation” 7/31/2014 3. Detroit Free Press “Ford redevelopment plan in Dearborn estimated at $1.2B” pub. Online 4/12/2016 http://www.freep.com/ story/money/cars/ford/2016/04/12/ ford-unveils-redevelopment-plandearborn-offices/82904392/
Christopher Vogelheim is a studio leader at Harley Ellis Devereaux (HED), where he leads the design of a variety of project typologies, including higher education, advanced manufacturing, research and development, and workplace environments that inspire and support mission-focused clients.
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