21 August 2024
LEWES — The University of Delaware is preparing to partner with Old Dominion University of Virginia and industry leaders who are jointly proposing a new center for research into autonomous and robotic systems, Rob Nicholson, marine oceanography officer and director of strategic innovation partnerships at UD, told Delaware Business
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The University of Delaware will soon partner with Old Dominion University in Virginia to create a new industry-focused research center for engineering and oceanography. l PHOTO COURTESY OF ROB NICHOLSON (/caption)
LEWES — The University of Delaware is preparing to make a splash with a partnership with Old Dominion University of Virginia and industry leaders who are working together to establish a new center focused on research into autonomous and robotic systems.
Rob NicholsonNaval Oceanography Officer and Director of Strategic Innovation Partnerships at UD, told the Delaware Business Times that the cutting-edge program will continue the university’s efforts to refine its maritime research in engineering and robotics while providing First State students with opportunities for industry-led research and attempting to create what the National Science Foundation calls Industry-University Cooperative Research Centre (IUCRC).
He said the IUCRC’s concept was unique from traditional academic research centres in that it involved industry members directly with the centre, for example helping to select projects and contributing their expertise to the projects alongside students and professors.
“Some active IUCRCs around the country also have multiple sites. Here, UD is leading the way and we have brought in Old Dominion as a second site. The center would allow us to focus our efforts and bring individuals with expertise to the table to make it more valuable to the industry members involved in the center,” he told DBT.
If IUCRC status is granted, the National Science Foundation would provide the center with $150,000 annually for five years to cover the administrative costs of running the research center. Nicholson said that this basis would also collect membership fees from interested industry partners, giving both universities the opportunity to recruit graduate students, professors, researchers and other interested parties.
“For example, full membership could cost $55,000 per member per year. Imagine if we could get 25 members. 90 percent of that would go directly to research. From membership fees alone, it could be $900,000, and that would be used for time on ships, to cover the costs of graduate students participating in projects, the time of professors and researchers, and the laboratory space needed,” he told DBT.
“It’s like a cooperative. When a company invests in research, it can be hundreds of thousands of dollars,” he added. “But by sharing the costs, they are able to develop new techniques and innovations that these companies can then bring to the university and use royalty-free. So they can maximize their (research and development) results and access that technology.”
While the growing industry acts as a driving force behind the scenes, Nicholson emphasized that student body growth remains at the heart of this type of programming.
“When our students can work side-by-side with our industry partners, they get first-hand experience. They often have the opportunity to transition into employment after graduation,” he told DBT. “There is also an economic development incentive from this as research and development activities/partnerships with industry increase. Let’s say one of their industry partners sends one of their engineers and spends time on our campus. Then they will buy things locally, buy groceries, eat out, rent a room or stay in a hotel.”
He said the centre could be approved as early as March or April 2025. This would allow universities to expand their opportunities to accommodate at least 15 to 20 students, while providing industry with additional research and business development benefits and access to talent as their industry partners get to know the student researchers.
As Nicholson advances the economic development of this new project, Art Trembani has worked hard to ensure the success of the project from a scientific point of view.
Trembanis, oceanographer, roboticist and deputy director of the UD’s Center for Autonomy and Robotic Systems, told DBT that the proposed IUCRC could have significant implications for current oceanographic research.
“The big difference is that industry selects the projects based on what is needed at the time. Our research priorities or main topic areas where we have expertise and would encourage industry members to become paid members of the IUCRC would include research in control and autonomy, perception, agility and endurance, artificial intelligence and data management, communications and cybersecurity, and technology, validation and certification,” Trembanis said.
He added that each of these topics could result in an impressive amount of research through the combined efforts of students, professors and industry representatives.
“For example, if you have an underwater vehicle or a UVV, it’s usually too far under the sea to get a signal from anywhere, and the platform doesn’t know where it is. If you can’t match your global position based on the data you just acquired, you have to decide what you’re going to do,” he explained. “Using perception data collected by different sensors can improve the localization of my current location. Through research sponsored by the center, we are able to improve this technology and help industry professionals get more accurate location fixes using typography and sensor fusion. Using this perception data would make navigation easier. Projects from the center could help fill these gaps.”
On the Old Dominion University On the other hand, Research Professor and Chief Technology Officer and Interim Executive Director of the Virginia Modeling, Analysis & Simulation Center, Dr. Yiannis Papelis, will work with his colleagues to provide the center with complementary expertise. One of their many areas of contribution will be the ability to test unmanned and autonomous maritime systems and ensure they can safely interact with the rest of the vessel traffic.
“As more and more ships become autonomous, testing and certification of autonomy is an area that concerns the industry as they want to be sure that their systems can be used safely in the maritime environment,” Papelis said. “The use of simulation and AI offers a cost-effective way to conduct these tests and the planned center will fill this technology gap.”
Both Trembanis and Nicholson said the end result will make a huge difference to marine and engineering researchers, as well as students at both universities.
