Tech Briefs Magazine - August 2021 - 57

neering and management aspects and include artificial intelligence,
model-based systems engineering, requirements engineering,
system architecture and design, and validation and verification.
A system that finds landmines uses a rover body with a metal detector
attached to a moveable arm. As the rover moves forward, the metal
detector slides back and forth. If metal is detected, the rover's arm paints
a square around the suspected mine and sends its GPS coordinates to a
drone, which flies in and drops a payload to detonate the mine.
of the negative feedback amplifier and laying the foundations
of the first wireless local area networks.
Home to one of only three fire protection engineering programs
in the United States, WPI's Fire Protection Engineering
work informs and shapes regulatory policy, building design,
manufacturing processes, first responder operations, and
product performance standards. Research is conducted in
materials, combustion and explosion protection, building and
fire systems, firefighter safety and policy, human behavior and
egress, design and regulation, and fire impact on buildings,
infrastructure, and the environment.
Industrial Engineering serves as a bridge between engineering
and management to analyze and adapt processes or create
new ones. Whether a manufacturing procedure or a redesign
of physical space, industrial engineers identify the people,
materials, technology, information, and energy required for a
process to be efficient.
Manufacturing Engineering encompasses fields like robotics,
manufacturing and materials processing, control systems,
machining, grinding, teaching CNC machining, materials
engineering, and surface metrology.
The field of Materials Process Engineering focuses on the science
of materials, materials processing, and business practices.
Manufacturing processes like nanomaterials and biopolymers
and topics like lean manufacturing, casting and heat treating,
cost analysis fuel cells, and surface metrology are included.
Materials Science & Engineering is focused on the ways in
which materials are made, used, and recycled; on developing and
processing new materials and products; and on the innovative use
of traditional materials. Fundamental understanding of materials
at the nano, micro, and macro scales includes structure, processing,
properties, performance, kinetics, and thermodynamics.
Strengths within Mechanical Engineering include thermal sciences,
nanotechnology and nanomaterials, biomechanics and
medical devices, additive manufacturing and printed electronics,
photonics and optomechanics, sensors and metrology, metals processing,
batteries and electrochemistry, and solar cell materials.
Research is performed within Robotics Engineering in areas
such as human-robot interaction and interfaces, robot motion
planning and control, medical and assistive robots, sensors/
actuators and robot design, robotics and AI, human augmentation,
robotic manipulation, soft robots, autonomous vehicles,
embedded systems for robots, and multi-robot systems.
Systems Engineering is a holistic approach to the design, construction,
and maintenance of systems. Topics address both engiTech
Briefs, August 2021
Cov
Technologies
Wave motion research at WPI could one day create a bulletproof
vest that not only will sense the speed, angle of approach,
and size of an incoming bullet but the material inside the vest
will instantly change properties to provide greater shock protection
at the exact point of impact. The granular materials could
be used in personal protective equipment, such as vests and helmets,
that can be worn by the military, police, and other professionals
like athletes and construction workers. They also could
be used as a protective covering for buildings or even to protect
the International Space Station, satellites, and spacecraft from
being damaged by space junk and meteorites.
A team at WPI found that extracts from the leaves of the
Artemisia annua plant, a medicinal herb also known as sweet
wormwood, inhibit the replication of the SARS-CoV-2 virus (the
virus responsible for the COVID-19 pandemic) and two of its
recent variants. One or more compounds in the plant may
point to a safe, low-cost therapeutic treatment for SARS-CoV-2.
Engineers developed a smartphone app that can help conduct
contact tracing needed to contain the spread of COVID19
without risking users' privacy or personal security. Two
means of collecting tracking data were developed. With the
first, the app would track the location of the user and encrypt
any stored information. It would then send the encrypted data,
minus any personally identifiable information, to a server used
by a public health department. Another approach would up -
load information only from anyone who tests positive for
COVID-19. That information would be made public, without
identifying the infected individuals, so anyone would be able to
go online and check for themselves if they have been in close
contact with someone who has tested positive.
A critical diagnostic tool being developed at WPI is a robotic
ultrasound machine to detect disease symptoms in the lungs -
a significant development that will allow healthcare providers
to minimize their exposure to the virus when conducting
assessments of COVID-19 patients. The platform virtually eliminates
physical contact between patients and healthcare workers
during scans, minimizing the risk of spread while still allowing
for collection of vital data.
WPI created renewable fuel from sewage sludge, a byproduct
of wastewater treatment that creates greenhouse gases and
water pollution when dumped into landfills. It uses hydrotherA
partial hand prosthesis replaces some of the functionality of a person's
fingers. Sensors can be pressed with the tiny remaining piece of
the thumb, making the prosthetic thumb move forward and backward.
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Tech Briefs Magazine - August 2021

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