EECS Research, Page 7

Optimized Phase Delays

Using AI to Generate Holograms in Everyday Settings

Imagine being able to see a hologram of the person you’re talking to on your cell phone. Sound futuristic? Mizzou Engineers are finding ways to someday make that a reality. A research team is…
Portaits

Engineering Students Participate in Undergraduate Research Day

Four Mizzou Engineers were among 14 MU students selected to present their work during the UM System’s Undergraduate Research Day.
Robot

Robotics Expert: New Type of Computing Needed for AI Revolution

Robotics have come a long way since Gui DeSouza was defending his dissertation on automated systems for automotive production lines in the 1990s. But he believes it will take a new type of computing before we see the lifelike robots made popular in science fiction.
Portrait: Praveen Rao

Rao Invited to Serve on Environmental Health Sciences Review Committee

Praveen Rao has been invited to serve as a member of the Environmental Health Sciences Review Committee, which serves as an advisory board to the National Institutes of Health (NIH). Members are appointed for a 3-year term.
Illustration of traffic at a stoplight

No More Red Lights? Proposed System for Self-Driving Cars Eliminates Need to Stop

Imagine getting through your evening commute safely and seamlessly without ever having to wait at a red light or stop sign. That’s what one research team at Mizzou Engineering is studying in anticipation of roadways filled with self-driving cars.
Illustration with logos for Mizzou Engineering and Amrita Vishwa Vidyapeetham

Partnership with Amrita Kicks off with International Symposium

Mizzou Engineering has formed a partnership with a top-ranked university in India to foster collaboration among researchers and students. The partnership between Mizzou and Amrita Vishwa Vidyapeetham aims to promote cooperation through joint research and publications, international initiatives, training programs and student exchanges.
A highly renowned researcher took a few minutes out of his busy schedule this week to address graduate students in the Electrical Engineering and Computer Science Department. Satish S Nair is an EECS professor, director of the Neural Engineering Lab and one of the first researchers to begin using engineering principles to better understand the complex circuits of the brain. During a monthly EECS Graduate Student Association (GSA) virtual meeting, Nair gave an overview of his work, then provided students with some tips to boost their own productivity. Participating in the EECS organization is a good first start, he said, as it develops leadership and other practical skills. Nair also recommended minimizing distractions while working or even relaxing. “Distractors disrupt processes in the brain,” he said. “If you have 10 programs running, how can you focus on any one? If you think about that in terms of your laptop, if you open a lot of stuff, it crashes. That translates to your own brain.” Taking walks, enjoying hobbies and avoiding upsetting media are also keys to living a happy, productive life, he said. “We don’t talk about that enough, and we don’t value it enough.” Lightening Talk Nair was the featured “Lightening Talk” guest at this month’s EECS GSA meeting. Modeled after popular TED Talks, these presentations give faculty, students and invited guests an opportunity to share interesting research, projects or hobbies, said Lia Howe, outgoing president of EECS GSA. Nair Following his formal presentation, attendees had the opportunity to tap into Nair’s brain and discuss his work in the context of their own projects. For instance one student wanted to know how studying brain models compares to his research around the autonomous systems that power drones. The brain is more complex, but researchers are getting closer to starting to understand its hardware and its operating system, Nair said. He is currently working on a project analyzing data from a collaborator who inserts high-density neural probes  into rodent brains to solve the mystery. The probes’ sensors can monitor close to 300 neurons and records the spikes each neuron emits. Similar to radar technology, researchers are using those signals to get more information about what actually happens in the brain when, say, a rodent is deciding whether to risk potential danger in exchange for the reward of a food pellet. “Psychology says based on a behavior, we believe something is going on, but now we are able to get data,” he said. “But what language are neurons talking? What is their hardware? How are they configured? We’re in the beginning stages of understanding that.” In the meantime, he encouraged engineering students to continue to look to psychologists and psychology books for answers, and potential interdisciplinary projects in the area. 'GEECS' The EECS Graduate Student Association—informally known as the “GEECS”— helps foster professional and social relationships among those pursuing master’s and PhD degrees. Meetings are held monthly. Prior to social distancing restrictions, the group also held special events such as trivia nights and fundraisers. This semester, the organization improvised and offered game nights virtually, Howe said. This week was Howe’s last meeting as president. She’s graduating this month with a Master of Science in Computer Engineering. Trevor Bajkowski, who is working on a PhD in computer science, will transition from serving as vice president to president this coming semester. Howe encourages all EECS graduate students to get involved in the organization. “EECS GSA, or GEECS, is a great group to connect with other graduate students and faculty,” she said. “It is a low-commitment organization, where we want everyone to have fun. GEECS loves to meet new students.” Interested in studying neural engineering? Consider earning an undergraduate certificate in Neural Engineering-Signals or Neural Engineering-Systems or a graduate certificate in Neural Engineering-Signals, Systems & Machine Learning.

Professor Shares Insights into Neural Engineering

A highly renowned researcher took a few minutes out of his busy schedule this week to address graduate students in the Electrical Engineering and Computer Science Department. Satish S Nair is an EECS professor, director of the Neural Engineering Lab and one of the first researchers to begin using engineering principles to better understand the…
Graphic of atoms and radio waves.

Mizzou Engineer Explores Challenges, Opportunities of Quantum Radar

A Mizzou Engineer was invited to weigh in on the “Opportunities and Challenges of Quantum Radar” for a prestigious magazine published by the Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers (IEEE). Jeffery Uhlmann published the paper with a co-author from the U.S Naval Research Laboratory in the November issue of IEEE Aerospace and Electronic Systems Magazine.…
Graphic of red blood cells

Mizzou Engineers Help Develop Smarter Way to Diagnose Malaria

Mizzou Engineers are part of a global team developing a smarter way to combat malaria—a leading cause of death in the world. Now, they’ve outlined a two-step approach that will use deep learning to more accurately and efficiently diagnose the disease.
Hand reaching for blue vial

Mizzou Engineers, USGS Create Tool to Test Oil in Water

Those responding to oil spills could soon have an easier way to determine the environmental impacts. A Mizzou Engineer is helping develop a tool to analyze water samples and measure oil levels using a smart phone. Dong Xu, Shumaker Professor of Electrical Engineering and Computer Science, is working on the project with the U.S. Geological Survey.