Army-funded researchers earn top scientific honors U.S. Army announces Prof. Alfred Hero's 2020 IEEE Fourier Award for Signal Processing. [Full Story] David Blaauw named Kensall D. Wise Collegiate Professor of Electrical Engineering and Computer Science Blaauws innovations in low-power computing led to development of the Michigan Micro Mote, the worlds smallest computer. [Full Story] Laura Balzano aims to improve precision medicine as a Fulbright Scholar Prof. Balzano will work with Portuguese researcher Mario Figueiredo to develop new machine learning methods impacting medical diagnosis and treatment. [Full Story] ECE professors help robots better navigate the world IEEE Spectrum highlights a new chip designed by Professors Dennis Sylvester, David Blaauw, and Hun-Seok Kim, along with PhD student Ziyun Li, that improves robots' use of simultaneous localization and mapping (SLAM) technology. [Full Story] More efficient machine vision technology modeled on human vision Prof. Robert Dick and advisee Ekdeep Singh Lubana developed a new technique called Digital Foveation that significantly improves the efficiency of machine vision applications. [Full Story] The Punishing Polar Vortex is Ideal for Cassie the Robot WIRED features ECE professor Jessy Grizzle and our favorite bipedal robot in a story about how testing Cassie in extreme weather events could help save lives in the future. [Full Story] Laura Balzano receives ARO Young Investigator Award to improve high-dimensional big data problems Applications include managing large networked systems, such as sensor networks, power grids, or computer networks. [Full Story] Prof. Laura Balzano receives AFOSR Young Investigator Award for research that addresses massive streaming data Prof. Balzano uses statistical signal processing, matrix factorization, and optimization to unravel dynamic and messy data. [Full Story] Deciphering GPS satellites to see inside hurricanes Researchers, including graduate student Tianlin Wang, are reverse engineering the signal from the same GPS satellites that provide location capabilities to our phones and cars in order to more accurately determine wind speeds within roaring hurricanes. [Full Story] Students win prizes for improving image processing techniques for liver cancer detection and much more Students in EECS 556: Image Processing, explore methods to improve image processing in applications such as biomedical imaging and video and image compression. The techniques are fundamental to companies such as KLA-Tencor, which offered prizes to two teams of students. [Full Story] Improving communication between humans and robots in 20 noisy questions A team of information scientists led by Prof. Alfred Hero have discovered a better way to facilitate communication between humans and robots, using a twist on the classic game of 20 Questions. [Full Story] Third annual MIDAS research symposium emphasizes an interdisciplinary approach to data analysis Big data, data science and analytics were among the main topics discussed at the third annual Michigan Institute for Data Science daylong research symposium Wednesday, Oct 11, at Rackham Auditorium and the Michigan League. Alfred Hero, co-director of MIDAS and professor of electrical engineering and computer science, spoke about how this diverse set of speakers aligns with the theme of the symposium, "A Data-Driven World: Potentials and Pitfalls." [Full Story] Precision Health at Michigan Learn more about Michigan's new initiative to lead in precision health: using advanced tools and technology to provide personalized solutions to improve an individual's health and wellness. Lead by co-director Eric Michielssen. [Full Story] Students in EECS 556 Win Prizes for Improving Image Processing Techniques for Camera Motion Blur and Facial Recognition Two teams earned prizes in the graduate level course, EECS 556: Image Processing, thanks to the sponsorship of KLA-Tencor. The course, taught this past term by Prof. Boklye Kim (Radiology, EECS), covers topics in the theory of multidimensional signal analysis and processing with applications in optical, computerized tomography (CT), and magnetic resonance images. [Full Story] Gopal Nataraj Earns Best Paper Award for Improving MRI Gopal Nataraj, a doctoral student in ECE, earned a Best Student Paper award at the IEEE International Symposium on Biomedical Imaging for his paper "Dictionary-Free MRI Parameter Estimation Via Kernel Ridge Regression." Gopal is working to improve the sensitivity of MRIs to specific disorders as well as improving doctors' ability to distinguish closely-related disorders. [Full Story] Student teams earn prizes for analog-digital converter circuit designs in EECS 511 Students in the graduate level course, Integrated Analog/Digital Interface Circuits (EECS 511), taught by Prof. Michael Flynn, competed for cash prizes while presenting their final design projects thanks to the support of Analog Devices, Inc. Two winning projects and teams were determined by an expert panel at Analog Devices. [Full Story] Gopal Nataraj Receives U-M Rackham Predoctoral Fellowship to Support High-impact Research in Medical Imaging Gopal Nataraj, a doctoral student in Electrical and Computer Engineering, received a U-M Rackham Predoctoral Fellowship to support his research that promises to lead to improved techniqes in magnetic resonance imaging (MRI). The Rackham Predoctoral Fellowship is awarded to outstanding doctoral candidates in the final stages of their program whose research is unusually creative, ambitious and impactful. [Full Story] COVE: A Tool for Advancing Progress in Computer Vision A new project has been launched to provide open and easy access to up-to-date, varied, data sets, annotations and their relevant tools. Based at the University of Michigan with collaborators at Boston University and the University of Notre Dame, the program aims to centralize available data in the intelligent systems community through a COmputer Vision Exchange for Data, Annotations and Tools, called COVE. The project promises to have an immediate and far-reaching impact on the computer vision community as well as researchers involved in machine learning, multimedia, natural language processing, data mining, and information retrieval. [Full Story] Clark Zhang Earns NSF Fellowship for Data Processing in MEMS Networks Clark Zhang, a senior in Computer Engineering, has earned an NSF Graduate Research Fellowship for his research proposal on gathering useful data from MEMS sensor systems. This summer, he is working as an intern at NASAs Jet Propulsion Laboratory. There, hell be a part of a project called Resilient Spacecraft Architecture, which works to make the autonomous systems on spacecraft more robust and willing to take risks without an operator intervening. [Full Story] Jeff Fessler Named William L. Root Collegiate Professor of Electrical Engineering and Computer Science Jeff Fessler has been named the William L. Root Collegiate Professor of Electrical Engineering and Computer Science in recognition of his outstanding contributions in the areas of research, education, and leadership. Jeff is one of the most accomplished researchers of medical image reconstruction in the world. His group has produced breakthroughs in Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI), X-ray Computed Tomography (X-ray CT), and radionuclide imaging (PET/SPECT). [Full Story] A better 3D camera with clear, graphene light detectors A camera that can record 3D images and video is under development, with $1.2 million in funding from the W.M. Keck Foundation. The new technology makes use of the special characteristics of graphene, and is anticipated to have dramatic applications in artificial bionic eyes, industrial imaging, robotic vision, and medical imaging. Leading the research are professors Ted Norris, Zhaohui Zhong, and Jeff Fessler. [Full Story] A Real-World Approach to Digital Signal Processing For two semesters, Prof. Laura Balzano's Digital Signal Processing course (EECS 351, formerly 451) has incorporated a data collection and analysis project that gives the students firsthand experience with sensors and many signal processing techniques. Students could use sensors or other data collection tools to pursue a goal of their choosing, ranging from smart handwriting replicators to recreating the reverb of famous recording environments. [Full Story] Yelin Kim Wins Best Student Paper Award at ACM Multimedia 2014 for Research in Facial Emotion Recognition Yelin Kim has won the Best Student Paper Award at the 22nd ACM International Conference on Multimedia (ACM MM 2014) for her research in facial emotion recognition. The paper, "Say Cheese vs. Smile: Reducing Speech-Related Variability for Facial Emotion Recognition," was co-authored by her advisor, Prof. Emily Mower Provost. [Full Story] Prof. Raj Nadakuditi Awarded DARPA Young Faculty Award for Research that could Help Reveal the Brains Secrets Raj Nadakuditi, assistant professor of Electrical and Computer Engineering, has received a 2014 DARPA Young Faculty Award for his research project, "Fundamental limits of eigen-wavefront based imaging through highly scattering random media." His research will impact the ability to investigate the structure of brain circuits through the use of optical imaging techniques. [Full Story] Fighting lung cancer with faster image processing A new $1.9 million research program led by Prof. Jeff Fessler seeks to make low-dose computed tomography scans a viable screening technique by speeding up the image reconstruction from half an hour or more to just five minutes.The advance could be particularly important for fighting lung cancers, as symptoms often appear too late for effective treatment. Prof. Thomas Wenisch is collaborating on the project. [Full Story] Solving the Big Data Dilemma Prof. Laura Balzano talks about how to get the best results from big collections of data. Science, healthcare, economics, infrastructure and government could be completely changed by effectively using big data. [Full Story] Research in Machine Learning earns Notable Paper Award at AISTATS 2014 Prof. Clay Scott received a Notable Paper Award at the 2014 Int. Conf. on Artificial Intelligence and Statistics for his research in the area of machine learning. The theoretical research has applications in big data problems such as crowd sourcing, topic modeling, and nuclear particle classification. [Full Story] Hao Sun Earns 3 Paper Awards for Medical Imaging Research Hao Sun, a graduate student in the Electrical Engineering:Systems program, will receive 3 paper awards at the 2014 International Society for Magnetic Resonance in Medicine (ISMRM) meeting. held May 10-16 in Milan, Italy, for his research in the area of magnetic resonance imaging (MRI). [Full Story] Students earn prizes for improving image processing in EECS 556 Two teams earned prizes in the graduate level course, EECS 556: Image Processing, thanks to the sponsorship of KLA-Tencor. The course, taught by Prof. Jeff Fessler, covers the theory and application of digital image processing, which has applications in biomedical images, time-varying imagery, robotics, and optics. [Full Story] Gopal Nataraj Receives ISA Fellowship to Support Research that will Improve MRIs Gopal Nataraj, a doctoral student in the EE:Systems program, received a fellowship from Innovative Signal Analysis, Inc. to support research that aims to generate higher-quality and faster MRI images than is currently available. The result will be improved diagnostics of neurological disorders and autoimmune diseases, shorter periods of time inside MRI machines by patients, and a reduction in healthcare costs. [Full Story] Zhaoshi Meng Receives Best Paper Award at CAMSAP 2013 Zhaoshi Meng, a doctoral student in the Electrical Engineering:Systems program, received 2nd place in the Student Paper Competition at the 5th IEEE Int. Workshop on Computational Advances in Multi-Sensor Adaptive Processing (CAMSAP 2013). [Full Story] New algorithms and theory for shining light through non-transparent media Curtis Jin, a graduate student in electrical engineering, is part of a research team that has developed theory and algorithms that can mitigate or even overcome loss in transmission power due to the multiple scattering of light in non-transparent (ie, scattering) media. [Full Story] Research that will lead to sharper photos earns best paper award Research by Dr. Paul Shearer, Prof. Alfred O. Hero, III and Prof. Anna Gilbert, earned Best Paper Award at the 2013 IEEE International Conference on Image Processing. The researchers tackled the problem of "camera shake," which is inevitable in cases where a tripod is either not available or practical for taking pictures. [Full Story] Image processing 1,000 times faster is goal of new $5M contract Loosely inspired by a biological brain's approach to making sense of visual information, Prof. Wei Lu is leading a project to build alternative computer hardware that could process images and video 1,000 times faster with 10,000 times less power than today's systems, all without sacrificing accuracy. [Full Story] Jae Young Park Receives Best Student Paper Award for Research Impacting Structural Health Monitoring Jae Young Park, a recent doctoral student in the Electrical Engineering:Systems program, received a Best Student Paper Award at the Signal Processing with Adaptive Sparse Structured Representations (SPARS 2013) conference. The method described in the paper is expected to increase the longevity of battery-based sensor devices that record structural information, increase the accuracy of basic data analysis techniques, and decrease the memory requirements of such tasks. [Full Story] Research in distributed networks earns Notable Paper Award at AISTATS The research by Prof. Al Hero, ECE graduate student Zhaoshi Meng, and Dr. Dennis Wei provides a way to efficiently reveal relationships between even distant entities in a network, whether it be a social network or a network of sensors. The group will present their research at the 16th Int. Conference on Artificial Intelligence and Statistics. [Full Story] Predicting your risk of illness Imagine a future when you could predict whether or not you are at risk of becoming sick. Prof. Al Hero is working to make that a reality with his research into the human genome's response to viral illnesses. Watch the video to learn more. [Full Story] Lowering CT Radiation for Improved Health Jeff Fessler is working with U-M radiologists to create high-quality CT scans with lower radiation in a much faster time frame than currently possible. Technology developed by Prof. Fessler and his research group is in use at U-M hospital. Watch the video to see his algorithms in action. [Full Story] Signal Processing @ Michigan: Putting Theory to Work for a Better World Signal processing is the art of generating, transforming, and interpreting information, which we think of as being a signal. Some signals can be detected electronically, while others might be a pattern that arises from data such as a gene pool, social media activity, or economic data. Signal processing delves into nearly as many application areas as can be conceived. [Full Story] Research Spotlight: 3-D electrical force fields manipulate microscale particles Prof. Kamal Sarabandi and colleagues at the University of Michigan are using electrical energy as a 3-D force field to manipulate microscale objects. Potential applications for this research include biochemical reactions, sample analysis and synthesis, molecular genetics, cell manipulation, and biotechnology production. [Full Story] New technology allows CT scans to be done with a fraction of the conventional radiation dose A technological breakthrough is allowing the University of Michigan Health System to be the first teaching hospital in the U.S. to perform some CT scans using a fraction of the radiation dose required for a conventional CT image. The scan displayed shows a dark spot indicative of cancer. [Full Story] Prof. Raj Nadakuditi Receives AFOSR Young Investigator Award Prof. Raj Nadakuditi received a Young Investigator Award to support research that is expected to improve the quality of information obtained from sensors and sensor networks through the creation of improved algorithms to detect, estimate, and classify even weak signals. [Full Story] Prof. Raj Nadakuditi Receives 2012 SPS Young Author Best Paper Award Prof. Nadakuditi received this award for the excellence of his 2008 research paper, "Sample Eigenvalue Based Detection of High-Dimensional Signals in White Noise Using Relatively Few Samples." The research has applications to biomedical signal processing, wireless communications, geophysical signal processing, array processing, and finance. [Full Story] New research program aims to make better sense of the world A new 5-year $2.5M research program funded by the National Science Foundation, led by Prof. Demos Teneketzis, aims to address fundamental issues that arise in networked systems so that they can operate with maximum efficiency. This is especially critical as individual sensing devices are scaled down to millimeter size. [Full Story] Next-generation Systems Information Theory Called Value-centered information theory for adaptive learning, inference, tracking, and exploitation, this MURI led by Prof. Al Hero has the goal of laying the foundation for a new systems information theory for next-generation autonomous and adaptive sensing systems. [Full Story] Breakthrough: Researchers find wide gap in immune responses of people who did or didnt get the flu after exposure Prof. Al Hero and colleagues in medicine and genomics are using genomics to begin to unravel what in our complex genomic data accounts for why some get sick while others don't. [Full Story] New Techniques in Medical Informatics Lead to Improved Diagnosis of MDS Research by Prof. Al Hero and colleagues in the area of medical informatics is leading to better diagnosis and prognosis of patients with serious blood borne diseases. [Full Story] Gyemin Lee Receives Best Paper Award for Research in Machine Learning for Biomedical Diagnosis Mr. Lee is a PhD student in EE:Systems studying with Prof. Clay Scott. His paper provides an automated process for flow cytometry. [Full Story] Raj Nadakuditi Receives ONR Young Investigator Award Prof. Nadakuditi will investigate the fundamental statistical limits of quiet signal detection, estimation and classification in the context of undersea signal processing. [Full Story] CT scans at higher definition and lower radiation Jeff Fessler has received funding from the NIH to improve the image quality of lower-dose CT scans for diagnosing and monitoring lung disease. [Full Story] Clay Scott Receives CAREER Award for Research in Signal Processing Clay Scott received an NSF CAREER award for his research project, "Guided Sensing," to develop new methods for guided sensing of information. [Full Story] Yong Long Receives Best Poster Award for Work in Medical Imaging The interdisciplinary research describes a method to improve image quality while reducing patient X-ray dose in medical CT scans. [Full Story] Research in Flow Cytometry Receives Award for Best Original Paper Prof. Al Hero and colleagues' new method for clinical flow cytometry, called FINE, employs manifold learning and information geometry. The article about the work was awarded for being the most original of the year. [Full Story] David Anderson: Making the Connection Standing at the crossroads of engineering and neurophysiology, retiring faculty member David Anderson made his home in both areas. Anderson made the switch from computer engineering to bioengineering in graduate school at Wisconsin, ultimately finding his research home in the Laboratory of Neurophysiology The first lab he built after arriving at U-M in 1970, still in operation, was the Neural Signal Processing Lab at Kresge, which is now part of the Otorhinolaryngology Department. [Full Story] |