Institute of Computing and Cybersystems (ICC) Blog

Michigan Tech Professor Alex Sergeyev and Chinmay Kondekar, ’21 (M.S. in ECE/Mechatronics) discuss the Mechatronics degree programs and Kondekar’s final system design project, in a new video produced by the Applied Computing department. Watch the video below.

The system machines patterns on blocks of foam using various robotic attachments, a tricky manufacturing process to program and one of the more challenging applications for an industrial robot.

The interconnected system is flexible, reconfigurable, and controlled from a central control interface to emulate a production process. Correct dimensions are assured using machine vision, and by transporting the workpiece between different stations.

A number of industrial applications are employed by the system, and most industrial robotic work cells have similar control and communication layouts. Manufacturing system layouts like this one are commonly found in the automotive, pharmaceutical, and food industries. Other potential applications include use in data acquisition and analytics, cybersecurity, and future projects requiring interconnected systems.

Read a blog article about Kondekar’s final master’s program project.

Watch the video.

Learn more about Mechatronics.

On May 18, 2021, Dr. Guy Hembroff, Applied Computing, presented an invited talk at a meeting of Michigan’s Health Information Management Systems Society (HIMSS). Dr. Hembroff discussed his work developing a trusted framework architecture designed to improve population health management and patient engagement.

The talk demonstrated his team’s work in the development of accurate geo-tagged pandemic prediction algorithms, which are used to help coordinate medical supply chains to care for patients most vulnerable to COVID-19, an innovation that can be extended to help improve general population health management.

The framework of the pandemic prediction architecture, which aggregates longitudinal patient health data, including patient generated health data and social determinants of health, is a holistic and secure mHealth community model. The model can help Michigan residents overcome significant barriers in healthcare, while providing healthcare agencies with improved and coordinated population management and pandemic prediction.

The architecture’s machine learning algorithms strategically connect residents to community resources, providing customized health education aimed to increase the health literacy, empowerment and self-management of patients. The security of the architecture includes development of unique health identifiers and touch-less biometrics capable of large-scale identity management.

Dr. Guy Hembroff is an associate professor in the Applied Computing department of the Michigan Tech College of Computing, and director of the Health Informatics graduate program. His areas of expertise are network engineering, medical/health informatics, biometric development, intelligent medical devices, data analytics, and cybersecurity.

The event was sponsored by HIMSS and Blue Cross Blue Shield of Michigan (BCBSM).

A mission-driven non-profit, the Healthcare Information and Management Systems Society, Inc. (HIMSS) is a global advisor and thought leader supporting the transformation of the health ecosystem through information and technology, according to the organization’s website.

Dr. Guy Hembroff presented a talk to representatives of a number of digital health startup companies May 20, 2021, as part of an event hosted by the the HealthSpark program of 20 Fathoms, an entrepreneurial-focused member organization in Traverse City, Michigan.

The startup companies, in many U.S. locations, are being mentored by 20 Fathoms members.

Dr. Hembroff is an Associate Professor of Applied Computing and director of the Health Informatics Master of Science degree program at Michigan Tech.

Dr. Hembroff’s talk, “Cybersecurity and Privacy + X: Best Practices for Health Startups,” was designed to help startup companies gain awareness of and plan strategically for the cybersecurity and privacy elements of their company, affiliations with vendors, and the rights and protections of consumers.

Talk topics included an overview of data security and privacy, web security, scams and fraud detection and protection, mobile device security, network security, incident response, digital health data integration and interoperability, and protection from ransomware attacks.

The HealthSpark program is Traverse City’s digital health accelerator. The organization advances innovation and facilitates solutions that will resolve today’s challenges in rural healthcare. A community-focused initiative, HealthSpark work sto bring world-class healthcare solutions to rural patients through the advancement of digital technology.

20Fathoms is a membership organization for entrepreneurs, intrapreneurs, tech professionals, creatives, and other innovators in the the Traverse City, Michigan, region.

Led by a team of experts who have walked-the-walk, we provide services, resources, support, and a robust network to help our members accelerate both their careers and businesses, according to the 20Fathoms website.

The Michigan Translational Research and Commercialization (MTRAC) Advanced Computing Technologies Innovation Hub, hosted at Wayne State University, has opened a Request for Proposal period lasting until Aug. 31.

Commercialization-focused MTRAC grants provide funding to address the “valley of death” and guidance from an experienced oversight committee comprised of venture capitalists, seasoned entrepreneurs and industry experts. Eligible technologies include cognitive technologies, immersive technologies, cybersecurity, internet of things, industry x.o, blockchain and next-generation computing.

If you have questions about specific project eligibility or the proposal process, please reach out to Nate Yenor at nryenor@mtu.edu. 

For additional information about the program, please visit Wayne State’s MTRAC Advanced Computing Technologies web page.

The Michigan Tech Master’s in Health Informatics program has been ranked 6th on the list, ” Top 10 Online Master’s In Healthcare Informatics Programs 2021,” published recently by BestOnlineSchools.org. The Michigan Tech Health Informatics MS program is the only university in Michigan to appear on the top ten list.

The Michigan Tech Master of Science in Health Informatics prepares students for careers as data and information professionals in clinical and medical fields.

In the flexible, 30-credit program, which can be completed entirely online, graduate students choose courses from areas such as artificial intelligence in healthcare, cybersecurity and privacy, clinical decision modeling, and big data analytics to earn a M.S. of Health Informatics degree. Students will also earn graduate certificates in the specialized and growing areas of Artificial Intelligence in Healthcare and Security and Privacy in Healthcare through this coursework.

View the TheBestSchools.org ranking here.

The Security and Privacy Lab is looking for an hourly-paid Research Assistant. The student will work on IoT security, mobile security, or cloud computing security.

The student is expected to be:

• 1) Eager to solve problems
• 2) Familiar with operating systems
• 3) Familiar with system programming (C is preferred)

If you are interested, please send your resume to Professor Bo Chen (bchen@mtu.edu), Assistant Professor, Department of Computer Science.

Dr. Chen’s website: https://cs.mtu.edu/~bchen
SnP Lab website: https://snp.cs.mtu.edu

By Kimberly Geiger, College of Engineering, June 8, 2021

Michigan Technological University has joined the Power Systems Engineering Research Center (PSERC) — a collaboration of university and industry members.

“We are very pleased to be members of PSERC, where our researchers can combine efforts with other members to creatively address key challenges in creating a modern electric energy infrastructure,” stated Janet Callahan, dean of Michigan Tech’s College of Engineering. “Michigan Tech will be the 13th university in the partnership, and will bring three new industry partners into PSERC,” she added.

Those partners are DTE, Consumers Energy and Hubbell. The full list of member universities is available on the PSERC website.

“The overall goal of joining PSERC is to catalyze transdisciplinary research by teaming up with other institutions and relevant industry partners for national grant competition,” said Chee-Wooi Ten, associate professor of electrical and computer engineering at Michigan Tech. Ten will serve as Michigan Tech’s PSERC site director.

Started as a National Science Foundation (NSF) Industry-University Cooperative Research Center (IUCRC), PSERC began in 1996 and was first led by Cornell professor Robert J. Thomas, and then Vijay Vittal of Arizona State University. Today PSERC is directed by Kory W. Hedman, professor of electrical and computer engineering at Arizona State University. 

PSERC member expertise includes power systems, applied mathematics, complex systems, computing, control theory, power electronics, operations research, nonlinear systems, economics, industrial organization and public policy. 

Michigan Tech brings much to the research collaborative, said Callahan, particularly in key areas of power systems engineering, social sciences and, most importantly, computing involved heavily in data science and cybersecurity. Cross-disciplinary interaction will be encouraged and expected, for example, with the University’s Department of Applied Computing where Ten holds an affiliated faculty position and where Hubbell is a member of the departmental industrial advisory board.

Membership in PSERC will enable Michigan Tech to apply for seed grants together with other PSERC universities. Ten envisions Michigan Tech faculty members submitting seed grant proposals annually. “PSERC membership will enable Michigan Tech to go beyond its traditional research boundaries,” he said. “Historically, power area research at Michigan Tech focuses on the metering of electrical loads met by generation. We’ll see more opportunities that involve the intersection of new cross-disciplinary areas.”

PSERC grants can also fund graduate student research, noted Callahan. “Any faculty member at Michigan Tech can submit proposals, but this is especially good news for assistant professors and other new faculty members seeking to establish a research program,” she said. “This aligns with our institutional Tech Forward initiatives and University vision to grow to 10,000 students, especially our graduate student population.”

Members of PSERC typically meet in person three times per year with the PSERC  Industrial Advisory Board (IAB). This meeting provides a regular opportunity to build new and productive partnerships among faculty and students from other PSERC universities as well as with industrial partners.

“These meetings are unparalleled, a regular opportunity to meet and mingle with energy researchers from other PSERC institutions. We’ll be able to brainstorm and discuss possible collaborations,” said Ten. “I am also very pleased to work with Kory Hedman, the new director of PSERC.”

“While we are now part of the PSERC ecosystem that allows us to submit proposals, the work has only just begun,” Ten concluded. “I am looking forward to working with our PSERC members and creating value with Michigan Tech’s research strengths.”

View the original article here.

Michigan Technological University is a public research university, home to more than 7,000 students from 54 countries. Founded in 1885, the University offers more than 120 undergraduate and graduate degree programs in science and technology, engineering, forestry, business and economics, health professions, humanities, mathematics, and social sciences. Our campus in Michigan’s Upper Peninsula overlooks the Keweenaw Waterway and is just a few miles from Lake Superior.

Dr. Sidike Paheding, assistant professor of Applied Computing, is the co-author of a paper published June 3, 2021, the journal “IEEE Access.” The paper is titled, “U-net and its variants for medical image segmentation: A review of theory and applications.”

The paper discusses U-net, an image segmentation technique developed primarily for image segmentation tasks.

The co-authors of the paper are Nahian Siddique, Colin P. Elkin, and Vijay Devabhaktuni, all with the Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering, Purdue University Northwest, Hammond, Indiana.

Abstract

U-net is an image segmentation technique developed primarily for image segmentation tasks. These traits provide U-net with a high utility within the medical imaging community and have resulted in extensive adoption of U-net as the primary tool for segmentation tasks in medical imaging. The success of U-net is evident in its widespread use in nearly all major image modalities, from CT scans and MRI to Xrays and microscopy. Furthermore, while U-net is largely a segmentation tool, there have been instances of the use of U-net in other applications. Given that U-net’s potential is still increasing, this narrative literature review examines the numerous developments and breakthroughs in the U-net architecture and provides observations on recent trends. We also discuss the many innovations that have advanced in deep learning and discuss how these tools facilitate U-net. In addition, we review the different image modalities and application areas that have been enhanced by U-net.

The paper can be accessed on the IEEE Access website.

IEEE Access is a multidisciplinary, applications-oriented, all-electronic archival journal that continuously presents the results of original research or development across all of IEEE’s fields of interest. Supported by article processing charges, its hallmarks are a rapid peer review and publication process with open access to all readers.

by Computer Science

We are looking for volunteers to take part in a study exploring how people may interact with future augmented reality (AR) interfaces.

During the study, you will record videos of yourself tapping on a printed keyboard. The study takes approximately one hour, and you will be paid $15 for your time. You will complete the study at your home.

To participate, you must meet the following requirements:

• You must have access to an Android mobile phone.
• You must have access to a printer.
• You must be a fluent speaker of English.
• You must be 18 years of age or older.
• You must live in the United States.

If you would like to take part, please contact Reza Habibi at rhabibi@mtu.edu.