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1
ECE
MICHIGAN TECHNOLOGICAL
UNIVERSITY
ELECTRICAL AND COMPUTER ENGINEERING
RESEARCH REPORT
2
3E C E
GREETINGS FROM THE NORTH COUNTRY
The Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering at Michigan
Tech has a rich history of providing outstanding opportunities for
undergraduate education. While our commitment to undergraduate
education remains strong, the Department has gone through an
unprecedented period of growth in research and graduate education.
Since 2000, PhD enrollments have nearly quadrupled in size, and
external funding for research has grown by a factor of roughly 8.
Much of our research growth has occurred within the Department’s
two primary research centers: the Center for Integrated Systems in
Sensing, Imaging and Communications (CISSIC); and the Power and
Energy Research Center (PERC). An overview of several of the active
research programs in these centers is provided in this report.
Involvement of our undergraduates in research and development
has always been a priority for the Department. Two key programs,
Enterprise and Senior Design, provide our undergraduates with
outstanding opportunities. This report contains brief highlights from
both.
As you look through these pages, I hope you enjoy learning about
some of our research programs and the fabulous faculty who are
making them possible. If you would like more information about any
aspect of the Department, please don’t hesitate to contact me.
Tim Schulz
Dave House Professor and Department Chair
Electrical and Computer Engineering
CONTENTS
4 ABOUT THE DEPARTMENT
5 GRADUATES AND RESEARCH
6 C I S S I C: THE CENTER
FOR INTEGRATED SYSTEMS IN SENSING, IMAGING, AND COMMUNICATIONS
12 P E R C: THE POWER AND ENERGY RESOURCE CENTER
16 SENIOR DESIGN
17 ENTERPRISE
4 M I C H I G A N T E C H
ECEABOUT THE DEPARTMENT
Established in 1928, the Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering at Michigan Tech is among the world’s leaders
in providing quality education and research. We offer programs leading to the Bachelor of Science in Electrical Engineer-
ing, the Bachelor of Science in Computer Engineering, the Master of Science in Electrical Engineering, and the Doctor of
Philosophy in Electrical Engineering.
OUR FACULTY
A number of our faculty within the Department are recognized as Fellows by the Institute of Electrical and Electronics
Engineers, Association for Computing Machinery, International Society for Optical Engineering, and Optical Society of
America. Several are authors of popular textbooks—and many have been appointed to editorial positions for national and
international journals such as IEEE Transmission on Image Processing, IEEE Transmission on Wireless Communications,
Journal of the Optical Society of America, Applied Optics, International Journal of Modeling and Simulation, and Electric
Power Components and Systems.
TENURE-TRACK FACULTY
ASHOK K. AMBARDAR PHD, UNIVERSITY OF WYOMING
PAUL L. BERGSTROM PHD, UNIVERSITY OF MICHIGAN
LEONARD J. BOHMANN PHD, UNIVERSITY OF WISCONSIN
JEFFREY B. BURL PHD, UNIVERSITY OF CALIFORNIA, IRVINE
CHUNXIAO (TRICIA) CHIGAN PHD, SUNY–STONY BROOK
ASHOK K. GOEL
PHD, JOHNS HOPKINS UNIVERSITY
ROGER M. KIECKHAFER PHD, CORNELL UNIVERSITY
ANAND K. KULKARNI PHD, UNIVERSITY OF NEBRASKA
MELISSA G. MEYER PHD, UNIVERSITY OF WASHINGTON
PIYUSH MISHRA PHD, POLYTECHNIC UNIVERSITY
BRUCA A. MORK
PHD, NORTH DAKOTA STATE UNIVERSITY
WARREN F. PERGER
PHD, COLORADO STATE UNIVERSITY
MICHAEL C. ROGGEMANN PHD, AIR FORCE INSTITUTE OF TECHNOLOGY
TIMOTHY J. SCHULZ
PHD, WASHINGTON UNIVERSITY
MARTHA E. SLOAN
PHD, STANFORD UNIVERSITY
JINDONG TAN
PHD, MICHIGAN STATE UNIVERSITY
ZHI (GERRY) TIAN PHD, GEORGE MASON UNIVERSITY
DENNIS O. WIITANEN PHD, UNIVERSITY OF MISSOURI–ROLLA
SEYED (REZA) ZEKAVAT PHD, COLORADO STATE UNIVERSITY
ZHIJUN (ZACK) ZHAO
PHD, UNIVERSITY OF ILLINOIS
5E C E
RECENT PHD GRADUATES
JASON ARBUCKLE, PHDINDICATED MEAN EFFECTIVE PRESSURE ESTIMATION WITH APPLICATIONS TO ADAPTIVE CALIBRATION
MATHIEU AUBAILLY, PHDRECONSTRUCTION OF ANISPLANATIC ADAPTIVE OPTICS IMAGES
RONALD KIZITO, PHDIMAGE SHARPNESS METRIC-BASED DEFORMABLE MIRROR CONTROL FOR BEAM PROJECTION SYSTEMS
BAOYONG LIU, PHDOPTIMAL BEAM FORMING FOR LASER BEAM PROPAGATION THROUGH RANDOM MEDIA
SHOUMIN LIU, PHDSOFT-DECISION EQUALIZATION TECHNIQUES FOR FREQUENCY SELECTIVE MIMO CHANNELS
PIOTR PIATROU, PHDCONTROL ALGORITHMS FOR LARGE SCALE ADAPTIVE OPTICS
PAUL WEBER, PHDDYNAMIC REDUCTION ALGORITHMS FOR FAULT TOLERANT CONVERGENT VOTING WITH HYBRID FAULTS
JIN ZHENG-WALNER, PHDPOROUS SILICON TECHNOLOGY FOR INTEGRATED MICROSYSTEMS
LIN WU. PHDTIMING SYNCHRONIZATION AND RECEIVER DESIGN FOR UWB COMMUNICATIONS
RESEARCH FUNDING
RESEARCH
The Department has important research programs in the
broad areas of sensing and imaging, wireless communica-
tions, communication networks, electric power and energy,
and solid-state electronics. Our programs have been
supported by several government and private agencies
and corporations, including the National Science Founda-
tion, Air Force Offi ce of Scientifi c Research, Offi ce of Naval
Research, Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency,
Army Research Laboratory, and Joint Technology Offi ce,
Eaton Corporation, Xcel Energy, Consumer Energy, and ITC-
Transmission. External funding for our programs has grown
by a factor of nearly 8 over the past fi ve years.
$0
$500,000
$1,000,000
$1,500,000
$2,000,000
$2,500,000
$3,000,000
$3,500,000
$4,000,000
$4,500,000
$5,000,000
2001 2002 2003 2004 2005 2006
Research Funding
$5M$5M$5M
$4.5M
$4M
$3.5M
$3M
$2.5M
$2M
$1.5M
$1M
$.5M
$02001 2002 2003 2004 2005 2006
6 M I C H I G A N T E C H
CISSICC I S S I C: THE CENTER FOR INTEGRATED SYSTEMS IN SENSING, IMAGING, AND COMMUNICATIONSThe Center for Integrated Systems in Sensing, Imaging, and Communications (CISSIC) was established in 2004. The goal:
to create research and educational programs advancing the importance of a design methodology that integrates physi-
cal models, device technologies, and signal processing theory. For a variety of applications, this integrated-system design
approach has resulted in the development of more compact, functional, and marketable sensing, imaging, and
communication systems. The Center also promotes collaboration within the Department of Electrical and Computer
Engineering—and with external individuals and groups.
Research projects within the Center have been supported by the National Science Foundation, Air Force Offi ce of
Scientifi c Research, Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency, Army Research Laboratory, and Joint Technology Offi ce,
among others. A few of these projects are summarized over the following pages.
DEVELOPING THE WORLD’S SMALLEST TRANSISTOR
Just when you thought cell phones couldn’t (or shouldn’t) get any smaller, Paul Bergstrom predicts that pretty soon you’ll
be slipping one into your wallet alongside your driver’s license. “I can see the day when cell phones are as thin as a credit
card,” says Bergstrom, an associate professor of electrical and computer engineering.
Bergstrom is working on developing nanoscale electronic devices. It’s not just a matter of making things littler. They
will also be able to do far more, or, as Bergstrom says, “They can be integrated in smaller packages with a great deal more
functionality.”
To accomplish this, Bergstrom is working on developing the smallest transistor ever: a single electron transistor. “It
could open up whole new aspects of electronics,” he says. “A single electron transistor is a quantum device—it has very
peculiar behavior.”
The transistor is about 40 nanometers across. Line up 6,000 of them
and they’d be about as long as a human hair is wide. And on each tran-
sistor is a series of quantum dots. “Each dot is a 3D hemisphere less than
10 nanometers across,” Bergstrom explains. “Electrons can be control-
lably trapped on that dot.”
Transistors work by controlling the fl ow of electric current using a
control electrode called a gate, functioning much like a water faucet,
R E S E A R C H P R O G R A M S
Paul Bergstrom
7E C E
creating the zeros and ones upon which all digital life depends.
Quantum dots could change all that. By manipulating the
potential energy of the electrons on each dot, “you could have
multiple levels of logic,” Bergstrom said, not just on or off.
“Instead of having zero and one only, you could have zero,
one, and two, or zero through three, and so forth,” he said.
The capability of digital electronic devices would increase
signifi cantly.
That said, these nano-transistors have one minor drawback. They only work at nano-temperatures. “We have to cool
them to less than 4 degrees Kelvin,” Bergstrom says. “That’s accomplished by immersing them in liquid helium. The colder
they are, the more tractable electrons become. Moving them around precisely at warmer temps is a big hassle.”
With funding from the Microsystems
Technology Offi ce of the Defense Advanced
Research Projects Agency and the Army
Research Lab, Bergstrom and his team are
working to make single electron transistors that
work at room temperature. Results to date have
been encouraging.
“The formation of these ultra-small quan-
tum dots is very diffi cult,” Bergstrom said.
“We’re trying to engineer them with a focused
ion-beam etching tool, to put each particle
exactly where it should be.” “This is an area with
great potential,” he added. “It could open up
whole new aspects of the electronics industry.”
Magnifi ed SEM view showing the active device area of the SET at the center con-necting leads
SEM view of the active SET device showing quan-tum island defi nition and localization
Bergstrom and his team in the Microfabrication Facility’s Clean Room
8 M I C H I G A N T E C H
R E S E A R C H P R O G R A M SR E S E A R C H P R O G R A M S
CISSICRFID RESEARCH MOVES UP THE RANKS
Much like that tiny metal wafer that James Bond inserted into the heel of his shoe in the movie “Goldfi nger,” RFID tags are
making it much easier to track anything, anytime, anywhere.
Supported by a grant from the US Army, CISSIC is performing advanced RFID research and development. Led by electri-
cal engineering Professor Michael Roggemann, the team will explore potential combinations
of RFID tag data, geolocation data, sensor data, and communications networks to improve
the communications capabilities of America’s soldiers.
“The Army, and indeed all the services, are moving toward a ‘net centric’, multimedia
information environment. More information than ever before is available to commanders
and logistics controllers from a wide variety of sensors and reporting systems. But there is
still room for making improvements in the logistics system, and in the wireless communica-
tions areas,” Roggemann explains.
“There are often limitations on the bandwidth available to the military in theater,” he
adds. “Pre-existing spectrum allocations can severely limit communications. We hope to
develop techniques to overcome these shortfalls.”
CISSIC will also investigate in-transit visibility for the Army, which is trying to better
track shipping containers: where they are, what’s in them and whether their environment
is controlled.
Other researchers involved in the project include Assistant Professors Gerry Tian, Tricia
Chigan, Reza Zekavat and Jindong Tan; and Professor and Chair Tim Schulz. All are faculty
of the electrical and computer engineering department.
Gerry Tian
“Currently, communication signals between RFID tags and readers are
weak and do not propagate far,” explains Associate Professor Gerry Tian.
“When a large number of tags are densely packed together, wireless RF
signals may interfere with one another.”
To ensure reliable communications, Tian will investigate coding,
scrambling, modulation and signaling schemes to protect ID informa-
tion from being stolen and misused. She will also conduct research on
multiple access, spectrum sharing and anti-collision techniques, so that
a large number of tags can be read simultaneously without interfering
with one another. To extend the communication range under the stringent low power constraints, she aims at designing
novel RFID transceivers with smart wireless communication capabilities, such as multi-hop dynamic spectrum access.
R E S E A R C H P R O G R A M S
Mike Roggemann
9E C E
“High-volume data streams arrive at RFID readers at high velocity. It becomes a challenging issue to perform fast data
processing and make real-time decisions on the received data,” says Tian. She will also study distributed data fusion and
in-network local processing to effi ciently extract useful information.
Jindong Tan
“Tamper detection sensors on RFID tags are important to safety-critical products such
as drugs,” notes Assistant Professor Jindong Tan. “Detectors of chemical, biological, or
radioactive agents could minimize the danger of long-term exposureto such harmful
agents, many of which are invisible and odorless,” he adds.
Tan will identify and develop RFID sensor technologies to enhance container safety
and transition safety. He is also investigating system architecture to improve both
intra-container and inter-container communication.
Another one of his research objectives is to investigate the hybrid architecture for
automated tracking. While the RFID tags for container exteriors must be active tags,
the packages and pallets within could employ either active or passive tags. Advantages
include longer communication range, large data storage space, and additional safety provided by movement and location
sensors.
Tan is also working to improve communications between RFID tags and the Army’s logistics tracking system, making it
possible to query and obtain information from containers worldwide.
Tricia Chigan
“My goal is to balance effi ciency, convenience, and security,” explains Assistant Professor Tricia
Chigan. Her research targets low power and information assured RFID-based wireless mesh
networking technology for In Transit Visibility (ITV) supply chain systems.
Chigan will model wireless ad hoc mesh network architectures and protocols of low-power
consumption, when resource-constrained active and passive RFID tags are used as the end
devices. She will also investigate the security fl aws of the US Army’s existing RFID-based wireless
communications, and develop adversarial models tailored for the ITV system.
Further, she will develop the information assurance (i.e. privacy concern and data protection,
access control, and mutual authentication) schemes across multiple communication protocol
layers—all to prevent unauthorized access by adversaries who would insert false information into
the system.
10 M I C H I G A N T E C H
CISSICRECYCLED RADIO WAVES: PASSIVE RADAR OBSERVATIONS OF EARTH’S IONOSPHERE
For many decades humans have been illuminating their environment with powerful radio waves, enabling various com-
munication and entertainment services. Several of these sources are serendipitously quite useful for remote sensing
applications.
Remote sensing systems which take advantage of such ambient illumination
are called passive. Assistant professor Melissa Meyer has developed passive radar
technology that uses “recycled” FM radio and TV broadcasts to monitor natural
events in the Earth’s upper atmosphere, such as the Aurora Borealis.
“The Aurora, or northern lights, are caused by a complex interaction between
solar ‘weather’ (the state of the sun), the Earth’s magnetic fi eld, and charged
particles high in the Earth’s atmosphere,” Meyer explains.
“We can use passive radar to learn about solar activity and the physical cou-
pling between the Earth and the sun by interpreting the radar signatures during
certain events such as solar fl ares, coronal mass ejections, and intense auroras,”
adds Meyer. “Passive radar is also useful for many other applications, including
upper atmospheric wind speed measurements, meteor detection, and observa-
tions of aircraft.”
Meyer, who recently earned her Ph.D. in Electrical Engineering at the University of Washington in Seattle, is a National
Science Foundation Graduate Research Fellow. Her other research interests include electromagnetic wave propagation and
scattering, remote sensing with passive and distributed/networked instruments, and space and ionospheric plasma physics.
Michigan Tech’s far northern location in Michigan’s Upper Peninsula is a prime viewing spot for the Northern Lights.
Clear winter skies make for spectacular
displays. “The UP sure isn’t everyone’s idea
of a great place to live (my mother very
emphatically included), but for me the Lake
Superior, snowy, outdoorsy environment
was a strong magnet,” adds Meyer. “I’m very
excited about the possibility of seeing the
Northern Lights with my own eyes (instead
of on just a radar screen) up here.”
R E S E A R C H P R O G R A M S
Melissa Meyer
Northern Lights above Quincy Mine hoisthouses in nearby Hancock, Michigan
11E C E
WLPS TECHNOLOGY COULD PREVENT FRIENDLY FIRE
Assistant Professor Seyed “Reza” Zekavat has received a National Science Foundation grant to conduct fundamental
research on wireless local positioning systems.
Wireless systems capable of positioning mobiles remotely in complex mobile environments have emerging applications
in homeland security, law enforcement, defense command and control, multi-robot coordination, and traffi c alert such as
vehicle-to-vehicle and vehicle-to-pedestrian collision avoidance.
These systems promise to dramatically reduce society’s vulnerabili-
ties to catastrophic events and improve the quality of life.
“Global positioning systems provide you with your location on
the planet, while wireless local positioning systems (WLPS) tell you
where others are positioned with respect to you,” Zekavat explains.
Unlike GPS, however, WLPS can operate indoors and in urban areas.
“Say you have 10 robot fi refi ghters in a burning building,” says
Zekavat. “They should know where the others are.”
WLPS could also be used to improve road safety. “If transceivers
were in all vehicles, it could help drivers avoid accidents by knowing
the positions of the other cars,” he says. The Department of Trans-
portation has been encouraging automakers to develop such safety
devices to install in all vehicles.
Wireless positioning systems have two main components: the dynamic base station and the transceiver. The base
station sends a signal out asking, in effect, “Is anybody there?” The transceiver
responds with a “Here I am” signal. From the direction of the signal and the time
it takes to get an answer, the base station can tell where the transceiver is.
Such information would be a godsend for the military. “Every soldier could
have a simple transceiver that costs less than $1 strapped to his or her wrist,”
Zekavat says. “It could help keep us from bombing our own troops.”
The project has supported a new lab and three graduate students, and
involves many undergraduates, as well. Zekavat is collaborating with researchers
at George Mason University on the project.
Reza Zekavat
Zekavat and his team at work in the WLPS Laboratory
12 M I C H I G A N T E C H
PERCP E R C: THE POWER & ENERGY RESEARCH CENTERIncreased focus on alternate and renewable energy, development of new energy technologies, restructuring and deregu-
lation of the utility industry—all are redefi ning the role of the Power Engineer and creating a wealth of technical and
educational challenges.
Environmental issues and other recent events have expanded the scope of interest to include public policy, system
security and reliability, and economic and social concerns. In 1996, Michigan Tech’s Power & Energy Research Center
(PERC) was created to address all those challenges—and more.
For a small annual retainer, indus-
tries partner with PERC. Partners may
also join the Center’s steering com-
mittee, where they can help to chart
research and educational priorities
and direction by providing input on
urgent issues. In turn, PERC professors
are able to incorporate industry part-
ners’ needs into research and grant
proposals. All results are shared.
Most recently, PERC hosted an
NSF research project kickoff meet-
ing and workshop in Houghton. The
project, which runs through 2008, is
titled “Reduced Blackout Likelihood
via Advanced Operating and Control
Strategies.”
R E S E A R C H P R O G R A M S
“Consumers Energy and Michigan Tech have a long-standing, mutually-benefi cial relationship. The synergy is considerable.
For many years we have supported the University’s educational and research programs, including Master’s fellowships and
senior design, and most recently, PERC. As a result, we’ve been able to hire many of the top-quality MTU graduates who
have gone through those programs and can hit the ground running as power engineers.”
Rich Cottrell, Director of System Planning and Protection, Consumers Energy
Hydropower is the largest source of renewable electricity
13E C E
“This is a very timely effort considering the
current energy situation and recent large-
area blackouts in the US,” notes Bruce Mork,
Director of PERC. “Grid operation tends to be
thought of in simple steady-state terms. Lines,
transformers, reactors, capacitor banks, and
generation are either ‘switched in’ or ‘switched
out.’ Our approach takes a holistic view of the
real-time operation of protective relays. We’d
like to better understand the transient behavior
of circuit breaker tripping and reclosing, and
the effect it has on the dynamic behavior of
the system.”
Industry collaborators from Minnesota
Power, Consumers Energy, Xcel Energy,
American Transmission Company, Schweitzer
Engineering Laboratories, and Cooper Power
Systems came to the Michigan Tech campus
last winter to share their expert knowledge and
determine the most promising issues. The project is expected to be completed in December 2008.
“Our mission is to be a best-in-class transmission provider. We believe in the need to invest in student learning and
research projects. Michigan Tech’s EE Power Program and PERC have a history of providing an immense foundation for
aspiring engineers. We believe that this collaboration will reap rich benefi ts for ITCTransmission, MTU, and the power
industry in general.”
Neil Doshi, Project Engineering, ITCTransmission
“Michigan Tech is a valuable partner in American Electric Power’s Utility Technology Forums, bringing theory, practice, case
studies, and laboratory demonstration directly to our workforce. Through our association with PERC, AEP hopes to leverage
MTU’s greatest capability—the ability to transfer technical knowledge.”
Ray Hayes, Corporate Technology Development, American Electric Power
The photovoltaic industry enjoys yearly increases of more than 20 percent worldwide
14 M I C H I G A N T E C H
PERCINTERNATIONAL TEAMWORK: TRANSFORMING TRANSFORMERS
Electrical Engineering Professor Bruce Mork and his research team at Michigan Tech represent fi ve countries—Russia,
Mexico, Norway, Italy, and the United States. Together they are developing advanced computer simulation models as part
of a Transformer Performance Project funded by a large European research consortium, consisting of the Research Council
of Norway, ABB (Sweden), EDF (Elecricity de France, the French national power company) as well as several European cor-
porations, including Statnett, Statkraft, and Nynäs Naphtenics. The research is being carried out by the Norwegian Electric
Power Research Institute and Michigan Tech.
“Our research really benefi ts from such a disparate set of perspectives and backgrounds,” says Mork. “This can really
shake up a person’s thought process and lead to some breakthrough ideas. And it’s fun to work together. We never run out
of things to talk about, and jokes and experiences to share.”
Ideas Mork developed during his sabbatical to Trond-
heim, Norway in 2001 led to a three-year project funded by
the US Department of Energy. Initial stages of the research
were greatly aided by researcher Francisco Gonzalez Molina,
a Ph.D. student from the Polytechnic University of Catalunya
in Barcelona, Spain. Molina initially joined Mork in Trond-
heim and then received a two year postdoctoral fellowship
from the Spanish government to continue the research at
Michigan Tech. Dmtry Ishchenko, a post-doctoral researcher
from Russia joined in, and the project was completed in late
2004.
This set the stage for the present collaboration with
Norway. Francisco has since moved on with his career, but
Dmitry continues on, with new PhD students Nicola Chiesa
(Italy), and Alejandro Avendaño Ceceña (Mexico) now play-
ing key roles as the research advances. This international team is developing improved computer modeling tools for high
voltage power transformers, an aging and vulnerable part of the power infrastructure.
“Transformers are the bottlenecks in the high-voltage grid. If one fails, the entire grid can go down,” notes Mork. “Large
transformers cost between $500K and $2M to replace, and can take 6-12 months to manufacture and install. They are
incredibly large and heavy, transportation is diffi cult. Most factories are overseas, as US factories no longer produce the
‘big ones.’
“Obviously, there is a huge need for simulation tools which correctly predict transformer behaviors. Our goal is to
extend their operational life, as well as delay or avoid unexpected failure.”
R E S E A R C H P R O G R A M S
Bruce Mork, Nicola Chiesa, Dmtry Ishchenko,Alejandro Avendaño Ceceña
15E C E
MAPPING THE WIND: A GREAT LAKES ATLAS FOR WIND POWER DEVELOPMENT
Wind turbines are the fastest growing segment of the
generator mix being added to power systems today. But suc-
cessful development depends in large part upon site choice.
In other words: location, location, location.
“Renewable energy in general is very geographically
dependent,” explains Leonard Bohmann, associate professor
and Power Systems specialist. “For instance, it doesn’t pay to
transport biomass. And wind strengths vary by location, as
do natural migratory fl yways for birds.”
Bohmann, along with several undergraduate students, is
currently working on a Wind Power Atlas for developers who
must make decisions on where to build. Other wind power
atlases exist, but until now, none have mapped the cost
associated with transmission systems.
“With wind power, you need to work with what you
have—namely, existing transmission lines and existing gener-
ators with limited capacity. Some
locations are more affordable
than others. Transmission system
locations, and other system
constraints also vary greatly from
place to place,” he adds.
Using Bohmann’s new atlas,
developers will be able to make choices with all the critical geographical information at their
fi ngertips. The atlas, targeted for completion in 2008, will be available as a GIS-bsed web site,
or on a CD.
Leonard Bohmann
Windpower grows on this farm in Buffalo Ridge, Minnesota
16 M I C H I G A N T E C H
DESIGN
DISCOVER“‘DISCOVER—DESIGN—DELIVER’ is our philosophy and formula for success,” says Professor and Associate Chair, Dennis
Wiitanen. “We integrate it throughout all our undergraduate curriculum and programs.”
Laboratories, designed to provide a discovery-based learning experience, enable students to make a smooth transition
to the design and development of electrical and computer-based systems. Ultimately, capstone Senior Design and Enter-
prise programs provide students with opportunities to deliver real engineering solutions to real engineering problems.
U N D E R G R A D U A T E P R O G R A M S
Dennis Wiitanen
SENIOR DESIGNDESIGN DESIGN“Our goal with Senior Design is to provide real-world design team experience to
launch our graduates into their engineering careers,” adds Wiitanen. “Students
dedicate an entire academic year to Senior Design—and that’s on top of a full
and rigorous academic schedule.”
Student teams typically have 4-6 members. A given team may have mechani-
cal engineering majors, electrical engineering majors and comput er engineering
majors, depending on the skill set needed for the project. Each team devotes
about 1000 person-hours to a company-specifi ed problem, and receives instruction in project management, design prin-
ciples, teamwork, documentation, intellectual property, budgeting, ethics, and other relevant topics.
By the end of the year, teams have
delivered design reviews, a fi nal report,
a formal end-of-project presenta tion,
and ‘deliverables’ to their industry
partners. “We tie student grades to
successful deliverables, schedule, and
budget,” notes Wiitanen.
Industry partners are increas ingly
supportive. The senior design program
continues to be 100 per cent industry
sponsored, as it has been for at least
the last four years.
Electrical engineering labs are open 24/7
17E C E
DELIVERENTERPRISEThe hallmark of a Michigan Tech education is preparation for the workplace. With the university’s fast-growing Enterprise
program, students receive a career foundation that is second to none. “Nobody does it like we do,” says Mary Raber, direc-
tor of Enterprise. Teams of students from different disciplines manage real-world
projects for industry partners. They run the enterprises like companies, address-
ing such everyday challenges as budgets, deadlines, and delivery of a product or
solution.
Enterprise students are leaders and entrepreneurs, and they are highly
sought after by recruiters. Now in its sixth year, the program comprises nearly
six hundred students on 24 different Enterprise teams, representing every major
on campus. The Electrical and Computer Engineering department hosts three of
the largest Enterprise teams.
BLUE MARBLE ENTERPRISE
Blue Marble is focused on securing the future through thoughtful use of technology. Last year the team sucessfully deliv-
ered on several contracts for industry partners. At mid-year they designed and built a sensor and control system that will
dramatically increase the yield of several wood products for Columbia Forest Products.
During the spring, the team created an alarm system to monitor and report on the integrity of critical system opera-
tions in remote locations for Bechtel. Successful delivery was also met on a contract with Everett Industries to provide
specifi c enhancements to a line of manufactured machines.
They also created a perimeter security device for Superior
Controls that will ultimately save lives.
The team continues to work closely with Michigan
Department of Transportation to create a semi-autonomous
data collection system to accelerate geodetic tasks. General
Dynamics is also a client, and several research projects are in the works—including one involving video camera products,
and another pertaining to military vehicles.
On another note, Blue Marble was recognized this past spring during the 2006 Michigan Tech Undergraduate Expo as
having the best products and services and the best enterprise website.
18 M I C H I G A N T E C H
WIRELESS COMMUNICATION ENTERPRISE
WCE creates wireless, optical, and biomedical technology solutions for real people. The team recently delivered on two
R&D projects for industry sponsors. Most notably, they designed and built a hand-held instrument for cell phone tower
technicians at Bechtel Global Telecommunications. This device verifi es whether shielded cables are “hot” or not without
disconnecting the cables.
A new partnership was recently launched with Samsung and
Korea University. KU has just created an Enterprise program on the
Michigan Tech model and is now teamed with WCE to do joint prod-
uct development in the expanding fi eld of Mechatronics. Samsung is
the team’s joint sponsor and gateway to the marketplace.
WCE has also started new industry R&D projects sponsored by Guidant, John Deere, Rockwell Collins, and Alwin
Manufacturing. Additionally, the team has a number of internal (proprietary) product development activities underway in
the following areas: chaotic encryption of wireless communication channels, environmental noise monitoring, proximity
sensor systems, biosensors, and voice-activated control systems.
INTEGRATED MICROSYSTEMS ENTERPRISE
The IME team creates microcontroller based systems that interact with the surrounding world. This is accomplished
through the utilization of specialized sensory input and wireless communication output to data logging and visualization
software developed for portable and palmtop computers. Imagination combined with the fl exibility of the team’s platform
has expanded their ideas into many other applications for both industrial and commercial use.
Projects include the Data Acquisition Cube (DAC), a wireless sensory system for science and mathematics visualiza-
tion for K-12 educational enrichment, the Roadbed Assessment Transmitter (RAT), a wireless datalogging system used
in research and lifetime monitoring of civil infrastructure, and other wireless embedded sensory systems for biomedical,
commercial, aerospace, and military applications.
The Data Acquisition Cube features interchangeable sensor modules to
perform a wide range of experiments, enriching discovery based learning in sci-
ence and mathematics curricula for precollege students. Current sensor modules
include an robot-controlled car used in conjunction with an acceleration module
to demonstrate lateral and angular acceleration, and an optical transmission experiment to demonstrate principles of
optics, fi ltering, and signal transmission. The compact platform for the DAC features a 20MHz PIC® microcontroller, exter-
nal FLASH memory, and Bluetooth® wireless communications to Windows and PalmOS visualization software platforms.
U N D E R G R A D U A T E P R O G R A M S
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DEPARTMENT OF ELECTRICAL AND COMPUTER ENGINEERING
Michigan Technological UniversityRoom 121Electrical Energy Resources Center1400 Townsend DriveHoughton, Michigan 49931
T: 906-487-2550F: 906-487-2949E: [email protected]
www.ece.mtu.edu
Michigan Technological University is an equal opportunity educational institution/equal opportunity employer. Since 1885, we have offered educational excellence in beautiful Upper Michigan. Our students create the future in computing, engineering, the sciences, business, environmental studies, technology, and arts and human sciences.
