An expert in the high-tech field of computer vision from IU is starting collaboration with Naval engineers from the United States.
He will be working to improve the quality of microelectronic components used in critical military systems like communication and navigation, according to an IU press release.
David Crandall, a professor in the IU School of Informatics and Computing, has received $450,000 from the Naval Engineering Education Consortium to conduct research in collaboration with the Naval Surface Warfare Center Crane Division based in Crane, Indiana.
The research will focus on new methods to guarantee the integrity of the electronic circuitry used in U.S. Navy platforms. The Naval Engineering Education Consortium is a part of the Naval Sea Systems Command, which supports project-based collaborations with colleges and universities, according to a press release.
Computer vision uses machine learning to “train” machines in the creation of algorithms that recognize patterns like faces, scenes and actions. The technology is familiar, as the same basic methods power Google’s image search or the motion sensors in Microsoft’s Xbox Kinect.
The IU-NSWC Crane project will work to apply this pattern-recognition power to spotting microscopic flaws in electronic circuits and semiconductors, according to a press release.
Templeman is the lead engineer on the project at NSWC Crane and a graduate of the IU School of Informatics and Computing.
The IU-NSWC Crane collaboration will take place in three phrases. The first year will investigate the project’s primary challenges and explore solutions. The second two years will be “operation periods” that “expand the scope and ambition of the previous year’s goals,” Crandall said in a press release.
Throughout the process, IU scientists will submit reports and white papers to military personnel as well as provide access to the project’s source code. The work is also expected to generate new academic knowledge through scientific conference presentations and journal articles, according to a press release.
In addition, Crandall said the IU-NSWC Crane collaboration will provide a number of IU students the opportunity to work closely with engineers at NSWC Crane, 25 miles southwest of IU.
Cultivating a world-class naval engineering workforce through student participation in research is a major part of the mission of the consortium funding the project, according to a press release.
Funding on the project officially began April 1, with activity gearing up for the next three years during the summer.
Leo Smith
