A Framework for Maintaining Product Superiority by Designing Hardware That Protects Itself From Reverse Engineering

Brigham Young University, Provo UT

Investigators

Abstract

A Framework for Maintaining Product Superiority by Designing Hardware that Protects Itself from Reverse Engineering Proposal Number: 0800904 Christopher A. Mattson Brent L. Adams The research objective of this award is to develop a framework for designing consumer products that protect themselves from reverse engineering. Upon completion, designers will be able to create products that can be handled and examined by customers and competitors without disclosing the phenomena by which the products function, essentially protecting the device from reverse engineering. This will provide developers with the ability to maintain the competitive advantage that results from their hardware development efforts. The core of this research is the integration of three enabling design methodologies: (i) microstructure sensitive design, (ii) heterogeneous design, and (iii) embedded systems design. Advanced numerical and multiobjective optimization methods make possible the search for superior material properties and device geometry through the manipulation of numerous non-intuitive, non-traditional, design variables. Experiments will be used to validate the design approach. If successful, the results of this research will provide a powerful new approach to product design with material considerations. This research can fundamentally change design and manufacturing paradigms in some industries. Because the material microstructure and associated manufacturing processes will be extremely difficult to reverse engineer, hardware secrets can be protected under the new framework. This will lead to the development of more advanced hardware, thus increasing the competitive technological and economical advantages enjoyed by the developing entity. This gives companies that struggle to compete with low cost overseas manufacturing a new value-added approach to design and manufacturing. The results of this research will be used as the basis for the development of educational modules for use in industry and academia which include reading packets, presentations, homework assignments and experiment descriptions. These will be distributed widely via the internet.