US-TUNISIA: Regional Workshop on Research and Educational Advances in Smart Micro-sensing and Biomimetic Sensors, December 2010

Michigan State University, East Lansing MI

Investigators

Abstract

Michigan State University and the Applied Mechanics and Systems Research Laboratory at Tunisia Polytechnic School are co-sponsoring a workshop on "Research and Educational Advances in Smart Micro-sensing and Biomimetic Sensors" to be held in Hammamet, Tunisia in December, 2010. The US organizer is Dr. Nizar Lajnef, Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering, Michigan State University. The Tunisian organizers are Drs. Sami El-Borgi and Fehmi Najar of the Tunisia Polytechnic School. The workshop will be held in conjunction with the Fifth International Conference on Advances in Mechanical Engineering (ICAME2010). These combined efforts will ensure a broad participation of senior and junior scientists from the US, Tunisia, and other countries. Technical Merit: The workshop objectives are: (i) to discuss research and educational issues and trends related to smart and adaptive sensors technology, and (ii) to offer opportunities for the initiation of research projects and strengthening existing ones between the American and regional participants from Tunisia, Algeria and Morocco. The workshop will focus on up-to-date research and development of smart and biomimetic sensors technology and their application to the monitoring of civil and mechanical structures, biomedical implantable micro-devices, opto-mechanical and fluidic micro-systems, and chemical biohazard detection. The workshop will provide an opportunity to make use of the collective experiences of many experts in the field with emphasis on design tools, fabrication technologies, materials, implementation, data fusion and interpretation, and integration techniques. One day will be set aside to discuss research and educational trends and future needs for sensors technology and to explore possible joint collaboration projects between North African and American participants. Broader Impact: The workshop is expected to enhance the scientific collaboration between the scientists of the two countries and the creation and design of interdepartmental multi-focus course(s) that will address the multidisciplinary aspects of research associated with sensors development, implementation and data collection and interpretation. Recommendations, to be suggested by the participants during the workshop, will be proposed for new course(s) at Michigan State University, as well as in the Computational Mechanics Master's Program offered in Tunisia. The workshop will also allow scientists from the U.S., Tunisia and other neighboring countries to exchange their research and teaching experiences, ideas, and information and to initiate new and strengthen existing collaborations to promote sensors technology for the benefit of the public and private sectors. Participants will include three junior U.S. researchers as well as junior scientists and PhD students from Tunisia and the region, thus increasing the potential for future collaboration. Participants will also include researchers representing US federal agencies and national research laboratories as well as industry participants from the region, providing feedback to the academia on the present and future direction of the industry. In addition, a group of undergraduate students from Michigan State University will participate in the workshop and present the research work they will develop for their senior design course, giving them an international exposure that will enhance their research experience and help them grow as potential future researchers. A published proceeding will be made available to the workshop participants, and announcements for this workshop will be available on a publicly available website hosted by Michigan State University. Support for the award is being provided by the Office of International Science and Engineering's Africa, Near East, and South Asia program and the Civil, Mechanical, and Manufacturing Innovation Division's Structural Materials and Mechanics program and Nano and Bio Mechanics program, both within the Engineering Directorate.