I/UCRC Phase III: e-Design: IT-Enabled Design and Realization of Engineered Products and Systems

University Of Massachusetts Amherst, Amherst MA

Investigators

Abstract

This is a Phase III renewal for the University of Massachusetts Amherst (UMass Amherst) site to continue as a partner institution of I/UCRC for e-Design. UMass Amherst is one of the two founding institutions of the Center for e-Design. The mission and vision of the existing NSF Center for e-Design is to research and develop methods and tools that support the realization of a new design paradigm that can be used to design, develop, and manufacture new engineered products and systems. Research at the Center for e-Design is oriented to application areas where large scale, complex projects are being developed, often involving multiple collaborators at various locations. Application areas include transportation, manufacturing, information technology, and health and safety. Research is categorized into five thrust areas - New Design Paradigms and Processes, Visualization and Virtual Prototyping, Enabling Information Infrastructure, Design Optimization, and Design Education. Research projects address a diverse range of engineering challenges faced by high-tech companies and agencies competing in a global economy. UMass Amherst has a number of faculty and student researchers working in areas that directly support the research thrust areas of the center. The renewal will enable UMass Amherst to continue its research in the advancement of new methods and tools in conceptual design and product innovation, advanced engineering modeling and simulation, digital manufacturing, and medical devices design. UMass ongoing research projects involve projects dealing with integration and application of e-Design methods and tools into commercial design processes, as well as fundamental research projects on sustainability product design and engineering design innovation. The Center renewal will enable UMass Amherst to contribute significantly to the successful development and preparation of graduate and undergraduate students. Results from research effort will continue to be integrated into the educational curriculum to enrich the student learning experiences in conceptual design and product innovation, advanced engineering modeling and simulation, and digital manufacturing. Students associated with the Center will receive exceptional career development opportunities that include laboratory and field studies, participation at conferences and workshops, design colloquium series, and journal publications, as well as training in the ethical conduct of research. The PI and other UMass Amherst faculty will continue recruiting underrepresented students, including partnering with a number of university programs aimed at providing research opportunities for these students. Research and educational findings will be disseminated nationally and have significant broader impact through industrial collaboration and technology transfer. The industry partners will continue to benefit from first access to research, royalty-free use of the tools, and the opportunity to license and commercialize technologies. Research and educational findings will continue to be disseminated nationally and have a significant impact on U.S. industry as a whole.