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ByWick Eisenberg

The ability of bats to understand and use sound has always been essential to their survival. Though these winged creatures have eyes, they rely heavily on echolocation, which means that they use the echoes of sounds they produce themselves to navigate their environment and understand where they and other objectsand creaturesare.

Using that fast-flying nocturnal animal's ability as a model, Sangwook Park, a postdoctoral fellow in the Whiting School of Engineering's Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering, is creating a computer model called an artificial midbrain that not only is improving the understanding of how creatures who use echolocation communicate and navigate, but also has implications for use in designing new systems and technologies, including enhancing submarines' sonar systems to help crews more accurately navigate thousands of feet underwater.

"We believe that we're able to invent the next generation of sonar system, which aims to identify a target, as well as to localize the target, based on the bat's fascinating ability in auditory perception," Park said.

Sangwook Park

Postdoctoral fellow, Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering

A member of electrical and computer engineering Professor Mounya Elhilali's Laboratory for Computational Audio Perception, Park collaborated with Angeles Salles and Kathryne Allen, who are postdoctoral fellows from the lab of Cynthia Moss, a professor in the Krieger School of Arts and Sciences' Department of Psychological and Brain Sciences. Park's part of the project began with a hypothesis based on research from a previous study of Mexican free-tailed bats. That study suggested a possible connection between individual neurons founds in the bats' midbrain region and soundscalled "conspecific sounds"made by that species.

Moss's group observed how the brains of big brown bats (also called "house bats" and a breed distinct from Mexican free-tailed bats) responded to sounds, and what the midbrain's role in that process was. The group recorded the animals' neural responses and then compared those findings to what went on in the big brown bats' midbrain during vocalization.

The results corroborated the same relationship between neurons and conspecific sounds in the big brown bat, even though it emits different call sounds than the Mexican free-tailed bat. In essence, the big brown bat's midbrain processes calls it makes itself the same way as it processes other sounds.

"This discovery allowed us to build a data-driven model: basically, an artificial midbrain of the bat that can understand and process sounds in much the same way as the bat does so successfully," Park said.

Park's artificial midbrain is a computer network that sends out sounds that have the same characteristics as natural sounds, and then emulates how a big brown bat responds to such sounds.

"We think that our work has a number of practical applications, including helping submarine crews understand their surroundings better," Park said. "Presently, the technology submarines use only tells the crew if something is nearby, rather than what it is exactly. When a sonar system receives multiple echoes from unknown objects, our model could help the crew recognize which one is a threat to damage the submarinesuch as the bottom of the sea floorand which is not, like a big fish floating by."

Park pursued this research because of his fascination with the brain. He joined Elhilali's lab for his postdoctoral fellowship so he could combine that interest with his engineering background. In addition to having top of the line facilities and equipment, Park also credits the culture at Hopkins for playing an integral role in this work.

"I have really liked that Hopkins gives you more room to grow as a researcher. It isn't all about hitting deadlines like it can be at other universities," Park said. "I felt fully free to just concentrate on my work; it's a great environment to conduct research."

Excerpt from:

Engineer's bat-inspired artificial brain could improve submarine navigation - The Hub at Johns Hopkins

Behind every great feat of engineering are outstanding engineers who use their skills to deliver creative and sustainable solutions for communities in Ireland and overseas.

As the professional membership body for engineers, Engineers Ireland celebrates and showcases the fantastic work produced by Irelands engineers through initiatives such as our Engineering Excellence Digital Series, held in association with ESB.

In addition to recognising the engineering skill required to deliver outstanding projects in the fields of innovation, impact, sustainability, buildings and structures, and infrastructure in 2021, the series also shines a light on the engineers behind these projects and how their work benefits and transforms communities.

This year we are delighted to recognise Aisling Hahessy, a senior structural engineer with Arup, as Engineers Irelands Engineer of the Year, and to showcase her work as part of our six-part video series, which is also supported by Accenture and Geoscience Ireland.

Aisling was chosen by Engineers Ireland in recognition of the impact and contribution of her work on communities in Ireland and overseas. From city-scaping projects for ever-expanding urban populations to vital humanitarian projects, Aisling has utilised her engineering skillset to effect change for many communities across the globe.

Aisling holds a firm belief that engineers have a vital role to play in solving the world's most-pressing challenges, and has worked on projects that help to reduce the inequalities experienced by some of the most vulnerable communities in the world.

From her base in Arups Cork office, she is the lead structural engineer for the design of bamboo play structures in rural Bangladesh and the concept design of a music academy in a refugee camp in Uganda. She is also working as part of a team on the reconstruction and retrofit of 74 schools in Peru following the devastating impact of the 2017 El Nio storm. This project will impact the lives of 47,000 children across Peru in its first year of completion alone.

In addition to supporting international communities through overseas development work and her Irish-based work as the lead structural engineer for the concrete works of a four-storey extension to Mallow General Hospital, Aisling has also been involved in a number of volunteering projects and outreach initiatives. From bridge construction projects in Rwanda to the promotion of STEM(science, technology, engineering, and maths) subjects and careers to secondary students in Ireland, Aislings dedication to her profession has allowed her to transform lives and inspire future generations of engineers.

Much like Aisling, Irelands engineers play a vital role in communities across Ireland by volunteering their time and talents to support learning, development, and STEM outreach initiatives.

At Engineers Ireland, our member-volunteers are the lifeblood of our community. Therefore, as International Volunteer Day approaches on December 5th, we wish to not only applaud the fantastic achievements of our engineering talent, such as our Engineer of the Year, but also encourage and inspire all engineering professionals to become makers of change by becoming volunteers.

One initiative that requires the support of the engineering community annually is Engineers Irelands Stepsprogramme - funded by Science Foundation Ireland, the Department of Education and industry leaders Arup, EPA, ESB, Intel and Transport Infrastructure Ireland (TII). A key initiative of the programme, which is the only national STEM outreach programme with a focus on engineering, is Steps Engineers Week. Taking place from March 5th to 11th, 2022, this week-long campaign is held annually to promote engineering and its importance to Ireland.

We are now calling on engineering organisations, local authorities, and third-level institutions nationwide to play an active role in StepsEngineers Week 2022 and inspire Irelands future engineering talent. Through participation in this campaign, volunteers can support and encourage young people to find out more about the profession and how they too can play a pivotal role in transforming lives across the globe, just like Aisling Hahessy.

Find out more about how to get involved in StepsEngineers Week -www.engineersireland.ie

Read more:

Engineers: Transforming lives and inspiring communities - The Irish Times

UM engineering Dean David Puleo (from left), Department of Biomedical Engineering Chair Dwight Waddell, Chancellor Glenn Boyce and Provost Noel Wilkin cut a ribbon to celebrate the opening of the new Department of Biomedical Engineering expansion in Brevard Hall. Photo by Shea Stewart/Office of Research and Sponsored Programs

OXFORD, Miss. The University of Mississippi has unveiled its sparkling new biomedical engineering expansion that will better prepare students for careers in a pioneering field that combines technology with medicine.

The roughly 6,500-square-foot space, on the third floor of Brevard Hall, also will help nurture innovative research and advance the technological and economic development of Mississippi, the region and the nation, campus leaders said.

We have the first Department of Biomedical Engineering in the state of Mississippi, and this program is going to grow enormously over the next several years and beyond, Chancellor Glenn Boyce said at the Nov. 19 ceremony.

What you see today is the beginning. What youre going to see in five years or 10 years is going to be extraordinary. I know weve got the students and the graduates who are going to become exceptional in the field.

When we start our research on medical devices and we get our own devices going, were going to have businesses and companies who are going to want to come see us and visit with us. Thats what we want to make sure happens for the state of Mississippi and certainly for the reputation of this program.

Created in November 2016, the department has flourished, welcoming its inaugural class in the fall of 2017 and celebrating its first freshman-to-senior graduating class in May 2021. The program is the third-largest department in the School of Engineering, with more than 60% of its undergraduate students women and nearly half enrolled in the Sally McDonnell Barksdale Honors College.

UM engineering Dean David Puleo talks to visitors in the new Department of Biomedical Engineering expansion following a ribbon-cutting ceremony for the space. Photo by Shea Stewart/Office of Research and Sponsored Programs

About 130 students are enrolled in the program, where students choose a trck of study in biomolecular engineering, biomedical systems or bioinformatics.

Within the last year, the departments faculty also have generated more than $1.5 million in research funding from agencies such as the National Institutes of Health, the American Heart Association and the American Cancer Society.

Biomedical engineering and this newly renovated space are where students can get their hands on stuff, said Dwight Waddell, associate professor and chair of biomedical engineering. Hands-on engineering is the best dress rehearsal because much of what we ask students to do in a laboratory setting informs how and what theyre going to do for their job.

The new space includes an active learning room, an information technology-rich environment that allows for student collaboration as they address real-world problems.

The space also includes an innovation lab and a fabrication lab, both of which include high-end industrial equipment such as computer-guided laser cutters, advanced 3D printers and a mechanical testing system that mimics loads seen in a real-time environment.

Its basically a machine that pulls, pushes or twists objects, Waddell said. In a sense, it breaks things, and it teaches young people when you build something and its under forces, eventually its going to wear and fail. This shows how and where it does, and how we can better understand the process.

While the simple definition of biomedical engineering is technology meeting medicine, Waddell said its a wider and broader field than people think.

Members of the class of 2021 are pursuing careers in biomedical industries such as medical device design, biotechnology and pharmaceutical research and sales, while others have entered medical, dental, law and graduate schools to expand their knowledge and add to their Ole Miss experiences.

Dwight Waddell, associate professor and chair of biomedical engineering, speaks at the ribbon cutting for the new Department of Biomedical Engineering expansion in Brevard Hall. Photo by Shea Stewart/Office of Research and Sponsored Programs

What we do is we create a bag of very useful tools for a young person to carry around, Waddell said. And at that point, they can peddle their wares wherever someone finds use for the tool.

The new space will only increase the departments opportunities for students and provide them with the knowledge to explore and develop their biomedical engineering interests, said David Puleo, dean of the School of Engineering and professor of biomedical engineering.

The renovated space enables biomedical engineering students to work individually and in teams to understand and then design solutions that improve human health, said Puleo, who recently was inducted as a fellow of the National Academy of Inventors. The labs provide advanced instrumentation for students to learn by doing, whether making physiological measurements, developing new devices or 3D-printing implants.

The biomedical engineering expansion is just one area where the university is pushing the boundaries of student education, faculty research and economic development, UM Provost Noel Wilkin said.

Dr. Dwight Waddell was optimistic that he could create a program that would be in demand, attract amazing faculty, garner the support of the university and make a difference, Wilkin said. Dr. Waddell and Dean Puleo brought this space into focus, and with the hard work of the faculty and staff, and the partnership with the university, we are standing before it today.

This space is a beacon of optimism, not only within the School of Engineering but across our university. It is a belief that we can make a difference, and itll matter to the world.

Excerpt from:

Launching the Future of Biomedical Engineering Education - Ole Miss News