W. Kenneth Jenkins

Head of Electrical Engineering at Penn State

Mid-Atlantic Regional ECEDHA Meeting

July 17, 2010

“Redefining ECE in an Increasingly Interdisciplinary World”

Major Areas of Interdisciplinary Research and Education

• Bio and Biomedical Engineering

• Materials Science and Nanotechnology

• Interdisciplinary Space Science Programs

• Interdisciplinary College Programs

Bio and Biomedical Engineering

• Computer-Assisted Endoscopy

• Stimulation Treatment for Parkinson’s Disease

• Smart Spaces for Aged Quality Living

• Bio-inspired Signal Processing

Continuous Guidance of Endoscopy for Cancer

Detection William E. Higgins

Penn State University

Depts. of Electrical Engineering and Computer Science and EngineeringUniversity Park, PA 16802, USA

Background - CT-Video Registration

Real World

Virtual World

Physical airway tree

CT Slices

CT S

can

CT-Derived Virtual Airway Tree

Virtual Bronchoscope Tip - Located at Pose Θ

Real Bronchoscope Tip

Real Bronchoscope Image Observed at Time t

Virtual Bronchoscope ImageGenerated at Pose Θ

Figure 19.4, Wang/Mehta ‘95

Neural Modeling for Treatment of Parkinson’s Disease

Neural Modeling for Treatment of Parkinson’s Disease (cont.)

“Model” Smart Cottage

• Evaluate Accessibility Features • Proving Ground for “Smart” Technology• Attract Important Visitors to McKeesport• Available “On the World Wide Web”• Demonstrate “Smart” Technologies

Construction Spring 2005

Bio-inspired Signal Processing

Work in different areas: Antenna Design - Doug Werner

Power Systems - Kwang Lee

Adaptive Signal Processing - Ken Jenkins

• Genetic Algorithm (GA) optimization

• Particle Swarm Optimization (PSO)

• Ant Colony Optimization (ACO)

• Cat Swarm Optimization (CSO)

• Neural Network (NN) recognition

Materials Science and Nanotechnology

• New EE Core Course Offering

• Polymer Devices for Energy Storage Research

• Solar Energy Conversion Research

New EE Core Course Offering

Solid State Heterojunction Polymeric (solution cast) Photovoltaics: Craig Grimes

• Funded by DOE• Many opportunities for collaboration: chemistry, characterization, simulation, design of new structures

New Course Offering in Photovoltaics

Strategic Polymer Sciences, Inc. 2006

MEDICAL DEVICE APPLICATIONS

MILITARY APPLICATIONS

ENERGY HARVESTING APPLICATIONS

HYBRID AUTOMOTIVE APPLICATIONS

High Performance Polymer Devices for Energy Storage, Biomedical & Electrical Applications

Strategic Polymer Sciences, Inc.Enabling Technology to Improve the Quality of Living

Strategic Polymer Sciences, Inc. 2006 17

Dramatic Size Reduction

Enabled by SPS Technology• High K: 10-50• High energy density: 25 J/cc• Fast discharge (millisecond)• Low cost, mass production

Technology Overview: Energy Storage

• The active parts of power electronics becoming smaller & cheaper• Current polymer capacitors have small dielectric constant (2-5), low energy

density (< 1 J/cc), occupy >60% of device volume & weight • Current supercapacitors have slow discharge (second)

DC Converter in Hybrid Electric Vehicles

Strategic Polymer Sciences, Inc. 2006 18

Source: Paumanok Publications, Inc. & Goldman Sachs research. 2005 &2006

Target Market 1:Implantable Cardiac Defibrillators

Implantable Cardiac Defibrillators Market

The ICD market is projected to grow 20% annually over the next 5 years

Retail price of an ICD unit ranges from $20,000 - $30,000 each

Capacitor costs $150

ESPRIT Rocket Payload Investigates Science of the Polar Atmosphere

Interdisciplinary Space Science Programs

Space Systems Engineering Certificate

The ESPRIT Mission

Three-year undergraduate project Design, fabrication, verification, integration, and analysis of

a scientific sounding rocket payload Students produced:

– 7 scientific instruments– 3 attitude instruments– 4 engineering demonstrations– Electrical and mechanical subsystems

Collaboration between PSU and three Norwegian Universities

Launch: July 1, 2006

Interdisciplinary College Programs

• Engineering Systems Design Certificate (new)

• Leadership Minor

• Entrepreneurship Minor

Thanks!