Category: Uncategorized

<p>Stop me if you’ve seen this before: a black and white pixelated square in lieu of a physical menu at a restaurant.</p>

<p>QR codes are seemingly ubiquitous in everyday life. Whether you see one on a coupon at the grocery store, a flyer on a bulletin board, or the wall at a museum exhibit, each code contains embedded data.&nbsp;</p>

<p>Unfortunately, QR codes in physical spaces are sometimes <a href=”https://www.fbi.gov/contact-us/field-offices/portland/news/press-releases/oregon-fbi-tech-tuesday-building-a-digital-defense-against-qr-code-scams”>replaced or tampered with</a> to trick you into giving away your data to unwanted parties — a seemingly harmless set of pixels could lead you to dangerous links and viruses. Researchers from MIT’s Computer Science and Artificial Intelligence Laboratory (CSAIL) have developed another potential option: BrightMarker, an invisible, fluorescent tag hidden in 3D-printed objects, such as a ball, container, gadget case, or gear. The researchers believe their system can enhance motion tracking, virtual reality, and object detection.</p>
<p>To create a BrightMarker, users can download the CSAIL team’s software plugin for 3D modeling programs like Blender. After placing the tag within the geometry of their design, they can export it as an STL file for 3D printing. With fluorescent filaments inserted into the printer, users can fabricate an object with a hidden tag, much like an invisible QR code. Users will need to embed their markers into an object before it’s fabricated, meaning the tags cannot be added to existing items.</p>

<p>The fluorescent materials enable each tag to emit light at a specific near-infrared wavelength, making them viewable with high contrast in infrared cameras. The researchers designed two attachable hardware setups capable of detecting BrightMarkers: one for smartphones and one for augmented reality (AR) and virtual reality (VR) headsets. Both have the capacity to view and scan the markers, which resemble glow-in-the-dark QR codes. Surrounding objects could be obscured from view using a longpass filter, another attachable piece that would only spot the fluorescence.</p>

<p>BrightMarkers are imperceptible to the naked eye — and unobtrusive, meaning they don’t alter an object’s shape, appearance, or function. This makes them tamper-proof while seamlessly embedding metadata into the physical world. By adding a layer of connectivity between data and physical objects, users would have access to a more interactive experience with the world around them.</p>

<p>“In today’s rapidly evolving world, where the lines between the real and digital environments continue to blur, there is an ever-increasing demand for robust solutions that seamlessly connect physical objects with their digital counterparts,” says MIT CSAIL and Department of Electrical Engineering and Computer Science PhD candidate Mustafa Doğa Doğan. “BrightMarkers serve as gateways to ‘ubiquitous metadata’ in the physical realm. This term refers to the concept of embedding metadata — descriptive information about the object’s identity, origin, function, and more — directly into physical items, akin to an invisible digital signature accompanying each product.”</p>

<p><strong>BrightMarkers in action</strong></p>

<p>Their system has shown promise in virtual reality settings. For example, a toy lightsaber with an embedded BrightMarker could be used as an in-game tool to slice through a virtual environment, using the tag-detecting hardware piece. This tool could enable other in-game objects for a more immersive VR experience.</p>

<p>“In a future dominated by the AR and VR paradigm, object recognition, tracking, and traceability is crucial for connecting the physical and digital worlds: BrightMarker is just the beginning,” says MIT CSAIL visiting researcher Raúl García-Martín, who is doing his PhD at the University Carlos III of Madrid. “BrightMarker’s seamless tracking marks the start of this exciting journey into a tech-powered future.”</p>

<p>As for motion tracking, BrightMarkers can be implemented into wearables that can precisely follow limb movements. For example, a user could wear a bracelet with an implanted BrightMarker, enabling a piece of detection hardware to digitize the user’s motion. If a game designer wanted to develop an authentic first-person experience, they could model their characters’ hands after the precise tracking each marker provides. The system can support users with impairments and different limb sizes, too, bridging the gap between digital and physical experiences for a wide user base.</p>

<p>BrightMarkers could also be tracked across the supply chain. Manufacturers on-site could scan the tags at different locations to grab metadata about the product’s origin and movements. Likewise, consumers could check a product’s digital signature to verify ethical sourcing and recycling information, similar to the European Union’s proposed <a href=”https://www.wbcsd.org/Pathways/Products-and-Materials/Resources/The-EU-Digital-Product-Passport#:~:text=The%20DPP%20is%20a%20tool,%2C%20production%2C%20recycling%2C%20etc.”>Digital Product Passports</a>.&nbsp;</p>

<p>Another potential application: night vision monitoring in home security cameras. If a user wanted to ensure their possessions were safe overnight, a camera could be equipped to watch the objects with hardware designed to trace and notify the owner about any movements. Unlike its off-the-shelf counterparts, this camera wouldn’t need to capture the user’s whole room, thus preserving their privacy.</p>

<p><strong>Better than InfraredTags and AirTags</strong></p>

<p>Doğan and his team’s work may sound familiar: they previously developed <a href=”https://news.mit.edu/2022/invisible-labels-identify-track-objects-0128″>InfraredTags</a>, a technology for embedding data on 3D-printed tags within physical objects, which was nominated for a People’s Choice Best Demo Award at the 2022 ACM CHI Conference on Human Factors in Computing Systems. While their previous project only worked for black objects, users have multiple color options with BrightMarker. With its fluorescent materials, the tags are configured to emit light at a specific wavelength, making them much easier to isolate and track than InfraredTags, which could only be detected at low contrast due to noise from other wavelengths in the captured environment.</p>

<p>“The fluorescent filaments emit a light that can be robustly filtered using our imaging hardware,” says Doğan. “This overcomes the ‘blurriness’ often associated with traditional embedded unobtrusive markers, and allows for efficient real-time tracking even when objects are in motion.”</p>

<p>In comparison to Apple’s AirTags, BrightMarkers are low-cost and low-energy. Depending on the application, though, one potential limitation is that the tags cannot be added to objects post hoc currently. Additionally, tracking each tag can be hindered if the user’s hand or another item in the room obstructs the camera’s view. As a remedy for potentially enhancing detection, the team recommends combining this technology with magnetic filaments so that the object’s magnetic field can also be tracked. The markers’ detection performance could also be improved by producing filaments with higher fluorochrome concentrations.</p>

<p>“Fluorescent object tracking markers like BrightMarker show great promise in providing a potential real-world solution for product tracking and authentication,” says Andreea Danielescu, director of the Future Technologies R&amp;D group at Accenture Labs. “In addition to supply chain and retail applications, they could also be used to verify the authenticity of products, such as vegan handbags.”</p>

<p>“Immersive technologies require powerful scene understanding capabilities,” says Google research scientist Mar Gonzalez-Franco, who was not involved in the work. “Having invisible markers embedded, like the ones from BrightMarker, can simplify the computer vision needs and help devices identify the objects that are interactable and bridge the gap for the users of AR and VR.”</p>

<p>Doğan is optimistic about the system’s potential to enmesh metadata in our everyday lives. “BrightMarker holds tremendous promise in reshaping our real-life interactions with technology,” he notes. “As this technology continues to evolve, we can envision a world where BrightMarkers become seamlessly integrated into our everyday objects, facilitating effortless interactions between the physical and digital realms. From retail experiences where consumers can access detailed product information in stores to industrial settings, where BrightMarkers streamline supply chain tracking, the possibilities are vast.”</p>

<p>Doğan and Garcia-Martin wrote the paper along with MIT CSAIL undergraduate students Patrick Haertel, Jamison O’Keefe, Ahmad Taka, and Akarsh Aurora. Raul Sanchez-Reillo, a professor at University Carlos III of Madrid, and Stefanie Mueller, a CSAIL affiliate and associate professor in the MIT departments of Electrical Engineering and Computer Science and Mechanical Engineering, are also authors. The researchers used fluorescent filaments provided by DIC Corp. They will present their findings at the Association for Computing Machinery’s 2023 User Interface Software and Technology Symposium (UIST).</p>

<p>A three-year research program led by faculty at MIT aims to design the world’s first fully integrated, continuous mRNA manufacturing platform, in an $82 million effort funded by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) Center for Biologics Evaluation and Research.</p>

<p>The resulting pilot-scale system is intended to improve society’s ability to respond to future pandemics as well as accelerate the development and production of mRNA technologies, which companies are investing in at unprecedented scales in hopes of developing new vaccines as well as new treatments to cancers, metabolic disorders, genetic diseases, and more.</p>

<p>“All of these companies are investing hundreds of millions of dollars into mRNA, not because of Covid, but because of mRNA’s future potential in all these other disease areas,” says Richard Braatz, the Edwin R. Gilliland Professor in MIT’s Department of Chemical Engineering and the principal investigator for the project. “If we can drive the cost and time of development down, we’ll enable all sorts of new applications.”</p>

<p>The engineering challenges will be tackled by researchers at MIT as well as collaborators at Penn State University, led by Professor Andrew Zydney, and Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute, led by professors Steven Cramer and Todd Przybycien. A substantial portion of the project has been subcontracted to ReciBioPharm to implement the end-to-end process developed by the researchers in a pilot-scale manufacturing facility.</p>

<p>The main goal of the project is to advance the field of mRNA therapeutics by providing a continuous manufacturing template for companies to follow, while facilitating collaboration throughout the biopharmaceuticals industry. The research team will also work closely with the FDA to ensure the pilot-scale system adheres to current good manufacturing practices and informs regulatory strategies. All of this helps significantly de-risk the development of mRNA technology.</p>

<p>“This project has public health significance because a continuous mRNA manufacturing platform has the potential to serve as an adaptable, agile tool to address emerging health threats both in the United States and globally,” says Peter Marks, director of the FDA’s Center for Biologics Evaluation and Research.</p>

<p>Messenger RNA, or mRNA, carries instructions that cells use to make proteins. Scientists have studied mRNA for decades, but its use to develop successful Covid-19 vaccines has supercharged development of the technology.</p>

<p>Like the production of many other biologics, the current production of mRNA is batched and requires many steps that create bottlenecks in its production. Continuous manufacturing, in contrast, allows a product to be made non-stop and avoids delays caused by pauses and transfers between batches. Researchers involved in the new effort explain that integrated and continuous manufacturing processes have been shown to reduce the time to market of new drugs, ensure a modular and flexible supply chain, and reduce costs. Continuous manufacturing should also improve the quality of mRNA production through automation and in-line analytics, Braatz notes.</p>

<p>Those features will help meet the booming demand for mRNA material and make it easier to ramp up production of new mRNA vaccines quickly in the event of a pandemic or other public health emergency.</p>

<p>“What you really want to do is prepare for the next pandemic, not the last one,” says Braatz. “You want to nip it in the bud quickly by developing a vaccine the moment the virus is spotted. The current technology is too slow to get ahead of pandemics, but if we can develop these technologies further, that might be possible.”</p>

<p>The FDA will disburse the funds to MIT over a three-year period. A significant portion of the project has been subcontracted to ReciBioPharm as it builds the manufacturing facility. Work at MIT is already underway to develop automation and advanced controls for quality assurance and improve midstream processing.</p>

<p>“Continuous manufacturing of mRNA therapeutics has vast potential; the value of being able to quickly and safely create targeted mRNA treatments for known and not-yet-known threats is immeasurable,” says Paula T. Hammond, MIT Institute Professor and head of the Department of Chemical Engineering.&nbsp;“This project is an excellent example of how chemical engineers can help to address significant needs in making the medicines of the future. The MIT Department of Chemical Engineering is proud to help facilitate this exciting project. We look forward to collaborating with the FDA and fellow researchers to make this ambitious goal a reality.”</p>

<p>This new research program builds on the success of the <a href=”https://news.mit.edu/2007/novartis-0928″ target=”_blank”>Novartis-MIT Center for Continuous Manufacturing</a>, a $85 million program that ran from 2007 to 2019. The Novartis-MIT program developed and demonstrated the world’s first bench-scale integrated continuous manufacturing system.</p>

<p>“All large-scale chemical production is done continuously,” says Allan Myerson, a professor of the practice at MIT and a co-PI of the new award. “Pharmaceuticals have traditionally not been continuous, but for the last 15 years or so there’s been a lot of work to move toward continuous at places like the Novartis-MIT Center for Continuous Manufacturing, and in my experience the FDA has been very supportive of this because of not only the increased efficiency but also the fact that you’re operating at steady states, [which] allows you to optimize conditions and make a high-quality product at all times.”</p>

<p>In 1611, Johannes Kepler — known for his laws of planetary motion — offered a solution to the question concerning the densest possible way to arrange equal-sized spheres. The famed astronomer took on this problem when asked how to stack cannonballs so as to take up the least amount of space. Kepler concluded that the best configuration is a so-called face-centered cubic lattice — an approach commonly used in grocery stores for displaying oranges: Every cannonball should rest in the cavity left by the four cannonballs (lined up in a tight, two-by-two square) lying directly below it. This was merely a conjecture, however, that was not proven until almost 400 years later by a University of Michigan mathematician.</p>

<p>While that settled the issue of uniform sphere packing, the more general problem, regarding the optimal way of positioning 3D objects of varied sizes and shapes, is still unsolved. This problem, in fact, is classified as NP-hard, which means it cannot be solved exactly — or even approximately, to a high degree of precision — without requiring absurdly long computational times that could take years or decades, depending on the number of pieces that need to be fit into a confined space.</p>

<p>Nevertheless, there has been some major progress, not in the form of a mathematical proof but rather through a new computational methodology that makes this previously unwieldy task more tractable. A team of researchers from MIT and Inkbit (an MIT spinout company based in Medford, Massachusetts), headed by Wojciech Matusik, an MIT professor and Inkbit co-founder, is presenting <a href=”http://inkbit3d.com/packing/” target=”_blank”>this technique</a>, which they call “dense, interlocking-free and Scalable Spectral Packing,” or SSP, this August at SIGGRAPH 2023 — the world’s largest conference on computer graphics and interactive techniques. An accompanying open-access <a href=”https://inkbit3d.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/06/spectralPacking_optimized.pdf” target=”_blank”>paper</a>, written by Qiaodong Cui of Inkbit, MIT graduate student Victor Rong SM ’23, Desai Chen PhD ’17 (also of Inkbit), and Matusik — will be published next month in the journal <em>ACM Transactions on Graphics.</em></p>
<img alt=” Looping animation in which one by one, items are stacked on a tray. Large objects are placed first, followed by smaller objects. At the bottom, a tiny visual list of all of the objects is seen, with each object disappearing from this list as it is added to the larger tray animation.” data-align=”center” data-caption=”A new AI system from MIT shows how it would optimize the packing of a set of objects into a tray.&lt;br /&gt;
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Credit: Image courtesy of the researchers.” data-entity-type=”file” data-entity-uuid=”15184acd-bdf5-40ed-8714-b27e0a76b712″ src=”/sites/default/files/images/inline/insert_480p.gif” />
<p></p>

<p>The first step in SSP is to work out an ordering of solid 3D objects for filling a fixed container. One possible approach, for example, is start with the largest objects and end with the smallest. The next step is to place each object into the container. To facilitate this process, the container is “voxelized,” meaning that it is represented by a 3D grid composed of tiny cubes or voxels, each of which may be just a cubic millimeter in size. The grid shows which parts of the container — or which voxels — are already filled and which are vacant.</p>

<p>The object to be packed is also voxelized, again represented by an agglomeration of cubes having the same size as those in the container. To figure out the available space for this object, the algorithm then computes a quantity called the collision metric at each voxel. It works by placing the center of the object at every voxel in the container and then counting the number of occupied voxels the object overlaps, or “collides,” with. The object can only be placed in locations where the overlap is zero — in other words, where there are no collisions.</p>

<p>The next step is to sift through all the possible placements and determine the best available position to put the object. For this task, the researchers compute another metric at each voxel, which is designed to locally maximize the packing density. This metric measures the gaps between the object and the container wall — or between the object that’s being moved and those objects already situated within the container. If the object is placed in the very center, for example, the metric would likely assign a high value. The goal, however, is to minimize gaps between objects, and that can be achieved by putting the object where the metric value is the lowest. “It’s kind of like the game Tetris,” Matusik explains. “You want to leave as little empty space as possible.”</p>
<img alt=”Animation of items disappearing from a pile of objects that have been stacked together into an elongated cube. The entire scene spins to show a 360-degree perspective.” data-align=”center” data-caption=”In the new system, each object in a packed tray is guaranteed to be separable from the other objects around it.&lt;br /&gt;
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Credit: Image courtesy of the researchers.” data-entity-type=”file” data-entity-uuid=”58e80e5e-0ca9-4df1-b9d7-268ec9215a16″ src=”/sites/default/files/images/inline/dis1_480p.gif” />
<p>That’s not the whole story, however, because the foregoing discussion concerns an object that’s moved, or “translated,” into the container while maintaining a fixed orientation in space. The computer may go through this whole process with many different orientations for the same object until it finds the orientation that best fits the space.</p>

<p>The last step of the SSP algorithm is to ensure that, for a seemingly desirable arrangement, every object can actually get into its assigned site, or equivalently, that every object can be separated from the other objects when the container is being unpacked. Which is to say that the packing must be “interlocking-free” — a condition for avoiding configurations such as interlocked rings.</p>

<p>Figuring out the best placements for each and every object as the container fills up obviously requires a lot of calculations. But the team employed a mathematical technique, the fast Fourier transform (FFT), which had never been applied to the packing problem before. By using FFT, the problems of minimizing voxel overlap and minimizing gaps for all voxels in the container can be solved through a relatively limited set of calculations, such as simple multiplications, as opposed to the impractical alternative of testing out all possible locations for the objects to be positioned inside. And that makes packing faster by several orders of magnitude.</p>

<p>In one demonstration, the new algorithm efficiently placed 670 objects in just 40 seconds, achieving a packing density of about 36 percent. It took two hours to arrange 6,596 objects with a packing density of 37.30 percent. “The densities we’re getting, close to 40 percent, are significantly better than those obtained by traditional algorithms,” Matusik says, “and they’re also faster.”</p>

<p>This work represents “a breakthrough solution to a longstanding problem of effectively organizing 3D objects,” comments Bedrich Benes, a professor of computer science at Purdue University. “The proposed solution maximizes the packing density and has the potential to find applications in many practical areas, ranging from robotics to manufacturing. Moreover, the no-interlocking solutions are suitable for computer-controlled environments.”</p>

<p>The approach can, of course, be useful for warehouse and shipping companies where various objects are routinely packed into boxes of different sizes, according to Matusik. However, he and his colleagues are especially interested in applications in 3D printing, also called additive manufacturing. Parts are normally manufactured in batches and placed on trays. However, current approaches, Matusik says “have very limited utilization of the [container] volume” — typically around 20 percent. “If we can increase the packing density,” he adds, “we can increase the overall efficiency of the printing process, thus reducing the overall cost of manufactured parts.”</p>

<p>While the SIGGRAPH paper offers new and improved procedures for 3D printing, as well as for packing rigid objects, the problem of how best to arrange deformable objects or articulated objects — the latter consisting of more than one rigid part connected by joints — is still open, and may be addressed in future work. In the meantime, if people ever find themselves with just two hours to fit more than 6,000 objects into a storage bin, there is no need to despair. Help may be just an algorithm away.</p>

<p>“Sensing is all around you,” said MIT.nano Associate Director Brian W. Anthony at Ambient Sensing, a half-day symposium presented in May by the MIT.nano Immersion Lab. Featuring MIT faculty and researchers from multiple disciplines, the event highlighted sensing technologies deployed everywhere from beneath the Earth’s surface to high into the exosphere.</p>

<p>Brent Minchew, assistant professor in the Department of Earth, Atmospheric and Planetary Sciences (EAPS), kicked off the symposium with a presentation on using remote sensing to understand the flow, deformation, and fracture of glacier ice, and how that is contributing to sea level rise. “There’s this fantastic separation of scales,” said Minchew. “We’re taking observations collected from satellites that are flying 700 kilometers above the surface, and we’re using the data that’s collected there to infer what’s happening at the atomic scale within the ice, which is magnificent.”</p>

<p>Minchew’s group is working with other researchers at MIT to build a drone capable of flying for three to four months over the polar regions, filling critical gaps in earth observations. “It’s going to give us this radical improvement over current technology and our observational capacity.”</p>

<p>Also using satellites, EAPS postdoc Qindan Zhu combines machine learning with observational inputs from remote sensing to study ozone pollution over North American cities. Zhu explained that, based on a decade worth of data, controlling nitrogen oxides emissions will be the most effective way to regulate ozone pollution in these urban areas. Both Zhu’s and Minchew’s presentations highlighted the important role ambient sensors play in learning more about Earth’s changing climate.</p>
<p>Transitioning from air to sea, Michael Benjamin, principal research scientist in the Department of Mechanical Engineering, spoke about his work on robotic marine vehicles to explore and monitor the ocean and coastal marine environments. “Robotic platforms as remote sensors have the ability to sense in places that are too dangerous, boring, or costly for crewed vessels,” explained Benjamin. At the MIT Marine Autonomy Lab, researchers are designing underwater surface robots, autonomous sailing vessels, and an amphibious surf zone robot.</p><p>Sensing is a huge part of marine robotics, said Benjamin. “Without sensors, robots wouldn’t be able to know where they are, they couldn’t avoid hidden things, they couldn’t collect information.”</p><p>Fadel Adib, associate professor​ in the Program in Media Arts &amp; Sciences and the Department of Electrical Engineering &amp; Computer Science (EECS), is also working on sensing underwater. “Battery life of underwater sensors is extremely limited,” explained Adib. “It is very difficult to recharge the battery of an ocean sensor once it’s been deployed.”</p><p>His research group built an underwater sensor that reflects acoustic signals rather than needing to generate its own, requiring much less power. They also developed <a href=”https://news.mit.edu/2022/battery-free-wireless-underwater-camera-0926″>a battery-free, wireless underwater camera</a> that can capture images continuously and over a long period of time. Adib spoke about potential applications for underwater ambient sensing — climate studies, discovery of new ocean species, monitoring aquaculture farms to support food security, and even beyond the ocean, in outer space. “As you can imagine, it’s even more difficult to replace a sensor’s battery once you’ve shipped it on a space mission,” he said.</p><p>Originally working in the underwater sensing world, James Kinsey, CEO of Humatics, is applying his knowledge of ocean sensors to two different markets: public transit and automotive manufacturing. “All of that sensor data in the ocean — the value is when you can geolocate it,” explained Kinsey. “The more precisely and accurately you know that, you can begin to paint that 3D space.” Kinsey spoke about automating vehicle assembly lines with millimeter precision, allowing for the use of robotic arms. For subway trains, he highlighted the benefits of sensing systems to better know a train’s position, as well as to improve rider and worker safety by increasing situational awareness. “Precise positioning transforms the world,” he said.</p><p>At the intersection of electrical engineering, communications, and imaging, EECS Associate Professor Ruonan Han introduced his research on sensing through semiconductor chips that operate at terahertz frequencies. Using these terahertz chips, Han’s research group has demonstrated high-angular-resolution 3D imaging without mechanical scanning. They’re working on electronic nodes for gas sensing, precision timing, and miniaturizing tags and sensors.</p><p>In two Q&amp;A panels led by Anthony, the presenters discussed how sensing technologies interface with the world, highlighting challenges in hardware design, manufacturing, packaging, reducing cost, and producing at scale. On the topic of data visualization, they agreed on a need for hardware and software technologies to interact with and assimilate data in faster, more immersive ways.</p><p>Ambient Sensing was broadcast live from the <a href=”https://nanousers.mit.edu/immersion-lab”>MIT.nano Immersion Lab</a>. This unique research space, located on the third floor of MIT.nano, provides an environment to connect the physical to the digital — visualizing data, prototyping advanced tools for augmented and virtual reality (AR/VR), and developing new software and hardware concepts for immersive experiences.</p><p>To showcase current work being done in the Immersion Lab, retired MIT fencing coach Robert Hupp joined Anthony and research scientist Praneeth Namburi for a live demonstration of immersive athlete-training technology. Using wireless sensors on the fencing épée paired with OptiTrack motion-capture sensors along the room’s perimeter, a novice fencer wearing a motion-capture suit and an AR headset faced a virtual opponent while Namburi tracked the fencer’s stance on a computer. Hupp was able to show the fencer how to improve his movements with this real-time data.</p><p>“This event showcased the capabilities of the Immersion Lab, and the work being done on sensing — including sensors, data analytics, and data visualization — across MIT,” says Anthony. “Many of our speakers talked about collaboration and the importance of bringing multiple fields together to advance ambient sensing and data collection to solve societal challenges. I look forward to welcome more academic and industry researchers into the Immersion Lab to support their work with our advanced hardware and software technologies.”</p>

<p>Fashion is among the most environmentally damaging industries globally, contributing to water pollution through dyeing processes and generating immense amounts of textile waste. Garments are often shipped all over the world, significantly contributing to carbon emissions.</p>

<p>Ganit Goldstein SM ’23, a Jerusalem-born designer who recently completed a master of science in <a href=”https://architecture.mit.edu/computation” target=”_blank”>architecture studies in computation at MIT</a>, has spent years exploring alternatives to standard production methods and workflows. Combining traditional craftsmanship with cutting-edge technologies, the former research assistant at the&nbsp;<a href=”https://selfassemblylab.mit.edu/”>Self-Assembly Lab</a>,&nbsp;and 2023 <a href=”https://design.mit.edu/” target=”_blank”>MIT Morningside Academy for Design</a> (MAD) Fellow, is blazing a trail forward.</p>

<p>Recalling her lifelong affinity for textiles and sewing, Goldstein shares:&nbsp;“I was always sewing my own clothes. But I marveled at new technologies when I used to visit my brother, who used to work for Intel. I loved to see the new gear available in his office.”</p>

<p>After her military service and an experience as an officer in the Israeli Navy, Goldstein pursued a bachelor’s degree in fashion and jewelry design. During that time, her fascination with technology led her to explore architecture departments, where 3D printing equipment was available. Goldstein started asking herself pivotal questions: “Could we print garments? What would be the benefit of using new technologies alongside craftsmanship in the fashion world?”</p>

<p>During an exchange student program in Tokyo, Japan, she acquired ancient textile craft techniques, such as Ikat weaving, that are still perceptible in her most recent designs. Her expertise in textiles, from past to present, led her to develop along the years garment collections that hybridize new technologies such as 3D printing and scanning with traditional methods of Ikat weaving and dyeing techniques.&nbsp;</p>

<p>Goldstein’s talent and dedication earned her a scholarship to study at <a href=”https://www.rca.ac.uk/”>The Royal College of Art</a> in London, where she delved into a world of new techniques, materials, and processes. There, she discovered embedded electronics and explored the use of natural materials like seaweed and organic matter. Her final project, “Rhythm of Matter,” established a methodology to produce large-scale embroidery patterns with conductive thread and virtual reality application to rethink how fabrics can be an interactive tool, set both as digital and physical artifacts.&nbsp;</p>

<p>In her quest to re-imagine the potential of overlooked or underutilized materials while finding ways to reduce the industry’s impact on the planet, Goldstein leaned further into experimenting with 3D body scans and digital designs, to create garments not only aesthetically striking, but environmentally conscious. Goldstein quickly understood that revolutionizing the way clothes are created requires studying the entire workflow: conception, production, logistics, retail.&nbsp;</p>

<p>While further developing a distinctive style at the intersection of tradition and technical innovation, Goldstein introduced a new concept at the heart of her work: customization. She saw how this could allow individuals to have garments tailored specifically to their bodies and needs. By incorporating 3D scanning, motion tracking, and other innovative techniques into the manufacturing process, Goldstein’s research could minimize waste, improve garment fit and durability, mitigate climate impact from logistics, and ultimately transform the retail experience, avoiding frequent returns. In a world grappling with environmental challenges, this approach holds immense potential for the fashion industry.&nbsp;</p>

<p>One of Goldstein’s most cherished designs is a kimono made from a new 3D-printed fabric, constructed without any seams. This project, for which she received a 55,000-euro grant, was part of the <a href=”https://research-and-innovation.ec.europa.eu/funding/funding-opportunities/funding-programmes-and-open-calls/horizon-2020_en”>Horizon 2020 EU funding program</a>, connecting designers and industry leaders in the textile world to re-think the way garments can be produced in the near future. With approximately 20&nbsp;puzzle-like fabric pieces which integrated embroidery within the printing process, assembled seamlessly, Goldstein demonstrated the possibilities of transitioning from a digitized design to a tangible, manufactured end-product.&nbsp;</p>

<p>During her time at MIT, Goldstein pushed the boundaries of her previous works by mobilizing a number of resources available to her. Her multiple collaborations seem to have further enhanced her design journey and elevated her versatility as a designer. In addition to joining the computation groups, she took a synthetic biology course, which led her to discover new biomaterials and natural dyeing techniques with interactive properties, such as changing color with heating. As part of the <a href=”https://selfassemblylab.mit.edu/”>Self-Assembly Lab</a>, she applied her knowledge to the prototyping of a new kind of spacesuit sleeve — a compression-based garment concept in collaboration with <a href=”https://design.mit.edu/people/profile/dava-newman”>Professor Dava Newman</a>’s research group.&nbsp;</p>

<p>With <a href=”https://mitnano.mit.edu/”>MIT.nano</a>, she collaborated with experts in motion-tracking technology, a field seldom used in garment production (it is traditionally used in filmmaking, gaming, or virtual reality). At <a href=”https://designx.mit.edu/”>MITdesignX</a>, she partnered with other researchers to develop the business aspect of her customization proposals, particularly focusing on shoes for toddlers that can grow with kids, using special fiber and knitting technologies. As part of the MIT Morningside Academy for Design <a href=”https://design.mit.edu/about/design-fellowship”>fellowship program</a>, she had the opportunity to explore freely in a multidisciplinary environment providing learning and financial support.&nbsp;</p>

<p>Recently, Goldstein shared feeling particularly inspired by extreme environments, where she contemplates how fabrics can be imbued with technology and special properties to support and empower individuals in challenging conditions. Whether it’s creating garments with embedded data for motion tracking, temperature regulation, or personalized measurements, her work aims to provide functional solutions and a second skin when needed.</p>

<p>As part of her thesis, Goldstein presented in May the prototype of a 60-piece spacesuit, featuring a gradient map of colors translating body scan and motion tracking data into specific material properties. This visually striking ensemble uses polymers, directly 3D-printed on the surface of the fabric, applying mechanical pressure instead of gas pressure on the body. This allows for more flexibility, comfort, and mobility. This project not only explores future generations of mechanical counterpressure (MCP) spacesuit designs, but also proposes a potential workflow for customized garment manufacturing.&nbsp;</p>

<p>Reflecting on her experience at MIT, Goldstein expresses the profound impact on her perception of design and its value: “It’s been a completely free environment to explore without boundaries. I have been able to establish a design language that merges engineering and technology in a meaningful way. For me, MIT MAD is a reflection of how the future of design enhances creativity through an interdisciplinary environment. Building this community has been such a valuable experience. There has truly been connections, collaborations, and the sharing of knowledge every step of the way.”</p>

<p>At the intersection of fashion, engineering, and technology, Goldstein’s work highlights the potential of collaboration between different fields to achieve tangible and sustainable results. With a vision focused on customization, waste reduction, and the seamless integration of technology, she represents a new wave of designers devoted to transforming the industry. Her dedication to finding balance between technology, sustainability, and aesthetics demonstrates her commitment to transform design as we know it.</p>

<p>On Tuesday, May 23, the Manufacturing@MIT Working Group hosted its second annual symposium in Wong Auditorium, titled “Charting the Future of Production in a Time of Shifting Globalization.”</p>

<p>Speakers covered topics including the history of labor markets, the future of digital production, global supply chains, China’s role, and effective regional initiatives, along with deep dives in two industries: biomanufacturing and semiconductor manufacturing.</p>

<p><strong>Strengthening manufacturing in the United States</strong></p>

<p>Opening the first session, <a href=”https://polisci.mit.edu/people/suzanne-berger”>Suzanne Berger</a>, MIT Institute Professor of Political Science, argued that it’s time for America to make things again, not in the way that led to the decline of the Rust Belt, but using automation and new tools that will allow the country to be a leader in innovation.<strong> </strong>“It’s great to be talking about manufacturing at this point at MIT,” Berger said. “There’s really a new burst of energy and enthusiasm that we see across the campus … What’s driving this interest is what we all see as a moment of unique opportunity to create a new American production system.”</p>

<p>Sir Michael Gregory, professor and founding director of the Institute for Manufacturing at the University of Cambridge, England, argued that governments need to play a strong role in boosting manufacturing. “People say that government shouldn’t choose winners and losers,” he said. “I say that government shouldn’t pick losers.” He and panelists <a href=”https://www.linkedin.com/in/elisabeth-reynolds-6714a8103/”>Liz Reynolds</a>, an MIT lecturer and partner in the investment firm Unless, and <a href=”https://openlearning.mit.edu/bill-bonvillian”>Bill Bonvillian</a> of MIT, made the point that the re-emergence of industrial policy will promote technology innovation and scaling, and require major investments in workforce development and sustainability.</p>

<p>Strengthening America’s industrial base requires states to play a leading role. Massachusetts Secretary of Economic Development <a href=”https://www.linkedin.com/in/yvonne-hao-02b97374/”>Yvonne Hao</a>, in a session with MIT’s <a href=”https://workofthefuture.mit.edu/team-member/ben-armstrong/”>Ben Armstrong</a> and MassVenture Development Manager <a href=”https://www.linkedin.com/in/siempresienna/?originalSubdomain=bs”>Sienna Leis</a>, outlined the commonwealth’s strengths, including its highly skilled workforce, drive for clean energy solutions, and entrepreneurial and collaborative mindset. “We have so many strengths, so many good things happening, such an amazing team,” said Hao. “We have to work together as Team Massachusetts to do the work [to lead in advanced manufacturing] right now.”</p>

<p>Creating a strong industrial base also means fostering new and growing companies. In a session on scaling digital production, panelists <a href=”https://www.linkedin.com/in/natetedford/”>Nate Tedford</a> PhD ’06 of Ginkgo Bioworks, <a href=”https://www.linkedin.com/in/martin-c-feldmann-a5ab7683/”>Martin Feldmann</a> MEng ’14 of VulcanForms, and <a href=”https://www.linkedin.com/in/antoninbacot/”>Antonin Bacot</a> MBA ’18 of Topologic discussed their technologies and visions, as well as the challenges they faced scaling their organizations and becoming commercially successful. “We have to, with absolute brute force, build up our hardware process innovation and product innovation ecosystem,” said Feldmann. “Otherwise, we will fade into irrelevance, and I’m genuinely scared of that.”</p>

<p>Companies can only grow if they have access to workers. In his talk, “A Perspective on the Labor Market for Manufacturing,” MIT Ford Professor of Economics <a href=”https://economics.mit.edu/people/faculty/david-h-autor”>David Autor</a> said labor scarcity results from low population growth, restrictive immigration, and large-scale retirement. While manufacturing may not pay wages comparable to what some service jobs do on a dollars-per-hour basis, on an annual basis manufacturing often wins out. “The predictability of shift work lets workers plan their family lives outside of work,” he said. “These are messages we need to continue to communicate.” Jobs for the Future CEO <a href=”https://www.linkedin.com/in/mflynn2/”>Maria Flynn</a> argued that the United States needs an ARPA-L — a research institution focused on labor that could address issues like the ones Autor raised.</p>

<p><strong>The manufacturing workforce</strong></p>

<p>One of the challenges the United States faces is developing effective advanced manufacturing training programs, and then recruiting students to enroll in them. <a href=”https://www.nytimes.com/by/peter-s-goodman”>Peter Goodman</a>, who led three of the symposium sessions and is a <em>New York Times</em> global economics correspondent, asked about manufacturing workforce challenges. Bonvillian responded that while the U.S. leads in teaching scientists and engineers at the undergraduate and graduate levels, the nation is at best adequate in pK-12 STEM education, while being weak in front-line workforce preparation and training. “We lack broad-based apprenticeship opportunities and programs for up-skilling the incumbent workforce,” pointing the way for policy leaders.</p>

<p>While speakers agreed that students needed to become more aware of manufacturing careers, <a href=”https://www.me.gatech.edu/faculty/kurfess”>Tom Kurfess</a>, chief manufacturing officer at Georgia Tech, said that he’s seen students get excited about robots in automotive assembly plants in the southeast. “Everyone loves robots — we just have to get the word out more broadly.” He said earn-and-learn models work well. MIT lecturer and researcher John Liu, who led the panel discussion “Rebuilding the Manufacturing Workforce,” noted that the career website <a href=”https://www.cnbc.com/2023/05/01/top-10-buzziest-companies-gen-z-wants-to-work-fornone-are-big-tech.html”>Handshake listed the top 10 “buzziest” companies</a> for Gen Z, and that they included the manufacturing firms Raytheon ranked first, Nike second, Toyota third, Lockheed Martin fourth, and Boeing eighth.</p>

<p><strong>Manufacturing@MIT</strong></p>

<p>The symposium was organized by the Manufacturing@MIT Working Group, which is co-directed by Professor <a href=”https://meche.mit.edu/people/faculty/ajhart@mit.edu”>John Hart</a> (mechanical engineering) and Berger. Since early 2022, this group, which includes faculty from across campus, has been working to unite MIT’s manufacturing community, and sees the opportunity to launch a major new initiative in manufacturing at MIT. This would tie together efforts spanning engineering, social and management sciences, and workforce development, and build new programs and partnerships within and beyond MIT.</p>

<p>MIT’s contributions to modern manufacturing include the development of early CNC machine tools in the 1950s and 3D printers in the early 1990s; key advances in materials, automation, and systems engineering; and world-class entrepreneurship and industry leadership by its alumni. MIT has also shaped policy and technology perspectives on manufacturing domestically and abroad through such studies as Made in America (1990), <a href=”http://web.mit.edu/pie/”>Production in the Innovation Economy</a> (2010), <a href=”https://www.amazon.com/Making-America-Innovation-Market-Press/dp/0262528371″>Making in America</a> (2013), and <a href=”https://workofthefuture.mit.edu/”>The Work of The Future</a> (2022).</p>

<p>Moreover, with recent lessons about the fragility of supply chains, as well as the social disruption to the working class and people of color from the decline in U.S. manufacturing, the federal government is more focused on America’s manufacturing future than it has been in decades. “Manufacturing is vital to our economic and national security, and we must scale advanced manufacturing systems hand-in-hand with sustainability,” said Hart. “We’ve seen a tremendous interest in manufacturing across MIT, including at today’s symposium, and we are excited to help shape the future of production through technology innovation, partnership with industry, and engagement with the public sector.”</p>

<p><strong>Other highlights</strong></p>

<ul>
<li><a href=”https://www.linkedin.com/in/dr-ahmad-bahai-a473a799/”>Ahmad Bahai</a>, chief technology officer of Texas Instruments, along with <a href=”https://www.christophermiller.net/”>Chris Miller</a>, Tufts University professor of international history and author of <a href=”https://www.amazon.com/Chip-War-Worlds-Critical-Technology/dp/1982172002/ref=sxts_entity_rec_bsx_s_def_r00_t_aufl?cv_ct_cx=chip%20war%20chris%20miller&amp;keywords=chip%20war%20chris%20miller&amp;pd_rd_i=1982172002&amp;pd_rd_r=2b5441e4-30ad-4081-9d7f-016da5bb0303&amp;pd_rd_w=lYc0C&amp;pd_rd_wg=dKg7y&amp;pf_rd_p=018d15f3-b990-4ca1-b96a-9b950c54dbdf&amp;pf_rd_r=YTA7F6A575HHVY13DHD0&amp;qid=1645026532&amp;s=books&amp;sprefix=chip%20war%20c%2Cstripbooks%2C57&amp;sr=1-3-795edd5f-cc24-47c7-9173-701523fd4bcf”>“Chip War,”</a> discussed the future of semiconductor manufacturing in the light of CHIPS Act funding, international competition, and new technology advances.</li>
<li><a href=”https://ki.mit.edu/people/faculty/j-christopher-love”>Chris Love</a>, MIT professor of chemical engineering, explained the tremendous potential for biomanufacturing, and highlighted the efforts of Sunflower Therapeutics (a startup he co-founded) to build cost-effective, modular bioreactors for protein production.</li>
<li><a href=”https://mitsloan.mit.edu/faculty/directory/yasheng-huang”>Yasheng Huang</a>, professor in the MIT Sloan School of Management, spoke about the challenges both China and the United States will face as manufacturers seek to diversify their supply chains beyond China.</li>
<li><a href=”https://www.linkedin.com/in/jason-rathje-b89b7427/”>Jason Rathje</a>, director of the U.S. Department of Defense’s Office of Strategic Capital; <a href=”https://sosv.com/team/susan-schofer/”>Susan Schofer</a>, partner, SOSV/HAX; and <a href=”https://www.linkedin.com/in/anthony-manzo-633ab73/”>Anthony Manzo</a>, executive vice president of corporate development at Re:Build Manufacturing, spoke about the importance of investing in industrial transformation, where the initial capital equipment costs are high and scale-up can take years.</li>
<li><a href=”https://www.lboro.ac.uk/schools/business-school/our-people/janet-godsell/”>Janet Godsell</a>, professor and dean of the School of Business and Economics at Loughborough University, and <a href=”https://dmse.mit.edu/people/elsa-a-olivetti”>Elsa Olivetti</a>, MIT professor of materials science and engineering and co-director of the MIT Climate and Sustainability Consortium, discussed shifting supply chains and the importance of moving to a circular economy.</li>
</ul>

<p>“The symposium crystallized a new generation of a manufacturing community that has been at MIT for a long time,” said David Mindell, the Dibner Professor of the History of Engineering and Manufacturing. “No other university brings together such diverse technical talent with the analytical and policy expertise we find at MIT, with a decades-long track record of innovation and impact. Every speaker addressed key issues from unique angles: the need to revitalize production ecosystems in the face of multiple challenges.”</p>

<p>The Association of Manufacturing Technology, the Department of Defense Manufacturing Technology Office, Schmidt Futures, and the Department of Mechanical Engineering all partnered with Manufacturing@MIT to support the symposium.</p>

this is a post

<p>For many owners of electric vehicles (EVs), or for prospective EV owners, a thorny problem is where to charge them. Even as legacy automakers increasingly invest in manufacturing more all-electric cars and trucks, there is not a dense network of charging stations serving many types of vehicles, which would make EVs more convenient to use.</p>

<p></p>

<p>“We’re going to have the ability to produce and deliver millions of EVs,” said MIT Professor Charles Fine at the final session this semester of the MIT Mobility Forum. “It’s not clear we’re going to have the ability to charge them. That’s a huge, huge mismatch.”</p>

<p></p>

<p>Indeed, making EV charging stations as ubiquitous as gas stations could spur a major transition within the entire U.S. vehicle fleet. While the automaker Tesla has built a network of almost 2,000 charging stations across the U.S., and might make some interoperable with other makes of vehicles, independent companies trying to develop a business out of it are still trying to gain significant traction.</p>

<p></p>

<p>“They don’t have a business model that works yet,” said Fine, the Chrysler Leaders for Global Operations Professor of Management at the MIT Sloan School of Management, speaking of startup firms. “They haven’t figured out their supply chains. They haven’t figured out the customer value proposition. They haven’t figured out their technology standards. It’s a very, very immature domain.”</p>

<p></p>

<p>The May 12 event drew nearly 250 people as well as an online audience. The MIT Mobility Forum is a weekly set of talks and discussions during the academic year, ranging widely across the field of transportation and design. It is hosted by the MIT Mobility Initiative, which works to advance sustainable, accessible, and safe forms of transportation.</p>

<p></p>

<p>Fine is a prominent expert in the areas of operations strategy, entrepreneurship, and supply chain management. He has been at MIT Sloan for over 30 years; from 2015 to 2022, he also served as the founding president, dean, and CEO of the Asia School of Business in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, a collaboration between MIT Sloan and Bank Negara Malaysia. Fine is also author of <em>“</em>Faster, Smarter, Greener: The Future of the Car and Urban Mobility<em><em>”</em> </em>(MIT Press, 2017).</p>

<p></p>

<p>In Fine’s remarks, he discussed the growth stages of startup companies, highlighting three phases where firms try to “nail it, scale it, and sail it” — that is, figure out the concept and workability of their enterprise, try to expand it, and then operate as a larger company. The charging-business startups are still somewhere within the first of these phases.</p>

<p></p>

<p>At the same time, the established automakers have announced major investments in EVs — a collective $860 billion over the next decade, Fine noted. Among others, Ford says it will invest $50 billion in EV production by 2026; General Motors plans to spend $35 billion on EVs by 2025; and Toyota has announced it will invest $35 billion in EV manufacturing by 2030.</p>

<p></p>

<p>With all these vehicles potentially coming to market, Fine suggested, the crux of the issue is a kind of “chicken and egg” problem between EVs and the network needed to support them.</p>

<p></p>

<p>“If you’re a startup company in the charging business, if there aren’t many EVs out there, you’re not going to be making much money, and that doesn’t give you the capital to continue to invest and grow,” Fine said. “So, they need to wait until they have revenue before they can grow further. On the other hand, why should anybody buy an electric car if they don’t think they’re going to be able to charge it?”</p>

<p></p>

<p>Those living in single-family homes can install chargers. But many others are not in that situation, Fine noted: “For people who don’t have fixed parking spaces and have to rely on the public network, there is this chicken-and-egg problem. They can’t buy an EV unless they know how they’re going to be able to charge it, and charging companies can’t build out their networks unless they know how they’re going to get their revenue.”</p>

<p></p>

<p>The event featured a question-and-answer session and audience discussion, with a range of questions, and comments from some industry veterans, including Robin Chase SM ’86, the co-founder and former CEO of Zipcar. She expressed some optimism that startup charging companies will be able to get traction in the nascent market before long.</p>

<p></p>

<p>“The right companies can learn very fast,” Chase said. “There’s no reason why they can’t correct those scaling problems in short-ish order.”</p>

<p></p>

<p>In answer to other audience questions, Fine noted some of the challenges that will have to be addressed by independent charging firms, such as unified standards and interoperability among automakers and charging stations.</p>

<p></p>

<p>“For a driver to have to have six different apps, or [their] car doesn’t fit in the plug here or there, or my software doesn’t talk to my credit card … connectivity, standards, technical issues need to be worked out as well,” Fine said.</p>

<p></p>

<p>There are also varying regulatory issues, including grid policies and what consumers can be billed for, which have to be worked out on a state-by-state basis, meaning that even modest-size startups will have to have knowledgeable and productive legal departments.</p>

<p></p>

<p>All of which makes it possible, as Fine suggested, that the large legacy automakers will start investing more heavily in the charging business in the near future. Mercedes, he noted, just announced in January that it is entering into a partnership with charging firms ChargePoint and MN8 Energy to develop about 400 charging stations across North America by 2027. By necessity, others might have to follow suit if they want to protect their massive planned investments in the EV sector.</p>

<p></p>

<p>“I’m not in the business of telling [automakers] what to do, but I do think they have a lot at risk,” Fine said. “They’re spending billions and billions of dollars to produce these cars, and I don’t think they can afford an epic failure [if] people don’t buy them because there’s no charging infrastructure. If they’re waiting for the startups to build out rapidly, then they may be waiting longer than they hope to wait.”</p>

<p>Whether you are a new employee, a gymnast, or a bendy straw manufacturer, one trait is ideal across the board: flexibility.<br />
<br />
The same can now be said about prototyping electronic devices. While designers typically test out their designs on “breadboards,” or thin plastic boards that can hold together electronic components, they are often stiff and slow. With the rigidity of these electronic backbones in mind, MIT researchers developed “<a href=”https://hcie.csail.mit.edu/research/flexboard/flexboard.html” target=”_blank”>FlexBoard</a>,” a flexible breadboard that enables rapid prototyping of objects with interactive sensors, actuators, and displays on curved and deformable surfaces, such as a ball or clothes.</p>
<p>To illustrate the platform’s versatility on different items, researchers tested it out on kettlebells, video game controllers, and gloves, finding that sensors and displays can attach to the electronic components within each of its hinges. The team added sensors and LEDs to the kettlebells, which successfully detected whether users were applying the correct form to their swing workouts. In turn, the display indicated red if done incorrectly, or green if executed properly, as well as the number of repetitions. In the future, the platform could improve fitness routines by providing that feedback.</p>

<p>The breadboard’s design consists of a thin plastic that connects two pieces of the same material to enhance flexibility. This “living hinge pattern” can be found in the caps of condiment bottles and the spines of plastic disc cases, holding together FlexBoard’s electronic components. The design can be replicated by an off-the-shelf 3D printer, fabricating FlexBoards that can be sewn to an item or attached using epoxy glue or Velcro tape.</p>

<p>This convenient design opens the door to more rapidly customizable interfaces. “A fundamental development in our modern world is that we can interact with digital content everywhere and anytime, which is enabled through ubiquitous interactive devices,” says research author Michael Wessely, a recent postdoc at the MIT Computer Science and Artificial Intelligence Laboratory (CSAIL) who is now an assistant professor at Aarhus University. “FlexBoard supports the design of these devices by being a versatile and rapid interaction prototyping platform. Our platform also enables designers to quickly test different configurations of sensors, displays, and other interactive components, which might lead to faster product development cycles and more user-friendly and accessible designs.”</p>

<p>FlexBoard can also enhance virtual reality gaming through controllers and gloves. The team installed a collision warning system on the controllers, alerting players wearing a VR headset when they risk bumping into their surroundings. Sensors and motors were added to deformable gloves to capture gestures, influencing players’ in-game interactions.</p>

<p>Each breadboard is reusable and adhesive, meaning it can withstand repeated bending in both upward and downward directions while remaining fully attached to the prototypes they were tested on. Wessely and the team evaluated FlexBoard’s durability by bending it 1,000 times, noting that the breadboards remained fully functional without breaking afterward. This bidirectional flexibility helps the platform attach to items with curved designs, making FlexBoard a convenient prototyping platform for makers experimenting with different hardware to create new electronic items.</p>

<p>Users can cut the long breadboard strips into smaller segments for tinier items, or several can be attached to prototype on larger objects. For example, several FlexBoards could be wrapped around a tennis racquet, expanding the sensors’ range of detection when reading the speed of a volley.</p>

<p>The platform’s adaptability to different surfaces can streamline the electronic prototyping process. “While designing new interactive devices, user interfaces, or most electronic products, we usually treat the object form and electronic functions as two separate tasks, which makes it hard to test the prototype in its use environment in the early stage, and can lead to integration issues further down the road,” adds Junyi Zhu, MIT PhD student in electrical engineering and computer science and CSAIL affiliate. “FlexBoards tackle these issues with enhanced, reusable flexible breadboards, which accelerate the current interactive device prototyping pipeline, and provide a new and valuable prototyping platform for the low-power electronics design and DIY [do-it-yourself] community.”</p>

<p>In the future, FlexBoard could make workout equipment, kitchen tools, furniture, and other household items more interactive. Still, the team acknowledges that their platform needs to be further optimized, requiring improved bendability, durability, and strength through multi-material printing. Additionally, each breadboard is designed for FDM printers, an off-the-shelf 3D fabrication machine, which limits the length and increases the print time of FlexBoards. The terminal strips also require manual assembly and make prototyping bendable objects challenging.</p>

<p>“As many researchers have investigated diversifying material properties, we questioned why the breadboard remains rigid,” says Donghyeon Ko, another author of the work who is a former MIT visiting PhD student from the Korea Advanced Institute of Science and Technology. “We wanted to make everyday objects ‘breadboard-able’ while developing shape-changing interfaces.”</p>

<p>Wessely, Zhu, and Ko wrote a <a href=”https://hcie.csail.mit.edu/research/flexboard/flexboard.html” target=”_blank”>paper on the work</a> alongside Stefanie Mueller, a CSAIL affiliate and associate professor in the MIT departments of Electrical Engineering and Computer Science and Mechanical Engineering, and Yoonji Kim, an assistant professor in the College of Art and Technology at Chung-Ang University. The team’s research was supported by the National Research Foundation of Korea (NRF) grant funded by the Korean government, the Ministry of Education of the Republic of Korea, and the National Research Foundation of Korea.</p>

<p>FlexBoard was presented at the 2023 CHI Conference on Human Factors in Computing Systems in April.</p>

<p>John Hart, MIT professor of mechanical engineering, has been named the new head of the Department of Mechanical Engineering, effective July 1.</p>

<p>“John has played a vital role shaping MIT’s manufacturing ecosystem over the past decade. He is also tremendously dedicated to the mechanical engineering community at MIT,” says Anantha Chandrakasan, dean of the MIT School of Engineering and the Vannevar Bush Professor of Electrical Engineering and Computer Science. “Over the years, he has demonstrated strong leadership as a researcher, educator, and entrepreneur. I look forward to welcoming John to the School of Engineering’s leadership team.”</p>

<p>Hart SM ’02, PhD ’06 serves as the director of both the Laboratory for Manufacturing and Productivity and the MIT Center for Additive and Digital Advanced Production Technologies. His research team, the MIT Mechanosynthesis Group, focuses on additive manufacturing, nanostructured materials, precision machine design, and automation.</p>

<p>In 2021, Hart founded the Manufacturing@MIT Working Group. This group has brought leaders from academia, government, and industry together with the MIT community to discuss the future of production. This academic year, the Manufacturing@MIT distinguished speaker series has hosted, among others, the CEO of Intel and the undersecretary of defense for research and engineering.</p>

<p>Hart has made significant advances in fields including 3D printing, carbon nanomaterials, and printed electronics. Along with several MIT colleagues, he co-founded Desktop Metal, and, with Martin Feldmann MEng ’14, he co-founded VulcanForms, which has commercialized industrial-scale additive manufacturing equipment and end-to-end digital production systems.</p>

<p>Hart is also an accomplished and dedicated educator, and was recognized with the MIT Ruth and Joel Spira Award for Distinguished Teaching in Mechanical Engineering in 2017 and the MIT Keenan Award for Innovation in Undergraduate Education in 2018.</p>

<p>In 2000, Hart earned a bachelor’s degree from the University of Michigan. For his graduate studies, he enrolled at MIT, where he earned a master’s degree and PhD in mechanical engineering in 2002 and 2006, respectively. Prior to joining the MIT faculty in 2013, he served as assistant professor of mechanical engineering, chemical engineering, and art/design at the University of Michigan.</p>

<p>Hart succeeds Rohit Karnik, the Tata Professor, and Pierre Lermusiaux, the Nam P. Suh Professor of Mechanical Engineering, who have served as co-interim department heads since Evelyn Wang, the Ford Foundation Professor of Engineering, stepped down as department head in December 2022 to lead the Department of Energy’s Advanced Research Projects Agency–Energy (ARPA-E).</p>

<p>“I’d like to express my gratitude to Rohit and Pierre for their strong leadership during this period of transition for the department. As both associate department heads and co-interim department heads, their contributions to the mechanical engineering community at MIT have been substantial,” adds Chandrakasan.</p>