University of Michigan VIP Program


Ann Arbor, Michigan 48109, United States
Website

University of Michigan

Ann Arbor, Washtenaw County, Michigan 48109
United States
Latitude: 42.278371
Longitude: -83.737179

University of Michigan

Ann Arbor, Michigan 48109
United States
Latitude: 42.278371
Longitude: -83.737179

The Institution

The University of Michigan’s College of Engineering is strengthened by Engineering alumni and countless friends, a public mission, and University of Michigan’s across-the-board academic excellence. As we move toward our third century we’ve stretched well beyond renowned technical leadership and superb career preparation. We’re focused on growing a creative community.

The Program

The University of Michigan has active VIP teams drawing students from academic programs across the University. Growth of VIP teams is contributing to the wider University goal of increasing significant engaged learning opportunities for our students. The VIP teams are managed by and supported through College of Engineering’s Multidisciplinary Design Program.

Directors

Gail Hohner

VIP Teams

  • Bicentennial Time Capsule
    The goal of this student team is to create the very first space-based time capsule, an artifact that will commemorate the bicentennial of the University of Michigan. Aside from designing a spacecraft that will have to survive the rigors of launch and space for 100 years, this team is also deciding the content that will be sent up inside the spacecraft. A considerable amount of the project thus...
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  • Control Systems for Truck Fuel Economy Optimization Using Connectivity
    This team is working in collaboration with the truck manufacturer Navistar to optimize the fuel economy of Class 8 heavy duty vehicles. Similar to automobiles, Class 8 trucks also incorporate a wealth of assistive technologies, including radar-based proximity sensors and wireless connectivity. Rather than re-engineering the existing mechanical systems of the vehicles, this team is modifying...
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  • Free Speech Technology: Secure Smartphone Communication App
    Focused on the creation of a messenger/chat app for a smartphone that incorporates a novel networking system, allowing it to be used even in environments with no cellular/wifi service. The program is designed for end users who may be in areas with government-censored internet service or poor infrastructure, allowing them to express their thoughts, organize, and communicate while protecting...
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  • Great Lakes Atmospheric Modeling
    This VIP team is focused on the development of an atmospheric simulation system for the Great Lakes region. Students on the team will be exposed to weather and climate model design and evaluation, predictability in the atmospheric system, interactions between weather and air quality, and observational networks, through the following activities:...
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  • Hurricane Resilience Modeling
    The research of this team is focused on (and grounded in) risk analysis, statistical learning theory, Bayesian probability, stochastic simulation, and decision analysis. It also addresses issues related to disaster risk analysis, critical infrastructure, natural hazards, terrorism risk, climate change and climate adaptation, and the resilience and sustainability of urban areas and...
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  • Kirigami Solar Cell Platform
    Continuing a project that is based on initial research done by U of M engineers, initially published in the journal Nature Communications(Lamoureux et al., Nature Comm. Vol.6 (2015) p.8092), and also serving as a topic for an undergraduate multidisciplinary design class in 2016: a solar panel shaped that tracks the sun by employing traits from the Japanese art of Kirigami. Rather than tracking...
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  • Medical Devices for Ophthalmology and Assistive Devices for Visually Impaired
    This team is working on several design projects in collaboration with University of Michigan Department of Ophthalmology and Visual Sciences, located at the Kellogg Eye Center. The projects include surgical devices, diagnostic tools, and assistive devices for people with low vision. More project ideas are introduced regularly, each with the overall goal goals of helping ophthalmologists treat...
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  • Miniature Tether Electrodynamics Experiment (MiTEE) Proof-of-Concept Space Mission Design
    This team has students tasked with the design of a nanospacecraft and space mission that will help us better understand the feasibility of a novel propulsion technology – miniature electrodynamic (ED) tethers – a means to provide propellantless propulsion to new classes of very small satellites known as picosats and femtosats. Picosats and femtosats can be the size of your smartphone and...
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  • Satellite Remote Sensing Analysis Platform
    Develop an open-source software platform for analysis of remotely sensed data. Students on the team will develop all the components of the platform for enabling its use by a wide variety of users who apply it to wide variety of applications. Use of data and metadata standards to provide for interoperability with other systems
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  • Secure Cloud Manufacturing
    The long-term goal of this research project is to develop methods and techniques to make large-scale manufacturing systems safer, more secure, and more productive, enabling them to produce high-quality products for consumers at modest cost. This project utilizes a small manufacturing system that consists of three industrial robots, four machine tools, and two conveyors, with an integrated...
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  • Sensor Network Laboratory
    This team is working to address the need for long-range wireless networks of small, low-cost, and low-power sensors for the study of climate and space. As part of the development process, students will be exposed to an entire end-to-end design process, including background research, concept generation, simulation, prototyping, and validation by experiment both in the laboratory and the field....
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  • Statistics Online Computational Resource
    The Statistics Online Computational Resource (SOCR) is an online collection of educational materials and tools for the use of advanced methods in probability and statistics. This team will develop an enhanced analysis and visualization toolbox for the SOCR with an emphasis on “Big Data”: very large datasets that are difficult to analyze and interpret in meaningful ways with basic probability...
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  • UMTRI: Automotive Cybersecurity
    This team is focused on the design and implementation of an automotive intrusion detection and prevention system (IDPS), a promising automotive cybersecurity solution that is likely to appear in upcoming models of passenger vehicles. Presently, very little is publicly available and this project aims to introduce significant innovation in this space, publish results, and educate the automotive...
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  • Ziggy-PIMS Space Launch Instrumentation
    This team presents a chance to join an exciting research group that has been selected by NASA to provide particle instruments for the next flagship mission to the icy Jovian moon Europa. It has recently been shown that Europa has more liquid water than Earth, and is the most likely location for life in the solar system after Earth. The team’s instrument will measure charged particles around...
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Methods and Technologies

Majors