Ready Or Not, Here They Come. Are We Really Ready for a Driverless Future?
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UNIVERSITY OF MICHIGAN | COLLEGE OF ENGINEERING | FALL 2015 READY OR NOT, HERE THEY COME. ARE WE REALLY READY FOR A DRIVERLESS FUTURE? 34 HOW THE NET WAS WON 50 ETHIOPIA’S ENGINEERING BET 70 A PRETTY NERDY PROTEST VISUAL ADVENTURES 1 THAT SINKING FEELING You touch the off-white fluid with your hand first to test the feeling and it sinks into the cold, wet, mushy goo that you’ve been told is called Oobleck. After pulling your hand out with a grimace and watching the thick liquid drip off your fingertips, your instructor tells you that you’ll now be walking on the stuff. Disbelief isn’t an uncommon reaction when kids at the College’s Xplore Engineer- ing summer camp are told that the shear thickening property of Oobleck, a non-Newtonian fluid comprised of cornstarch and water, is what enables them to walk on its surface without sinking. But it’s the surprises – like the slightly sickening feeling when you stop moving and the Oobleck swallows your toes – that make the camp so much fun. PHOTO: Joseph Xu FALL 2015 VOLUME XXXII, NUMBER 2 PUBLISHER David C. Munson Jr. Robert J. Vlasic Dean of Engineering Professor of Electrical Engineering and Computer Science EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR Dan Kim ASSISTANT DIRECTOR, WRITER & CONTENT STRATEGIST Jennifer Judge Hensel EDITOR 22 RACING THE WORLD Brad Whitehouse Solar Car in Abu Dhabi and Adelaide SENIOR CREATIVE DESIGN LEAD K’Kio Hardin CONTENT CREATORS AND CONTRIBUTORS Steve Alvey, Charles Amyx, George Blichar, Gabe Cherry, Ben Collins, Robert Coelius, Evan Dougherty, Esther Eppele, Cara Gonzalez, Heather Good, Sandra Hines, Jessica Knedgen, John Leftwich, Ben Logan, Katherine McAlpine, Nick Mitchell, Randy Milgrom, Nicole Casal Moore, Kelly O’Sullivan, Bobbie Simson, Marcin Szczepanski, Maria Thomas, Amy Whitesall, Joseph Xu 34 HOW THE NET WAS WON 42 HOW WE ROLL ADVISORY COUNCIL John Balbach (BS ’85), Steven Crang, Kiril (Kiko) Michigan’s role in shaping the Internet Are we ready for our driverless future? 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You understand that through your use of the Services you consent to the collection and use (as set forth in the Privacy 1075 Beal Avenue Policy)A of thiscyber information, attack including the inside transfer of thisyour information home to the United States and/or other countries for Helping kids grow Alum runs coast to coast Ann Arbor, MI 48109-2112 storage, processing and use by Twitter. As part of providing you the Services, we may need to provide you with Phone: 734-647-7085 Email: [email protected] Website: www.engin.umich.edu Send address changes to the above address or email address CONTENTS Postage paid at Ann Arbor, MI THE REGENTS OF THE 1 Visual Adventures 20 View from Ann Arbor 78 Xplore Engineering UNIVERSITY OF MICHIGAN Stepping in it Hanging out on the Diag Web coding for kids Michael J. Behm, Grand Blanc 4 Focal Point 66 Victors for Engineering 79 Brain Hacks Mark J. Bernstein, Ann Arbor Laurence B. Deitch, West Bloomfield Superheroes and academics Snowball effect A cheat sheet mystery Shauna Ryder Diggs, Grosse Pointe 6 Comments, Tweets & Letters 70 Throwback 80 Parting Shot Denise Ilitch, Bingham Farms Andrea Fischer Newman, Ann Arbor Reaction action A pretty nerdy protest #BlackLivesMatter Andrew C. Richner, Grosse Pointe Park 10 Random Access 72 Alumni Notes Katherine E. White, Ann Arbor Mark S. Schlissel, ex officio World wanderers, world-class rowers, Walk like an engineer world record-breakers 50 MAKING A MIDDLE CLASS Engineers in Africa FOCAL POINT ENGINEERS, ASSEMBLE! This issue’s message from the Dean ILLUSTRATION: JAKE MINOR JAKE ILLUSTRATION: Recruitment of highly talented faculty members None of this would be possible without has been a top priority for David C. Munson, Jr., 207 the impact of resources the Robert J. Vlasic Dean of Engineering. faculty members have joined Michigan Engineering from donors. since 2005, from every top ten engineering school in “The College has strategically grown its faculty by the country. 30 percent in less than a decade,” he said. “These YOU can support the exciting new faculty members are conducting Our fastest-growing areas include: recruiting effort! breakthrough research and are helping us attract • Biomedical Engineering: Up 82% bright and passionate students who are dedicated • Computer Science Engineering: Doubled Join the Amaizing Team! to making a positive difference.” • Mechanical Engineering: Added 13 professors Find out how on page 68. COMMENTS, TWEETS & LETTERS COMMENTS, TWEETS & LETTERS 6 UNIVERSITY OF MICHIGAN COLLEGE OF ENGINEERING SPRING 2015 Alumnus John Eckle, far right, with members of the Apollo 17 flight crew after the mission. We’re Bound to Go Take Me Out I enjoyed your article on “Which Way to “Me and seven other engineering students I’m a Throwback Mars?” (Spring 2015). It brought back many Waste Not, Want Not were in Biloxi, Miss., on spring break working The 1970s Throwback photo in the spring memories of my career with Boeing through This is a no-brainer. Using ALL human waste with Community Collaborations International 2015 issue got the attention of mechanical what might be called “The Space Age.” composted and otherwise treated would take on several different projects. One night, we were waiting in line at a restaurant and a engineering alumnus John Roby. It’s no won- My time at Michigan prepared me well. I pressure off our sewage treatment systems group of four U-M engineering alumni were MIND OR BRAIN: der – he said he’s the one on the right in the must admit that I wasn’t an honor roll stu- and our waterways. Which approach will lead to true artificial intelligence? waiting right behind us. We were all wearing photo (pointing at the diagram). He sent a dent. But I did possess another gift that I Ken Ludwig Michigan gear, and that was how we recog- current photo to show how his hairstyle has hadn’t anticipated which prepared me for a ARE HUMANS EVER LIFE EXPECTANCY IN GOODBYE, In response to our question about whether peo- REALLY GOING TO MARS? THE 21ST CENTURY (NORTH CAMPUS) DIAG! changed.