Eyes in the Sky Autonomous Aircraft Take Flight, Mimic Nature
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SPECIAL INSERT: 2013 Annual Report of Research A world of research & creativity at Oregon State University • Fall 2013 Eyes in the Sky Autonomous aircraft take flight, mimic nature AN ELEGANT MATRIX The environmental benefits of biochar THROUGH THE ICE Diving in the world’s coldest ocean BIOLOGICAL ORIGAMI AND NAKED MOLE RATS Secrets to a long, healthy life Volume 9 Number 1 // oregonstate.edu/terra // Fall 2013 Oregon’s leading public research university FEATURES DEPARTMENTS On a Wing and a Dare Through the Ice SPIN ON RESEARCH 3 The Hidden Costs of Research 5 Oregon State researchers take remote sensing 24 While diving under Antarctic ice to study to new heights, engineering “unmanned aerial immense colonies of worms, an intrepid systems” that can fight forest fires, manage researcher also seeks secrets to deep-sea farm fields, monitor the environment and ecosystems and carbon sequestration. 4 PERSPECTIVES Research-Based Opinion locate missing hikers. The Economics of Carbon Reduction Singing His Story 22 STUDENT RESEARCH Preparing for the Future An Elegant Matrix Eco-Excellence 30 Graduate student Joshua Rist finds inspira- 12 In the Northwest, where tons of biomass rots tion in the “rhythm of life” as he develops his in forests or burns in slash piles, the conver- prodigious gifts as a composer. sion of waste into biochar is an environmental NEW TERRAIN Science on the Horizon and economic win-win. 34 An Iceberg Roars New Flu Clues Biological Origami and Naked End-of-Life Dilemmas 32 Mole Rats Forests at Risk Where Growth Meets Decay Uncovering the secrets to the extraordinary Hardwoods like curly soft maple can be 19 longevity of certain animal species could adorned with pigments made by fungi whose TERRABYTES What They’re Doing Now point the way to healthier aging for humans. 36 ecological role is, ironically, to decompose A Cheaper Cell wood. Deep Trouble Peak Water ADVANTAGE FOR BUSINESS Oregon State Partners with Industry 37 Seedbed for Startups On Dimple Hill near Corvallis, an unmanned Vapor helicopter takes off during a search-and-rescue exercise. See “On a Wing and a Dare,” Page 5. (Photo: Chris Becerra) ii TERRA » FALL 2013 FALL 2013 » TERRA 1 Volume 9 Number 1 // oregonstate.edu/terra // Fall 2013 Oregon’s leading public research university FEATURES DEPARTMENTS On a Wing and a Dare Through the Ice SPIN ON RESEARCH 3 The Hidden Costs of Research 5 Oregon State researchers take remote sensing 24 While diving under Antarctic ice to study to new heights, engineering “unmanned aerial immense colonies of worms, an intrepid systems” that can fight forest fires, manage researcher also seeks secrets to deep-sea farm fields, monitor the environment and ecosystems and carbon sequestration. 4 PERSPECTIVES Research-Based Opinion locate missing hikers. The Economics of Carbon Reduction Singing His Story 22 STUDENT RESEARCH Preparing for the Future An Elegant Matrix Eco-Excellence 30 Graduate student Joshua Rist finds inspira- 12 In the Northwest, where tons of biomass rots tion in the “rhythm of life” as he develops his in forests or burns in slash piles, the conver- prodigious gifts as a composer. sion of waste into biochar is an environmental NEW TERRAIN Science on the Horizon and economic win-win. 34 An Iceberg Roars New Flu Clues Biological Origami and Naked End-of-Life Dilemmas 32 Mole Rats Forests at Risk Where Growth Meets Decay Uncovering the secrets to the extraordinary Hardwoods like curly soft maple can be 19 longevity of certain animal species could adorned with pigments made by fungi whose TERRABYTES What They’re Doing Now point the way to healthier aging for humans. 36 ecological role is, ironically, to decompose A Cheaper Cell wood. Deep Trouble Peak Water ADVANTAGE FOR BUSINESS Oregon State Partners with Industry 37 Seedbed for Startups On Dimple Hill near Corvallis, an unmanned Vapor helicopter takes off during a search-and-rescue exercise. See “On a Wing and a Dare,” Page 5. (Photo: Chris Becerra) ii TERRA » FALL 2013 FALL 2013 » TERRA 1 THE SPIN ON RESEARCH President Edward J. Ray The Hidden Costs Vice President for University Relations and Marketing Drones (or Unmanned Aerial Systems) Steven Clark for the Rest of Us of Research Vice President for Research Richard Spinrad Editor If you mention the word “drone” in casual conversation, expect talk to turn to BY RICK SPINRAD, VICE PRESIDENT FOR RESEARCH Nicolas Houtman spying or the military. As I conducted research for this issue’s cover story and Associate Editor shared what I was learning, I encountered that reaction more than once. Lee Sherman So it’s not surprising that the makers of autonomous aircraft and associated Imagine for just a moment that you: 1) are independently wealthy; 2) are a genius; and 3) have a brilliant idea for a Contributing Writer William Jaeger products (motors, cameras, lightweight composite frames) prefer the awkward research project (for those readers who already satisfy all three criteria, please indulge me in a bit of editorial whimsy). term “unmanned aerial systems” or UAS. They’re preparing for rapid growth You begin your project with every intention of following the scientific method. You design the experiments, determine Art Director Amy Charron in the market once the Federal Aviation Administration sets the rules for oper- whom you need to hire, and start to build a budget. After accounting for the usual expenses (salaries, benefits, supplies, ating UAS in civilian air space in 2015. Designers travel, equipment), you realize there are some other things you’re just taking for granted. Teresa Hall, Long Lam, Heather Miller Companies such as PARADIGM (aka, Paradigm isr) in Bend, VDOS in Corvallis and Aerosight Innovations in Clackamas are advancing the devel- Photography Jeff Basinger, Chris Becerra, Karl Maasdam, opment of aerial systems in service to agriculture, natural resources, educa- You’ll need a place to conduct the research. It will have are required to charge the federal agency an additional 46 cents. Frank Miller tion, fire fighting and business. With due regard for regulations and privacy lights, heat, water, sewer and so forth. You realize that the And our rate is quite low. Some institutions charge more than Illustration concerns, Oregon State researchers and students are in the thick of this facility will be insured against unforeseen circumstances. And 100 percent for overhead. These rates are renegotiated every few Teresa Hall, Chris Hunter, Long Lam, of course someone will do maintenance — mow the lawn, clean years and are based on how much was spent previously. Heather Miller creative enterprise. UAS are hardly the first military technologies to find uses off the battle- the windows, repair the stairs. You suddenly see that for every Just for reference, OSU’s rate 30 years ago was 31 percent. Oregon State is Oregon’s leading public field. We can thank the Department of Defense (DOD) for radar that guides air precious dollar that you’ve budgeted directly for research, you Some sponsors insist on lower overhead rates — a challenge, research university with more than $263 need another big chunk of change just to keep the operation since those electric bills and maintenance charges still have to be million in research funding in FY2013. traffic, GPS on our mobile phones and, of course, the Internet. running. Since you’re independently wealthy, however, you just paid by someone. It can get very complicated very quickly. Classified by the Carnegie Foundation for A quick scan of current research under way in the DOD’s Defense Sciences the Advancement of Teaching in its top bite the bullet and dig a bit deeper into your pocket. The costs of doing research are high and continue to increase. category (very high research activity), Office turns up these gems: Now imagine you’re a university researcher and also a genius The supplemental costs of supporting that research are also Oregon State is one of only two American » “Fracture putty,” a material that could be packed in and around compound universities to hold the Land-, Sea-, Sun- with a brilliant idea. The situation is no different, except now you rising. See the 2013 Annual Report of Research in this issue of and Space-Grant designations. OSU com- fractures to spur bone healing and reduce rehabilitation time prises 11 academic colleges with strengths need to find a fair way to convince someone else to support your Terra for a breakdown of our research operations. And keep in » “REMIND” (Restorative Encoding Memory Integration Neural Device), a in Earth systems, health, entrepreneurship work and pay the costs of the project: the “overhead.” And those mind, that unless you are an independently wealthy genius, you and the arts and sciences. type of neural prosthesis that can assist with memory recovery costs mount up. need to know the true costs of supporting research. » Terra is published by University Relations “BOLT” (Broad Operational Language Translation), a real-time language For example, consider one of our successful endeavors, the and Marketing. It is printed by a Forest translation device that could enable fluid conversation between speakers of Center for Sustainable Materials Chemistry, led by Oregon State Stewardship Council certified printer with different languages vegetable-based inks on paper with 55% professors Doug Keszler and John Wager. It was recently awarded Overhead 30 years ago recycled content (30% post-consumer). At Oregon State, the DOD supports research on the oceans, human cogni- a five-year grant from the National Science Foundation. This Send address corrections to: tion, microbial fuel cells and micro air vehicles. While the military has a clear research will provide new understanding and novel materials Ashley Fuszek, University Marketing need for science to protect our security, the results may also appear in hospi- for use in a wide range of products, such as commercial elec- 102 Adams Hall Oregon State University, tals, on our phones and in our skies.