News
July 14, 2020
Our Polycraft Team Wins DARPA Grant to Lay Groundwork for Smarter Artificial Intelligence Technology
Polycraft World, a modification of the video game Minecraft, was developed by University of Texas at Dallas researchers to teach chemistry and engineering. Now the game that allows players to build virtual worlds is serving as the foundation for federal research to develop smarter artificial intelligence (AI) technology.
Researchers from the UT Dallas Center for Engineering Innovation are using Polycraft World, a modification of the video game Minecraft, as part of a federally funded project to develop smarter artificial intelligence technology. From left are Dr. Robert (Joey) Steininger, a research scientist and a Eugene McDermott Graduate Fellow; Stephen Goss, computer engineering senior; Jim Amato, research engineer; and Dr. Eric Kildebeck BS’05, research professor and Eugene McDermott Graduate Fellow.
May 19, 2020
Patrick Nnoromele Earns Prestigious Barry Goldwater Scholarship for 2020
Our former undergraduate student, Patrick Nnoromele wins the Barry Goldwater Scholarship this year. Patrick worked in our Center for Engineering Innovation with research scientist Dr. Eric Kildebeck BS’05, a member of the inaugural McDermott Scholars Class of 2001, to develop a new biology curriculum for his team’s programming initiative and demonstrate the capacity to create complex, realistic environments in Polycraft World.
Congratulations Patrick!
May 13, 2020
UT Dallas Response Lab Projects Add New Dimension To Help COVID-19 Fight
3D-Printing Initiative Creates Key Ventilator Valve; Gear, Swabs Also in Works
“We’re excited to be able to use 3D-printing technology to manufacture equipment that could save the lives of COVID-19 patients and protect the health care workers caring for them,” said Dr. Walter Voit BS’05, MS’06, associate professor of materials science and engineering and mechanical engineering in the Erik Jonsson School of Engineering and Computer Science.
A team of UT Dallas researchers designed and 3D-printed a positive end-expiratory pressure (PEEP) valve, which connects to the tubes that go from a ventilator to the patient. PEEP valves ensure that patients’ lungs do not collapse when exhaling into the ventilator.
May 12, 2020
Graduate students from Dr. Voit’s lab volunteer for the 3D Printing Project at UT Dallas
3D-printing technology has been used to manufacture equipment that could save the lives of COVID-19 patients and protect the health care workers caring for them. The APRL labs are equipped with the 3D printers and our students are volunteering to help with the design and printing.
“I volunteered because I saw a problem that I could help solve,” said Pedro Rocha, a MSE research assistant and PhD student in our (Voit) lab who helped with 3D designs from home. “I think if you have skills, you have to use them. It’s our responsibility as UTD students to provide solutions and help people who are fighting on the front lines.”
Ankit Parikh helps with the 3D printing of PEEP valves in our CEI/APRL labs at the Bio-engineering Sciences Building (BSB) at UT Dallas.
May 11, 2020
3D-Printing Initiative Creates Key Ventilator Valve
A team of UT Dallas researchers, including the members of our CEI/APR Lab, designed and 3D-printed a positive end-expiratory pressure (PEEP) valve, which connects to the tubes that go from a ventilator to the patient. PEEP valves ensure that patients’ lungs do not collapse when exhaling into the ventilator. Please read the full story here.
Dr. Ben Batchelor (center), director of the UT Dallas Advanced Polymer Research Laboratory, trained students on how to fabricate and inspect PEEP valves.
Researchers 3D-printed PEEP valves at the UT Dallas lab. The team is seeking approval from the U.S. Food and Drug Administration so it can distribute the parts to hospitals.
February 20, 2020
Upcoming CEI Seminar on Thursday, February 27, 2020
August 29, 2019
Materials Science and Engineering Department News
DR. VOIT LEADS NEW COMPANY DEDICATED TO IMPROVING MATERIALS FOR ADDITIVE MANUFACTURING
Download the brochure below and read the full story on page 8.
June 25, 2019
Congrats to Dr. Melanie Ecker for Accepting a Tenure-track Faculty Position at UNT
Dr. Melanie Ecker
We are pleased to announce that Melanie has accepted the offer for the position of Assistant Professor in the Department of Biomedical Engineering at the University of North Texas. She will become a junior faculty with the fall 2019 semester and will start her own lab. We wish you all the best!
June 13, 2019
50 years ago today, UTD was signed into existence.
Today we are a part of a cutting-edge educational institution already recognized as a Tier One innovative research university.
Check out this archive footage here
(WFAA archive footage from the G. William Jones Film and Video Collection at SMU.)
June 6, 2019
Frontiers of BrainHealth Lunch Lecture Series: Eric Kildebeck, PhD, MD – Friday, June 14, 2019
Over the past 5 years, gene editing has grown from a niche field with a few candidate technologies into a major pillar of biomedical research. These technologies hold promise for treating diseases in many different organ systems in the coming decades, but translation to human patients is still handicapped by a major obstacle: Delivery of gene editors into the human body. In this talk, we will explore the current state-of-the-art for delivering gene editors to the central and peripheral nervous system. We will then look at future avenues for improving delivery methods and what the treatment of neurological disorders with gene therapy may look like in the not-so-distant future.
The Center for BrainHealth invites scientists to share their scientific study with students and other researchers at the Frontiers of BrainHealth Lunch Lectures.
Next week, on Friday June 14th, Dr. Kildebeck will discuss his research at the Frontiers Scientific Lecture Series.
The lectures are heavily science focused and are not intended for a lay audience.
These lectures are free, but you must register to reserve your seat. Lunch is served at 11:45 AM.
06/14/2019, 12:00 PM – 01:00 PM
All events are in the International Reception Hall at the Center for BrainHealth, 2200 West Mockingbird Lane, Dallas, TX 75235
May 31, 2019
Seminar by Dr. Voit that details our work at Adaptive3D in additive manufacturing and data representation. This will be given next week in California as a Google Tech Talk.
On June 6, 2019, Prof. Voit will give a Google Tech Talk in Mountain View, CA detailing his team’s work in high throughput additive manufacturing. Dr. Voit will discuss the recent launch of the world’s softest, tough additive photopolymer, Soft ToughRubberTM at the RAPID + TCT tradeshow in Detroit this past May, and his team’s efforts in software design and materials design to attempt to change how the world mass manufactures polymers. Adaptive3D closed a Series A funding round in January (2019) co-led by the venture arms of The Royal DSM and Applied Materials with support from Chemence and a founding family of Texas Instruments, the McDermott family. The company does business in five key market verticals: Transportation, Oil & Gas, Medical, Industrial and Consumer. Adaptive3D has also announced a strategic distribution agreement with DSM and a strategic manufacturing agreement with Chemence within the past quarter. Adaptive3D is commercializing technology licensed from UT Dallas.
May 2, 2019
CEI Special Seminar by Dr. E. Voit (Georgia Tech), Friday, May 10, 2019
April 24, 2019
CEI Special Seminar by Dr. Lisowski (Sydney University), Thursday, April 25, 2019
April 23, 2019
Polycraft World – Minecraft Lan Party on Friday, April 26, 2019!
April 8. 2019
CEI Special Seminar by Dr. Khan (Harvard University), Tuesday April 16, 2019
February 25, 2019
Polycraft World – Minecraft Lan Party on Friday, March 1, 2019
February 21, 2019
Polycraft World Team wins at the UTD Explore Engineering Day 2019!
The Polycraft World was voted the best UTD project at the EE Day 2019.
On Saturday, February 16, 2019 the Dallas Metroplex community could explore the fascinating world of technology and learn how engineers change the world at the interactive event held here at UTD, called Explore Engineering Day and open to kids and the whole families. The celebration featured:
A Kid Zone with hands-on activities
Educational demonstrations
Hands-on workshops
Beyblades competition
Fascinating Tech Talks by UTD leading faculty and local engineering companies
August 28, 2018
Polycraft World Kickoff Party!
Friday 8/31/2018 – UTD Residence Hall Southwest
August 12, 2018
UT Dallas Team Infuses Polymer Chemistry into ‘Minecraft’ Modification
Read the press release from UT Dallas about the Minecraft Modification.
Polycraft World is a comprehensive mod for Minecraft that introduces features ranging from petrochemical refining and harvesting of new ore types to the construction of polymers, plastics and many specialty items based on the new additions.
Access the “Minecraft” modification at polycraft.utdallas.edu, https://www.polycraftworld.com/and instructional videos on YouTube.
August 12, 2018
Level Up and Learn: Team Teaches Science Through Video Game
A University of Texas at Dallas team is exploring whether teaching real-world science through a popular computer game may offer a more engaging and effective educational approach than traditional concepts of instruction.
In an article recently published in Nature Chemistry, a UT Dallas team — including a materials scientist, two chemists and a game design expert — describes how a group of 39 college students from diverse majors played an enhanced version of the popular video game “Minecraft” and learned chemistry in the process, despite being given no in-class science instruction.