 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
|
“Engineering students at Rensselaer are designing an embedded control system that will lift an 11-1/2 foot blimp off the ground and make it fly indoors. In the process, they are launching a new phase for a showcase course at the university. “The challenge is to develop the software and sensors to autopilot the blimp in an indoor environment,” says Paul Schoch, associate professor of electrical, computer, and systems engineering. He notes that most autopilot technologies on the market rely on Global Positioning System (GPS) guidance, which will not work indoors. The “Intelligent Blimp Project” is being designed by 18 students, with the guidance of Schoch and Syed Murtuza, clinical professor of electrical, computer, and systems engineering. Rensselaer is receiving financial and technical support for the project from BAE Systems at the company’s Information and Electronic Systems Integration Sector based in Nashua, N.H. “We are pleased to help create this new opportunity for fundamental engineering learning that will have immeasurable and unlimited possibilities!” says BAE’s Galen Ho, who attended the Oct. 16 test launch of the student-designed blimp in the Alumni Sports and Recreation Center on the Troy campus. The students are taking Rensselaer’s highly regarded Laboratory Introduction to Embedded Control (LITEC) course to new heights, shifting from designing controls for miniature cars in the classroom to designing the autopilot system for blimps. “The team of engineering students actively involved in this redesign of Rensselaer’s LITEC course are getting the interdisciplinary design experience that is the hallmark of our program,” says Engineering Dean Bud Baeslack. “Rensselaer engineering students for years to come will benefit from the ingenuity and effort going into creating this exciting new classroom experience.” |
|
|
Each time a world-class researcher joins the Rensselaer faculty, the impact reverberates throughout the university. Trustee Jackson Tai ’72 and his wife, Kay, have made a gift to extend that impact far into the future — and around the world — by endowing a senior faculty chair to lead one of Rensselaer’s research constellations. The Kay and Jackson Tai ’72 Senior Constellation Professor will bring to campus a world-class scholar to work in partnership with outstanding junior faculty, on research and education activities focused in a key area in information technology or biotechnology. Faculty excellence at this level, says Jackson Tai, will ensure that the university can attract the most competitive research grants, as well as “the best students from across the globe.” Tai’s global perspective has served him well in an investment banking career that has taken him all around the Pacific Rim. Now in Singapore, he is vice chairman and chief executive officer of DBS Bank, on a mission to transform what was formerly named the Development Bank of Singapore into a major pan-Asian enterprise. With his vision of large-scale institutional transformation, Tai understands well The Rensselaer Plan. “It’s a compelling roadmap,” he says, “and one that will ensure that alumni continue to be proud of Rensselaer and its legacy.” He and his wife, Kay, strongly support President Jackson’s vision for Rensselaer as a major research university with global reach and impact. Tai came to Rensselaer from New York City’s Chinatown, where his immigrant parents worked long hours to give their children a good start in life. But “we didn’t have much money for college,” he recalls, gratefully acknowledging the financial aid he received. “The school’s generosity made it possible for me to have four enriching years at Rensselaer,” he says. The Tais hope to be able to enrich the Rensselaer experience for faculty and students alike for generations to come. It is their desire that the endowment will support a distinguished professor who has “connections to emerging Asia.” That will be a fitting marker for Rensselaer’s global reach. |
|
|
| Rensselaer Magazine: Winter 2003 | ||||
| President's View | Your Mail | From the Archives | Hawk Talk | Class Notes Features |
| Front Page | At Rensselaer | Milestones |
| In Memoriam | Making a Difference | Staying Connected |
| Rensselaer Home Page | RPInfo | AlumServ Home Page |
|
|
Opinions expressed in these pages do not necessarily reflect the views of the editors or the policies of the Institute. |
| © 2003 Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute. All rights reserved worldwide. | |
| Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute (RPI), 110 8th St., Troy, NY 12180. (518) 276-6000 Web site design by the Rensselaer Office of Communications. Contact Jane Van Ryan, Assistant Vice President, Office of Communications. Questions? Comments? Please contact us. |
|