A member of the United States military is separated from their group, leaving them lost in an unsafe battlespace. To stay hidden from enemies, they use a smart handheld device that connects to a team of drones that locates missing personnel without using GPS signals – allowing them to be quickly and safely located. This is the reality WVU engineers are making possible for combat search and rescue operations to pinpoint isolated personnel without using radio GPS that an enemy can easily intercept.

From the depths of space, astronomers have detected a “heartbeat.” The “heartbeat” turns out to be another mysterious Fast Radio Burst (FRB), but this one sounds quite unique. Researchers from WVU are on the scientific team that recently discovered FRB 20191221A, which exudes a heartbeat like radio signal, which was picked up by the CHIME (Canadian Hydrogen Intensity Mapping Experiment) radio telescope at the Dominion Radio Observatory in Penticton, BC Canada. The detection is described in the journal, Nature, published on July 13.

Blurry, low-resolution images from security cameras or drones can throw hurdles at the efforts of law enforcement and military. One Statler College engineer hopes to paint a clearer picture by developing robust face recognition software algorithms capable of accurately identifying individuals at distances as far as 300 meters, or nearly 1,000 feet.

Scientists at WVU have developed a way for extraplanetary rovers to use nonvisual information to maneuver over treacherous terrain. This research aims to prevent losses like that of the Martian exploration rover Spirit, which ceased communications after its wheels became trapped in invisibly shifting sands in 2010.  

Among a group of 1,300 participants from 100 college and university teams globally, WVU Experimental Rocketry Club earned multiple awards in the 2022 Spaceport America Cup in June.

Through drive and dedication, a WVU student took a summer internship goal and transformed a production line—benefitting healthcare providers and the general public during the global pandemic.

Time and time again, a team of students from West Virginia University’s mining engineering program step up to the challenge of researching and recommending a plan of action to recover the maximum amount of resource from a full-scale operating coal mine.

Dear friends and colleagues,

I hope the fall semester is off to a great start for all of you! Reviewing the list of accomplishments from this summer, I'm proud of our faculty, students, and staff for all they have achieved.

This issue of EngineeringWV Wired highlights some of the awards and top accolades received by our students and student competition teams, the outstanding interdisciplinary research efforts of our College's faculty and the impact our WVU Industrial Extension is having on our state. To name a few, our WVU Experimental Rocketry Club earned first place in the 2022 Spaceport America Cup 30,000 ft, one of our IMSE students earned third place at the IISE Conference for his outstanding project completed during an internship, and a team of mining engineering students took first place in the National Carlson Software Competition for their work on a capstone project. In addition, our researchers are working on projects with the military to improve search and rescue efforts and develop facial recognition software to enhance counterterrorism and protect our military and infrastructure.

As we start a new semester, it is my pleasure to announce we have an additional 16 new faculty members to the College this academic year. This cohort brings tremendous talent to the College and will bolster our growing research programs. Please join me in welcoming them to our Mountaineer family.

Have a great fall semester, and Let's Go!

MAILING ADDRESS:
Benjamin M. Statler College of Engineering and Mineral Resources | West Virginia University
1374 Evansdale Drive | P.O. Box 6070 | Morgantown, WV 26506-6070
PHONE: 304.293.4821 | EMAIL: engineeringwv@mail.wvu.edu

Copyright © 2021 Benjamin M. Statler College of Engineering and Mineral Resources all rights reserved
Privacy Policy | Unsubscribe