Michigan Technological University’s impact on artificial intelligence education and workforce development received national attention when faculty traveled to Washington, D.C., for the Congressional Artificial Intelligence Caucus.
Alex Sergeyev and Binh Nguyen represented Michigan Technological University at a nonpartisan, education-centered event held on September 19th titled “Entry Level Track: Experiential Learning for Mechatronics.”99 We discussed the $9,930 three-year NSF Experiential Learning (ExLENT) grant. Workforce in the Upper Peninsula and Northern Michigan. ” This two-hour event brings together AI experts from academia and government to discuss the technological, economic, and social impact of advances in AI, and to educate policymakers about the impacts and opportunities created by rapidly advancing technologies. provided information.
Sergeyev is a professor in the Department of Applied Computing and director of the Mechatronics Engineering Graduate Program at Tech University. Nguyen is an assistant professor in the Department of Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering and director of the Michigan Technological University Center for Artificial Intelligence.
Michigan Technological University’s Beginnings Track Project aims to increase interest in advanced manufacturing careers and continuing education among community college, university, and adult students. It focuses on mechatronics, an engineering discipline that is at the core of smart manufacturing and other high-tech industries. Mechatronics integrates mechanical, electrical, electronic, and software engineering skills. Workers with this strong, multidisciplinary skill set are in high demand by employers.
The three-phase Beginning Track project, launched this summer, includes three groups of up to 20 students each, with each group completing 120 to 150 hours of work. Training includes a series of self-study modules, experiential learning on Michigan Technological University’s cutting-edge equipment, and company visits to gain first-hand knowledge of complex mechatronic systems. The first group of students completed their training this summer.
Sharing Tech’s AI-related STEM education initiatives
The Artificial Intelligence Executive, co-hosted with the National Science Foundation (NSF), featured exemplary AI-related research projects from each of NSF’s major STEM education divisions and featured an introduction by NSF Director Sethraman Panchanathan. It started with greetings.
Anna Eshu (left), representative of California’s 16th Congressional District, meets with Alex Sergeyev (center) and Bin Nuigen. (Image credit: Charlotte Geary/NSF)
“The AI Caucus event was a great opportunity to showcase and further enhance Michigan Tech’s national presence in AI education,” said Nguyen, co-principal investigator of the Beginnings Track project. Nuygen developed an AI-related curriculum for the project.
“Some of the things we discussed included workforce development and how AI will shape the nation’s future workforce,” he said. “There was also interest in Michigan Technological University’s rural location, as opposed to urban universities, and how that impacts the university’s research in advanced technology fields. ”
In addition to Michigan Technological University, 15 other universities were represented, including Georgia Tech, Texas A&M, Carnegie Mellon University, Oklahoma State University, the University of Washington, and the University of Florida.
Sergeyev, the principal investigator on the grant, demonstrated a project-related remotely operated robotic work cell at Michigan Technological University. Accessible from anywhere in the world through an Internet connection, remote work cells allow students to complete the same tasks as users physically in the lab.
“The developed technology for remote control of industrial robots generated great interest among the participants of the AI Capitol Hill event,” Sergeyev said. “The NSF director noted the transformative potential of this innovation, saying it could fundamentally change how industrial robotics training is delivered in the future.”
Building on this momentum, Sergeyev is working closely with NSF leadership to take full advantage of the capabilities of cutting-edge technology.
“We aim to establish a state-of-the-art remote training hub for industrial robotics at Michigan Technological University, which will provide students and professionals with hands-on, real-time training opportunities from anywhere. It sets a new standard for how advanced robotics skills are taught and developed.” Alex Sergeyev, Professor, Department of Applied Computing, College of Computing, Michigan Technological University.
Sergeyev believes that remote control can transcend geographic barriers, making high-quality robotics education more accessible to a global audience and leading Michigan Technological University to become a leader in industrial robotics training and innovation. He said it can be positioned at the forefront.
“Both Vin and I were very proud to stand at the Capitol representing Michigan Technological University,” Sergeyev said. “We are grateful for this unique opportunity to share the work we are doing to advance advanced manufacturing education in Northern Michigan and the Upper Peninsula.”
Founded in 1885 in Houghton, Michigan, Michigan Technological University is a public research university with more than 7,000 students from 55 countries around the world. Consistently ranked among the nation’s best universities for return on investment, Michigan’s flagship polytechnic offers 120 schools in science, technology, engineering, computing, forestry, business and economics, health professions, humanities, mathematics, and social studies. We offer undergraduate and graduate degree programs such as: science and art. This rural campus is located just a few miles from Lake Superior in Michigan’s Upper Peninsula, offering year-round outdoor adventure.
