• New Laptop Security System Developed
• Solar Car Has Its Day in the Sun
• College of Engineering Hosts International Symposium
• New High-Tech Training for Sports Enthusiasts

New Laptop Security System Developed

Brian Noble, the Morris Wellman Faculty Development Assistant Professor, Electrical Engineering and Computer Science (EECS), and Mark Corner, graduate-student research assistant, EECS, have developed a security framework for mobile computing devices. Called ZIA (Zero-Interaction Authentication), the system could help protect sensitive documents from falling into the wrong hands—a particular concern for government agencies.

Laptop users will have a personal “authentication device” that communicates their identities to their respective machines. Noble said that when a user “walks away from his laptop, it will sense that he’s leaving and begin securing the computer. As soon as the user comes back within radio range, the device will begin unlocking the computer so that it’s ready to resume work when the user sits down.” (IBM has already designed a Linux wristwatch that could act as the authentication device.)

Noble’s research was funded in part by Intel Corp., Novell Inc., the National Science Foundation, the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency and the U.S. Air Force.

Solar Car Has Its Day in the Sun

The M-Pulse, U-M’s sixth-generation solar vehicle, drew a lot of attention at the 2003 North American International Auto Show. M-Pulse finished first in the 2,300-mile cross-country American Solar Challenge. In the World Solar Challenge across the Australian Outback, M-Pulse was the fastest American car in the race, the leading amateur entry and, overall, the third-place finisher behind professional teams from the Netherlands and Australia. (Left) Solar car team captain Nader Shwayhat points out some solar car details to General Paul J. Kern (MSE ME ’73, MSE CEE ’73). (Left, middle) Crew Chief Joe Lambert talks about the aerodynamics of the M-Pulse’s leading edge. (Left, top) M-Pulse trophies from its world-class performances.

College of Engineering Hosts International Symposium

U.S. Representative Joseph Knollenberg (Mich.) delivered the luncheon address.

The College of Engineering hosted a two-day symposium addressing global energy issues, with a focus on the role of nuclear energy in meeting the increasing demand for energy supply. The symposium, “Energy and the Environment: the Role of Nuclear Power,” held October 3 and 4, featured an open forum in which prominent speakers from industry, government and academia discussed global perspectives on energy technology and policy, as well as recent developments and challenges for advanced nuclear energy systems.

Topics included Generation IV nuclear energy systems, enhanced safety, competitive energy costs, environmental impact and the risks of proliferation.

New High-Tech Training for Sports Enthusiasts

In an effort to sharpen his fly-casting skills, Noel Perkins, professor, Mechanical Engineering, set out to create a high-tech gadget that would improve his ability to place a fly just where he wants it on the water—and do it so delicately that it won’t startle a fish lying just beneath the surface. But he wound up with much more—a mechanism that has the potential to help enthusiasts in a number of sports sharpen their skills in just a few hours.

Perkins approached the complexities of fly-casting like an engineer—he analyzed the motions and, armed with tiny motion sensors created with microelectromechanical systems technology, built a device to track and measure how he was moving his fly rod. Perkins used this data to create a “motion signature” that can be compared to the motion of a fly rod in the hands of a professional.

Talking about his fly-casting woes, Perkins said that professional fly-casting instructors could easily spot such mistakes, but most novice fly fishers have trouble identifying these problems without expensive expert help. But Perkins’ device could provide affordable, portable assistance.

Perkins has also developed a device to help him with his golf game. And similar devices might also be useful for tennis, baseball and other sports.

Perkins and the University of Michigan Tech Transfer office have filed a U.S. patent and are working to market the invention to companies that have expressed an interest.

caption: Perkins’ gadget, attached to a fly rod, is a product of his insatiable curiosity and poor fly-fishing technique. Today it’s a device that has the potential to change the way athletes learn and train in any sport.

caption: Using tiny motion sensors, Perkins’ device measures how a fly rod moves in a casting motion. When wired to a Palm Pilot, the device tracks the angular speed of the rod. With plots of this data, beginners can compare their “casting signatures” with that of an expert and use the comparisons to improve their techniques.