Electrical &

Computer Engineering

Engineering Research Center for Subsurface Sensing & Imaging Systems

Research

The Center for Subsurface Sensing and Imaging Systems (CenSSIS) is a National Science Foundation (NSF) Engineering Research Center (ERC), one of an elite group of only nineteen ERCs in the nation.

Diverse Problems, Similar Solutions -- The CenSSIS mission is to revolutionize the existing technology for detecting and imaging biomedical and environmental-civil objects or conditions that are underground, underwater, or embedded in the human body. The Center's unified, multidisciplinary approach combines expertise in wave physics, sensor engineering, image processing, and inverse scattering with rigorous performance testing to create new sensing system prototypes that are transitioned to our fourteen industry partners for further development. A key element of the CenSSIS mission is to immerse students in efforts to solve important real-world problems such as noninvasive breast cancer detection or underground pollution assessment.

CenSSIS overlaps with photonics in several research and education projects.  ECE groups have led CenSSIS research developments in quantum imaging, photonic biosensing, and biomedical imaging.  We have collaborated on algorithmic and tool development for mine detection and hyperspectral imaging.

CenSSIS is creating a series of pathways that will prepare students to meet the changing expectations for engineers in the new work force, and connect directly to the current practice and tools of engineering. Our goal is to spark systematic change in engineering education. We are using cross-disciplinary, real-world challenges to inspire students and infuse them with a systems approach to solving the complex technological and societal problems of the next century.  At ECE, the High Tech Tools & Toys Lab introduces freshmen and senior project students to hands-on learning about imaging and sensing systems.

P. LaPlume, M. Ruane, "Using imaging to introduce engineering to freshmen", Session 1353, ASEE 2002 Annual Conference, Montreal, PQ, Canada, June 2002

S.S. Chang, M. Ruane, “Detection of Land Mines using GPR”, SPIE Aerosense Conference, Orlando, FL, April 23-26, 2003.