BEGIN:VCALENDAR
VERSION:2.0
PRODID:-//Penn Engineering Events - ECPv6.15.18//NONSGML v1.0//EN
CALSCALE:GREGORIAN
METHOD:PUBLISH
X-WR-CALNAME:Penn Engineering Events
X-ORIGINAL-URL:https://seasevents.nmsdev7.com
X-WR-CALDESC:Events for Penn Engineering Events
REFRESH-INTERVAL;VALUE=DURATION:PT1H
X-Robots-Tag:noindex
X-PUBLISHED-TTL:PT1H
BEGIN:VTIMEZONE
TZID:America/New_York
BEGIN:DAYLIGHT
TZOFFSETFROM:-0500
TZOFFSETTO:-0400
TZNAME:EDT
DTSTART:20220313T070000
END:DAYLIGHT
BEGIN:STANDARD
TZOFFSETFROM:-0400
TZOFFSETTO:-0500
TZNAME:EST
DTSTART:20221106T060000
END:STANDARD
BEGIN:DAYLIGHT
TZOFFSETFROM:-0500
TZOFFSETTO:-0400
TZNAME:EDT
DTSTART:20230312T070000
END:DAYLIGHT
BEGIN:STANDARD
TZOFFSETFROM:-0400
TZOFFSETTO:-0500
TZNAME:EST
DTSTART:20231105T060000
END:STANDARD
BEGIN:DAYLIGHT
TZOFFSETFROM:-0500
TZOFFSETTO:-0400
TZNAME:EDT
DTSTART:20240310T070000
END:DAYLIGHT
BEGIN:STANDARD
TZOFFSETFROM:-0400
TZOFFSETTO:-0500
TZNAME:EST
DTSTART:20241103T060000
END:STANDARD
END:VTIMEZONE
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=America/New_York:20231024T100000
DTEND;TZID=America/New_York:20231024T113000
DTSTAMP:20260404T020514
CREATED:20230817T145900Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20230817T145900Z
UID:10007640-1698141600-1698147000@seasevents.nmsdev7.com
SUMMARY:MEAM Seminar: "Granular and Photoelastic Avalanches"
DESCRIPTION:Flowing granular materials arise everywhere around us\, in industry from pharmaceutical processes to bulk good transport lines\, and in nature from snow avalanches to captivating dune fields. \nIn landslides\, we have an interesting interplay between microscale (grain-grain contacts) and macroscale processes (continuum behavior). In order to understand critical macroscale processes such as stability of a slope\, creep and failure\, we need to be able to visualize and characterize the microscale interactions. \nIn this talk\, I will introduce a laboratory technique called photoelasticity to visualize grain-grain contacts in time and space. Collisions between grains create a fascinating network of so-called force chains\, which are responsible for the inhomogeneous distribution of stresses in a granular medium. We discover stress distributions in 2D granular avalanches\, visualized with bespoke\, superior-quality birefringent photoelastic particles. This technique gives us for the first time access to the full velocity\, density and stress fields inside of a dynamic avalanche\, and allows us to experimentally validate granular rheological models.
URL:https://seasevents.nmsdev7.com/event/meam-seminar-granular-and-photoelastic-avalanches/
LOCATION:Wu and Chen Auditorium (Room 101)\, Levine Hall\, 3330 Walnut Street\, Philadelphia\, PA\, 19104\, United States
CATEGORIES:Seminar
ORGANIZER;CN="Mechanical Engineering and Applied Mechanics":MAILTO:meam@seas.upenn.edu
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=America/New_York:20231024T110000
DTEND;TZID=America/New_York:20231024T120000
DTSTAMP:20260404T020514
CREATED:20230829T200102Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20230829T200102Z
UID:10007655-1698145200-1698148800@seasevents.nmsdev7.com
SUMMARY:ESE Fall Seminar - "Acceleration by Stepsize Hedging"
DESCRIPTION:Can we accelerate convergence of gradient descent without changing the algorithm — just by optimizing stepsizes? Surprisingly\, we show that the answer is yes. Our proposed Silver Stepsize Schedule optimizes strongly convex functions in $k^{\log_p 2} = k^{0.7864}$ iterations\, where $p=1+\sqrt{2}$ is the silver ratio and $k$ is the condition number. This is intermediate between the textbook unaccelerated rate $k$ and the accelerated rate $\sqrt{k}$ due to Nesterov in 1983. The non-strongly convex setting is conceptually identical\, and we obtain an analogous accelerated rate $\eps^{-\log_p 2} = \eps^{-0.7864}$. We conjecture and provide partial evidence that these rates are optimal among all possible stepsize schedules. \nThe Silver Stepsize Schedule is an explicit non-monotonic fractal. Why should such stepsizes help? The core intuition is “hedging” between individually suboptimal strategies — short steps and long steps — since bad cases for the former are good cases for the latter\, and vice versa. Properly combining these stepsizes yields faster convergence due to the misalignment of worst-case functions. This talk is based on joint work with Pablo Parrilo that publishes and extends my 2018 Master’s Thesis — which established for the first time that judiciously chosen stepsizes can enable accelerated convex optimization. Prior to this thesis\, the only such result was for the special case of quadratics\, due to Young in 1953.
URL:https://seasevents.nmsdev7.com/event/ese-fall-seminar-title-tbd-5/
LOCATION:Glandt Forum\, Singh Center for Nanotechnology\, 3205 Walnut Street\, Philadelphia\, PA\, 19104\, United States
CATEGORIES:Colloquium
ORGANIZER;CN="Electrical and Systems Engineering":MAILTO:eseevents@seas.upenn.edu
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=America/New_York:20231025T120000
DTEND;TZID=America/New_York:20231025T131500
DTSTAMP:20260404T020514
CREATED:20230928T141244Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20230928T141244Z
UID:10007706-1698235200-1698239700@seasevents.nmsdev7.com
SUMMARY:ASSET Seminar: "Towards a Design Flow for Verified AI-Based Autonomy" (Sajit A. Seshia\, University of California\, Berkeley)
DESCRIPTION:ABSTRACT: \nVerified artificial intelligence (AI) is the goal of designing AI-based systems that have strong\, ideally provable\, assurances of correctness with respect to formally specified requirements. This talk will review the main challenges to achieving Verified AI\, and the initial progress the research community has made towards this goal. A particular focus will be on AI-based autonomous and semi-autonomous cyber-physical systems (CPS). Building on this initial progress\, there is a need to develop a new generation of design automation techniques\, rooted in formal methods\, to enable and support the routine development of high assurance AI-based autonomy. I will describe our work on formal methods for Verified AI-based autonomy\, implemented in the open-source Scenic and VerifAI toolkits. The use of these tools will be demonstrated in industrial case studies involving deep learning-based autonomy in ground and air vehicles
URL:https://seasevents.nmsdev7.com/event/asset-seminar-sanjit-a-seshia-university-of-california-berkeley/
LOCATION:Levine 307\, 3330 Walnut Street\, Philadelphia\, PA\, 19104\, United States
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=America/New_York:20231025T150000
DTEND;TZID=America/New_York:20231025T160000
DTSTAMP:20260404T020514
CREATED:20231019T142926Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20231019T142926Z
UID:10007737-1698246000-1698249600@seasevents.nmsdev7.com
SUMMARY:Fall 2023 GRASP SFI:  Matthew D. Kvalheim\, University of Maryland\, Baltimore County\, "Discovering engineering (im)possibilities with geometry and topology"
DESCRIPTION:This is a hybrid event with in-person attendance in Levine 307 and virtual attendance on Zoom. \nABSTRACT\nI will describe engineering (im)possibilities discovered with geometry or topology. These provide or revoke “hunting licenses” for the search of quantities of interest in three contexts: feedback control\, applied Koopmanism\, and deep neural network autoencoders. \nControl-Lyapunov or barrier functions yield sufficient conditions for stability or safety to be achievable with feedback control\, but cannot determine if this is not achievable. I will present user-friendly “tests” to determine this\, along with ongoing work on sufficient conditions for periodic orbit stabilizability. \nAn open problem for Koopman methods has been to determine the class of dynamical systems that are globally linearizable in the sense of admitting an embedding into a linear system on a Euclidean space. I will present a solution for the case of linearizing compact invariant sets or attractor basins. \nTopological obstructions dictate that autoencoders cannot provide nonlinear dimensionality reductions with small errors\, and yet\, the wide practical applicability of the method evidences remarkable empirical success. I will offer a resolution to this apparent paradox. \nThis is joint work with P. Arathoon\, A. M. Bloch\, D. E. Koditschek\, and E. D. Sontag.
URL:https://seasevents.nmsdev7.com/event/fall-2023-grasp-sfi-matthew-kvalheim/
LOCATION:Levine 307\, 3330 Walnut Street\, Philadelphia\, PA\, 19104\, United States
CATEGORIES:Seminar
ORGANIZER;CN="General Robotics%2C Automation%2C Sensing and Perception (GRASP) Lab":MAILTO:grasplab@seas.upenn.edu
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=America/New_York:20231025T153000
DTEND;TZID=America/New_York:20231025T163000
DTSTAMP:20260404T020514
CREATED:20230825T195555Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20230825T195555Z
UID:10007646-1698247800-1698251400@seasevents.nmsdev7.com
SUMMARY:CBE Seminar: "Transformer-based Hybrid Modeling and Control of Evolving\, Nonlinear Processes" (Kwon\, Texas A&M University)
DESCRIPTION:Traditionally\, the dynamic modeling of chemical processes has relied on first-principles models grounded in fundamental physics and chemistry laws. These models\, primarily formulated through differential equations with constant parameters\, enable the calculation of control actions optimizing process operations\, taking both process and actuator limitations into account. However\, the ever-evolving and nonlinear nature of chemical processes frequently calls for models with time-varying parameters. Motivated by these challenges\, we have developed hybrid models that integrate system-agnostic first-principles dynamics with system-specific data-driven\, time-varying parameters. Our hybrid modeling framework incorporates a recent innovation: attention-based time-series transformers (TSTs) coupled with positional encoding. This marks a pioneering venture into applying the transformer algorithm – a cornerstone in ChatGPT’s triumph – to nonlinear\, time-varying processes. By analyzing data across both current and preceding time steps\, the TST captures both immediate and historical changes in process states\, granting a contextual insight on process dynamics\, mirroring ChatGPT’s textual context understanding. This TST-based hybrid model identifies correlations between process parameters and state variables. Its versatility is evident as it adapts to a spectrum of models – from density function theory to computational fluid dynamics -and scales\, spanning from laboratory to extensive industrial environments. We will present applications of this hybrid modeling and control architecture\, showcasing its utility from labs to industrial processes\, made possible through partnerships with leading chemical process enterprises.
URL:https://seasevents.nmsdev7.com/event/cbe-seminar-transformer-based-hybrid-modeling-and-control-of-evolving-nonlinear-processes-kwon-texas-am-university/
LOCATION:Wu and Chen Auditorium (Room 101)\, Levine Hall\, 3330 Walnut Street\, Philadelphia\, PA\, 19104\, United States
CATEGORIES:Seminar
ORGANIZER;CN="Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering":MAILTO:cbemail@seas.upenn.edu
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=America/New_York:20231025T173000
DTEND;TZID=America/New_York:20231025T190000
DTSTAMP:20260404T020514
CREATED:20231019T191642Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20231019T191642Z
UID:10007739-1698255000-1698260400@seasevents.nmsdev7.com
SUMMARY:MSE OPEN HOUSE: "Photonics: From Probing Fundamental Physics to Enabling Computing at the Speed of Light” Liang Feng\, University of Pennsylvania
DESCRIPTION:
URL:https://seasevents.nmsdev7.com/event/mse-open-house-photonics-from-probing-fundamental-physics-to-enabling-computing-at-the-speed-of-light-liang-feng-university-of-pennsylvania/
LOCATION:LRSM Reading Room\, 3231 Walnut St.\, Philadelphia\, PA\, 19104\, United States
CATEGORIES:Undergraduate,Symposium
ORGANIZER;CN="Materials Science and Engineering":MAILTO:johnruss@seas.upenn.edu
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=America/New_York:20231026T103000
DTEND;TZID=America/New_York:20231026T120000
DTSTAMP:20260404T020514
CREATED:20230918T165332Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20230918T165332Z
UID:10007698-1698316200-1698321600@seasevents.nmsdev7.com
SUMMARY:MSE Seminar: "Advanced Analytical Characterization of Next Generation Energy Storage Systems" - Nik Singh - Toyota Research Institute of North America
DESCRIPTION:Advances in hybrid and electric vehicle technologies combined with a demand for green initiatives have recently motivated necessary diversification in energy storage research. To achieve customer expectations for hybrid and electric vehicles\, new battery systems with higher energy densities\, power densities and cycle life than the current state-of-art Lithium (Li)-ion battery are needed. Further\, to achieve necessary standards for green initiatives for hybrid and electric vehicles\, a closer examination of the processes and materials involved in battery systems is also critical. Examples of such Li-ion battery systems are those focused on the utilization of Silicon (Si) or Li metal as the anode\, or the use of low-Cobalt (Co) or Co-free cathodes\, or the move towards closed-loop battery ecosystems. However\, the development of such systems is complicated at the fundamental level by process-driven impurities and chemical incompatibilities in current liquid battery systems. \nAmong additional strategies under consideration for energy storage diversification\, the use of solid-state electrolytes (inclusive of polymers\, gels and conducting ceramics) stands out since the implementation of solid-state electrolytes can also serve as a mechanical barrier towards Li dendrite formation (and hence potentially subdue thermal runaway events). However\, solid-state electrolytes exhibit lower ionic conductivities and display poor interfacial stability towards higher energy Li metal anodes. While optimizations to overcome such intrinsic challenges in both liquid and solid-state battery materials continue\, even less is known about the interfacial interactions between both types of electrolytes and anodes/cathodes. Since battery system interfaces eventually govern the performance of the battery\, studies into understanding these interactions remains essential. Here\, we present an overview of select studies undertaken for the interfacial interactions between various liquid and solid electrolytes under consideration for metal battery systems today. The studies cover interfacial observations\, nucleation and growth of the metal anode and the chemo-mechanical transformations within electrolytes\, and at their interfaces with metal anode materials. Tandem analytical ex-situ and in-situ studies via transmission electron microcopy (TEM) and X-ray absorption spectroscopy (XAS) can reveal the interfacial interactions and failure modes between metal anodes and commonly used liquid and solid battery electrolytes. The presented studies allow for comparisons of metal anode properties for each electrolyte material and stand to help clarify interfacial\, morphological and failure evolution mechanisms during battery cycling from them. Further\, we present the need for bridging length scales across multiple analytical techniques when analyzing energy storage system materials\, to be able to better correlate model studies and commercial products.
URL:https://seasevents.nmsdev7.com/event/mse-seminar-advanced-analytical-characterization-of-next-generation-energy-storage-systems-toyota-research-institute-of-north-america/
LOCATION:Wu and Chen Auditorium (Room 101)\, Levine Hall\, 3330 Walnut Street\, Philadelphia\, PA\, 19104\, United States
CATEGORIES:Seminar
ORGANIZER;CN="Materials Science and Engineering":MAILTO:johnruss@seas.upenn.edu
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=America/New_York:20231026T110000
DTEND;TZID=America/New_York:20231026T120000
DTSTAMP:20260404T020514
CREATED:20231016T001108Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20231016T001108Z
UID:10007729-1698318000-1698321600@seasevents.nmsdev7.com
SUMMARY:PRECISE Seminar: Machines that Talk to the Brain and Think Like the Mind
DESCRIPTION:Abstract\n\nCommunicating with the brain enables us to advance our understanding of brain function\, treat disorders\, restore lost function\, and when combined with artificial cognitive frameworks\, can push the frontier of human capabilities. Key to realizing brain communication and replicating cognition are new computer architectures– systems that directly sense and stimulate the brain\, and those capable of running complex cognitive frameworks. In this talk\, I will present recent work on the first brain-computer interfacing platform\, SCALO\, that can sense\, process and stimulate neural activity from multiple regions of the brain with millisecond latency and milliwatts of power. SCALO flexibly supports many neuroscientific applications\, enabling for the first time\, study of brain-wide behavior and diseases. I will also share how new quantum and classical platforms are needed to accelerate cognitive neuroscience modeling\, and outline an end to end design that connects such platforms with brain interfaces.
URL:https://seasevents.nmsdev7.com/event/precise-seminar-machines-that-talk-to-the-brain-and-think-like-the-mind/
LOCATION:Levine 307\, 3330 Walnut Street\, Philadelphia\, PA\, 19104\, United States
ORGANIZER;CN="PRECISE":MAILTO:wng@cis.upenn.edu
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=America/New_York:20231027T100000
DTEND;TZID=America/New_York:20231027T110000
DTSTAMP:20260404T020514
CREATED:20231012T001848Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20231012T001848Z
UID:10007726-1698400800-1698404400@seasevents.nmsdev7.com
SUMMARY:PRECISE Seminar: "Communication and Sensing with Laser Light"
DESCRIPTION:Abstract\n\nThe physical properties of laser light make it a perfect medium for a plethora of applications. Examples include high-bandwidth data communication thanks to its fast modulation speed\, efficient power delivery given its high energy density\, and fine-grained human sensing and object tracking because of its nanometer-level wavelength. Despite its potential\, laser light still faces numerous challenges in emergent mobile applications\, given its high directionality\, sensitivity to environmental dynamics\, and constraints in laser hardware. \nIn this talk\, I will describe our effort of realizing robust communication and sensing with laser light for mobile applications. I will begin with realizing robust air-water communication and sensing with laser light. The ability to communicate and sense across the air-water boundary is essential for efficient exploration and monitoring of the underwater world. I will present our systems to allow an aerial drone to communicate with and locate underwater robots. I will also introduce our latest work Lasertag that overcomes laser’s high directionality to enable laser tethering with highly mobile targets using portable hardware. Finally\, I will overview our years-long endeavor of noninvasive glucose sensing with laser light and conclude with future work.
URL:https://seasevents.nmsdev7.com/event/precise-seminar-communication-and-sensing-with-laser-light/
LOCATION:Levine 307\, 3330 Walnut Street\, Philadelphia\, PA\, 19104\, United States
ORGANIZER;CN="PRECISE":MAILTO:wng@cis.upenn.edu
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=America/New_York:20231027T103000
DTEND;TZID=America/New_York:20231027T114500
DTSTAMP:20260404T020514
CREATED:20230911T205402Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20230911T205402Z
UID:10007688-1698402600-1698407100@seasevents.nmsdev7.com
SUMMARY:Fall 2023 GRASP on Robotics: Nick Gravish\, University of California\, San Diego\, "Adaptive robots through reconfiguration\, compliance\, and contact"
DESCRIPTION:This is a hybrid event with in-person attendance in Wu and Chen and virtual attendance on Zoom. \nABSTRACT\nRecent advances in robot materials and algorithms have enabled new levels of adaptive and versatile behavior. In this talk I will describe my lab’s efforts to create robots\, mechanisms\, and control algorithms capable of adaptive behaviors in response to perturbations from the environment or body morphology. I will first describe how the modulation of material curvature can enable reconfigurable robot appendages and bodies\, culminating in new modes of robot manipulation and locomotion. Next\, I will describe our work on flapping wing actuation through bioinspired autonomous oscillators with adaptive and responsive dynamics. Lastly\, I will describe how to design adaptive proprioceptive feedback laws which can enable robot groups to synchronize locomotion purely through contact interactions. In total this work illustrates how simple mechanisms and algorithms can give rise to a rich design space for dynamic and responsive robots.
URL:https://seasevents.nmsdev7.com/event/fall-2023-grasp-on-robotics-nick-gravish-university-of-california-san-diego-adaptive-robots-through-reconfiguration-compliance-and-contact/
LOCATION:Wu and Chen Auditorium (Room 101)\, Levine Hall\, 3330 Walnut Street\, Philadelphia\, PA\, 19104\, United States
CATEGORIES:Seminar
ORGANIZER;CN="General Robotics%2C Automation%2C Sensing and Perception (GRASP) Lab":MAILTO:grasplab@seas.upenn.edu
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=America/New_York:20231027T110000
DTEND;TZID=America/New_York:20231027T120000
DTSTAMP:20260404T020514
CREATED:20230829T200443Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20230829T200443Z
UID:10007656-1698404400-1698408000@seasevents.nmsdev7.com
SUMMARY:ESE Fall Seminar - "Quantum sensing and imaging with diamond spins"
DESCRIPTION:Solid state spin qubits\, in particular the nitrogen vacancy (NV) center in diamond\, offer a path towards truly nanoscale imaging of condensed matter and biological systems with sensitivity to single nuclear spins. Here I discuss our NV-based magnetic imaging experiments as applied to condensed matter systems\, where we have imaged current flow patterns in graphene in order to reveal the transition from ohmic to electron-collision-dominated flow regimes. A grand challenge to improving the spatial resolution and magnetic sensitivity of the NV is mitigating surface-induced quantum decoherence\, which I will discuss in the second part of this talk. Decoherence at interfaces is a universal problem that affects many quantum technologies\, but the microscopic origins are as yet unclear. Our studies guide the ongoing development of quantum control and materials control\, pushing towards the ultimate goal of NV-based single nuclear spin imaging.
URL:https://seasevents.nmsdev7.com/event/ese-fall-seminar-title-tbd-6/
LOCATION:Berger Auditorium (Room 13)\, Skirkanich Hall\, 210 South 33rd Street\, Philadelphia\, PA\, 19104\, United States
CATEGORIES:Colloquium
ORGANIZER;CN="Electrical and Systems Engineering":MAILTO:eseevents@seas.upenn.edu
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=America/New_York:20231027T140000
DTEND;TZID=America/New_York:20231027T150000
DTSTAMP:20260404T020514
CREATED:20231018T160158Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20231018T160158Z
UID:10007734-1698415200-1698418800@seasevents.nmsdev7.com
SUMMARY:PICS Colloquium: "Modeling Assembly of Colloids with Charges and with Mobile Binders"
DESCRIPTION:In this talk\, I will present our recent efforts in probing the physical processes underlying self-assembly of colloidal gels and crystals. Nano-meter to micron sized particles in suspension can be a powerful platform for assembly novel functional materials\, but the challenge is to design interactions such that desired functionality is achieved. Moreover\, for practical purposes this must be done on a large scale. First\, I will discuss our work on using particles with many mobile binding sites\, where particles can ‘choose’ their number of neighbors by assembling adhesion patches between particles. Second\, I will discuss nucleation and growth of crystals formed from pairs of charged colloidal particles in suspension.
URL:https://seasevents.nmsdev7.com/event/pics-colloquium-modeling-assembly-of-colloids-with-charges-and-with-mobile-binders/
LOCATION:PICS Conference Room 534 – A Wing \, 5th Floor\, 3401 Walnut Street\, Philadelphia\, PA\, 19104\, United States
CATEGORIES:Colloquium
ORGANIZER;CN="Penn Institute for Computational Science (PICS)":MAILTO:dkparks@seas.upenn.edu
END:VEVENT
END:VCALENDAR