Applied Materials donates more than $5M in equipment, services to UC Berkeley

With the aim of advancing semiconductor research, Santa Clara, Calif-based semiconductor manufacturing equipment leader Applied Materials is donating more than $5 million worth of processing equipment and services to the University of California, Berkeley’s Nanofabrication Laboratory in the Center for Information Technology Research in the Interest of Society (CITRIS), which complements equipment that the company donated to the university in 2002.

CITRIS is a center for graduate students, faculty and industrial researchers to create nanotechnology solutions for some of world’s most pressing social, environmental and health care issues.

“In order to accelerate breakthrough technologies, we believe it is important for students to work on advanced equipment and gain hands-on experience working on semiconductor devices. We are pleased to be part of CITRIS and look forward to working together with students and faculty, and to a stronger affiliation with the University,” commented Om Nalamasu, deputy CTO and VP of advanced technologies at Applied, in a statement.

The tools will be used by engineering students to accelerate groundbreaking research in semiconductor and related nanofabrication technology that could fuel new discoveries, noted Shankar Sastry, dean of the College of Engineering at Berkeley.

Source: Semiconductor.net

RoboCup Showcases Mobile Robots & Autonomous Systems

The RoboCup— now in its seventh year— is part of the “Mobile Robots & Autonomous Systems” showcase for the technology. Other robots on display offer everything from security to faster manufacturing. Some 850 robots were signed up, alongside 350 university students and computer engineers from 14 countries.

These robots come in a multitude of designs— ranging from thumb-sized midgets to 80-centimeters giants. Their common aim? To win the annual RoboCup German Open at the Hannover Trade Fair by getting the ball into their opponents’ goal.

The contest, which began Tuesday and concludes Friday, is part of a wider effort to educate the public about how far robot technology has developed and how it is used in everyday life.

Source: Sci-Tech Today

SME Education Foundation to Offer Two New Automation Scholarships

Students pursuing careers in machining technology and manufacturing technology will have two new scholarships available through the Society of Manufacturing Engineers (SME) Education Foundation, thanks to funding from the Gene Haas Foundation.

 
The Gene Haas Foundation Machining Technology Scholarship and Manufacturing Technology Scholarship will be awarded to qualifying students starting in mid-2008. The Gene Haas Foundation made the scholarships possible through a $160,000 grant to the SME Education Foundation.

High school seniors, graduates, or GED recipients will be eligible for the one-year Machining Technology Scholarship, which will range from $1,000 to $5,000 for each awarded scholarship. Through its partnership with Project Lead the Way – a nonprofit program that offers science, technology, engineering and math (STEM) curriculum in middle and high schools – the SME Education Foundation will have the opportunity to draw from a national network of students participating in programs at more than 3,000 schools. This scholarship is specifically designated for students interested in coursework focused on machine operation and maintenance.

The one-year Manufacturing Technology Scholarship, which also will range from $1,000 to $5,000 per scholarship, will be offered to high school seniors or undergraduates interested in manufacturing technology or manufacturing engineering careers.

Source: PRLog

Mechatronics Training

If mechatronics wasn’t difficult enough to define (concisely), try and get a degree in it! Interestingly, with the increased attention that mechatronics is receiving around the globe there are established degree programs in Europe and Australia. Some schools in the US are picking up on the trend. The electric car races, Darpa Challenge and battling robot competitions, with some very hefty cash prizes, have stimulated interest from thousands of participants and spectators alike.

The latest innovation is the partnering of schools, automation equipment suppliers and funding from the Department of Labor. DOL (Department of Labor) estimates that 10 million technical factory jobs could go unfilled by the year 2020 without an aggressive effort to train students and teachers. The assessment of American labor’s capability to deal with emerging technology trends on the factory floor has lead DOL to contribute millions of dollars in cooperation with schools and equipment companies to make state-of-the-art training available on a large scale. Read more