ME associate professors Kira Barton and Chinedum Okwudire have been identified by SME – a professional organization dedicated to the exchange of knowledge and resources that generate solutions to manufacturing industry challenges – as two of the 25 leaders transforming manufacturing.
The article, which asked the leaders transforming manufacturing what effect the coronavirus pandemic has had on their business, noted the following contributions that Drs. Barton and Okwudire have made to their fields.
“Barton and her team at U-M created a requirements-driven digital twin (DT) framework that defines the specifications necessary to enable DT re-usability, interoperability, interchangeability, maintainability, extensibility and autonomy across a broad range of applications.”
“Okwudire and his colleagues have created new algorithms that leverage control theory, advanced modeling and sensing, and machine learning to boost the speed and precision of desktop and industrial-grade 3D printers at low cost.”
In response to this acclamation, Dr. Okwudire said, “I am honored to receive this recognition, particularly because it recognizes the importance of not only the research that we are doing at U-M but also our efforts to translate it to the manufacturing industry to solve pressing problems.”
Of the 25 names listed in the SME article, only 5 are at academic institutions. The University of Michigan is the only institution with two “leaders transforming manufacturing.”
