By Gisele Galoustian | FAU News Desk
Florida Atlantic University’s College of Engineering and Computer Science has received a $500,000 grant from the National Science Foundation to develop an integrated research and training framework for workforce preparation in artificial intelligence, robotics and cyber-physical systems; technologies that are increasingly shaping the future of healthcare, infrastructure, autonomous systems and other critical fields.
AI-enabled robots and cyber-physical systems are rapidly expanding the capabilities of machines to sense, communicate, make decisions and interact with the physical world. Yet gaining meaningful experience with these technologies can be difficult because the computing resources, simulation environments, datasets and physical systems needed for realistic experimentation are often fragmented and inaccessible to students and researchers.
The FAU team will address this gap by developing shared cyberinfrastructure that allows participants to move between digital and physical environments and conduct more realistic, reproducible experiments. The project will provide research-grade workflows, digital twin environments, datasets, simulation resources, executable notebooks and experimental examples that can be used by students, researchers and educators.
The project is led by Xiangnan Zhong, Ph.D., principal investigator (PI), an associate professor in the Department of Electrical Engineering and Computer Science, and a member of FAU’s Center for Connected Autonomy and Artificial Intelligence (CA-AI). This award marks her fourth NSF grant as PI in intelligent systems and cyber-physical systems, building on a strong research record in these fields.
“Advanced robotics and AI are transforming science and engineering, but access to research-grade tools and hands-on experimentation remains limited,” said Zhong. “This project will help close that gap by bringing advanced computing, simulation and physical experimentation into an integrated research and training environment, opening new possibilities for discovery and building the expertise needed to develop the next generation of intelligent systems.”
The project brings together an interdisciplinary team with expertise in AI, robotics, computing, communications and biomedical engineering. Its applications span healthcare, autonomous systems and networked robots. Co-PIs are Erik Engeberg, Ph.D., professor of ocean and mechanical engineering and biomedical engineering; Zhen Ni, Ph.D., associate professor of electrical engineering and computer science; and George Sklivanitis, Ph.D., Charles E. Schmidt Research Associate Professor of electrical engineering and computer science and a faculty fellow with FAU’s Institute for Smarter Cities, Spaces and Health.
Ni and Sklivanitis are also members of FAU’s CA-AI, where Sklivanitis serves as associate director. The project will build on CA-AI’s cyberinfrastructure, including its digital twin computing platform and networked robotic testbed, to connect advanced simulation with physical experimentation and expand remote access to research-grade tools. These capabilities will support hands-on training and mentored research, helping prepare a skilled research workforce with the computational and data-driven expertise needed to advance AI-enabled robotics and cyber-physical systems.
“This NSF award reflects the strength and breadth of the College of Engineering and Computer Science and its commitment to preparing students for the technologies that will define the future,” said Stella Batalama, Ph.D., dean of FAU’s College of Engineering and Computer Science. “By bringing together AI, robotics, computing, communications and cybersecurity in an integrated research and training environment, Florida Atlantic is helping to develop the highly skilled workforce our nation needs.”
The long-term goal is to establish a scalable and sustainable cyberinfrastructure ecosystem that can support AI-enabled robotics and cyber-physical systems research and education well beyond the initial project. Future efforts will expand the framework to additional application areas, institutions and research communities, increasing access to advanced computing, digital twin and experimental capabilities while strengthening the national workforce in intelligent systems.
This article was produced by Florida Atlantic University’s News Desk and reposted here with permission.
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