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Suggested Citation:"Front Matter." National Academy of Engineering. 1998. Frontiers of Engineering: Reports on Leading Edge Engineering from the 1997 NAE Symposium on Frontiers of Engineering. Washington, DC: The National Academies Press. doi: 10.17226/6041.
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Third Annual Symposium on Frontiers of Engineering

NATIONAL ACADEMY OF ENGINEERING

NATIONAL ACADEMY PRESS
Washington, D.C.
1998

Suggested Citation:"Front Matter." National Academy of Engineering. 1998. Frontiers of Engineering: Reports on Leading Edge Engineering from the 1997 NAE Symposium on Frontiers of Engineering. Washington, DC: The National Academies Press. doi: 10.17226/6041.
×

NATIONAL ACADEMY PRESS 2101 Constitution Ave., N.W. Washington, DC 20418

NOTICE: The National Academy of Engineering (NAE), a private nonprofit institution, was established in 1964 under the charter of the National Academy of Sciences (NAS) as a parallel organization of distinguished engineers. It is autonomous in its administration and in its selection of members, sharing with the NAS the responsibility of advising the federal government on scientific and technical matters; this mandate is carried out through joint supervision of the National Research Council. The NAE also sponsors an independent study program aimed at meeting national needs, encourages engineering education and research, and recognizes the superior achievement of engineers. Wm. A. Wulf is president of the NAE.

This publication has been reviewed according to procedures approved by a National Academy of Engineering report review process. Publication of signed work signifies that it is judged a competent and useful contribution worthy of public consideration, but it does not imply endorsement of conclusions or recommendations by the NAE. The interpretations and conclusions in such publications are those of the authors and do not purport to represent the views of the council, officers, or staff of the national Academy of Engineering.

Funding for the activity that led to this publication was provided by the National Science Foundation, the U.S. Department of Defense, the U.S. Department of Energy, the National Institute of Standards and Technology, and the National Academy of Engineering Fund.

Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Number 98-84374

International Standard Book Number 0-309-05983-6

Copyright © 1998 by the National Academy of Sciences. All rights reserved.

Printed in the United States of America

Suggested Citation:"Front Matter." National Academy of Engineering. 1998. Frontiers of Engineering: Reports on Leading Edge Engineering from the 1997 NAE Symposium on Frontiers of Engineering. Washington, DC: The National Academies Press. doi: 10.17226/6041.
×

Organizing Committee

Third Annual Symposium on Frontiers of Engineering

ROBERT H. WAGONER (Chair), Professor,

Department of Materials Science and Engineering, Ohio State University

CHARLOTTE CHEN-TSAI, Technology Manager,

North America, Alcoa Closure Systems International

SUSAN CORWIN, Director,

Computing Enhancement Architecture Lab, Intel Corporation

CONNIE L. GUTOWSKI, Windstar Chassis Manager,

Ford Motor Company

DANIEL E. HASTINGS, Chief Scientist,

United States Air Force

H. GENE HAWKINS, JR., Associate Research Engineer,

Texas Transportation Institute, Texas A&M University

PAUL NIELAN, Department Manager,

Solid and Material Mechanics Department, Sandia National Laboratories

RICHARD S. PARNAS, Group Leader,

Polymer Composites, National Institute of Standards and Technology

ELSA REICHMANIS, Head,

Polymer and Organic Materials Research Department, Lucent Technologies

SHERI SHEPPARD, Associate Professor,

Mechanical Engineering-Design Division, Stanford University

DEBORAH L. THURSTON, Associate Professor,

Department of General Engineering, University of Illinois, Urbana-Champaign

SHAWN M. WALSH, Materials Engineer,

U.S. Army Research Laboratory

Staff

JANET R. HUNZIKER, Program Officer

MARY W. L. KUTRUFF, Project Assistant

Suggested Citation:"Front Matter." National Academy of Engineering. 1998. Frontiers of Engineering: Reports on Leading Edge Engineering from the 1997 NAE Symposium on Frontiers of Engineering. Washington, DC: The National Academies Press. doi: 10.17226/6041.
×
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Suggested Citation:"Front Matter." National Academy of Engineering. 1998. Frontiers of Engineering: Reports on Leading Edge Engineering from the 1997 NAE Symposium on Frontiers of Engineering. Washington, DC: The National Academies Press. doi: 10.17226/6041.
×

Preface

This book is the third publication highlighting the presentations of the National Academy of Engineering's (NAE) symposium series, Frontiers of Engineering. The Third Annual NAE Symposium on Frontiers of Engineering was held September 18–20, 1997, at the Beckman Center in Irvine, California. The 101 emerging engineering leaders from industry, academia, and federal laboratories who attended the meeting heard presentations and discussed pioneering research and technical work in a variety of engineering fields. Symposium speakers were asked to prepare extended abstracts of their presentations, and it is those papers that are contained here.

Goals of Frontiers of Engineering

In 1994, the NAE Council initiated Frontiers of Engineering, and the first symposium was held in September 1995. Motivating the activity is the idea that the changing nature of engineering compels researchers and practitioners alike to be aware of developments and challenges in areas other than their own. Providing an opportunity for outstanding younger engineers to hear from their peers about these frontiers will, it is anticipated, lead to collaborative work, the transfer of new techniques and approaches across fields, and the establishment of contacts among the next generation of leaders in engineering, among other benefits.

Symposium participants represent the full range of engineering fields in the industrial, academic, and government sectors. They are invited to attend after a competitive nomination and selection process. The number of participants is kept relatively low, about 100, to maximize the opportunity for inter-

Suggested Citation:"Front Matter." National Academy of Engineering. 1998. Frontiers of Engineering: Reports on Leading Edge Engineering from the 1997 NAE Symposium on Frontiers of Engineering. Washington, DC: The National Academies Press. doi: 10.17226/6041.
×

action and exchange among the attendees. The selection of topics and speakers for each year's meeting is carried out by an organizing committee composed of engineers in the same 30- to 45-year-old cohort as the target participants.

Content of the Third Annual Symposium

Presentations at the symposium covered leading-edge research and technical work in five areas: biomechanics; sensors and control for manufacturing processes; safety and security issues; decision making tools for design and manufacturing; and intelligent transportation systems. Talks focused on such topics as implant design and technology, design and application of optical fiber sensors, quadrupole resonance explosive detection systems, multicriteria evaluation of manufacturing performance, and automated highway systems. (See Appendixes for complete program.) Speakers were asked to tailor their talks to a technically sophisticated but nonspecialist audience and to address such questions as: What are the frontiers in their field? What experiments, prototypes, and design studies are completed and in progress? What new tools and methodologies are being used? What are the current limitations on advances? What is the theoretical, commercial, societal, and long-term significance of the work?

As in past years, the varied backgrounds of the participants set the stage for lively question-and-answer periods and discussions both during and after the formal sessions. The 1997 program included a wrap-up session intended to focus on some of the broader, more policy-oriented issues that emerged from the sessions and a field trip to the Beckman Laser Institute.

Philip M. Condit, chairman and CEO of The Boeing Company, gave the after-dinner address on the first evening of the symposium. His presentation, which is also included in this volume, focused on today's rapid pace of change. He urged symposium participants to keep an open mind about learning from others, including those from dissimilar industries and disciplines.

As with past symposia, feedback from participants confirmed the value of Frontiers of Engineering. Attendees found the opportunity to interact with engineers from other sectors and disciplines a broadening experience that, if nothing else, exposed them to ideas and people that they would not have encountered in any other forum. Moreover, many mentioned how useful the presentations and discussion were to particular aspects of their work. Comments such as these indicate that the groundwork is being laid for achieving the goals set out by this activity.

Funding for the Third Annual Symposium on Frontiers of Engineering was provided by the National Science Foundation, the U.S. Department of Defense, the U.S. Department of Energy, and the National Institute of Standards and Technology. The National Academy of Engineering would like to

Suggested Citation:"Front Matter." National Academy of Engineering. 1998. Frontiers of Engineering: Reports on Leading Edge Engineering from the 1997 NAE Symposium on Frontiers of Engineering. Washington, DC: The National Academies Press. doi: 10.17226/6041.
×

express its appreciation to these groups for sponsoring the symposium as well as to the members of the Symposium Organizing Committee (see p. iii) for their work in planning and organizing this event.

Page viii Cite
Suggested Citation:"Front Matter." National Academy of Engineering. 1998. Frontiers of Engineering: Reports on Leading Edge Engineering from the 1997 NAE Symposium on Frontiers of Engineering. Washington, DC: The National Academies Press. doi: 10.17226/6041.
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This page in the original is blank.
Suggested Citation:"Front Matter." National Academy of Engineering. 1998. Frontiers of Engineering: Reports on Leading Edge Engineering from the 1997 NAE Symposium on Frontiers of Engineering. Washington, DC: The National Academies Press. doi: 10.17226/6041.
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Suggested Citation:"Front Matter." National Academy of Engineering. 1998. Frontiers of Engineering: Reports on Leading Edge Engineering from the 1997 NAE Symposium on Frontiers of Engineering. Washington, DC: The National Academies Press. doi: 10.17226/6041.
×
Suggested Citation:"Front Matter." National Academy of Engineering. 1998. Frontiers of Engineering: Reports on Leading Edge Engineering from the 1997 NAE Symposium on Frontiers of Engineering. Washington, DC: The National Academies Press. doi: 10.17226/6041.
×
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Suggested Citation:"Front Matter." National Academy of Engineering. 1998. Frontiers of Engineering: Reports on Leading Edge Engineering from the 1997 NAE Symposium on Frontiers of Engineering. Washington, DC: The National Academies Press. doi: 10.17226/6041.
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Suggested Citation:"Front Matter." National Academy of Engineering. 1998. Frontiers of Engineering: Reports on Leading Edge Engineering from the 1997 NAE Symposium on Frontiers of Engineering. Washington, DC: The National Academies Press. doi: 10.17226/6041.
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Suggested Citation:"Front Matter." National Academy of Engineering. 1998. Frontiers of Engineering: Reports on Leading Edge Engineering from the 1997 NAE Symposium on Frontiers of Engineering. Washington, DC: The National Academies Press. doi: 10.17226/6041.
×
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Suggested Citation:"Front Matter." National Academy of Engineering. 1998. Frontiers of Engineering: Reports on Leading Edge Engineering from the 1997 NAE Symposium on Frontiers of Engineering. Washington, DC: The National Academies Press. doi: 10.17226/6041.
×
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Suggested Citation:"Front Matter." National Academy of Engineering. 1998. Frontiers of Engineering: Reports on Leading Edge Engineering from the 1997 NAE Symposium on Frontiers of Engineering. Washington, DC: The National Academies Press. doi: 10.17226/6041.
×
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Suggested Citation:"Front Matter." National Academy of Engineering. 1998. Frontiers of Engineering: Reports on Leading Edge Engineering from the 1997 NAE Symposium on Frontiers of Engineering. Washington, DC: The National Academies Press. doi: 10.17226/6041.
×
Page R7
Page viii Cite
Suggested Citation:"Front Matter." National Academy of Engineering. 1998. Frontiers of Engineering: Reports on Leading Edge Engineering from the 1997 NAE Symposium on Frontiers of Engineering. Washington, DC: The National Academies Press. doi: 10.17226/6041.
×
Page R8
Suggested Citation:"Front Matter." National Academy of Engineering. 1998. Frontiers of Engineering: Reports on Leading Edge Engineering from the 1997 NAE Symposium on Frontiers of Engineering. Washington, DC: The National Academies Press. doi: 10.17226/6041.
×
Page R9
Suggested Citation:"Front Matter." National Academy of Engineering. 1998. Frontiers of Engineering: Reports on Leading Edge Engineering from the 1997 NAE Symposium on Frontiers of Engineering. Washington, DC: The National Academies Press. doi: 10.17226/6041.
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Space may have been called the final frontier, but there are new frontiers to discover every day, and engineers are the ones exploring them. Through groundbreaking research and new technologies, engineers are able to go beyond traditional boundaries to do things that would have been all but impossible just a few years ago. This book, the most recent in a series of publications, describes new and emerging technologies and explains how they were developed and the benefits they will bring. It also offers highlights of the pioneering research and technological work being done by some of the country's emerging leaders in engineering. Topics include biomechanics, sensors and control for manufacturing processes, safety and security issues, decisionmaking tools for design and manufacturing, and intelligent transportation systems.

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