Engineering Out Loud
76 episodes - English - Latest episode: 16 days ago - ★★★★★ - 17 ratingsFrom the College of Engineering at Oregon State University, this is "Engineering Out Loud"—a podcast telling the stories of how our research and innovation here are helping change the world out there.
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Episodes
What is behind the Klamath dam removals? S14E1
April 03, 2024 19:04 - 13 minutes - 18.4 MBThis is a historic year on the Klamath River, where the biggest dam removal in the U.S. is underway. The hope for the monumental engineering project is that it will restore some balance to a damaged ecological system. We hear from Mark Bransom, who is overseeing the demolition and restoration, about why and how it’s happening and some of the challenges of the project. Bonus content: Video: Mark Bransom heads the historic dam removals Clean Water Showcase: May 21-22, 2024. Join us at ...
NEWS: How many robots can a single human supervise? S13E1
December 21, 2023 02:32 - 26 minutes - 36.8 MBWill swarms of unmanned aerial vehicles be able to aid humans in wildland firefighting or package delivery? Research summarized in a new paper in Field Robotics represents a big step towards realizing such a future. In this interview, Professor Julie A. Adams describes the research showing that one person can supervise more than 100 autonomous ground and aerial robots.
Graduation day, S12E4
March 28, 2023 21:47 - 20 minutes - 28.3 MBThe final episode of the season occupies a time of transition, as spinoff company Espiku ramps up. We get an update on two systems that received patents and a third that could provide an environmentally benign technology for extracting lithium. We also hear from four graduating students who reflect on their experiences. Bonus content: Tapping technology to ensure the world has enough clean water OSU-Cascades spinout is semifinalist in $4 million federal lithium extraction contest
And so, it flows, S12E3
March 22, 2023 05:33 - 15 minutes - 21.3 MBThe pandemic didn’t stop Bahman Abbasi’s desalination research. In this third episode, we learn about the successful lab-scale demonstration of his team’s technology and the next steps toward its commercialization. Plus, the team takes on a new project to clean up wastewater from oil and gas production. Bonus content: Espiku, OSU spin-off company Turning freshwater into saltwater, Bend Source article
Building the foundation, S12E2
March 15, 2023 04:00 - 13 minutes - 18.1 MBIn the second episode of this four-part season, we travel to Bend, Oregon to visit the Water and Energy Technologies Laboratory and meet the team that is inventing a new technology to desalinate water. Bahman Abbassi, associate professor of mechanical engineering, talks about building the lab from the ground up, and graduate student Mohammed Elhashimi demonstrates their system to desalinate water. Bonus content: Quest for Clean Water (story, video) Water and Energy Technologies Labora...
Turning seawater into sweet water, S12E1
March 08, 2023 07:59 - 16 minutes - 22.9 MBCan turning seawater into drinking water be a cost-effective way to provide clean, fresh water for the growing numbers of people facing water scarcity? Bahman Abbasi, associate professor of mechanical engineering, is taking up that challenge with a mobile, modular, solar-powered, desalination system. This is the first episode in a four-part season. Bonus content OSU-Cascades researcher awarded $2 million for research turning salt water into drinking water Department of Energy Solar Des...
Preparing for nature’s worst, S11E8
March 29, 2022 15:52 - 26 minutes - 36.8 MBWhat is Oregon doing to prepare for earthquakes, tsunamis, and wildfire? Researchers at Oregon State University are working with the state Legislature to help them make informed decisions about how to prepare for natural hazards. BONUS CONTENT: “A Song for Japan” project Japan 2011 Earthquake Japan quake: Infrastructure damage will delay recovery. BBC News, March 17, 2011 Mar 11, 2011 CE: Tohoku Earthquake and Tsunami, National Geographic 2011 Japan earthquake and tsunami: Facts...
Dune erosion solutions, S11E7
January 25, 2022 20:47 - 25 minutes - 34.4 MBCan plants fortify Oregon’s coastal dunes against storm surge? Meagan Wengrove, assistant professor of coastal and ocean engineering, built scale versions of dunes in one of the world’s largest wave flumes to find out. BONUS CONTENT: Protecting coastal regions with natural defenses New faculty members bring expertise in wave energy, structural and coastal engineering Four College of Engineering faculty win early-career investigator awards https://engineering.oregonstate.edu/seaso...
RAPID reconnaissance: Capturing data in the aftermath of a disaster, S11E5
November 30, 2021 20:12 - 15 minutes - 21.8 MBAfter a major disaster, hidden amid the rubble and debris are precious clues about the extreme forcesstructures were subjected to, and exactly what caused them to fail. How can researchers collect this perishable data before it’s swept away? Michael Olsen, professor of geomatics and technical director of the NHERI RAPID Facility, talks about a major effort to get crucial technology into the hands of reconnaissance experts quickly, wherever disaster strikes. https://beav.es/URn
RAPID reconnaissance: Capturing data in the aftermath of a disaster, S11E6
November 30, 2021 20:12 - 15 minutes - 21.8 MBAfter a major disaster, hidden amid the rubble and debris are precious clues about the extreme forcesstructures were subjected to, and exactly what caused them to fail. How can researchers collect this perishable data before it’s swept away? Michael Olsen, professor of geomatics and technical director of the NHERI RAPID Facility, talks about a major effort to get crucial technology into the hands of reconnaissance experts quickly, wherever disaster strikes. https://beav.es/URn BONUS CONTEN...
Saving PDX, S11E5
November 16, 2021 20:16 - 15 minutes - 21.9 MBWhat will it take for Oregon to recover after a magnitude 9.0 Cascadia subduction zone earthquake? Among other things, it will need a major airport to receive the tons of relief supplies from around the world. Prof. Armin Stuedlein and a research team from Oregon State University conducted crucial testing that guided engineers with big plans to make sure one of the runways at Portland International Airport survives the shaking. BONUS CONTENT: Video: Blast-induced liquefaction tests at P...
What’s in the water after a wildfire? S11E4
November 09, 2021 19:25 - 18 minutes - 26.2 MBWildfires that devastate mountain communities have the potential to foul the water distribution system running underneath residential structures. But knowing which water pipes have been affected is challenging. Erica Fischer, assistant professor of structural engineering, is working with a team of engineers and scientists to develop and test sensors that can easily indicate if water pipes need to be replaced following a fire. BONUS CONTENT: Oregon State University fire expert panel: Oreg...
Burning to learn, S11E3
October 12, 2021 07:01 - 17 minutes - 24.1 MBHow do engineers fight wildfires? With fire. David Blunck, associate professor of mechanical engineering, is trying to better understand and predict the behavior of embers that spread blazes. To do this, he has to burn a few of his own. BONUS CONTENT: Firebrands: How to protect your home from wildfires’ windblown flaming debris, by David Blunck (The Conversation) National Fire Protection Association’s Firewise USA website https://engineering.oregonstate.edu/season-11-engineering-nat...
When the Earth moves, E11S2
July 14, 2021 07:00 - 19 minutes - 26.7 MBWhat happens to bridges, buildings, and pipelines when the soil holding them up behaves like a liquid? Ben Mason, associate professor geotechnical engineering, has traveled the world doing post-earthquake reconnaissance to find out and make us better prepared for impending earthquakes. BONUS CONTENT: At Work: Ben Mason (Seismological Society of America) General Information Cascadia Subduction Zone (Oregon.gov) Earthquake Hazards (USGS) Geotechnical Extreme Events Reconnaissance Ass...
The day the lights go out in Oregon, S11E1
June 16, 2021 07:30 - 13 minutes - 18.7 MBThe long-feared 9.0 magnitude Cascadia subduction zone earthquake, which seismologists say is inevitable, will damage or destroy large swaths of Oregon’s electrical grid. How long will it take to get the juice flowing again? Weeks? Months? Professor Ted Brekken and his team are applying high-powered simulations to find out and to identify which parts of the system should be hardened against the quake at any cost. BONUS CONTENT: Oregon Resilience Plan NSF Award: Earthquake Resilience ...
Documenting the surge
June 01, 2021 16:00 - 14 minutes - 20.2 MBHow do you manage a COVID-19 surge? When intensive care units are beyond capacity, health care workers are stretched thin, and life-saving equipment is in short supply, there are a lot of tough choices to be made, and quickly. Joe Agor, assistant professor of industrial engineering, is gathering the data on how hospitals prepared and responded to the pandemic, as well as how their patients fared, with the goal of helping to better manage surge capacity for future pandemics or disasters. h...
Changing the culture of computer science education, S10E4
April 13, 2021 19:00 - 16 minutes - 23.1 MBHow can we get a more diverse group of young people interested in computer science? Focus on equity, says Jill Hubbard, instructor of computer science and co-principal investigator of a multi-university project to change how computer science is taught in high school, funded by the National Science Foundation. Over 40 schools are part of a program to make computer science more welcoming to underrepresented groups. BONUS CONTENT: Website: Computer Science for All in Oregon Video: Democrati...
Using games to teach computer science remotely, S10E3
January 13, 2021 16:00 - 22 minutes - 31.3 MBCan middle schoolers learn computer science concepts using tabletop games? How about during a pandemic, when classroom interaction takes place remotely? Researchers in computer science and education are working closely with teachers to develop an innovative curriculum designed to broaden participation in computer science classes. BONUS CONTENT: Learning Computer Science Through Tabletop Games in a Dual Language Immersion Middle School: description of NSF grant featured in the podcast. B...
Tracing the virus through the sewers, S10E2
December 15, 2020 18:40 - 19 minutes - 26.7 MBWhat can wastewater tell us about the spread of disease? Could the coronavirus’ signature RNA sequence tip public health officials to where the next COVID-19 outbreaks will occur? In this episode, we’ll talk to two researchers who are leading the effort to monitor Oregon’s wastewater streams for coronavirus, in partnership with treatment facilities throughout the state. BONUS CONTENT: Watcher in the wastewater (Nature) Wastewater sampling proves useful in tracking coronavirus (Oregoni...
Trucking through COVID, S10E1
July 24, 2020 18:07 - 14 minutes - 20.2 MBWhat’s life like for long-haul truck drivers in a COVID-19 world? We’ll get behind-the-wheel perspectives from driver (and musician) Paul Marhoefer and from Associate Professor Sal Hernandez who’s looking into how drivers have adapted to demanding conditions caused by the pandemic and the resiliency of the nation’s freight system. BONUS CONTENT: Music by Paul Marhoefer (aka Long Haul Paul) Over the Road: Stories of American Truckers Podcast: The National Truck Parking Shortage h...
The age of autonomous vehicles, S9E7
February 12, 2020 18:16 - 22 minutes - 30.8 MBSelf-driving cars and planes are in our future. What are we doing to make them safe? Assistant Professor Houssam Abbas uses tiny race cars to test autonomous driving systems. And Oregon State graduate Robert Rose is using his past experience with SpaceX to develop a safe system to automate existing aircraft. BONUS CONTENT Beyond the Books - Autonomous Racing (video) Running in the real world (feature story about Houssam Abass) Explained: Neural networks, MIT News Reliable Robotics ...
With a little help from my robot friend, S9E6
January 30, 2020 22:26 - 21 minutes - 30.4 MBWhat will it take for robot assistants to become more integrated in our daily lives? Assistant Professor Naomi Fitter thinks they’ll need to master the physical aspects of social interactions, while Associate Professor Cindy Grimm cautions against programming them to behave just like us. BONUS CONTENT Social Haptics, Assistive Robotics, and Embodiment (SHARE Lab) at Oregon State University Collaborative Robotics and Intelligent Systems Institute (CoRIS) at Oregon State University How...
And on that farm, he had a robot, S9E5
January 08, 2020 16:41 - 18 minutes - 25.2 MBWill robots someday replace farm workers? Do we want them to? Assistant Professor and agricultural robotics expert Joe Davidson talks about the potential benefits of using robots in agriculture, and what goes into designing the perfect robotic apple picker. BONUS CONTENT Design, integration, and field evaluation of a robotic apple harvester (Wiley) Robotics for Sugarcane Cultivation: Analysis of Billet Quality using Computer Vision (IEEE Xplore) https://engineering.oregonstate.edu/sea...
Socializing robots, S9E4
December 18, 2019 18:29 - 17 minutes - 24.7 MBWhy should robots have artificial social intelligence? According to Heather Knight, assistant professor of computer science, if robots are going to help in hospitals or work with people in factories, they will need to be adapted to our social conventions.
Robots: Will they walk among us? S9E3
December 04, 2019 17:19 - 19 minutes - 27 MBFor robots to be more useful around people, they’ll need to go where we go. But how? Associate Professor Jonathan Hurst thinks the answer is simple. Walking. But actually making a walking robot is no simple feat.
AI, explain yourself, S9E2
November 13, 2019 19:59 - 20 minutes - 29 MBCan we trust artificial intelligence to make good decisions? The answer is a resounding maybe. More and more, society and individuals are entrusting AI to make potentially life-changing decisions. Rather than putting blind trust in the judgment of these remarkable systems, Alan Fern and a team of computer scientists want to reveal their reasoning processes.
The beautiful music of robotics and AI, S9E1
November 06, 2019 16:33 - 26 minutes - 37.3 MBHow do you combine ethics, policy, and practicality into the design of revolutionary robotics and artificial intelligence systems? Researchers Kagan Tumer and Tom Dietterich are collaborating to find out as they help lead the Oregon State Collaborative Robotics and Intelligent Systems Institute. BONUS CONTENT The Promise and Peril of Artificial Intelligence and Robotics symposium CoRIS Artificial Intelligence Roadmap TWIML podcast episode featuring Tom Dietterich https://engineeri...
Rebroadcast — Robots at sea, S1E2
September 26, 2019 16:13 - 11 minutes - 16.7 MBGeoff Hollinger, associate professor of mechanical engineering, is teaching underwater robots to use human preferences to take on risk as they complete their scientific missions. https://engineering.oregonstate.edu/season-1-data-science-and-engineering/sea-and-sky-s1e2
Keeping construction workers out of harm’s way, S8E6
March 20, 2019 16:44 - 18 minutes - 25.7 MBWhat can be done to protect workers in one of the most dangerous industries on Earth? For much of his career, John Gambatese has studied, developed and evaluated a wide range of options designed to keep construction workers out of harm’s way.
Rebroadcast — From Toy Story to tumors, S3E1
March 13, 2019 15:47 - 17 minutes - 24 MBAdvances in 3D graphics have made movies and video games more realistic, but can also have an impact on science. Associate Professor Eugene Zhang and Assistant Professor Yue Zhang describe their research to help medical doctors better target cancerous tumors by using 3D modeling and simulation. BONUS MATERIAL Associate Professor Eugene Zhang's website. Associate Professor (Senior Research) Yue Zhang's website. https://engineering.oregonstate.edu/season-3-environmental-and-human-health...
Detecting Parkinson’s early for better outcomes, S8E5
March 06, 2019 18:35 - 15 minutes - 21.6 MBHow can we help in the fight against Parkinson’s disease? Harriet Nembhard and her colleagues developed a sensor system to detect the disease early on, opening the door to earlier treatment and improved quality of life. Nembhard is the head of the School of Mechanical, Industrial, and Manufacturing Engineering and Eric R. Smith Professor of Engineering. BONUS CONTENT Michael J. Fox profile in The New York Times Magazine The Michael J. Fox Foundation for Parkinson's Research Intervie...
Robots without borders: Finding new ways to treat Ebola, S8E4
February 27, 2019 20:11 - 13 minutes - 19.2 MBAid workers put their lives on the line to treat patients with Ebola. Can robots help make their jobs a little easier and allow more people to survive the disease? Bill Smart, professor of robotics at Oregon State University, is exploring how robots may be most useful during disease outbreaks. BONUS CONTENT Doctors Without Borders Oregon State’s simulated Ebola treatment unit https://engineering.oregonstate.edu/season-8-health-and-safety/robots-without-borders-finding-new-ways-treat-...
Sticky and slippery science for biomedical applications, S8E3
February 20, 2019 23:14 - 17 minutes - 24 MBWhat makes a frog’s tongue sticky, or a snake’s skin slippery? Joe Baio, assistant professor of bioengineering, looks to nature for substances that could provide clues to developing new biomedical adhesives and anti-fouling surfaces. BONUS CONTENT The Baio Lab home page “Snake Scales” video featuring Joe Baio Press release https://engineering.oregonstate.edu/season-8-health-and-safety/sticky-and-slippery-science-biomedical-applications-s8e3
Safer solutions for the national truck parking crisis, S8E2
February 13, 2019 19:58 - 17 minutes - 23.8 MBEver wonder why so many truckers park their rigs on highway off-ramps, in retail store parking lots and at other odd locations? It’s not their first choice, and it’s not the safest choice either, but sometimes it’s their only choice. Research by Sal Hernandez reveals that the national truck parking shortage takes an enormous toll on people and commerce.
Making a medical isotope used by millions, S8E1
February 06, 2019 18:11 - 14 minutes - 20.5 MBHow can we support nuclear medicine efforts that help more than 40,000 people in the U.S. everyday? Researchers at the Oregon State University College of Engineering have developed a way to produce the much-needed radioisotope technetium-99m using small research reactors like the one here at the university. BONUS CONTENT The Oregon State TRIGA Reactor Northwest Medical Isotopes “Bringing medical isotope production closer to home” Molybdenum-99 for Medical Imaging Moly target h...
Turning Seawater into Sweet Water, S7E6
November 15, 2018 17:27 - 15 minutes - 21.3 MBCan turning seawater into drinking water be a cost-effective way to provide clean, fresh water for the growing numbers of people facing water scarcity? Bahman Abbasi, assistant professor of mechanical engineering, is taking up that challenge with a mobile, modular, solar-powered, desalination system. Bonus content OSU-Cascades researcher awarded $2 million to develop solar-powered desalination technology Department of Energy Solar Desalination program Energy Systems Engineering -- ...
Cleaning Contaminated Groundwater at the Umatilla Chemical Depot, S7E5
November 07, 2018 16:29 - 15 minutes - 21.9 MBHow can we remove toxic contaminants like TNT from groundwater? Jack Istok and Mandy Michalsen are using pioneering bioremediation and bioaugmentation methods developed here at Oregon State to restore the groundwater at the Umatilla Chemical Depot. BONUS CONTENT Underground Story of Water in Oregon Umatilla Army Depot Superfund Site Groundwater Research Lab “Clean Water for a Thirsty Region” “Evaluation of Biostimulation and Bioaugmentation to Stimulate RDX Degradation in an Aero...
A clean water solution for the developing world, S7E4
November 01, 2018 17:09 - 16 minutes - 22.5 MBHow do you ensure a product designed for the developing world is useful for the people it’s intended to help? A team of researchers, led by Nordica MacCarty, assistant professor of mechanical engineering, is combining engineering with anthropology in field tests of a water purification system.
Connecting with Communities for Clean Water, S7E3
October 24, 2018 15:41 - 18 minutes - 25 MBHow can students at Oregon State improve access clean water for rural communities around the world? We hear from three students who worked in Nicaragua and Cambodia on projects that changed people’s lives -- including their own.
Cleaning up Our Dirty Water with Microbes and Grease, S7E2
October 17, 2018 19:35 - 15 minutes - 22.2 MBHow long will the world’s supply of clean fresh water last? Just the fact that we have to ask that question is enough to start worrying, as threats from pollution, climate change, and overpopulation continue to get worse. Fortunately, researchers like Tyler Radniecki are at the vanguard of the search for solutions to revive and restore this precious resource.
Clean Water: Going Beneath the Surface, S7E1
October 10, 2018 15:00 - 20 minutes - 27.9 MBHow can we clean up pollution from toxic chemicals that have seeped into the groundwater, hundreds of feet below the surface? Lewis Semprini, Distinguished Professor of environmental engineering, discusses strategies for bioremediation, using microorganisms to break down dangerous chemicals into harmless end-products. BONUS CONTENT Clean and Sustainable Technology Initiative Workshop A Vision of Clean Water for Everyone Cultivating a Community to Clean Up Toxic Waste https://engineer...
Incorporating Culture into Engineering, S6E6
May 14, 2018 23:08 - 19 minutes - 27.8 MBHow does culture influence engineering design? Two seniors in civil engineering tell about how they incorporated their research on the culture of Ethiopia into the design of a housing structure, an irrigation system, and a restroom.
Engineering a Culture of Problem Solving, S6E5
May 10, 2018 15:57 - 19 minutes - 26.4 MBJavier Calvo-Amodio, Sage Kittelman, and Siqi Wang examine how teams and their communications function as systems within large, complex organizations. They are working with Boeing to understand how those systems can be improved to make manufacturing more efficient. https://engineering.oregonstate.edu/season-6-student-research/engineering-culture-problem-solving-s6e5
Building a Better Battery, S6E4
May 02, 2018 19:01 - 12 minutes - 17.1 MBCan clean and renewable energy sources like wind and solar power reduce our dependence on fossil fuels? One major challenge is figuring out how to make that energy available when the sun isn’t shining and the wind isn’t blowing. Lynza Sprowl, a chemical engineering Ph.D. student, says the key is building better batteries. BONUS CONTENT Showcase winners tackle 21st century problems (CBEE News) Inspiring Student Innovation (Terra Magazine) https://engineering.oregonstate.edu/season-6-...
A Softer Future for Robots, S6E3
April 25, 2018 15:40 - 17 minutes - 23.8 MBWill a new breed of highly mobile, radiation-resistant soft robots become automated work horses for the nuclear industry—or save the day during nuclear disasters? A team of graduate students from Oregon State University wants to make sure they’re up to the task.
Gaining Control over Mental Health, S6E2
April 18, 2018 15:00 - 17 minutes - 23.8 MBHow can two undergraduates impact the health of people with mental illness? Inspired by her own experience with bipolar disorder, Alison Bowden from Oregon State University created an app to help manage the daily challenges of living with mental illness. She co-founded Wellio with Houston Morgan from Arizona State University.
Comparing Computer Code for Radiation Worker Safety, S6E1
April 11, 2018 16:00 - 14 minutes - 19.9 MBHow do you quickly calculate a worker's radiation skin dose in the event of exposure? VARSKIN--maintained and updated at Oregon State--is one of the main computer codes used by the Nuclear Regulatory Commission, and undergrad Logan Anspach's peer-reviewed paper examines how it stacks up against other tools.
Partnering for nuclear nonproliferation, S5E6
March 07, 2018 16:33 - 21 minutes - 30.2 MBHow do you prove a country tested a nuclear weapon, and who’s keeping an eye on this stuff? Researchers at Oregon State and University of Michigan are part of the crew doing this work.
Taming software development with teamwork, S5E5
February 28, 2018 18:07 - 19 minutes - 26.6 MBHow are Oregon State researchers impacting the apps on your phone? Danny Dig and his team have been improving software for companies like Microsoft, IBM, Intel, Boeing, and Google for years by developing tools that find and fix bugs. Dig is an associate professor of computer science at Oregon State and an adjunct professor at University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign.
Partnering to make timber harvesting safer, S5E4
February 21, 2018 16:30 - 11 minutes - 16.1 MBHow do you help reduce risk in the nation's most dangerous occupation? Researchers at Oregon State University are partnering with Blount International to help make timber harvesting equipment safer. To understand a specific type of accident that occurs in the field, they’ve designed and built a machine to recreate it in the safety of a shipping container. BONUS CONTENT Video of a timber harvester in action Oregon Mechanical Timber Harvesting Handbook [PDF] Blount International websit...