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UPDATES
CCEFP Welcomes a New Team Member
 The Center would like to welcome its newest team member, Mr. Donald Haney, who will serve as the Center’s Deputy Administrative Director. Don has been a part of the University of Minnesota community for over 5 years, serving as the Administrative Aide for the UMN’s Upward Bound Program in the College of Education and Human Development and most recently, was employed with the Design Institute in the College of Design. Don brings a wealth of valuable office management experience to the Center. He is well versed in program coordination, event and project planning. A design buff and self-proclaimed “car guy” Don is also an award-winning model maker and miniatures artist.
New Education Advisory Board Members
The Center would like to thank Christine Cunningham, (Museum of Science, Boston), Mike McElligott (Bimba) and Chris Kolbe (HUSCO International) for joining the Education Advisory Board (EAB). The EAB is an external network of industrial and academic professionals who evaluate and provide guidance on the CCEFP education and outreach initiatives.
RESEARCH
  2nd CCEFP Annual Meeting
The Center held its 2nd Annual Meeting at the Milwaukee School of Engineering, May 28 – 30, 2008. The agenda included a warm greeting from Hermann Viets, President of MSOE and Tom Bray, Dean of Applied Research. Professor Kim Stelson, Director of the CCEFP welcomed over 165 industry members, faculty, staff and students.
Throughout the two and one-half day meeting all research and education projects were presented. Project presentations were informative and clearly articulated progress to this point and anticipated future work. The audience was also given an opportunity to exchange dialogue with the presenters during the question and answer sessions.
  Positive critique and inquisitive questions sparked further conversation into the Student Poster Session and Reception, where all students were invited to present their research within the CCEFP. The poster session allowed for more in-depth discussions with individuals on both sides of the show.
A highlight of this year’s meeting was the Industry and Student Dinner Dine–Around. Seven industry members sponsored a dinner for students and industry to mingle together in a light-hearted atmosphere. We would like to thank the following industry members for sponsoring that event: Evonik Rohmax USA, Inc., Eaton Corporation, Gates, HUSCO, Parker Hannifin, RT Dygert and Sauer-Danfoss.
  Another new program agenda item was a servo-valve coloring book exercise presented by Roz Dolid of MTS. Meeting participants woke early to enjoy bacon and eggs along with a lesson on the fluid flow in a servo-valve. Following the coloring book activity, the meeting resumed with additional research and test bed presentations. Mr. Mike Gust of the CCEFP presented valuable information on intellectual property and the roles of the Center in relationship to its industry members. Prof. Will Durfee presented the Center’s education and outreach initiatives. The Milwaukee School of Engineering kindly hosted a reception at the new Grohmann Museum where attendees were able to view the rooftop sculpture garden that rose high above the building that housed many forms of industrial artwork.
The concluding day of the meeting allowed for advisory boards to meet together in person to share thoughts and have discussions on the Center for Compact and Efficient Fluid Power. A highly anticipated panel discussion lead by industry representatives on their personal careers paths and guidance for our future fluid power academics and industrial leaders prompted much discussion between the panel and students in the audience. This year’s meeting was very fruitful and sparked more enthusiasm among the CCEFP leadership, students and the Center’s industry members. The Center invited the members of the Scientific Advisory Board (SAB) who serves as an external committee to review and evaluate the Center in its current state. The Center continues to welcome feedback on its strategic direction through the SAB and its industrial partners.
INDUSTRY
More Ways to Get Involved!
By Mike Gust, Industrial Liaison Officer
More than 50 industry members were in attendance at the recent CCEFP Annual Meeting held the last week of May at MSOE. The information packed, two and one-half day session served as an excellent means for industry to become current on Center research projects and as a great format for networking with students, faculty and other industry members. It was great to see such excitement in the air!
The value that industry experience can bring to the Center's success is being recognized more and more every day. A primary example of this is the recent decision by Director Stelson to double the number of industry representatives on the Executive Committee and the Education Advisory Board from two to four. Another is the Industry Project Champions program where two-way communication between industry and researchers on some of our research projects is helping to accelerate program results that can have a meaningful impact on industry. Additionally the Student Leadership Council elected a new representative and officer position charged with leading industry and student discussions. The goal of these new initiatives is to drive continued success across all projects within the CCEFP so stay tuned for ways Industry can get more involved.
STUDENT LEADERSHIP COUNCIL
New Officer Elections and Officer Goodbyes
By Mark Elton, GATech, Industrial Liaison and Communications Officer
The SLC held office elections at the CCEFP Annual Meeting. Since the Center has now been in existence for two years, this is the first time there has been a large graduating class from the SLC, opening the way for a large number of new officers to be elected and for schools to appoint new representatives to the SLC. The SLC is composed of two members from each of the seven schools.
 The results of the elections: President: Keith Wait, Vanderbilt (newly elected); Vice President: Chris Williamson, Purdue (newly elected); Secretary: Ken Marek, GA Tech (continuing service); Treasurer: Tim Deppen, UIUC (newly elected); Executive Committee Representative: Mike Rannow, UMN (continuing service); Industry Liaison & Communications: Mark Elton, GA Tech (newly elected); Webmaster: Rachel Wang, UMN (newly elected); Student Retreat Coordinator: Adam Steele, UIUC (continuing service). Other representatives on the SLC are: Andy Willhite, Vanderbilt (newly elected), Matteo Pelosi (Purdue, newly elected), Ritson Delpish (NCAT, continuing service), Aaron Kimball (MSOE, continuing service). Other representatives will be elected from the new students entering this fall.
 The SLC and the CCEFP would like to formally thank the former President, Serena Tyson and Vice President, Jonathan Baker, for a job well done. We would also like to thank the other student officers who served on the SLC. The SLC serves as the student voice for the Center, operates the research web casts and continues to foster academic and industrial networking and friendships within the Center.
Among other business discussed was the upcoming annual student retreat. This year it will be held at UIUC on August 7-9th, and is open to all students wishing to attend. The format will be similar to last year's retreat held at Vanderbilt. There will be brief project reports, industry seminars, and an education and outreach development period, all sprinkled with a healthy dose of social events to allow those present to meet and get to know each other better. Those students wishing to attend should contact their local SLC representatives.
EDUCATION and OUTREACH
Research Experiences for Undergraduates and Teachers
The CCEFP has another excellent Research Experiences for Undergraduates (REU) and Research Experience for Teachers (RET) program that spans across all seven universities. The Center has 19 diverse undergraduate students working on current research projects from TB3: Hydraulic Hybrid Vehicle to TB6: Orthosis and all related projects in between.
Students often pursue research experiences or internships as a way to gain additional experience and knowledge outside of the classroom. REU programs exist to identify exceptional candidates for graduate school as well as foster knowledge of the subject and provide a valuable opportunity to learn what a researcher can do.
The Center has expanded its RET program to include the RET Orientation program at Vanderbilt University under the direction and guidance of the Center’s Education Advisory Board Chair, Prof. Stacy S. Klein. The Center will have eight RET’s across four campuses. The underlying goal of the RET program is to allow middle and high school teachers to have experience working in a lab with a faculty member or graduate student. At the end of the program, each teacher will design curriculum surrounding their research and implement it into their courses during the following academic year.
The CCEFP would like to welcome its 2008 REU’s and RET’s!
GETTING TO KNOW US
The Center would like to introduce its talent. In each issue get to know the Center's students, researchers and leadership team.
Students
Keith Wait received his bachelor of science in mechanical engineering from Rice University in 2004 and a masters degree from Vanderbilt University in 2006. Currently Keith is working towards a PhD, also from Vanderbilt. Prior to returning to graduate school, he worked for a short time at a defense contractor that integrates and launches target rockets for military anti-missile systems. Keith’s research for the Center is the design and control of the hexapedal walking robot for search and rescue. Its relevance to the Center and to the benefit of society is that it will demonstrate that fluid power is able to provide similar or higher force and power densities for mobile robotics than electrical actuation. Further, the project will demonstrate that fluid power can have applications outside its traditional boundaries. Also, Keith has recently been elected to serve as the SLC’s new President. Outside of the lab, Keith has been learning to play the guitar for the last six months, but also enjoys hiking, snow skiing, and playing video games.
 Chris Williamson earned his undergraduate bachelor of science degree in mechanical engineering from Brigham Young University. He has completed his masters degree and is currently pursuing his PhD from Purdue University in Agricultural and Biological Engineering at Purdue. Chris has industrial research and development in his bright future! Chris’s focus within the Center is project 1A.2: Optimal Power Management with Displacement Controlled Actuators. Simply put, his work takes mobile hydraulic machines and adds electrohydraulic pump control systems. This saves fuel and allows computerized machine control for better performance and productivity. His control systems will be implemented on the excavator test bed, and hopefully some of his contributions will find their way into commercial application. The result would be a new generation of construction and agricultural equipment that are easier and more comfortable to operate and are significantly more efficient. Also, Chris has recently been elected to serve as the SLC’s new Vice President. Outside of the lab, Chris is a family man. When he is not working in the lab, he is usually home with his wife and their two children. He does enjoy running, cycling, reading and sleeping, though there never seems to be as much time for these activities as he would like!
 Researcher
Silvanus Udoka received his bachelor of science degree in manufacturing engnineering technology from Web State University in Ugden, Utah. Following his undergradauate education, Silvanus earned both a masters and a PhD in industrial engineering and management from Oklahoma State University. His research interests are in the areas of Automation of Integrated Manufacturing Systems and Robotics applications as well as Immersive 3-Dimensional (3-D) Environments for interactive visualization and visual depiction of such systems/applications. Dr. Udoka’s ongoing and future academic plans are to seek opportunities to continually integrate knowledge from the manufacturing/production domain to emerging areas such as effective and efficient fluid power systems. His research within the Center is in the area of Multimodal Interfaces to support User Centered Design. This involves the study of Interactive Environments (virtual and augmented environments) to characterize and experiment on multimodal human-system interfaces using multiple sensing and display modalities to achieve operational effectiveness. The ultimate aim is to answer questions such as: what combinations of user interfaces and feedback are needed in order to successfully and consistently complete required tasks, and where should they be located? How should designers determine whether to provide the information as an interface object or as something that is mentally represented by the user? What is the realistic allocation of tasks between the human operator and the system (such as a testbed) to insure intuitive and safe, as well as easy to use and easy to learn, in order to consistently and successfully complete required tasks? Outside the lab, Silvanus participates in racquetball and adult league soccer (as often and as long as his knees hold up). He also coaches youth soccer as schedules permits; and spends time just watching his kids’ soccer games (trying hard not to coach from the spectators’ sideline.) He would like to spend more time doing these activities.
 Leadership Team
William K. Durfee earned his academic bachelors degree in engineering and applied physics from Harvard University, and completed his masters and PhD in mechanical engineering from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology. Along with co-directing the education and outreach program, Will is a member of the Test Bed 6: Fluid Power Orthotics team. This aligns with one of his main research areas which is rehabilitation engineering. In a related project, Will is studying the use of electrical stimulation of muscles combined with a smart orthosis to restore primitive gait to individuals who are paralyzed from the waist down from a spinal cord injury. The approach uses fluid power to store and pipe energy from one joint to the next, resulting in a system that should be much simpler and much more compact than competing technologies. Outside the lab, Will enjoys cultural activities and restaurants in the Twin Cities as well as building gadgets in his basement.
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