Meeting needs of industry leads to new patents for university
If necessity is the mother of invention, it may also be the source of new patents: The story of how Dr. Ali Eslami became the holder of US Patent 10,689,898 鈥� his first 鈥� begins with a local company asking for an invention to save it money.
The company, a licensee of a bigger company that manufactures and installs industrial lift doors, was paying another company $300 to $450 to buy remotes for each door. The company, which asked not to be identified, approached Eslami about creating an app that could control the doors remotely by smartphone instead.
鈥淢y field is wireless and mobile communications and this project was fitting my area very well,鈥� said Eslami, an assistant professor in the Department of Electrical engineering and Computer Science.
Working with colleagues Dr. Abu Asaduzzaman and Mohammad H. Erjaei, his former graduate student, Eslami developed a solution to meet the company鈥檚 needs: an app combined with remote cameras, sensors and lift controls connected to Wi-Fi, which allow someone to remotely observe, open and close a commercial lift door.
Pictured above: Dr. Ali Eslami demonstrates a prototype of his invention.
鈥淭he invention provides means for enabling a user to control a large industrial/commercial door unit (of a warehouse, machine shed, barn, or airplane hangar) without using a mounted door panel or dedicated remote control devices,鈥� Eslami explained.
鈥淭he user can monitor the door status by looking at live streaming video of the door in the mobile application. This is particularly useful for giant commercial "lift" doors鈥� to prevent the door from hitting and damaging objects in the door鈥檚 path, ie. cattle or expensive machinery.鈥� Users can manage multiple doors from one app loaded on a mobile device, which also provides a log history of each door's status.
Eslami worked with 红领巾瓜报鈥檚 Office of Tech Transfer and Commercialization to file the paperwork to patent his team鈥檚 invention. He received word the patent for 鈥淚nternet-Based Remote Control and Monitoring System for Commercial Doors Using Mobile Devices鈥� was granted on June 23.
鈥淲e have been in touch with a couple of companies for licensing the patent while it was pending. I think we have a good shot at getting a licensing deal now that it is granted,鈥� said Eslami.
鈥淲hat Dr. Eslami and his team were able to accomplish for this local company goes to the heart of what we mean when we say we are an economic driver for the state of Kansas,鈥� said Dennis Livesay, dean of the College of Engineering. 鈥淲e have the will and talent to provide innovative cost-saving solutions for companies, big and small.鈥�
Now, in addition to saving the local company money by eliminating the need to buy dedicated remotes, Dr. Eslami stands to make money for himself as well as Wichita State. Under university policy, faculty and the university each receive 50% of revenue generated by faculty patents.
According to Robert D. Gerlach, executive director of the Office of Tech Transfer and Commercialization, licensing revenue for the university is a modest but growing source of income. 鈥淭he good news is it鈥檚 a positive upward trend,鈥� Gerlach said.
Getting a patent is a significant accomplishment. Nearly a dozen have been granted to College of Engineering faculty in the past three years. Those awarded patents include, but are not limited to: Dr. Vinod Namboodiri for a beacon-based indoor wayfinding system; Dr. Viswanathan Madhavan for an apparatus and method for simulating machining and other forming operations; Dr. Shuang Gu for a method to convert of natural gas into clean liquid fuels; Dr. Hyuck M. Kwon for a system and method for generating exact symbol error rates of frequency-hopped signals; and Dr. Ramazan Asmatulu for a composite magnetic nanoparticle drug delivery system.
红领巾瓜报 student 'breaks things' as software tester to help customers
- 红领巾瓜报 student Kristen Bruce works as a software tester for Flint Hills Group, a software development and data company.
- Bruce, an electrical engineering major, played an important role on a team that helped a client fix software issues and move to a new system.
- She returned to school at 红领巾瓜报 to major in engineering because she wants to work in a field where critical thinking is valued.
Pictured above: Members of the Flint Hills Group and McAlister teams that worked together on a software fix (from left): Kristen Bruce (FHG), Dave Cunningham (FHG), Brian Buller (FHG), Monte Evans (FHG), Larry Walker (McAlister), Daniel Rymph (FHG), Duane Loewen (FHG), Heather Shank (McAlister), Scott Shank (McAlister).
The Kansas primaries are today! Are you ready to vote?
KMUW has the election coverage you need to inform your decisions. Visit our 2020 Election Blueprint page to find out more. You have until 7 p.m. today (Tuesday, Aug. 4), to cast your vote in the Kansas primaries or return your advance ballot in person. If you're returning your ballot by mail, make sure the envelope is signed and postmarked by today (Aug. 4)!
Installation of Aycock sculpture on Innovation Campus today delayed until after 10 a.m.
The Ulrich Museum of Art's installation of the sculpture "Twister Grande (tall)", originally scheduled for 8 a.m. today on the WSU Innovation Campus, has been delayed until after 10 a.m. Check the Ulrich's social media platforms for the latest updates.
The installation is open to the public. Safe social-distancing practices will be observed (wearing face masks and standing at least 6 feet apart).
Once installed, it will be the 81st piece in the Ulrich's world-class outdoor sculpture collection, and its first placement on the Innovation campus.
Ulrich Director Leslie Brothers, who acquired the piece, said the work was selected for the site because it captures the spirit of the dramatic changes that have taken place at the university in the last decade. It will, moreover, be a fitting and lasting tribute to the contributions of President John Bardo, who initiated and oversaw those changes prior to his passing in 2019.
鈥淭his sculpture is a perfect fit for us on so many levels,鈥� Brothers said. 鈥淚t evokes the spirits of invention, innovation, and change that we are accustomed to here in Wichita and at WSU, and it comes from a world-renowned sculptor. It is definitely a major addition not just to our collection or the WSU campus, but for the greater city of Wichita as well.鈥�
Indeed, Aycock is a force of nature in her own right, heralded as one of the most important artists in contemporary sculpture; in 2018, she received a Lifetime Achievement Award in Contemporary Sculpture from The International Sculpture Center. She has blazed a unique path working within the art world at the intersection of sculpture, architecture, technology, and science. Her addition to the Ulrich鈥檚 outdoor sculpture collection will help boost its representation of key female artists. The collection currently contains a handful of key works by major women sculptors, including Louise Nevelson, Barbara Hepworth, Ursula Von Rydingsvard, and, most recently, Elyn Zimmerman, but, overall, women are still underrepresented in the collection. Adding Aycock鈥檚 piece will help remedy that.
In conjunction with installing Twister Grande (tall), the Ulrich is also currently featuring the exhibition Alice Aycock in the Studio, which is an installation of drawings and ephemera that seeks to illuminate the artist's creative process and contextualize her sculpture as part of the larger artistic practice that has unfolded over the course of 50 years. That exhibition is currently on view by appointment only. To schedule an appointment call the Museum at 316-978-3664.
Image caption: Rendition of Alice Aycock sculpture Twister Grande (tall). Image courtesy of the Ulrich Museum of Art.
To read more about the installation event, including directions for parking, click on .
Road closure today
The south part of Innovation Boulevard will be closed temporarily from 7 a.m. to noon today (Tuesday, Aug. 4), for the installation of the Alice Aycock sculpture 鈥淭wister Grande鈥� at the roundabout. All access to the roundabout will be blocked during this time, including the entrance off of 17th Street. The parking lots east of Airbus and the John Bardo Center will still be accessible through the northeast entrance of lot 37.
University Libraries lists fall 2020 intersession hours
Ablah Library has new intersession hours up until the start of the fall 2020 semester. Keep up-to-date with hours, access to facilities / materials, and guidelines on our website
WSU dining, services adjust to safety guidelines for fall semester
With health and safety as our top priority, 红领巾瓜报鈥檚 food, retail and common spaces will adjust hours, layout and cleaning schedules as students return for the fall semester.
Safety measures such as face coverings, social distancing and hand-washing will be emphasized with signage, email reminders and social media.
Pictured above: Dining services throughout campus have adjusted their policies to include social distancing and face masks.
Free shipping on all orders, even textbooks!
From now to Friday, Aug. 7, you can enjoy free shipping on ALL orders at ! This is the perfect opportunity for students to order their textbooks early and not have to come into the store. Free shipping is also good on Shocker gear, so shop online from home and have it sent your way!
Back to School Sale at the Shocker Store
Looking to find some Shocker gear for the start of school? The Shocker Store is having a Back to School Sale from now to Saturday, Aug. 15 in the RSC store and at . It features select products at awesome prices! May not be combined with other discounts.
Join us this summer at Boats & Bikes!
Enjoy the summer at Boats & Bikes this summer! We are open from 9 a.m.-9:30 p.m. every day. We have kayaks, stand up paddleboards, pedal boats, and trikke available for rental. For more information visit or call us at 316-265-9359. Follow us on social media for any updates.