AI TechX Awards Seed Funding to Find AI Solutions to Real-World Problems

Nine projects led by faculty at the University of Tennessee, Knoxville, will receive the first round of funding from AI TechX, a new initiative created by UT to empower Tennessee communities and industry partners to adopt AI technologies that enable high-quality job creation. To fulfill this mission, AI TechX focuses on advancing AI research and innovation; preparing, upskilling, and reskilling the workforce; and supporting the AI-enabled businesses that will define Tennessee's future.

"We officially launched AI TechX in March with key industry partners," said Vasileios Maroulas, associate vice chancellor and director of AI Tennessee. "Our goal is to de-risk AI adoption, especially for those companies, by providing access to talent, solutions, and trusted university collaboration. This isn't about theory. AI TechX is about moving AI off the whiteboard and into the workflow."

The first round of seed funding awarded $60,000 to each project. Each winning team included both UT researchers and industry and community partners to accelerate adoption of artificial intelligence across a variety of disciplines including engineering, business, cybersecurity, and precision agriculture. More than 30 faculty members submitted applications for the first round of funding.

"Our goal is enabling high-impact collaborations and addressing real-world challenges," said Caleb Knight, director of AI TechX. "Our faculty's research could lead to new technologies and potential career paths for our graduates."

The funded projects address a wide array of challenges:

• A team led by Associate Professor of Management Science Bogdan Bichescu and Associate Professor of Business Analytics and Statistics Charles Liu, in partnership with East Tennessee software company ChiAha, will improve the company's product innovation by using AI for data simulation in manufacturing environments.
• A team led by Associate Professor of Mechanical Engineering Subhadeep Chakraborty and Professor of Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering Bradley Jared, in partnership with the Edison Welding Institute—a nonprofit advancing manufacturing through engineering and innovation—and One-Off Robotics—a Chattanooga-based robotic metal additive and subtractive equipment integrator—will apply AI to modeling, control, optimization, and uncertainty quantification to optimize efficiency of additive manufacturing processes.
• A team led by Assistant Professor of Biosystems Engineering Hao Gan, in partnership with Enterprise Sensor Systems, will develop technology to rapidly identify cattle with infectious diseases using AI and hyperspectral imaging.
• A team led by Airton Kohls, a research associate in UT's Center for Transportation Research, in partnership with the City of Knoxville and local technology company Cubic, will use AI and sensor technologies to improve pedestrian safety at signalized intersections, focusing on streets adjacent to UT's campus.
• A team led by Professor of Industrial and Systems Engineering Jim Ostrowski, in partnership with defense technology firm Vibrint, will harness AI and quantum computing technologies in geospatial intelligence for defense applications.
• A team of researchers and students led by Assistant Professor of Electrical Engineering and Computer Science Hector Santos-Villalobos in partnership with UT Athletics and the Joe Gibbs Human Performance Institute—a biomechanical engineering research facility—will develop AI-driven performance analytics for the UT football team to reduce player injuries.
• A team led by Assistant Professor of Electrical Engineering and Computer Science Fnu Suya, in partnership with Cisco's Advanced Security Initiatives Group, will develop and explore AI technologies and methodologies to inform the company's network cybersecurity solutions.
• A team led by Assistant Professor of Electrical Engineering and Computer Science Sai Swaminathan, in partnership with Volkswagen Group of America, will work with VW's North American manufacturing facility located in Chattanooga to develop AI systems and methodologies for real-time quality inspection on their production lines.
• A team led by Dongarra Professor of High-Performance Computing Michela Taufer, in partnership with a global leader in cutting-edge AI and high-performance computing technologies, will accelerate performance of large language models and other AI tools for real-world impact in global irrigation mapping, environmental and earth sciences, and molecular dynamics.

Provided by University of Tennessee at Knoxville