Projects to Make the World Better Promoted at Merced 2 Market

An artificial intelligence-powered system to ensure the safety of the elderly while still providing privacy. Wearable muscle monitoring to speed recovery from injury. A chemical-free method of putting out fires. A more effective way to detect methane leaks.

These were just some of the projects highlighted during the innovators showcase at Merced 2 Market, an event on campus where products resulting from research are highlighted for the community and potential investors.

Chancellor Juan Sánchez Muñoz said this work is exactly why the regents selected Merced for the 10th campus of the University of California.

"UC Merced has become a hub for innovation, workforce development and public good," he said. "The reason we develop young people is to make the public experience in the world better. Learning is, on the one hand, very personal. On the other hand, learning when deployed improves the lives of others."

The event also featured panel discussions of industry leaders discussing their needs and local resources available for partnerships, startups and commercialization.

Among the innovations highlighted:

• Computer science and engineering Professor Shijia Pan described "AI Care," "a plug-and-play, privacy-preserving home monitoring system that detects daily activities using ambient vibration and AI and translates them into actionable caregiver insights."

Pan said her team has deployed AI Care in multiple homes and is looking for investment to accelerate product implementation.

• Ph.D. candidate Shubhan Rohal demonstrated PosTrue, wearable muscle monitoring for effective athlete recovery.

"Sports injuries cost more than $11 billion annually," Rohal said. "Trainers rely on subjective feeling and guesswork." PosTrue provides a clinical solution that uses bone conduction actuators to predict muscle stiffness.

His team is seeking investment to validate dashboard design and begin real-world testing.

• Graduate researcher Shuye Shang, working with a team led by electrical engineering Professor Eric Cheng, shared a video showing their fire extinguisher putting out a line of tealight flames by using frequency.

"Traditional extinguishers leave water, foam or chemical residue," Shang said. "Sensitive environments such as electronics may suffer damage … We can disturb the combustion triangle, isolate oxygen and disturb the airflow."

• Sachin Giri, a graduate student working with postdoctoral researcher Derek Hollenbeck, described their project that uses AI to detect methane leaks and analyze how the gas reacts with the atmosphere and land.

Using current systems, Giri said, "Leaks can go unnoticed for weeks." He cited problems with low area drone coverage and false positive tests with satellites.

Their system is adaptable to other gasses, and the researchers believe it will break even financially within three years."Methane today. Any target tomorrow," Giri said. "Let's build the platform together."

Giri and Hollenbeck worked on the project with the late YangQuan Chen, a professor of aerospace engineering.

• Materials engineering Professor James Palko introduced a new way to produce steam.

"We tend to think of steam as a 19th century technology, but it's still really relevant as an exceptional way to move heat," he said. But large tanks are costly and raise concerns over potential explosions. His team's solution is to introduce a separate energy storage system that can provide much higher energy density and reduce cost.

Under a climate action grant from the University of California, the team developed a prototype and has a utility patent pending.

• Director of Innovation Stefano Foresti presented "almondry," a stockpile aeration technology for drying almonds he and Inovate to Grow capstone students developed. Traditionally, he explained, almonds are dried on the ground and left for some time, causing dust when picked up. Off-ground systems would provide several benefits, andeliminate the necessary drying step.

"The solution we came up with is conceptually simple, though the devil is in the details," he said. Their system dries the nuts in a stockpile, not by pushing in hot air but by pulling ambient air from the surface.

"We devised a method to create negative pressure on the stockpile that is very inexpensive to build and operate" Foresti said. While drying almonds with heat costs 25 cents per pound, the almondry system, using ambient air and stockpiles, costs as little as a tenth of a cent per pound.

"The vision is to make almond production healthy and sustainable to the ecosystem, the communities and the growers," Foresti said.

• Mechanical engineering Professor Reza Ehsani explained a sensor that can monitor water status on trees so irrigation can be more efficient, a vital challenge in an area often exposed to drought.

"Our Sensor Clip technology has been extensively tested in lab and field settings, and we have had major improvements in accuracy and reliability. This system can be a low-cost alternative compared to traditional methods," Ehsani said. The clip can be used manually or integrated into a robotic system that traverses a field and collects data, making it suitable for both large and small growers.

"If you have a limited amount of water, best way to use it is to maximize efficiency," he said.

His team is looking for seed funding to finalize the development and create a partnership arrangement in a startup company.

All of these projects are examples of solving real-world problems through research and discovery, said Gillian Wilson, vice chancellor of research and economic development at UC Merced.

"You may have identified a problem and have an idea about how to solve it or be interested in translating that idea into effective solutions for societal benefits," she told the audience. "You may have licensed your product. You may be here from industry looking for new partnerships.

"This is a place where everyone can share their knowledge, success and struggles in a supportive environment. "

Charity Follett, assistant vice chancellor in the Office of Technology, Innovation and Industry Relations, said the event brings into greater focus the importance of the work being done at the university.

"Merced 2Market is where UC Merced research meets real-world momentum, bringing our innovators, companies and community partners together to shape the next generation of solutions."