Our programs feature a large number of laboratories where students validate concepts introduced in lecture under real-world conditions. Applying, and not just studying theory, is an essential element of engineering education.
Research labs and facilities
The Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering houses the following labs and centers:
CASSS research theme is based on integration of various interdisciplinary aspects that will mentor graduate students in the design and development of flexible hybrid electronic smart sensors and actuators, energy sources- encompassing expertise in the electrical, electronics, chemistry, biology, sensor design, microfluidics, printing, physics, and MEMS engineering technologies.
Director: Dr. Massood Atashbar, professor of electrical and computer engineering
Learn more about the Center for Advanced Smart Sensors and Structures.
The purpose of the Center for the Advancement of Printed Electronics, housed in the College of Engineering and Applied Sciences at Western Michigan University, is to provide a facility for research, development and application of materials for the fabrication of flexible electronic devices on printing press. The center contributes to the advancement of the printing, paper, and electronics industries, and their suppliers through the material design and analysis, device prototyping, device testing, press engineering, press-setup, education and training. Examples of printed flexible electronic devices include sensors, organic photovoltaics, intelligent packaging, radio frequency identification devices and flexible displays.
Learn more about the Center for Advancement of Printed Electronics.
The Center for Interdisciplinary Research in Secure, Efficient and Sustainable Energy Technology aims to join efforts and share resources to tackle crucial and wide-ranging energy challenges by taking a holistic and interdisciplinary approach. The Center primarily targets four aspects of society centered work: decarbonization challenges of energy systems; decentralization of energy production; democratization of energy production to strengthen local energy ownership involving prosumers; and digitalization of energy production information
Director: Dr. Pablo Gomez, associate professor of electrical and computer engineering
The Computer Architecture and Systems Research Laboratory (CASRL) focuses on the state-of-the-art research in computer architecture and systems, parallel computer architecture, microarchitecture and heterogeneous computing.
Director: Dr. Lina Sawalha, associate professor of electrical and computer engineering
Location: Room A-208, Floyd Hall
Supported courses:
- ECE 4550
- ECE 5550
- ECE 6550
- ECE 4900
- ECE 6970
- Senior Design
- Master's and Ph.D. thesis and disserations
Capabilities: Six workstations are available, scanner, and printers. Other dedicated tools hardware and software include: Several TI instruments DSP processors such as TMDX320026701 DSP.
- Real-time image processing, TI TMDX320026711
- Ground penetrating radar imaging system
- Several Imaging equipment including infrared thermography imaging system
- Color CCD tele-camera, Nikon cameras: Software and AV cables, VCR controller, and several Nikon digital cameras
- Several education material for outreach programs, 20
- Lego mindstorm robot kits, and five electronic snap kits, and one Boe-Bot robot kit
- Impact echo system for acoustic testing
- Digital video camera, Ricoh RDC-1
- Several environmental sensors
- Four real-time cameras
- Several frame grabbers
- Microscope E400, Nikon, on loan to ITIA
- Radan and surfer software packages
- Matlab imaging and signal processing software package
- Several imaging tools software packages
- Mathematics, Matlab software
- Visual Studio, C/C++/Java
- ProfileMaker Pro 3.1
Associated faculty: Dr. Ikhlas Abdel-Qader, professor of electrical and computer engineering
Location: Room A-207 Parkview Campus
Supported courses
- ECE 4200 Power Electronics
- ECE 5200 Advanced Power Electronics
- KAMSC programming
- Master's and Ph.D. student research
Capabilities: The laboratory and equipment support power electronics measurement for multiple student and faculty research projects. It is now supporting Ph.D. work in neural networks for harmonic estimation and elimination. It has also supported high school students from Kalamazoo Area Math and Science Center who learn to do basic I/O programming in the real world. In the lab, a power pole board can be re-configured to support Buck, Boost, and Buck-Boost converters. The same board can also be re-configured as a single-phase DC – AC inverter. The power pole board can be interfaced to a Motorola HC12-based microcontroller board and can used for various power electronics circuit configurations and applications.
Available equipment:
- 800 V DC-DC power supply
- Power pole board
- Motorola HC12-based microcontroller
- Tektronix 2-channel 100 MHz oscilloscope
- HP 15 V power supplies
Associated faculty: Dr. Johnson Asumadu, professor of electrical and computer engineering
The Intelligent/Fuzzy Controllers Laboratory has been developed in the Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering of Western Michigan University with the help of a DURIP grant by the Department of Defense and generous donations by ABB Automation Technology Products, Sweden. This is to support research, the development of advanced courses, and graduate projects in the area of intelligent skill assessment systems for laparoscopic and robotic surgery.
Associated faculty: Dr. Janos Grantner, professor of electrical and computer engineering
The Neurobiology Engineering Laboratory investigates the fundamental principles and mechanisms of information processing in biological neurons and neuronal networks. The laboratory couples biological sciences and mathematics with the theory and practice of electrical engineering, computer engineering, and computer science. Recent work has focused on neuron modeling and energy-efficient stimulation of individual biological neurons using optimal control theory. The laboratory supports development of bioinstrumentation and includes a cell culture capability.
Location: A-211, Floyd Hall
Associated faculty: Dr. Damon Miller, associate professor of electrical and computer engineering
The primary focus of the Nonlinear Circuits and Systems Laboratory is electronic realizations of discrete and continuous-time chaotic systems which demonstrate and validate theoretical results. A chaotic system is completely described by deterministic non-random difference (discrete-time) or differential (continuous-time) equations, yet the system is inherently and unavoidably unpredictable. Chaos theory has important implications for understanding systems in engineering and the physical sciences, including biology and chemistry. The laboratory features instrumentation and supplies to support electronic circuit design and test.
Location: A-211, Floyd Hall
Associated faculty: Dr. Damon Miller, associate professor of electrical and computer engineering.
The Power Equipment Simulation and Design lab's current research and development efforts are focused on the following main topics:
- Modeling and simulation of power grid components and systems for electromagnetic transient studies
- High voltage and insulation systems
- Electromagnetic design optimization of power components
- Grid integration of power electronic-based renewable energy resources
- Fault analysis and location in transmission and distribution systems
- Dynamic microgrid modeling and simulation
- Cosimulation (FEM + dynamic grid simulators)
- Wideband model reconstruction and parameter estimation of power components
- Smart grid cybersecurity
- Geomagnetically induced currents in power grids
Lab director: Dr. Pablo Gomez, professor of electrical and computer engineering
Learn more about the Power Equipment Simulation and Design lab.
The Transportation Electrification and Applied Mechatronics lab is specialized in solving challenging problems in the broad areas of transportation electrification and mechatronic systems. Its mission is to gain a deeper understanding of the application specific electromechanical energy conversion systems, fault diagnosis of electric machines and drives, develop pragmatic solutions for challenging problems, and provide an engaging research experience for graduate/undergraduate researchers.
Lab director: Dr. Sandun Kuruppu, associate professor of electrical and computer engineering.
Learn more about the Transportation Electrification and Applied Mechatronics lab.