In a series of meetings Monday and Tuesday RPI made its pitch to become the home of the U.S. Army’s Institute for Soldier Nanotechnologies. RPI is one of six research universities being considered for a $10 million annual investment tied to being named as the center’s home.
While officials at RPI initially hoped make the presentations a campus wide event, Army officials decided to severely restrict access because of security concerns.
Faculty, staff, and students who were not conducting research on the project, in addition to the press, were denied entry.
The Institute for Soldier Nanotech-nologies program looks to develop a highly sophisticated uniform for soldiers that would be able to monitor vital signs in real time, change color to blend with the environment, temperature control, and provide protection from chemical, biological, and ballistic attacks.
New York State Legislature Majority Leader Joe Bruno in his introductory remarks said, “I am excited that Rensselaer may be the home for the important work done by the U.S. Army and I think there is no better place to house such a visionary program than RPI.”
He went on to say that his work in the Senate on the Gen*NY*sis program, which encourages public-private partnerships to help make New York a leader in the biotech industry, will help pave the way for additional efforts like RPI’s.
Materials Sciences Professor Pawel Keblinski led the modeling efforts at RPI and made a technical presentation to Army officials.
“Our research models show how the real design will work. The modeling efforts provide understanding and guidance in nano-structure properties and will guide the final design.” Keblinski pointed to how the group has helped researchers understand the relationship between theoretical measurements.
“Researchers are experimenting based on our models, and then applying these findings in designing the nanotechnology project, ” said Keblinski. His group covered a broad range of modeling techniques and is on the way to the “continuum level” in modeling.
Nanotechnology involves manipulating molecules that could potentially lead to the development of materials with unique properties.
The $10 million annual investment over five years, at the yet-to-be announced home of the Institute for Soldier Nanotech-nologies, will be one of the largest investments made by the Army in a university.
The Army’s funding will be combined with an additional $20 million from industrial partners over the same five year period. As part of its proposal RPI plans to invest $6.4 million and New York State has committed $12.5 million, bringing the total investment by all parties in the Institute for Soldier Nanotechnologies to $95 million over five years.
The Institute for Soldier Nanotech-nologies is part of the Army’s vision to transform its fighting forces into a highly flexible, highly mobile, 21st century “soldier-centered” force called the “Objective Force Warrior”.
According to the Institute for Soldier Nanotechnologies website, plans include reducing the load the average soldier carries from 100 pounds to less than 30 pounds, and reducing the average weight of tanks from 70 tons to under 20 tons.
The role of the proposed center in this Army wide movement is to “focus and adapt nanotechnology research to significantly enhance the “Objective Force Warrior” and leverage breakthroughs in nanotechnology and nano-manufacturing,” said Dr. A. Michael Andrews, deputy assistant secretary at the workshop on Institute for Soldier Nanotecnologies held last August.
