Electrical and Computer Engineering (ECE) involves all aspects of the generation, control, and use of electrical and electromagnetic energy. This field has played a dominant role in the Greatest Engineering Achievments of the 20th Century: Electrification, Electronics, Radio and Television, Computers, Telephone, Internet, Household Appliances, and Laser and Fiber Optics are all friuts of work in this field. The role of this field continues to expand: wireless communications, commodity supercomputing, digital imaging, and nanotechnology are just a few of the exciting new technologies that electrical and computer engineers are developing.
The goal of National Engineers Week, February 16-22, 2003, is to make it easier for the general public to recognize and appreciate the contributions that engineering has made to the improvement of our lives. Toward this goal, the University of Kentucky College of Engineering sets aside one day each year to celebrate the excitement and accomplishments of engineering. Thus, although the ECE department welcomes visitors at any time, we have arranged a variety of special activities for UK's EDay, February 22, 2003... as summarized below.
The following research and teaching laboratories have prepared exhibits and/or other activites for EDay 2003. We also created and distributed a map showing where the ECE exhibits were (PDF) and how the second floors of all the buildings involved in EDay are connected (PDF).
| Location | Title | Additional Info |
|---|---|---|
| Entry, Anderson Hall | Virtual Exhibit Index | |
| 682 Anderson Hall | Electromagentic Simulation | |
| 672 Anderson Hall | Supercomputers R Us | The Aggregate, KAOS, & KLAT2
 |
| 659 Anderson Hall | Laser Writing on Pennies | |
| 651 Anderson Hall | Electronic Devices Research Lab | |
| 591 Anderson Hall | Senior Design Projects | Undergraduate projects |
| 581 Anderson Hall | Digital Design Lab | An undergraduate computer engineering lab |
| 559 Anderson Hall | Autonomous Firefighting Robots | IEEE student robot competition |
| 465 Anderson Hall | The "Wave" of the Future - Wireless Communications (exhibit cancelled due to weather) |
Undergraduate wireless communication lab |
| 462 Anderson Hall | Palace of Power | |
| 369 ASTeCC | Nanotechnology and Semiconductors Lab | |
| 368 ASTeCC | Desktop Printers, not your average toaster anymore | Digital Halftoning |
| 361 ASTeCC | Center for Micro-Magnetic & Electronic Devices | CMMED |
| 365 ASTeCC | Nanotechnology and Semiconductors Lab | |
| 349 ASTeCC | Nanotechnology and Semiconductors Lab | |
| 010 Center for Robotics and Manufacturing Systems | Electronic Assembly Laboratory | |
| 119 Center for Robotics and Manufacturing Systems | Welding Research Laboratory (room changed from 009 to 119) |
Starting half an hour after the end of general events on EDay, the ECE department will be offering three free short courses to the general public. All three courses will run at the same time, from 1:30PM to approximately 2:30PM, although additional hands-on time may be given after the course. The handout describing the short courses is now available as Postscript and PDF files.
Enrollment is not restricted, but space is limited, so you are encouraged to sign-up as early as possible. The original plan was to place a sign-up form at this WWW site, but the storm has disrupted things enough that we are instead asking everyone to sign-up in-person during EDay by stopping by the Virtual Exhibit Index in the 1st floor entry to Anderson Hall. Any last-minute changes, such as room assignments, also will be posted on the Virtual Exhibit Index.
Linux is appearing more frequently in the news. You may be wondering what all the talk is about. This short course will introduce participants to the Linux operating system and Unix in general. We will start with some points of basic Unix philosophy then move on to more pragmatic issues, like how to do things that are normally done under windows and how to do some things that are difficult under windows. Finally we will discuss some interesting ways to use Linux to "recycle" old machines for new purposes.
The complete slides for the lecture are now available as a series of HTML pages.
Printed circuit boards are found in most consumer electronics such as toys, cell phones, VCRs, and PCs. The basic steps to making the boards include etching the copper wire pattern, drilling holes, placing the right component in the right spot, and soldering the components to the copper wires. In this short course, we will show the types of components used to build common circuits, demonstrate the process steps to make a printed circuit board, and teach participants to solder using a hand soldering iron. Depending on the class size, you may be able to complete a small working circuit to take home.
You might have noticed that digital cameras are starting to outsell those using film. In this short course, we will explain the basics of how digital cameras work, explain a little bit about how using them is different from using film cameras, and overview what you do with digital pictures after they're taken. The short course will end with a short hands-on period in which attendees will be able to use a digital camera.
The complete slides for the lecture are now available as (huge!) Postscript and (reasonably-sized) PDF files.