Friends of CITRIS,
The collected research of CITRIS faculty shows an amazing range of scale: from micro-electronics and nanotechnology to systems at the level of buildings, industries, and national economies. This issue of the CITRIS Signal highlights projects at the macro-level.
One way CITRIS supports the development of new platforms is through creating open-source software that helps reduce the energy footprint of the built environment. The first story in this month’s CITRIS Signal focuses on the OpenBAS platform, which elegantly weaves data from automated building management systems into a single, user-friendly network. OpenBAS was first implemented on the Berkeley campus using Sutardja Dai Hall as a testbed. A free software system, OpenBAS can easily accept sensor-based building management applications, many of which are also being developed right here at CITRIS.
>>Read Bringing Building Automation Benefits to Small and Mid-size Commercial Properties
The second story focuses on telehealth and its continuing evolution in the health care ecosystem. To study the efficacy of different telehealth technologies, CITRIS researchers at UC Berkeley and UC Davis are partnering with Aalborg University in Denmark and the Cleveland Clinic in Ohio to develop scalable protocols and strategies via a multinational research platform, the Transatlantic Telehealth Research Network. Establishing clear, research-based practices is an essential step toward implementing telemedicine within the medical establishment, as well as garnering necessary support from the insurance industry and government institutions that underwrite it.
>>Read Connecting the Last Mile: Telehealth Research Collaboration spans the Atlantic
As a new academic year approaches, we also extend a warm welcome to former Governor Jennifer Granholm, who joined CITRIS as a Senior Advisor for Special Projects earlier this summer. Following her tenure as Michigan’s governor from 2003 until 2011, she is now developing a roadmap to provide 10 states across the country with innovative policy solutions to generate clean energy economic clusters and high-wage jobs. Building on the strengths of multiple disciplines, the research aims to accelerate the American cleantech industry, including the rapid translation of ideas from research labs to the factory floor. This roadmap will include economic modeling and engineering forecasts that identify opportunities for universities, businesses, and governments to collaborate on creating innovative jobs in the energy sector and reducing carbon pollution. We are fortunate to have Jennifer aboard to share her perspectives on putting clean energy technologies to work.
These examples show how powerful an interdisciplinary approach can be: innovative technology needs not only cutting-edge engineering and computer science but also effective policy, administration, and economics to carry them forward. CITRIS is honored to facilitate collaborative work by extraordinary leaders in these fields.
Costas Spanos
Director, CITRIS and the Banatao Institute
Camille Crittenden
Deputy Director, CITRIS and the Banatao Institute