2010 Research Magazine
The cover of the current issue of WPI Research features Anakin the mannequin sporting a head-mounted virtual reality display. Anakin helps out with research in WPI's Human Interactions in Virtual Environments (HIVE) lab.
Drawing on the power of modern computers, scientists and engineers at WPI are working at the forefront of virtual reality, developing technology that lets users experience virtual worlds with all of their senses, allows surgeons to use real-time medical imaging to look inside the body as they operate, and reveals the real world in new ways. See the story "Virtually Real" for more.
On the cover
Margan Stanton, a PhD candidates in chemistry & biochemistry, helps develop engineered surfaces that can react with biological molecules and cells. These surfaces may be used to build a model cell membrane that can help test new diabetes drugs.
Featured Articles
Read about a new device that will warn firefighters of a deadly condition called flashover; WPI's new academic deans; research that could make coal gasification an economical way to generate electricity; and a host of major conferences held at WPI... 
Working across academic boundaries, biophysicists at WPI search for new cancer therapies, study electric fields that may herald the onset of Alzheimer's disease, and create mathematical models to probe the basic process of cell growth. Read more… 
Among the breakthroughs they're pursuing: stem-like cells that may regenerate tissue in the body, ways to reuse materials that reduce waste and save energy, and body area wireless networks that will personalize medicine. Read more... 
WPI researchers are working at the forefront of these fields, forging novel technology that adds the sense of touch to virtual worlds, building robots that operate inside MRI scanners, and creating virtual art installations in Second Life. Read more... 
Launched in 2006, GRAD is an opportunity for students to emerge from their labs, practice talking about their work in a manner anyone can understand, and revel in being part of a thriving research community. Learn more about GRAD Day...
Researchers at WPI are tackling heart disease on a number of fronts, developing groundbreaking methods for early detection, assessing when surgery is warranted, and fixing damage when it occurs. Learn more about their research...
About WPI Research
WPI Research, the Worcester Polytechnic Institute research magazine, is produced annually for the Division of Academic Affairs by the Division of Marketing and Communications.
Editor: Michael Dorsey, Director of Research Communications
Design: Pamela Mecca
Photography: Patrick O'Connor, Dan Vaillancourt
Production: Dianne Vanacore, Production Coordinator; Peggy Isaacson, Copy Editor
