2021 @PT Call for Exploratory Proposals

Scientific Area: Climate Science & Climate Change 

Abstract: Speleothems, defined as secondary mineral deposits formed in caves, are excellent recorders of climate during the Quaternary and may have continuously recorded variations in the Earth’s magnetic field during their growth period. Their age can be determined precisely using U-Th series disequilibrium dating, and the magnetic, geochemical and mineralogical signatures preserved in their thin laminations can provide high-resolution climate- and environmental proxy time series at subannual to millennial time-scales [1-3]. Speleothems host magnetic minerals that originate from the soils and rocks above a cavern system. As these magnetic minerals are incorporated into actively growing stalagmites, the grains acquire a detrital remanent magnetization (DRM), which has the ability to accurately record the direction and relative intensity of the Earth’s magnetic field and can be readily measured using standard and superconducting quantum interference device (SQUID)-based rock magnetometers [4-8]. Magnetic studies of speleothems also provide high-resolution records of climate variability by linking rock-magnetic properties to climate and environmental forcing parameters acting on soils [9-11].

However, applications on the use of speleothem magnetic properties as archives of climate change are at an embryonic stage and require a great deal of maturation before they can be comparable to traditional studies. A major limitation in correlating the magnetic signal of speleothem with standard environmental and climate proxies relies is the limited temporal scale (i.e., sample size) of paleomagnetic speleothem samples. Owing to their very weak magnetization, larger sample volumes are required to ensure detection by standard SQUID rock magnetometers, thereby averaging magnetic information over large time periods. For example, paleotemperature and paleoprecipitation measured by oxygen isotope composition are measurable at the sub-millimeter scale (i.e., annual to sub-annual scale) in the calcite laminae, whereas standard rock- and paleo- magnetic analyses usually require millimeter to centimeter sized (i.e., decadal to millennial scale) samples. Here we address this challenge by using the MIT scanning SQUID microscope and the Quantum Diamond Microscopes (QDM) available at MIT and Harvard University to investigate the magnetic signature of Portuguese speleothems recently collected by the Portuguese team. These recently developed techniques provide outstanding mapping of speleothem magnetization at a micrometer to sub-millimeter scale (Appendix I).

Our main objectives are to explore: i) the link with environmental forcing parameters acting on soils (paleoprecipitation, temperature); and ii) to test the use of speleothem as potential paleo-fire archives. We will base our methodology on a multidisciplinary approach combining magnetic, geochemical (including mercury), petrographic and mineralogical analyses, which leverages a newly formed collaboration between the project leader Eric Font (UC, IDL), Eduardo Andrade Lima (MIT) and an international consortium of research groups specializing in speleothem studies, including young Portuguese researchers. Results will be integrated into global isotope database (e.g. SISAL, [12]). We will be able to calibrate our database with temperature, precipitation and other climate constrains from regional historical and instrumental records over the last century (available at IPMA). For pre-instrumental periods, we intend to calibrate our data with sedimentary and ice records and with speleothems from North and South America currently studied by our international collaborators.

This proposal also connects with a larger ongoing collaborative project conducted by our international partners to investigate speleothem paleomagnetism (National Science Foundation grants # 2044806, 2044535, and 2044506). The implications of the expected results are as follows: i) consolidate our national and international competitiveness in this area of the geosciences, including the innovation and knowledge transfer between Portuguese institutions, MIT and our international partners; ii) provide innovative scientific tools to unravel recent climate and environmental changes in western Iberia; iii) explore the occurrence and frequency of forest fires in Portugal, thus contributing to fire risk assessment and management, and its associated impacts on human health; iv) promote the touristic value and natural heritage of the caves in Portugal and create outreach materials for schools and society; and v) provide scientific and societal contributions towards United Nation’s Sustainable Development Goals 6 (Water), 13 (Climate changes), and 15 (Terrestrial ecosystems).

MIT PIs:
Eduardo Andrade Lima – Principal Research Scientist Dept. of Earth, Atmospheric and Planetary Sciences

PT PIs:
Eric Claude Font – Faculdade de Ciências e Tecnologia da Universidade de Coimbra (FCTUC)

Scientific Area: Climate Science & Climate Change 

Abstract: The need to revise the technologies on which economy is based is no longer in doubt, as the growth in fossil fuel consumption has already led to planetary observable changes in the climate [1]. Moving away from the use of fossil resources has numerous benefits: besides averting disruptive shifts in climate, it will contribute to improving air, land, and water quality for a still-growing global population, as well as minimizing political instability. While the objective is clear, the solutions are not. Electricity generation from wind and solar energies has grown by a factor of 50 since 2000 [2]. Despite the enormous progress, it constitutes just over 1% of the global energy consumption.

The share of renewables can increase up to ~60% [2], but two main difficulties remain. On the one hand, few technologies can compete with the energy density provided by fossil fuels, as shown in figure 1 (see annexes). On the other hand, the intermittency and geographic nature of renewables calls for efficient storage of the energy surplus during peak production. A vast effort is under way to develop carbon capture, utilization and storage strategies. CO2 recycling aims at transforming carbon dioxide into high value-added products, such as hydrocarbons, acids, alcohols or oxygen. In this approach, CO2 is no longer seen as a pollutant, but as a raw material to be valorized. A major route is the production of liquid fuels using only green electricity, promoting the transition from fossil to solar fuels. CO2 conversion can also play a key role in human exploration beyond Earth, by enabling the production of fuel and breathable oxygen on Mars [3]. CO2 is abundant in the Martian atmosphere and can be converted in-situ into carbon monoxide (CO) and oxygen (O2). Both CO and O2 can be used in a propellant mixture, while O2 can be collected and made available for breathing. Further decomposition can be pursued to arrive at carbon, of use for manufacturing carbon structures and for the synthesis of different organic molecules.

Two crucial steps in the processes of recycling and utilizing CO2, both on Earth and on Mars, are the efficient dissociation of CO2 and the separation of the conversion products. Dissociation is a strongly endothermic process, difficult to activate efficiently by conventional thermal and catalytic methods, while separation remains energy intensive [4]. Nonthermal plasma technologies (NTP) are in an excellent position to solve these problems. NTP are highly reactive gas media sustained by electrical discharges, that offer unique ways to break the strong C=O bond by taking advantage of the energy stored in the internal degrees of freedom [4]. A combination of plasmas and ion-conducting membranes can enhance the oxygen permeability and stimulate CO2 conversion by product separation [5]. Besides their energy efficiency, plasma technologies are compact, scalable, selective, versatile (the same reactor can be used to produce different molecules), do not require the use of expensive materials, and can instantaneously start and stop operation, as required by a power supply from intermittent renewable energy sources. CREATOR consists of a thorough theoretical, modelling and simulation investigation, aiming at unveiling the mechanisms underlying plasma CO2 dissociation and the plasma-surface interactions relevant for product separation.

The final goal is to identify the optimal conditions for a plasma reactor to operate for both Terrestrial and Martian CO2 recycling applications. It builds on the Seed Project “Inverse design and Modeling of Plasma-Assisted CO2-conversion Technologies” (IMPACT) financed in the 2021 MIT-Portugal call. The Department of Aeronautics and Astronautics from the MIT joins the project as a Participating Institution. CREATOR focuses on nanosecond pulsed discharges ignited in pure CO2, operating both at high (Earth) and low (Mars) pressure, to be investigated at the MIT in the framework of IMPACT. The different working pressures imply a modification of the dominant energy transfer pathways, from direct electron impact processes to a plasma chemistry mediated by vibrationally and electronically excited states [4].

The proposed research follows three main axes: – investigation of the role of vibrationally and electronically excited states in the process of gas-phase CO2 dissociation at different pressures, based on a global (0D) model of the discharge; – study of plasma-surface interactions, assessing the influence of different species and surface processes on conversion, selectivity, and activation of membranes for product separation; – development of a 1D radial model, to describe accurately the transport of the active species to the membranes, their interaction, and self-consistently integrate the two former axes. By its end, the project will provide a coupled and integrated description of both volume and surface kinetics in CO2 plasmas, from conversion to separation, from Earth to Mars.

MIT PIs:
Ahmed F. Ghoniem -Ronald C. Crane (1972) Professor of Mechanical Engineering; Director, Center for Energy and Propulsion Research; Director, Reacting Gas Dynamics Laboratory

and Carmen Guerra-Garcia – Atlantic Richfield Career Development Professor in Energy Studies; Assistant Professor of Aeronautics and Astronautics

PT PIs:
Vasco António Dinis Leitão Guerra – Instituto de Plasmas e Fusão Nuclear, Instituto Superior Técnico

Scientific Area: Digital Transformation in Manufacturing 

Abstract: Lithium-ion batteries play an essential role in the use of electrical energy for portable applications and electrical vehicles in order to increase their autonomy and safety. The issues to be improved for the next years for lithium-ion batteries are their performance (capacity and power), safety and cost, as well as to reduce their environmental impact.

The goal of this project is to develop a solid-state Li-ion batteries (SSBs) with focus on interface engineering and advanced techniques for characterization of interfaces in SSBs The optimization of energy density, power and lifetime of the batteries requires an understanding of the electrochemical mechanisms at atomic and mesoscopic scales. In this project this will be achieved by in-situ investigation on the interface combining electro-chemical fatigue tests, in-situ microstructural damage assessment methods for electrode–electrolyte interfaces. The investigation will focus on the development of improved materials for anode (Graphite), cathode (LixFePO4, LixNi0.8Co0.15Al0.05O2) combined with Graphene quantum dots and solid-polymer electrolytes based on electroactive polymer synergistically combined with two complementary fillers such as ionic liquid (IL) and mesoporous fillers such as zeolites, MOFs with superior electrochemical, electrical, thermal and mechanical properties and cyclability. These materials for the battery components will be developed from the best materials combination in order to be able to improve electrode–electrolyte interfaces in the batteries. In order to improve the interface, the electroactive polymer is poled to prevent dendrite growth. The addition of graphene quantum dots improves the electrical conductivity of the electrodes as well as the interface between electrode/solid polymer electrolyte. Together with the development of materials, their characterization by electro-chemical fatigue tests offers a unique opportunity to explore the electrochemical phenomena opening the understanding of these effects at the nanoscale. Thus, novel SSBs will be produced with improved performance, higher energy density and security, longer cycle lives, lower environmental impacts and new battery designs. Together with a deeper understanding of the physical properties of the materials, this work is significant because of the growing interest and need of materials for energy related applications. The project represents a research effort of specialized young and senior scientist as well as a tight collaboration with Taşan and Van Vliet labs at MIT.

The proposed work supports our long term objectives, is built on our research experience over the last few years with relevant publication in the field[GorenCosta15],[GoncalvesMiranda19],[MirandaGoren19], [CostaLee19] and [FelipeBarbosa21], and represents a step forward in the direct technical interest of our work and its technology transfer. Proofs of concept and innovative papers in all the areas involved in this research project support the capacity of the team to carry out successfully the innovative challenge of this investigation where this project pretends to achieve both scientific and technological impact.

MIT PIs:
C. Cem Taşan – Thomas B. King Associate Professor of Metallurgy

PT PIs:
Carlos Miguel da Silva Costa – Universidade do Minho – Centro de Física e Química

Scientific Area: Digital Transformation in Manufacturing 

Abstract: 3d printing has evolved from a prototyping technology to a viable manufacturing methodology. It offers a rapid pathway from concept to product and its particularly suited to applications where massive personalisation is required. In some areas it has enabled new shapes to be produced not possible with conventional manufacturing technology. Moreover the approach is waste free in that only the materials required to produce a part is used. Despite this freedom of geometry the approach is rather overfocused on replicating shapes rather than exploring new approaches.

This is the focus of this project, in which will explore the scope for depositing materials with different properties by controlling the structure and morphology of the polymer. It is well established that a high molecular weight polymer when extruded through a die with appropriate length to bore ratio can lead to the formation of a preferred orientation in the melt which when the temperature is lowered leads to the formation of a highly anisotropic crystalline morphology which exhibits quite different mechanical properties to the morphology which forms from a quiescent melt. Typically the variation in modulus will be in the range 2x to 3x. Now that enhancement in properties lies along the line of depositing the material on the build surface. We wish to exploit the opportunities for depositing in 3d so as to enable new designs and new products. 3d printing is often referred to as a layer by layer process and in the vast majority of cases the initial design is sliced in to a series of co planar layers. This is not a limitation of 3d printing, indeed the only limitation for the nature of the slicing in arbitrary shaped non planar layers is that they do not intersect. Several papers have highlighted the use of non-planar layers to lead to an enhanced surface finish, however we have identified another major advantage of the use of non-planar layers. We will give a specific example – let us consider a cylindrical object. The major stresses in such an object may lie along the length of the cylinder as for a supporting pillar, or around the edge of a cylinder as in the case of barrel. In traditional manufacturing of wooden barrels, metal hoops are placed around the circumference to prevent the barrel bursting. If we slice the cylindrical object in to a series of cylindrical surfaces we have the option of depositing lines of stiffer anisotropic material along the length or around cylinder. This methodology immediately allows the stiffer or stronger material to be deposited or printed where it is required and aligned with the principal stress directions. Such an approach will lead to reduced volume of material to deliver specific properties and will released 3d printing from the constraints of coplanar slices and thereby enable new design as well as new products.

The focus of this project is to explore these concepts and to generate a roadmap for the development of the new technology which emerges to include both hardware and software for control of printers and the optimisation of design. We will build on previous work by utilising an instrumented industrial scale pellet fed extruder which will facilitate the use of a wide/range of polymers including liquid crystal polymers, which exhibit a high level of flow induced anisotropy. By using this instrumented extruder we will identify the range of conditions which lead to the formation of solid material with an enhanced stiffness and anisotropy performing in-situ experiments with the extruder at the ALBA Synchrotron Light Source in Barcelona. We will use the output of multiscale modelling of the process at MIT to provide an understanding of the phenomena and to identify other adaptions such as localized temperature control of the extruded plastic before deposition. . Equally we will identify the conditions required to deposit softer isotropic material. We will explore the length to bore diameter of the extruder die and its use to optimise both the conditions to switch between isotropic and anisotropic material deposition and the build resolution and build speed. We will construct a prototype printer using this industrial scale pellet fed extruder to be able to print objects sliced with arbitrary shaped non-planar layers and adapt existing software to drive this printer. We will adapt existing slicing software to enable cad designs to be sliced with non-planar arbitrary shaped functions. We will identify some case studies of objects and print these using standard planar layers and compare the properties to parts prepared using the controlled deposition of anisotropic stiffer material in particular directions using non-planar slices. If time permits and the initial extruder results are promising we will explore the printing of what will be effectively molecular composites with the high performance struts printed using a liquid crystal polymer and in fill with a conventional thermoplastic. 

MIT PIs:
Gregory C. Rutledge – Lammot du Pont Professor Department of Chemical Engineering

PT PIs:
Geoffrey Mitchell – Polytechnic Institute of Leiria, Centre for Rapid and Sustainable Product Development

Scientific Area: Sustainable Cities 

Abstract: The possibility of using CO2 as an alternative carbon source is a high interest research topic which opens the way for a carbon circular economy. The field is experiencing a very fast-evolving scenario with several industrial initiatives taking place namely at pilot scales or demo size units. Main constraints in terms of industrial applicability rely on the stability of the catalyst, as well as its accessibility and reusability which are essential factors to consider. The NOVA team has been involved in different approaches for CO2 conversion (into cyclic carbonates, methane and syngas) and has successfully developed chemical processes using ionic liquids (ILs) as solvents either to dissolve or to stabilise efficient metal catalytic systems. The aim of this project is to explore synergies between ILs and Metal Organic Frameworks (MOfs) and Covalent Organic Frameworks (COFs) not only in terms of increased catalytic activity, but also in terms of easy separation, recyclability and suitability for fixed bed operations. Complementary skills of the researchers involved will provide the multidisciplinarity required for success in this project. The collaboration with the MIT group will be of crucial importance due to wide experience in both MOFs and COFs synthesis in order to develop the most effective systems for each application. The NOVA team will further benefit from the experience acquired and technical deliverables of previous and on-going projects related with CO2 conversion. The team expects that synergies between ILS and MOFs/COFs will originate essential breakthrough developments to boost the technologies under study by opening new perspectives of industrialization. 

MIT PIs:
Mircea Dincă – Associate Professor Department of Chemistry

PT PIs:
Ana Vital Morgado Marques Nunes – LAQV-REQUIMTE/FCT-UNL

Scientific Area: Earth Systems: Oceans to near Space

Abstract: At the end of the 19th century, the French novelist Jules Verne published the book “Paris in the 20th century”, which envisioned tube trains stretching across the Atlantic Ocean. Nowadays, there are mainly four modes of transport (plane, car, train, and boat), but a fifth mode is becoming more and more real. The Hyperloop intends to be a revolution in the transport systems by connecting countries through the ocean in a faster and more ecological way, when compared to the conventional transport systems. Basically, the Hyperloop transport allows the high-speed transportation of passengers and goods inside a capsule, which travels through a tube with reduced internal pressure. Scientists and engineers have now an important role to find reliable solutions to create this revolution. The implementation of Hyperloop arises several challenges to all stakeholders, namely in what concerns the design of the infrastructure. Therefore, this project, Hyerloop-Verne, intends to be a major contribution to connect the Hyperloop transport with biomimetics, in order to find reliable solutions. This link with biomimetics has been the way to find good solutions in several fields of engineering and technology. For that, FEUP and MIT teams will bring important synergies toward addressing the problem of how to explore and develop a concept of biomimetic-inspired oceanic Hyperloop transport infrastructures. Furthermore, this exploratory project (Hyperloop-Verne) proposes a new challenge for the hyperloop technology – to adapt this transport to operate in marine environments, with the aim of allowing intercontinental transport of goods and passengers. However, oceans can be very hostile for engineering structures, due to extreme temperatures, waves loads, salt water, interaction with the ecosystems, difficulties of maintenance and accessibility, which implies the development of new strategies to solve these problems not only related to the structural design and integrity but also at the material level. Hence, the research plan of this exploratory project (Hyperloop-Verne) involves a consistent analysis of the hyperloop transport system considering a critical literature review and identification of the most recent developments. Then, different biomimetic approaches will be studied, namely examples of their application to the ocean environment. A bio-inspired design solution will be proposed and a representative model will be established to analyse different load scenarios. The material selection will also play an important role, based on the identification of marine environment requirements and characterization of material properties, such as fatigue-corrosion behaviour. 

MIT PIs:
Yuming Liu – Senior Research Scientist Center for Ocean Research Department of Mechanical Engineering

PT PIs:
Rui Artur Bártolo Calçada – Faculdade de Engenharia da Universidade do Porto

Scientific Area: Sustainable Cities 

Abstract: Energy storage is at the core of the process and needs to meet the requisites of a decentralized zero carbon energy society. Conventional solutions “on the shelf” include batteries and carbon supercapacitors, fulfilling, respectively, the energy and power needs. Although the solution to meet simultaneously energy and power requirements is hybridization of batteries and capacitors, this is an expensive technology and imposes complex management systems and power electronics. Simpler plug-in devices are certainly much more attractive and flexible. Thus, the development of devices, like supercapacitors (SC), that combine increased energy density at high power, is essential. The discovery of sustainable electrolytes, all tailored to meet this requirement, are the key to enable the success of the next generation of electrochemical energy storage devices. Different roadmaps, including Battery 2030+, stress the need for novel systems, based on green chemistry routes, to improve electrochemical metrics and safety. The novelty of this project relies on the development of novel electrolytes based on eutectic systems and its gels tailored to be efficient integrated in redox SCs, while reaching increased capacitance and stability in the long run. The expected synergies established between our research group (expert in eutectic systems) and Prof. Sadoway group from MIT as expert in energy storage devices including SCs is crucial for the success of the project. The proposed eutectic systems or Deep eutectic solvents, DES (liquids or gels at room temperature) should present low viscosity, high conductivity (>10-3Scm-1) electrochemical potential window up to 3 V, large operational temperature range (-50ºC to 100ºC), low cost and high wettability on the electrode material. This can be achieved by chemical tuning taking advantage the characteristics of eutectic systems. DES are considered sustainable materials formed by the suitable mixture of hydrogen bond donors and acceptors and they can be very promising for application as electrolytes in energy devices. In this matter, a new and yet unexplored approach involves a hybrid system based on hydrophobic or hydrophilic DES and gel DES (development of gels by the combination of DES and different gellators such as polymers and silica nanoparticles), which can efficiently prevent competitive reactions, allowing higher wettability between the electrolyte/electrode will be explored. Their characteristics will be tailored to improve the capacitance of redox SCs based on selected electroactive materials. Our original concept goes far beyond the state of the art, and it is definitely high risk-high gain because: (i) it involves novel concepts at the level of engineering of the DES system to boost the response of specific electrodes. This concept also brings high potential to create disruptive impact on different electrode materials used either in SCs or modern batteries (this task will be done in strictly interaction with MIT group). (ii) the challenges inherent to ionic conductivity, viscosity and stability of the novel electrolytes to be placed in contact with electrodes, taking advantage the expertise of team members. We believe that our vision, skills and competences will deliver significant breakthroughs and innovative solutions to enable more reliable electrochemical energy storage SCs which are crucial devices in the energy transition. Finally, this team has outstanding experience in sustainable chemistry, material science and electrochemistry areas connected with strong expertise from MIT researchers in energy solutions showing an impressive track record in novel electrolytes and materials for SCs energy storage. No doubt, a unique highly skilled and collaborative team to drive this challenging project to success. 

MIT PIs:
Donald R. Sadoway – John F. Elliott Professor of Materials Chemistry

PT PIs:
Hugo Gonçalo da Silva Cruz – Faculdade de Ciências e Tecnologia da Universidade Nova de Lisboa (FCT – UNL)

Scientific Area: Climate Science & Climate Change 

Abstract: Scientists and engineers working in fields such as the environmental sciences, the oceans, climate, or earth sciences have access to massive amounts of geo-referenced data. These data allow monitoring and studying the behavior of objects or events of interest over time, making diagnoses and predictions, etc. These tasks assume the existence of good quality data and methods and tools to analyze the data with little effort. Currently, there are many tools help on managing, processing, and analyzing spatial data, but the same does not happen when one intends to work with spatial data that evolves over time.

This project focuses on the development of models and tools for the processing of spatiotemporal (SPT) data, based on two case studies: ​​environmental engineering and ​​marine ecology. The focus will be on SPT data modeled as 2D and 3D geometries that can change position, shape, or size continuously over time (moving objects). For example, we can model an iceberg as a 3D moving object (thus representing its movement and changes in size and shape over time). This model has advantages over discrete models, particularly when one intends to represent the evolution of geometrically definable objects or events, as it allows for more compact and intuitive representations, and guarantees the independence of the data from the acquisition process. Two main topics will be investigated: 1. Research work in this area has focused almost exclusively on the modeling of 2D moving objects. In this project, we intend to take the first steps towards the modeling of 3D moving objects in database or data stream systems. In particular, we will investigate the feasibility of using a unified model to represent 2D and 3D moving objects.

The starting point will be the use of models based on 3D meshes or 3D voxel and interpolation methods well known in the field of Computer Graphics. In addition to defining the model, we will also study and develop algorithms to implement a basic set of ST operations. This research guideline is based on results from previous work where we used 2D meshes to represent 2D moving objects. 2 New SPT visualization techniques are required to deal with ST datasets increasing in size. Common visualizations may lack efficiency or effectiveness in transmitting the story of an SPT entity: dynamic visualizations are not efficient as the time effort to see the visual content increases linearly with the data. Moreover, object changes may be imperceptible for small or fast-occurring transformations. Static visualizations also lack the easiness of conveying dynamic phenomena effectively. We already proposed an approach to visually represent a SPT entity based on the automated generation of interactive storyboards that summarize the evolution of the entity. Here the most critical component is the detection and representation of change, currently supported in pairwise PSR techniques (CPD). However, a new family of PSR techniques, based on machine-learning (ML), have recently emerged, which might be an alternative to more classic techniques such as CPD, ICP and BCPD. Here we aim to study ML PSR solutions, test and compare them with already achieved results. We will develop generic solutions that can be used in different types of applications. They will be tested using real data and two case studies with considerably distinct features. The first case study consists of modeling the spread of controlled fires using data extracted from aerial images (videos) captured in 3 field experiments carried out recently. The second case study consists of modeling the evolution of 3D coral reefs based on data collected periodically. The results will be validated by domain specialists. A comparison will also be made between the data created using the model proposed in this project and the field observations, with the data generated by a well-known fire propagation simulation model (Farsite). The duration of the project is 12 months, and the strategy will consist of testing solutions and defining guidelines for future research. We will have in mind the study of solutions for the areas of databases and GIS, as well as more recent trends, namely machine learning, data stream analysis, and digital twins. The participating institutions are the University of Aveiro, INESC TEC Porto, and the Polytechnic Institute of Leiria.

The team consists of six researchers: four from the area of ​​computer engineering and computer science, one from ​​environmental engineering, and another from the area of ​​marine ecology. Professor Justin Solomon, leader of the “Geometric Data Processing” group of the “Computer Science and Artificial Intelligence” laboratory at MIT, will also collaborate with this project.

MIT PIs:
Justin Solomon – Associate Professor Department of Electrical Engineering & Computer Science

PT PIs:
José Manuel Matos Moreira – Universidade de Aveiro