The Digital Manufacturing and Design Innovation Institute (DMDII), a UI LABS collaboration, today announced the release of its first 2016 Project Call addressing two of the three DMDII Technology Thrusts: Advanced Manufacturing Enterprise (AME) and Intelligent Machines (IM).

 Analytical Solutions for Lifecycle Feedback (AME): The goal of this project call topic is to reduce total lifecycle costs of complex systems by collecting data from different parts of the product lifecycle, allowing data to flow across the product lifecycle and to use this information to improve decision-making.

Industrial Internet of Things Retrofit Kit for Legacy Manufacturing (IM): This project call topic aims to develop an affordable means to retrofit legacy production systems with a wide array of sensors, and to provide the capability to securely and rapidly collect, store and transmit the data, enabling participation in the digital enterprise.

To convey additional information to interested stakeholders, DMDII will host a project call workshop at the UI LABS Innovation Center on March 29, 2016. Workshop attendees will hear from the DMDII leadership team about its mission, vision and goals, as well as how to do business with the Institute. Attendees also will have the opportunity to network throughout the course of the workshop to enable teaming for responses to the Project Call Topics. 

DMDII plans to issue additional project calls over the next several months, covering the Technology Thrusts mentioned above as well as Advanced Analysis (AA). Upcoming project topics will include LowCost Robotics and Automation (IM), Real-Time Optimization of Factory Operations (AME), Seamless Work Flows from Design to Fabrication (AA), and Human Systems Integration (AA). Specific dates for these releases will be announced separately.