Event Information
Title: “Revolutionary Engineering Concepts to Propel America Towards Greatness”
Speaker: Steve Dickerson, Professor Emeritus
Date: Tuesday, April 4, 2023
Time: 11:00 a.m. - 12:00 p.m.
Location: GTMI Auditorium
Please RSVP if you plan to attend.
Abstract
"Revolutionary Engineering Concepts to Propel America Towards Greatness"
I propose Georgia Tech as a replacement for MIT as the top technical university in the USA, based on leading the practice of fundamental innovations that are obvious and technologically simple. The author presents a list of potential innovations, including proper application of Quantitative Easing for monetary policy, creating a High Speed Toll Road to eliminate urban congestion, using passenger cars for freight trains and creating nuclear power systems on farms, among others. The author also suggests that automation could be used to manufacture clothing and increase productivity and employment, while CO2 removal could be achieved by using plants. Finally, the author suggests future innovations such as exoskeletons for old age and a space launching system built on Earth.
Bio
Professor Emeritus, Georgia Tech
Founder of Peachtree City Commuter Bus, Modnar Corporation, DVT Corporation, CAMotion, Inc., RideCell, and SoftWear Automation, Inc.
Steve Dickerson received his Sc.D. (Doctor of Science) degree from MIT in 1965, MSME from Berkeley in 1963, and BSME from IIT in 1962. He was a professor of mechanical engineering at Georgia Tech until retirement in 1996. In 2005, he became an Honorary Alumnus of Georgia Tech. In addition, he is an elected Fellow of the Society of Manufacturing Engineers and a recipient of the New Technology Award from the Inventors Club of America. He received the first GTRC Start-Up Award as the leading innovator from the Georgia Tech faculty.
Urban transportation, automation, and advanced manufacturing are his primary interests. Specific research projects led to the founding of various companies. DVT Corporation revolutionized machine vision and was sold for over $100M in 2005; CAMotion, Inc. made breakthroughs in lightweight, high-performance robotics and sold to PaR Automation in 2014 where sales are now approximately $15M per year. RideCell uses advanced communications and computing to support urban transportation, is growing rapidly, and now based in San Francisco because funding and implementation is easier there. SoftWear Automation Inc. will introduce disruptive solutions in garment cutting and sewing. The last two companies are early-stage ventures. He holds several patents concerning these technologies and, in each case, has made the initial capital investments.
Dickerson donated stock in 2006 to Georgia Tech to create the Frederick R. Dickerson Chaired Professorship. The chair serves to “advancing the technological sophistication of urban transportation systems…to facilitate congestion reduction and energy efficiency.” F. R. Dickerson was his father.
As with all faculty members, he has several publications but has concentrated on patents, innovation, and commercialization in the last 35 years. Innovation at Georgia Tech includes putting into practice.
Contact Information
For questions, contact Courtney Sykes at courtney.sykes@me.gatech.edu.