Rowan University has launched a cutting-edge new laboratory aimed at bridging the gap between rapidly developing Artificial Intelligence (AI) and real-world industrial practices. The Digital Engineering Hub (DEHub) is designed to merge smart technology with advanced manufacturing, focusing on integrating intelligent systems into production methods.
Housed in the Henry M. Rowan College of Engineering’s Rowan Hall, the DEHub lab is directed by Antonios Kontsos, Ph.D. The facility is equipped to both digitize existing objects using advanced 3D scanners and create new components through both human- and machine-engineered designs.
World’s first academic connection to a supercomputer
The lab’s centerpiece is DMG MORI’s LASERTEC 30 SLM US, a cutting-edge 3D metal additive manufacturing machine. This printer uses a high-powered laser to melt and fuse thin layers of metal powder. Its distinguishing features, including adaptive beam control and interconnectivity, allow it to detect and correct flaws in real-time during the construction process.
Crucially, the DEHub lab has coupled this advanced hardware with a highly secure computer cluster named Pythia, after the Oracle of Delphi.
“We are the first academic research group in the world to connect a supercomputer for this type of machine,” Dr. Kontsos, the Henry M. Rowan Foundation Endowed Professor in Mechanical Engineering said.
Pythia is custom-built to process the massive amounts of data—on the order of terabytes—streamed instantly from the metal printer, such as part temperature and laser information. This synchronous processing power is key to embedding true AI control into the manufacturing process.
Targeting global and defense sectors
DEHub’s initial focus is on federally funded research for the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA). However, the lab aims to serve a wide range of industries, including defense, manufacturing, pharmaceutical, biotechnology, energy, civil infrastructure, and robotics.
Dr. Kontsos emphasized the global scope of the center’s ambitions: “Our horizon is not to improve the Glassboro economy only. We want to improve it by being a resource worldwide.”
The significance of the lab has already attracted international interest, with representatives from companies as far as California, Texas, and Australia attending DEHub’s recent launch event.
