Augmenting Computing Power for Advanced Data Analysis and AI-based Image Processing at the Electron Microscopy Center

On behalf of the Electron Microscopy Center (EMC, College of Engineering), the PI is proposing the acquisition of computers and hardware upgrades to increase the computing power available at the center. A new workstation will be able to handle advanced tasks requiring high computing power: artificial intelligence/machine learning based image processing, graphic processing unit (GPU)-accelerated data analysis, segmentation of large 3D volumes and the handling of “big data”. Additional computer hardware, mainly GPU and memory, will upgrade the workstations already in place at the center. The proposed increase in computing power will significantly reduce analysis time and enable the full utilization of AI-enhanced tools for image analysis. The EMC is currently only equipped with one workstation able to adequately run recent software packages, creating a bottleneck due to the high demand from the user base. Other available computers are not equipped with GPUs suitable for advanced analysis. The proposed computing solutions will be available at the EMC and fully accessible to all users across campus, in person and remotely. Installation and user training will be performed by existing EMC staff members. The enhanced computing capabilities will support research in the development and characterization of samples for energy applications, materials science and in many other fields. It will empower researchers to analyze data more quickly and comprehensively than conventional personal computers can. Funds from both the Energy and Materials RPAs are requested for these purchases. For reviewing purposes, the Materials Science RPA should be the primary RPA considering this proposal.