This U.S.-Japan Bio-Inspired Sensing Workshop will take place December 6-8, 2006 in Yokohama, Japan. The workshop is co-organized by Professor Jennifer Bernhard of University of Illinois and Professor Akira Mita of Keio University. The workshop will address challenges of Structural Health Monitoring (SHM) and Bio-Inspired Engineered (BIE) systems, including smart sensors and sensing methods, wireless communications, damage detection/characterization and condition assessment techniques, international test bed design and execution, and practical, real-world deployment. U.S. participants will have opportunity to observe functioning SHM systems and innovative BIE laboratories during site visits. By bringing together leading researchers from the United States and Japan, this workshop is intended to identify areas for mutually beneficial research collaboration, and provide a forum to explore specific approaches for advancing such collaborations. The participation of junior researchers and graduate students will expose them to cutting-edge research ideas in their field, as well as help them to develop a network of international contacts. NSF's Office of International Science and Engineering and the Division of Civil and Mechanical Systems are jointly supporting U.S. participants in the workshop.
