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FIRST Israel Robotics Competition 2019

Destination: Deep Space

Students from Hadarim High School (Ha-Dream) in Hod Hasharon, Amit Yeshiva in Modiin (TRIGON) and from the American International School at Even Yehuda (Falcons) won first place at FIRST, Israel’s largest Robotics Competition which took place on April 4^th at the Menora Mivtahim indoor arena. Together with Yeruham’s Yteam who received FIRST’s prestigious Chairman’s Award in recognition of their exemplary leadership in STEM, and Yafia who won the Rookie All Stars Prize, the five groups will travel to Detroit to participate in the FIRST International Robotics Competition for high school students, to take place on April 24-27. In addition, six outstanding participants received scholarships from the Technion.

Destination: Deep Space was the title of this year’s competition, and the students were given a ‘one-type mission’, to build a robot that can intake and eject cargos and hatches, climb to third level platforms, construct a cascade elevator that accesses the different heights of the rocket. All this within an intense 6-week time span that included planning, design, programming and construction. Over the course of the three-day competition, tens of FIRST teams, comprised of motivated high-school students, competed at Menora’s indoor arena. The place was a hub of activity filled with an energetic and vibrant atmosphere as the teams assembled their robots and prepped them for the big competition.

FIRST is a USA-based non-for-profit organization established in 1989 by inventor, entrepreneur and STEM advocate, Dean Kamen. His goal is to inspire youth and instill in them motivation and curiosity and encourage them to pursue all that FIRST stands for: Inspiration and Recognition of Science and Technology. Technion President Prof. Peretz Lavie is the Chairman of First Global.

FIRST Israel was founded 15 years ago by Lieutenant General Avihu Ben Nun, former commander in chief of the Israeli Air Force. Ben Nun, who serves as the Chairman of FIRST Israel recounted how he had met with Dean Kamen back in 2005 and was presented with an opportunity to establish a FIRST branch in Israel. “After a brief discussion with my close friend Benny Kedar, we decided to take on the challenge.” Understanding the heavy load that establishing such an initiative entailed, they sought out Technion as their strategic partner. Technion President Prof. Peretz Lavie welcomed the initiative and gave the program full patronage. “Since that early time, the program has grown rapidly and today our goal is to have 20,000 students by the year 2020,” said Kedar.

The FIRST project has made considerable headway in many regional councils across Israel. “It’s really very similar to a youth movement, many students are drawn to FIRST because of its exciting and innovative nature,” said HaKfar Hayarok youth representative Shira Linik. “FIRST has promoted STEM studies at our school and there are currently over 250 students who study science and technology. We have named our robotics program, The Bunker (secret hideout). It has become our second home, and we often stay there until late, getting ready for upcoming competitions, continued Shira.

Mentor of Kfar-Yona’s team, Rami Mireli said, “FIRST attracts many students. The competition lasts 3 days, the project itself needs to be prepared in 6 weeks but in fact the students work on their projects all year round. It is a huge endeavor and the students’ tremendous dedication makes it all possible.”

‘Coopertition’ has become FIRST’s motto. “The combination of cooperation and competition is what FIRST is about,” said Prof. Emeritus Menahem Kaftory of the Schulich Faculty of Chemistry at Technion. We see in these students a prime asset to the State of Israel, and we emphasize that winning is not the ultimate goal. We teach in a way that fosters cooperation, creative thinking and joint collaboration.”

Prof. Emeritus Kaftory brought the FIRST project to Technion at the same time as Avihu Ben-Nun. With the help of Eyal Hershko, who was recruited for this purpose and with the generous contribution of Josh Weston, the two groups joined forces and established the organization.

“At FIRST competitions, sometimes the students compete and sometimes they are on the same team,” explained Prof. Alon Wolf of Technion’s Faculty of Mechanical Engineering. “All skill levels are welcomed and needed, technical or non-technical.”

Points are allocated not only for technical competency but also for a range of other criteria. Social outreach is a key component and each team has a member whose responsibility is to initiate projects within the community.

Ben Nun emphasized FIRST’s core attributes: the first, a five-year work plan carried out by leading experts at MIT. The second, FIRST Israel’s group of 1,500 volunteers who devote their time and efforts to this cause and third, letting the students take the lead. The mentors present the questions but the students are required to provide the answers and not vice versa. “This is how they attain the task of creating a robotic device which can carry out complex tasks within a limited six-week time span. It is an empowering and meaningful experience,” said Ben Nun.

FIRST holds four annual competitions arranged according to age groups; FIRST Lego League Jr. for kindergarten until 4^th grade, FIRST LEGO League, FIRST Tech Challenge, and FIRST Robotics Competition. As of 2013, the competition has officially become a Technion-named project. Over 200 municipalities from all over Israel are actively involved in FIRST’s programs which promote creativity and provide children of all ages with a set of key skills for their future careers.

The positive impact of FIRST Robotics Competition on its participants is gratifying. Many former FIRST program graduates remain actively involved in the program and take time off from their work willingly to support, mentor and assist the students in any way they can. “We are a FIRST FAMILY,” said proud parents Dan and Tami Bilberg, who arrive every year to support their daughter in the Robotics Competition and to take an active part as mentors and judges. “We were drawn into the program without realizing that there is no exit. Once you join FIRST, you’re in for life,” said Tami.

Photography credit: FIRST Israel

Three researchers, from the Technion–Israel Institute of Technology and Weizmann Institute of Science, will each be awarded $100,000, one of the largest unrestricted prizes ever created for early-career researchers in Israel

(l-r) Associate Professor Moran Bercovici, of the Technion, Drs. Michal Rivlin and Erez Berg of the Weizmann Institute of Science.

HAIFA, ISRAEL (April 8, 2019) – Associate Professor Moran Bercovici, of the Technion Faculty of Mechanical Engineering, is one of three Blavatnik Award for Young Scientists in Israel Laureates for 2019. The honor, bestowed by the Blavatnik Family Foundation, New York Academy of Sciences, and Israel Academy of Sciences and Humanities (IASH), was announced in Jerusalem on Sunday, April 7. Also awarded were Drs. Michal Rivlin and Erez Berg of the Weizmann Institute of Science.

The Blavatnik Awards recognize outstanding, innovative early-career scientists and engineers for both their extraordinary achievements and promise for future discoveries. The prizes are awarded to promising scientists and engineers aged 42 and younger for breakthrough research in the disciplines of chemistry, life sciences, and physical sciences and engineering.

In 2019, 33 nominations were received from seven universities Israeli universities. Members of the Awards’ Scientific Advisory Council, including IASH President Professor Nili Cohen; Co-chair and Nobel Prize Laureate Distinguished Professor Aaron Ciechanover; and President and Chief Executive Officer of the New York Academy of Sciences Mr. Ellis Rubinstein were also invited to submit nominations. A distinguished jury of leading senior scientists and engineers from throughout the country selected the laureates.

Prof. Bercovici (36) was selected for his innovative research in microfluidics, contributing to fundamental understanding of the chemical and physical behavior of fluids at extremely small scales, as well as to the invention of cutting-edge technologies in this field. His highly multidisciplinary research, which couples fluid mechanics, electric fields, heat transfer, chemical reactions, and biology, has the potential to not only miniaturize existing large-scale processes but also to create new capabilities that are not possible at large scale. For example, Dr. Bercovici and his team at Technion have developed a series of lab-on-a-chip technologies that significantly shorten the time and improve the sensitivity of traditional molecular analysis techniques, enabling rapid and early disease diagnostics and offering new research tools to scientists. Innovations coming from his lab also have potential use in many other fields, including soft actuators, adaptive optics, single cell analysis, and microscale 3D printing.

The Laureates will join more than 250 of their peers as fellow members of the Blavatnik Science Scholars community. They will also be invited to attend the annual Blavatnik Science Symposium each summer in New York City, where members come together to collaborate on cross-disciplinary research and share new ideas.

Technion on Display at AIPAC Policy Conference

Even among keynote speeches by Israeli and American leaders, countless presentations, and demonstrations of groundbreaking Israeli innovations on parade at last week’s AIPAC Policy Conference in Washington, D.C., it’s the Technion–Israel Institute of Technology that will be remembered by many of the 20,000 people in attendance.

The most visual representation of the Technion was the LABSCAPES exhibition displayed in the AIPAC Village for the duration of the conference. Created and curated by Anat Har-Gil, an artistically gifted member of the Technion’s Computing and Information Systems Department, the exhibition featured unforgettable images taken with microscopes used in the fields of chemistry, physics, life sciences, engineering, and medicine that at first glance evoke thoughts of spectacular natural vistas. In reality, the images show the majesty of crystals, bacteria, human cells, and other entities invisible to the naked eye are revealed through the power of the modern microscope.

Also wowing the AIPAC crowds was Technion alumna Orly Rapaport (B.Sc. Computer Science) presented her startup, “myFavorEats” for consideration to a “Shark Tank”-like panel. According to Rapaport, the company’s founder and CEO, myFavorEats uses Artificial Intelligence to mimic a Chef’s intuitive thinking and a nutritionist’s wisdom, enabling users to instantly personalize their recipes to their dietary needs and adapt them to their digital kitchen appliances. myFavorEats is part of the Technion Drive Accelerator.

Gilad Hizkiyahu (B.Sc., Aerospace Engineering), who is the Co-CEO at Singer Instruments and Control Ltd., gave a fascinating presentation about how defense innovation is not just keeping Israel safe; it is also being utilized for applications in medical technologies that benefit the world.

Finally, in a private reception with Technion supporters, another graduate of the Technion, Eliad Peretz (B.Sc. in Aerospace Engineering) shared about his position was a NASA Space Technology Research Fellow. Currently a Ph.D. candidate at Cornell University and a researcher for new space missions, he leads the development of materials and technologies that will enable the creation of more advanced detectors used for space exploration.

Robots and High-School Pupils Participate in the FIRST Robotics Competition

Some 12,000 elementary and high-school pupils aged six to 18 will join dozens of robots from April 2 to 4, 2019 for this year’s FIRST Robotics Competition.

The event, organized by Israel FIRST (the acronym for “For Inspiration and Recognition of Science and Technology”) and the Technion-Israel Institute of Technology will be held in the Menora Mivtachim Arena in Tel Aviv.

FIRST Israel, which became an official Technion project in 2013, aims at preparing and fostering promising youngsters to be the leaders and entrepreneurs of the future. This is done through innovative robotics programs providing scientific, engineering and technological inspiration to pupils, who are guided by engineers and experts from academia, industry and the military.

More than 200 groups are involved in encouraging teams of pupils from kindergarten to 12th grade to excel in programs that combine excitement and creativity and nurture life skills.

The competition will be held in Tel Aviv on Tuesday through Thursday this week with the theme “Destination: Deep Space.”

As part of the competition, the pupils were asked to build robots that could load spaceships and climb stairs, all in six intensive weeks of planning, drafting, building and programming.

A previous FIRST competition

The winning Israeli teams will compete in the FIRST World Robotics Championship in Detroit, Michigan in the US in April. Last year, 17 Israeli teams qualified for the world championship, and the Hadarim High School from Hod Hasharon was part of the winning group. To date, 34 teams have represented Israel in the world championships.

FIRST is an international, non-profit organization founded in the US 27 years ago by the inventor of the Segway, Dean Kamen – a serial entrepreneur and advocate of science and technology who holds more than 440 patents in the US and other countries. The organization was established to inspire young people, promote motivation and curiosity and encourage them to pursue engineering, science and technology.

FIRST was founded in Israel 15 years ago by Major-General Avihu Ben-Nun, in cooperation with the Technion. This activity is dependent on the involvement of hundreds of thousands of volunteers who participate in the FIRST world community. Every year, each local branch organizes four different technology competitions for kindergarten children and pupils in elementary schools, junior high schools and high schools in many countries, including Israel.

On Thursday at 13:45 p.m. on the last day of the event, the finals will be held, and the closing ceremony will follow at 18:00 p.m.

For more information: Technion spokesperson Doron Shaham, 050-310-9088

A New Center for the Printing of Living Tissue Inaugurated at the Technion–Israel Institute of Technology

An innovative center for the printing of cells, tissues, and organs has been established in the Faculty of Biomedical Engineering at the Technion–Israel Institute of Technology in Haifa.

Faculty Dean Professor Shulamit Levenberg, who heads the center, said that “the new center is open to all Technion researchers and will lead the Technion’s tissue engineering department into new areas.”

The field of tissue engineering has undergone dizzying progress in recent decades – and the Technion has filled a significant role in this revolution. Technion researchers are developing complex and precise artificial tissues that significantly improve their integration in the target organ. This involves, among other things, the creation of tissue containing a developed system of blood vessels that quickly connect to the patient’s blood vessels.

The 3-D Bio-Printing Center for Cell and Biomaterials Printing will provide a significant boost to the field of tissue engineering. The center operates an innovative printer that prints three-dimensional scaffolds and the cells that grow into tissue. The printer translates the information obtained from the patient’s CT scans into three-dimensional tissue suited to the injury area. The system has additional tools to design scaffolds or cells to make 3D tissues, Levenberg said. “You can design as you wish and seed cells in the proper orientation to allow them to better organize into the right tissue structure.”

The printer is relevant to all areas of regenerative medicine and makes possible the printing of various tissues and the integration of controlled- release systems. It has several different printing heads, enabling the simultaneous creation of printed tissue from different materials. It is equipped with precise motors of variable speed and accuracy of 0.001 mm, as well as a built-in camera that improves the exactitude of the printing needle.

The system is suitable for a wide range of raw materials, such as hydrogels, thermoplastic materials and ointments, with precise temperature and radiation control (ranging from 0 to 70 degrees Celsius and 30 to 250 degrees Celsius and ultraviolet radiation). The printing can be carried out directly into the culture dish.

They still can’t drive, but they’re already building autonomous cars

The 10th Robotraffic Competition, named for Nadav Shoham, took place on 21st March at Technion, with the participation of a thousand students from around the world with dozens of autonomous cars.

For the 10th consecutive year, the Robotraffic Competition named for Nadav Shoham was hosted at Technion – Israel Institute of Technology. The contest invites participants to build autonomous vehicles for an environment that simulates a city.

This year, some 1,000 students participated in the competition; from countries that included Israel, the United States, Argentina, Russia, Mexico, and Ukraine.

Nadav Shoham Robotraffic participants, 2019

The Nadav Shoham Robotraffic contest is a joint project of the Technion’s Leumi Robotics Center, World ORT, Kadima Mada, and the World Zionist Organization, along with Ytek and Eytam Robotics. The competition strives to provide students with the knowledge and skills associated with safe driving in order to lower the number of young drivers involved in traffic accidents. The students build robots that are in essence autonomous vehicles required to perform tasks on a simulated road. The most challenging part of the contest, aimed at high school students, involved elements of safe driving, advanced safety methods, speed, general road safety, driving laws, and design the vehicles using SolidWorks. This year another challenge was added only for the Highschool students: driving in a defined trajectory without markings on the ground

The competition was hosted by Head of the Technion’s Leumi Robotics Center Prof. Moshe Shoham, along with Director of the Center Dr. Evgeny Korchnoy.

All hands on deck, at the 2019 Nadav Shoham Robotraffic Competition

“The first competition that was held ten years ago, brought together groups from five schools. Now, we have about 100 teams in an international competition, and in recent years there have also been regional competitions in Russia and in Ukraine,” said Prof. Shoham, “Tens of thousands of students have already passed through the program and many have gone on to [study at] the Technion and have continued in the robotics industry. This is your natural route and I hope to see you here in the future.”

Tova Shoham, the wife of Prof. Shoham, congratulated the participants and wished them success. She told the students about her son, Nadav Shoham after whom the competition is named. “Nadav was an engineer from birth, she said. He put together a lot of things, such as a bicycle with a lawnmower engine, and his friends called him ‘Nadav hands of gold’. He naturally came to the Faculty of Mechanical Engineering at the Technion, and here, in parallel to his studies, he continued to volunteer to help disabled children, as he did as a teenager. He came to the Robotraffic Competitions and enjoyed the enthusiasm, dedication and investment of the various teams in building the robots.” Nadav was tragically killed in an avalanche on the Annapurna ridge in 2014.

“I am pleased to see the heads of three Councils here- Beit Je’an, Majar, and Jat – whose presence is important here. The Technion has been open and will continue to be open to all sectors and to all populations,” said Vice President for External Relations and Resource Development Prof. Boaz Golany.

Tova Shoham

The Dean of the Faculty of Mechanical Engineering Prof. Oleg Gendelman addressed the audience in Hebrew, English and Russian, saying that”: “Robots are used today in many fields. In order to design a smart robot, you need to know mathematics, chemistry, physics, engineering and more. This competition is the beginning of an interesting way for you, and I hope that you will continue and succeed on this path.”

Shmuel Cohen, director of scientific programs at Kadima Mada said that: “Israeli hi-tech has become what it is thanks to good technological education, and our job is to prepare you to be the best engineers in the world. My relationship with Dr. Korchnoy and Prof. Shoham extends all through the year, and we are proud to support the program.”

Dr. Nadav Betzer of the Education Ministry thanked the Technion staff and said: “Robotraffic was born here at the Technion as an Israeli competition and has become an international one. The tools you receive here will stay with you and will accompany you in the future.”

The Winners of Robotraffic 2019:

Ort Argentina winners

High School Division:

ORT Argentina

Tomsk (Russia)

Misgav

ORT Mexico
Frankel Jewish Academy USA

“Simcha” School (Ukraine)

YTEK Competition:

Yigal Alon School, Holon

Alhichma School, Yanuh-Jat

Jat Elementary SChool, Jat

Tamar School, Jordan Valley

Mama Robot Competition:

Shimrit Netanya

ORT Kiev (Ukraine)

Neve Zion Ashkelon

Establishment of a National Center for the Promotion of Smart Transportation Research

The Planning and Budgeting Committee has announced the winners of their proposal request: a joint proposal by the Technion and Bar-Ilan University

The establishment of the national research center will encourage research and development, initiatives and industry in the field of smart transportation in Israel as well as streamline transportation services through the integration of advanced technology.

Prof. Yoram Shiftan

Chair of the PBC, Prof. Yaffa Zilbershats: “The establishment of a national center for the promotion of smart transportation research will enable researchers from various institutions to leverage the knowledge and renown of Israeli academia, link academia to industry, and continue to lead world technology in a wide range of relevant fields. I congratulate the Technion and Bar-Ilan University on their joint winning of the proposal request. The center they will unite the scientific community within this area, and together they will bring Israel to impressive achievements in the field.”

Dr. Anat Bonstein, Head of the Alternative Fuels and Smart Transportation Administration in the Prime Minister’s Office: “I congratulate the Technion and Bar-Ilan University. The government’s vision is to continue strengthening Israel as a center for research and industrial know-how in the field of alternative fuels and smart transportation. One of the most significant factors in Israel’s achievements is the talented manpower that its academia produces. With the help of the new center, we will be able to continue to ensure that the State of Israel will be a significant force in the advancement of the smart transportation revolution in Israel and worldwide.”

Further to Government Resolution 2316 regarding establishing a national program for smart transportation, the Planning and Budgeting Committee declared this week that the Technion and Bar-Ilan University (joint proposal) won the bid to establish the National Center for the Promotion of Smart Transportation Research, at a total cost of approximately NIS 25 million.

In the proposal request that was distributed several months ago to Israel’s research universities, it was emphasized that one of the center’s primary roles would be to bring together Israel’s research community for the purpose of encouraging and promoting smart transportation research and development.

The center will work to encourage cooperative ventures between all interested parties, including researchers from academia and R&D centers, in Israel and overseas, in fields relevant to smart transportation. Likewise, the center will work to encourage and promote cooperative ventures between Israel’s scientific community, on the one hand, and entrepreneurs and industry in the transportation field, on the other, from Israel and throughout the world.

The establishment of the center significantly contributes to the implementation of the government resolution in the national plan for smart transportation, that is being jointly advanced by the Ministry of Transport and Road Safety and the Prime Minister’s Office. The plan has two main goals: The first is to encourage R&D, initiatives and industry for smart transportation in Israel and the second is streamlining transportation services by the integration of advanced technology. Smart transportation incorporates a broad vision that emanates from the social and technological changes that are expected to fundamentally change the field of transportation as we know it today. These changes include installation of technological devices in vehicle safety and driving control, vehicle computerization, and the widespread use of smartphones and databases that together should bring about integrated transportation that is autonomous, cooperative, and electric.

Research in the field of smart transportation is interdisciplinary in its essence, and cooperation between researchers in different institutions and between academia and industry is of utmost importance. Therefore, for there to be progress in the field, research cooperation is needed in a broad constellation of fields, such as mathematics, business administration, computers, engineering, architecture, and geography, and subfields such as smart transportation systems, big data, programming and optimization, robotics, artificial intelligence, human behavior, digital image processing, network optimization, cyber security, etc.

National Center for Research of Smart Transportation Goals:

To strengthen the smart transportation field in Israeli academia, including the organization of an active academic community in this field.
To serve as a center of knowledge for smart transportation R&D, both in academia as well as in the academia-industry interface (Point of Contact (POC)) in Israel and similar entities throughout the world.
To encourage smart transportation cooperative ventures in the academia-industry interface, in Israeli academia, and with such entities worldwide.
To advance and encourage research in the smart transportation field on a national level, by initiating programs based on the center’s products, analysis, and identification of requirements and familiarity with the academia-industry interface.

Head of the new center, Prof. Yoram Shiftan, from the Technion’s Transportation Research Institute: “The transportation system in Israel and worldwide is about to undergo an enormous and fundamental change – the smart transportation revolution – due to technological and social changes and the constant rise in traffic congestion. This revolution poses significant challenges to academia, industry, and decision makers. I view the future center as an opportunity to unite the relevant community – researchers, industry players, entrepreneurs, local authorities, R&D centers, and interested parties from Israel and abroad – to advance interdisciplinary and interinstitutional studies that will contribute to smart transportation that is safe, effective, and green, and that will position Israel as an international leader in the field.

Prof. Doron Aurbach, from Bar-Ilan University, Center for Research of Smart Transportation staff: “We currently have in Israel all the information needed to implement autonomous transportation based on artificial intelligence systems and sensors. Israeli universities are at the forefront of research in the field and we intend, together with our partners at the Technion, to develop this know-how into a knowledge infrastructure that will lead to practical solutions in the field.”

Baroness Ariane de Rothschild with Technion President Prof. Peretz Lavie at the Honorary Doctorates ceremony

On February 28^th, the Swiss Friends of Technion held an event honoring Baroness Ariane de Rothschild following her confirmation as a Technion Honorary Doctor during Technion – Israel Institute of Technology’s annual meeting of the International Board of Governors in Israel.

The Baroness was confirmed as a Technion Honorary Doctor: “In recognition of her extraordinary commitment to promoting international philanthropy; in gratitude for her steadfast devotion to the advancement of higher education in Israel; in admiration of her leadership in the Edmond de Rothschild Caesarea Foundation (IL) and for her generous support of the Technion and the State of Israel.”

Baroness Ariane de Rothschild leads the activities of the Edmond de Rothschild Foundation (Israel) and serves as chair of the Philanthropic Committee.

The event was held at the residence of Jacob Keidar, the Israeli Ambassador to Switzerland, and attended by Friends of Technion in Switzerland, academics, industry leaders, and official representatives of the State of Israel. During the event, the strengthening of the partnership between Technion and the Rothschild Caesarea Foundation was announced which will include Foundation’s support for Technion’s “Engineers without Borders” (EWB) chapter.

The Baroness generously supports two of the flagship programs for outstanding Technion students: The Arian de Rothschild Women Doctoral Program, which promotes equal opportunity in academia and in society; and the Rothschild-Technion Program for Excellence.

Browse the online archives of press releases from Technion – Israel Institute of Technology for the past five years

Israel Annual Conference on Aerospace Science

“The State of Israel must ensure its place at the forefront of research and development in the aerospace industry,” said Dr. Ami Appelbaum, Chief Scientist and the Chairman of the Board of Israel Innovation Authority, as he opened the 59th Israel Annual Conference on Aerospace Sciences (IACAS) held in Tel Aviv and Haifa and led by the Technion – Israel Institute of Technology.

The most important event in Israel in the fields of aviation and space, it was attended by some 600 engineers, scientists and other experts from Israel and abroad. The conference was led by the Technion – the only academic institution in Israel that has a faculty of aerospace engineering. The Technion Faculty, founded in 1954, has trained and continues to train the engineers who have led and are still leading Israel’s aviation and space industries. The event takes place under the leadership of Prof. Emeritus Mordechai (Moti) Karpel of the Technion’s Faculty of Aerospace Engineering.

Lectures included:

Innovation Beyond the Horizon, from Dr. Ami Appelbaum, Chief Scientist and chairman of the board of the Israel Innovation Authority.
The Beauty of Turbulence and Transitions in Reactive Flows, from Prof. Elaine Oran of the University of Maryland.
Industrial Shape Optimization Applications Using Adjoints and HPC: A 25-Year Perspective, from Prof. Juan Alonso of Stanford University.
The Role of Established Space Industry in a New Space Environment, from Opher Doron, VP & General Manager of Israel Aerospace Industries’ Space Division.
Scientific Applications of Global Satellite Navigation Systems, from Prof. Penina Axelrad of the University of Colorado.
Very Flexible Aircraft: Performance Promises and Aeroelastic Challenges, from Prof. Carlos Cesnik of the University of Michigan.
Aviation’s Third Revolution: Challenges and Opportunities, from Dr. Susan Ying, President of the International Council of Aeronautical Sciences (ICAS).

Dr. Ami Appelbaum, Chief Scientist and the Chairman of the Board of Israel Innovation Authority

Dr. Appelbaum presented the meteoric pace of innovation in recent decades. “We are in a place similar to that at the beginning of the Industrial Revolution,” he said. “The innovations that await us in the coming years will completely change our lives, including the social and cultural aspects. There is no doubt that one of the areas in which a revolution is expected is space exploration, and the State of Israel must ensure its place at the forefront of this industry in order to preserve its economic and security strength.”

“Aeronautics is rapidly evolving into new directions, such as unmanned vehicles, where Israel is definitely leading, and there are many challenges of implementation, coordination, and security,” added Prof. Karpel of the Faculty of Aerospace Engineering, chairman of the 59th IACAS Organizing Committee.

On the second day, which was held at Technion City, Technion’s Senior Executive Vice President Prof. Adam Schwartz said: “The field of aviation engineering is an excellent example of cooperation between academia and industry. The industry is a source of interesting practical questions, and academia has the resources to develop answers to these questions.”

The dean of the Faculty of Aerospace Engineering, Prof. Itzchak Frankel, said that “this conference is a powerful demonstration of the aerospace world and an expression of that vital cooperation.”

Speaking on the theme “Aviation’s Third Revolution: Challenges and Opportunities”, ICAA President Dr. Susan Ying said: “We are at the threshold of the third revolution in aviation, a revolution that will bring upon us countless developments and opportunities. The first stage began with the Wright Brothers and ended with the invention of the jet. We are now moving on to the next generation – electric aircraft. After 70 years of jet aircraft, we are moving on to the next stage, because conventional planes produce inconceivable pollution and by the middle of this century, it could become the most polluting industry.”

Ying was born in Taiwan and grew up in Indonesia. After graduating high school, she moved to the US, and on one of her bicycle trips she came upon a flight school where she enrolled in flight lessons, and later went on to work there. At the same time, she completed her undergraduate studies in aeronautical engineering at Cornell University in New York and received her doctoral degree at Stanford University in California.

Dr. Susan Ying

In the following years, she worked in various organizations in the field – including NASA – and was even accepted into an astronaut training course. From there she moved on to Boeing, where she worked for 20 years. She left Boeing a few years ago and in 2016 joined the start-up company Ampaire, where she serves as Vice President of Technology Strategies. The company employs 15 people and develops electric aircraft that will reduce operating costs and environmental damage from pollution and noise.

“The technological acceleration in the world of aviation, as in other fields, creates a space of unlimited opportunities – Wide Open Space – in a market estimated at $260 billion over the next decade,” she said, adding that the revolution will begin with short flights, where the advantage of the electric plane is particularly noticeable. “We’re talking about an 80 percent drop in energy costs and about 50 percent in maintenance. There are many moving parts in a regular plane, but the plane we are developing has only one moving part – the rotor.”

The conference also featured a Student Project Competition. The first prize went to the Technion’s Formula project aerodynamics team, supervised by Michael Kuchenko. The second went to Kadmiel Karsenty for his research project on “An improved diesel circuit of small aircraft flying at high altitudes”, supervised by Prof. Eran Sher.

The prizes were given in memory of Dr. Shlomit Gali. Born in Haifa in 1945, Dr. Gali completed three degrees at the Technion Faculty of Mechanical Engineering. During her undergraduate studies, she was the only female student in all of the four graduating classes studying at that time.

In 1964, she met Dov, her future husband, who was a student in the Faculty of Architecture. After her post-doctoral studies at Imperial College in London, she worked in the US Air Force laboratories until she was asked to join the Lavi project at Israel Aerospace Industries. She went on to Israel’s Ministry of Defense, where she headed the department of technological infrastructure in MAFAT (the Administration for the Development of Weapons and Technological Infrastructure). She passed away in 2011.