Two groundbreaking projects have been awarded grants from Princeton University’s Eric and Wendy Schmidt Transformative Technology Fund. The fund, established in 2009, aims to drive progress in science or engineering by developing entirely new technologies that can significantly impact a field of research. This allows for the support of projects that are considered too risky to receive funding from conventional sources such as government grants.
Peter Schiffer, the Dean for Research at Princeton University, expressed his enthusiasm for the funded projects, highlighting that they bring together leading faculty across interdisciplinary domains to work on endeavors that could substantially advance our knowledge and capabilities. The potential global impact of these projects embodies the core goal of the Schmidt Fund.
The fund was established as a result of a generous gift from Eric and Wendy Schmidt. Eric Schmidt, a Princeton alumnus, co-founded Schmidt Sciences, The Schmidt Family Foundation, and Schmidt Ocean Institute. His wife, Wendy Schmidt, is also deeply involved in their philanthropic endeavors. Eric Schmidt, who earned his bachelor’s degree in electrical engineering from Princeton in 1976, served as a Princeton Trustee from 2004 to 2008.
One of the pioneering technologies to receive funding is a project led by Princeton Materials Institute faculty member Paul Prucnal, in collaboration with assistant professor of electrical and computer engineering, Jaime Fernández Fisac. Their project aims to revolutionize the safety and reliability of autonomous vehicles and robots using neuromorphic photonic chips. These processors operate similar to neurons and perform computations using light, rather than electrons. By integrating these photonic chips with robotic systems, the researchers aim to develop autonomous systems that can rapidly assess safety-critical situations and choose the best response to avoid potential accidents.
In comparison to traditional electronic processors, the neuromorphic photonic chips can process information much faster and evaluate thousands of potential scenarios in real time. This capability will significantly enhance the safety of self-driving cars, delivery robots, and other autonomous systems that rely on split-second decisions for safe operation.
The second funded project focuses on tracking brain-wide signals through a new imaging system developed by Mala Murthy, a professor of neuroscience, and Andrew Leifer, an assistant professor of physics and neuroscience. Through this technology, they aim to map the function of the brain’s neuronal network in unprecedented detail. This innovative approach holds promise for enhancing our understanding of the brain’s complex functions and could lead to significant advancements in the field of neuroscience.
These projects showcase the transformative potential of innovative technologies in pushing the boundaries of what we can achieve in various fields of research. The support from the Schmidt Transformative Technology Fund is crucial in enabling these high-risk, high-reward projects to progress towards making a lasting impact on our society.