Vanderbilt University Receives $1.6 Million Grant for AI-Powered Physics Simulation Platform

Nashville, TN - Vanderbilt University has been awarded a $1.6 million grant from the National Science Foundation to develop an open-source software platform for "physical intelligence," which combines traditional physics simulation algorithms with artificial intelligence to address complex real-world applications. The project, led by David Hyde, assistant professor of computer science at Vanderbilt University's College of Connected Computing, aims to create a new platform called COSTA (Community Open Simulation, Training, and Applications platform) that can be used by researchers and engineers to tackle challenging computing tasks.

Key Takeaways:

• The grant will be used to develop a new, open-source software platform called COSTA, which combines AI and physics simulations for complex real-world applications.
• The platform will enable safer autonomous vehicles, more efficient machines and parts, and physically accurate special effects in movies and other visual media.
• The project is led by David Hyde, assistant professor of computer science at Vanderbilt University's College of Connected Computing, and involves collaborators from Georgia Institute of Technology, University of California, Davis, and Stanford University.
• The multi-institutional team previously collaborated on PhysBAM, a physics simulation library used for special effects in Hollywood feature films, and are building on their expertise to create COSTA.
• Funding for COSTA is provided by NSF's Community Infrastructure for Research in Computer and Information Science and Engineering (CIRC) program, and assistance was provided by Vanderbilt's Research Development and Support (RDS).
• The grant period is three years, during which time the team will also create a community governance organization, host workshops and hackathons, develop curricular materials, and pursue other activities to build a thriving base of COSTA users.

Statistics:

• $1.6 million: The amount of the grant awarded to Vanderbilt University from the National Science Foundation for the development of the COSTA platform.
• 3 years: The duration of the grant period.
• 4 institutions: The number of institutions involved in the project, including Vanderbilt University, Georgia Institute of Technology, University of California, Davis, and Stanford University.
• 2 projects: The number of complementary research projects being led by David Hyde and his team, including AI and quantum projects funded by NSF CAREER Award.

Sources:

• Vanderbilt University
• National Science Foundation
• Research Development and Support (RDS), Vanderbilt University