TL;DR:
- Joseph Wittrock, a math major at Illinois State University, develops an AI program, Inspector Trail, to optimize maintenance decisions for 200,000+ DoD buildings.
- The AI agent in Inspector Trail analyzes building data and inspection records to recommend maintenance actions, improving resource allocation.
- Wittrock’s contributions at the US Army Engineer Research and Development Center (CERL) earned him the title of 2023 Research Assistant of the Year.
- Inspector Trail not only addresses CERL’s core mission but also serves as a model for conveying processes to non-data scientists.
- Wittrock’s work extends to using sensors and machine learning for real-time equipment diagnostics and issue prevention.
- An Education Partnership Agreement (EPA) between Illinois State and CERL fosters academic-industry collaboration.
- Wittrock’s diverse interests, combined with abstract mathematics, fuel his innovative approach to problem-solving.
- His journey highlights the potential for math majors in facilities management and industry collaborations.
Main AI News:
Joseph Wittrock, a senior mathematics major at Illinois State University, has harnessed the power of artificial intelligence to revolutionize maintenance recommendations for over 200,000 US Department of Defense (DoD) buildings worldwide. In a groundbreaking initiative, Wittrock has developed an AI-driven program called Inspector Trail, with the aim of optimizing the allocation of taxpayer funds within the vast 2.2 billion square feet of DoD facilities.
Inspector Trail trains an AI agent, effectively the “player” in this game, to make informed decisions based on data regarding building components and inspection records. The agent is tasked with choosing between various maintenance actions, ranging from no maintenance to complete modernization. Wittrock’s innovative approach seeks to create a computer agent capable of providing top-notch maintenance recommendations for DoD buildings.
Wittrock’s journey began as an intern at the US Army Engineer Research and Development Center’s (ERDC) Construction Engineering Research Laboratory (CERL) during the previous summer. His remarkable contributions earned him the prestigious title of CERL’s 2023 Research Assistant of the Year.
Matt Walters, CERL’s Sustainment Management System Technical Center of Expertise (SMS-TCX) chief, praised Wittrock’s exceptional work ethic and creative problem-solving skills. Walters highlighted how Inspector Trail not only fulfills CERL’s core mission but also serves as a model for conveying their processes to non-data scientists, potentially evolving into a production-level capability.
Wittrock’s impact extends beyond Inspector Trail, as he also played a pivotal role in a project that leverages building automation sensor data for real-time equipment diagnostics and metrics. By utilizing sensors and machine learning, Wittrock and his team aim to identify minor issues in building components before they escalate into major problems.
Last August, Wittrock presented his groundbreaking work on the national stage at the National Academies of Science Auditorium during the SMS Summit in Washington, D.C., showcasing the transformative potential of his research.
Wittrock’s unconventional journey into optimizing DoD building maintenance began when he caught the attention of CERL representatives during the University Research Symposium. His project, “Training a Physically Simulated Virtual Spider,” focused on training a digital spider to perform various tasks using deep reinforcement learning, mirroring human learning through a reward/penalty system.
Dr. Mehdi Karimi, an assistant professor of mathematics at Illinois State who mentored Wittrock’s project, praised their outstanding work, which stood out due to its broad applicability and relevance to various fields.
Wittrock and his classmate, Bob Skudnig, were subsequently hired as summer interns by CERL, a move that marked the first time the organization recruited math majors. Matt Walters acknowledged that the unique perspectives and innovative ideas they brought to the table have expanded the recruitment criteria to include mathematicians in the future.
An Education Partnership Agreement (EPA) between Illinois State and CERL, signed in early 2023, paves the way for more collaborative opportunities in the future, emphasizing the importance of fostering academia-industry partnerships.
Joseph Wittrock continues to work as a part-time intern at CERL while pursuing his accelerated mathematics program at Illinois State. He is set to earn his bachelor’s degree by the end of the semester and a master’s in spring 2025. Wittrock’s diverse interests, ranging from architecture to astrophysics to video game design, converge through his passion for abstract mathematics, offering boundless possibilities for his future endeavors.
Wittrock’s journey from a math major at Illinois State to a potential career in facilities management with the US Army is a testament to the limitless applications of mathematics. He remains dedicated to contributing to the greater good, knowing that his work ultimately benefits the nation as a whole.
Joseph Wittrock presented work from his internship with the Construction Engineering Research Laboratory at the the Sustainment Management System (SMS) Summit in Washington, D.C., last August. Source: Illinois State University, Normal, IL USA
Conclusion:
Joseph Wittrock’s AI innovation represents a significant leap in optimizing facility maintenance for the US Army. Inspector Trail’s success underscores the value of interdisciplinary collaboration and the potential for math majors to make substantial contributions in various industries. This development signals a growing trend of leveraging advanced technology to enhance resource allocation and maintenance efficiency in the market.
