Northwestern Mutual Data Science Institute Paving ROADS Seed Fund Program grant “Triboinformatics: societal impact of integrating Data Science and Machine Learning methods with surface engineering” Prof. Michael Nosonovsky
Triboinformatics is a new research discipline that combines Tribology (the study of friction and surface engineering) with Artificial Intelligence (AI), Data Science (DS), and Machine Learning (ML). It is a multidisciplinary area involving materials science, surface engineering, surface physics and chemistry as well as mechanical engineering design and related fields (ergonomics, economics of product design etc.), which should be combined with DS. Ethical, financial, and social aspects of Triboinformatics relate to the use of AI and the risk management of damage and loss caused by improper equipment design and use involving moving parts subject to friction and wear. These aspects have never been investigated. It is proposed that the ethical and societal aspects of will be investigated and integrated with the existing work on Triboinformatics. This will allow to apply for external funding to create Triboinformatics center and programs which the will serve as a model for the responsible application of AI, effective diversity, and culture of inclusion. Such effort will bring diversity and foster a collaboration that stimulates and creates innovation in integrated and complex engineering systems.