Center for Advanced Computation and Telecommunications – Research Center at the University of Massachusetts Lowell

CACT is a collective of students, faculty and alumni striving to engage and support a diverse group of researchers and educators in engineering and science

CACT was created in 1990 by Professors Charles Thompson and Venkatarama Krishnan from the Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering with a vision to support students and faculty in interdisciplinary research, education and service. Our research focus is on computational modeling of acoustic, communications and stochastic systems. In the last three decades, over two hundred students from CACT have graduated with degrees in Electrical, Computer Engineering and Computer Science gaining experience in undergraduate and graduate research. The Center promotes the engagement of students in community service and supports their development as mentors and role models.

Current Projects

Thompson and Denis Edit Special JASA Issue on Acoustofluidics

The Acoustical Society of America, will publish in 2021 a JASA Special Issue that seeks to address the fundamental science impacting the application of acoustically driven fluid motion. Guest Editors: James Friend (UCSD), Charles Thompson (UML), Kedar Chitale (FloDesign Sonics) and Max Denis (UDC). More on this.

Innovations in Graduate Education: Cyber-Physical Systems Engineering

CACT researchers are developing novel graduate education models with support from the National Science Foundation Innovations in Graduate Education (IGE) award (2021). See More.

New JASA publication presents a model for the Great Seal Bug, the 'Thing'

In this paper entitled, Analysis of a passive radio frequency excited acoustic transducer, authors Hu, Thompson, Remillard and Chandra model the physical processes that govern the operation of a passive acoustic transducer. Research models the Great Seal Bug or the ‘Thing’ which was hidden in the US embassy inside the seal of the US by the Soviet Union in 1945. See More

CACT Graduates 2023&2024

Congratulations to CACT students Pratik Gandhi (PhD), Most Paradorn (MS), Sarah Kamal (MS), Grace Remillard (MS), and Aidan Keefe (BS) on completion of their dissertations and degrees. See CACT Alumni

New Graduate Certificate on Digital Engineering

Designed and taught by CACT Faculty, four three credit courses provide engineering students requisite background in: (i) System thinking and digital engineering (EECE 5492); (ii) Model-Based Systems Engineering (EECE 5494); (iii) Physical systems and their interactions with embedded digital sub-systems (EECE 5496) and (iv) Methods for decision making and risk managements (EECE 5498). See More.

Collaborative Research on Future of Work using Augmented Reality and Neuromorphic Vision Sensors

This research explores the role of AI-Assisted Augmented Reality systems and Neuromorphic Vision Sensors in training future workforce, improving inter-generational communications, and sharing knowledge across disciplines. The interdisciplinary team from UMASS Lowell and Univ. of the District of Columbia will apply tools from Participatory Action Research to hone research questions and design workflow processes. More on this project.