The MichiganDaily-Friday ,une 19. 198. -Page ERIM'S BREAKTHROUGHS BENEFIT 'U' Local firm reveals inventions By JOHN ADAM Daily research reporter In what has been described as a "quantum jump," two major inventions by Ann Arbor's Environmental Research Institute of Michigan may have "really important potential for upgrading heavy industry in Southeastern Michigan" and have beneficial im- plications for the University as well. Robert DiGiovanni, spokesman for ERIM, said these two developments - the cytocomputer and a three-dimensional laser scanner - are nearing the final stages of development and are "on the brink of actual utilization in industry in this area." "IT COULD HAVE major potential in robotics," said DiGiovanni. The developments would increase the "eye-brain" capability of the robot. The cytocomputer is a "fast parallel pipe line computer," said DiGiovanni, which can work on several different operations at the same time and process data in "vir- tually real time," that is, provide almost instan- taneous feedback. The three dimensional laser scanner emits its own laser pulse almost like radar and develops visual imagery, said DiGiovanni, which is much more sophisticated than the current two dimensional closed circuit TV analysis. TOGETHER THESE represent a "quantum jump Prison guards, families, protest in Lansing LANSING (UPI) - State prison guards and their families, demon- strating at the Capitol yesterday, in- dicated that a strike vote scheduled for next week could be blocked if correc- tions officials act quickly to bolster staffing. The Capitol march by about 80 per- sons - guards from several Michigan WIVES prisons, their wives and children - safer w came as a small outbreak of violence was quelled at the trouble-scarred Southern Michigan Prison at Jackson. GUARDS USED tear gas to end the trouble and the offenders were taken to segregation. The guard was treated at the prison infirmary and sent home after being hit by flying glass. WASH] Stewart The demonstrators circled the retiring a Capitol grounds in protest of what they Court-gi said is severe understaffing at the chance to prisons aad the recent firing of Gerald ce of the I Fryt, president of their Michigan woman on Corrections Organization. The 66- leave the Fryt and another guard were fired current te and 14 others punished for their alleged I leave wi roles in an unauthorized shakedown of Court wi prisoners which sparked the May 22 hands .. . Jackson riot, letter to R Reagan MCO members likely would avoid the decision is illegal strike if a hiring freeze preven- a month ting the employment of new guards decision u were lifted, said Steve Solomon, a he is "alw three-year Jackson veteran guard. appoint. time just in robotics," he said. "A robot will be able to make up its own mind about what to do in any given situation." "If you look into history, whenever you have a new technological innovation you create industry and jobs," said DiGiovanni. "There is a snowballing ef- fect." This effect now can be seen at the University with the innovation of the cytocomputer. (The three dimensional laser scanner invention is relatively unknown outside of ERIM.) At the University, ERIM, which evolved from the University's Willow Run Laboratory in 1973, is building a cytocomputer under the guidance of its designer, Stanley Sternberg, now a professor at the University's Electrical and Computer Engineering department. "We are the place in the country," the only univer- sity to have the cytocomputer, said Alan Price, assistant dean for research and development at the University's School of Medicine. He said the cytocomputer has been "very attractive" for bringing in huge grants for all different types of fields. "WE'RE HOPING TO be a center of excellence in image processing and computers," said Price, ad- ding that the cytocomputer will be finished this fall. Currently, a committee under ECE Prof. Richard Volz is moving ahead to establish a "Computer and Image Processing Research Network" which will link various departments to the cytocomputer. Areas as diverse as astronomy, mechanical engineering, biomedicine, robotics, and psychology of vision will be interested in image processing, said Sternberg, the computer's designer. STERNBERG SAID it took three years to design and build the cytocomputer at ERIM. The com- puter's name comes from ita design which is like "thercells in a bee hive," he said, adding that actually the cytocomputer attaches onto another computer. Ronald Shubnell, systems engineering manager at the nation's largest robot producing firm, Unimation, and also chairman of Michigan Robotics Research Circle, said these inventions represent "a very viable step forward into another area of robotics." However, he said he doubted there would be any immediate applications of the two new inventions in industry. "It's a long way down the pike," Shubnell said. "You have to look at a reasonable, marketable product." He estimated it would be between three and eight years before the actual introduction of ERIM's inventions into the industry. But he said the "development at ERIM alone could help Michigan's economy." AP P S OF MICHIGAN prison guards picketed the state Capitol in Lansing yesterday. The women were demanding working conditions for their husbands, 30 of whom joined in the four-hour protest. ustice quits high'court FromAP and UPI INGTON-Justice Potter announced yesterday he is fter 23 years on the Supreme ving President Reagan a shift the philosophical balan- high court, and possibly put a the bench. year-old Stewart said he will court July 3, at the end of the rm. "Now that it is time to go, th the hope that the Supreme ill be in good and wise he said in his retirement eagan, dated May 18. , who learned of Stewart's n a secret Oval Office meeting ago, said he has made no pon a replacement but added ays" looking for a woman to "We have been quite some basically preparing for any future appointments," the president appointed by President Eisenhower, said. "There will be an announcement has not appeared to be in the best of shortly." health as he walked through the court's THE PRESIDENT'S deputy press corridors in recent months. secretary, Larry Speakes, said Reagan But a member of Stewart's staff said had directed Attorney General William the justice was "retiring just to retire." French Smith to quietly look for a suc- "He's not going to be an ambassador cessor to Stewart after he learned of the and he's not dying. There is no ulterior justice's decision. motive here," according to Stewart's "Activist judges" need not apply, secretary, Carolyn Sand. said Speakes' boss, David Gergen. 'STEWART TOLD his colleagues that Speakes said he didn't know whether in retirement he hopes "to serve from Smith, himself a potential candidate, time to time asa member of the federal had been instructed to look especially judiciary," a reference to the right of for women. But the president "will not retired justices to hear cases in lower seek only candidates who necessarily federal courts. agree on every position, but rather those who share one key view-the role Stewart, a Yale-educated lawyer with of the court is to interpret the law, not to three years of Navy service in World enact new law by judicial fiat," the War II, is likely to be bombarded with spokesman said. questions today as he opens himself to a Stewaer"6&a moderate Republican r ge ,XVP thepTas.