Eric Lepowsky is a PhD candidate in the Department of Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering at Princeton University. Prior to joining the Program on Science and Global Security, he graduated from the University of Connecticut with a Bachelor of Science in Engineering degree in Mechanical Engineering with a minor in Mathematics. Eric previously researched biotechnology, including microfluidics, 3D printing, and point-of-care diagnostics, before interning at the MIT Lincoln Laboratory, which sparked his interest in applied physics, emerging technologies, and applications in security. He is now a National Science Foundation Graduate Fellow.
Research Interests
Eric is exploring the application of robotics to nuclear safeguards and arms control verification. His research entails the characterization, modeling, and control of mobile neutron detectors for performing radiation measurements in support of various verification tasks. The directionally sensitive neutron detectors may find application to monitoring of the uranium enrichment process or verifying the absence of undeclared warheads, among other potential use cases. Eric’s dissertation work includes neutronics calculations and simulations, motion planning for autonomous systems, and the development and implementation of search algorithms for source localization, absence confirmation, template matching, and mapping. Eric has also contributed to the development of an inspection protocol and device for confirming the absence of nuclear warheads via passive gamma ray and transmission measurements.
Publications
Peer-reviewed articles
Eric Lepowsky, Moritz Kütt, Soha Aslam, Henry Fetsch, Steven Snell, Alexander Glaser, Robert J Goldston, “Experimental Demonstration and Modeling of a Robotic Neutron Detector with Spectral and Directional Sensitivity for Treaty Verification,” Nuclear Instruments and Methods in Physics Research Section A, 2022.
Eric Lepowsky, Jihye Jeon, Alexander Glaser, “Confirming the absence of nuclear warheads via passive gamma-ray measurements,” Nuclear Instruments and Methods in Physics Research Section A, 2021.
Bekir Yenilmez, Mikail Temirel, Stephanie Knowlton, Eric Lepowsky, Savas Tasoglu, “Development and Characterization of a Low-Cost 3D Bioprinter,” Bioprinting, 2019.
Eric Lepowsky, Reza Amin, Savas Tasoglu, “Assessing the Reusability of 3D-Printed Photopolymer Microfluidic Chips for Urine Processing,” Micromachines, 2018.
Eric Lepowsky, Metin Muradoglu, Savas Tasoglu, “Towards Preserving Post-Printing Cell Viability and Improving the Resolution: Past, Present, and Future of 3D Bioprinting Theory,” Bioprinting, 2018.
Eric Lepowsky, Savas Tasoglu, “Emerging Anti-Fouling Methods: Towards Reusability of 3D-Printed Devices for Biomedical Applications,” Micromachines, 2018.
Eric Lepowsky, Savas Tasoglu, “3D Printing for Drug Manufacturing: A Perspective on the Future of Pharmaceuticals,” International Journal of Bioprinting, 2018.
Eric Lepowsky, Fariba Ghaderinezhad, Stephanie Knowlton, Savas Tasoglu, “Paper-Based Assays for Urine Analysis,” Biomicrofluidics, 2017.
Reza Amin, Fariba Ghaderinezhad, Lu Li, Eric Lepowsky, Bekir Yenilmez, Stephanie Knowlton, Savas Tasoglu, “A Continuous-Ink, Multiplexed-Pen Plotter Approach for Low-Cost, High-Throughput Fabrication of Paper-Based Microfluidics,” Analytical Chemistry, 2017.
Conference proceedings
Eric Lepowsky, David Snyder, “Realizable Deployment of Limited-Knowledge Robotic Inspectors for Nuclear Verification,” IEEE International Conference on Robotics and Automation (ICRA), Workshop on Bridging the Lab-to-Real Gap: Conversations with Academia, Industry, and Government, June 2023.
Eric Lepowsky, Alexander Glaser, Robert J Goldston, “Robotic Neutron Detection for Bayesian Source Localization, Absence Confirmation, and Template Matching,” INMM & ESARDA Joint Annual Meeting, May 2023.
Eric Lepowsky, Manuel Kreutle, Christoph Wirz, Alexander Glaser, “Confirming the Absence of Nuclear Weapons: Neutron and Gamma Measurements During a Verification Exercise in Switzerland,” INMM & ESARDA Joint Annual Meeting, May 2023.
Eric Lepowsky, Jihye Jeon, Alexander Glaser, “Inspection System to Confirm the Absence of Nuclear Warheads Using Passive Gamma-Ray Measurements,” Uppsala University, Alva Myrdal Centre for Nuclear Disarmament First Annual Conference, October 2022.
Eric Lepowsky, Alexander Glaser, Robert J Goldston, Moritz Kütt, “Toward Autonomous Robotic Inspections of Nuclear Facilities Using Directionally-Sensitive Neutron Detectors,” INMM & ESARDA Joint Annual Meeting, August 2021.
Eric Lepowsky, Jihye Jeon, Alexander Glaser, “The Absent-Minded Inspector: Confirming the Absence of Nuclear Warheads via Passive Gamma-Ray Measurements,” INMM & ESARDA Joint Annual Meeting, August 2021.
Talks
Template Matching via Bayesian Filtering with a Directionally Sensitive Mobile Neutron Detector, University Program Review (UPR) Meeting, June 2023.
Toward a Robotic Multi-Tool for Neutron Measurements in Support of Remote Inspections, Consortium for Monitoring, Technology, and Verification (MTV) Workshop, March 2023.
Exploring Applications of the N-SpecDir Bot for Remote Inspections, Princeton University, Program on Science and Global Security Seminar, November 2022.
Remote and Virtual Inspections: An Update on Princeton’s Work on Nuclear Verification (with Alexander Glaser), Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory, October 2022.
Robotic Inspections in Support of Nuclear Verification, University Program Review (UPR) Meeting, June 2022.
N-SpecDir Bot: A Neutron-detecting, Spectrally and Directionally Sensitive Robot for Nuclear Verification, Consortium for Monitoring, Technology, and Verification (MTV) Workshop, March 2022.
Moving in a Neu(tron’s) Direction: Toward Autonomous Robotic Inspections of Nuclear Facilities, Princeton University, Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering Research Day, September 2021.
Prototype of an Inspection System to Confirm the Absence of Nuclear Warheads Using Passive Gamma-Ray Measurements, University Program Review (UPR) Meeting, September 2021.
No Access, No Data, No Problem: Toward Autonomous Robotic Inspections of Nuclear Facilities, Consortium for Monitoring, Technology, and Verification (MTV) Workshop, March 2021.