By Nicolas Esparza, November 18, 2025
The Center for Research Advancement in Smart Manufacturing received a $7.5 million grant from the U.S. National Science Foundation to place Cal Poly Pomona at the forefront of research for digital intelligence manufacturing.
Digital intelligence manufacturing is the use of technology like AI that makes manufacturing autonomous. The state of the industry is moving more toward AI and robotics instead of human labor tasks, according to Shokoufeh Mirzaei, professor and chair of the industrial and manufacturing engineering department, the director of the Center for Research Advancement in Smart Manufacturing and one of the principal investigators who oversees research at the center.
The launch of The Center for Research Advancement in Smart Manufacturing also called (CREST-RASM) comes with three main objectives: to increase the research capacity at CPP, provide an education program from elementary to Ph. D. level, and conduct breakthrough research in four areas called “thrusts,” according to Mirzaei.
“Each of these thrusts are focused on some specific area of digital intelligent automation and robotics,” Mirzaei said. “They’re very connected, but they all work individually to tackle a research problem in terms of digital and intelligent manufacturing, but together they accomplish a bigger vision, which is fully integrated digital intelligent manufacturing.”
The cybersecurity thrust will provide authentication and prevent illegal devices from logging into the platform. This thrust is led by assistant professor of computer science, Mingyan Xiao.
The augmented reality, virtual reality, and extended reality thrust will provide a learning perspective and training as well as the remote accessing of robots. This is led by assistant professor of computer science, Fatemeh Jamshid.
The digital twin technology thrust envisions a physical factory wrapped around by a digital twin of the factory. The digital twin will exchange data and information with the factory in real time to enhance the experience of working in a factory. This thrust is led by professor of aerospace engineering, Zahra Sotoudeh.
The automation and robotics thrust is led by associate professor of industrial manufacturing engineering, Ellips Masehian.
Equipment such as sensors and robotic arms were just purchased and will have new models in 2026 that nobody is yet working on, according to Mirzaei. They want to share this information and provide knowledge and sustainable technology.
These four components and equipment will contribute to the development of cutting-edge technology at CPP, and with this research lies an educational component that principal investigators are excited for students to get involved with.
The principal investigators will be hiring undergraduate and graduate students for research positions. They will be asked to commit to 5-10 hours a week of being involved in research activities, according to Mirzaei.
“The opportunities here really are not dependent on the major of the student,” Sotoudeh said. “It depends on their skill. The research is focused on artificial intelligence, machine learning, robotics, cyber security and virtual reality. It’s open to anyone who has these abilities and is willing to learn these systems.”
Mirzaei approximates that 120 students in five years will be exposed to research experiences at the center by hiring 24 students annually.
The opportunity for students goes beyond this, as the principal investigators will be trying to push students through the Ph. D. pipeline to reach higher education. The Ph. D. program through the Center for Research Advancement in Smart Manufacturing will plan to select around five students, who’s tuition to pay for by the end of a five-year cycle.
It is a selective process and only one to two will be selected per year, and not all students who are hired will make it, but students are encouraged to apply to be selected, according to Mirzaei.
“We are teaching them the technicality, and they bring their own creativity and critical thinking,” Jamshid said. “Students need to connect together, not just the technical part, but also being able to communicate the concept of sharing their knowledge.”
As a part of the PolyTransfer program at CPP, the principal investigators at the center will be able to reach students in community colleges. Transfer students will get to participate in an overnight stay on campus, where they will be exposed to research at the center and information on STEM education in a program that is planned to take place in June.
During the summer, students will also have the opportunity for a paid fellowship at the partner centers of Texas Rio Valley College. There are also two additional partner centers at the University of California, Riverside, with which they will work closely. Sotoudeh believes these collaborations will push CPP even more to the forefront of research.
Although research is already being conducted, principal investigators are waiting for CREST-RASM to be established as an entity. The center will build upon the existing Vy and Timothy Li Automation Lab in Building 17, room 1659, which launched in May after an $850,000 investment.
For high school students, the principal investigators plan to hold a summer academy where students can participate in a research competition, with a winner being announced at the end of the three-day academy.
Campus visits will be held for elementary and middle school students, which include demonstrations and the ability to interact with the systems.
