Sage Grande AI testbed linking edge computing with scientific sensors.

Sage Grande: An Open Artificial Intelligence Testbed for Edge Computing and Intelligent Sensing

Artificial intelligence is rapidly changing how science is done, from how data is collected to how results are analyzed and shared. To support this shift, researchers need easy-to-use computing systems that connect small devices in the field, such as sensors and cameras, with powerful computing systems in data centers. Sage Grande provides this kind of connected platform, allowing scientists, students, and educators to work with AI tools across the full range of computing resources.

At the University of Illinois Chicago, our focus within Sage Grande is on education and on building the underlying computing infrastructure that makes this work possible. UIC helps develop and operate the systems that connect sensors, edge computers, and larger computing resources, while also creating hands-on learning opportunities for students. Through coursework, research projects, and training activities, students gain practical experience using AI to study real-world data, even if they do not have prior programming expertise.

Sage Grande also makes it possible to interact with scientific data and tools using everyday language, lowering barriers to participation and broadening access to AI-powered research. This approach supports workforce development by helping students and researchers learn how AI systems work, how to use them responsibly, and how to evaluate issues such as reliability, bias, and safety. By combining education with the development of robust, scalable infrastructure, UIC contributes to a national testbed that supports trustworthy, real-time, AI-enabled scientific discovery.

The NAIRR team at UIC:

  • Students:
    • Mahsa Alishiri [PhD Student in Public Health] Graduate Research Assistant
  • Faculty:
    • Michael E. Papka (UIC)

Participating Institutions:

  • Multiple research and academic organizations collaborating to develop and deploy the Sage Grande infrastructure.

This work funded in part by a National Science Foundation grant - Sage Grande: An Open Artificial Intelligence Testbed for Edge Computing and Intelligent Sensing/a>, Award No. 2436842, Directorate for Computer and Information Science and Engineering, Office of Advanced Cyberinfrastructure (OAC). Any opinions, findings, and conclusions or recommendations expressed in this material are those of the author(s) and do not necessarily reflect the views of the National Science Foundation.