In this video, USA Today spotlights how CSAIL researchers have developed a set of robotic cubes that are able to jump in the air and climb over and around each other. The researchers hope that in the future the cubes could be used in disaster-response situations, such as to “build a temporary staircase in a burning building.”
Researchers from MIT’s Senseable City Lab have developed an index measuring tree cover in a number of cities around the world, reports Oliver Balch for The Guardian. Balch notes that, “one of the main motivations behind the MIT ranking was to ascertain how trees help mitigate the so-called heat island effect in cities.”
Washington Post reporter Amy Gardner writes that a new study by researchers from MIT and the Bipartisan Policy Center finds that voters in communities with greater minority and low-income populations tended to experience longer wait times in the 2018 midterm elections. The study presents the data as a prescriptive opportunity for election administrators to improve wait times by understanding when and where they occur,” Gardner explains.
MIT researchers have developed a new navigation system that could enable autonomous delivery roots to find the location of a front door without being provided a specific map in advance, reports Darrell Etherington for TechCrunch. The system allows a robot to process “cues in its surroundings on the fly to figure out a front door’s location,” Etherington explains.
Astronomers have compared the data from the journeys Voyager 1 and 2 made into interstellar space and found that Voyager 1 entered a region where the movement of plasma stagnated, reports Jonathan O’Callaghan for Scientific American. “Essentially the plasma was just sitting there,” explains John Richardson of MIT Kavli.
Scientific American spotlights how MIT researchers have developed a new control method that enables a two-legged human-controlled robot to maintain its balance while responding quickly to the operator’s movements. The robot, which is dubbed Little HERMES, “combines the strength and resilience of a robot with the knowledge and adaptability of a human.”
A new FRONTLINE documentary spotlights Prof. Regina Barzilay’s work developing an AI system that can aid the detection of breast cancer. “A technology that had not yet penetrated the hospital setting now has the potential to save many thousands of lives each year,” writes Patrice Taddonio for PBS.
TODAY Show host Willie Geist spotlights the life and work of the late Prof. Emeritus Woodie Flowers. Geist notes that Flowers’ approach towards education “changed design and learning around the world. The charismatic and quirky Dr. Flowers pushed experiential learning. He wanted young engineers to solve problems with their hands.”
Forbes contributor John McManus writes that a new report from the MIT Humanitarian Supply Chain Lab examines the challenges facing the construction of new housing after a natural disaster. “If the housing system was more effective after disasters, communities would recover faster,” notes says Michael Windle, a research affiliate at MIT’s Humanitarian Supply Chain Lab.
Writing for The Hill, Prof. Emeritus Henry Jacoby examines how to inspire the public and politicians to address the pressing challenges posed by climate change. Jacoby and his co-authors note that, “Public opinion isn’t the only barrier to action. Lawmakers need to play a far greater role in combatting this existential challenge.”
Verge reporter Jay Peters explores how CSAIL researchers have unveiled a new system of robotic cubes, called M-Blocks, that can “move by generating momentum with an internal flywheel, and can climb on and around each other using magnets.”
Inspired by spiderwebs, MIT researchers have developed a new double-sided tape that could be used to suture wounds or surgical incisions within seconds, reports Jason Daley for Smithsonian. The researchers “designed a material that wicks away the moisture from tissues before rapidly creating a bond,” writes Daley. “To absorb water, they chose polyacrylic acid, an absorbent material used in disposable diapers.”
A system of small block-shaped robots developed by MIT researchers can now self-assemble to form new structures, reports Darrell Etherington for TechCrunch. Etherington explains that the “blocks can now use their communication system and their ability to move themselves around to perform tasks including producing various shapes, or even following arrows or light signals.”
Prof. Charles Leiserson speaks with Chronicle of Higher Education reporter Lindsay Ellis about how stand-up comedy can help early-career academics better express themselves and connect with audience members at research talks. “If you think you have good ideas and wish to have impact with them, then you need to connect with people,” says Leiserson.
USA Today reporter Jennifer Jolly spotlights MIT startup Rendever, which provides virtual experiences for senior living communities. Jolly explains that Rendever users can, “get swept away on a virtual visit to their childhood home, stroll down an alley in Paris, or even attend a grandchild’s soccer game through a secure ‘family engagement portal.’”