MIT researchers “demonstrated that a drone can zip through a maze of trees at 30 miles per hour swerving past obstacles in its way. The craft was able to do this using a stereo-vision algorithm that rapidly detects and avoids objects immediately in front of the craft,” reports Nidhi Subbaraman for BetaBoston.
Juan Enriquez writes for Wired that the intersection of Vassar and Main Streets is one of the most innovative areas in the world, highlighting how MIT plays a leading role in sparking innovation. Enriquez writes that this area “may generate one per cent to two per cent of the future global economy.”
Prof. Kerry Emanuel speaks with Chris Mooney of The Washington Post about the formation of a rare tropical cyclone off the coast of Yemen. “While it is unusual for Arabian Sea TCs to affect Yemen, it is not unprecedented,” explains Emanuel.
MIT researchers have developed a drone that can recognize obstacles while flying at speeds of 30 miles per hour, writes Mary Beth Griggs for Popular Science. The drone creates a map of the world, “identifying obstacles, and mapping a path around them.”
In this video, FOX News reporter Douglas Kennedy speaks with MIT researchers about the robot they developed, called HERMES, that is controlled by a human operator and could aid rescuers in disaster situations. “We wanted to send a robot into a disaster situation so we don’t risk human life,” explains graduate student Albert Wang.
Wired reporter Sarah Zhang reports on how MIT researchers developed a new computer model that they used to examine the public health impacts of Volkswagen cheating on emissions standards tests. Zhang explains that the researchers’ model “allows scientists to estimate the impact of extra NOx in any 50 km by 50 km square of the world.”
Writing for Popular Science, Mary Beth Griggs reports that researchers from MIT CSAIL have developed a robotic cube that can jump over rough terrain. The researchers hope that one day the cube "can be fitted with small cameras, making them excellent for exploring rough areas like disaster zones, or other tight spaces.”
A new study by researchers from MIT and Harvard shows that pollution from Volkswagen vehicles could lead to premature deaths in the U.S., reports Tom Randall for Bloomberg News. “Volkswagen's deception allowed some 482,000 U.S. diesel cars to pass emissions tests even as they polluted as much as 40 times the legal limit,” writes Randall.
Bret Stetka writes for The Atlantic about how MIT researchers have studied how harbor seals are able to use their whiskers to track prey. Prof. Michael Triantafyllou explains that his team’s findings could be used to develop new technologies that, for example, could “detect plumes underwater, such as in oil spills, or other plumes polluting the environment.”
Prof. Hugh Herr speaks with Breanna Draxler of Popular Science about the future of bionics. Herr explains that he is “intrigued by the possibility of embedding humanity—our ideas and our creativity—into designable bodies. The artificial limbs we create can be just as beautiful and expressive as our own bodies made of innate cells.”
Sebastian Smee reviews Rosa Barba’s new “brilliant new show” at the List Visual Arts Center for The Boston Globe. Smee writes that the exhibit is, “terrifically satisfying to eye, ear, mind, and heart.”
Huffington Post reporter Nitya Rajan writes that MIT researchers have developed a device that can see through walls. Rajan explains that the device works by “sending wireless signals through a wall and capturing whatever bounces back off to put together an image of the person on the other side of the wall.”
Justin Worland of TIME reports on a new MIT study examining the public health impacts of Volkswagen’s software designed to evade emissions standards. “The emissions problem will also add nearly half a billion dollars in social costs,” writes Worland.
Alexandra Ossola reports for Popular Science that MIT researchers have determined that by cheating on emissions tests, Volkswagen could cause 60 premature deaths in the U.S. “The researchers estimated the impact on public health…by calculating the effects of more fine particulates, ozone, and nitrous oxide,” writes Ossola.
Researchers at MIT and Harvard have determined that emissions resulting from Volkswagen’s rigged inspections will cause 60 premature deaths in the U.S., reports Robert Preidt for U.S. News & World Report. The researchers found that “if VW recalls every affected vehicle by the end of 2016, more than 130 additional deaths may be prevented,” writes Preidt.