Portable, super-high-resolution 3-D imaging
A simple new imaging system could help manufacturers inspect their products, forensics experts identify weapons and doctors identify cancers.
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Defibrillator for stalled software
A new tool interrupts the ‘infinite loops’ that cause computer hang-ups, letting users save data and finish tasks before restarting a stalled program.
Inside the innards of a nuclear reactor
Tiny robots may monitor underground pipes for radioactive leaks.
Computer learns language by playing games
By basing its strategies on the text of a manual, a computer infers the meanings of words without human supervision.
Health care of the future
The Clinical Decision Making Group looks to advance health care by applying natural-language processing techniques to make better sense of medical records.
The math of the Rubik’s cube
New research establishes the relationship between the number of squares in a Rubik’s-cube-type puzzle and the maximum number of moves required to solve it.
When things go wrong, who’s to blame?
New study shows that infants are surprisingly adept at figuring out whether they made a mistake or if something is wrong in the world.
You can take it with you
A new system lets you transfer open applications between a computer and a cellphone simply by pointing the phone’s camera at the computer’s screen.
‘Smart cars’ that are actually, well, smart
Mechanical engineers work to develop intelligent onboard transportation systems that can prevent car crashes.
Faster computer graphics
Digitally mimicking the photographic blur caused by moving objects is surprisingly hard, but new research offers ways to make it easier.
Streamlined rules for robots
New algorithms make it easier to write rules for distributed-computing systems, such as networks of sensors, servers or robots.
Cookies, anyone?
Graduate student Mario Bollini of Professor Daniela Rus' Distributed Robotics Lab is currently programming the PR2 robot to bake chocolate chip cookies.