Writing for the Financial Times about how technology is advancing the field of health care, John Browne spotlights Prof. Bob Langer’s work developing new methods of delivering drugs with improved precision. Browne explains that Langer is working on “a device smaller than a grain of rice that he can inject into a tumour to test the efficacy of dozens of chemotherapy agents in parallel.”
Using a tactile sensor and web camera, MIT researchers developed an AI system that allows robots to predict what something feels like just by looking at it, reports David Williams for CNN. “This technology could be used to help robots figure out the best way to hold an object just by looking at it,” explains Williams.
Forbes contributor Charles Towers-Clark explores how CSAIL researchers have developed a database of tactile and visual information that could be used to allow robots to infer how different objects look and feel. “This breakthrough could lead to far more sensitive and practical robotic arms that could improve any number of delicate or mission-critical operations,” Towers-Clark writes.
MIT researchers have created a new system that enables robots to identify objects using tactile information, reports Darrell Etherington for TechCrunch. “This type of AI also could be used to help robots operate more efficiently and effectively in low-light environments without requiring advanced sensors,” Etherington explains.
Fast Company reporter Michael Grothaus writes that CSAIL researchers have developed a new system that allows robots to determine what objects look like by touching them. “The breakthrough could ultimately help robots become better at manipulating objects,” Grothaus explains.
Researchers from MIT and other institutions have developed a new model for autism research that could enable new therapies and treatments, reports the Xinhua news agency. The model could “provide a basis for a deeper understanding of the neurobiological mechanisms of autism and the development of more transformative therapeutics.”
Writing for Scientific American, Prof. Bob Langer examines how breakthroughs in biotechnology and materials science are enabling more personalized and effective treatments for patients. Langer highlights how by “engineering polymers that offer smart delivery systems, we can target specific parts of the body. This limits exposure and therefore adverse effects, offering more effective and precise treatment.”
Gizmodo reporter Andrew Liszewski writes that MIT researchers have created an algorithm that can automatically fix warped faces in wide-angle shots without impacting the rest of the photo. Liszewski writes that the tool could “be integrated into a camera app and applied to wide angle photos on the fly as the algorithm is fast enough on modern smartphones to provide almost immediate results.”
TechCrunch reporter Darrell Etherington writes that MIT researchers have developed a system that can predict a perso's trajectory. The tool could allow “robots that typically freeze in the face of anything even vaguely resembling a person walking in their path to continue to operate and move around the flow of human foot traffic."
Prof. Muriel Médard speaks with WCAI’s Living Lab Radio about the potential impact of 5G technologies on a number of industries. “If one can count on reliable services that allow remote operation of certain aspects of our work lives,” Médard explains, “that's where you change the way people work quite a bit.”
Bloomberg News spotlights how MIT researchers have developed a fleet of autonomous boats that can automatically latch onto one another. Bloomberg notes that the boats will be able to “transport goods and people, collect trash and assemble into floating stages and bridges.”
Researchers from a number of institutions, including MIT, are exploring the feasibility of cold fusion, reports Steven Salzberg for Forbes. The researchers explained that while they were unable to successfully produce cold fusion, their exploration of this topic “is likely to have a substantial impact on future energy technologies.”
Boston Globe reporter Martin Finucane writes that MIT researchers have developed an automated latching system that could enable a fleet of autonomous boats to connect to docking stations and other boats. Finucane explains that in turbulent water, “after a missed first attempt, the system can autonomously adapt, repositioning the roboat and latching.”
Popular Mechanics reporter Daisy Hernandez writes that MIT researchers have developed an autonomous aquatic boat that can target and latch onto one another to form new structures. Hernandez writes that the boats were conceived “as a way to explore new modes of transportation and help improve traffic flow.”
Mashable highlights how MIT researchers have developed a new system of computationally simple robots inspired by biological cells that can connect in large groups to move around, transport objects and complete tasks. Mashable explains that robots made up of simplistic components, “could enable more scalable, flexible and robust systems.”