Fortune reporter Aaron Pressman highlights how MIT researchers have developed a new wearable device to help visually impaired people navigate and avoid obstacles. Pressman writes that CSAIL researchers are, “combining cutting edge techniques from 3D cameras and image recognition software to build an automated navigation system for the visually impaired.”
In this article and video, CNBC reporter Anmar Frangoul explores Prof. Vladimir Bulović’s work developing ultra-light and thin solar cells that could be used to power electronic devices and could eventually be scaled to power buildings. Bulović explains that over the next decade, “a very significant fraction of the world’s electricity will be provided by solar.”
Boston Herald reporter Jordan Graham writes that MIT researchers have developed a wearable device aimed at helping visually impaired users navigate their environments. The system is equipped with, “a 3-D camera, a vibration pack and an electronic braille screen that will tell users not just where things are — but what they are.”
Boston Globe reporter Steve Annear writes that in a recent video posted to Twitter, MIT graduate and NASA astronaut Jack Fischer demonstrated how to eat pudding in space. Annear writes that Fischer, who is currently aboard the International Space Station, has been, “spending some of his time on the space station connecting with people back on earth.”
FOX 25’s Bob Dumas reports on a study by MIT Medical that shows most parents could successfully perform strep tests at home. David Diamond, associate medical director of MIT Medical, explains that in the healthcare field, “we are empowering patients to help us take care of their health,” adding that this test, “would be yet another advance in this regard.”
Popular Science reporter Rachel Feltman writes that MIT researchers have developed shape-changing noodles that transform from a flat sheet into 3-D shapes when submerged in water. Feltman explains that by packing pasta in flat sheets, “manufacturers could cut packaging sizes in half—cutting down on wasted cardboard and shipping container space.”
The Economist writes about new research from Prof. Chris Voigt, in which “he and his colleagues demonstrate how to control customised cells with coloured light.”
MIT researchers have genetically engineered E.coli bacteria to replicate light and create images in a range of different colors, reports Alexandra-Simon Lewis for Wired. In the future, the technique could be used to make “bacteria produce more complex molecules on-demand by using light to stop and start chemical reactions.”
Washington Post reporter Travis Andrews writes that MIT researchers have created a workout suit with ventilating flaps embedded with bacteria that automatically open and close in response to sweat. Andrews explains that “as the bacteria relaxes and shrinks into itself, the cells pull away from the wearer, opening the flaps and letting fresh air flood in.”
New Scientist reporter Andy Coghlan writes that MIT researchers have engineered bacteria to produce full-color, living photocopies. Coghlan explains that the technique could “enable finer control of the bacteria grown in fermenters to churn out vital drugs, antibodies and materials. Another application could be using light to sculpt living biomaterials, such as tissues and organs for transplant.”
MIT researchers have developed a workout suit with vents that are triggered by bacteria to automatically open in response to sweat, reports Rob Verger for Popular Science. Verger explains that the researchers hope to apply the technology to create clothing that can, “produce a pleasant smell when you sweat.”
CSAIL researchers have developed a new system that allows camera-equipped drones to maintain certain framing parameters of an aerial shot, Sean O’Kane for The Verge. O’Kane explains that the system allows directors to define basic parameters of a shot and to alter the “settings on the fly and the drone will adjust how it’s filming accordingly.”
CSAIL researchers have developed a system that allows robots to teach one another learned skills, reports Grace Williams for FOX News. Williams explains that the system, “gives non-coders the ability to teach robots various tasks using information about manipulating objects in a single demonstration. These skills can then be passed along to other robots that move in different ways.”
Daily Mail reporter Colin Fernandez writes that MIT researchers have developed a self-ventilating workout suit that can help keep athletes cool and dry while they exercise. Fernandez explains that the suit is embedded with harmless microbes that contract when they sense heat or cold, triggering flaps in the suit to open and close.
Boston Globe reporter Steve Annear writes that a replica “Star Wars” X-wing Starfighter made an appearance in Lobby 7 on Monday. The replica was originally created for the annual 2.007 robot competition, during which students navigate robots that they designed and built themselves through a “Star Wars”-themed course.