School of Engineering

STAT reporter Andrew Joseph writes that MIT scientists have developed a potential new treatment for diabetes. Joseph explains that the new technique could allow healthy insulin-producing cells to be successfully transplanted into patients.   

Prof. emeritus Marvin Minsky, one of the founders of the field of artificial intelligence, died Sunday at age 88, reports Glenn Rifkin for The New York Times. Rifkin writes that Minsky “combined a scientist’s thirst for knowledge with a philosopher’s quest for truth as a pioneering explorer of artificial intelligence.”

In this video, Prof. Edward Boyden speaks with The Huffington Post about how sleep and meditation impact people on a neurological level.  Boyden says that traditions such as mediation can “help us be more attuned to what our mind really wants.”

Prof. Paula Hammond speaks with Tom Ashbrook of NPR’s On Point about Vice President Biden’s new cancer initiative.  Hammond likens the challenge to “going to the moon and back, it’s creating a permanent space station out there as well that allows us to continue to learn about some of the new approaches.” 

Prof. Ioannis Yannas was inducted into the National Inventor’s Hall of Fame for his work with Dr. John Burke on regenerating human skin as a treatment for burn victims, writes Robby Berman for Slate.  In a video accompanying the story, Yannas explains that his work was focused on “speeding up the rate of closing up these wounds.” 

Boston Magazine reporter Kyle Clauss reports that researchers from MIT CSAIL have developed a drone that uses algorithms to detect obstacle-free regions in space.  “Using free-space segments is a more ‘glass-half-full’ approach that works far better for drones in small, cluttered spaces,” says MIT alumnus Benoit Landry.

Prof. Ju Li and graduate students Sangtae Kim and Soon Ju Choi have developed a device that harvests human motion for electrical power, reports Krithika Varagur for The Huffington Post.  “This device will make it possible to harvest some of this otherwise-wasted potential into electricity,” explains Kim. 

Researchers from MIT CSAIL have developed an algorithm that allows drones to navigate obstacle courses, reports Kelsey Atherton for Popular Science. “As drones move away from simple remote-controlled toys and become more autonomous flying tools, programs like these will keep them flying safely through unfamiliar terrain,” explains Atherton. 

BBC News reporter David Gibson writes that MIT researchers have developed a thin, transparent film that can store solar energy for later use. Gibson writes that the polymer could be used to de-ice windshields, “heat seats and steering wheels, or even let you solar charge your socks before a motorcycle ride.”

MIT researchers have developed an algorithm that could reduce how long planes wait before takeoff, reports Lee Moran for The Huffington Post.  The formula allows air traffic controllers to use data on weather conditions and runway traffic to “hold airplanes at the gate, which would help avoid congestion.”

Research affiliate Judah Cohen speaks with Boston Herald reporter Erin Smith about his predictions for how much snow Boston might see this winter. “I think there will be a snowier second half of winter. That’s still very plausible,” says Cohen. “But matching anything like last year it would be difficult — near impossible.”

MIT researchers have created artificial replicas of the fur that keeps fur seals and sea otters warm in cold water to see how those hairs act as insulators, reports Charles Choi for Popular Science. The researchers found that “the longer and more closely spaced hairs were, the better that surfaces were at trapping air and staying dry.”

Popular Science reporter Mary Beth Griggs writes that MIT researchers are developing a more efficient incandescent light bulb. Griggs explains that the prototype “is already as energy efficient as some LEDs and fluorescent bulbs currently on the market.”

In an article for The Washington Post about robots and humans, Wendell Wallach highlights Prof. David Mindell’s book “Our Robots, Ourselves.” “Mindell clearly demonstrates that the efforts of people and robots can be complementary and inextricably entangled, and can evolve together,” writes Wallach. 

Cade Metz writes for Wired that MIT researchers have developed a system that allows robots to predict how objects will move. Postdoc Ilker Yildirim explains that in order for a robot to be able to assist with household tasks like washing the dishes, it must “deeply understand its physical environments.”