Technology
press releases.

Technology13 Mar 2024

Revolutionizing forest management: unveiling understory saplings with advanced airborne LiDAR technology

The regeneration of forest saplings is pivotal for maintaining biodiversity and ecosystem productivity, necessitating innovative management techniques for continuous forest coverage. Traditional 2-dimensional remote sensing struggles to accurately capture the complex, understory sapling dynamics. To address this, researchers are exploring the use of aerial laser scanning (ALS) for its potential in providing detailed 3-dimensional insights. However, despite progress in using ALS data to estimate tree metrics, accurately identifying and quantifying the phenotypic ...

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Technology13 Mar 2024

Warwick awarded £11 million to train PhD students in computational modelling

The University of Warwick has been awarded £11m to train PhD students in computational modelling. The new centre will train 50 PhD students to use computational modelling to tackle pressing global sustainability challenges from accessing clean fusion energy, controlling infectious diseases, to designing energy-efficient devices such as new battery electrolytes. The Centre for Doctoral Training in Modelling of Heterogeneous Systems (HetSys II), led by Professor James Kermode from the School of Engineering, Dr Livia Bartok-Partay from Chemistry and Professor Nicholas Hine from Physics, will train ...

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Technology13 Mar 2024

Staying in the loop: how superconductors are helping computers “remember”

Computers work in digits — 0s and 1s to be exact. Their calculations are digital; their processes are digital; even their memories are digital. All of which requires extraordinary power resources. As we look to the next evolution of computing and developing neuromorphic or “brain like” computing, those power requirements are unfeasible. To advance neuromorphic computing, some researchers are looking at analog improvements. In other words, not just advancing software, but advancing hardware too. Research from the University of California San Diego and UC Riverside shows a promising new way to store and transmit information ...

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Technology13 Mar 2024

SMU chemist and colleagues develop machine learning model for atomic-level interactions

DALLAS (SMU) – What exactly happens at the tiny scale at which individual atoms exist and interact? SMU chemist Elfi Kraka and her colleagues have been working on developing a computational tool aimed at providing answers to that mystery. Mathematical functions used to calculate the potential energy of a system of atoms are called interatomic potentials. Machine learning interatomic potentials (MLIP)s have become an efficient and less expensive alternative to traditional quantum chemical simulations, which even on today’s high-performance computing often become out of reach for larger ...

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Technology12 Mar 2024

AI analysis of historical satellite images show USSR collapse in 1990s increased methane emissions, despite lower oil and gas production

The collapse of the former Soviet Union in 1991 had social, political and economic effects worldwide. Among them was a suspected role in slowing human-generated methane emissions. Methane had been rising steadily in the atmosphere until about 1990. Atmospheric scientists theorized that economic collapse in the former USSR led to less oil and gas production, and thus a slowdown in the rise of global methane levels, which has since resumed. But new University of Washington research uses early satellite records to dispute that assumption. The study, published March 12 in the ...

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Technology12 Mar 2024

Integrating renewables and machine learning for improved grid stability

In the race to achieve a net-zero future based on clean energy, renewable energy sources like solar and wind power have emerged as potential champions in the battle against climate change. However, as traditional synchronous generators are replaced by inverter-based renewable energy resources, the transition creates a low-inertia challenge within the existing power grids leading to stability and reliability concerns. Xingpeng Li, assistant professor of electrical and computer engineering at the University of Houston, is working on a solution that will allow seamless integration of renewable energy ...

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Technology12 Mar 2024

PPPL unveils new laboratory space to advance quantum information science

Building on its more than 70 years pioneering the study of fusion energy, the U.S. Department of Energy’s (DOE) Princeton Plasma Physics Laboratory (PPPL) has added a new field to its research portfolio — quantum information science. On March 11, PPPL opened its new Quantum Diamond Lab (QDL), a space devoted to studying and refining the processes involved in using plasma, the electrically charged fourth state of matter, to create high-quality diamond material for quantum information science applications. Scientists around the ...

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Technology12 Mar 2024

Spiral wrappers switch nanotubes from conductors to semiconductors and back

DURHAM, N.C. -- It might look like a roll of chicken wire, but this tiny cylinder of carbon atoms -- too small to see with the naked eye -- could one day be used for making electronic devices ranging from night vision goggles and motion detectors to more efficient solar cells, thanks to techniques developed by researchers at Duke University. First discovered in the early 1990s, carbon nanotubes are made from single sheets of carbon atoms rolled up like a straw. Carbon isn’t exactly a newfangled material. All life on Earth is based on carbon. ...

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Technology12 Mar 2024

How do neural networks learn? A mathematical formula explains how they detect relevant patterns

Neural networks have been powering breakthroughs in artificial intelligence, including the large language models that are now being used in a wide range of applications, from finance, to human resources to healthcare. But these networks remain a black box whose inner workings engineers and scientists struggle to understand. Now, a team led by data and computer scientists at the University of California San Diego has given neural networks the equivalent of an X-ray to uncover how they actually learn. The researchers found that a formula used in statistical analysis provides a streamlined mathematical description of how neural networks, such as GPT-2, a precursor ...

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Technology11 Mar 2024

Design rules and synthesis of quantum memory candidates

In the quest to develop quantum computers and networks, there are many components that are fundamentally different than those used today. Like a modern computer, each of these components has different constraints. However, it is currently unclear what materials can be used to construct those components for the transmission and storage of quantum information. In new research published in the Journal of the American Chemical Society, University of Illinois Urbana Champaign materials science & engineering professor Daniel Shoemaker and graduate student Zachary Riedel ...

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Technology11 Mar 2024

A new sensor detects harmful “forever chemicals” in drinking water

CAMBRIDGE, MA -- MIT chemists have designed a sensor that detects tiny quantities of perfluoroalkyl and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) — chemicals found in food packaging, nonstick cookware, and many other consumer products. These compounds, also known as “forever chemicals” because they do not break down naturally, have been linked to a variety of harmful health effects, including cancer, reproductive problems, and disruption of the immune and endocrine systems. Using the new sensor technology, the researchers showed that they could detect PFAS levels as low as 200 parts per trillion in a water sample. The device they designed could offer a way ...

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Technology11 Mar 2024

Robotic interface masters a soft touch

The perception of softness can be taken for granted, but it plays a crucial role in many actions and interactions – from judging the ripeness of an avocado to conducting a medical exam, or holding the hand of a loved one. But understanding and reproducing softness perception is challenging, because it involves so many sensory and cognitive processes. Robotics researchers have tried to address this challenge with haptic devices, but previous attempts have not distinguished between two primary elements of softness perception: cutaneous cues (sensory feedback ...

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Technology11 Mar 2024

NRL research physicists explore fiber optic computing using distributed feedback

WASHINGTON – U.S. Naval Research Laboratory (NRL) researchers deliver novel contribution in fiber optics computing, Fiber Optic Computing Using Distributed Feedback paper recently published in Communications Physics journal, brings the Navy one step closer to faster, more efficient computing technologies. Optical computing uses the properties of light, such as its speed and ability to carry large amounts of data, to process information more efficiently than traditional electronic computers. In collaboration with Sandia National Laboratories and the University of Central Florida, NRL is aiming ...

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Technology11 Mar 2024

Breakthrough in nanostructure technology for real-time color display

A groundbreaking technology that enables the real-time display of colors and shapes through changes in nanostructures has been developed. This innovative technology, pioneered by Professor Kang Hee Ku and her team in the School of Energy and Chemical Engineering at UNIST, has the potential to revolutionize various fields, such as smart polymer particles. Utilizing block copolymers, the research team has achieved the self-assembly of photonic crystal structures on a large scale, mimicking natural phenomena observed ...

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Technology11 Mar 2024

Experts create blueprint to aid elderly people at storm flood risk

Emergency planners in Shanghai and New York City face increasing pressure to protect elderly citizens from the devastating impact of coastal flooding caused by storms and cyclones, a new study reveals. Both cities are highly exposed to storm-induced flooding and analysis shows that - with two distinct systems of emergency operation – there are significant differences between them in evacuating elderly people to safety. After studying emergency operations in the cities, experts devised a blueprint for efficient evacuation that could be used in similar flood-threatened cities around the globe such as Mumbai, Bangkok, Jakarta, Ho Chi Minh City, Miami, ...

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Technology11 Mar 2024

Going top shelf with AI to better track hockey data

Researchers from the University of Waterloo got a valuable assist from artificial intelligence (AI) tools to help capture and analyze data from professional hockey games faster and more accurately than ever before, with big implications for the business of sports. The growing field of hockey analytics currently relies on the manual analysis of video footage from games. Professional hockey teams across the sport, notably in the National Hockey League (NHL), make important decisions regarding players’ careers based on that information. “The goal of ...

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Technology8 Mar 2024

Researchers’ approach may protect quantum computers from attacks

Quantum computers, which can solve several complex problems exponentially faster than classical computers, are expected to improve artificial intelligence (AI) applications deployed in devices like autonomous vehicles; however, just like their predecessors, quantum computers are vulnerable to adversarial attacks. A team of University of Texas at Dallas researchers and an industry collaborator have developed an approach to give quantum computers an extra layer of protection against such attacks. Their solution, Quantum Noise Injection for Adversarial Defense (QNAD), counteracts the impact of ...

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Technology8 Mar 2024

Balancing training data and human knowledge makes AI act more like a scientist

When you teach a child how to solve puzzles, you can either let them figure it out through trial and error, or you can guide them with some basic rules and tips. Similarly, incorporating rules and tips into AI training—such as the laws of physics—could make them more efficient and more reflective of the real world. However, helping the AI assess the value of different rules can be a tricky task. Researchers report March 8 in the journal Nexus that they have developed a framework for assessing the ...

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Technology8 Mar 2024

Call for papers| Special Issue on advanced robotics and tissue engineering

Scope For decades, robotic systems have played a pivotal role in nurturing the growth of tissue-engineered constructs in controlled environments through the provision of mechanical stimulation. The importance of physical stresses in tissue maturation is not only intuitive from our own bodily experiences but is also supported by a growing body of mechanotransduction research. However, experimental studies have predominantly remained confined to basic in vitro setups, hampering our ability to produce functional grafts that can translate into clinical practice. Emerging evidence suggests that replicating physiological stresses more faithfully could further enhance the functionality of tissue ...

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Technology7 Mar 2024

Current state of dermatology mobile applications with AI features

About The Study: This scoping review determined that although artificial intelligence (AI) dermatology mobile apps hold promise for improving access to care and patient outcomes, in their current state, they may pose harm due to potential risks, lack of consistent validation, and misleading user communication. Addressing challenges in efficacy, safety, and transparency through effective regulation, validation, and standardized evaluation criteria is essential to harness the benefits of these apps while minimizing risks. Authors: Veronica Rotemberg, M.D., Ph.D., of Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center in New York, and Associate Editor, JAMA Dermatology, is the corresponding ...

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Technology7 Mar 2024

Introducing BioSUM: a bioresorbable ultrasonic sensor to detect post-surgical leaks

A new device tested in pigs enables monitoring and early detection of pH changes in deep tissues due to post-operative leaks following gastrointestinal surgery. Such leaks – which occur at high rates 3-7 days following surgery – can be fatal if overlooked, and as such, require constant monitoring. Yet, early detection of these leaks remains a challenge. To address this need, Jaiqi Liu and colleagues developed a novel class of pH-responsive materials for real-time ultrasound measurement of pH changes indicative of leaks from healing ...

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Technology7 Mar 2024

Method rapidly verifies that a robot will avoid collisions

Before a robot can grab dishes off a shelf to set the table, it must ensure its gripper and arm won’t crash into anything and potentially shatter the fine china. As part of its motion planning process, a robot typically runs “safety check” algorithms that verify its trajectory is collision-free. However, sometimes these algorithms generate false positives, claiming a trajectory is safe when the robot would actually collide with something. Other methods that can avoid false positives are typically too slow for robots in the real world. Now, MIT researchers have developed a safety check technique which can prove with 100 percent accuracy ...

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Technology7 Mar 2024

Carnegie Mellon researchers develop new machine learning method for modeling of chemical reactions

Researchers from Carnegie Mellon University and Los Alamos National Laboratory have used machine learning to create a model that can simulate reactive processes in a diverse set of organic materials and conditions. "It's a tool that can be used to investigate more reactions in this field," said Shuhao Zhang, a graduate student in Carnegie Mellon University's Department of Chemistry. "We can offer a full simulation of the reaction mechanisms." Zhang is the first author on the paper that explains the creation and results of this new machine learning model, ...

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Technology6 Mar 2024

Airflow dynamics scrub classroom air

If you’ve ever wondered why some folks never catch the office or school cold, where they’re sitting might be keeping them from the path of pathogens, according to new UBC Okanagan research. Using a working UBCO classroom as their test lab, the team found that accounting for airflow dynamics reduced pathogens in the classroom by 85 per cent. “During the COVID-19 pandemic, the advice was often just to increase ventilation to the maximum,” says Mojtaba Zabihi, a doctoral student in mechanical engineering ...

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Technology6 Mar 2024

Espresso yourself: Wearable tech measures emotional responses to coffee

Researchers in Italy have introduced a novel approach for assessing the quality of coffee. In a pioneering new study, they have demonstrated the feasibility of using wearable technology to measure the emotional responses of coffee experts during tastings. Published in SCI’s Journal of the Science of Food and Agriculture, the study provides an innovative solution for reducing judgement biases that can result from traditional and more subjective methods of coffee quality assessment. Coffee is one of the most popular and widely consumed beverages in the world, ...

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