Technology
press releases.

Technology10 Jan 2024

Observing macroscopic quantum effects in the dark

The boundary between everyday reality and the quantum world remains unclear. The more massive an object, the more localized it becomes when being made quantum through cooling down its motion to the absolute zero. Researchers, led by Oriol Romero-Isart from the Institute for Quantum Optics and Quantum Information (IQOQI) of the Austrian Academy of Sciences (ÖAW) and the Department of Theoretical Physics at the University of Innsbruck, propose an experiment in which an optically levitated nanoparticle, cooled to its ground state, evolves in a non-optical (“dark”) potential created by electrostatic or magnetic forces. This evolution in the dark potential ...

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Technology10 Jan 2024

AI discovers that not every fingerprint is unique

Columbia engineers have built a new AI that shatters a long-held belief in forensics–that fingerprints from different fingers of the same person are unique. It turns out they are similar, only we’ve been comparing fingerprints the wrong way! New York, NY—January 12, 2024—From “Law and Order” to “CSI,” not to mention real life, investigators have used fingerprints as the gold standard for linking criminals to a crime. But if a perpetrator leaves prints from different fingers in two different crime scenes, these scenes are very difficult to link, and the trace can go ...

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Technology10 Jan 2024

Rice University Engineer Ashok Veeraraghavan, Ph.D., recognized for revolutionary imaging technology that seeks to make the invisible visible

Trailblazing engineer Ashok Veeraraghavan, Ph.D., Professor of Electrical and Computer Engineering and Computer Science, George R. Brown School of Engineering at Rice University, is the recipient of the 2024 Edith and Peter O’Donnell Award in Engineering from TAMEST (Texas Academy of Medicine, Engineering, Science and Technology). He was chosen for his revolutionary imaging technology that seeks to make the invisible visible. View a video on Dr. Veeraraghavan's groundbreaking research here. Imagine taking a pristine picture through fog, smoke and rain. Imagine taking interior images of the human body through skin, bone ...

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Technology10 Jan 2024

NASA Johnson Space Center engineer Kimberly A. Hambuchen, Ph.D., recognized for seminal research in developing new methods for making robots more autonomous and usable by humans across a time delay

A true pioneer in space, robotics engineer Kimberly A. Hambuchen, Ph.D., Deputy Chief, Software, Robotics and Simulation Division at NASA Johnson Space Center, is the recipient of the 2024 Edith and Peter O’Donnell Award in Technology Innovation from TAMEST (Texas Academy of Medicine, Engineering, Science and Technology). She was chosen for her seminal research in developing new methods for making robots more autonomous and usable by humans across a time delay. View a video on Dr. Hambuchen's groundbreaking research here. Dr. Hambuchen’s research focuses on human-robot ...

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Technology9 Jan 2024

Researchers developing AI to make the internet more accessible

COLUMBUS, Ohio – In an effort to make the internet more accessible for people with disabilities, researchers at The Ohio State University have begun developing an artificial intelligence agent that could complete complex tasks on any website using simple language commands. In the three decades since it was first released into the public domain, the world wide web has become an incredibly intricate, dynamic system. Yet because internet function is now so integral to society’s well-being, its complexity also makes it considerably harder to navigate. Today there ...

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Technology9 Jan 2024

Quantum particles can’t separate from their properties, after all

The quantum Cheshire cat effect draws its name from the fictional Cheshire Cat in the Alice in Wonderland story. That cat was able to disappear, leaving only its grin behind. Similarly, in a 2013 paper, researchers claimed quantum particles are able to separate from their properties, with the properties travelling along paths the particle cannot. They named this the quantum Cheshire cat effect. Researchers since have claimed to extend this further, swapping disembodied properties between particles, disembodying multiple properties simultaneously, ...

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Technology9 Jan 2024

New study unveils machine learning-aided non-invasive imaging for rapid liver fat visualization

Steatotic liver disease (SLD), previously known as non-alcoholic fatty liver disease, which includes a range of conditions caused by fat build-up in the liver due to abnormal lipid metabolism, affects about 25% of the population worldwide, making it the most common liver disorder. Often referred to as “silent liver disease,” SLD progresses without noticeable symptoms and can lead to more severe conditions like cirrhosis (liver scarring) and liver cancer. A liver biopsy—an invasive procedure involving liver tissue sample extraction from the body—is ...

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Technology9 Jan 2024

Towards more accurate 3D object detection for robots and self-driving cars

Robotics and autonomous vehicles are among the most rapidly growing domains in the technological landscape, with the potential to make work and transportation safer and more efficient. Since both robots and self-driving cars need to accurately perceive their surroundings, 3D object detection methods are an active area of study. Most 3D object detection methods employ LiDAR sensors to create 3D point clouds of their environment. Simply put, LiDAR sensors use laser beams to rapidly scan and measure the ...

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Technology9 Jan 2024

Severe MS predicted using machine learning

A combination of only 11 proteins can predict long-term disability outcomes in multiple sclerosis (MS) for different individuals. The identified proteins could be used to tailor treatments to the individual based on the expected severity of the disease. The study, led by researchers at Linköping University in Sweden, has been published in the journal Nature Communications. “A combination of 11 proteins predicted both short and long-term disease activity and disability outcomes. We also concluded that it’s important to measure ...

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Technology8 Jan 2024

Origami-inspired robotic plants grow with their environment

How do you deploy an environmental sensor to collect climate change readings over a prolonged period on an uninhabited island without failing? How do you power a seismic detector to operate for months in an underwater cave? In environments that are difficult to reach because of the hazards or hardships for humans, a device behaving like a native plant could be the answer. This is the approach taken by Suyi Li, associate professor in mechanical engineering at Virginia Tech, and Clemson professor and collaborator Ian Walker. Their work is being advanced ...

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Technology8 Jan 2024

Illinois Tech launches sensor technology program with emphasis on veteran education

CHICAGO—January 8, 2023—Illinois Institute of Technology (Illinois Tech) has received a substantial grant from the National Science Foundation (NSF) to launch a pioneering education program in sensory technology aimed at underrepresented groups—particularly veterans. The initiative, funded through NSF’s Experiential Learning for Emerging and Novel Technologies (ExLENT) program, underscores Illinois Tech’s commitment to critical future technologies and expanding education to groups that have historically ...

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Technology8 Jan 2024

New soft robots roll like tires, spin like tops and orbit like moons

Researchers have developed a new soft robot design that engages in three simultaneous behaviors: rolling forward, spinning like a record,and following a path that orbits around a central point. The device, which operates without human or computer control, holds promise for developing soft robotic devices that can be used to navigate and map unknown environments. The new soft robots are called twisted ringbots. They are made of ribbon-like liquid crystal elastomers that are twisted – like a rotini ...

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Technology8 Jan 2024

New research aims to develop novel therapeutic for glaucoma

INDIANAPOLIS—Researchers at Indiana University School of Medicine are using a novel approach to hopefully develop a new therapy for glaucoma, a complex disease that eventually leads to blindness, thanks to a new five-year, $2 million R01 grant from the National Eye Institute. “Glaucoma is a silent, underdiagnosed, costly and debilitating disease,” said Tasneem Sharma, PhD, assistant professor of ophthalmology and lead investigator on the project. “It occurs when there is ...

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Technology8 Jan 2024

Singh studying distributed computing models and algorithms for pervasive systems

Gurdip Singh, Divisional Dean, School of Computing, received funding from the National Science Foundation for the project: "EAGER: Distributed Computing Models and Algorithms for Pervasive Systems." The goal of this project is to extend the traditional graph-based distributed computing models and algorithms to develop a unified model to study cyber-physical systems. The unified models will capture interactions between the physical and cyber entities and the physical phenomena. This project also proposes to develop techniques to design distributed algorithms for fundamental problems ...

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Technology8 Jan 2024

Early-life digital media experiences and development of atypical sensory processing

About The Study: Early-life digital media exposure was associated with atypical sensory processing outcomes in multiple domains in this study that included 1,471 children. These findings suggest that digital media exposure might be a potential risk factor for the development of atypical sensory profiles. Further research is needed to understand the relationship between screen time and specific sensory-related developmental and behavioral outcomes, and whether minimizing early-life exposure can improve subsequent sensory-related outcomes. Authors: Karen F. Heffler, M.D., of the Drexel University ...

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Technology8 Jan 2024

Study from ECNU Review of Education redevelops framework for teaching artificial intelligence and robotics

Just like computers, the Internet, and smartphones have become commonplace in our daily lives, artificial intelligence and robotics (AIR) are the next technologies in line set to drastically change how we interact with the world and among ourselves. Various AI-driven applications are already in widespread use, such as Siri, Google Assistant, and ChatGPT, and both industrial- and consumer-grade robots are becoming increasingly capable and accessible. In our modern societies, where people rely more and more on AIR systems to perform tasks, it’s essential to prepare children and teenagers to understand ...

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Technology5 Jan 2024

NRL researchers receive Defense Manufacturing Technology Achievement Award

WASHINGTON – U.S. Naval Research Laboratory (NRL) researchers, Kevin Cronin and Drew Rodgers, receive Technology Achievement Award for Lightweight Hydrogen Fuel Cells for Unmanned Aerial Systems (UAS) research efforts at Defense Manufacturing Conference held in Nashville, Tenn., Dec. 11, 2023. The Department of Defense (DOD) has a critical need for increased power and endurance for persistent Intelligence, Surveillance and Reconnaissance (ISR) and transmission of radio frequency (RF) sources for communications and targeting. “It ...

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Technology5 Jan 2024

Applications open for School of Advanced Science on Technology and Innovation Strategies and Policies for Economic Development

The São Paulo Advanced School on Technology & Innovation Strategies and Policies for Economic Development will be held from June 24 to July 05, 2024, at the University of Campinas (UNICAMP) in São Paulo state, Brazil. Reporters are invited to register for the scientific sessions and short courses, which will present state-of-art science and results of new research. The School provides an opportunity to learn about and debate recent developments in the economics of technological change and in science, technology and innovation (ST&I) policy studies. The programme comprises numerous seminars, intensive courses, and roundtable discussions focusing ...

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Technology5 Jan 2024

Hainan's quest for pristine air: Charting a course to global air quality leadership by 2035

Air pollution significantly impacts human health, with Hainan Province in China aiming to achieve world-leading ambient air quality by 2035, despite already having relatively good air quality in China. The existing Ambient Air Quality Standards (AAQS) offer insufficient guidance for further enhancing air quality in Hainan, which stands at the forefront of China's environmental protection efforts. Consequently, it is imperative to develop Hainan's local AAQS. This initiative, responding to WHO's strengthened guidelines, aims to address unique regional challenges in air quality ...

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Technology5 Jan 2024

UC Irvine engineers invent octopus-inspired technology that can deceive and signal

Irvine, Calif., Jan 4, 2024 — With a split-second muscle contraction, the greater blue-ringed octopus can change the size and color of the namesake patterns on its skin for purposes of deception, camouflage and signaling. Researchers at the University of California, Irvine have drawn inspiration from this natural wonder to develop a technological platform with similar capabilities for use in a variety of fields, including the military, medicine, robotics and sustainable energy. According to its inventors, new devices made possible by this ...

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Technology4 Jan 2024

More lives can be saved if ambulance staff receive AI-support

Assessing how seriously injured a person is, involves weighing up lots of different parameters fast. If healthcare professionals could get support making fast-paced, life-critical decisions from an AI tool, more lives could be saved. This is shown by research from Chalmers University of Technology in Sweden, along with the University of Gothenburg and the University of Borås. "If severely injured people are transported directly to a university hospital, the chances of survival increase, as there are resources to take care of all types of injuries. Therefore, we need to be able to better say who is severely injured, and who is not, so ...

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Technology4 Jan 2024

Pollution-tracking citizen science project offers New York students a breath of fresh air

WASHINGTON, Jan. 4, 2024 – Climate change is one of the biggest issues of the 21st century, a crisis that affects the fate of the entire world as well as our place in it. A warming Earth will destroy ecosystems, flood cities, and lead to countless suffering and death for people worldwide. Part of the challenge of dealing with climate change is helping people understand its complex impacts. In The Physics Teacher, co-published by AIP Publishing and the American Association of Physics Teachers, researchers from Fordham University partnered with middle and high schools in the Bronx and Manhattan in a citizen ...

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Technology4 Jan 2024

UMass Amherst researchers bring dream of bug-free software one step closer to reality

AMHERST, Mass. – A team of computer scientists led by the University of Massachusetts Amherst recently announced a new method for automatically generating whole proofs that can be used to prevent software bugs and verify that the underlying code is correct. This new method, called Baldur, leverages the artificial intelligence power of Large Language Models (LLMs), and, when combined with the state-of-the-art tool Thor, yields unprecedented efficacy of nearly 66%. The team was recently awarded a coveted Distinguished Paper award at the ...

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Technology4 Jan 2024

Hearing aids may help people live longer

LOS ANGELES — Hearing loss affects approximately 40 million American adults, yet only one in 10 people who need hearing aids use them, research shows. Those who don’t use hearing aids but should may want to make wearing them one of their New Year’s resolutions, according to a new study from Keck Medicine of USC published today in The Lancet Healthy Longevity. “We found that adults with hearing loss who regularly used hearing aids had a 24% lower risk of mortality than those who never wore them,” ...

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Technology3 Jan 2024

Computational method discovers hundreds of new ceramics for extreme environments

DURHAM, N.C. – If you have a deep-seated, nagging worry over dropping your phone in molten lava, you’re in luck. A research team led by materials scientists at Duke University has developed a method for rapidly discovering a new class of materials with heat and electronic tolerances so rugged that they that could enable devices to function at lava-like temperatures above several thousands of degrees Fahrenheit. Harder than steel and stable in chemically corrosive environments, these materials ...

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