Technology
press releases.

Technology28 Jun 2024

New computational microscopy technique provides more direct route to crisp images

For hundreds of years, the clarity and magnification of microscopes were ultimately limited by the physical properties of their optical lenses. Microscope makers pushed those boundaries by making increasingly complicated and expensive stacks of lens elements. Still, scientists had to decide between high resolution and a small field of view on the one hand or low resolution and a large field of view on the other. In 2013, a team of Caltech engineers introduced a microscopy technique called FPM (for ...

Read the release

Technology28 Jun 2024

Can A.I. tell you if you have osteoporosis? Newly developed deep learning model shows promise

Osteoporosis is so difficult to detect in early stage it’s called the “silent disease.” What if artificial intelligence could help predict a patient’s chances of having the bone-loss disease before ever stepping into a doctor’s office? Tulane University researchers made progress toward that vision by developing a new deep learning algorithm that outperformed existing computer-based osteoporosis risk prediction methods, potentially leading to earlier diagnoses and better outcomes for patients with osteoporosis risk. Their results were recently published in ...

Read the release

Technology28 Jun 2024

Source-specific air pollution and loss of independence in older adults across the US

About The Study: This study found that long-term exposure to air pollution was associated with the need for help for lost independence in later life, with especially large and consistent increases in risk for pollution generated by traffic-related sources. These findings suggest that controlling air pollution could be associated with diversion or delay of the need for care and prolonged ability to live independently. Corresponding Author: To contact the corresponding author, Boya Zhang, Ph.D., email zhboya@umich.edu. To ...

Read the release

Technology28 Jun 2024

ETRI pioneers mass production of quantum dot lasers for optical communications

South Korean researchers have successfully developed technology to mass-produce quantum dot lasers, widely used in data centers and quantum communications. This breakthrough paves the way for reducing the production cost of semiconductor lasers to one-sixth of the current cost. Electronics and Telecommunications Research Institute (ETRI) announced that they have developed, for the first time in Korea, technology to mass-produce quantum dot lasers, previously only used for research, using Metal-Organic Chemical Vapor Deposition (MOCVD) systems. The ETRI Optical Communication Components Research Section has successfully developed indium arsenide/gallium ...

Read the release

Technology28 Jun 2024

Kids given ‘digital pacifiers’ to calm tantrums fail to learn how to regulate emotions, study finds

Children learn much about self-regulation – that is affective, mental, and behavioral responses to certain situations – during their first few years of life. Some of these behaviors are about children’s ability to choose a deliberate response over an automatic one. This is known as effortful control, which is learned from the environment, first and foremost through children’s relationship with their parents. In recent years, giving children digital devices to control their responses to emotions, especially if they’re negative, has ...

Read the release

Technology28 Jun 2024

Visual explanations of machine learning models to estimate charge states in quantum dots

A group of researchers has successfully demonstrated automatic charge state recognition in quantum dot devices using machine learning techniques, representing a significant step towards automating the preparation and tuning of quantum bits (qubits) for quantum information processing. Semiconductor qubits use semiconductor materials to create quantum bits. These materials are common in traditional electronics, making them integrable with conventional semiconductor technology. This compatibility is why scientists consider them strong candidates for future ...

Read the release

Technology28 Jun 2024

The future of metals research with artificial intelligence

A research team led by Professor Hyoung Seop Kim from the Graduate Institute of Ferrous & Eco Materials Technology and the Department of Materials Science and Engineering and Jeong Ah Lee, a PhD candidate, from the Department of Materials Science and Engineering, in recent collaboration with Professor Figueiredo from Universidade Federal de Minas Gerais's Department of Metallurgical and Materials Engineering in Brazil, has developed an optimal artificial intelligence model to predict the yield strength of various metals, effectively addressing traditional cost and time limitations. This research has been published in the online edition of Acta Materialia, an ...

Read the release

Technology27 Jun 2024

Is ChatGPT the key to stopping deepfakes? Study asks LLMs to spot AI-generated images

BUFFALO, N.Y. — When most people think of artificial intelligence, they’re probably thinking of — and worrying about — ChatGPT and deepfakes. AI-generated text and images dominate our social media feeds and the other websites we visit, sometimes without us knowing it, and are often used to spread unreliable and misleading information. But what if text-generating models like ChatGPT could actually spot deepfake images? A University at Buffalo-led research team has applied large language models (LLMs), including OpenAI’s ChatGPT and Google’s Gemini, toward spotting deepfakes of ...

Read the release

Technology27 Jun 2024

Scientists use computational modeling to guide a difficult chemical synthesis

CAMBRIDGE, MA — Researchers from MIT and the University of Michigan have discovered a new way to drive chemical reactions that could generate a wide variety of compounds with desirable pharmaceutical properties. These compounds, known as azetidines, are characterized by four-membered rings that include nitrogen. Azetidines have traditionally been much more difficult to synthesize than five-membered nitrogen-containing rings, which are found in many FDA-approved drugs. The reaction that the researchers used to create azetidines is driven by a photocatalyst that excites the molecules from their ground energy state. Using computational models that they developed, the researchers ...

Read the release

Technology27 Jun 2024

Printed sensors in soil could help farmers improve crop yields and save money

MADISON — University of Wisconsin–Madison engineers have developed low-cost sensors that allow for real-time, continuous monitoring of nitrate in soil types that are common in Wisconsin. These printed electrochemical sensors could enable farmers to make better informed nutrient management decisions and reap economic benefits. “Our sensors could give farmers a greater understanding of the nutrient profile of their soil and how much nitrate is available for the plants, helping them to make more precise decisions on how much fertilizer they really need,” says Joseph Andrews, an assistant professor of mechanical ...

Read the release

Technology27 Jun 2024

Application of impedance sliding mode control combined with stiffness scheduling in rehabilitation robot systems

In recent years, rehabilitation robots have become increasingly popular in the field of healthcare, able to mimic the movements of a therapist and enhance patients' mobility through carefully designed control methods. A team from the Automation College of Beijing Institute of Technology, led by Kexin Hu, Zhongjing Ma, Suli Zou, Jian Li, and Haoran Ding, in collaboration with collaborators from the University College London, has recently proposed a novel impedance sliding mode control method that combines stiffness scheduling technology, which has brought significant advancements to rehabilitation robot systems. This research has broken through the ...

Read the release

Technology27 Jun 2024

ETRI revolutionizes 6G core network signal processing

Korean researchers are strengthening South Korea’s leadership in the global market through the development of 6G, the next-generation mobile communication technology. Electronics and Telecommunications Research Institute (ETRI) announced that they showcased their latest research results at the “6G Symposium Spring 2024” held in Oulu, Finland, from April 9 to 11, drawing the attention of attendees. At this symposium, ETRI particularly showcased its “service mesh” technology. This technology is a key 6G technology that addresses complex communication issues among numerous cloud-nativemobile network functions that ...

Read the release

Technology27 Jun 2024

Light-controlled artificial maple seeds could monitor the environment even in hard-to-reach locations

Researchers from Tampere University, Finland, and the University of Pittsburgh, USA, have developed a tiny robot replicating the aerial dance of falling maple seeds. In the future, this robot could be used for real-time environmental monitoring or delivery of small samples even in inaccessible terrain such as deserts, mountains or cliffs, or the open sea. This technology could be a game changer for fields such as search-and-rescue, endangered species studies, or infrastructure monitoring. At Tampere University, Professor Hao Zeng and Doctoral Researcher Jianfeng Yang ...

Read the release

Technology26 Jun 2024

Understanding quantum states: New FAMU-FSU research shows importance of precise topography in solid neon qubits

Quantum computers have the potential to be revolutionary tools for their ability to perform calculations that would take classical computers many years to resolve. But to make an effective quantum computer, you need a reliable quantum bit, or qubit, that can exist in a simultaneous 0 or 1 state for a sufficiently long period, known as its coherence time. One promising approach is trapping a single electron on a solid neon surface, called an electron-on-solid-neon qubit. A study led by FAMU-FSU College of Engineering Professor Wei Guo that was ...

Read the release

Technology26 Jun 2024

Technology presented for measuring carbon in media, advertising and generative AI

Measuring energy consumption derived from digital activity from a scientific point of view is the challenge faced by Hiili, S.L., a company recently formed and driven by two researchers from the Universidad Carlos III de Madrid (UC3M), Ángel and Rubén Cuevas Rumín, from the Telematics Engineering Department. Specifically, they develop technological solutions that combine Internet measurement techniques and Artificial Intelligence (AI) to make an accurate estimate of the energy consumption of a company's ...

Read the release

Technology26 Jun 2024

Shocked quartz reveals evidence of historical cosmic airburst

(Santa Barbara, Calif.) — Researchers continue to expand the case for the Younger Dryas Impact hypothesis. The idea proposes that a fragmented comet smashed into the Earth’s atmosphere 12,800 years ago, causing a widespread climatic shift that, among other things, led to the abrupt reversal of the Earth’s warming trend and into an anomalous near-glacial period called the Younger Dryas. Now, UC Santa Barbara emeritus professor James Kennett and colleagues report the presence of proxies associated with the cosmic airburst ...

Read the release

Technology26 Jun 2024

AI generated exam answers go undetected in real-world blind test

Experienced exam markers may struggle to spot answers generated by Artificial Intelligence (AI), researchers have found. The study was conducted at the University of Reading, UK, where university leaders are working to identify potential risks and opportunities of AI for research, teaching, learning, and assessment, with updated advice already issued to staff and students as a result of their findings. The researchers are calling for the global education sector to follow the example of Reading, and others who are also forming new ...

Read the release

Technology26 Jun 2024

Mechanical computer relies on kirigami cubes, not electronics

North Carolina State University researchers have developed a kirigami-inspired mechanical computer that uses a complex structure of rigid, interconnected polymer cubes to store, retrieve and erase data without relying on electronic components. The system also includes a reversible feature that allows users to control when data editing is permitted and when data should be locked in place. Mechanical computers are computers that operate using mechanical components rather than electronic ones. Historically, these mechanical components have been things like levers or gears. However, mechanical computers can also be made using structures that are multistable, meaning ...

Read the release

Technology26 Jun 2024

Acting for a common goal with humanoid robots

Genova (Italy), 26 June 2024 – Researchers at the Istituto Italiano di Tecnologia (IIT-Italian Institute of Technology) have demonstrated that under specific conditions, humans can treat robots as co-authors of the results of their actions. The condition that enables this phenomenon is that a robot behaves in a human-like, social manner. Engaging in gaze contact and participating in a common emotional experience, such as watching a movie, are the key. The study was published in Science Robotics and paves the way for understanding and designing the optimal circumstances for humans and robots to collaborate in the same environment. The ...

Read the release

Technology26 Jun 2024

Argonne to support new AI for science projects as part of the National AI Research Resource Pilot

The U.S. Department of Energy’s (DOE) Argonne National Laboratory will support three innovative artificial intelligence (AI)-driven science projects as part of the first round of awards from the National Artificial Intelligence Research Resource (NAIRR) Pilot. Led by the National Science Foundation (NSF) in collaboration with DOE and several partners, the NAIRR Pilot aims to provide researchers and students with expanded access to key AI resources and data. NAIRR’s ultimate goal ...

Read the release

Technology26 Jun 2024

Solar technology: Innovative light-harvesting system works very efficiently

In order to convert sunlight into electricity or other forms of energy as efficiently as possible, the very first step is an efficient light-harvesting system. Ideally, this should be panchromatic, i.e. absorb the entire spectrum of visible light. The light-collecting antennae of plants and bacteria are a model for this. They capture a broad spectrum of light for photosynthesis, but are very complex in structure and require many different dyes to transmit the energy of the absorbed light and focus it on a central point. The light-harvesting systems developed by humans to date also have disadvantages: Although ...

Read the release

Technology26 Jun 2024

A chip-scale Titanium-sapphire laser

As lasers go, those made of Titanium-sapphire (Ti:sapphire) are considered to have “unmatched” performance. They are indispensable in many fields, including cutting-edge quantum optics, spectroscopy, and neuroscience. But that performance comes at a steep price. Ti:sapphire lasers are big, on the order of cubic feet in volume. They are expensive, costing hundreds of thousands of dollars each. And they require other high-powered lasers, themselves costing $30,000 each, to supply them with enough energy to function. As a result, Ti:sapphire lasers ...

Read the release

Technology26 Jun 2024

Balancing act: Novel wearable sensors and AI transform balance assessment

Balance can be impacted by various factors, including diseases such as Parkinson’s disease, acute and chronic injuries to the nervous system, and the natural aging process. Accurately assessing balance in patients is important to identify and manage conditions that affect coordination and stability. Balance assessments also play a key role in preventing falls, understanding movement disorders, and designing appropriate therapeutic interventions across age groups and medical conditions. However, traditional methods used to assess balance often suffer from subjectivity, are not comprehensive enough and cannot be administered remotely. Moreover, these assessments rely on expensive, ...

Read the release

Technology26 Jun 2024

Some landfill ‘burps’ contain airborne PFAS, study finds

Many municipal landfills “burp” gas from decomposing organic matter rather than letting it build up. And burps from buried waste containing per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) can release these “forever chemicals” into the air, say researchers in ACS’ Environmental Science & Technology Letters. Their study reports unexpectedly high levels of airborne PFAS at three landfills and demonstrates that vented gases and liquid by-products called leachates could transport similar amounts of these contaminants to the environment. Some consumer products and commercial waste, such as children’s clothing, cosmetics and wastewater treatment sludge solids, contain ...

Read the release

Technology26 Jun 2024

Convolutional optical neural networks herald a new era for AI imaging

Convolutional Neural Networks (CNNs), with its exceptional image recognition capabilities, have performed outstandingly in the field of AI and notably within platforms like ChatGPT. Recently, a team of Chinese researchers from University of Shanghai for Science and Technology have successfully introduced the concept of CNNs into the field of optics and realized convolutional all-optical neural network, bringing revolutionary progress to AI imaging technology. Led by Prof. Min Gu and Prof. Qiming Zhang from School of Artificial Intelligence Science and Technology (SAIST) at the University of Shanghai for Science and Technology ...

Read the release