Most recent advances in artificial-intelligence systems such as speech- or face-recognition programs have come courtesy of neural networks, densely interconnected meshes of simple information processors that learn to perform tasks by analyzing huge sets of training data. But neural nets are large, and their computations are energy intensive, so they’re not very practical for handheld […]
System Draws Power From Daily Temperature Swings
Thermoelectric devices, which can generate power when one side of the device is a different temperature from the other, have been the subject of much research in recent years. Now, a team at MIT has come up with a novel way to convert temperature fluctuations into electrical power. Instead of requiring two different temperature inputs […]
Programming Drones to Fly in the Face of Uncertainty
Companies like Amazon have big ideas for drones that can deliver packages right to your door. But, even putting aside the policy issues, programming drones to fly through cluttered spaces like cities is difficult. Being able to avoid obstacles while traveling at high speeds is computationally complex, especially for small drones that are limited in […]
Changing The Color Of 3-D Printed Objects
3-D printing has come a long way since the first “rapid prototyping” patent was rejected in 1980. We’ve evolved from basic designs to a wide range of highly-customizable objects. Still, there’s a big issue: once objects are printed, they’re final. If you need a change, you’ll need a reprint. But imagine if that weren’t the […]
Drastic Phase Changes In Topologically Engineered Planar Absorbers Improve Sensitivity Of Optical Sensors
Non-invasive optical temperature sensing is essential for remote monitoring of fabrication processes, in situations where the sample needs to be insulated from the environment, at extreme or rapidly changing temperatures, and in the presence of strong and varying magnetic fields. Optical temperature sensors measure frequency shifts of optical resonances and often require long optical paths […]
New Depth Sensors Could Make Self-Driving Cars Practical
For the past 10 years, the Camera Culture group at MIT’s Media Lab has been developing innovative imaging systems — from a camera that can see around corners to one that can read text in closed books — by using “time of flight,” an approach that gauges distance by measuring the time it takes light […]
New Power Devices Could Drastically Reduce Energy Waste
Power electronics, which do things like modify voltages or convert between direct and alternating current, are everywhere. They’re in the power bricks we use to charge our portable devices; they’re in the battery packs of electric cars; and they’re in the power grid itself, where they mediate between high-voltage transmission lines and the lower voltages […]
Turning Emissions Into Fuel
MIT researchers have developed a new system that could potentially be used for converting power plant emissions of carbon dioxide into useful fuels for cars, trucks, and planes, as well as into chemical feedstocks for a wide variety of products. The new membrane-based system was developed by MIT postdoc Xiao-Yu Wu and Ahmed Ghoniem, the […]
A New Way to Store Thermal Energy
In large parts of the developing world, people have abundant heat from the sun during the day, but most cooking takes place later in the evening when the sun is down, using fuel — such as wood, brush or dung — that is collected with significant time and effort. Now, a new chemical composite developed […]
Study Helps Make Microgrids a More Reliable Power Source
Today, more than 1.3 billion people are living without regular access to power, including more than 300 million in India and 600 million in sub-Saharan Africa. In these and other developing countries, access to a main power grid, particularly in rural regions, is remote and often unreliable. Increasingly, many rural and some urban communities are […]