Tag: computer science
-
Two-Legged Robot Developed with Running Ability
Engineers at University of Michigan in Ann Arbor have developed a bipedal robot with the ability to run as well as walk. MABEL, as the robot is called, is funded by the National Science Foundation and Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency. MABEL was first developed in 2008 as a collaboration between Michigan’s Jessy Grizzle, a…
-
Algorithm Helps Identify Viral Strains, Mutations
Researchers in Israel and the U.S. have developed computational methods to analyze the composition of proteins that control a virus’s ability to attach to host cells and produce more virus. The unique position of amino acids in those proteins acts as a signature for the virus, and identifying that signature can help pinpoint the virus’s…
-
Ultrathin Electronic Patch Devised for Medical Applications
Engineers in the U.S., Singapore, and China have developed a technology platform that makes possible electronic medical functions such as sensing or diagnostics in an ultrathin patch worn directly on the skin. The team that developed this technology, led by John Rogers of University of Illinois in Champaign, published its findings in this week’s issue…
-
New Measure Developed of Irrigation Water Requirements
The Agricultural Research Service, an agency of the U.S. Department of Agriculture, has devised a new method for measuring the water requirements of crops, based on the yield per drop of water actually taken in by the crops. A company is now developing instruments and software to measure and manage the amounts of water absorbed…
-
Electronic Conductivity Found in Bacteria Nanowires
A team of microbiologists and physicists at University of Massachusetts in Amherst have discovered the ability of nanowires in a common microbe to transport electrons across long distances. The researchers published their findings online in the journal Nature Nanotechnology (paid subscription required). Microbiologist Derek Lovley with physicists Mark Tuominen, Nikhil Malvankar and colleagues found this…
-
System Being Developed to Watch for Airport Runway Debris
A German consortium of companies, university, and Fraunhofer institutes are developing a system with multiple technologies to monitor the presence of debris on airport runways that can make them unsafe for aircraft. A piece of metal that fell off another airplane is blamed for the crash of the supersonic Concorde jet that followed on the…
-
Univ. Research Leads to Mobile Transaction Security Advances
Research by Georgia Institute of Technology engineering faculty has led to a new layer of security on transactions by mobile phones. The work of engineering professor Steven McLaughlin is also being commercialized by Whisper Communications, a company he co-founded to take the technology to market. The ability of smart phones and other mobile devices to…
-
University Profs. Develop, Commercialize Food-Bite Counter
Two Clemson University faculty members have developed a device worn on the wrist that can help people monitor the amounts of food they consume. Psychology professor Eric Muth and engineering professor Adam Hoover have also started a company to take their patent-pending device to market. The Bite Counter, as Muth and Hoover call their device,…
-
Robot Being Developed to Aid in Care of Elderly
The Japanese research foundation RIKEN, in collaboration with Tokai Rubber Industries Ltd. in Nagoya Science Park, has developed a robot with the ability to lift and carry a patient from floor-level bedding to a wheelchair and back. The robot, with high-precision tactile sensors and motor control, was designed to meet the needs of caring…
-
Corp/Univ Project to Research Green Energy for Data Centers
Chip maker AMD says it will take part with HP, Clarkson University, and the New York State Energy Research and Development Authority (NYSERDA) in a project researching the challenge of channeling renewable energy to data centers. Because wind and solar energy are intermittent power sources, the study will also seek ways to automatically shift a…