Content by Adam Zewe
Device Offers Long-Distance, Low-Power Underwater CommunicationSystem could be used to aid monitoring climate and coastal change
Mon, 09/25/2023 - 12:01
(MIT: Cambridge, MA) -- MIT researchers have demonstrated the first system for ultralow-power underwater networking and communication that can transmit signals across kilometer-scale distances. This technique, which the researchers began developing…
New Method Simplifies Construction of Complex MaterialsUser-friendly interface enables researchers to quickly design unique cellular metamaterial structures
Mon, 08/21/2023 - 12:02
Engineers are constantly searching for materials with novel, desirable property combinations. For example, an ultrastrong, lightweight material could be used to make airplanes and cars more fuel-efficient, or a material that is porous and…
A Faster Way to Teach a RobotLay users can understand why it failed, then fine-tune it
Thu, 08/17/2023 - 12:02
Imagine purchasing a robot to perform household tasks. This robot was built and trained in a factory on a certain set of tasks and has never seen the items in your home. When you ask it to pick up a mug from your kitchen table, it might not…
New Tool Helps People Choose the Right Method for Evaluating AI ModelsKnowing how a model behaves helps users interpret its predictions
Tue, 06/20/2023 - 12:02
When machine-learning models are deployed in real-world situations, perhaps to flag potential disease in X-rays for a radiologist to review, human users need to know when to trust the model’s predictions. But machine-learning models are so large…
Researchers 3D-Print a Miniature Vacuum PumpKey component for portable mass spectrometers
Mon, 05/15/2023 - 12:02
Mass spectrometers are extremely precise chemical analyzers that have many applications, from evaluating the safety of drinking water to detecting toxins in a patient’s blood. But building an inexpensive, portable mass spectrometer that could be…
Robotic Hand Identifies Objects With Just One GraspThree-fingered gripper ‘feels’ along its full length—not just tips

Mon, 04/17/2023 - 12:02
Inspired by the human finger, MIT researchers have developed a robotic hand that uses high-resolution touch sensing to accurately identify an object after grasping it just one time. Many robotic hands pack all their powerful sensors into the…
A Chip for Decoding Data Transmissions Breaks Energy-Efficiency RecordsThe chip could enable lower-cost devices that perform better and use less hardware
Wed, 03/08/2023 - 12:01
Imagine using an online banking app to deposit money into your account. Like all information sent over the internet, those communications could be corrupted by noise that inserts errors into the data. To overcome this problem, senders encode data…
Efficient Technique Improves Machine-Learning Models’ ReliabilityA model that determines confidence in a prediction while using fewer data and computing resources
Mon, 03/06/2023 - 12:00
(MIT: Cambridge, MA) -- Powerful machine-learning models are being used to help people tackle tough problems, such as identifying disease in medical images or detecting road obstacles for autonomous vehicles. But machine-learning models can make…
Unpacking the ‘Black Box’ to Build Better AI ModelsUnderstanding how machine-learning models behave to apply them more broadly
Thu, 02/02/2023 - 12:02
When deep-learning models are deployed in the real world—perhaps to detect financial fraud from credit card activity or identify cancer in medical images—they are often able to outperform humans. But what exactly are these deep-learning models…
Paper-Thin Solar Cell Can Turn Any Surface Into a Power SourceResearchers develop a scalable fabrication technique to produce ultrathin, lightweight solar cells
Mon, 01/09/2023 - 12:02
Engineers at MIT have developed ultralight fabric solar cells that can quickly and easily turn any surface into a power source. These durable, flexible solar cells—thinner than a human hair—are glued to a strong, lightweight fabric, making them…