Communication & Information

  • Smart sensor patch detects health symptoms through edge computing
    on October 30, 2024 at 7:03 pm

    Edge computing on a smartphone has been used to analyze data collected by a multimodal flexible wearable sensor patch and detect arrhythmia, coughs and falls.

  • A rudimentary quantum network link between Dutch cities
    on October 30, 2024 at 6:56 pm

    Researchers have demonstrated a network connection between quantum processors over metropolitan distances. Their result marks a key advance from early research networks in the lab towards a future quantum internet. The team developed fully independently operating nodes and integrated these with deployed optical internet fiber, enabling a 25-km quantum link.

  • A faster, better way to train general-purpose robots
    on October 28, 2024 at 8:45 pm

    Inspired by large language models, researchers developed a training technique that pools diverse data to teach robots new skills.

  • Age assurance online needs to be child-rights respecting, new study says
    on October 28, 2024 at 8:44 pm

    A range of different age checks are needed to protect children -- but also to ensure they can take advantages of positive opportunities online -- a new study says.

  • Major development successes in diamond spin photon quantum computers
    on October 28, 2024 at 5:23 pm

    Lower cooling requirements, longer operating times, lower error rates: Quantum computers based on spin photons and diamond promise significant advantages over competing quantum computing technologies. The consortium of the BMBF project SPINNING coordinated by Fraunhofer IAF has succeeded in decisively advancing the development of spin-photon-based quantum computers.

  • Towards implementing neural networks on edge IoT devices
    on October 28, 2024 at 5:17 pm

    Researchers have developed a new binarized neural network (BNN) scheme using ternary gradients to address the computational challenges of IoT edge devices. They introduced a magnetic RAM-based computing-in-memory architecture, significantly reducing circuit size and power consumption. Their design achieved near-identical accuracy and faster training times compared to traditional BNNs, making it a promising solution for efficient AI implementation in resource-limited devices, such as those used in IoT systems.

  • From accessibility upgrades to a custom cat-food bowl, this mobile 3D printer can autonomously add features to a room
    on October 24, 2024 at 5:21 pm

    Researchers created MobiPrint, a mobile 3D printer that can automatically measure a room and print objects onto the floor. The team's graphic interface lets users design objects in a space that the robot has mapped out. The prototype, which the team built on a modified consumer vacuum robot, can add a range of objects to rooms.

  • Listening skills bring human-like touch to robots
    on October 23, 2024 at 5:15 pm

    Researchers give robots a sense of touch by 'listening' to vibrations, allowing them to identify materials, understand shapes and recognize objects just like human hands. The ability to interpret the world through acoustic vibrations emanating from an object -- like shaking a cup to see how much soda is left or tapping on a desk to see if it's made out of real wood -- is something humans do without thinking. And it's an ability that researchers are on the cusp of bringing to robots to augment their rapidly growing set of sensing abilities.

  • Making it easier to verify an AI model's responses
    on October 22, 2024 at 5:32 pm

    A new system helps human fact-checkers validate the responses generated by a large language model. By speeding validation time by 20 percent, the system could improve manual verification and help users spot errors in AI models deployed in real-world situations.

  • People hate stories they think were written by AI: Even if they were written by people
    on October 21, 2024 at 9:03 pm

    AI-written stories are getting better, but people still distrust AI-generated art.

  • Professor tackles graph mining challenges with new algorithm
    on October 18, 2024 at 8:25 pm

    A professor has helped create a powerful new algorithm that uncovers hidden patterns in complex networks, with potential uses in fraud detection, biology and knowledge discovery.

  • Tool helps analyze pilot performance and mental workload in augmented reality
    on October 17, 2024 at 5:23 pm

    Researchers developed HuBar, a visual analytics tool that summarizes and compares task performance sessions in augmented reality (AR) by analyzing performer behavior and cognitive workload. Using aviation as a case study, the research team demonstrated that HuBar provides insights into pilot behavior and mental states, helping researchers and trainers identify patterns, pinpoint areas of difficulty, and optimize AR-assisted training programs to improve learning outcomes and real-world performance.

  • Deep learning illuminates atmospheric blocking events of past, future
    on October 17, 2024 at 3:35 pm

    Atmospheric blocking events are persistent, high-impact weather patterns that occur when large-scale high-pressure systems become stationary and divert the jet stream and storm tracks for days to weeks, and can be associated with record-breaking flooding or heat waves, such as in Europe in 2023. Scientists used a deep learning model to infer the frequency of blocking events over the past 1,000 years and shed light on how future climate change may impact these significant phenomena.

  • Controlling prosthetic hands more precisely by the power of thought
    on October 17, 2024 at 3:27 pm

    Researchers have developed a novel training protocol for brain-computer interfaces in a study with rhesus monkeys. The method enables precise control of prosthetic hands using signals from the brain alone. Researchers were able to show that the neural signals that control the different hand postures in the brain are primarily important for this control, and not, as previously assumed, signals that control the movement's velocity. The results are essential for improving the fine control of neural hand prostheses, which could give paralyzed patients back some or all of their mobility (Neuron).

  • Quantum research breakthrough uses synthetic dimensions to efficiently process quantum information
    on October 17, 2024 at 3:23 pm

    A new study opens the door to cutting-edge solutions that could contribute to the realization of a system capable of processing quantum information in a simple yet powerful way. The work presents a method for manipulating the photonic states of light in a never-before-seen way, offering greater control over the evolution of photon propagation. This control makes it possible to improve the detection and number of photon coincidences, as well as the efficiency of the system.

  • Engineers set new record on how fast data can be sent wirelessly
    on October 16, 2024 at 4:05 pm

    A new world record in wireless transmission, promising faster and more reliable wireless communications, has been set by researchers. The total bandwidth of 145GHz is more than five times higher than the previous wireless transmission world record.

  • New app performs real-time, full-body motion capture with a smartphone
    on October 15, 2024 at 10:35 pm

    Engineers have developed a new system for full-body motion capture -- and it doesn't require specialized rooms, expensive equipment, bulky cameras or an array of sensors. Instead, it requires only a smartphone, smartwatch or earbuds.

  • Researchers develop system cat's eye-inspired vision for autonomous robotics
    on October 15, 2024 at 6:13 pm

    Researchers have unveiled a vision system inspired by feline eyes to enhance object detection in various lighting conditions. Featuring a unique shape and reflective surface, the system reduces glare in bright environments and boosts sensitivity in low-light scenarios. By filtering unnecessary details, this technology significantly improves the performance of single-lens cameras, representing a notable advancement in robotic vision capabilities.

  • Simulation mimics how the brain grows neurons, paving the way for future disease treatments
    on October 10, 2024 at 4:48 pm

    A new computer simulation of how our brains develop and grow neurons has been built. Along with improving our understanding of how the brain works, researchers hope that the models will contribute to neurodegenerative disease research and, someday, stem cell research that helps regenerate brain tissue.

  • New apps will enable safer indoor navigation for visually impaired
    on October 8, 2024 at 2:38 pm

    Two new apps will enable blind people to navigate indoor buildings with spoken directions from a smartphone app, providing a safe method of wayfinding where GPS doesn't work.

  • AI and quantum mechanics team up to accelerate drug discovery
    on October 7, 2024 at 5:40 pm

    SMU have created SmartCADD. This open-source virtual tool combines artificial intelligence, quantum mechanics and Computer Assisted Drug Design (CADD) techniques to speed up the screening of chemical compounds, significantly reducing drug discovery timelines.

  • Quantum researchers come up with a recipe that could accelerate drug development
    on October 3, 2024 at 4:34 pm

    Mathematicians have developed a recipe for upgrading quantum computers to simulate complex quantum systems, such as molecules. Their discovery brings us closer to being able to predict how new drugs will behave within our bodies and has the potential to revolutionize pharmaceutical development.

  • Logic with light: Introducing diffraction casting, optical-based parallel computing
    on October 3, 2024 at 4:34 pm

    Increasingly complex applications such as artificial intelligence require ever more powerful and power-hungry computers to run. Optical computing is a proposed solution to increase speed and power efficiency but has yet to be realized due to constraints and drawbacks. A new design architecture, called diffraction casting, seeks to address these shortcomings. It introduces some concepts to the field of optical computing that might make it more appealing for implementation in next-generation computing devices.

  • Strong coupling between Andreev qubits mediated by a microwave resonator
    on October 3, 2024 at 4:32 pm

    Physicists have succeeded in coupling two Andreev qubits coherently over a macroscopic distance for the first time. They achieved this with the help of microwave photons generated in a narrow superconducting resonator. The results lay the foundation for the use of coupled Andreev qubits in quantum communication and quantum computing.

  • Higher-order interactions can remodel the landscape of complex systems
    on October 2, 2024 at 7:40 pm

    Scientists report on how higher-order interactions can reshape a system at large -- even global -- scales.

  • New security protocol shields data from attackers during cloud-based computation
    on October 1, 2024 at 6:26 pm

    Researchers developed a technique guaranteeing that data remain secure during multiparty, cloud-based computation. This method, which leverages the quantum properties of light, could enable organizations like hospitals or financial companies to use deep learning to securely analyze confidential patient or customer data.

  • Helping robots zero in on the objects that matter
    on September 30, 2024 at 8:02 pm

    Engineers developed a system that helps robots quickly map a scene and identify items they need to complete a set of tasks.

  • Sharing biosignals with online gaming partners to enhance a mutual sense of social presence between complete strangers
    on September 27, 2024 at 9:34 pm

    Although interactive online platforms, including esports platforms, aim to foster close connections between people, they often fall short of supporting the creation of bonds between the interaction partners. Researchers have discovered that sharing biological signals (biosignals), such as heart rate data, while playing online games can enhance the sense of cooperative play, even among complete strangers.

  • Shrinking AR displays into eyeglasses to expand their use
    on September 25, 2024 at 4:29 pm

    Augmented reality (AR) takes digital images and superimposes them onto real-world views. But AR is more than a new way to play video games; it could transform surgery and self-driving cars. To make the technology easier to integrate into common personal devices, researchers report how to combine two optical technologies into a single, high-resolution AR display. In an eyeglasses prototype, the researchers enhanced image quality with a computer algorithm that removed distortions.

  • Language agents help large language models 'think' better and cheaper
    on September 24, 2024 at 8:57 pm

    Researchers have devised an agent to help large language models 'think.'

  • New data science tool greatly speeds up molecular analysis of our environment
    on September 20, 2024 at 8:08 pm

    A research team has developed a computational workflow for analyzing large data sets in the field of metabolomics, the study of small molecules found within cells, biofluids, tissues, and entire ecosystems.

  • How can we make the best possible use of large language models for a smarter and more inclusive society?
    on September 20, 2024 at 3:24 pm

    Large language models (LLMs) have developed rapidly in recent years and are becoming an integral part of our everyday lives through applications like ChatGPT. An article explains the opportunities and risks that arise from the use of LLMs for our ability to collectively deliberate, make decisions, and solve problems.

  • Could your phone detect hepatic encephalopathy by listening to you read?
    on September 18, 2024 at 4:50 pm

    Research lays the groundwork for an app that may one day be able to listen to the patient read a paragraph and detect hepatic encephalopathy from their speech.

  • Autonomous vehicles could understand their passengers better with ChatGPT
    on September 16, 2024 at 7:35 pm

    Imagine simply telling your vehicle, 'I'm in a hurry,' and it automatically takes you on the most efficient route to where you need to be. Engineers found that an autonomous vehicle (AV) can do this with the help of ChatGPT or other chatbots made possible by artificial intelligence algorithms called large language models.

  • Energy transmission in quantum field theory requires information
    on September 13, 2024 at 2:53 pm

    An international team of researchers has found a simple relationship between the rates of energy and information transmission across an interface connecting two quantum field theories.

  • Simple shift could make low Earth orbit satellites high capacity
    on September 13, 2024 at 2:53 pm

    Researchers have invented a technique that enables low Earth orbit satellite antennas to manage signals for multiple users at once, slashing costs and simplifying designs for communication satellites.

  • New discovery aims to improve the design of microelectronic devices
    on September 13, 2024 at 2:52 pm

    A new study is providing new insights into how next-generation electronics, including memory components in computers, breakdown or degrade over time.

  • Tailored microbe communities
    on September 12, 2024 at 5:57 pm

    How can computer models help design microbial communities? Researchers examined the development perspectives of so-called synthetic biology. In a new article, they explain why computer-aided biology has an important role to play.

  • Researchers discover building blocks that could 'revolutionize computing'
    on September 12, 2024 at 5:56 pm

    A research team has made a major discovery by designing molecules that could revolutionize computing.

  • New AI can ID brain patterns related to specific behavior
    on September 9, 2024 at 9:52 pm

    Scientists have developed a new AI algorithm that can separate brain patterns related to a particular behavior. This work promises to improve brain-computer interfaces and aid with the discovery of new brain patterns.

  • Major leap for nuclear clock paves way for ultraprecise timekeeping
    on September 4, 2024 at 5:08 pm

    Nuclear clocks would measure time based on changes inside an atom's nucleus, which would make them less sensitive to external disturbances and potentially more accurate than atomic clocks. These clocks could lead to improved timekeeping and navigation, faster internet speeds, and advances in fundamental physics research. Scientists have demonstrated key components of a nuclear clock, such as precise frequency measurements of an energy jump in a thorium-229 nucleus.

  • A sensory pen which can read Braille could improve literacy amongst the visually impaired
    on September 3, 2024 at 11:44 pm

    A pen which can transform Braille into English text has been developed.

  • New tool detects fake, AI-produced scientific articles
    on September 3, 2024 at 8:28 pm

    A team has created a machine-learning algorithm that can detect up to 94% of bogus academic papers -- nearly twice as successfully as more common data-mining techniques.

  • Silicon chip propels 6G communications forward
    on August 29, 2024 at 10:43 pm

    A team of scientists has unlocked the potential of 6G communications with a new polarization multiplexer. This allows multiple data streams to be transmitted simultaneously over the same frequency band, effectively doubling data capacity.

  • Unconventional interface superconductor could benefit quantum computing
    on August 23, 2024 at 6:47 pm

    A multi-institutional team of scientists has developed a new superconductor material that could potentially be used in quantum computing and be a candidate 'topological superconductor.'

  • Toward a code-breaking quantum computer
    on August 23, 2024 at 4:00 pm

    Building on a landmark algorithm, researchers propose a way to make a smaller and more noise-tolerant quantum factoring circuit for cryptography.

  • AI tackles one of the most difficult challenges in quantum chemistry
    on August 22, 2024 at 6:26 pm

    New research using neural networks, a form of brain-inspired AI, proposes a solution to the tough challenge of modelling the states of molecules.

  • Let me take a look: AI could boost diagnostic imaging results
    on August 22, 2024 at 5:00 pm

    Researchers compared the diagnostic accuracy of ChatGPT and radiologists in radiological imaging with 106 musculoskeletal radiology cases. The results showed that the diagnostic accuracy of the ChatGPT is comparable to that of radiology residents, but not to that of board-certified radiologists.

  • Self-improving AI method increases 3D-printing efficiency
    on August 22, 2024 at 4:59 pm

    An artificial intelligence algorithm can allow researchers to more efficiently use 3D printing to manufacture intricate structures. The development could allow for more seamless use of 3D printing for complex designs in everything from artificial organs to flexible electronics and wearable biosensors. As part of the study, the algorithm learned to identify, and then print, the best versions of kidney and prostate organ models, printing out 60 continually improving versions.

  • Beetle that pushes dung with the help of 100 billion stars unlocks the key to better navigation systems in drones and satellites
    on August 21, 2024 at 4:43 pm

    An insect species that evolved 130 million years ago is the inspiration for a new research study to improve navigation systems in drones, robots, and orbiting satellites.

  • Adaptive 3D printing system to pick and place bugs and other organisms
    on August 20, 2024 at 4:44 pm

    A new adaptive 3D printing system can identify the positions of randomly distributed organisms and safely move them to specific locations for assembly.

  • Scientists harness quantum microprocessor chips for revolutionary molecular spectroscopy simulation
    on August 20, 2024 at 4:44 pm

    Engineering researchers have successfully developed a quantum microprocessor chip for molecular spectroscopy simulation of actual large-structured and complex molecules.

  • Robot planning tool accounts for human carelessness
    on August 15, 2024 at 4:41 pm

    A new algorithm may make robots safer by making them more aware of human inattentiveness. In computerized simulations of packaging and assembly lines where humans and robots work together, the algorithm developed to account for human carelessness improved safety by about a maximum of 80% and efficiency by about a maximum of 38% compared to existing methods.

  • New brain-computer interface allows man with ALS to 'speak' again
    on August 14, 2024 at 9:01 pm

    A new brain-computer interface translates brain signals into speech with up to 97 percent accuracy. Researchers implanted sensors in the brain of a man with severely impaired speech due to amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS). The man was able to communicate his intended speech within minutes of activating the system.

  • How air-powered computers can prevent blood clots
    on August 14, 2024 at 4:45 pm

    A new, air-powered computer sets off alarms when certain medical devices fail. The invention is a more reliable and lower-cost way to help prevent blood clots and strokes -- all without electronic sensors.

  • In subdivided communities cooperative norms evolve more easily
    on August 14, 2024 at 4:45 pm

    Researchers simulated social norms with a supercomputer. Their findings contribute to a deeper understanding of the evolution of social norms and their role in fostering cooperative behavior.

  • New method for orchestrating successful collaboration among robots
    on August 12, 2024 at 8:54 pm

    New research shows that programming robots to create their own teams and voluntarily wait for their teammates results in faster task completion, with the potential to improve manufacturing, agriculture and warehouse automation.

  • Redefining the computer whiz: Research shows diverse skills valued by youth
    on August 12, 2024 at 3:33 am

    Researchers have uncovered a more nuanced view of what makes an 'ideal' computer science student, challenging long-held stereotypes of geeky, clever, detail-oriented men, who lack social skills.

  • From doom-scrolling to mindfulness
    on August 12, 2024 at 3:33 am

    Researchers have created Mindful Scroll, a mobile app that helps users transition from doom-scrolling to adding mindfulness into their daily routines.

  • Artificial compound eye to revolutionize robotic vision at lower cost but higher sensitivity
    on August 8, 2024 at 3:52 pm

    A research team has recently developed a novel artificial compound eye system that is not only more cost-effective, but demonstrates a sensitivity at least twice that of existing market products in small areas. The system promises to revolutionize robotic vision, enhance robots' abilities in navigation, perception and decision-making, while promoting commercial application and further development in human-robot collaboration.

Sarah Ibrahim