systems

Researchers from the University of Southern California (USC) Department of Computer Science and NVIDIA have unveiled a new simulator for robotic cutting that can accurately reproduce the forces acting on a knife as it slices through common foodstuffs, such as fruit and vegetables. The system could also simulate cutting through human tissue, offering potential applications in … [Read more...] about New simulator helps robots sharpen their cutting skills

When can we say that a certain property of a system is robust? Intuitively, robustness implies that, even under the effect of external perturbations on the system, no matter how strong or random, said property remains unchanged. In mathematics, properties of an object that are robust against deformations are called topological. For example, the letters s, S, and L can be … [Read more...] about Topology in biology

Exoskeletons -- wearable devices used by workers on assembly lines or in warehouses to alleviate stress on their lower backs -- may compete with valuable resources in the brain while people work, canceling out the physical benefits of wearing them, a new study suggests. The study, published recently in the journal Applied Ergonomics, found that when people wore exoskeletons … [Read more...] about Exoskeletons have a problem: They can strain the brain: The devices can be ‘like bad dance partners,’ new study suggests

This week, at the 38th International Conference on Machine Learning (ICML 21), researchers at the NYU Center for Cyber Security at the NYU Tandon School of Engineering are revealing new insights into the basic functions that drive the ability of neural networks to make inferences on encrypted data. In the paper, "DeepReDuce: ReLU Reduction for Fast Private Inference," the team … [Read more...] about Team streamlines neural networks to be more adept at computing on encrypted data

An innovative testing platform that more closely mimics what cancer encounters in the body may allow for more precise, personalized therapies by enabling the rapid study of multiple therapeutic combinations against tumor cells. The platform, which uses a three-dimensional environment to more closely mirror a tumor microenvironment, is demonstrated in research published in … [Read more...] about Personalized immunotherapy: Rapid screening of therapeutic combinations

Nuclear fusion offers the potential for a safe, clean and abundant energy source. This process, which also occurs in the sun, involves plasmas, fluids composed of charged particles, being heated to extremely high temperatures so that the atoms fuse together, releasing abundant energy. One challenge to performing this reaction on Earth is the dynamic nature of plasmas, which … [Read more...] about Gaming graphics card allows faster, more precise control of fusion energy experiments

For much of human history, animals and plants were perceived to follow a different set of rules than the rest of the universe. In the 18th and 19th centuries, this culminated in a belief that living organisms were infused by a non-physical energy or "life force" that allowed them to perform remarkable transformations that couldn't be explained by conventional chemistry or … [Read more...] about Researchers develop tool to drastically speed up the study of enzymes

The touchscreen technology used in billions of smartphones and tablets could also be used as a powerful sensor, without the need for any modifications. Researchers from the University of Cambridge have demonstrated how a typical touchscreen could be used to identify common ionic contaminants in soil or drinking water by dropping liquid samples on the screen, the first time this … [Read more...] about Smartphone screens effective sensors for soil or water contamination

It's not exactly X-ray vision, but it's close. In research published in the journal Optica, University of California, Irvine researchers describe a new type of camera technology that, when aimed at an object, can rapidly retrieve 3D images, displaying its chemical content down to the micrometer scale. The new tech promises to help companies inspect things like the insides of … [Read more...] about Scientists make X-ray vision-like camera to rapidly retrieve 3D images: Tech can visualize various materials, structures with detailed chemical information