A new face mask prototype introduces a tantalizing alternative to the coveted N95 face mask, offering a reusable version made from silicone rubber that has the same level of effectiveness. The project comes from researchers with MIT and Brigham and Women's Hospital who explain that this mask can be made using the injection molding systems that are already available in a number of factories.
MIT created a surgical adhesive last year that was able to quickly and firmly stick to wet surfaces like biological tissues. The double-sided adhesive tape was shown to be usable to seal rips and tears in lungs and intestines in seconds. MIT scientists have further developed that adhesive so that it can detach from the underlying tissue without causing any damage.
Researchers at MIT have discovered an unexpected type of material exhibiting an exotic physical phenomena known as a Kohn anomaly. Researchers at MIT and elsewhere believe that the finding could provide new insights into certain fundamental processes that help determine why metals and other materials displayed complex electronic properties underlining technology today. The team says the way electrons interact with phonons, which are vibrations passing through her crystalline material, determines the physical process that takes place inside many electronic devices.
We have made quite a lot of progress in artificial intelligence in the past years, partly thanks to the rising popularity of consumer products powered by machine learning and neural networks. We are still, however, far from the dream or nightmare of sentient androids because AI as we know it is heavily dependent on software that must run on powerful hardware the size of large cabinets. MIT engineers, however, have come upon a new design that could make artificial brains fit in more portable devices or, in the future, structures the size of human heads.
Researchers at MIT have developed a new way of making large sheets of high-quality, atomically thin graphene. Researchers believe that the new manufacturing method could lead to ultra-lightweight, flexible solar cells, and two new classes of light-emitting devices and other thin-film electronics. The process is reportedly relatively easy to scale up for industrial production.
Most people who live in a part of the world with icy winter conditions know the risks that slippery ice raises. Falls are a very common form of injury in icy winter weather, but MIT has a new coating that can be applied to shoes that could improve traction on slick surfaces. The coating was inspired by the Japanese art of paper cutting and is designed to boost friction and could give shoes a stronger grip on ice and other slippery surfaces.
The ocean is vast, and it can be difficult to find missing objects and people in it. To help search and rescue missions, MIT has developed a new algorithm that helps to identify hidden "traps" in ocean waters. Researchers say that the method could help quickly identify regions where objects and missing people may have converged.
Sara Seager, the Class of 1941 Professor of Planetary Science, Physics, and Aeronautics and Astronautics at MIT, wants to avoid a situation where humans might encounter alien organisms but fail to recognize it as actual life. Seager wants to cast a wider net when looking for environments beyond our own that might be habitable. Seager and fellow researchers recently published a paper noting observations and laboratory studies that show microbes can survive and thrive in atmospheres that are dominated by hydrogen.
Researchers at MIT have created a new system that they think brings us closer to seamless human-robot collaboration. The system is called "Conduct-A-Bot." It uses human muscle signals from wearable sensors to pilot a drone, controlling its movements.
Researchers at MIT have developed a way to integrate electronic sensors into stretchy fabrics. The breakthrough allows them to create shirts or other garments that could be used to monitor vital signs like temperature, respiratory rate, and heart rate. The sensor-laden garments are machine washable and can be customized to fit close to the body of the person wearing them.
MIT engineers have developed a new model that taps a neural network to evaluate different quarantine efforts and predict their effect on the spread of the novel coronavirus. The model is based on actual data from the ongoing pandemic, which has spurred various levels of lockdowns in states and countries around the world. Based on the data, quarantine efforts should continue to 'flatten the curve.'
A team from the MIT Computer Science and Artificial Intelligence Laboratory has developed a new device that's able to monitor COVID-19 remotely. The device has the potential to allow remote monitoring, making taking care of infectious patients safer for medical staff. The device the researchers created can remotely monitor a patient's breathing, movement, and sleep pattern using wireless signals.