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MIT researchers make a disposable smart diaper that notifies when wet

Ewdison Then | Feb 14, 2020

The idea of literal wearables, that is smart clothes, hasn't exactly appealed even to tech-savvy consumers. There are cases, however, when embedding almost undetectable sensors and chips in clothing can have a significant advantage over traditional forms of monitoring. It turns out, diapers are a prime example of that and researchers at MIT are developing a sensor that not only can be put in a diaper to alert caretakers if it's wet, it can also be disposed along with the dirty diaper.

New Pallas images reveal the asteroid looks like a giant golf ball

Brittany A. Roston | Feb 11, 2020

A study recently published in Nature Astronomy reveals images of an asteroid called Pallas -- one that, it turns out, looks like a giant golf ball. The appearance is due to a large number of craters on the asteroid's surface, one so full of pockmarks that it looks like it was aggressively damaged. The asteroid, which is named after the Greek goddess of wisdom, was discovered in the early 1800s.

MIT develops new battery electrode promised more power density

Shane McGlaun | Feb 5, 2020

A team of MIT researchers has announced that they have developed a new battery electrode that could lead to more powerful batteries. The breakthrough is based on what MIT calls the "long-sought goal" of using pure lithium metal as the anode of the battery. MIT's design comes from the lab of Ju Li and is part of a concept for developing all-solid-state batteries.

MIT smart surface boosts smartphone signal strength 1000%

Shane McGlaun | Feb 4, 2020

One of the challenges of getting more speed for wireless devices like smartphones is in devising more efficient ways of delivering wireless signals. MIT says that the trend to solve that issue has been to add antennas to the transmitter, such as the WiFi router or cell tower, or the phone or laptop. Adding more antennas is a challenge for a variety of reasons.

Watch new MIT Mini Cheetah robots flip for your amusement

Chris Burns | Nov 8, 2019

The latest from MIT's Biomimetic Robotics Lab is a demonstration of the advancements made in the Mini Cheetah. This is not to be mistaken for the non-mini Cheetah as developed by Boston Dynamics. While the Boston Dynamics Cheetah is a relatively large and exceedingly FAST robot, the MIT Mini Cheetah is best known for its backflip! And other super-impressive feats of far more affordable four-legged robot action than what B.D. is doing at the moment.

MIT researchers invent double-sided surgical tape inspired by spiders

Shane McGlaun | Nov 4, 2019

Scientists at MIT have devised a new type of surgical tape that is inspired by a sticky substance that spiders use to catch their prey. The tape that the engineers have developed is double-sided and is designed to seal tissues together rapidly. The tape has been tested in rat and pig tissue, and the researchers have shown that their new tape can tightly bind tissues such as lung and the intestines in only five seconds.

M-Blocks 2.0 revealed: Now these cube robots can collaborate

Chris Burns | Oct 30, 2019

Almost exactly six years ago, we reported on the first iteration of the self-assembling cube robots called M-Blocks. Since then, they've become exponentially more radical. Here in October of 2019, the MIT Computer Science and Artificial Intelligence Laboratory (CSAIL) revealed their newest edition of the robotic cubes they call M-Blocks 2.0. The newest edition has many upgrades, the most amazing of which is a communication system with which the blocks can communicate, and thereby collaborate.

MIT CO2 removal device works at any concentration

Shane McGlaun | Oct 28, 2019

Carbon dioxide, or CO2, is a greenhouse gas that causes pollution all around the world. Removing pollution from the air is a key area of research around the world. Engineers from MIT have announced that they have developed a new way of removing carbon dioxide from a stream of air that could be a new way to fight pollution of this sort.

New MIT algorithm helps robots rapidly pick up and sort items

Brittany A. Roston | Oct 17, 2019

Though we're not yet at the point where robots can take fully take over warehouse jobs, technology is rapidly developing toward that end goal. One big issue surrounding robots in these jobs is their ability to sort items. Unlike boxes, which are neatly stacked and easy to grasp, small unpackaged items introduce randomness into the mix, requiring a robot to do a bunch of thinking about how it will grasp the items. This takes a fair bit of time...or at least it used to.

MIT microfluidics device helps diagnose sepsis faster

Shane McGlaun | Jul 24, 2019

A new sensor designed by MIT is meant to help doctors and caregivers in hospitals to more quickly diagnose a condition that kills 250,000 people annually. The condition is sepsis, and the quicker treatment can start, the more likely those affected by sepsis can begin to get better. Sepsis is when the immune response to infection triggers an inflammation chain throughout the body leading to high heart rate, high fever, shortness of breath, and other issues.

Autonomous Roboats can latch onto each other and clean garbage

Shane McGlaun | Jun 6, 2019

Amsterdam is a city that is crisscrossed with canals and garbage in those waterways is a big problem. The canals are also underutilized for relieving congestion from nearby roadways. To combat the issue, Amsterdam has a vision of a fleet of autonomous boats that can cruise its canals to not only pick up trash but to transport goods and people. MIT researchers are working to make Amsterdam's vision come true.

MIT robot helps you lift by watching your arm muscles

Shane McGlaun | May 23, 2019

People instinctively know how to work together when it comes time to lift something that takes two people. People coordinate their motions and work to be sure that each side of whatever is being carried is at the same height. While tasks like that are natural for a human, for robots, it's not natural at all.