Engineering and Technology
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Dr. Robert Arnold | A Diagnostic Breakthrough for Aerodigestive Disorders in Rural Communities
When people experience problems with swallowing, voice, breathing, or persistent coughing, the cause often lies within the aerodigestive tract – the complex system that spans the mouth, nose, throat, windpipe, and esophagus. Diagnosing these issues can be especially difficult in rural areas, where access to specialists and diagnostic tools is limited. Patients may face long delays, repeated referrals, and missed or incorrect diagnoses – resulting in avoidable suffering and even death. To address this gap, Dr. Robert Arnold of Southeastern Biocommunication Associates first developed the Comprehensive-Swallow Voice Assessment (or CSA).
The PROSPECT Mission: Uncovering the Moon’s Natural Resources
Space agencies around the world are more motivated than ever to return to the Moon. Their renewed interest is driven by scientific interest and a potential treasure trove of natural resources. Many researchers are considering how water resources on the Moon’s surface could support life-sustaining systems, or be a source of hydrogen and oxygen propellant for future missions. In recent years, scientists have accumulated a tantalising body of evidence for abundant water ice on the Moon: with data suggesting that certain regions could harbour far more than previously thought. However, questions remain over how much is really present, what form it takes, and where it originated.
Professor Ben Baker | How Computational Methods Can Distinguish Between Hip-Hop Dance Styles
Dance plays a vital role across human cultures, with communities developing different styles for artistic expression. While experts can describe differences between dance genres in words, these descriptions are only meaningful to those with relevant background knowledge. In a recent study, Professor Ben Baker and colleagues at the University of Pennsylvania developed a computational system for analyzing and classifying bodily movement using 17 features, such as how expanded a dancer’s body is, or how frequently they make sharp movements.
Minecraft Meets AI: How Virtual Agents Learn to Collaborate
A conversational agent is a type of AI system that can interact with humans using their own language. AI researchers aim to create agents that can have natural conversations with humans while also carrying out instructions in interactive virtual worlds. Not only do these worlds provide researchers with a convenient platform to specify tasks for their conversational agents – they also allow them to gather large amounts of data, and to evaluate the performance of their systems. In recent research, Chris Madge, Massimo Poesio and other members of the ARCIDUCA team at Queen Mary University of London show how conversational agents can be deployed within the virtual world of Minecraft.
Niek Lopes Cardozo – Samuel Ward | Is Parallel Development the Key to Accelerating Nuclear Fusion?
The world urgently needs to transition away from fossil fuels to combat climate change. Nuclear fusion – a different process than the well-known nuclear fission – has long been seen as a potential large-scale safe and clean energy source. Now, after decades of research around the globe, dozens of companies are racing to demonstrate different fusion reactor concepts within the next decade. A new paper by Professor Niek Lopes Cardozo and his colleague Samuel Ward at Eindhoven University of Technology analyses which innovation strategy would work best for developing fusion energy.
Dr. Thomas Tonon | A New Roadmap for Decarbonizing the US Economy
Can existing hydrogen technologies help us achieve net-zero by 2050? Through his research, Dr. Thomas Tonon provides a technical and economic analysis of a US energy economy powered by renewables, using existing hydrogen technologies. Tonon considers the 2022 energy requirements of each major sector of the US economy – including industry, transportation, commercial, and residential. Through detailed calculations, Tonon creates a complete green energy infrastructure that replaces virtually all fossil fuel and nuclear supply.
Prof. Dr. Günther Koraimann | Exploring the Hidden Impacts of Microbial Biofilms in Railway Tunnels
Biofilms are communities of microbes that grow on surfaces in moist environments, forming thick, slimy layers. These formations can even thrive underground, where they survive without sunlight and rely on chemical processes to generate energy. Such subterranean biofilms play important roles in ecological processes, but they can cause challenges when they grow within human infrastructure, such as tunnel drainage systems.
Medical devices called endografts – consisting of a stent and a graft – can be used as internal scaffolds to stabilise the weakened artery walls. However, these devices can lead to problems, which many researchers and clinicians are striving to solve.
Dr Paul Robertson | Safer Skies: Using Artificial Intelligence to Prevent Aviation Accidents
Air travel is the safest form of transportation, but human error and unexpected failures still lead to devastating accidents every year. Dr Paul Robertson of Dynamic Object Language Labs, Inc. (DOLL) is developing a new system that can help pilots detect and respond to problems before they become disasters. This AI-based technology, called Lightweight Interaction and Storytelling Archive (or LISA), continuously monitors aviation conditions and provides support to pilots.
Medical devices called endografts – consisting of a stent and a graft – can be used as internal scaffolds to stabilise the weakened artery walls. However, these devices can lead to problems, which many researchers and clinicians are striving to solve.
Streamlining Software Development with AI
In software engineering, functional size is a quantity that allows developers to measure how large or complex a program is, based on the functions it provides to its users. It is widely used to estimate the amount of work and cost required to create the software. So far, a variety of tools have been developed for estimating functional size or the software project cost based on the software size, including COCOMO, which estimates cost based on the number of lines of code in the software, and Function Point Analysis, which measures the software’s functionality. However, many of these methods need to be applied manually by developers, making them costly and time-consuming.
Dennis Lee | Propellant-Free Spacecraft: The Future of Debris Removal and Orbital Mobility
Currently, most orbital spacecraft generate thrust by ejecting propellant. The need for propellant has hampered efforts to remove debris from Earth’s orbit – a problem which has resulted in an orbit increasingly cluttered by defunct satellites and the remnants of old space missions. To prevent active satellites from colliding with debris, researchers are developing a new generation of spacecraft – Hyper Transfer Vehicles (or HTVs) – designed to remove orbital debris. These HTVs need to be agile enough to grab debris, drag it down to the Earth’s atmosphere to safely burn up, then return to the higher orbit to repeat the operation.
Professor Masanori Shimono | Using AI to Reveal the Brain’s Hidden Patterns
New research has revealed a groundbreaking method for systematically understanding the relationships between different brain regions. Masanori Shimono and his team successfully utilized AI to identify universal patterns in neuronal activity, enabling mutual generation of activity across different datasets. This research significantly contributes to the advancement of neuroscience and also holds potential in reducing the need for animal experiments.
Dr. Michelle Pantoya | Unlocking Aluminum for Faster, More Efficient Combustion
Aluminum is an extremely energy-rich metal, making it an excellent candidate for fuels, propellants, and other high-power applications. However, its full potential is often locked away beneath a stubborn protective shell, which prevents it from burning efficiently. Dr. Michelle Pantoya and her research team at Texas Tech University have found a way to transform aluminum’s surface chemistry to make it burn faster and more effectively. Their breakthrough could lead to more powerful rocket fuels, explosives, and energy systems.
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