University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign

Ultra- Precision Agriculture Uses Machine Learning, Robots

A gardener hoping for a crop of the juiciest summer tomatoes might tend to each and every plant in a plot. But a farmer working to feed the world? Researchers believe that may be possible. They're applying and integrating layers of technologies - including sensors, machine learning, artificial intelligence, high-throughput phenotyping platforms such as drones and small-scale rolling robots that can also fertilize, weed and cull single plants in a field - with the ultimate goal of replacing farmers' reliance on heavy machinery and broadcast spraying in operations of all sizes.

Mimicking Nature for Fast, Colourful 3D Printing

Brilliantly colored chameleons, butterflies, opals - and now some 3D-printed materials - reflect color by using nanoscale structures called photonic crystals. A new study that demonstrates how a modified 3D-printing process provides a versatile approach to producing multiple colors from a single ink.

Flexible and Stretchable Single Crystal Electronic Systems

Researchers have discovered that certain crystals are more flexible and stretchable compared to current materials used for electronic applications. These new materials could therefore be used for making sensors and in robotics.

Aerial Image Dataset to Help Farmers

A dataset of large-scale aerial images aims to give farmers visibility into the conditions of their fields. The dataset, called Agriculture-Vision, will enable agricultural pattern analysis of aerial images, providing farmers with actionable insights into the performance of their crops to improve decision-making and maximize yields.

Improving Electrical, Mechanical Properties of Carbon-Nanotube Fibres

Researchers recently developed a technique that can be used to build carbon-nanotube-based fibers by creating chemical crosslinks; the technique improves the electrical and mechanical properties of these materials.

Growth in Robotic Farming

EarthSense first robot—TerraSentia—improves the quantity, accuracy, cost and speed of in-field plant trait data collection, especially for under-canopy traits that cannot be obtained by other technologies.

Circuit Scribe

Circuit Scribe describe their history as follows: Circuit Scribe began during the founders PhD research at the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign. During this research, the founders developed a non-toxic conductive ink that was able to be integrated into a rollerball pen.

Finalists Announced for 2019 R&D 100 Awards

Finalists for the venerable R&D 100 Awards have been announced by R&D World magazine and its new parent company, WTWH Media, LLC.

First of a Kind In-Vitro 3D Neural Tissue Model

Researchers have successfully used stem cells to engineer living biohybrid nerve tissue to develop 3D models of neural networks with the hopes of gaining a better understanding of how the brain and these networks work.

Smartphone Diagnostics for Infectious Diseases

Infectious diseases such as Zika and Dengue remain a top contributor to death and disability across the globe, according to the World Health Organization. Diagnosing and treating these diseases, which often have similar symptoms, is especially difficult in developing countries, where access to health care and laboratories is often limited.

DNA as Tool to Build Graphene Circuits

Graphene is a groundbreaking material in the nanotechnology field, but it has characteristics that limit its potential applications. A research team is investigating ways to incorporate DNA nanotechnology as a construction tool to assemble graphene in new ways that could make the material more useful in electronic devices, among other applications.

Kirigami Inspires New Method for Wearable Sensors

As wearable sensors become more prevalent, the need for a material resistant to damage from the stress and strains of the human body's natural movement becomes ever more crucial. To that end, researchers have developed a method of adopting kirigami architectures to help materials become more strain tolerant and more adaptable to movement.

Producing electricity at estuaries using light and osmosis

Researchers are working on a technology to exploit osmotic energy - a source of power that's naturally available at estuaries, where fresh water comes into contact with seawater.

Tiny, implantable device uses light to treat bladder problems

A team of neuroscientists and engineers has developed a tiny, implantable device that has potential to help people with bladder problems bypass the need for medication or electronic stimulators.

Crop-counting robot earns top recognition

Today's crop breeders are trying to boost yields while also preparing crops to withstand severe weather and changing climates. To succeed, they must locate genes for high-yielding, hardy traits in crop plants' DNA.

Making interaction with AI systems more natural

Researchers have proposed a new supervised learning algorithm to solve a well-known problem in AI called textual grounding. .

Blood testing via sound waves may replace some tissue biopsies

Cells secrete nanoscale packets called exosomes that carry important messages from one part of the body to another. Scientists have now devised a way to intercept these messages, which could be used to diagnose problems such as cancer or fetal abnormalities.

Fizzy soda water could be key to clean manufacture of graphene

Whether you call it effervescent, fizzy, or sparkling, carbonated water is making a comeback as a beverage.

New 3D display takes the eye fatigue out of virtual reality

Although AR and VR devices are starting to hit the market, they remain mostly a novelty because eye fatigue makes them uncomfortable to use for extended periods.