University of California

Alibaba unveils its own AI chip

Alibaba Group plans to launch its first self-developed AI inference chip, which has potential for use in autonomous driving, smart cities and smart logistics. In addition to this, the Academy will boost its R&D in AI chips for training on the cloud and for IOT applications.

Machine learning to find out which wildfires will burn out of control

An interdisciplinary team of scientists has developed a new technique for predicting the final size of a wildfire from the moment of ignition. Built around a machine learning algorithm, the model can help in forecasting whether a blaze is going to be small, medium or large by the time it has run its course -- knowledge useful to those in charge of allocating scarce firefighting resources.

Shape-shifting robots built from 'smarticles'

Building conventional robots typically requires carefully combining components like motors, batteries, actuators, body segments, legs and wheels. Now, researchers have taken a new approach, building a robot entirely from smaller robots known as "smarticles" to unlock the principles of a potentially new locomotion technique.

Device generates light from the night sky

An inexpensive thermoelectric device harnesses the cold of space without active heat input, generating electricity that powers an LED at night, researchers report.

BeBop Sensors wins US Air Force contract SIBR Award

BeBop Sensors announced today that it has won the SBIR (Small Business Innovation Research) Award from the U.S. Air Force for BeBop Sensor's new award-winning Forte Data Glove Enterprise Edition, to be deployed by the U.S. Airforce MOTAR (Maintenance Operations and Training Augmented Reality) Unit for advanced airplane VR training simulations.

Mission Barns

Mission Barns is a California-based cultured meat start-up, focusing on cultured bacon and duck products.

Reconfigurable electronics show promise for wearables, implantables

Medical implants of the future may feature reconfigurable electronic platforms that can morph in shape and size dynamically as bodies change or transform to relocate from one area to monitor another within our bodies.

First all day wireless VR/AR haptic glove

BeBop Sensors announced the new BeBop Sensors Forte Data Glove Enterprise Edition, the first all-day affordable high performance wireless VR/AR haptic glove built for business.

Deep learning identifies cancer cells in blood in milliseconds

Researchers have developed an artificial intelligence-powered device that detects cancer cells in a few milliseconds — hundreds of times faster than previous methods. With that speed, the invention could make it possible to extract cancer cells from blood immediately after they are detected, which could in turn help prevent the disease from spreading in the body.

Study identifies main culprit behind lithium metal battery failure

A research team has discovered the root cause of why lithium metal batteries fail—bits of lithium metal deposits break off from the surface of the anode during discharging and are trapped as "dead" or inactive lithium that the battery can no longer access.

Reveal Biosensors

IDTechEx was updated on the latest developments and messaging from Reveal Biosensors on their 'Energy Conversion Monitor', a wearable optical sensor which is highly responsive to physiological stress.

Robotic contact lens controlled by the eyes

A research team has developed a soft robotic lens whose movements are controlled by the eyes—blink twice and the lens zooms in and out; look left, right, up or down and the lens will follow.

Printed sensors detect what's in your sweat

Needle pricks not your thing? A team of scientists is developing wearable skin sensors that can detect what's in your sweat.

$1.5 million grant for environmentally friendly 3D printed concrete

A team of engineers has received a $1.5 million grant from the National Science Foundation to develop 3D-printed concrete that incorporates carbon dioxide, a greenhouse gas, as part of a binder.

Progress in 3D holographic tissue printing

Prellis Biologics today announced that Khosla Ventures has led an $8.7 million Series A investment in the company. The announcement comes as Prellis has reached major tissue engineering milestones in its mission to use 3D holographic printing to create 3D tissue and organs for research and transplantation.

EKO Health

IDTechEx spoke to Jason Bellet, co-founder & Chief Commercial Officer of EKO Health. It is a cardiac monitoring company which provides a means to screen for and monitor cardiac disorders using non-invasive connected devices.

Brain research decodes thoughts as words instantly

Scientists recently showed that brain activity recorded as research participants spoke could be used to create remarkably realistic synthetic versions of that speech, suggesting hope that one day such brain recordings could be used to restore voices to people who have lost the ability to speak. However, it took the researchers weeks or months to translate brain activity into speech, a far cry from the instant results that would be needed for such a technology to be clinically useful.

You can't squash this roach-inspired robot

If the sight of a skittering bug makes you squirm, you may want to look away — a new insect-sized robot can scurry across the floor at nearly the speed of a darting cockroach.

Thin, silver nanowires may hold key to flexible and safe touchscreens

An unexpected ability of cells to bend metal determines the safety of silver nanowires — highly conductive nanomaterials a thousand times thinner than a human hair that are being used in next-generation touchscreens for smartphones and consumer electronics, a team of scientists has found.

Deep learning algorithm solves Rubik's Cube faster than any human

Since its invention by a Hungarian architect in 1974, the Rubik's Cube has furrowed the brows of many who have tried to solve it, but the 3D logic puzzle is no match for an artificial intelligence system created by researchers.