Kate Baggaley writes for NBC News that movement tracking technology developed by MIT researchers can be helpful for monitoring the elderly or sick. The system could be used to monitor an elderly relative and, “receive an instant alert if he or she falls,” or a doctor could use it to monitor the progression of a patient’s disease, explains Baggaley.
In an episode of BBC Click, host Spencer Kelly visits CSAIL to learn about developments in robotics and deep learning algorithms. Kelly notes that CSAIL is, “at the forefront of robotics, building machines in shapes and sizes that challenge our very idea of what a robot is.”
This CNN video profiles the new Cheetah 3 robot, which can avoid obstacles and climb stairs without using external visual sensors. CNN notes that the cheetah, “relies on ‘feel’ in place of cameras or sensors, using ‘blind locomotion.’”
ABC News reporter Bopha Phorn writes about the latest iteration of a robotic cheetah developed by MIT researchers. Phorn explains that the researchers hope the cheetah will eventually be able to, “help some work that’s impossible for humans to do,” like search and rescue operations.
In this video, Reuters reporter Roselle Chen spotlights the Cheetah 3 robot, which utilizes two algorithms to run across rough terrain and maintain its balance without using cameras or sensors. Chen explains that the robot being able to navigate without cameras or sensors is like a human being able to walk around while its pitch black out.
MIT researchers have unveiled the latest iteration of their robotic cheetah that can navigate without the use of cameras or sensors and could be used for disaster response, reports Jordan Graham for The Boston Herald. “We’re mostly thinking about sending robots instead of humans where potential hazards like toxicity or radiation or dangers can be,” explains Prof. Sangbae Kim.
Writing for Popular Mechanics, Eric Limer highlights how the updated Cheetah 3 robot can navigate by feeling its way around its environment and can leap up onto tables. Limer explains that the robotic cheetah is, “able to rear back on its hind legs, leap into the air, and make a solid landing on a platform much taller than it is.”
TechCrunch reporter Brian Heater writes that Prof. Sangbae Kim and his research group robotic cheetah can now run up the stairs and walk over debris without the use of cameras or sensors. Heater explains that the robot, “utilizes a pair of new algorithms — contact detection and model-predictive control — which help it recover its balance in the case of slippage.”
CSAIL researchers have created a deep learning system that can isolate individual musical instruments in a video by clicking on the specific instrument, writes Andrew Liszewski for Gizmodo. The researchers suggest the system, “could be a vital tool when it comes to remixing and remastering older performances where the original recordings no longer exist,” explains Liszewski.
Verge reporter Rachel Becker writes that MIT researchers have developed a robotic cheetah that can run up the stairs and navigate without the use of cameras. Becker explains that the Cheetah 3 robot navigates its environment by touch, which could allow it to, “venture where humans can’t — like deep inside power plants for inspections.”
Forbes contributor Frederick Daso writes about a new MIT startup called Alba that is aimed at helping families in Latin America find qualified caregivers for children and the elderly. Daso explains that leveraging the “social networks of both the family and the prospective babysitter allows Alba to provide a babysitter for any parent.”
This BBC Click segment highlights the artificial intelligence system developed by CSAIL researchers that can monitor people’s movements through walls. Prof. Dina Katabi explains that the device helps preserve the privacy of those being monitored by separating and encrypting, “any identifiable information from the measurement.”
Fast Company reporter Steven Melendez writes that CSAIL researchers have created a new system that allows a robot to detect human brainwave patterns so it knows when it made a mistake. Melendez explains that, “Teaching robots to understand human nonverbal cues and signals could make them safer and more efficient at working with people.”
MIT researchers have developed a system that “lets a person control a robotic arm with brainwaves and subtle hand gestures,” reports Jesus Diaz for Co.Design. According to Prof. Daniela Rus, the goal is “to develop robotic systems that are a more natural and intuitive extension of us.”
Engadget reporter Jon Fingas writes that MIT researchers have developed a tiny computer chip small enough to fit on a honeybee-sized drone that can help the drone navigate. The technology could eventually be applied to, “smart pills that navigate to where they're needed, or virtually any vehicle that may need to last for a very long time on one battery charge.”