MIT researchers have developed a new low-power chip that could make voice control practical for simple electronic devices, reports Tim Moynihan for Wired. While other speech-processing platforms use the cloud to process voice commands, “the MIT chip handles much more of that processing itself.”
Daniel Akst of The Wall Street Journal writes about the wearable device developed by CSAIL researchers that can detect the emotional tone of a conversation. The researchers “are pushing the boundaries by training a computer to take account of such a wide range of factors in making judgments about emotion,” writes Akst.
Science Friday reporter Ira Flatow and Motherboard reporter Daniel Oberhaus discuss a wearable device developed by CSAIL researchers that can detect the emotional tone of a conversation. Oberhaus explains that the researchers hope the device could one day be “applied with much finer emotional granularity, to the point where you can tell if the story was exciting or funny.”
Jonathan Amos reports for the BBC News that scientists around the world are close to obtaining the first image of a black hole. Data from multiple observatories will be compiled at MIT’s Haystack Observatory where “very smart imaging algorithms have had to be developed to make sense of the [Event Horizon Telescope]'s observations,” writes Amos.
In this episode of NOVA that explores how origami is being used in scientific innovations, Prof. Erik Demaine speaks about his work applying math to create new origami figures. “It’s mind blowing that the simple operation of folding lets you transform a boring square of paper into super complicated, crazy 3-D shapes," he explains.
BBC reporter Lorelei Mihala highlights DriveWell, an app developed by Profs. Hari Balakrishnan and Sam Madden, aimed at addressing the problem of distracted driving. “We wanted to show that smartphones could be used to make drivers better,” says Balakrishnan.
TechCrunch reporter Brian Heater writes that MIT researchers have developed a speech recognition chip that uses a fraction of the power of existing technologies. “The chip is essentially designed to be always on in a low-power mode, switching over when voice is detected, thus making it ideal for technologies like wearable devices,” Heater explains.
Dan Misener of CBC News writes that a wearable device developed by MIT researchers detects the tone of conversation by listening to the interaction and measuring the physiological responses of the user. “All of that data is fed into a neural network that's been trained to identify certain cues,” explains Misener.
CSAIL researchers have developed a wearable system that can gauge the tone of a conversation based on a person’s speech patterns and vitals with 83 percent accuracy, writes Brian Barrett for Wired. The system could be useful for people with social anxiety or Asperger’s, Barrett explains.
Appearing on WCVB-TV’s Chronicle, Provost Marty Schmidt explains why Kendall Square is a hub for innovation, highlighting how the region brings together organizations working on everything from computer science and biotech to brain and cognitive sciences. Schmidt explains that Kendall Square’s innovation ecosystem means research “coming out of MIT (can) be immediately translated to impact.”
CSAIL researchers have found that ride-sharing services could reduce the number of cars on the road by 75 percent, reports Marisa Kendall for The Mercury News. The researchers developed an algorithm that can increase service speeds by 20 percent by rerouting cars to “their most efficient routes, including automatically sending idle cars to areas of high demand.”
A new study conducted by MIT researchers shows that ride-sharing services could reduce the number of cars on the road in New York City by 75 percent, according to the BBC News. The researchers found that “a fleet of 3,000 four-passenger taxis could do the same job as the current fleet of 13,000 yellow cabs in New York City.”
A new study by MIT researchers provides evidence that if more people in New York City were willing to carpool, the city would only need 3,000 taxis, reports Hiawatha Bray for The Boston Globe. With carpooling, “we have fewer vehicles, we have less pollution and we have a better travel situation for everyone,” explains Prof. Daniela Rus.
Washington Post reporter Faiz Siddiqui writes that MIT researchers have found that 3,000 four-person cars could serve 98 percent of New York City’s taxi demand. “Fewer cars on roads means improved quality of life for everyone, it means better traffic, it means lower pollution, it’s a better transportation experience,” explains Prof. Daniela Rus.
CNN reporter Matt McFarland writes about a new MIT study that finds ridesharing would allow the number of taxi cabs in Manhattan to be reduced by 78 percent, cutting congestion and pollution in the city. The study showed that “only 3,000 four-person sedans are needed to serve 98% of ride demands in Manhattan.”