Jennifer Chu

Articles

System Integration October 31, 2023

Electronic state emerges from layered graphene sandwich

MIT researchers have discovered a type of electronic behavior that could help with packing more data into magnetic memory devices.

By Jennifer Chu
Robotics May 9, 2023

Robo-gripper reflexively organizes cluttered spaces

MIT researchers have developed a pick-and-place robot that adapts in the moment to get a better grip on objects in cluttered spaces. See video.

By Jennifer Chu
Industrial PCs February 14, 2023

Vertical, full-color microscopic LEDs developed

MIT researchers have found that stacking light-emitting diodes (LEDs) instead of placing them side by side could enable fully immersive VR displays.

By Jennifer Chu
Discrete Manufacturing February 7, 2023

Superconductivity switches on and off in magic-angle graphene

MIT physicists have found a new way to switch superconductivity on and off with magic-angle graphene by using a short electric pulse.

By Jennifer Chu
Industrial PCs January 19, 2023

Atom-thin materials grown on industrial wafers

MIT researchers have developed a technique that could allow chip manufacturers to produce next-generation transistors based on materials other than silicon.

By Jennifer Chu
wearable sensors
Process Instrumentation and Sensors August 24, 2022

Engineers fabricate a chip-free, wireless electronic skin

The chip-free device senses and wirelessly transmits signals related to pulse, sweat and ultraviolet exposure, without bulky chips or batteries.

By Jennifer Chu
System Integration July 27, 2022

Superconducting graphene structures discovered

MIT physicists have established twisted graphene as a new “family” of robust superconductors stacked at precise angles.

By Jennifer Chu
Robotics July 20, 2022

Method developed for improving autonomous robotic systems

MIT researchers have developed a general-purpose optimizer that can speed up the design of walking robots, self-driving vehicles, and other autonomous systems.

By Jennifer Chu
Courtesy: Massachusetts Institute of Technology
AI and Machine Learning June 22, 2022

Engineers build LEGO-like artificial intelligence chip

MIT researchers have developed an artificial intelligence chip that is stackable and reconfigurable, for swapping out and building on existing sensors and neural network processors.

By Jennifer Chu
Motors and Drives April 22, 2022

Heat engine with no moving parts designed

MIT researchers have design a heat engine with no moving parts, which could help enable a fully decarbonized power grid in the future.

By Jennifer Chu
Courtesy: Melanie Gonick, MIT
Discrete Manufacturing March 28, 2022

2D material electron correlation found in graphene

Researchers have found direct evidence of electron correlations in a two-dimensional material called ABC trilayer graphene.

By Jennifer Chu
Robotics August 23, 2021

Inflatable robotic hand provides real-time tactile control for amputees

Engineers at MIT and Shanghai Jiao Tong University have designed a soft, lightweight, and potentially low-cost neuroprosthetic hand that has better dexterity and could be useful for amputees and other robotic applications. See video.

By Jennifer Chu
Robotics August 11, 2021

System trains drones to fly around obstacles at high speeds

Aerospace engineers at MIT have devised an algorithm that helps drones fly around obstacles without crashing, which could help in search-and-rescue missions and other applications that use drones in time-sensitive situations. See video.

By Jennifer Chu
Discrete Manufacturing July 12, 2021

Ultralight material withstands supersonic microparticle impacts

Engineers at MIT, Caltech, and ETH Zürich find “nanoarchitected” materials designed from precisely patterned nanoscale structures could be a basis for lighter, tougher alternatives to Kevlar and steel.

By Jennifer Chu
Vision and Discrete Sensors February 23, 2021

Lens developed to focus at multiple depths without moving

MIT researchers have developed that design may enable miniature zoom lenses for drones, cellphones or night-vision goggles without moving or tilting.

By Jennifer Chu
Process Instrumentation and Sensors September 9, 2020

Velcro-like food sensor detects spoilage, contamination

A Velcro-like food sensor made from an array of silk microneedles has been developed that is designed to pierce through plastic packaging to sample food for signs of spoilage and bacterial contamination.

By Jennifer Chu
Safety August 19, 2020

How a COVID-19 testing trailer was built for a university

MIT engineers and medical staff built a 60-foot trailer for COVID-19 testing that can test up to 1,500 people a day and is now operating as the main test site for asymptomatic members of the MIT community.

By Jennifer Chu
Robotics July 18, 2020

Researchers giving robots human-like perception of their physical environments

3D Dynamic Scene Graphs gives robots spatial abilities that could enable them to work with people on the plant floor or in other dangerous environments.

By Jennifer Chu
Industrial PCs July 8, 2020

Portable system boosts laser precision for quantum computing

An MIT-designed miniature “squeezer” reduces quantum noise in lasers at room temperature, which could enable better laser precision for quantum computing and gravitational-wave detection.

By Jennifer Chu
AI and Machine Learning June 10, 2020

Engineers put thousands of artificial brain synapses on a single chip

MIT engineers have designed a brain-on-a-chip made from tens of thousands of artificial brain synapses known as memristors, which could enhance the develop of portable AI devices.

By Jennifer Chu
Industrial PCs May 13, 2020

Graphene twists could help engineer quantum computing devices

Results from MIT research could help designers engineer high-temperature superconductors and quantum computing devices.

By Jennifer Chu
Energy, Power February 6, 2020

Engineers mix and match materials to make stretchy electronics

MIT engineers have developed a process called remote epitaxy, which helps create next-generation devices that may include electronic chips worn on the human skin for better monitoring.

By Jennifer Chu
Discrete Manufacturing January 24, 2020

Carbon nanotube film produces aerospace-grade composites

MIT engineers have developed a method to produce aerospace-grade composites without the enormous ovens and pressure vessels, which can speed up the manufacturing of airplanes and other large composite structures such as wind turbine blades.

By Jennifer Chu
Robotics November 16, 2019

Robot designed to “grow” like a plant

MIT engineers have developed a robot designed to extend a chain-like appendage that can twist and turn in any necessary configuration and can then retract the appendage when a task is completed.

By Jennifer Chu
Vision and Discrete Sensors November 15, 2019

Researchers generate terahertz laser with laughing gas

Researchers from MIT, Harvard University, and the U.S. Army have built a compact device to produce a terahertz laser whose frequency they can tune over a wide range using nitrous oxide for better wireless communication.

By Jennifer Chu
Robotics November 9, 2019

Technique helps robots find the front door

MIT engineers, along with the Ford Motor Company, have developed a navigation method for robots that enables a robot to use clues in its environment to plan out a route to its destination, which can be described in general semantic terms rather than coordinates on a map.

By Jennifer Chu
Robotics October 4, 2019

Mesh-like structures morph into predetermined shapes

MIT mechanical engineers have designed 3-D-printed mesh-like structures that morph from flat layers into predetermined shapes, which could lead to developments such as adaptive robotic fins.

By Jennifer Chu
Safety June 30, 2019

Engineers 3-D print flexible mesh for medical applications

Researchers at MIT have designed 3-D printed mesh materials that could lead to personalized wearable and implantable devices for medical applications.

By Jennifer Chu
Robotics June 18, 2019

Algorithm developed to predict and inform robots where humans are headed

MIT researchers have developed an algorithm that accurately aligns partial trajectories in real-time, allowing motion predictors to accurately anticipate the timing of a person’s motion to make human-robot interaction safer.

By Jennifer Chu
Robotics January 31, 2019

Engineers program marine robots with algorithm to take calculated risks

MIT researchers have developed an algorithm that could help autonomous underwater vehicles (AUVs) explore risky marine environments, which could be beneficial for future offshore oil & gas exploration.

By Jennifer Chu
Energy, Power December 7, 2018

Renewable energy device developed for the grid using pump with record heat tolerance

MIT researchers have designed a system that provides solar- or wind-generated power on demand using a pump that can withstand extreme heat.

By Jennifer Chu