TryEngineering Today

Preschoolers Helping Improve Artificial Intelligence

E.Kurzawa — Mon, 14 May 2012 14:47:14 +0000

A team of computer scientists and psychologists at the University of California, Berkeley is studying how young children learn to help make computers smarter. The researchers want to know why despite having less memory and processing resources than computers, young children are able to read feelings, learn languages quickly, and solve complex problems. Although computer programs are good at solving straightforward tasks, one of the greatest challenges in artificial intelligence is enabling computer programs to solve problems that involve ambiguous information. The researchers are studying the relationship between a model applied in computer science known as a Bayesian network, or a mathematical web of possibilities, and how children make sense of problems where there are many interrelated factors. The researchers are also studying how other childhood learning behaviors such as testing out hypotheses and assuming that people do things for a reason, can help computer programs solve problems more effectively.

Touchscreen Technology Applied to Doorknobs, Sofas

E.Kurzawa — Fri, 04 May 2012 20:42:21 +0000

Researchers at Disney Research and Carnegie Mellon University have developed a system known as Touché that applies touchscreen technology to everyday objects. Touchscreens found in items such as smartphones and tablets are coated with a transparent conductor that carries an electrical signal. These gadgets detect the changes in signal that occur when touching the screen, and translate them into user inputs, such opening an application or typing. Typical touchscreens use a binary system and can only detect whether the screen is being touched or it’s not. The Touché system however, can detect a wide range of frequencies, recognizing gestures such as a grasp, a pinch, or a sweep of the hand. This technology can be used to develop doorknobs that unlock when grasped a certain way, a sofa that turns on the TV when someone sits on it, or a smartphone that turns on using only gestures of the body.

Biomedical Engineering: Where Engineering Meets Imagination

E.Kurzawa — Fri, 27 Apr 2012 17:28:57 +0000

Check out this great new video about the exciting field of Biomedical Engineering developed by the IEEE Engineering in Medicine & Biology Society (IEEE EMBS).

Engineers Simulate Quake on Model Hospital

E.Kurzawa — Sat, 21 Apr 2012 03:37:23 +0000

Structural engineers at the University of California, San Diego conducted a grand-scale experiment to find out how the inside of a structure is impacted when an earthquake strikes. The engineers constructed an 80-foot-high model hospital complete with an elevator, stairs, wiring, heating and air conditioning, electrical, computers, and medical equipment on a massive shake table. The building was equipped with hundreds of cameras and sensors to record what happened inside during a simulated earthquake. In the first tests simulating a 6.7 and 8.8 magnitude quake, the building was placed atop base isolators which can absorb shock and minimize damage. In both tests the building swayed but remained intact, and experienced very little internal damage. In coming days the simulation will be repeated without the isolators, which is anticipated to cause significant damage. The engineers will also start a fire in the building to see how flames and smoke impact a building damaged by an earthquake. This experiment illustrates how technologies such as base isolators can minimize the impact of earthquakes on structures such as hospitals and schools.

TryEngineering.org: Now Available in Arabic!

E.Kurzawa — Thu, 12 Apr 2012 15:05:59 +0000

The IEEE Educational Activities Board, in conjunction with the IEEE Saudi Arabia Section East, announces the launch of the TryEngineering.org site in Arabic. This new language brings TryEngineering resources to the Arabian Peninsula and the Arabic speaking world. The Arabic translation of TryEngineering.org was made possible by the generous support of Saudi Aramco as part of its Youth Development Program. http://www.tryengineering.org/lang/arabic/

Check Out the Latest Issue of IEEE Spark!

E.Kurzawa — Wed, 04 Apr 2012 13:16:51 +0000

The April edition of IEEE Spark entitled Engineering Inside…Green Technology is now available. Going green is a way of approaching life and business where you consider how your actions will impact the environment. Every choice you make matters! This issue of IEEE Spark will look at all the ways technology can be used to support green initiatives. There are articles, interviews, and a fun paper recycling activity for you to try at home!
Read this issue!

Design-Based Learning in Support of STEM Engagement

E.Kurzawa — Fri, 30 Mar 2012 04:09:39 +0000

On Citizen IBM, Dr. Margaret Honey, President and CEO of the New York Hall of Science, discusses how design-based learning can be used to engage students with science, technology, engineering, and math (STEM) disciplines. When participating in design-based learning activities students have opportunities to use higher-order thinking-skills to plan, model, and test solutions to problems in interdisciplinary ways. Design-based learning encourages students use a variety of tools to solve real-world problems that are relevant to their lives, generating both motivation and excitement. For a variety of design-based lessons and teacher resources check out the new partner-developed resource Teachers TryScience and the Lesson Plans section of TryEngineering.org.

Traffic Intersections of the Future

E.Kurzawa — Fri, 23 Mar 2012 13:46:19 +0000

Computer scientists at the University of Texas are developing a traffic system that may someday eliminate the need for stop signs and traffic lights at intersections. The system is intended to work with the driverless vehicles that some believe will be on the roads in the not too distant future. Traditional traffic signals would be replaced by software that can communicate with individual vehicles wirelessly using dedicated short range communication (DSRC) technology. The signals would maintain safe distance between cars while keeping them in motion to avoid collisions and preserve the flow of traffic. The system would also have a “green effect” by reducing vehicles’ need to constantly stop and go, thus requiring them to use much less energy.

Mighty Morphing Plastics

E.Kurzawa — Fri, 16 Mar 2012 20:26:18 +0000

A team of engineers at Duke University have developed a process that enables them to change the texture of plastics, for example from rough to slippery, on demand. The typical process used for texturizing plastics known as “electrostatic lithography” employs an electrode to etch permanent patterns onto polymers. The new process developed by the Duke engineers uses specific voltages to change the texture of plastics from dots, to circles, to lines in mere milliseconds. Possible applications of this process include developing climbing gloves that change texture to adapt to varying terrain, or self-cleaning surfaces that can repel water.

Students Engineer Assistive Devices for Local Good

E.Kurzawa — Mon, 05 Mar 2012 16:27:02 +0000

Biomedical engineering students from Tulane University are working on several projects to develop assistive devices for disabled individuals within the local community. In one such project, the students developed a device for an 8-year-old child with a neurological condition known as ataxia. Compelled to rock back and forth while holding onto the back of a kitchen chair, the child often suffered falls and injuries as a result of the condition, necessitating him to wear a helmet. The engineering students developed a rocking device to enable the child to rock in a safer, more stable manner. Other students in the department are also in the process of applying for a patent on a one-handed wheelchair lock developed for a stroke victim who lost the use of her left arm.