The Next Byte

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30. Climate Change AI, Robots Getting You Dressed, Drones Evacuating Nursing Homes Aug 10, 2021

Show notes

(0:45) - Modeling How Climate Change Impacts Forest Fires:

Wildfires have been wreaking havoc on the nation’s forests and it is now more important than ever to understand how our changing climate is impacting our most treasured ecosystems. Computer simulations can provide great insight but when considering the number of variables that contribute to forest fires it becomes clear that traditional approaches would be too computationally intensive to be feasible. That’s where the researchers at the Technical University of Munich come in: they’ve built a neural network capable of recognizing patterns between the key parameters that result in forest fires which uses only a fraction of the computational power required via the traditional approach.

(6:35) - Getting Dressed With Help From Robots:

Do you find yourself thinking “I wish a robot could do this” when dressing yourself in the morning? Well, soon you might be able to get one of those exact robots in your own home! MIT researchers have been developing a robot to assist people when getting dressed and although they’ve made some impressive progress, there are some bumps they’ve hit on their path all centered around one object: people. People’s varying preferences regarding getting clothed and safety in general has caused their algorithm to become overwhelmed. Regardless, the team is making great progress in the human-robot-interaction front and paving the way for similar future projects.

(15:15) - Drone To Evacuate Nursing Homes In Case Of Emergency:

A student group - named the ‘Blue Jays’ - from Technical University of Eindhoven have developed a drone to calmly guide the elderly out of nursing homes during emergencies. The drone is powered by a neural network to analyze the facial features of people and determine their emotions which it can respond to. Their hope is that this aerial companion can help provide a sense of comfort to those who are distressed while the first responders operating the drone can instruct those in the building on how to safely exit.

About the podcast:

Every day, some of the most innovative universities, companies, and individual technology developers share their knowledge on Wevolver. To ensure we can also provide this knowledge for the growing group of podcast listeners, we started a collaboration with two young engineers, Daniel Scott Mitchell & Farbod Moghaddam who discuss the most interesting content in this podcast series.

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As always, you can find these and other interesting & impactful engineering articles on Wevolver.com.

29. Detecting Cancer In Pee, Robotic Neck Brace, Quieter Airplanes Aug 03, 2021

Show notes

(0:55) - Using Nanoparticles To Detect Cancer In Pee:

A team of MIT engineers have come up with a way to detect the presence of cancer and localize the region of origin by analyzing a patient’s pee sample. The patient can either inhale or be injected with nanoparticles that’ll exit the body via urine and a paper test - similar to over the counter pregnancy tests - can be used to determine if the patient has cancer. Additionally, if the patient does test positive, the nanoparticles can be coated with a radioactive tracer to show medical professionals the source of the growth via PET scans.

(8:20) - Robotic Neck Brace:

Head and neck cancer is the 7th most common type of cancer in the world and doctors typically surgically remove a patient's lymph nodes to examine how the cancer will spread; however, this approach results in severe neck and shoulder pain. This type of pain is difficult to characterize because current methods are either too timely to set up or they’re simply inaccurate but that is exactly what a group of Columbia researchers hoped to address. Two professors have teamed up to create a robotic neck brace capable of recording a patient’s full range of head/neck motion. The duo have proven that by recording data before and after the surgery will allow medical professionals to understand what areas have been affected and what specific types of physical therapy to prescribe.

(13:55) - Quiet Landing Airplanes:

If you live near an airport (like us) then you know how disturbing the sound of planes taking off and landing can be. Fortunately, a team of engineers at Texas A&M University have proposed a design modification to the slats on aircraft wings that could reduce the noise generated upon landing to that of the quietest planes. Their simulations have been promising so now they will be working on creating a scale model to test out and hopefully it works so The Next Byte crew can have an easier time living near the airport.

About the podcast:

To learn more about this show, please visit the shows page. By following the page, you will get automatic updates by email when a new show is published.

Be sure to give us a follow and review on Apple podcasts, Spotify, and most of your favorite podcast platforms!

Take a few seconds to leave us a review. It really helps!

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if you do it and send us proof, we’ll give you a shoutout on the show.

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As always, you can find these and other interesting & impactful engineering articles on Wevolver.com.

28. AI Policing Social Media, What Marsquakes Can Teach Us, Preventing Lead Poisoning From Solar Panels Jul 27, 2021

Show notes

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(0:47) - AI Struggles To Police Social Media:

In the last 3 months of 2020, Facebook’s AI for detecting hate speech, toxicity, and misinformation removed 27 million posts. Automated moderation is the only viable solution for all the major social media platforms but it makes you wonder: how accurate is it really? Stanford researchers have decided to take a look at the reported 95% effectiveness of a traditional content policing AI and their work shows that the number is significantly reduced once the model is trained on a data set that integrates consensus of people on what constitutes as hate speech.

(10:30) - Marsquakes Shed Light On The Red Planet’s Origins:

We recently talked about how Venusquakes can give us valuable insight on the inner workings of the planet and now there is a new article coming out of ETH Zurich and U Zurich where the same is being done with Mars. The Martian inSight lander has been recording seismic activity from the red planet over the past 2 years and analysis of Marsquakes from the opposite side of where the lander is stationed has taught us a few things: a) the core is molten with a 1,840 km radius, b) it is structured similarly to earth (core, mantel, crust), and c) unlike planet earth the crust is a single solid piece 20 km thick.

(17:30) - Preventing Lead Leakage From Solar Cells:

Perovskite solar cells are leading the industry with 25% solar energy to electricity conversion efficiency; however, the water soluble lead that enables their high performance is a point of concern for environmentalists. Professor Laszlo Forro from the EPFL School of Basic Sciences recently published a study that outlines how to prevent this lead leakage by integrating phosphate salts that can bind with lead to create a recyclable, water insoluble compound without compromising the cell’s efficiency.

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As always, you can find these and other interesting & impactful engineering articles on Wevolver.com.

27. Nanostructured Shields, Balloon Venusquake Detection, 20% Brighter OLED Jul 20, 2021

Show notes

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(0:49) - Nanostructured Shields:

MIT, CalTech, and ETH Zurich researchers have developed a new lightweight material capable of providing more stopping power than kevlar on a per mass basis. Furthermore, they were able to use the Buckingham-pi theorem - an analytical method used to measure how much material a meteor can excavate from a planet - to create a framework for assessing the impact absorption effectiveness of new nanostructured materials.

(10:55) - Balloon Detection of Venus Earthquakes:

Much of what we know about the inner workings of planet earth comes from our analysis of seismic activity but it's not that easy to do the same on other planets with inhospitable surface conditions like Venus. So how can we work around this problem? According to NASA JPL and some students from CalTech, balloons are the answer! The team was able to prove that weather balloons with barometers (instruments that gauge pressure differences) could detect earthquakes miles away.

(16:00) - Increasing OLED Efficiency:

OLED screens are becoming the standard for phones, TVs, and monitors; however, about 80% of the light produced by these screens actually ends up trapped inside the devices leading to drastic decreases in overall efficiency. Researchers from University of Michigan have found a way to liberate ~20% of the trapped light by making some modifications to the electrodes on either side of the light emitters and using an index-matching fluid to prevent light getting trapped by the outer glass layer.

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As always, you can find these and other interesting & impactful engineering articles on Wevolver.com.

26. Hugging Robots, Scalable Solar Fuel, Non-Invasive Spinal Implants Jul 13, 2021

Show notes

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(0:48) - Hugging robots:

Have you ever missed someone so much that you wish you could just send them a hug? Well, now you can! Alexis E. Block and her team at ETH Zurich have been developing various iterations of HuggieBot - a robot whose goal is to give the best hugs possible - to minimize the strain of distance between loved ones, especially during times of crisis.

(6:45) - Artificial Leaf:

A team at EPFL is looking at the world’s best engineer (nature) to address the global energy crisis by developing an artificial leaf capable of photosynthesis: converting water and sunlight into oxygen and chemical energy.

(13:50) - Non-invasive Spinal Implants:

1 in 12 Americans suffer from severe back pain and spinal stimulation surgery isn’t widely used to address this problem because it is either extensive and invasive or non-invasive and not very effective. Researchers at the University of Cambridge have tackled this problem with an approach that uses microfluidic channels, soft robotic materials, and flexible electronics to be extensive and non-invasive.

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As always, you can find these and other interesting & impactful engineering articles on Wevolver.com.

25. Solar Sailing, Preventing Cyber Attacks, Space Trash Robot Jul 06, 2021

Show notes

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(0:50) - Deployable Solar Sail:

Solar sails are a great alternative to traditional propulsion for deep space travel since it only depends on sunlight as its power source. Recent advances in material science have allowed NASA engineers to develop a solar sail as big as an apartment that can pack itself into a toaster sized satellite.

(8:00) - Advancing System Security:

The increasing number of hacks (e.g. Colonial Pipeline) has reignited the pursuit of robust cybersecurity measures and a group of Columbia researchers are offering a no-overhead approach to prevent the most critical system vulnerability: memory attacks.

(14:40) - Cleaning Space Trash:

Space trash poses a threat against space missions because even the smallest debris can fatally-damage a spacecraft. Embry-Riddle students partnered with NASA to develop solar sail-powered robots capable of gathering trash and burning it in the atmosphere.

Become a founding reader of our newsletter: http://read.thenextbyte.com/

As always, you can find these and other interesting & impactful engineering articles on Wevolver.com.

24. MIT’s Magic Carpet, Nanoparticles in Your Food, Turning Fabric into Smart Devices Jun 29, 2021

Show notes

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(1:30) - The Magic Carpet:

MIT researchers have created a carpet with thousands of sensors to monitor pressure changes from people’s movement. The data is then fed into a machine learning algorithm that can estimate someone’s 3D positioning with a 97% accuracy.

(8:40) - Detecting Nanoparticles in Food:

Nanoparticles have been used increasingly in the farming industry and people are becoming more concerned about how much makes its way into produce. Researchers at Texas A&M made a machine learning model to predict how much might be in the food you eat.

(14:30) - Fabric-Friendly Sensors:

Ever wanted the electronics in your home to do what you want without you actually having to do anything? Carnegie Mellon researchers have created a sensing system which can be seamlessly integrated into your couch, blanket, or any other fabric.

About the podcast:

To learn more about this show, please visit the shows page. By following the page, you will get automatic updates by email when a new show is published.

Be sure to give us a follow and review on Apple podcasts, Spotify, and most of your favorite podcast platforms!

Become a founding reader of our newsletter: http://read.thenextbyte.com/

As always, you can find these and other interesting & impactful engineering articles on Wevolver.com.

23. Bird-Inspired Drone Wings, Scaling Digital Twins, Tracking Microplastics From Space Jun 22, 2021

Show notes

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(1:40) - Bird-like drone wings:

A UMich PhD student is hoping to revolutionize current UAV wing design by copying some of nature’s most capable flyers: seagulls. Gulls, unlike aircrafts, can remain stable during flight even in turbulent weather and this research might lead to adaptation of gull-inspired wings in the aircraft of tomorrow.

(9:13) - Scalable Digital Twins:

An MIT grad recently created a framework for deploying digital twins at scale by connecting physical and digital assets (for all sorts of applications). This technology could be utilized to create digital twins more easily without as much upfront investment.

(15:05) - Detecting microplastics from space:

Mircroplastic pollution is extremely harmful to the environment and yet is nearly impossible to track. Luckily, UMich researchers found a way to repurpose old NASA CYGNSS satellites for hurricane forecasting to track microplastic particles' origins and movement throughout the ocean.

About the podcast:

To learn more about this show, please visit the shows page. By following the page, you will get automatic updates by email when a new show is published.

Be sure to give us a follow and review on Apple podcasts, Spotify, and most of your favorite podcast platforms!

Become a founding reader of our newsletter: http://read.thenextbyte.com/

As always, you can find these and other interesting & impactful engineering articles on Wevolver.com.

22. How to Turn Gum into Shoes, Reducing CO2 in Construction by 40%, High-Speed Flying Boats Jun 15, 2021

Show notes

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(1:25) - From Unwanted Gum To Sought After Shoes:

Gumdrop collects used gum from bins placed strategically around cities along with unwanted gum from manufacturers like wrigley and upcycles them to make desirable products like the iconic Adidas Stan Smith shoes.

(8:40) - PANDA Will Reduce Embodied Carbon By 40% For Construction:

PANDA is a software solution developed by Price & Myers to address the ever rigorous legislation being passed which urges corporations to be more environmentally conscious. The software’s Monte Carlo algorithm will determine the least carbon intensive and affordable configurations based on a builders input promising embodied carbon savings of up to 40%.

(16:30) - Is it a boat? Is it a plane? It’s a ground effect vehicle!:

REGENT is making waves in the transportation industry by introducing a ground effect vehicle fully powered by electric propulsion that can transport people 6x faster than ferries within a 180 mile range at a maximum speed of 180 miles per hour while offering the same level of safety as an aircraft.

About the podcast:

To learn more about this show, please visit the shows page. By following the page, you will get automatic updates by email when a new show is published.

Be sure to give us a follow and review on Apple podcasts, Spotify, and most of your favorite podcast platforms!

Become a founding reader of our newsletter: http://read.thenextbyte.com/

As always, you can find these and other interesting & impactful engineering articles on Wevolver.com.

21. AI Rescues Firefighters, NASA Prints Spacecraft Parts, Plug & Play Prosthetics Jun 08, 2021

Show notes

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(0:50) - AI To Save Firefighter Lives:

The National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) has developed a machine learning model that can analyze the temperature patterns in a burning building using smoke detectors and extrapolate potential areas where flashover can occur.

(10:00) - NASA’s New Additive Manufacturing Approach:

Heat exchangers are critical for spacecraft operations but they are prone to failure since they are traditionally composed of multiple parts that are joined together. Ultrasonic additive manufacturing (UAM) promises a reliable way to create complex parts composed of dissimilar metals as a single piece without compromising material properties. Here’s a quick video from Fibrosnic - the subcontractor that brought this capability to NASA - which displays the UAM process.

(16:25) - Plug & Play Prosthetics:

Levitate was founded by an amputee who wanted an athletic prosthetic without having to pay the $8,000-$16,000 price tag of one; so, naturally, he decided to build one himself with the help of a talented composite engineer at the Technical University of Denmark that can be used with an existing sleeve thus significantly reducing the overall costs.

Become a founding reader of our newsletter: http://read.thenextbyte.com/

As always, you can find these and other interesting & impactful engineering articles on Wevolver.com.

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