-
The MIT Edgerton Center’s third annual showcase dazzles onlookers
•
On April 9, a trailer with the words “Born by Fire” emblazoned on the back pulled down MIT’s North Corridor (a.k.a. the Outfinite). Students, clad in orange construction vests, maneuvered their futuristic creation out of the trailer, eliciting a surge of curious bystanders. The aerodynamic shell is covered by 5 square meters of solar…
-
New software enables blind and low-vision users to create interactive, accessible charts
•
A growing number of tools enable users to make online data representations, like charts, that are accessible for people who are blind or have low vision. However, most tools require an existing visual chart that can then be converted into an accessible format. This creates barriers that prevent blind and low-vision users from building…
-
Engineering household robots to have a little common sense
•
From wiping up spills to serving up food, robots are being taught to carry out increasingly complicated household tasks. Many such home-bot trainees are learning through imitation; they are programmed to copy the motions that a human physically guides them through. It turns out that robots are excellent mimics. But unless engineers also program…
-
Paul Parravano, longtime liaison to elected leaders and MIT’s neighbors, dies at 71
•
Paul Parravano, who worked for 33 years to build enduring MIT connections with elected officials and the local community, died at his home in Arlington, Massachusetts, on Dec. 9. Parravano, who was 71, was diagnosed with pancreatic cancer shortly after retiring in January from his full-time work as co-director of MIT’s Office of Government…
-
AI-driven tool makes it easy to personalize 3D-printable models
•
As 3D printers have become cheaper and more widely accessible, a rapidly growing community of novice makers are fabricating their own objects. To do this, many of these amateur artisans access free, open-source repositories of user-generated 3D models that they download and fabricate on their 3D printer. But adding custom design elements to these…
-
A pose-mapping technique could remotely evaluate patients with cerebral palsy
•
It can be a hassle to get to the doctor’s office. And the task can be especially challenging for parents of children with motor disorders such as cerebral palsy, as a clinician must evaluate the child in person on a regular basis, often for an hour at a time. Making it to these frequent…