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Paul Parravano, longtime liaison to elected leaders and MIT’s neighbors, dies at 71
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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…
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AI-driven tool makes it easy to personalize 3D-printable models
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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…
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A pose-mapping technique could remotely evaluate patients with cerebral palsy
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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…
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Researchers teach an AI to write better chart captions
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Chart captions that explain complex trends and patterns are important for improving a reader’s ability to comprehend and retain the data being presented. And for people with visual disabilities, the information in a caption often provides their only means of understanding the chart. But writing effective, detailed captions is a labor-intensive process. While autocaptioning…
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Speedy robo-gripper reflexively organizes cluttered spaces
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When manipulating an arcade claw, a player can plan all she wants. But once she presses the joystick button, it’s a game of wait-and-see. If the claw misses its target, she’ll have to start from scratch for another chance at a prize. The slow and deliberate approach of the arcade claw is similar to…
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MIT D-Lab students collaborate with adaptive design center in Mexico
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Participating in an intensive three-week lab in Yucatán, Mexico, changed how MIT junior Penelope Herrero-Marques views her role as an engineer. The January trip was the first step in a new partnership between MIT D-Lab and Perkins School for the Blind, a Massachusetts-based national service provider and international nonprofit that strives to make education…