Computer Model Recreates Realistic Touch Sensation

Neuroscientists from the University of Chicago have developed a computer model that can simulate the response of nerves in the hand to any pattern of touch stimulation on the skin. The tool reconstructs the response of more than 12,500 nerve fibers with millisecond precision, taking into account the mechanics of the skin as it presses up against and moves across objects.

The software will allow scientists to see how entire populations of nerve fibers respond when we interact with objects. This model will allow scientists to better understand how the nerve responds to touch, and can be used to build realistic sensations into bionic hands for amputees.

Discovery of Drug Compound Against Malaria Ushers In Age of Robot Scientists

Eve, the robot scientist based in the University of Manchester, has discovered a compound that can help in fighting malaria.

Eve found that the drug compound inhibits a key molecule known as DHFR in the malaria parasite.

The undisclosed compound was previously known for its anti-cancer properties.

The development of robot scientists is the next step towards automation in science. With the proper artificial intelligence, robot scientists like Eve can explain observations, develop and test hypothesis, run experiments and interpret results.

They can also record scientific knowledge as they can directly interface with computer based lab equipment.

As stated in the paper, The Automation of Science, science is based on the hypothetico-deductive method and the recording of experiments in sufficient detail to enable reproducibility. With the advent of robot scientists like Eve and its predecessor, Adam, scientific discovery is evolving with the automation of both.

GPS Data Reveal How Sheepdogs Herd Sheep

Scientists using GPS technology have figured out how sheepdogs efficiently herd sheep. This may help in developing robots that can perform similar activities and other applications.

They find that the dogs follow two basic instructions which allows them to tightly reign in the sheep and move them towards a single direction. The two instructions are to (1) collect the sheep when they are loose and (2) move them forward when they are gathered.

The scientists also attached gps devices on the sheep and the dog and observed how the movements of the animals appear on screen. They also built a computer model that simulates an efficient way of herding the sheep.

Surprisingly, the two models are similar.

This discovery can help in developing applications for use by robots in activities such as crowd control, cleaning up the environment, herding of livestock, keeping animals away from sensitive areas, and collecting or guiding groups of exploring robots.

Largest Dinosaur Argentinosaurus Huinculensis Walking Digitally Simulated

The Argentinosaurus huinculensis, one of the largest dinosaurs ever discovered has been digitally reconstructed to study how it walks. The Argentinosaurus is a dinosaur that lived around 94 million years ago. The virtual model was reconstructed through a computer technique that involved the computing power of 30,000 desktop computers.

The Argentinosaurus (named after the country it was first found; Argentina) is the largest dinosaur ever discovered and is the longest and heaviest land animal ever. An adult 40 year old Argentinsaurus can reach a size of 37 meters and weighing around 75 to 100 tons. The herbivore lived during the Cretaceous period and was believed to have perished during the end of the Jurassic period with a few of its relatives surviving in South America.

The dinosaur is a social animal that moved in herds of 20 or more. It stripped vegetated areas of leaves, seed and fruit before moving on to find a new place to graze.

By digitally reconstructing how the Argentinosaurus moved, the study can contribute to the development of locomotion and movement technology as it applies to musculoskeletal systems and for developing robots.

Robotic Surgery and Other Medical Machines - An Infographic

Medical technology is catching up with science fiction in terms of machines performing medical procedures. Computers and robots are now becoming a major fixture in medical labs and doctor's offices. Although they cannot possibly replace a human doctor (within this timeline), they can assist medical personnel in diagnosing and even treating some medical conditions.

This infographic by the Healthcare Administration Degree Programs touches on some of the medical marvels of machine, computer, and robotic technology.

One technology that captures the imagination is robotic surgery. Much like the stories of the future, robots now can perform surgical procedures that were once considered delicate and complicated.

It is a technique in which a surgery is performed using a computer that remotely controls very small instruments attached to a robot. The robot ensures more precise incisions since it mitigates some of the hand tremors and unnecessary movements if done by a human surgeon. Also, robotic instruments can access hard-to-reach areas of the body more easily through smaller surgical cuts compared to traditional open and laparoscopic surgery.

Aside from those featured in the infographic, other medical machines that are now being used such as an iPhone ECG app, an artificial pancreatic system, and a pacemaker requiring no batteries can be found at the related links below.

New Method May Lead to Hydrogel Based Soft Robots

North Carolina State University researchers have developed a method that creates devices from hydrogel, a water based poylmer material. The resulting device can be patterned, folded and used to manipulate objects. The research paper, "Reversible Patterning and Actuation of Hydrogels By Electrically Assisted Ionoprinting," is published in the online journal Nature Communications.

Hydrogels are polymers that are highly absorbent that can shrink and expand depending on outside conditions like humidity, pH levels, and temperature. Consumer products use hydrogels in contact lenses for its flexibility, baby diapers for its absorbency, and also in adhesives. Hydrogels are most known for its use as a drug delivery system. Hydrogel based capsules are a popular fixture in pharmacies around the world.

Previously, hydrogels were developed to react a certain way given certain specific conditions. But with the recent discovery, devices can now be developed that can be actively controlled in real time rather than being just reactive. By being able to control the structure and movement of hydrogel, researchers can create devices for use not only for biomedical purposes but also in the field of robotics.

These new devices can be used in the production of soft robots. Soft robots are robots that combine organic chemistry, soft materials science and robotics. These are different from industrial robots in that instead of using gears and motors for movement, soft robots use other means such as chemical reactions or compressed air to move. Soft robots are also made of other materials like rubber and silicon.

Quadruped Cheetah-Cub Robot Developed Through Biomechanics

Researchers at the Ecole Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne using biomechanics, have developed a four legged robot that can run like a cat, with speeds up to seven times its body length per second.

Biomechanics is the study of biological systems in humans, plants, and animals and its application to structure and function in mechanics. This field of science usually focuses on the application of artificial limbs and the study of the mechanical properties of soft tissue and bones.

The Cheetah-Cub robot's primary design feature are in its legs. The legs have been developed by closely studying and reproducing the functions and structure of a cat's leg. This allows the robot to be agile and fast just like that of a cat. The robot is about the size of a house cat and is lightweight. It mimics the movement of a cat and is fast for its size and weight; about 1.4 meters a second. It also can compensate for obstacles such as small steps and rough terrain (see embedded video below).

Researchers are looking at developing the cheetah-cub robot for use in search and rescue missions and also for exploration purposes as well. Developing quadruped robots can circumvent limitations that wheel based robots have when it comes to certain surfaces such as rocky terrain.

Brain-Computer Interface Allows Helicopter To Fly Under Mind Control

IEEE Fellow Bin He

A helicopter has been developed that can be controlled just by the power of thought. A brain computer interface that the person wears allows him to pilot the helicopter just by thinking.

In the early 1980's, Clint Eastwood starred in the movie, Firefox, where a Russian jet can be controlled by the mind of the pilot.

Just like in the movie, the signals from the brain are picked up by a cap worn by the pilot. The cap had 64 electrodes through which it recorded the electrical activity of the brain from which a computer translates into movements the helicopter will take. This technique is known as electroencephalography (EEG).

Watch the helicopter as it is flown through a series of obstacles in the embedded video below.

Research on mind controlled devices can result in practical mind controlled applications such as for prosthetic limbs, non verbal communication, and also for motorized transportation for invalids.

It also can lead to applications that aim at restoring damaged hearing, sight and movement.

The RoboBee - Tiny Flying Robot Developed and Inspired By Biology and Insects

Engineers at the Harvard School of Engineering and Applied Sciences have developed a tiny robot insect, the size of a penny, that has the ability of controlled flight. The RoboBee, as it is called, weighs around 80 milligrams and has a wingspan of 3 centimeters.

The RoboBees project as it is called aims to develop technologies that can open up advances in robotics, nanoscience and micromanufacturing. One of the goals of the project is to see how to build smaller power sources or batteries as well as designing efficient control systems.

The RoboBee has the ability of controlled flight and can even hover around an area and move laterally in any direction. It is inspired by the biological structure of a fly with submillimeter-scale anatomy and two wafer-thin wings. The wings beat at 120 times a second making the wings invisible to the eye when flapping. Another aspect of the RoboBee is the materials it is made up of; plastic, lightweight carbon fiber and ceramic.

The project is still in its early stages but engineers are now looking into further evolving the technology enabling the tiny robot insects to move autonomously, be self-powered, and have tiny computer brains.

With the combination of biology, design engineering, materials engineering, and computer technology, the RoboBee can be used in the future for various applications such as search and rescue, environmental monitoring, and even be used in crop pollination. It can also lead into the development of other tiny robots that can be used in other fields such as in medicine and exploration.

Science of Terradynamics Opens up Possibility of Developing Walking Robots on Mars

Terradynamic researchers are developing small legged robots that someday may be used in scouting missions regardless of the surface. These robots are perfect for use in scouting missions as well as in exploration in environments such as Mars.

For years, robots have been imagined to be human like. Most science fiction movies have even featured androids; robots that resemble humans. But one big hurdle is the development of legs.

Most robots used now use wheels to move on surfaces. Having "legs" to travel allows robots to travers difficult surfaces such as sandy environments. Sand can clog up wheel mechanisms and hinder movement.

By developing other ways for robots to move around may develop more applications that are now limited because of factors such as sandy environments.

Cyborg Tissues - Bioengineered Tissues With Embedded Nanoelectronics Developed

The science of replacing or improving biological functions by using cells, technology, engineering materials and methods combined with biochemical and physio-chemical factors is called Tissue engineering.

It is modifying an existing organ or tissue in order to repair it or enhance its performance and function.

Tissue engineering encompasses a broad range of applications. But the technology is more identified with its use in repairing or replacing tissues such as bone, cartilage, blood vessels, etc. It is also being implemented in the development of artificially created ones to replace or support biochemical functions/organs such as an artificial pancreas or liver.

Now, researchers have merged the biological and the electronic and developed a method to grow 'cyborg' tissues with embedded nano-electronics to produce a new generation of bioengineered tissues.

Merging the biological and the electronic

Harvard scientists have, for the first, time created a type of "cyborg" tissue by embedding a three-dimensional network of functional, bio-compatible nanoscale wires into engineered human tissues.

As described in a paper published August 26 in Nature Materials, a multi-institutional research team led by Charles M. Lieber, the Mark Hyman, Jr. Professor of Chemistry at Harvard and Daniel Kohane, a Harvard Medical School professor in the Department of Anesthesia at Children's Hospital Boston developed a system for creating nanoscale "scaffolds" which could be seeded with cells which later grew into tissue.

Also contributing to the work were Robert Langer, from the Koch Institute at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, and Zhigang Suo, the Allen E. and Marilyn M. Puckett Professor of Mechanics and Materials at Harvard's School of Engineering and Applied Sciences.

"The current methods we have for monitoring or interacting with living systems are limited," said Lieber. "We can use electrodes to measure activity in cells or tissue, but that damages them. With this technology, for the first time, we can work at the same scale as the unit of biological system without interrupting it. Ultimately, this is about merging tissue with electronics in a way that it becomes difficult to determine where the tissue ends and the electronics begin."

The research addresses a concern that has long been associated with work on bioengineered tissue – how to create systems capable of sensing chemical or electrical changes in the tissue after it has been grown and implanted. The system might also represent a solution to researchers' struggles in developing methods to directly stimulate engineered tissues and measure cellular reactions.

"In the body, the autonomic nervous system keeps track of pH, chemistry, oxygen and other factors, and triggers responses as needed," Kohane explained. "We need to be able to mimic the kind of intrinsic feedback loops the body has evolved in order to maintain fine control at the cellular and tissue level."

Biomimetic Soft Robots Mimics Nature To Dynamically Change Color

A soft-bodied robot navigating, top to bottom, an obstacle course. Unlike rigid robots, soft robots can be used to squeeze into tight spaces.
Credit: AP Photo/Harvard University, Robert Shepherd

Soft Robots are a new type of robotic structure that combines organic chemistry, soft materials science and robotics. These type of robots differ from the typical hard bodied industrial type robots used today.

Soft robots have more elasticity, are flexible and move very differently from hard bodied robots that use gears and motors for movement. The movements of soft robots are based on organisms such as squid, starfish and worms. Soft robots are outfitted with rubber tentacles or arms that move and grip objects through pneumatic networks using compressed air.

Soft robots, in color

Harvard researchers explore systems that would give 'soft robots' the ability to camouflage themselves or stand out from their environment

A team of researchers led by George Whitesides, the Woodford L. and Ann A. Flowers University Professor, has already broken new engineering ground with the development of soft, silicone-based robots inspired by creatures like starfish and squid.

Now, they're working to give those robots the ability to disguise themselves.

As demonstrated in an August 16 paper published in Science, researchers have developed a system – again, inspired by nature – that allows the soft robots to either camouflage themselves against a background, or to make bold color displays. Such a "dynamic coloration" system could one day have a host of uses, ranging from helping doctors plan complex surgeries to acting as a visual marker to help search crews following a disaster, said Stephen Morin, a Post-Doctoral Fellow in Chemistry and Chemical Biology and first author of the paper.

"When we began working on soft robots, we were inspired by soft organisms, including octopi and squid," Morin said. "One of the fascinating characteristics of these animals is their ability to control their appearance, and that inspired us to take this idea further and explore dynamic coloration. I think the important thing we've shown in this paper is that even when using simple systems – in this case we have simple, open-ended micro-channels – you can achieve a great deal in terms of your ability to camouflage an object, or to display where an object is."

MIT News: Algorithm Developed For Determining Trajectory For Robot Planes Without GPS

A small, autonomous helicopter, programmed by MIT students under the direction of Professor Nick Roy, passes through a simulated window as part of a competition held over the summer. (2009 Pic)
Credit: Nicholas Roy

Autonomous robotic plane flies indoors

For decades, academic and industry researchers have been working on control algorithms for autonomous helicopters — robotic helicopters that pilot themselves, rather than requiring remote human guidance. Dozens of research teams have competed in a series of autonomous-helicopter challenges posed by the Association for Unmanned Vehicle Systems International (AUVSI); progress has been so rapid that the last two challenges have involved indoor navigation without the use of GPS.

But MIT’s Robust Robotics Group — which fielded the team that won the last AUVSI contest — has set itself an even tougher challenge: developing autonomous-control algorithms for the indoor flight of GPS-denied airplanes. At the 2011 International Conference on Robotics and Automation (ICRA), a team of researchers from the group described an algorithm for calculating a plane’s trajectory; in 2012, at the same conference, they presented an algorithm for determining its “state” — its location, physical orientation, velocity and acceleration. Now, the MIT researchers have completed a series of flight tests in which an autonomous robotic plane running their state-estimation algorithm successfully threaded its way among pillars in the parking garage under MIT’s Stata Center.

“The reason that we switched from the helicopter to the fixed-wing vehicle is that the fixed-wing vehicle is a more complicated and interesting problem, but also that it has a much longer flight time,” says Nick Roy, an associate professor of aeronautics and astronautics and head of the Robust Robotics Group. “The helicopter is working very hard just to keep itself in the air, and we wanted to be able to fly longer distances for longer periods of time.”

With the plane, the problem is more complicated because “it’s going much faster, and it can’t do arbitrary motions,” Roy says. “They can’t go sideways, they can’t hover, they have a stall speed.”

Found in translation

To buy a little extra time for their algorithms to execute, and to ensure maneuverability in close quarters, the MIT researchers built their own plane from scratch. Adam Bry, a graduate student in the Department of Aeronautics and Astronautics and lead author on both ICRA papers, consulted with AeroAstro professor Mark Drela about the plane’s design. “He’s a guy who can design you a complete airplane in 10 minutes,” Bry says. “He probably doesn’t remember that he did it.” The plane that resulted has unusually short and broad wings, which allow it to fly at relatively low speeds and make tight turns but still afford it the cargo capacity to carry the electronics that run the researchers’ algorithms.

Office of Naval Research Chief on US Navy's Reliance on Robotic Systems in Unmanned Systems Conference

The Association of Unmanned Vehicle Systems International (AUVSI) is a global organization representing the views of the unmanned systems and robotics community. The organization is committed to shaping global policy by advocating on behalf of the unmanned systems and robotics community, monitoring legislation and assessing the global impact of the industry to ensure that obstacles to advancing and fielding unmanned systems and robotics are removed.

The Association for Unmanned Vehicle Systems International is the world's largest non-profit organization devoted exclusively to advancing the unmanned systems and robotics community. It has more than 2,100 member organizations from 60 allied countries. Serving more than 7,000 members from government organizations, industry and academia, AUVSI is committed to fostering, developing, and promoting unmanned systems and robotic technologies. AUVSI members support defense, civil and commercial sectors.

AUVSI speaks for the unmanned systems and robotics community as a trusted source of information to government officials, regulators, media and the public. They represent the industry in Congressional hearings, participate in coalitions and collaborate with various trade associations and stakeholders to serve and achieve the interests of the unmanned systems and robotics community.

Chief of Naval Research moderates panel at Unmanned Systems Conference

Leading a panel discussion, the Department of the Navy's chief of naval research highlighted technology challenges and a vision for future maritime robotic systems Aug. 8 at the Association for Unmanned Vehicle Systems International's (AUVSI) annual conference.

Rear Adm. Matthew Klunder, the Office of Naval Research's 24th chief, spoke about the Navy's increasing reliance on maritime robotic systems to conduct a wide variety of missions, from oceanographic research to helping Sailors track down potential threats in waters around the globe.

"Our vision is to ensure successful integration between unmanned systems and the warfighter," Klunder said. "I believe this approach of developing a hybrid naval force of manned and unmanned systems is part of our innovative future."

MIT News: Researchers Develop Algorithm That Allows Robots To Learn And Understand

Professor Julie Shah observes while grad students Ron Wilcox (left), and Matthew Gombolay coordinate human-robotic interaction.
Photo: William Litant/MIT

An algorithim is a an order of sequential procedures for performing calculations. It is a step-by-step series of procedures used for calculation, data processing, and automated decision making or reasoning.

Algorithms contain a finite list of well defined instructions that is used to calculate a function. Starting with the first step or state, the instructions describe a computation that, when executed, will proceed through a finite number of well-defined successive states, eventually producing "output" and terminating at a final ending state.

The transition from one state to the next is not always fixed. Some algorithms incorporate random data or input; randomized algorithms.

Algorithms are used in computers to reach a decision (final ending state) based on available data. An example of a simple algorithm would be a "flip a coin" algorithm. Based on the outcome of a coin flip (heads or tails), the computer will perform a certain instruction.

Robotic assistants may adapt to humans in the factory

In today’s manufacturing plants, the division of labor between humans and robots is quite clear: Large, automated robots are typically cordoned off in metal cages, manipulating heavy machinery and performing repetitive tasks, while humans work in less hazardous areas on jobs requiring finer detail.

But according to Julie Shah, the Boeing Career Development Assistant Professor of Aeronautics and Astronautics at MIT, the factory floor of the future may host humans and robots working side by side, each helping the other in common tasks. Shah envisions robotic assistants performing tasks that would otherwise hinder a human’s efficiency, particularly in airplane manufacturing.

“If the robot can provide tools and materials so the person doesn’t have to walk over to pick up parts and walk back to the plane, you can significantly reduce the idle time of the person,” says Shah, who leads the Interactive Robotics Group in MIT’s Computer Science and Artificial Intelligence Laboratory (CSAIL). “It’s really hard to make robots do careful refinishing tasks that people do really well. But providing robotic assistants to do the non-value-added work can actually increase the productivity of the overall factory.”

Walking Again After Spinal Cord Injury Through Neuroprosthetics and Robotics

The spinal cord is a long, thin, tubular bundle of nerves, tissue, and cells that extends from the medulla oblongata. Along with the brain, it makes up the Central Nervous System (CNS).

It begins at the occipital bone and extends down to the space between the first and second lumbar vertebrae; it does not extend the entire length of the vertebral column. It is around 45 cm (18 in) in men and around 43 cm (17 in) long in women. The spinal cord ranges in varying thickness from 1/2 inch to 1/4 inches.

The primary function of the spinal cord is the transmission of neural signals between the brain and the rest of the body. It also contains neural circuits that can independently control numerous reflexes and central pattern generators.

The spinal cord has three major functions:

• Conduit for motor information which travels down the spinal cord
• Conduit for sensory information in the reverse direction
• Center for coordinating certain reflexes.

Any major damage to the spinal cord may result in death or paralysis.

Walking again after spinal cord injury

Rats with spinal cord injuries and severe paralysis are now walking (and running) thanks to researchers at EPFL. Published in the June 1, 2012 issue of Science, the results show that a severed section of the spinal cord can make a comeback when its own innate intelligence and regenerative capacity—what lead author Grégoire Courtine of EPFL calls the "spinal brain"—is awakened. The study, begun five years ago at the University of Zurich, points to a profound change in our understanding of the central nervous system. It is yet unclear if similar rehabilitation techniques could work for humans, but the observed nerve growth hints at new methods for treating paralysis.

Cutting Graphene With Precision Using Nanorobots and Atomic Force Microscope Discovered

This shows graphene cutting results based on a nanorobot. Credit: ©Science China Press

Carbon comes in many forms. It has many forms depending on how the carbon atom bonds. A diamond for example has four strong bonded carbon atoms. Graphite has three strong bonds within a layer and a weak bond sandwiched between the layers.

Graphene is derived from graphite. Utilizing the weak bond between layers, scientists, Andre Geim and Konstantin Novoselov, isolated the three strong bonded carbon atoms and discovered graphene. Without the layer of weak bonds, graphene is a structure that is only one atom thick. Hence, it is a two dimensional object.

Being one atom thick, it can be manipulated like a sheet of paper. It can be rolled up to form nanotubes, twisted together like twine to make string, and other shapes depending on the application.

Graphene-control cutting using an atomic force microscope-based nanorobot

Graphene, a stable two-dimensional structure, has attracted tremendous worldwide attention in recent years because of its unique electronic, physical and mechanical properties as well as its wide range of applications. It has been proven experimentally that the electrical properties of graphene are strongly related to its size, geometry, and edge structure. Therefore, controlling graphene to desired edge structures and shapes is required for its practical application.

The MQ8B Fire Scout Robot Helicopter Outfitted with Multi Mode Sensor Seeker (MMSS) To Hunt Down Pirates

The Office Of Naval Research (ONR) announced that it will outift it's robotic helicopter, The Fire Scout, with advanced imaging systems to combat piracy in the open seas.

The Fire Scout Vertical Takeoff and Landing Tactical Unmanned Aerial Vehicle (VTUAV) system is one of the proud vehicles in the Navy's arsenal. It provides unprecedented situation awareness and precision targeting support for the U.S. Navy of the future.

The Fire Scout was developed for use by the United States Armed Forces by the Aerospace Systems Division of the Northrop Grumman Corporation.

The MQ8B Fire Scout is based on a Schweizer Aircraft commercial airframe with over 20 million flight hours. The vehicle incorporates reliable turbine power (160 million flight hours) using standard NATO heavy fuel. Leveraging from this FAA certified aircraft with commonality of over 50 percent of the mechanical parts, the servicing and logistical processes are well known, proven and documented. This "low risk" approach for the airframe allows effective maturation of the entire system within a short development schedule.

The system includes advanced Control Stations that encompass the U.S. Navy’s Tactical Control System (TCS), Tactical Common Data Link (TCDL), and robust communications. A modular mission payload capability allows continued growth into new payloads, and a highly reliable air vehicle meets or exceeds all performance criteria.

With a total endurance of over 8 hours, the Fire Scout can provide more than 6 hours time on station with a standard payload at 110 nautical miles (200 km) from the launch site. A system of two Fire Scouts can provide continuous coverage at 110 nm. Utilizing a payload that includes electro-optical/infrared sensor with laser rangefinder/illuminator and a maritime radar, the Fire Scout can find and identify tactical targets, track and illuminate targets, accurately provide targeting data to strike platforms and perform battle damage assessment.

MIT News: Guiding Autonomous Robot Planes With Simple Hand Gestures

CAMBRIDGE, Mass. -- Aircraft-carrier crew use a set of standard hand gestures to guide planes on the carrier deck. But as robot planes are increasingly used for routine air missions, researchers at MIT are working on a system that would enable them to follow the same types of gestures.

The problem of interpreting hand signals has two distinct parts. The first is simply inferring the body pose of the signaler from a digital image: Are the hands up or down, the elbows in or out? The second is determining which specific gesture is depicted in a series of images. The MIT researchers are chiefly concerned with the second problem; they present their solution in the March issue of the journal ACM Transactions on Interactive Intelligent Systems. But to test their approach, they also had to address the first problem, which they did in work presented at last year’s IEEE International Conference on Automatic Face and Gesture Recognition.

Yale Song, a PhD student in MIT’s Department of Electrical Engineering and Computer Science, his advisor, computer science professor Randall Davis, and David Demirdjian, a research scientist at MIT’s Computer Science and Artificial Intelligence Laboratory (CSAIL), recorded a series of videos in which several different people performed a set of 24 gestures commonly used by aircraft-carrier deck personnel. In order to test their gesture-identification system, they first had to determine the body pose of each subject in each frame of video. “These days you can just easily use off-the-shelf Kinect or many other drivers,” Song says, referring to the popular Microsoft Xbox device that allows players to control video games using gestures. But that wasn’t true when the MIT researchers began their project; to make things even more complicated, their algorithms had to infer not only body position but also the shapes of the subjects’ hands.

The MIT researchers’ software represented the contents of each frame of video using only a few variables: three-dimensional data about the positions of the elbows and wrists, and whether the hands were open or closed, the thumbs up or down. The database in which the researchers stored sequences of such abstract representations was the subject of last year’s paper. For the new paper, they used that database to train their gesture-classification algorithm.

Robotic Surgery Provide Excellent Result In Treating Cancer

In most head and neck sites in the human body, the most frequently encountered malignant disease is squamous cell cancer. Squamous cells are the thin, flat cells that line the inside of the oropharynx. Two of the major risk factors contributing to the disease is cigarette smoking and excessive alcohol consumption.

The oropharynx is the middle part of the pharynx (throat) behind the mouth, and includes the back one-third of the tongue, the soft palate, the side and back walls of the throat, and the tonsils. The pharynx is a hollow tube about 5 inches long that starts behind the nose and ends at the top of the trachea (windpipe) and esophagus (the tube that goes from the throat to the stomach). Air and food pass through the pharynx on the way to the trachea or the esophagus.

Over the past few decades, doctors have noted a surprising trend in cancer of the tonsils and base of the tongue. Though oral cancer previously appeared predominantly in elderly patients with a history of tobacco and alcohol use, it's increasing in younger patients: 30- to 50-year-old nonsmokers with the human papillomavirus (HPV). Fortunately, the newer form of cancer tends to be less aggressive, and the latest approach to treating the tumors can avoid the debilitating consequences of open neck surgery or extensive radiation. Robotic surgery conducted through patients' mouths provides excellent results in removing squamous cell carcinoma at the back of the throat, especially in patients with HPV, a Mayo Clinic study published in the March issue of Mayo Clinic Proceedings found.

Robotic surgery is a technique in which a surgeon performs surgery using a computer that remotely controls very small instruments attached to a robot. The robot ensures more precise incisions since it reduces the surgeon's movements, which reduces some of the hand tremors and unnecessary movements. Also, robotic instruments can access hard-to-reach areas of your body more easily through smaller surgical cuts compared to traditional open and laparoscopic surgery.