Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute
Latest
Watson heading to college, honing administrator-pranking algorithms
There comes a time in every young supercomputer's life when he or she must leave the house. Having taken the world of game shows by storm and made appearances at places like Sloan-Kettering, Citigroup and the Cleveland Clinic, Watson's ready to go to college. The advance three-year schooling will find a modified version of IBM's computer making its way to New York State's Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute, where it will be learning lessons in English and math. Amongst the course load are plans to sharpen Watson's cognitive skills and ability to manage data. The residency will also offer students a chance to get to work closely with one of the supercomputers that will one day rule us all.
Judge excuses himself for Siri patent suit
Apple is facing a new patent infringement lawsuit in the US over Siri that was filed on behalf of Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute. The lawsuit is off to a bumpy start as the judge assigned to the case recused himself over a conflict of interest, according to CNET. When he stepped down, District Court Judge Gary Sharpe pointed to a law that says, "Any conduct that would lead a reasonable [person] knowing all the circumstances to the conclusion that the judge's 'impartiality might reasonably be questioned' is a basis for the judge's disqualification." Sharpe didn't identify his impartiality, but it could be something small like a stock holding or educational background that ties him to either Apple or RPI. The lawsuit was filed last Friday by Dynamic Advances, LLC, a non-practicing entity that supposedly has a license to commercialize Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute's patent portfolio. It can license RPI's patents and sue companies that are infringing. The patent cited in the case is U.S. Patent No. 7,177,798, which describes a "natural language interface using constrained intermediate dictionary of results" and was awarded in 2007. Apple filed its own patent application for Siri in January 2011, but that patent is still pending. Currently, Apple is the only company being accused of infringement by Dynamic Advances.
Researchers use graphene to draw energy from flowing water, self-powered micro-robots to follow?
What can't graphene do? The wonder material's been at the heart of a stunning number of technological breakthroughs of late, and now it's adding oil exploration to its long list of achievements. A team of researchers at Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute have discovered that the flow of good old H2O over a sheet of graphene can generate enough electricity to power "tiny sensors" used in tracking down oil deposits. The gang, led by professor Nikhil Koratkar, was able to suck 85 nanowatts of power out of a slab of graphene measuring .03 by .015 millimeters. The little sensors the researchers speak of are pumped into potential oil wells via a stream of water, and are then put to work sniffing out hydrocarbons indicative of hidden pockets of oil and natural gas. Of course, that doesn't have a whole lot of practical application for your average gadget consumer, but Koraktar sees a future filled with tiny water-powered robots and micro-submarines -- we can dig it.
Researchers develop 'liquid pistons' for cameras, medical use
It may still be years away from any sort of practical use, but a team of researchers at the Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute have developed some so-called "liquid pistons" that they say could shake up everything from cameras to medical devices. Those pistons consist of some droplets of "nanoparticle-infused ferrofluids," which are able to oscillate and precisely displace a surrounding liquid. In the case of a camera, that could be used for a liquid lens of sorts (as seen at right), and the researchers say the same technology may one day even be used for implantable eye lenses. The possibilites don't end with optical uses, though -- the researchers say that the precise ability to pump small volumes of liquid could also be used for implantable drug-delivery systems that would be able to deliver tiny doses at regular intervals. Of course, there's no indication as to when any of that might happen -- in the meantime, you can occupy yourself with the brief but oddly hypnotic video after the break.
Silicon nanoscoops to combine Li-ion's energy with supercapacitor power, make your electric car go vroom
Look, we don't know much about "science." We know it's a controversial subject, and we always try to steer clear of that sort of hot-button-issue stuff. Still, "science" can do some good in the world, you know, now and then. Some "scientists" at the Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute have happened upon a "strain-graded carbon-aluminum-silicon nan oscoop anode" (whatever that means) that basically combines the advantages of long-lasting Lithium-ion with a supercapacitor's rapid fire oomph -- a common theme, but undoubtedly a noble one. Specifically, Li-ion's superb (and ever-improving) Wh/kg and supercapacitor's great W/kg. Now, don't ask us how -- again, "science" -- but the upshot should be faster charging and better performing electric cars, that can still manage a good amount of mileage. Hopefully we get more spectacular exploding laptops as a side bonus.
Researchers develop higher-efficiency LEDs
Terrific-looking LED-backlit HD displays were all over CES this year, and it sounds like they're only going to get better -- scientists from Renssalaer Polytechnic Insitute and Samsung have developed a new polarization-matched LED that cranks out 18 percent more light while being 22 percent more efficient than traditional LEDs. The improved performance is due to a reduction in "efficiency droop," which causes regular LEDs to turn less power into light when fed higher currents -- the team replaced the traditional active layer of the LEDs with a new specially matched layer. No word on when any of this is coming to market, but we're holding out hope for CES 2010.
"Rascals" AI could pass Turing test, with a little help from Blue Gene
Researchers at Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute believe they've built an AI smart enough to pass an avatar version of the Turing test -- convince a human that it is human while conversing in a virtual environment like Second Life. The bot is named "Rascals," which stands for Rensselaer Advanced Synthetic Architecture for Living Systems. Naturally, this first-ever achievement requires some world-class juice, and the team will using IBM's Blue Gene, the world's fastest supercomputer, to run the AI in real time. The AI's thoughts about itself and others is based on a grad student guinea pig, and it can even formulate thoughts about the beliefs of others and their beliefs about the beliefs of others. Trippy, no? Rascals will be put to the test in October 2008.[Via Slashdot]
AI hits Second Life
Researchers from Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute have created an artificial intelligence to drive an avatar in Second Life. Currently their AI has the smarts of a typical four-year old child, but it is capable of listening to what is "said" (in text) in Second Life and reacting to it appropriately as well as moving the avatar and typing its own replies.Whilst a four-year old might not sound like much to the uninitiated, Professor Bringsjord, leader of the project and head of the Cognitive Sciences Department points out that to fully mimic adult behaviour would take a super-computer. As well as learning about creating AIs, the team are able to test theories about the development of the human mind. There is a (rather large) video of Edd the AI demonstrating that he can't put himself in the mind of another person (something typical of 4 year olds), and chatting briefly to two "normal" avatars available.
Scientists create darkest material ever
Researchers at a US laboratory claim to have created the darkest material ever; a carbon nanotube which is one atom thick and rolled into a cylinder. For an object to be completely black, it must absorb all the colors of light over every angle and wavelength while reflecting none back, and scientists at Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute in Troy, New York, may have just gotten one step closer. The team built an array of vertically aligned, low-density nanotubes -- rough on the surface to minimize reflections -- and then measured the optical properties. They discovered that the objects very good at absorbing light, while downright rotten at reflecting it, thus creating a new standard for "blackness." In practice, their nanotubes could form a super-black object, leading to the creation of more efficient solar panels or solar cells, or more importantly, a Kuro display that goes beyond absolute black. "They've made the blackest material known to science," Says Professor Sir John Pendry, though Shaft's representatives have called for a recount.
Researchers develop bendable, paper-based battery
Nah, the researchers at Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute won't be crowned the first to develop a flexible (or paper-based, for that matter) battery, but their minuscule prototype "is an integrated device, not a combination of pieces" as others typically are. The battery uses "paper infused with an electrolyte and carbon nanotubes that are embedded in the paper," and could eventually be utilized in combination with solar cells or "scaled up and shaped into something like a car door, offering moving electrical storage and power when needed." Currently, however, the wee samples can release just "2.3-volts, or enough to illuminate a small light," but the idea of using these things to power pacemakers and the like isn't that far fetched.[Via BBC, thanks to everyone who sent this in]
Researchers create inexpensive, super-strong "nanoglue"
Researchers at Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute have announced that they've developed a new type of glue that's not only inexpensive, but can supposedly bond "nearly anything" together. To create the so-called "nanoglue," the team created a thin layer of "molecular chains" with a carbon backbone and sandwiched it between a thin film of copper and silica (as less-than-realistically depicted above). They then found that the more they heated the "nanosandwich," the stickier it got, ultimately going all the way up to temperature of 700 degrees Celsius before reaching its peak. Not surprisingly, the researchers see a wide range of uses for the glue, including applications in nano and microelectronic devices, not to mention high-heat environments -- for instance, holding paint to the inside of a jet engine. They also don't seem to think it'll have any trouble catching on, costing just $35 for 100 grams -- which, when you get down to the nano level, works out to be quite a bargain.[Via Reuters]
