Inspired by the traditional Japanese art form of origami, researchers from Harvard University and Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) have figured out how to take flat sheets of specialized paper and plastic and make it self-fold into a complex machine that can “get-up and go”. The robot starts as a flat sheet with embedded electronics, which can then transform autonomously into a functional machine. This is done using shape-memory composites that fold themselves along embedded hinges to recreate fundamental folded patterns. The origami-inspired robot can fold itself in 4 minutes and walk away without human intervention. This demonstrates the potential for both complex self-folding machines and autonomous, self-controlled assembly. “This is a new […]

The National Science Foundation (NSF)‘s Secure and Trustworthy Cyberspace (SaTC) program has announced two Frontier-scale projects, part of a $74.5 million investment to support foundational cybersecurity research and education and address grand challenges in cybersecurity science and engineering. SaTC’s Frontier awards are part a diverse $74.5 million portfolio of more than 225 new projects in 39 states. These projects have the potential for broad economic and scientific impact. They are aimed at minimizing the misuses of cyber-technology, bolstering education and training in cybersecurity, establishing the science of security, and transitioning promising cybersecurity research into practice. The first of the Frontier awards helps establish the Center for Encrypted Functionalities (CEF). CEF’s goal is to use new […]

The University of Maryland’s Center for Substance Abuse Research (CESAR) has received five years of funding from the National Institute on Drug Abuse (NIDA), which is part of the National Institutes of Health, to develop the National Drug Early Warning System (NDEWS). NDEWS system will scan social media and web platforms and collect data to identify new emerging illicit drug trends. These trends will be monitored by health experts so they can respond quickly to potential outbreaks.  From the NIH news release: “NDEWS will generate critically needed information about new drug trends in specific locations around the country so rapid, informed, and effective public health responses can be developed precisely where needed,” said NIDA […]

The following is a special contribution to this blog by Jane Stout, Director of CRA’s Center for Evaluating the Research Pipeline (CERP).   The CRA’s Center for Evaluating the Research Pipeline (CERP) has published a report on the topic of Industry versus Academic Postdocs in computing. The report uses both survey and focus group data to assess the experiences of individuals who have completed a computing related postdoc in either an industry or academic setting. Findings suggest that Industry Postdocs feel better able to manage professional responsibilities, have better relationships with their advisor and feel more welcomed in the work environment compared to Academic Postdocs. Through comparing and contrasting postdocs’ experiences in the two settings, CERP’s report sheds […]

As the number and scale of West Coast wildfires continue to increase, threatened communities are struggling to figure out what to do. High winds can shift the direction of a fire causing emergency evacuations of communities. Until now, it has been hard to predict how fires will spread.  WIFIRE, a new cyberinfrastructure system can monitor, predict, and visualize where wildfires are headed.  Supported by the National Science Foundation (NSF), WIFIRE is led jointly by the University of California (UC), San Diego, and the University of Maryland. WIFIRE merges observations with computational techniques in order to monitor environmental conditions and predict where and how fast a wildfire will spread. As WIFIRE develops it […]

The following is a special contribution to this blog by by CCC Executive Council Member Mark Hill and workshop organizers Hanspeter Pfister, An Wang Professor of Computer Science at the Harvard School of Engineering and Applied Sciences, and  Georg Seelig, Assistant Professor of Computer Science & Engineering and Electrical Engineering at the University of Washington. Hanspeter Pfister and Georg Seelig organized a two-day DARPA ISAT workshop on Brain Analysis, Synthesis, and Computation (BASC) in August, 2013. The workshop focused on the state of the art in the areas of brain analysis (structural and functional), brain synthesis, and how they affect the future of computation. The workshop was well attended by over 60 experts in the […]