News by Subject Policy & Ethics

Researchers from the University of Southern California and NVIDIA have unveiled a new simulator for robotic cutting that can accurately reproduce the forces acting on a knife as it slices through common foodstuffs, such as fruit and vegetables. The system could also simulate cutting through human tissue, offering potential applications in surgical robotics. The paper was presented at the Robotics: Science and Systems (RSS) Conference 2021 on July 16.

The July 2021 issue of IEEE/CAA Journal of Automatica Sinica features six articles that showcase the potential of machine learning in its various forms. The applications described in the studies range from advanced driver assistance systems and computer vision to image processing and collaborative robotics.

Older people affected by memory loss have much to gain from AR technology, yet a study from the University of Bath in the UK exploring the use of augmented reality to support older adults at home finds the user interface is sometimes confusing for those aged 50+.

Researchers from the National University of Singapore have come up with two new ways to protect quantum communications from attacks - the first is an ultra-secure cryptography protocol, and the other is a first-of-its-kind quantum power limiter device. These two approaches hold promise to ensure information systems used for critical services, such as banking and healthcare, can hold up any potential future attacks.

A team at National Institute of Informatics, Japan and University of Waterloo developed a method that automatically transforms models of controller software into models that satisfy safety requirements even when uncertainty in sensing the state of the environment. In addition, the method generates formulas that represent the degree of uncertainty that the controller software can tolerate. The method can be applied to various controller systems that interact with the external environment, including autonomous vehicles.

Scientists in Singapore are calling for revisions in planned hydropower expansions in light of the rapidly decreasing cost of solar photovoltaic systems.

Jung-Tsung Shen at the McKelvey School of Engineering has developed a groundbreaking quantum logic gate that brings quantum computing closer to reality.