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Category: transportation – Page 37

Diagram-based language streamlines optimization of complex coordinated systems

Coordinating complicated interactive systems, whether it’s the different modes of transportation in a city or the various components that must work together to make an effective and efficient robot, is an increasingly important subject for software designers to tackle. Now, researchers at MIT have developed an entirely new way of approaching these complex problems, using simple diagrams as a tool to reveal better approaches to software optimization in deep-learning models.

They say the new method makes addressing these complex tasks so simple that it can be reduced to a drawing that would fit on the back of a napkin.

The new approach is described in the journal Transactions of Machine Learning Research, in a paper by incoming doctoral student Vincent Abbott and Professor Gioele Zardini of MIT’s Laboratory for Information and Decision Systems (LIDS).

‘Cold’ manufacturing approach solves fabrication challenge for solid-state batteries

Lithium-ion batteries have been a staple in device manufacturing for years, but the liquid electrolytes they rely on to function are quite unstable, leading to fire hazards and safety concerns. Now, researchers at Penn State are pursuing a reliable alternative energy storage solution for use in laptops, phones and electric vehicles: solid-state electrolytes (SSEs).

According to Hongtao Sun, assistant professor of industrial and manufacturing engineering, solid-state batteries—which use SSEs instead of liquid electrolytes—are a leading alternative to traditional . He explained that although there are key differences, the batteries operate similarly at a fundamental level.

“Rechargeable batteries contain two internal electrodes: an anode on one side and a cathode on the other,” Sun said. “Electrolytes serve as a bridge between these two electrodes, providing fast transport for conductivity. Lithium-ion batteries use liquid electrolytes, while solid-state batteries use SSEs.”

New ferroelectric device performs calculations within memory

In a new Nature Communications study, researchers have developed an in-memory ferroelectric differentiator capable of performing calculations directly in the memory without requiring a separate processor.

The proposed differentiator promises energy efficiency, especially for edge devices like smartphones, autonomous vehicles, and security cameras.

Traditional approaches to tasks like image processing and motion detection involve multi-step energy-intensive processes. This begins with recording data, which is transmitted to a , which further transmits the data to a microcontroller unit to perform differential operations.

Predicting material failure: Machine learning spots early abnormal grain growth signs for safer designs

A team of Lehigh University researchers has successfully predicted abnormal grain growth in simulated polycrystalline materials for the first time—a development that could lead to the creation of stronger, more reliable materials for high-stress environments, such as combustion engines. A paper describing their novel machine learning method was recently published in Nature Computational Materials.

“Using simulations, we were not only able to predict abnormal grain growth, but we were able to predict it far in advance of when that growth happens,” says Brian Y. Chen, an associate professor of computer science and engineering in Lehigh’s P.C. Rossin College of Engineering and Applied Science and a co-author of the study. “In 86% of the cases we observed, we were able to predict within the first 20% of the lifetime of that material whether a particular grain will become abnormal or not.”

When metals and ceramics are exposed to continuous heat—like the temperatures generated by rocket or airplane engines, for example—they can fail. Such materials are made of crystals, or grains, and when they’re heated, atoms can move, causing the crystals to grow or shrink. When a few grains grow abnormally large relative to their neighbors, the resulting change can alter the material’s properties. A material that previously had some flexibility, for instance, may become brittle.

Researchers develop compact superradiant Smith-Purcell device with ultra-narrow linewidth

Superradiant Smith-Purcell radiation (S-SPR) is a kind of free electron radiation with a train of free electron bunches passing over a periodic grating. In theory, the ultra-narrow spectral linewidth of S-SPR could be realized, which would be greatly beneficial to various applications such as imaging, sensing and communication.

However, in the free electron accelerators, customized setups and orotrons, the instability of electron , coulomb effect and the finite number of electron bunches worsened the radiation linewidth, and the large size of equipment limits the application scenarios.

In a new paper published in eLight, a team of scientists, led by Professor Fang Liu and Yidong Huang from the Department of Electronic Engineering, Tsinghua University, China, have developed the first compact S-SPR device with ultra-narrow and continuously tunable spectral linewidth.

Scientists achieve record-shattering results after testing limitless energy device: ‘Experiments will continue with increased power’

In a groundbreaking leap toward cleaner, more affordable energy, scientists in France held a fusion reaction steady for over 22 minutes — shattering the previous world record. If that number sounds insignificant, here’s why it’s a big deal: That is 1,337 seconds of controlled, blazing-hot plasma, the critical ingredient needed to power nuclear fusion, a nearly limitless energy source that does not rely on polluting fuels like gas, coal, or oil.

This milestone brings us one step closer to a dream energy future: one where our homes, cities, and electric cars are powered by a technology that mimics the sun — minus the radioactive waste and environmental damage of traditional nuclear power.

Nuclear fusion has the capability to solve a major problem with polluting energy sources. Right now, our power mostly comes from dirty energy that pollutes the air and contributes to extreme weather. While solar and wind energy are gaining momentum, fusion offers something different: the possibility of continuous, around-the-clock clean energy using hydrogen — the most common element in the universe — as fuel.

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