Kristina Grifantini
Portfolio & BlogTechnology Review
Robotics
Web and Communications
Biomedical
Other
Robotics
Articles
- TR35: Andrea Thomaz
- Robots that learn new skills the way people do. [print-special section]
- Helping Robots Get a Grip
- A new approach lets dexterous robotic hands grasp easily.
- Cutting-Edge Robots Show Off in Japan
- ICRA 2009 will showcase everything from tree-climbing machines to robots that politely ask for directions.
- Making Robots Give the Right Glances
- By mimicking nonverbal actions, robots could become better assistants.
- A Step Toward Robo-Science
- Robots capable of making simple scientific discoveries could transform drug testing.
- Machines for Living
- Holly Yanco, SM ’94, PhD ’00, develops robots to help people in the home and in the field. [print-MIT alum profile]
- The Year in Robotics
- Advances in robotics for personal assistance, medicine, and the military in 2008.
- Voyage of the Bacteria Bots
- Self-propelled microbots navigate through blood vessels.
- Robot Mimics a Canine Helper
- A robot inspired by helper dogs could assist the disabled and the elderly.
- Building a Self-Assembling Stomach-Bot
- Modules that self-assemble inside the stomach could perform more-sophisticated diagnosis and treatment.
- Controlling a Gut Bot’s Position
- A swallowable robot can be stuck and unstuck to a spot on command.
- A Robot That Learns to Use Tools
- By shoving objects around on a table, UMan figures out how they work.
- The Flight of Dragonfly Robots
- Researchers are testing whether robotic dragonflies could be agile and elusive fliers.
- A Robotic Helping Hand
- Georgia Tech’s prototype robot responds to instructions given with an ordinary laser pointer.
- Snakelike Robots for Heart Surgery
- More-flexible robots could allow for less-invasive operations.
Blogs
- Robots ‘Evolve’ the Ability to Deceive
- An experiment shows how “deceptive” behavior can emerge from simple rules.
- Modeling Sneaky Robots
- Researchers create a stealth-mode behavior.
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- Recycling Robot Shows Clutter-Sorting Skills
- A new vision system can identify objects within clutter.
- Robot Plays Follows the Leader
- Image-recognition software and an infrared camera let this robot follow people in different environments.
- Tiny Machine Commands a Swarm of Bacteria
- The bacteria propel the machine in different directions.
- Precision Control of Micro Machines
- Researchers demonstrate a new way to refine magnetic control of tiny robotic pushers.
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- Teleoperated Design Revealed for Assistant Robots
- A system lets users manage a team of robots through cloud computing.
- Robots Get Down to Business
- At a conference in Boston, companies demonstrate robots for education, bomb disposal, agriculture, and more.
- A Robot That Knows When to Back Off
- A modified Roomba tries to detect, and avoid, stressed-out users.
- iRobot Cofounder Developing UAVs for Search and Rescue
- Helen Greiner’s stealth-mode robotics company will focus on emergency response.
- Robot Scientist Designs Its Own Experiments
- A robotic system can design and carry out experiments on its own.
- A Robot Music Instructor
- A clever flute-playing robot can teach beginners and play in a band.
- Sticky Space Spider
- A robotic insect is designed to explore rough, alien terrain.
- What Do Wheelchairs and Video Games Have in Common?
- Professor develops a more intuitive robotic assistant.
- Biomedical Robots Galore
- Scientists from across the world gathered for the IEEE BioRob 2008 Conference.
- Robotic Device Takes Stunning Panorama of the Inauguration
- Pick out individual faces in this 1,474-megapixel image of the 2009 ceremonies.
- Cheaper Robot Rehabilitation
- A modified 3-D game controller helps improve fine motor control.
- How to Make UAVs Fully Autonomous
- A smarter vision system could help robotic aircraft detect airborne obstacles.
- Robotic “Spiderman” Device Unveiled
- A new grappling hook could let robots swing from tree to tree.
- A Robot That’s Learning to Smile
- The UCSD robot watches itself to learn how to pull new facial expressions.
- A Soldier’s (Robotic) Best Friend
- BigDog could save lives in the field.
Web and Communications
Articles
- The Evolution of Retweeting
- Formalizing the retweet may change people’s behavior.
- Rogue Pharmacies Dominate Bing’s Ads
- Illegitimate pharmacies account for 90 percent of drug ads on Microsoft’s Bing, according to a new report.
- Search Spammers Hacking More Websites
- The head of Google’s Web-spam-fighting team warns that spammers are increasingly attacking websites.
- TR35: Shahram Izadi
- An intuitive 3-D interface helps people manage layers of data. [print-special section]
- Open-Source Data Glove
- AcceleGlove can be programmed for many applications. [print-Hack]
- Cell Phones That Listen and Learn
- New software tracks a user’s behavior by monitoring everyday sounds.
- Faster Internet on the Road
- A new system boosts mobile uploads from vehicles.
- Second Skin Captures Motion
- A new system could make special effects more affordable.
- A Mobile Mesh Network Goes Nuclear
- Backpacks that detect nuclear material form a wireless mesh network.
- Popularity Poll Ranks Startups
- Measuring online buzz could help investors, a company claims.
- Moore’s Law
- The computer chip has evolved from a simple integrated circuit to a microprocessor with millions of transistors. [print-Photo Essay]
Blogs
- Illegitimate Pharmaceutical Ads Prolific on Yahoo
- The majority of the search engine’s drug ads are from rogue online pharmacies, according to researchers.
- DNA Origami for Faster, Smaller Computer Chips
- Using DNA structures, researchers may be able to construct tinier, cheaper chips.
- China Relents on Censorship Software
- Green Dam won’t be enforced on private computers.
- Mesh Network Monitors Volcanoes
- Sensors dropped onto Mount St. Helens relayed data after forming an ad-hoc network.
- A Clever Use for Baby Snapshots
- Constant logging could help spot problems in kids.
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- The Stranger Side of CHI 2009
- Some of the odder inventions demoed at the Computer-Human Interaction Conference.
- Mapping Disasters in 3-D
- Software based on PhotoSynth can model the scene of a disaster.
Biomedical
Articles
- Artificial Protein Mimics Blood
- A man-made protein that carries oxygen could lead to artificial blood.
- Stretched Nerve ‘Bridges’ Trigger Repair
- The tissue creates a scaffold for nerve tissue regeneration.
- TR10: Paper Diagnostics
- George Whitesides has created a cheap, easy-to-use diagnostic test out of paper. [print]
- Detecting Brain Chemicals
- A new device could help with deep brain stimulation.
- Diagnosing Disease with Paper and Tape
- By adding tape, researchers can make more-complex tests that are portable and cheap.
- Wireless Detectors for Dementia
- Researchers hope that radio transmitters can warn of cognitive decline earlier.
- Lab-on-a-Chip Made of Paper
- Paper-based microfluidic devices could yield cheap, disposable diagnostic tests.
- Breath Analyzer Monitors Drug Compliance
- A new device could lead to better clinical trials.
- A Faster Way to Detect Heart Attacks
- A diagnostic chip tests saliva to determine if someone is having a heart attack.
- Striped Camouflage
- Researchers find stealthy way to enter cells. [print]
- Clothes That Monitor Health
- A new patch tracks electrolyte levels in sweat.
Blogs
- Testing for Malaria On the Go
- A small, rugged device is reliable even in harsh conditions.
Other
Articles
- Gecko Tape That Lets Go
- Special tips on gecko hairs can grip and release.
- Fuel-Cell Power-Up
- A new process increases the energy output of methanol fuel cells by 50 percent. [print-Demo]
- Microbes for Off-the-Grid Electricity
- A new company is bringing microbial fuel cells to Africa.
- Nature’s Photonic Crystal
- Scientists find an elusive diamond structure in a Brazilian beetle.
- MIT’s Solar Pioneer
- Spying on the sun’s “marvelous beasts.” [print]
Blogs
- Beetles Use Nanostructures for Color
- Tiny structures in beetle exoskeletons reflect luminescent green.
- A Dirt-Bag Fuel Cell
- A simple microbial fuel cell could offer reliable power in the developing world.
- Phoenix Landing
- Mars spacecraft successfully reaches red planet’s arctic.
