news
Computer Science
Results 161 - 180 of 252.
Physics - Computer Science - 08.10.2019
Smaller than a coin
ETH researchers have developed a compact infrared spectrometer. It's small enough to fit on a computer chip but can still open up interesting possibilities - in space and in everyday life. Nowadays, a mobile phone can do almost anything: take photos or video, send messages, determine its present location, and of course transmit telephone conversations.
Computer Science - 30.09.2019
Researchers invent low-cost alternative to Bitcoin
The cryptocurrency Bitcoin is limited by its astronomical electricity consumption and outsized carbon footprint. A nearly zero-energy alternative sounds too good to be true, but as School of Computer and Communication Sciences (IC) Professor Rachid Guerraoui explains, it all comes down to our understanding of what makes transactions secure.
Health - Computer Science - 30.09.2019
Artificial intelligence improves biomedical imaging
ETH researchers use artificial intelligence to improve quality of images recorded by a relatively new biomedical imaging method. This paves the way towards more accurate diagnosis and cost-effective devices. Scientists at ETH Zurich and the University of Zurich have used machine learning methods to improve optoacoustic imaging.
Computer Science - 27.09.2019
Artificial skin could help rehabilitation and enhance virtual reality
EPFL scientists have developed a soft artificial skin that provides haptic feedback and - thanks to a sophisticated self-sensing mechanism - has the potential to instantaneously adapt to a wearer's movements. Applications for the new technology range from medical rehabilitation to virtual reality.Artificial skin could help rehabilitation and enhance virtual reality EPFL scientists have developed a soft artificial skin that provides haptic feedback and - thanks to a sophisticated self-sensing mechanism - has the potential to instantaneously adapt to a wearer's movements.
Astronomy / Space - Computer Science - 18.09.2019
Artificial intelligence probes dark matter in the universe
A team of physicists and computer scientists at ETH Zurich has developed a new approach to the problem of dark matter and dark energy in the universe. Using machine learning tools, they programmed computers to teach themselves how to extract the relevant information from maps of the universe. Understanding the how our universe came to be what it is today and what will be its final destiny is one of the biggest challenges in science.
Computer Science - Physics - 27.08.2019
Universal algorithm set to boost microscopes
EPFL scientists have developed an algorithm that can determine whether a super-resolution microscope is operating at maximum resolution based on a single image. The method is compatible with all types of microscopes and could one day be a standard feature of automated models. Thanks to the advent of super-resolution microscopes some 30 years ago, scientists can observe subcellular structures, proteins and living tissue with unprecedented precision.
Computer Science - Microtechnics - 14.08.2019
A miniature stretchable pump for the next generation of soft robots
Scientists at EPFL have developed a tiny pump that could play a big role in the development of autonomous soft robots, lightweight exoskeletons and smart clothing. Flexible, silent and weighing only one gram, it is poised to replace the rigid, noisy and bulky pumps currently used. The scientists' work has just been published in Nature.
Earth Sciences - Computer Science - 13.08.2019
Monitoring the Matterhorn with millions of data points
A unique project is linking in-situ measurements with natural hazards research. For the past ten years, a network of wireless sensors on the Matterhorn's Hörnli ridge has been constantly streaming measurement data on the condition of steep rock faces, permafrost and prevailing climate. The project leader, Jan Beutel, reviews progress to date.
Computer Science - 09.08.2019
An algorithm to detect outside influences on the media
EPFL researchers recently developed an algorithm that maps out the media landscape and reveals biases and hidden influences in the news industry. News consumers may not be aware that the way their local media outlet selects and presents news stories can be affected by the media group that owns it. At a time of rampant disinformation, it is just this sort of outside influence on the media that people should know about.
Materials Science - Computer Science - 29.07.2019
Digitizing and replicating the world of materials
A team of EPFL researchers has set itself the lofty goal of building the biggest-ever database that digitizes the visual appearance of all natural and synthetic materials in the world.
Life Sciences - Computer Science - 12.07.2019
The way a single neuron processes information is never the same
How do neurons process information? Neurons are known to break down an incoming electrical signal into sub-units. Now, researchers at Blue Brain have discovered that dendrites, the neuron's tree-like receptors, work together - dynamically and depending on the workload - for learning. The findings further our understanding of how we think and may inspire new algorithms for artificial intelligence.
Computer Science - Social Sciences - 28.06.2019
What can Wikipedia tell us about human interaction?
EPFL researchers have studied the dynamics of network structures using one of the world's most-visited websites: Wikipedia. In addition to a better understanding of online networks, their work brings exciting insights into human social behavior and collective memory. Have you ever visited a Wikipedia page to answer a question, only to find yourself clicking from page to page, until you end up on a topic wildly different from the one you started with?
Environment - Computer Science - 15.04.2019
Algorithms to enhance forest inventories
An EPFL doctoral student has come up with methods to map out forests more effectively using aerial remote sensing, in support of on-the-ground forest inventories. Forests are an essential component of the world's ecosystems and a key indicator of our planet's health. They provide valuable resources - like wood for construction and heating - and they filter rainwater, protect against erosion and avalanches, and can be used for numerous leisure pursuits.
Astronomy / Space - Computer Science - 13.03.2019
Neural networks predict planet mass
To find out how planets form astrophysicists run complicated and time consuming computer calculations. Members of the NCCR PlanetS at the University of Bern have now developed a totally novel approach to speed up this process dramatically. They use deep learning based on artificial neural networks, a method that is well known in image recognition.
Microtechnics - Computer Science - 18.01.2019
Smart microrobots that can adapt to their surroundings
Scientists at EPFL and ETH Zurich have developed tiny elastic robots that can change shape depending on their surroundings. Modeled after bacteria and fully biocompatible, these robots optimize their movements so as to get to hard-to-reach areas of the human body. They stand to revolutionize targeted drug delivery.
Life Sciences - Computer Science - 16.01.2019
A robot recreates the walk of a 300-million-year-old animal
Using the fossil and fossilized footprints of a 300-million-year-old animal, an interdisciplinary team that includes scientists from EPFL and Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin have developed a method for identifying the most likely gaits of extinct animals and designed a robot that can recreate their walk.
Computer Science - 05.11.2018
VRTIGO lets you test your nerves in virtual reality
EPFL researchers have developed a virtual-reality program that examines how users - equipped with a headset and sensors - react to a vertiginous stroll. The system will be presented at the Geneva International Film Festival on 5-10 November. Why do some people react more strongly than others when faced with the unknown? Researchers at EPFL's Laboratory of Behavioral Genetics, headed by Professor Carmen Sandi, have set out to learn more with a new virtual reality program.
Innovation - Computer Science - 16.10.2018
Using mobile data to model the drinking habits of Swiss youth
Researchers have carried out a study using smartphone data from young Swiss people to better understand the circumstances in which they are most likely to drink. A computer model developed from the data can estimate, with over 75% accuracy, whether alcohol was consumed on a given weekend night. Do young people drink more out on the town or at a friend's place?
Computer Science - 15.10.2018
Ultra-light gloves let users "touch" virtual objects
Scientists from EPFL and ETH Zurich have developed an ultra-light glove - weighing less than 8 grams per finger- that enables users to feel and manipulate virtual objects. Their system provides extremely realistic haptic feedback and could run on a battery, allowing for unparalleled freedom of movement.
Computer Science - Innovation - 04.09.2018
Artificial intelligence helps create at the right time
By using artificial intelligence to comb through the vast array of published research and detect the findings most relevant for invention, engineers can magnify their creative ability and invent faster and more disruptively than has been previously possible. This is the approach that Ana Manasovska helped develop as a Master's student at EPFL, and the one used by creative Artificial Intelligence firm Iprova, based at EPFL's Innovation Park, to come up with a wide range of inventions.