MIT researchers have developed a novel “photonic” chip that uses light instead of electricity — and consumes relatively little power in the process. The chip could be used to process massive neural networks millions of times more efficiently than today’s classical computers do. Neural networks are machine-learning models that are widely used for such tasks…

MIT and the U.S. Air Force have signed an agreement to launch a new program designed to make fundamental advances in artificial intelligence that could improve Air Force operations while also addressing broader societal needs. The effort, known as the MIT-Air Force AI Accelerator, will leverage the expertise and resources of MIT and the Air…

A terahertz laser designed by MIT researchers is the first to reach three key performance goals at once — high constant power, tight beam pattern, and broad electric frequency tuning — and could thus be valuable for a wide range of applications in chemical sensing and imaging. The optimized laser can be used to detect…

MIT computer scientists have developed a system that learns to identify objects within an image, based on a spoken description of the image. Given an image and an audio caption, the model will highlight in real-time the relevant regions of the image being described. Unlike current speech-recognition technologies, the model doesn’t require manual transcriptions and…

If you’re a rock climber, hiker, runner, dancer, or anyone who likes recording themselves while in motion, a personal drone companion can now do all the filming for you — completely autonomously. Skydio, a San Francisco-based startup founded by three MIT alumni, is commercializing an autonomous video-capturing drone — dubbed by some as the “selfie…

The new space race is on. Since the early 2000s, multiple private companies — such as SpaceX, Virgin Galactic, and Blue Origin — have been developing and deploying rockets and other technologies to enable space exploration, a sector historically controlled and funded by the federal government. At this weekend’s New Space Age Conference, private space…

Equipped with high-tech versions of common city fixtures — namely, smart benches and digital information signs — and fueled by a “deploy or die” attitude, MIT Media Lab spinout Changing Environments is hoping to accelerate the development of “smart” cities that use technology to solve urban challenges. “The idea is to bring simple technologies to the…

An MIT spinout is preparing to commercialize a novel rechargable lithium metal battery that offers double the energy capacity of the lithium ion batteries that power many of today’s consumer electronics. Founded in 2012 by MIT alumnus and former postdoc Qichao Hu ’07, SolidEnergy Systems has developed an “anode-free” lithium metal battery with several material…

Head injuries are a hot topic today in sports medicine, with numerous studies pointing to a high prevalence of sports-related concussions, both diagnosed and undiagnosed, among youth and professional athletes. Now an MIT-invented tool is aiding in detecting and diagnosing concussions, in real-time. In 2007, the American College of Sports Medicine estimated that each year…

For people with celiac disease or gluten intolerances, dining out can be stressful. Even trace amounts of the protein — found in wheat, barley, and rye — in a whole plate of food can cause adverse reactions. Now MIT spinout Nima — co-founded by CEO Shireen Yates MBA ’13 and Chief Product Officer Scott Sundvor…

MIT researchers have developed low-cost chemical sensors, made from chemically altered carbon nanotubes, that enable smartphones or other wireless devices to detect trace amounts of toxic gases. Using the sensors, the researchers hope to design lightweight, inexpensive radio-frequency identification (RFID) badges to be used for personal safety and security. Such badges could be worn by…

In response to the terrorist attacks of September 11, 2001, the U.S. government founded the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) to prevent terrorist attacks on American soil. Among other things, the DHS increased screening of cargo coming into the country. At the same time at MIT, the terrorist attacks gave rise to a company dedicated…

Avid cyclist and serial entrepreneur Slava Menn MBA ’11, an MIT Sloan School of Management alumnus, is racing ever closer to fulfilling a personal — and professional — mission to make it safer to own a bike in the city. Menn co-founded Fortified Bicycle in 2011, after a friend was struck by a car while…

Customer service calls can be frustrating for consumers and agents alike. But MIT spinout Cogito believes it can use behavioral analytics to make those experiences less onerous. Cogito has developed voice-analytics software for call centers — refined through years of research that focused on human behavior — that tracks, in real-time, voice patterns of customers and…

Mobile-based telematics—apps and hardware that measure driving behaviors—may be the future of safer roads. Increasingly, people are using these technologies to improve their own driving habits, while insurance companies use the data to offer rewards and discounts to safe drivers. One of the most prominent companies—and one of the first—in this market is Cambridge Mobile…

An exotic material called gallium nitride (GaN) is poised to become the next semiconductor for power electronics, enabling much higher efficiency than silicon. In 2013, the Department of Energy (DOE) dedicated approximately half of a $140 million research institute for power electronics to GaN research, citing its potential to reduce worldwide energy consumption. Now MIT…

The days of wasting condiments — and other products — that stick stubbornly to the sides of their bottles may be gone, thanks to MIT spinout LiquiGlide, which has licensed its nonstick coating to a major consumer-goods company.   Developed in 2009 by MIT’s Kripa Varanasi and David Smith, LiquiGlide is a liquid-impregnated coating that acts…

Small satellites are becoming increasingly popular tools for Earth-imaging, communications, and other applications. But they have major control issues: Once in space, they can’t accurately point cameras or change orbit, and they usually crash and burn within a few months. What these satellites lack is a viable propulsion system, says MIT aeronautics and astronautics alumna…

Today’s most innovative technologies and tech-driven ideas — such as wearable electronics, the “Internet of things,” big data, and crowdsourcing — are forever changing the way we connect to one another and conduct business. On Saturday at the MIT Media Lab, a host of entrepreneurs and executives converged at a student-run conference to discuss how they’ve…

Entrepreneurship can sometimes take people down unexpected paths. Just ask the two co-founders of MIT Media Lab spinout Sifteo: Their success in rapidly commercializing their popular “smart” gaming blocks recently led to an acquisition by 3D Robotics (3DR) to help build the company’s newest consumer drones. In 2011, alumni David Merrill SM ’04, PhD ’09 and…

Media Lab alumni’s success with “smart” gaming blocks led to an acquisition deal to make consumer drones. Entrepreneurship can sometimes take people down unexpected paths. Just ask the two co-founders of MIT Media Lab spinout Sifteo: Their success in rapidly commercializing their popular “smart” gaming blocks recently led to an acquisition by 3D Robotics (3DR)…

Inkjet-printing system could enable mass-production of large-screen and flexible OLED displays. Flexible smartphones and color-saturated television displays were some highlights at this year’s Consumer Electronics Showcase, held in January in Las Vegas. Many of those displays were made using organic light-emitting diodes, or OLEDs — semiconducting films about 100 nanometers thick, made of organic compounds…

Startup’s thermal-imaging cars can quickly track energy leaks in thousands of homes and buildings. In 2007, Google unleashed a fleet of cars with roof-mounted cameras to provide street-level images of roads around the world. Now MIT spinout Essess is bringing similar “drive-by” innovations to energy efficiency in homes and businesses. The startup deploys cars with…

Socrative mobile quiz app saves teachers time and offers real-time data on student comprehension of material. As a teaching assistant at the MIT Sloan School of Management in 2010, Amit Maimon MBA ’11 witnessed the origins of a technological phenomenon: Smartphones and tablets had started creeping into the classroom in the hands of students. But…

The millions of people worldwide who suffer from the painful bladder disease known as interstitial cystitis (IC) may soon have a better, long-term treatment option, thanks to a controlled-release, implantable device invented by MIT professor Michael Cima and other researchers. In the mid-2000s, a urologist at Boston Children’s Hospital contacted Cima — at the behest…