MIT
New System Cleans Messy Data Tables Automatically
MIT researchers have created a new system that automatically cleans “dirty data” — the typos, duplicates, missing values, misspellings, and inconsistencies dreaded by data analysts, data engineers, and data scientists. MIT researchers have created a new system that automatically cleans “dirty data” — the typos, duplicates, missing values, misspellings, and inconsistencies dreaded by data analysts, …
Robotic Solution For Disinfecting Food Production Plants Wins Agribusiness Prize
The winners of this year’s Rabobank-MIT Food and Agribusiness Innovation Prize got a good indication their pitch was striking a chord when a judge offered to have his company partner with the team for an early demonstration. The offer signified demand for their solution — to say nothing of their chances of winning the pitch …
Untangle Your Hair With Help From Robots
With rapidly growing demands on health care systems, nurses typically spend 18 to 40 percent of their time performing direct patient care tasks, oftentimes for many patients and with little time to spare. Personal care robots that brush your hair could provide substantial help and relief. This may seem like a truly radical form of …
A Tool For Navigating Complex Computer Instructions
We’ve come a long way since Intel introduced the first microprocessor in 1971. Their 4004 held 2,300 transistors, with today’s best chips exceeding billions, harnessing more and more power since their birth. But every time Intel releases a new computer chip, it’s a costly investment, as they need to add new instructions of computer programs …
Seeking The Cellular Mechanisms Of Disease, With Help From Machine Learning
Caroline Uhler’s research blends machine learning and statistics with biology to better understand gene regulation, health, and disease. Despite this lofty mission, Uhler remains dedicated to her original career passion: teaching. “The students at MIT are amazing,” says Uhler. “That’s what makes it so fun to work here.” Uhler recently received tenure in the Department …
An Artificial Intelligence Tool That Can Help Detect Melanoma
Melanoma is a type of malignant tumor responsible for more than 70 percent of all skin cancer-related deaths worldwide. For years, physicians have relied on visual inspection to identify suspicious pigmented lesions (SPLs), which can be an indication of skin cancer. Such early-stage identification of SPLs in primary care settings can improve melanoma prognosis and …
Auto-Updating Websites When Facts Change
Many companies put millions of dollars towards content moderation and curbing fake news. But what about the *old* news and misinformation that is still out there? One fundamental truth about the internet is that it has lots of outdated information. Just think about the many news articles written in the early weeks of the COVID-19 …
More Transparency And Understanding Into Machine Behaviors
Explaining, interpreting, and understanding the human mind presents a unique set of challenges. Doing the same for the behaviors of machines, meanwhile, is a whole other story. As artificial intelligence (AI) models are increasingly used in complex situations — approving or denying loans, helping doctors with medical diagnoses, assisting drivers on the road, or even …
Researchers’ Algorithm Designs Soft Robots That Sense
There are some tasks that traditional robots — the rigid and metallic kind — simply aren’t cut out for. Soft-bodied robots, on the other hand, may be able to interact with people more safely or slip into tight spaces with ease. But for robots to reliably complete their programmed duties, they need to know the …
The (Robotic) Doctor Will See You Now
In the era of social distancing, using robots for some health care interactions is a promising way to reduce in-person contact between health care workers and sick patients. However, a key question that needs to be answered is how patients will react to a robot entering the exam room. Researchers from MIT and Brigham and …