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Categories: Biology: Evolutionary, Engineering: Robotics Research
Published Challenge accepted: High-speed AI drone overtakes world-champion drone racers
(via sciencedaily.com) In a milestone for artificial intelligence (AI), the AI system 'Swift' has beaten the world champions in drone racing -- a result that seemed unattainable just a few years ago. The AI-piloted drone was trained in a simulated environment. Real-world applications include environmental monitoring or disaster response.
Published Surpassing the human eye: Machine learning image analysis rapidly determines chemical mixture composition
(via sciencedaily.com) Machine learning model provides quick method for determining the composition of solid chemical mixtures using only photographs of the sample.
Published People hold smart AI assistants responsible for outcomes
(via sciencedaily.com) Even when humans see AI-based assistants purely as tools, they ascribe partial responsibility for decisions to them, as a new study shows.
Published Tiny, shape-shifting robot can squish itself into tight spaces
(via sciencedaily.com) Imagine a robot that can wedge itself through the cracks in rubble to search for survivors trapped in the wreckage of a collapsed building. Engineers are working toward to that goal with CLARI, short for Compliant Legged Articulated Robotic Insect.
Published Some hosts have an 'evolutionary addiction' to their microbiome
(via sciencedaily.com) Original source We've long known that hosts malfunction without their microbiome -- whether they are missing key microbial species or are completely microbe free. This malfunctioning is usually explained by the need for microbes to perform unique and beneficial functions, but evolutionary ecologist is questioning that narrative.
Published Male crested macaques more likely to respond to offspring screams recruiting support
(via sciencedaily.com) Original source When infants are involved in agonistic conflicts, male crested macaques (Macaca nigra) are more likely to respond to screams from their own offspring. This is the conclusion of a recent study led by behavioral ecologists. The researchers studied the behavior of crested macaques in the Tangkoko Nature Reserve on Sulawesi, Indonesia, over a 24-month period (2008 to 2010).
Published Sensors harnessing light give hope in rehabilitation
(via sciencedaily.com) A research team overcomes limitations of conventional strain sensors using computer vision integrated optical sensors.
Published Three-eyed distant relative of insects and crustaceans reveals amazing detail of early animal evolution
(via sciencedaily.com) Original source Scientists use cutting edge scanning technology to reconstruct 'fossil monster' that lived half a billion years ago. The creature's soft anatomy was well-preserved, allowing it to be imaged almost completely: It fills a gap in our understanding of the evolution of arthropods such as insects and crustaceans.
Published Care robots: Ethical perceptions and acceptance
(via sciencedaily.com) The global population of people older than 65 years of age is rapidly increasing the need for care. Although care robots are a promising solution to fill in for caregivers, their social implementation has been slow and unsatisfactory. A team of international researchers has now developed the first universal model that can be employed across cultural contexts to explain how ethical perceptions affect the willingness to use care robots.
Published Curious and cryptic: New leaf insects discovered
(via sciencedaily.com) Original source An international research team has described seven previously unknown species of leaf insects, also known as walking leaves. The insects belong to the stick and leaf insect order, which are known for their unusual appearance: they look confusingly similar to parts of plants such as twigs, bark or -- in the case of leaf insects -- leaves. This sophisticated camouflage provides excellent protection from predators as well as presenting a challenge to researchers. Genetic analysis enabled the researchers to discover 'cryptic species', which cannot be distinguished by their external appearance alone. The findings are not only important for the systematic study of leaf insects, but also for the protection of their diversity.
Published AI helps robots manipulate objects with their whole bodies
(via sciencedaily.com) A new AI technique enables a robot to develop complex plans for manipulating an object using its entire hand, not just fingertips. This model can generate effective plans in about a minute using a standard laptop.
Published New framework for oceanographic research provides potential for broader access to deep sea scientific exploration
(via sciencedaily.com) Scientific exploration of the deep ocean has largely remained inaccessible to most people because of barriers to access due to infrastructure, training, and physical ability requirements for at-sea oceanographic research.
Published New dual-arm robot achieves bimanual tasks by learning from simulation
(via sciencedaily.com) An innovative bimanual robot displays tactile sensitivity close to human-level dexterity using AI to inform its actions.
Published How a cup of water can unlock the secrets of our Universe
(via sciencedaily.com) Original source A researcher made a discovery that could change our understanding of the universe. He reveals that there is a range in which fundamental constants can vary, allowing for the viscosity needed for life processes to occur within and between living cells. This is an important piece of the puzzle in determining where these constants come from and how they impact life as we know it.
Published Natural selection can slow evolution, maintain similarities across generations
(via sciencedaily.com) Original source New research suggests that natural selection, famous for rewarding advantageous differences in organisms, can also preserve similarities. The researchers worked with a plant called wild radish and its stamens, or pollen-producing parts, two of which are short and four are long. Roughly 55 million years ago, wild radish ancestors had stamens of equal length. The team selectively bred -- or artificially selected -- wild radish to reduce the difference in stamen length and return the plant to a more ancestral look. This shows that today's wild radish and, likely, its family members still have the requisite genetic variability to evolve, but natural selection is preserving its different stamen lengths.
Published Fungus gnats as pollinators not pests
(via sciencedaily.com) Original source Many plants and crops rely on insects to pollinate them so they can reproduce. A new study has shown that several flowering plants from the group Euonymus are pollinated by fungus gnats, a dipteran insect. Specifically, they pollinate Euonymus plants which have red-petaled flowers with short stamens and yogurt-like scent. Although fungus gnats are known to pollinate hundreds of plant species, this study shows that the particular traits of red Euonymus flowers were likely to have been acquired via pollination syndrome, evolving over a process of natural selection to be pollinated specifically by fungus gnats. This research highlights the important role of Diptera, which are commonly regarded as pests, in plant diversity and evolution.
Published It all depends on the genetic diversity
(via sciencedaily.com) Original source New research shows that a single mutation that has immediate effects on plant fitness is maintained over the long term in natural plant populations, despite theories predict the contrary. The researchers located and identified the gene that regulates the amount of an active defense hormone. Mutants in this gene are susceptible to herbivore attack. However, they compensate for impaired defenses through robust genetic networks. When fewer herbivores attack, they even grow faster and produce more offspring.
Published Advancing trajectory tracking control of pneumatic artificial muscle-based systems
(via sciencedaily.com) Pneumatic artificial muscles (PAMs) are artificial devices that can simulate the mechanics of human muscles, and have shown great promise in industries requiring human-robot interaction systems. Despite their potential, controlling the trajectory performance of PAM-based systems is challenging owing to their nonlinear characteristics. Now, researchers have developed a novel adaptive sliding mode controller that uses fuzzy logic to estimate PAM-based system's parameters, promising enhanced tracking accuracy and adaptability compared to traditional control methods.
Published The modern sea spider had started to diversify by the Jurassic, study finds
(via sciencedaily.com) Original source An extremely rare collection of 160-million-year-old sea spider fossils from Southern France are closely related to living species, unlike older fossils of their kind.
Published Brain recordings capture musicality of speech -- with help from Pink Floyd
(via sciencedaily.com) For those with neurological or developmental disorders compromising speech, brain machine interfaces could help them communicate. But today's interfaces are slow and, from electrodes placed on the scalp, can detect letters only. The speech generated is robotic and affectless. Neuroscientists have now shown that they can reconstruct the song a person is hearing from brain recordings alone, holding out the possibility of reconstructing not only words but the musicality of speech, which also conveys meaning.