探花直播 of Cambridge - sensors

Scientists develop 鈥榮mart pyjamas鈥� to monitor sleep disorders

sc604 — Tue, 18 Feb 2025 11:06:44 +0000

探花直播team, led by the 探花直播 of Cambridge, developed printed fabric sensors that can monitor breathing by detecting tiny movements in the skin, even when the pyjamas are worn loosely around the neck and chest.

探花直播sensors embedded in the smart pyjamas were trained using a 鈥榣ightweight鈥� AI algorithm and can identify six different sleep states with 98.6% accuracy, while ignoring regular sleep movements such as tossing and turning. 探花直播energy-efficient sensors only require a handful of examples of sleep patterns to successfully identify the difference between regular and disordered sleep.

探花直播researchers say that their smart pyjamas could be useful for the millions of people in the UK who struggle with disordered sleep to monitor their sleep, and how it might be affected by lifestyle changes. 探花直播results are reported in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences (PNAS).

Sleep is vital for human health, yet more than 60% of adults experience poor sleep quality, leading to the loss of between 44 and 54 annual working days, and an estimated one percent reduction in global GDP. Sleep behaviours such as mouth breathing, sleep apnoea and snoring are major contributors to poor sleep quality, and can lead to chronic conditions such as cardiovascular disease, diabetes and depression.

鈥淧oor sleep has huge effects on our physical and mental health, which is why proper sleep monitoring is vital,鈥� said Professor Luigi Occhipinti from the Cambridge Graphene Centre, who led the research. 鈥淗owever, the current gold standard for sleep monitoring, polysomnography or PSG, is expensive, complicated and isn鈥檛 suitable for long-term use at home.鈥�

Home devices that are simpler than PSG, such as home sleep tests, typically focus on a single condition and are bulky or uncomfortable. Wearable devices such as smartwatches, while more comfortable to wear, can only infer sleep quality, and are not effective for accurately monitoring disordered sleep.

鈥淲e need something that is comfortable and easy to use every night, but is accurate enough to provide meaningful information about sleep quality,鈥� said Occhipinti.

To develop the smart pyjamas, Occhipinti and his colleagues built on their earlier work on a smart choker for people with speech impairments. 探花直播team re-designed the graphene-based sensors for breath analysis during sleep, and made several design improvements to increase sensitivity.

鈥淭hanks to the design changes we made, the sensors are able to detect different sleep states, while ignoring regular tossing and turning,鈥� said Occhinpinti. 鈥� 探花直播improved sensitivity also means that the smart garment does not need to be worn tightly around the neck, which many people would find uncomfortable. As long as the sensors are in contact with the skin, they provide highly accurate readings.鈥�

探花直播researchers designed a machine learning model, called SleepNet, that uses the signals captured by the sensors to identify sleep states including nasal breathing, mouth breathing, snoring, teeth grinding, central sleep apnoea (CSA), and obstructive sleep apnoea (OSA). SleepNet is a 鈥榣ightweight鈥� AI network, that reduces computational complexity to the point where it can be run on portable devices, without the need to connect to computers or servers.

鈥淲e pruned the AI model to the point where we could get the lowest computational cost with the highest degree of accuracy,鈥� said Occhinpinti. 鈥淭his way we are able to embed the main data processors in the sensors directly.鈥�

探花直播smart pyjamas were tested on healthy patients and those with sleep apnoea, and were able to detect a range of sleep states with an accuracy of 98.6%. By treating the smart pyjamas with a special starching step, they were able to improve the durability of the sensors so they can be run through a regular washing machine.

探花直播most recent version of the smart pyjamas are also capable of wireless data transfer, meaning the sleep data can be securely transferred to a smartphone or computer.

鈥淪leep is so important to health, and reliable sleep monitoring can be key in preventative care,鈥� said Occhipinti. 鈥淪ince this garment can be used at home, rather than in a hospital or clinic, it can alert users to changes in their sleep that they can then discuss with their doctor. Sleep behaviours such as nasal versus mouth breathing are not typically picked up in an NHS sleep analysis, but it can be an indicator of disordered sleep.鈥�

探花直播researchers are hoping to adapt the sensors for a range of health conditions or home uses, such as baby monitoring, and have been in discussions with different patient groups. They are also working to improve the durability of the sensors for long-term use.

探花直播research was supported in part by the EU Graphene Flagship, Haleon, and the Engineering and Physical Sciences Research Council (EPSRC), part of UK Research and Innovation (UKRI).

Reference:
Chenyu Tang, Wentian Yi et al. 鈥�A deep learning-enabled smart garment for accurate and versatile monitoring of sleep conditions in daily life.鈥� PNAS (2025). DOI: 10.1073/pnas.2420498122

Researchers have developed comfortable, washable 鈥榮mart pyjamas鈥� that can monitor sleep disorders such as sleep apnoea at home, without the need for sticky patches, cumbersome equipment or a visit to a specialist sleep clinic.

We need something that is comfortable and easy to use every night, but is accurate enough to provide meaningful information about sleep quality

Luigi Occhipinti

Illustration and photograph of 'smart pyjamas'

探花直播text in this work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike 4.0 International License. Images, including our videos, are Copyright 漏探花直播 of Cambridge and licensors/contributors as identified. All rights reserved. We make our image and video content available in a number of ways 鈥� on our main website under its Terms and conditions, and on a range of channels including social media that permit your use and sharing of our content under their respective Terms.

Yes

Imperceptible sensors made from 鈥榚lectronic spider silk鈥� can be printed directly on human skin

sc604 — Fri, 24 May 2024 09:23:44 +0000

探花直播method, developed by researchers from the 探花直播 of Cambridge, takes its inspiration from spider silk, which can conform and stick to a range of surfaces. These 鈥榮pider silks鈥� also incorporate bioelectronics, so that different sensing capabilities can be added to the 鈥榳eb鈥�.

探花直播fibres, at least 50 times smaller than a human hair, are so lightweight that the researchers printed them directly onto the fluffy seedhead of a dandelion without collapsing its structure. When printed on human skin, the fibre sensors conform to the skin and expose the sweat pores, so the wearer doesn鈥檛 detect their presence. Tests of the fibres printed onto a human finger suggest they could be used as continuous health monitors.

This low-waste and low-emission method for augmenting living structures could be used in a range of fields, from healthcare and virtual reality, to electronic textiles and environmental monitoring. 探花直播results are reported in the journal Nature Electronics.

Although human skin is remarkably sensitive, augmenting it with electronic sensors could fundamentally change how we interact with the world around us. For example, sensors printed directly onto the skin could be used for continuous health monitoring, for understanding skin sensations, or could improve the sensation of 鈥榬eality鈥� in gaming or virtual reality application.

While wearable technologies with embedded sensors, such as smartwatches, are widely available, these devices can be uncomfortable, obtrusive and can inhibit the skin鈥檚 intrinsic sensations.

鈥淚f you want to accurately sense anything on a biological surface like skin or a leaf, the interface between the device and the surface is vital,鈥� said Professor Yan Yan Shery Huang from Cambridge鈥檚 Department of Engineering, who led the research. 鈥淲e also want bioelectronics that are completely imperceptible to the user, so they don鈥檛 in any way interfere with how the user interacts with the world, and we want them to be sustainable and low waste.鈥�

There are multiple methods for making wearable sensors, but these all have drawbacks. Flexible electronics, for example, are normally printed on plastic films that don鈥檛 allow gas or moisture to pass through, so it would be like wrapping your skin in cling film. Other researchers have recently developed flexible electronics that are gas-permeable, like artificial skins, but these still interfere with normal sensation, and rely on energy- and waste-intensive manufacturing techniques.

3D printing is another potential route for bioelectronics since it is less wasteful than other production methods, but leads to thicker devices that can interfere with normal behaviour. Spinning electronic fibres results in devices that are imperceptible to the user, but don't have a high degree of sensitivity or sophistication, and they鈥檙e difficult to transfer onto the object in question.

Now, the Cambridge-led team has developed a new way of making high-performance bioelectronics that can be customised to a wide range of biological surfaces, from a fingertip to the fluffy seedhead of a dandelion, by printing them directly onto that surface. Their technique takes its inspiration in part from spiders, who create sophisticated and strong web structures adapted to their environment, using minimal material.

探花直播researchers spun their bioelectronic 鈥榮pider silk鈥� from PEDOT:PSS (a biocompatible conducting polymer), hyaluronic acid and polyethylene oxide. 探花直播high-performance fibres were produced from water-based solution at room temperature, which enabled the researchers to control the 鈥榮pinnability鈥� of the fibres. 探花直播researchers then designed an orbital spinning approach to allow the fibres to morph to living surfaces, even down to microstructures such as fingerprints.

Tests of the bioelectronic fibres, on surfaces including human fingers and dandelion seedheads, showed that they provided high-quality sensor performance while being imperceptible to the host.

鈥淥ur spinning approach allows the bioelectronic fibres to follow the anatomy of different shapes, at both the micro and macro scale, without the need for any image recognition,鈥� said Andy Wang, the first author of the paper. 鈥淚t opens up a whole different angle in terms of how sustainable electronics and sensors can be made. It鈥檚 a much easier way to produce large area sensors.鈥�

Most high-resolution sensors are made in an industrial cleanroom and require the use of toxic chemicals in a multi-step and energy-intensive fabrication process. 探花直播Cambridge-developed sensors can be made anywhere and use a tiny fraction of the energy that regular sensors require.

探花直播bioelectronic fibres, which are repairable, can be simply washed away when they have reached the end of their useful lifetime, and generate less than a single milligram of waste: by comparison, a typical single load of laundry produces between 600 and 1500 milligrams of fibre waste.

鈥淯sing our simple fabrication technique, we can put sensors almost anywhere and repair them where and when they need it, without needing a big printing machine or a centralised manufacturing facility,鈥� said Huang. 鈥淭hese sensors can be made on-demand, right where they鈥檙e needed, and produce minimal waste and emissions.鈥�

探花直播researchers say their devices could be used in applications from health monitoring and virtual reality, to precision agriculture and environmental monitoring. In future, other functional materials could be incorporated into this fibre printing method, to build integrated fibre sensors for augmenting the living systems with display, computation, and energy conversion functions. 探花直播research is being commercialised with the support of Cambridge Enterprise, the 探花直播鈥檚 commercialisation arm.

探花直播research was supported in part by the European Research Council, Wellcome, the Royal Society, and the Biotechnology and Biological Sciences Research Council (BBSRC), part of UK Research and Innovation (UKRI).

Reference:
Wenyu Wang et al. 鈥�Sustainable and imperceptible augmentation of living structures with organic bioelectronic fibres.鈥� Nature Electronics (2024). DOI: 10.1038/s41928-024-01174-4

Researchers have developed a method to make adaptive and eco-friendly sensors that can be directly and imperceptibly printed onto a wide range of biological surfaces, whether that鈥檚 a finger or a flower petal.

Huang Lab, Cambridge

Sensors printed on human fingers

Yes

Major investment in doctoral training announced

Anonymous — Tue, 12 Mar 2024 14:23:55 +0000

探花直播65 Engineering and Physical Sciences Research Council (EPSRC) Centres for Doctoral Training (CDTs) will support leading research in areas of national importance, including net zero, AI, defence and security, healthcare and quantum technologies. 探花直播拢1 billion in funding 鈥� from government, universities and industry 鈥� represents the UK鈥檚 biggest-ever investment in engineering and physical sciences doctoral skills.

探花直播探花直播 of Cambridge will lead two of the CDTs and is a partner in a further five CDTs. 探花直播funding will support roughly 150 Cambridge PhD students over the next five years.

探花直播CDT in Future Infrastructure and Built Environment: Unlocking Net Zero (FIBE3 CDT), led by Professor Abir Al-Tabbaa from the Department of Engineering, will focus on meeting the needs of the infrastructure and construction sector in its pursuit of net zero by 2050 and is a collaboration between Cambridge, 30+ industry partners and eight international academic partners.

鈥� 探花直播infrastructure sector is responsible for significant CO2 emissions, energy use and consumption of natural resources, and it鈥檚 key to unlocking net zero,鈥� said Al-Tabbaa. 鈥淭his CDT will develop the next generation of highly talented doctoral graduates who will be equipped to lead the design and implementation of the net zero infrastructure agenda in the UK.鈥�

探花直播FIBE3 CDT will provide more than 70 fully funded studentships over the next five years. 探花直播拢8.1M funding from EPSRC is supported by 拢1.3M funding from the 探花直播 and over 拢2.5M from industry as well as over 拢8.9M of in-kind contributions. Recruitment is underway for the first FIBE3 CDT cohort, to start in October.

探花直播CDT in Sensor Technologies and Applications in an Uncertain World, led by Professor Clemens Kaminski from the Department of Chemical Engineering and Biotechnology, will cover the entire sensor research chain 鈥� from development to end of life 鈥� and will emphasise systems thinking, responsible research and innovation, co-creation, and cohort learning.

鈥淥ur CDT will provide students with comprehensive expertise and skills in sensor technology,鈥� said Kaminski. 鈥淭his programme will develop experts who are capable of driving impactful sensor solutions for industry and society, and can deal with uncertain data and the consequences of a rapidly changing world.鈥�

探花直播探花直播 is also a partner in:

EPSRC Centre for Doctoral Training in 2D Materials of Tomorrow (2DMoT), led by: Professor Irina Grigorieva from the 探花直播 of Manchester
EPSRC Centre for Doctoral Training Developing National Capability for Materials 4.0 and Henry Royce Institute, led by Professor William Parnell from the 探花直播 of Manchester
EPSRC Centre for Doctoral Training in Superconductivity: Enabling Transformative Technologies, led by Professor Antony Carrington from the 探花直播 of Bristol
EPSRC Centre for Doctoral Training in Aerosol Science: Harnessing Aerosol Science for Improved Security, Resilience and Global Health, led by Professor Jonathan Reid from the 探花直播 of Bristol
EPSRC Centre for Doctoral Training in Photonic and Electronic Systems, led by Professor Alwyn Seeds from 探花直播 College London

鈥淎s innovators across the world break new ground faster than ever, it is vital that government, business and academia invest in ambitious UK talent, giving them the tools to pioneer new discoveries that benefit all our lives while creating new jobs and growing the economy,鈥� said Science and Technology Secretary, Michelle Donelan. 鈥淏y targeting critical technologies including artificial intelligence and future telecoms, we are supporting world-class universities across the UK to build the skills base we need to unleash the potential of future tech and maintain our country鈥檚 reputation as a hub of cutting-edge research and development.鈥�

鈥� 探花直播Centres for Doctoral Training will help to prepare the next generation of researchers, specialists and industry experts across a wide range of sectors and industries,鈥� said Professor Charlotte Deane, Executive Chair of the Engineering and Physical Sciences Research Council, part of UK Research and Innovation. 鈥淪panning locations across the UK and a wide range of disciplines, the new centres are a vivid illustration of the UK鈥檚 depth of expertise and potential, which will help us to tackle large-scale, complex challenges and benefit society and the economy. 探花直播high calibre of both the new centres and applicants is a testament to the abundance of research excellence across the UK, and EPSRC鈥檚 role as part of UKRI is to invest in this excellence to advance knowledge and deliver a sustainable, resilient and prosperous nation.鈥�

More than 4,000 doctoral students will be trained over the next nine years, building on EPSRC鈥檚 long-standing record of sustained support for doctoral training.

Total investment in the CDTs includes:

拢479 million by EPSRC, including 拢16 million of additional UKRI funding to support CDTs in quantum technologies
Over 拢7 million from Biotechnology and Biological Sciences Research Council, also part of UKRI, to co-fund three CDTs
拢16 million by the MOD to support two CDTs
拢169 million by UK universities
plus a further 拢420 million in financial and in-kind support from business partners聽

This investment includes an additional 拢135 million for CDTs which will start in 2025. More than 1,400 companies, higher education institutions, charities and civic organisations are taking part in the centres for doctoral training. CDTs have a significant reputation for training future UK academics, industrialists and innovators who have gone on to develop the latest technologies.

Sixty-five Centres for Doctoral Training 鈥� which will train more than 4000 doctoral students across the UK 鈥� have been announced by Science, Innovation and Technology Secretary Michelle Donelan.

Phynart Studio via Getty Images

Two people working on circuit boards

Yes

Sensors made from 鈥榝rozen smoke鈥� can detect toxic formaldehyde in homes and offices

sc604 — Fri, 09 Feb 2024 19:00:00 +0000

探花直播researchers, from the 探花直播 of Cambridge, developed sensors made from highly porous materials known as aerogels. By precisely engineering the shape of the holes in the aerogels, the sensors were able to detect the fingerprint of formaldehyde, a common indoor air pollutant, at room temperature.

探花直播proof-of-concept sensors, which require minimal power, could be adapted to detect a wide range of hazardous gases, and could also be miniaturised for wearable and healthcare applications. 探花直播results are reported in the journal Science Advances.

Volatile organic compounds (VOCs) are a major source of indoor air pollution, causing watery eyes, burning in the eyes and throat, and difficulty breathing at elevated levels. High concentrations can trigger attacks in people with asthma, and prolonged exposure may cause certain cancers.

Formaldehyde is a common VOC and is emitted by household items including pressed wood products (such as MDF), wallpapers and paints, and some synthetic fabrics. For the most part, the levels of formaldehyde emitted by these items are low, but levels can build up over time, especially in garages where paints and other formaldehyde-emitting products are more likely to be stored.

According to a 2019 report from the campaign group Clean Air Day, a fifth of households in the UK showed notable concentrations of formaldehyde, with 13% of residences surpassing the recommended limit set by the World Health Organization (WHO).

鈥淰OCs such as formaldehyde can lead to serious health problems with prolonged exposure even at low concentrations, but current sensors don鈥檛 have the sensitivity or selectivity to distinguish between VOCs that have different impacts on health,鈥� said Professor Tawfique Hasan from the Cambridge Graphene Centre, who led the research.

鈥淲e wanted to develop a sensor that is small and doesn鈥檛 use much power, but can selectively detect formaldehyde at low concentrations,鈥� said Zhuo Chen, the paper鈥檚 first author.

探花直播researchers based their sensors on aerogels: ultra-light materials sometimes referred to as 鈥榣iquid smoke鈥�, since they are more than 99% air by volume. 探花直播open structure of aerogels allows gases to easily move in and out. By precisely engineering the shape, or morphology, of the holes, the aerogels can act as highly effective sensors.

Working with colleagues at Warwick 探花直播, the Cambridge researchers optimised the composition and structure of the aerogels to increase their sensitivity to formaldehyde, making them into filaments about three times the width of a human hair. 探花直播researchers 3D printed lines of a paste made from graphene, a two-dimensional form of carbon, and then freeze-dried the graphene paste to form the holes in the final aerogel structure. 探花直播aerogels also incorporate tiny semiconductors known as quantum dots.

探花直播sensors they developed were able to detect formaldehyde at concentrations as low as eight parts per billion, which is 0.4 percent of the level deemed safe in UK workplaces. 探花直播sensors also work at room temperature, consuming very low power.

鈥淭raditional gas sensors need to be heated up, but because of the way we鈥檝e engineered the materials, our sensors work incredibly well at room temperature, so they use between 10 and 100 times less power than other sensors,鈥� said Chen.

To improve selectivity, the researchers then incorporated machine learning algorithms into the sensors. 探花直播algorithms were trained to detect the 鈥榝ingerprint鈥� of different gases, so that the sensor was able to distinguish the fingerprint of formaldehyde from other VOCs.

鈥淓xisting VOC detectors are blunt instruments 鈥� you only get one number for the overall concentration in the air,鈥� said Hasan. 鈥淏y building a sensor that can detect specific VOCs at very low concentrations in real time, it can give home and business owners a more accurate picture of air quality and any potential health risks.鈥�

探花直播researchers say the same technique could be used to develop sensors to detect other VOCs. In theory, a device the size of a standard household carbon monoxide detector could incorporate multiple different sensors within it, providing real-time information about a range of different hazardous gases.聽鈥淎t Warwick, we're developing a low-cost multi-sensor platform that will incorporate these new aerogel materials and, coupled with AI algorithms, detect different VOCs,鈥� said co-author Professor Julian Gardner from Warwick 探花直播.聽

鈥淏y using highly porous materials as the sensing element, we鈥檙e opening up whole new ways of detecting hazardous materials in our environment,鈥� said Chen.

探花直播research was supported in part by the Henry Royce Institute, and the Engineering and Physical Sciences Research Council (EPSRC), part of UK Research and Innovation (UKRI). Tawfique Hasan is a Fellow of Churchill College, Cambridge.

Reference:
Zhuo Chen et al. 鈥�Real-time, noise and drift resilient formaldehyde sensing at room temperature with aerogel filaments.鈥� Science Advances (2024). DOI: 10.1126/sciadv.adk6856

Researchers have developed a sensor made from 鈥榝rozen smoke鈥� that uses artificial intelligence techniques to detect formaldehyde in real time at concentrations as low as eight parts per billion, far beyond the sensitivity of most indoor air quality sensors.

NASA/JPL-Caltech

Silica aerogel

Yes

Licence type:

Public Domain

Robot trained to read braille at twice the speed of humans

sc604 — Mon, 29 Jan 2024 06:04:52 +0000

探花直播research team, from the 探花直播 of Cambridge, used machine learning algorithms to teach a robotic sensor to quickly slide over lines of braille text. 探花直播robot was able to read the braille at 315 words per minute at close to 90% accuracy.

Although the robot braille reader was not developed as an assistive technology, the researchers say the high sensitivity required to read braille makes it an ideal test in the development of robot hands or prosthetics with comparable sensitivity to human fingertips. 探花直播results are reported in the journal IEEE Robotics and Automation Letters.

Human fingertips are remarkably sensitive and help us gather information about the world around us. Our fingertips can detect tiny changes in the texture of a material or help us know how much force to use when grasping an object: for example, picking up an egg without breaking it or a bowling ball without dropping it.

Reproducing that level of sensitivity in a robotic hand, in an energy-efficient way, is a big engineering challenge. In Professor Fumiya Iida鈥檚 lab in Cambridge鈥檚 Department of Engineering, researchers are developing solutions to this and other skills that humans find easy, but robots find difficult.

鈥� 探花直播softness of human fingertips is one of the reasons we鈥檙e able to grip things with the right amount of pressure,鈥� said Parth Potdar from Cambridge鈥檚 Department of Engineering and an undergraduate at Pembroke College, the paper鈥檚 first author. 鈥淔or robotics, softness is a useful characteristic, but you also need lots of sensor information, and it鈥檚 tricky to have both at once, especially when dealing with flexible or deformable surfaces.鈥�

Braille is an ideal test for a robot 鈥榝ingertip鈥� as reading it requires high sensitivity, since the dots in each representative letter pattern are so close together. 探花直播researchers used an off-the-shelf sensor to develop a robotic braille reader that more accurately replicates human reading behaviour.

鈥淭here are existing robotic braille readers, but they only read one letter at a time, which is not how humans read,鈥� said co-author David Hardman, also from the Department of Engineering. 鈥淓xisting robotic braille readers work in a static way: they touch one letter pattern, read it, pull up from the surface, move over, lower onto the next letter pattern, and so on. We want something that鈥檚 more realistic and far more efficient.鈥�

探花直播robotic sensor the researchers used has a camera in its 鈥榝ingertip鈥�, and reads by using a combination of the information from the camera and the sensors. 鈥淭his is a hard problem for roboticists as there鈥檚 a lot of image processing that needs to be done to remove motion blur, which is time and energy-consuming,鈥� said Potdar.

探花直播team developed machine learning algorithms so the robotic reader would be able to 鈥榙eblur鈥� the images before the sensor attempted to recognise the letters. They trained the algorithm on a set of sharp images of braille with fake blur applied. After the algorithm had learned to deblur the letters, they used a computer vision model to detect and classify each character.

Once the algorithms were incorporated, the researchers tested their reader by sliding it quickly along rows of braille characters. 探花直播robotic braille reader could read at 315 words per minute at 87% accuracy, which is twice as fast and about as accurate as a human Braille reader.

鈥淐onsidering that we used fake blur the train the algorithm, it was surprising how accurate it was at reading braille,鈥� said Hardman. 鈥淲e found a nice trade-off between speed and accuracy, which is also the case with human readers.鈥�

鈥淏raille reading speed is a great way to measure the dynamic performance of tactile sensing systems, so our findings could be applicable beyond braille, for applications like detecting surface textures or slippage in robotic manipulation,鈥� said Potdar.

In future, the researchers are hoping to scale the technology to the size of a humanoid hand or skin. 探花直播research was supported in part by the Samsung Global Research Outreach Program.

聽

Reference:
Parth Potdar et al. 鈥�High-Speed Tactile Braille Reading via Biomimetic Sliding Interactions.鈥� IEEE Robotics and Automation Letters (2024). DOI: 10.1109/LRA.2024.3356978

Researchers have developed a robotic sensor that incorporates artificial intelligence techniques to read braille at speeds roughly double that of most human readers.

Can robots read braille?

Parth Potdar

Robot braille reader

Yes

It鈥檚 all in the wrist: energy-efficient robot hand learns how not to drop the ball

sc604 — Wed, 12 Apr 2023 03:23:34 +0000

Researchers have designed a low-cost, energy-efficient robotic hand that can grasp a range of objects 鈥� and not drop them 鈥� using just the movement of its wrist and the feeling in its 鈥榮kin鈥�. 聽

Artificial intelligence powers record-breaking all-in-one miniature spectrometers

sc604 — Thu, 20 Oct 2022 18:00:00 +0000

We see light and colours around us every day. However, to analyse the information it carries, we must analyse light using spectrometers, in the lab. These devices detect sparkles and substances that our eyes would otherwise not notice.

Now, an international team of researchers, including the 探花直播 of Cambridge, have designed a miniaturised spectrometer that breaks all current resolution records, and does so in a much smaller package, thanks to computational programmes and artificial intelligence.

探花直播new miniaturised devices could be used in a broad range of sectors, from checking the quality of food to analysing starlight or detecting faint clues of life in outer space. 探花直播results are reported in the journal Science.

Traditionally, spectrometers rely on bulky components to filter and disperse light. Modern approaches simplify these components to shrink footprints, but still suffer from limited resolution and bandwidth. Additionally, traditional spectrometers are heavy and take up extraordinary amounts of space, which limits their applications in portable and mobile devices.

To tackle these problems, and shrink the size of the system, researchers have coupled layered materials with artificial intelligence algorithms. 探花直播result is an all-in-one spectrometer thousands of times smaller than current commercial systems. At the same time, it offers performance comparable to benchtop systems. In other words, these new spectrometers will provide portable alternatives to uncover otherwise invisible information, without even going into the lab.

鈥淲e eliminate the need for detector arrays, dispersive components, and filters. It鈥檚 an all-in-one, miniaturised device that could revolutionise this field,鈥� said Dr Hoon Hahn Yoon, from Aalto 探花直播 in Finland, first author of the paper. This spectrometer-on-chip technology is expected to offer high performance and new usability across science and industry.

探花直播detector uses van der Waals heterostructures 鈥� a 鈥榮andwich鈥� of different ingredients, including graphene, molybdenum disulfide, and tungsten diselenide. Different combinations of material components enable light detection beyond the visible spectrum, as far as the near-infrared region. This means the spectrometer detects more than just colour, enabling applications such as chemical analysis and night vision.

鈥淲e detect a continuum spectrum of light, opening a world of possibilities in a myriad of markets,鈥� said Yoon. 鈥淓xploring other material combinations could uncover further functionalities, including even broader hyperspectral detection and improved resolution.鈥�

Artificial intelligence is a key aspect of these devices, commonly called 鈥榗omputational鈥� spectrometers. This technology compensates for the inherent noise increase that inevitably occurs when the optical component is wholly removed.

鈥淲e were able to use mathematical algorithms to successfully reconstruct the signals and spectra, it鈥檚 a profound and transformative technological leap,鈥� said lead author Professor Zhipei Sun, also from Aalto 探花直播, and a former member of Cambridge鈥檚 Department of Engineering. 鈥� 探花直播current design is just a proof-of-concept. More advanced algorithms, as well as different combinations of materials, could soon provide even better miniaturised spectrometers.鈥�

Spectrometers are used for toxin detection in food and cosmetics, cancer imaging, and in spacecraft 鈥� including the James Webb Space Telescope. And they will soon become more common thanks to the development and advancement of technologies such as the Internet of Things and Industry 4.0.

探花直播detection of light 鈥� and the full analysis of spectroscopic information 鈥� has applications in sensing, surveillance, smart agriculture, and more. Among the most promising applications for miniaturised spectrometers are chemical and biochemical analysis, thanks to the capabilities of the devices to detect light in the infrared wavelength range.

探花直播new devices could be incorporated into instruments like drones, mobile phones, and lab-on-a-chip platforms, which can carry out several experiments in a single integrated circuit. 探花直播latter also opens up opportunities in healthcare. In this field, spectrometers and light-detectors are already key components of imaging and diagnostic systems 鈥� the new miniaturised devices could enable the simultaneous visualisation and detection of 鈥榗hemical fingerprints鈥�, leading to possibilities in the biomedical area.

鈥淥ur miniaturised spectrometers offer high spatial and spectral resolution at the micrometre and nanometre scales, which is particularly exciting for responsive bio-implants and innovative imaging techniques,鈥� said co-author Professor Tawfique Hasan, from the Cambridge Graphene Centre.

This technology has huge potential for scalability and integration, thanks to its compatibility with well-established industrial processes. It could open up the future for the next generation of smartphone cameras that evolve into hyperspectral cameras that conventional colour cameras cannot do. Researchers hope their contribution is a stepping stone towards the development of more advanced computational spectrometers, with record-breaking accuracy and resolution. This example, they say, is just the first of many.

Reference:
Hoon Hahn Yoon et al. 鈥�Miniaturized Spectrometers with a Tunable van der Waals Junction.鈥� Science (2022). DOI: 10.1126/science.add8544.

Using Artificial Intelligence (AI) to replace optical and mechanical components, researchers have designed a tiny spectrometer that breaks all current resolution records.

Suvi-Tuuli Akkanen, Mikko Turunen, Vincent Pelgrin. Aalto 探花直播.

On-chip spectrometer on a fingertip

探花直播text in this work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License. Images, including our videos, are Copyright 漏探花直播 of Cambridge and licensors/contributors as identified.聽 All rights reserved. We make our image and video content available in a number of ways 鈥� as here, on our main website under its Terms and conditions, and on a range of channels including social media that permit your use and sharing of our content under their respective Terms.

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Self-healing materials for robotics made from 鈥榡elly鈥� and salt

sc604 — Fri, 18 Feb 2022 16:54:17 +0000

探花直播low-cost jelly-like materials, developed by researchers at the 探花直播 of Cambridge, can sense strain, temperature and humidity. And unlike earlier self-healing robots, they can also partially repair themselves at room temperature.

探花直播results are reported in the journal NPG Asia Materials.

Soft sensing technologies could transform robotics, tactile interfaces and wearable devices, among other applications. However, most soft sensing technologies aren鈥檛 durable and consume high amounts of energy.

鈥淚ncorporating soft sensors into robotics allows us to get a lot more information from them, like how strain on our muscles allows our brains to get information about the state of our bodies,鈥� said David Hardman from Cambridge鈥檚 Department of Engineering, the paper鈥檚 first author.

As part of the EU-funded SHERO project, Hardman and his colleagues have been working to develop soft sensing, self-healing materials for robotic hands and arms. These materials can detect when they are damaged, take the necessary steps to temporarily heal themselves and then resume work 鈥� all without the need for human interaction.

鈥淲e鈥檝e been working with self-healing materials for several years, but now we鈥檙e looking into faster and cheaper ways to make self-healing robots,鈥� said co-author Dr Thomas George-Thuruthel, also from the Department of Engineering.

Earlier versions of the self-healing robots needed to be heated in order to heal, but the Cambridge researchers are now developing materials that can heal at room temperature, which would make them more useful for real-world applications.

鈥淲e started with a stretchy, gelatine-based material which is cheap, biodegradable and biocompatible and carried out different tests on how to incorporate sensors into the material by adding in lots of conductive components,鈥� said Hardman.

探花直播researchers found that printing sensors containing sodium chloride 鈥� salt 鈥� instead of carbon ink resulted in a material with the properties they were looking for. Since salt is soluble in the water-filled hydrogel, it provides a uniform channel for ionic conduction 鈥� the movement of ions.

When measuring the electrical resistance of the printed materials, the researchers found that changes in strain resulted in a highly linear response, which they could use to calculate the deformations of the material. Adding salt also enabled sensing of stretches of more than three times the sensor鈥檚 original length, so that the material can be incorporated into flexible and stretchable robotic devices.

探花直播self-healing materials are cheap and easy to make, either by 3D printing or casting. They are preferable to many existing alternatives since they show long-term strength and stability without drying out, and they are made entirely from widely available, food-safe, materials.

鈥淚t鈥檚 a really good sensor considering how cheap and easy it is to make,鈥� said George-Thuruthel. 鈥淲e could make a whole robot out of gelatine and print the sensors wherever we need them.鈥�

探花直播self-healing hydrogels bond well with a range of different materials, meaning they can easily be incorporated with other types of robotics. For example, much of the research in the Bio-Inspired Robotics Laboratory, where the researchers are based, is focused on the development of artificial hands. Although this material is a proof-of-concept, if developed further, it could be incorporated into artificial skins and custom-made wearable and biodegradable sensors.

This work was supported by the Self-HEaling soft RObotics (SHERO) project, funded under the Future and Emerging Technologies (FET) programme of the European Commission.

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Reference:
David Hardman, Thomas George-Thuruthel, and Fumiya Iida. 鈥�Self-Healing Ionic Gelatin/Glycerol Hydrogels for Strain Sensing Applications.鈥� NPG Asia Materials (2022). DOI: 10.1038/s41427-022-00357-9

Researchers have developed self-healing, biodegradable, 3D-printed materials that could be used in the development of realistic artificial hands and other soft robotics applications.

It鈥檚 a really good sensor considering how cheap and easy it is to make

Thomas George-Thuruthel

Self healing robot developed by Cambridge Uni engineers

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