Latest news with #UniversityofWashington
Yahoo
a day ago
- Science
- Yahoo
Cannibal robot? Scientists develop a robot that can grow and heal by eating others
This robot is not the first transformer mechanism revealed to the public, but the way it transforms is certainly novel – it grows and heals by consuming other robots. Researchers from Columbia University in the United States have developed a robot, called the Truss Link, that can detect and merge with pieces of robots nearby to fill in missing parts. "True autonomy means robots must not only think for themselves but also physically sustain themselves," Philippe Martin Wyder, lead author and researcher at Columbia Engineering and the University of Washington, wrote in a statement. Related China unveils tiny spy drone that looks like a mosquito. What other small spy drones exist? Made with magnetic sticks, the Truss Link can expand or transform from a flat shape to a 3D structure to adapt to the environment. It can also add new bits from other robots or discard old parts that are not functional anymore to increase its performance. In a video posted by the team, the robot merges with a piece nearby and uses it as a walking stick to increase its speed by more than 50 per cent. Related This new artificial muscle can move just like human muscles but it's 17 times stronger 'Gives legs to AI' Researchers named the process in which the robot self-assembles bits of other robots 'robot metabolism'. It is described as a natural biological organism that can often absorb and integrate resources. Robots like the Truss Link can 'provide a digital interface to the physical world, and give legs to AI,' according to a video produced by Columbia Engineering School. Integrated with AI, they possess great potential, experts believe. "Robot metabolism provides a digital interface to the physical world and allows AI to not only advance cognitively, but physically – creating an entirely new dimension of autonomy," said Wyder. The Truss Link could, in future, be used to help develop groundbreaking technologies spanning from marine research to rescue services to extraterrestrial life. Related Stanford engineers have taken a leaf out of nature's book to build this bird robot "Ultimately, it opens up the potential for a world where AI can build physical structures or robots just as it, today, writes or rearranges the words in your email," Wyder said. Programming robots has been a challenge for engineers; however, artificial intelligence is advancing developments in robotics. 'We now have the technology [AI] to make robots really programmable in a general-purpose way and make it so that normal people can programme them, not just specific robot programming engineers," Rev Lebaredian, vice president of Omniverse and simulation technology at Nvidia, told Euronews Next in May.
Euronews
a day ago
- Science
- Euronews
This cannibal robot can grow and heal by eating other robots
This robot is not the first transformer mechanism revealed to the public, but the way it transforms is certainly novel – it grows and heals by consuming other robots. Researchers from Columbia University in the United States have developed a robot, called the Truss Link, that can detect and merge with pieces of robots nearby to fill in missing parts. "True autonomy means robots must not only think for themselves but also physically sustain themselves," Philippe Martin Wyder, lead author and researcher at Columbia Engineering and the University of Washington, wrote in a statement. Made with magnetic sticks, the Truss Link can expand or transform from a flat shape to a 3D structure to adapt to the environment. It can also add new bits from other robots or discard old parts that are not functional anymore to increase its performance. In a video posted by the team, the robot merges with a piece nearby and uses it as a walking stick to increase its speed by more than 50 per cent. 'Gives legs to AI' Researchers named the process in which the robot self-assembles bits of other robots 'robot metabolism'. It is described as a natural biological organism that can often absorb and integrate resources. Robots like the Truss Link can 'provide a digital interface to the physical world, and give legs to AI,' according to a video produced by Columbia Engineering School. Integrated with AI, they possess great potential, experts believe. "Robot metabolism provides a digital interface to the physical world and allows AI to not only advance cognitively, but physically – creating an entirely new dimension of autonomy," said Wyder. The Truss Link could, in future, be used to help develop groundbreaking technologies spanning from marine research to rescue services to extraterrestrial life. "Ultimately, it opens up the potential for a world where AI can build physical structures or robots just as it, today, writes or rearranges the words in your email," Wyder said. Programming robots has been a challenge for engineers; however, artificial intelligence is advancing developments in robotics. 'We now have the technology [AI] to make robots really programmable in a general-purpose way and make it so that normal people can programme them, not just specific robot programming engineers," Rev Lebaredian, vice president of Omniverse and simulation technology at Nvidia, told Euronews Next in May.
Geek Wire
2 days ago
- Health
- Geek Wire
AI model from Microsoft and UW maps out breast cancer in MRIs with unprecedented accuracy
An AI model from researchers at the University of Washington, Microsoft's AI for Good Lab, and Fred Hutchinson Cancer Center creates heatmaps highlighting areas of concern on breast MRI scans. The top row is the original MRI. The second row shows the results from the new tool, compared to other models. (Figure from Oviedo et al in Radiology). New research shows how AI technology can spot breast cancer in MRI scans more accurately than current digital methods, while also pinpointing exactly where suspicious tissue is located — a breakthrough that could make the sensitive screening tool available to more women. The system takes a novel approach by learning what normal breast tissue looks like, then flagging anything unusual, which is the opposite of how cancer-detection AI has typically been built. When it identifies potential cancer, it creates a visual heatmap showing radiologists precisely where to look. Researchers with the University of Washington, Microsoft's AI for Good Lab, and Seattle's Fred Hutchinson Cancer Center were the lead collaborators on the study. Their results were recently published in Radiology, a journal of the Radiological Society of North America. They trained their AI model on roughly 9,500 MRIs collected at the UW between 2005 and 2022. The innovation could help expand access to breast MRI screening, which is more sensitive than mammography but currently limited primarily to high-risk patients due to cost and efficiency concerns. 'We're hoping to be able to offer breast MRI to more women than we do nowadays because it is a really sensitive breast screening tool,' said Savannah Partridge, a UW professor of radiology. 'But to do that, we're looking at how do we scale?' The strategy for building the model flipped the traditional approach on its head. Instead of learning to detect scans that are positive for cancer, the model was trained to recognize normal, or benign, images and then flag MRIs that included abnormal cells. The approach, called 'anomaly detection,' makes sense given that researchers have many more non-cancerous images than those showing disease, said Partridge, 'so we're able to leverage our data more efficiently.' An essential feature of the new tool is that it creates a heatmap overlaying the image, visually highlighting the area of concern. Other technologies sometimes indicate only whether cancer was detected in an MRI, but not precisely where it was found. 'Our model provides an understandable, pixel-level explanation of what's abnormal in a breast,' said Felipe Oviedo, a senior research analyst at Microsoft's AI for Good Lab, in a statement. The AI analysis could help radiologists prioritize cases that need quicker attention, guide providers in additional imaging, or indicate an area that requires a biopsy. The tool is not ready for use in clinical settings. Researchers are planning additional studies to see how the technology performs against radiologists reviewing the same images to better understand its benefits. Partridge, who is the UW's research director of breast imaging and the past associate director of cancer imaging at Fred Hutch, said the collaboration with Microsoft gave her the chance to be closely involved with the creation of the algorithm, providing insight into how it was built and behaved. Still, Partridge wants to proceed with caution when adopting AI for healthcare, ensuring that any clinical tool provides trustworthy, useful information that supports radiologists, rather than complicating their work. 'It's not do you use [AI], or do you not, but how do you use it?' she said. 'How do you use it appropriately and safely?' Additional authors of the study, which was titled 'Cancer Detection in Breast MRI Screening via Explainable AI Anomaly Detection,' are Anum Kazerouni, Philipp Liznerski, Yixi Xu, Michael Hirano, Robert Vandermeulen, Marius Kloft, Elyse Blum, Adam Alessio, Christopher Li, William Weeks, Rahul Dodhia, Juan Lavista Ferres and Habib Rahbar. Their affiliations include the UW, Microsoft, Fred Hutch, Michigan State University, University of Kaiserslautern-Landau, Berlin Institute for the Foundations of Learning and Data, and Technical University of Berlin.
Daily Mail
2 days ago
- Health
- Daily Mail
Breakthrough for MALE birth control pill: Experimental hormone–free tablet passes its first safety test in men
For decades, the responsibility of taking a birth control pill has been placed firmly on the shoulders of women. But that could soon change – as an experimental pill for men that works by blocking sperm production has just passed its first safety test in humans. The hormone–free contraceptive tablet, called YCT–529, has already been found to prevent 99 per cent of pregnancies during experiments in mice. It works by blocking access to vitamin A in the testes, preventing sperm production without affecting testosterone levels – meaning libido is not impacted. The male pill, which experts hope will be available this decade, is the only one currently being tested in humans. For the latest trial, researchers recruited 16 men who were put on different doses of the pill across several days. Instead of testing how effective it was in humans – all of the men had undergone vasectomies – the aim was to discover if there were any side–effects. Analysis revealed there were no concerning changes in heart rate, hormone function, inflammation, mood or sexual function. Next, the team will test the pill in larger trials that will look at how effective it is in preventing sperm production in humans. The results of the safety trial, published in the journal Communications Medicine, are a critical first step toward getting the pill approved, experts said. 'We really need more reversible contraceptive methods for men,' Dr Stephanie Page, an endocrinologist at the University of Washington School of Medicine and who wasn't involved in the study, told Scientific American. Currently, the other male birth control options are vasectomies – a surgical procedure that involves cutting and sealing the tubes that carry sperm from the testicles – or condoms. Vasectomies, also known as 'the snip', can be reversed but the success rate of reversal procedures vary widely. Earlier tests in male primates also found the drug lowered sperm counts within just two weeks. Crucially, both mice and non–human primates fully regained fertility after stopping the drug and no side effects were detected in either species. Mice regained fertility within six weeks, while non–human primates fully recovered their sperm count in 10 to 15 weeks. How does it work? Researchers have understood for decades that vitamin A is essential for male fertility. YCT–529 is a retinoic acid receptor–alpha (RAR–a) inhibitor that prevents production of sperm cells in the testes as well as their release. It does this by blocking RAR–alpha – one of three nuclear receptors that bind retinoic acid, a form of vitamin A. YCT–529 is being worked on as part of a collaboration between University of Minnesota College of Pharmacy, Columbia University in New York and San Francisco–based firm YourChoice Therapeutics. 'A safe and effective male pill will provide more options to couples for birth control,' Gunda Georg, chemist and pharmacist at the University of Minnesota, said earlier this year. 'It will allow a more equitable sharing of responsibility for family planning and provide reproductive autonomy for men.' Both the animal studies and the human trial results suggest that the approved pill would likely be taken once a day, but further trials will confirm that dosing. 'The positive results from this first clinical trial laid the groundwork for a second trial, where men receive YCT–529 for 28 days and 90 days, to study safety and changes in sperm parameters,' the study authors wrote in their paper, published in the journal Communications Medicine. Currently, around a quarter of women who use contraception take an oral birth control pill, but there are no equivalent methods available for men. If the male pill proves to be as effective in humans as it is in mice, it would be on a par with the female birth control medication. Lead author and YourChoice Therapeutics' Chief Science Officer Nadja Mannowetz said: 'A peer–reviewed publication for our first–in–human study reinforces YCT–529's strong safety profile. 'It also shows "the Pill for men" had no effect on sexual desire or mood.' Nearly half of all pregnancies globally are unintended, suggesting an urgent need for more male contraceptive options. There is also high demand for new methods. A recent study showed men are very interested in using new male contraceptive options and women are confident they'll take them correctly. 'Studies and surveys continue to show that men want to share the burden of pregnancy prevention with their partners,' Akash Bakshi, CEO of YourChoice Therapeutics, said. 'But they have just one non–permanent contraceptive option—condoms—and it's 170 years old. Innovation is long overdue. 'Data show men favour an oral contraceptive and one that's hormone–free, positioning YCT–529 as potentially transformative for a healthcare segment that's been stagnant for more than a century and a half.' Women have several birth control options available including short–term rapid methods like birth control pills and patches and a contraceptive cap or diaphragm. They also have long–term options such as implants, which produce hormones that stop the release of an egg. Some opt for an intrauterine device – a T–shaped device placed into the uterus to prevent an egg from implanting. The birth control pill or patches are about 93 per cent effective at preventing pregnancies. However long–term devices like the intrauterine device are more than 99 per cent effective. There have been few changes in male contraception compared with the range of options available to women. Although there's ongoing research into a male contraceptive pill, there is not one available yet. At the moment, the 2 contraceptive methods available to men are: Condoms – a barrier form of contraception that stops sperm from reaching and fertilizing an egg Vasectomy – a minor, usually permanent, surgical procedure that stops sperm from reaching the semen ejaculated from the penis The withdrawal method of taking your penis out of your partner's vagina before ejaculating is not a method of contraception. This is because sperm can be released before ejaculation and cause pregnancy.
France 24
2 days ago
- Business
- France 24
South Korea sees record birth rate growth for Jan-May
The country has one of the world's longest life expectancies and lowest birth rates -- a combination that presents a looming demographic challenge. Seoul has poured billions of dollars into efforts to encourage women to have more children and maintain population stability. "The number of newborns for the January–May period stood at 106,048, a 6.9 percent increase, the highest growth rate since such data collection began in 1981," said Kang hyun-young from Statistics Korea. The surge follows South Korea's first annual increase in the number of births in more than a decade, driven by a rise in marriages. In 2024, the number of newborns rose by 8,300, or 3.6 percent, to 238,300 from the previous year. April in particular saw a spike, with year-on-year growth reaching 8.7 percent and the number of births totalling 20,717 that month. The latest figure marks a sharp turnaround from early 2024, when the number of births for the January–May period dropped by 2.7 percent from the previous year. The fertility rate, or the average number of babies a woman is expected to have in her lifetime, for May stood at 0.75. The country needs a fertility rate of 2.1 children in order to maintain the country's population of 51 million. At current rates, the population will nearly halve to 26.8 million by 2100, according to the Institute for Health Metrics and Evaluation at the University of Washington in Seattle. Marriage correlation The increase is attributable "to a rise in the number of women in their early 30s, leading to an overall increase in marriages", Kang told AFP. "In South Korea, there is a strong correlation between marriage and childbirth, which has driven the increase in births during the first five months," she added. In 2024, the country saw a 14.8 percent on-year increase in the number of marriages, with more than 220,000 couples tying the knot. Many government benefits designed to support child-rearing do not cover parents who are not legally married. Analysts say there are multiple reasons for the low birth rate, from high child-rearing costs and property prices to a notoriously competitive society that makes well-paid jobs difficult to secure. The double burden for working mothers of managing the brunt of household chores and childcare while also maintaining their careers is another key factor, they say. In a bid to reverse the trend, the South Korean government offers cash subsidies, babysitting services, and support for infertility treatment. Neighbouring Japan is grappling with the same issue -- it has the world's second-oldest population after Monaco, and the country's relatively strict immigration rules mean it faces growing labour shortages.
