MIT researchers have developed a type of neural network that learns on the job, not just during its training phase. These flexible algorithms, dubbed “liquid” networks, change their underlying equations to continuously adapt to new data inputs. The advance could aid decision making based on data streams that change over time, including those involved in medical diagnosis and autonomous driving.

The Toyota Research Institute (TRI) announced that it will be extending its AI research collaboration with MIT. TRI, which also has existing relationships with Stanford and the University of Michigan, has selected 13 additional academic institutions to participate in the next five-year phase of its research initiative.

While autonomous cars have gained swift momentum since Leonardo da Vinci’s self-propelled cart circa 1500, the thought of going completely hands-free still feels slightly supernatural. These four-wheelers of the future use a combination of GPS for calculating longitude, latitude, speed, and course to navigate, LiDAR technologies, which use laser light pulses that map surroundings, and machine learning to see and understand -- but to what degree depends on the level of autonomy.  

In an update to a five-year project from CSAIL and the Senseable City Lab, researchers have been developing the world's first fleet of autonomous boats for the City of Amsterdam, the Netherlands, and have recently added a new, larger vessel to the group: “Roboat II.”

John Leonard's research addresses navigation and mapping for autonomous mobile robots operating in challenging environments. 

In the era of social distancing, the rapid shift to virtual communication may be leaving some gaps in our connections to each other, especially when we are so used to meeting regularly face-to-face. Isolation, though necessary right now, can take a toll on our mental health.

In our current and evolving circumstances surrounding the novel coronavirus outbreak, we are advised to avoid sharing rides with other passengers as part of the effort to slow the spread of the disease. As in other markets, these necessary practices are impacting the shared transportation industry. But some businesses are rising to the challenge and rethinking how they use their existing ride-sharing technology to help during the crisis.

The American Academy of Arts and Sciences (AAAS) announced that MIT professors Ronitt Rubinfeld and Joshua Tenenbaum were among their new 2020 members. The new class of more than 250 members recognizes the outstanding achievements of individuals in academia, the arts, business, government, and public affairs.