Professors lead Purdue in astronomy project in hopes to define dark energy

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Two Purdue professors have been developing what could be a defining moment for dark matter and space studies.

Since 2007, Purdue has been a part of the Large Synoptic Survey Telescope (LSST) project as an institutional member. The project plans to build the biggest astronomical camera ever made, unlocking the sight of many galaxies in deep space. Purdues team, made up of physics professor Wei Cui and associate professor John Peterson, has been contributing to the project.

The LSST project has been under the spotlight for several decades, but with the recent approval of a $473 million budget by the National Science Foundation, the project has taken off. The budget covers the construction of the LSST, which will be constructed on a mountain in Chile. Along with the telescope, other surrounding facilities will be built, such as a data center that will transfer data to the National Center for Supercomputing Application at the University of Illinois at Urbana Champaign.

Purdue contributes a vital key to the project by providing the Photon Simulator, a software that creates images of what the completed LSST might see. The simulator, also known as PhoSim, takes atmospheric, camera and telescopic values into account, making the images as realistic as possible.

We really have to design the software very well to be able to analyze all those images and make those measurements, said Peterson. So thats what these practice (PhoSim) images are used for.

According to Peterson, the telescope will take 10 years before it completes its full 120 petabyte image about 30 terabytes per night.

Its the product of the field of view and the size of the mirror that gives the big survey, Peterson said.

Since Purdue joined LSST seven years ago, Peterson, Cui and their students have had many opportunities to give input for the project with the help of the University.

Purdue has been very supportive at different levels, said Cui. The student involvement has been very successful and helpful. Without these two things, itll be difficult.

Both Peterson and Cui are always looking for undergraduate, graduate and post-doctorate students to participate in the worldwide project.

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Professors lead Purdue in astronomy project in hopes to define dark energy

Artificial Intelligence – Autonomous Rover 4WD with Raspberry, only one webcam and obstacles – Video

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Artificial Intelligence - Autonomous Rover 4WD with Raspberry, only one webcam and obstacles
This is an Artificial Intelligence project with Rover 4WD and Raspberry. The Rover is programmed to bypass obstacles and reach the parking, using only one camera and no proximity sensor. ...

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Artificial Intelligence - Autonomous Rover 4WD with Raspberry, only one webcam and obstacles - Video

Will future fighter jets be flown by ROBOTS?

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The Pentagon in Virginia is planning to introduce artificial intelligence to a future generation of fighter jets The plan is to use AI as co-pilots to humans and to help with sensory data and possibly with landings on aircraft carriers Such technology may be used in the US Navy's upcoming F/A-XX jet And it may also feature in the US Air Force's F-X fighter jet Both are being designed to enter operation by 2030 at the earliest

By Jonathan O'Callaghan for MailOnline

Published: 12:17 EST, 4 September 2014 | Updated: 15:44 EST, 4 September 2014

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Who will be flying the military aircraft of tomorrow? According to the Pentagon, it may partially fall in the hands of artificial intelligence (AI).

Reports say that both the US Navy and Air Force are planning next-generation fighters that don't have just a human pilot.

Future fighter jets may have an AI co-pilot on board that can help with sensory data in addition to autonomously landing the plane on an aircraft carrier.

Scroll down to watch an autonomous aircraft dodge a missile

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Will future fighter jets be flown by ROBOTS?

Harvard & Cornell researchers develop untethered, autonomous soft robot

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PUBLIC RELEASE DATE:

4-Sep-2014

Contact: Kathryn Ryan kryan@liebertpub.com 914-740-2100 Mary Ann Liebert, Inc./Genetic Engineering News

New Rochelle, NY, September 4, 2014--Imagine a non-rigid, shape-changing robot that walks on four "legs," can operate without the constraints of a tether, and can function in a snowstorm, move through puddles of water, and even withstand limited exposure to flames. Harvard advanced materials chemist George Whitesides, PhD and colleagues describe the mobile, autonomous robot they have created in Soft Robotics, a peer-reviewed journal from Mary Ann Liebert, Inc., publishers. The article is available on the Soft Robotics website.

In "A Resilient, Untethered Soft Robot," Michael Tolley, PhD and a multidisciplinary team of coauthors from the School of Engineering and Applied Sciences, Wyss Institute for Biologically Inspired Engineering, and Department of Chemistry and Chemical Biology, at Harvard University (Cambridge, MA), and the School of Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering at Cornell University (Ithaca, NY), detail the innovative composite materials, design features, and fabrication methods they used to develop a soft robot capable of functioning for several hours using a battery pack or for longer periods with a light-weight electrical tether, and able to carry payloads of up to 8 kg.

"This paper marks the emergence of soft robot technology from the research lab into the real world," says Editor-in-Chief Barry A. Trimmer, PhD, who directs the Neuromechanics and Biomimetic Devices Laboratory at Tufts University (Medford, MA).

###

About the Journal

Soft Robotics, a peer-reviewed journal published quarterly online with Open Access options and in print, combines advances in biomedical engineering, biomechanics, mathematical modeling, biopolymer chemistry, computer science, and tissue engineering to present new approaches to the creation of robotic technology and devices that can undergo dramatic changes in shape and size in order to adapt to various environments. Led by Editor-in-Chief Barry A. Trimmer, PhD and a distinguished team of Associate Editors, the Journal provides the latest research and developments on topics such as soft material creation, characterization, and modeling; flexible and degradable electronics; soft actuators and sensors; control and simulation of highly deformable structures; biomechanics and control of soft animals and tissues; biohybrid devices and living machines; and design and fabrication of conformable machines. Tables of content and a sample issue can be viewed on the Soft Robotics website.

About the Publisher

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Harvard & Cornell researchers develop untethered, autonomous soft robot

Clara Maass in Belleville names new Behavioral Health director

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Clara Maass Medical Center has announced Randi Hershkowitz, RN-BC, BSN as program director of Behavioral Health Services.

A registered nurse certified in psychiatric and mental health, Hershkowitz will be an integral part of the hospitals multidisciplinary treatment teams and will help carefully develop strategies, interventions and support systems to best meet the needs of each patient.

"Clara Maass Medical Center is excited to welcome Randi as the new program director for Behavioral Health Services. Her wealth of knowledge in the field and past experiences will be an asset for Clara Maass and the patients we serve," said Mary Ellen Clyne, Ph.D., president and chief executive officer, Clara Maass Medical Center.

Hershkowitz has experience working in a variety of behavioral health care settings with a range of patients, including providing child/adolescent psychiatric care, managing psychiatric nursing departments, and supervising staff.

Prior to joining Clara Maass, Hershkowitz served as program director for Psychiatry and Behavioral Health at Care Point Health at Christ Hospital in Jersey City, where she was responsible for all levels of programming and ensuring the program adhered to state regulations and other compliances for inpatient psychiatry, outpatient psychiatry clinic, and affiliated emergency services. She also was responsible for multiple psychiatric grants.

Hershkowitz earned a bachelor of science in nursing from the State University of New York at Binghamton.

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Clara Maass in Belleville names new Behavioral Health director

Stopping Nato and the spread of war in Ukraine and beyond – Video

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Stopping Nato and the spread of war in Ukraine and beyond
Stop the War #39;s John Rees on why Nato -- on the coat tails of the United States -- is such a threat to peace and how we can mobilise to stop the relentless drive for more war in Ukraine, the...

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V-22 Osprey & Escort on route to NATO Summit 2014 – Flyover River Wye, Tintern – Video

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V-22 Osprey Escort on route to NATO Summit 2014 - Flyover River Wye, Tintern
We get a lot of military aircraft flyovers here, being close to hereford etc. But today we had an actual V-22 Osprey along with a load of helicopters fly over in a group. Almost as if the helicopte...

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V-22 Osprey & Escort on route to NATO Summit 2014 - Flyover River Wye, Tintern - Video