Rerouting Robots
Researchers from MIT and the tech firm Symbotic have developed a new method that automatically keeps a fleet of robots moving smoothly. Their method learns which robots should go first at each moment, based on how congestion is forming, and adapts to prioritize robots that are about to get stuck. In this way, the system can reroute robots in advance to avoid bottlenecks. The hybrid system utilizes deep reinforcement learning, a powerful artificial intelligence method for solving complex problems, to figure out which robots should be prioritized. Then, a fast and reliable planning algorithm feeds instructions to the robots, enabling them to respond rapidly in constantly changing conditions. In simulations inspired by actual e-commerce warehouse layouts, this new approach achieved about a 25 percent gain in throughput over other methods. Importantly, the system can quickly adapt to new environments with different quantities of robots or varied warehouse layouts.
Contact: Melanie Grados
617-253-1682
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Entangled Materials
A tightly packed ball of office staples can be surprisingly strong. Try to pull it apart and the tangled metal resists like a solid object. But with the right movement or vibration, that same bundle can quickly fall back into loose pieces. A team of engineers and materials scientists in the Paul M. Rady Department of Mechanical Engineering at CU Boulder are exploring how this rare combination of strength and flexibility could inspire a new class of materials built on interlocking particles. By mimicking the way staples lock together and release, these emerging materials could one day form structures that are strong, adaptable, and even recyclable. The group believes that one day, large buildings and structures like bridges can be designed using entangled materials, allowing them to be disassembled when no longer needed or even fully recycled. Or maybe entangled materials can make their way into the world’s next great robotic systems.
Contact: Lisa Marshall
303-492-3115
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DC-DC Step-Down Converter
In an effort to meet the rising energy demands of data centers, engineers at the University of California San Diego have developed a new chip design that could improve how GPUs convert and manage power. The technology demonstrates a more efficient way to perform a critical task in electronics: converting high voltages into lower levels required by computing hardware. In lab tests, a prototype chip performed the type of voltage conversion used in modern data centers with high efficiency. The chip design offers a new approach to improving the performance of a circuit component known as a DC-DC step-down converter, which is found in nearly all electronics. The converter acts as a protective bridge between power sources and sensitive circuits. It transforms a high input voltage into the lower voltage each component in the circuit precisely needs to operate safely. Although the technology is still in its early stages, the researchers say it represents an important step toward overcoming the limitations of today’s power converters.
