A.I. translation tool sheds light on the secret language of mice:
"Neurosciences at the University Of Delaware have taken a big leap forward in decoding sounds made by one special animal. What animal is it you may ask? The mouse. To study the mouse vocalizations, the team has gathered data as groups of four mice, two males and two females. In total, the researchers recorded encounters between a total of 44 mice. Starting with the enormous amounts of ensuing video and audio data, the researchers then used machine learning A.I. to develop a system that’s able to connect specific sounds with distinct animal behaviors. 'To link mouse vocalizations to specific actions, we needed multiple technological advances,' University of Delaware neuroscientist Joshua Neunuebel told Digital Trends. 'First, we need to assign specific vocalizations to individual mice. To do this, we developed a sound source localization system that simultaneously recorded mouse ultrasonic vocalizations on eight different microphones, as well as the position of the mice with a camera. The combination of microphones and camera allowed the team to estimate the location of where a particular vocal signal was emitted and then assign the signal to a specific mouse. Once they were able to do that, they were able to categorize them. "
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An origami design helps this robot lift delicate and heavy cargo:
"A new robotic gripper is a strong “hand” with a soft touch.
The bell-shaped gripper has a silicone rubber skeleton with an intricate origami design, wrapped in an airtight, latex rubber skin. When a vacuum sucks air out of the gripper, the skin constricts, forcing the origami skeleton to collapse into a narrow funnel. The bunched-up gripper’s ridged interior and rough latex skin help it keep ahold of objects.
Shuguang Li, a roboticist at Harvard University and MIT, and colleagues plan to present this device at the International Conference on Robotics and Automation in Montreal in May.
In lab experiments, the soft gripper picked up household objects of various sizes and shapes, successfully glomming onto a smartphone and the handle of a mug, among other things. Whereas rigid robotic hands lack dexterity and might be liable to crush delicate objects, this rubber gripper gently handles fragile items such as soft fruits and wine glasses.
And unlike other soft robotic hands, which struggle to lift heavy cargo, this device could lift up to about 12 kilograms — more than 120 times its own weight (SN: 9/16/17, p. 8). That ability allowed the gripper to hoist an electric drill and a full bottle of wine. Such a versatile gripping machine could one day work on a factory assembly line or lend a hand around the house."
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Young emperor penguins brave icy, winter waters in their first year"Only months after their first ocean swim, young emperor penguins are braving Antarctica’s treacherous winter seas. GPS trackers strapped to 15 young penguins showed the birds venturing north to warmer waters beyond Antarctica’s pack ice in December 2013, and returning a few months later as the waters chilled.That finding surprised some scientists, who thought the inexperienced juveniles might play it safe closer to the Antarctic sea ice’s edge rather than risk freezing or drowning in the choppy open sea. After all, “they just learned how to dive a few months beforehand,” says marine ecologist Sara Labrousse at the Woods Hole Oceanographic Institute in Massachusetts.
But within a few weeks of being on their own, at around 5 months old, these plucky penguins were already diving to depths of around 100 meters, like adult penguins do, the researchers report January 17 in Marine Ecology Progress Series. That’s just after they had shed their fluffy down, and before they had built up an insulating fat layer. "
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A four-legged robot hints at how ancient tetrapods walked

"Scientists care about how O. pabsti might have moved because the animal was one of the earliest amniotes, a group that arose around 350 million years ago and includes both reptiles and mammals. Unlike amphibians, which have aquatic young, amniotes can live entirely on land. Protective membranes surrounding embryos allow amniotes to bypass a tadpole-type life stage in water: Reptile (including bird) eggs can be laid on land in nests; mammal embryos stay within the mother." 
"Using computer simulations, re-created skeletons, fossil trackways and a walking robot dubbed the OroBOT, scientists found that this ancient four-footed creature had a surprisingly efficient gait. The result suggests that developing a more advanced way of walking may not have been as closely linked to the later diversification of tetrapods as once thought, the researchers report January 17 in Nature...."

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A preview of the different technology that is being researched at NASA Glenn Research Center.

​Today is Tenacious Tuesday

On December 8th our FLL team (the HyperFlashes) competed at Avon Middle School. This was the very first competition and they did amazing. Our team was there to support them and were able to witness them win their first award.
They won the CORE values award. This award showcased how close they are as a team. they showed the judges what teamwork and FIRST meant to them.