Using a technique much like inkjet printing, engineers have created high-resolution patterns of quantum dots. The research was led by full-time faculty member John Rogers, of the 3D Micro- and Nanosystems Group.
Research from a collaboration between the University of Pennsylvania, UC Berkeley, and Beckman affiliate faculty member Moonsub Shim at Illinois demonstrated a new way to change the amount of electrons that reside in a given region within a piece of graphene, providing the fundamental building blocks for semiconductor devices to use graphene.
The internal camera of a smartphone can function as a high-resolution laboratory spectrometer to provide measurements that match the sensitivity performance of laboratory instruments for popular analytic tests used in medical diagnostics, food safety, and other applications. This research was led by Brian Cunningham of the Nanoelectronics and Nanomaterials Group.
INSIGHT, a multidisciplinary study to determine what kind of training best improves adaptive reasoning and fluid intelligence, has entered the second phase of the project with funding totaling $13.1 million from the Intelligence Advanced Research Projects Activity (IARPA), under the Office of the Director of National Intelligence.
Beckman part-time faculty member Kiel Christianson discusses how and why footballs can become deflated on ESPN, in response to the recent NFL controversy.
With new software developed at the University of Illinois, led by Beckman part-time faculty member Dan Roth, machines can learn to understand mathematical reasoning expressed in language, which could greatly improve search engines and access to data as well as boost mathematics education.
Neil Krueger (3D Micro- and Nanosystems), Giang-Chau Ngo (Bioimaging/Human Perception and Performance), and Itamar Livnat (NeuroTech) will present on Wednesday, February 4 at noon in Beckman room 1005 as part of the Graduate Student Seminars. Lunch will be served.
In order to monitor construction sites for progress and continuous performance data, a team of researchers, including Timothy Bretl of the Artificial Intelligence Group and Derek Hoiem of the Human Perception and Performance Group, are developing quadcopters, small aerial robots with four propellers, that will be computer-controlled to fully automate the data collection and the analysis and reporting of progress information on the construction site.
After working as head scientist for Oculus VR, the maker of a virtual reality gaming headset called Oculus Rift, Beckman affiliate Steve Lavalle is now splitting his time between the Oculus Rift and Illinois. He is teaching a course in virtual reality this semester.
A host of research, conducted by Beckman director Art Kramer, Beckman affiliate Charles Hillman, and Beckman postdoctoral researcher Agniezka Burzynska, finds that increased physical activity leads to many cognitive benefits, including better brain connectivity, enhanced cognitive function in children, and increased integrity of the brain’s white matter.
A 3D computerized avatar capable of showing emotion and a robotic forearm are two Illinois projects that received nearly $50,000 in funding for their innovations in healthcare. Beckman full-time faculty member Thomas Huang and Beckman affiliate Elizabeth Hsiao-Wecksler were involved with these projects.
Eight faculty members from the Urbana-Champaign campus gave brief presentations to the University of Illinois Board of Trustees on their research and outreach activities. Beckman affiliate Matthew Wheeler researches reproductive biology, tissue engineering, and stem cells, and holds seven patents in stem cells, gene transfer, and transgenic livestock. His research led to the development of 3D airway splints for infants with tracheobronchomalacia and to bone replacement implants.
As a Beckman Institute original faculty member, Jean-Pierre Leburton has been a pioneer in using physics to develop devices with novel functionality and higher performances.
The first Director's Seminar of the semester on Jan. 29 will feature Ranxio (Frances) Wang, psychology professor and part-time faculty member of the Human Perception and Performance Group. The presentation will start at noon in Beckman room 1005, and lunch will be provided.
A trip to the CUBE, an immersive virtual reality environment at Beckman's Illinois Simulator Lab, inspired the dystopian world in Adam Sternbergh's new novel, Near Enemy.
John Rogers, of the 3D Micro- and Nanostructures Group, comments on a unique process for geometrically transforming two dimensional micro/nanostructures into extended 3D layouts by exploiting mechanics principles similar to those found in children's "pop-up" books.
Stroke victims could have more time to seek treatment that could reduce harmful effects on the brain, thanks to tiny particles of gelatin that could deliver the medication to the brain noninvasively. Researchers from Illinois and South Korea, led by Beckman affiliate Kyekyoon "Kevin" Kim, published details about the gelatin nanoparticles in the journal Drug Delivery and Translational Research.
Save the date for the biennial Beckman Open House, Friday, March 13 from 9 a.m. – 4 p.m., and Saturday, March 14 from 9 a.m. – 3 p.m. Held in conjunction with the Engineering Open House, the Beckman Institute Open House features exhibits highlighting the work taking place at one of the nation’s leading centers for interdisciplinary research. Schools, clubs, and other large groups are welcome. View the full list of exhibits.